Pacific-slope Flycatcher

Last Friday, 9 August 2019, Erika and I watched a Pacific-slope Flycatcher bathe in the garden birdbath. The bird’s bathing strategy was unlike anything I have seen before. From a perch on a nearby garden trellis, the flycatcher  made repeated dives into the center of the birdbath. After belly-flopping into the water, the bird did not dally, but returned to its perch. There the bird shook off the water and preened, only to repeat the performance several times. Lowther et al. in The Birds of North America (2016) write that, in the ornithological literature, bathing has not been described for Western Flycatchers.

Pacific-slope Flycatcher

Another bird at the bird bath, although on 19 August 2020, several days after the birds in the previous few posts. This Pacific-slope Flycatcher is the second one I’ve seen bathing. The first was almost in the exact same location and nearly the same time of month as the first, about which I previously blogged. Both birds repeatedly dove at the birdbath, splashing into the water, and quickly flew to a nearby perch. You can see the result of these belly flops, evidenced by the flycatcher’s wet breast.

Pacific-slope Flycatcher

Perhaps the most interesting bird we photographed on 4 May 2019 at the Glacial Heritage Preserve was this Pacific-coast Flycatcher. This bird was not new for us, but was a first for our photographic efforts. Until 1989, ornithologists thought considered this bird to be a race of the Western Flycatcher. But then, due to their having different calls, measurements, and DNA patterns, these coastal birds were given species status. At the same time, Western Flycatchers in the interior Rockies were renamed as Cordilleran Flycatchers. The two new species very difficult to tell apart in the field, are mostly separated by range. Note the tear-shaped, white eye-ring, a field mark of the old “Western” Flycatcher. The habitat where we found this bird was also typical—stream-side, second-growth woodland. The species is also found in coniferous forests. We also heard this bird call, a wheezy, upward inflected whistle.

Pileated Woodpecker

This Pileated Woodpecker worked dead wood near the tip of a large tree at the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge on 8 November 2019. This species is found in Eastern North America, across Canada, and down the northern Rockies and the Pacific coast to central California. Erika commented that this bird seemed to be darker than the Pileated Woodpeckers we fed in our Minnesota backyard.

Despite its extensive range, only two races of Pileated Woodpeckers are recognized by ornithologists. Dryocopus pileatus pileatus is found in the southeastern United States. from Kansas to Maryland, south to the Florida Keys. Florida birds may be slightly darker than more northern ones. Northern and western birds, D. p. abieticola, are similar but slightly larger. Pileated Woodpeckers along the Pacific Slope often have relatively unbarred underparts, which would might account for Erika’s observation that our bird looked dark. Bull and Jackson (2011), however, note that over 50% of western birds have identical plumage to eastern ones and both eastern and western Pileated Woodpeckers are the same size.

Jesus Christ Lizard

Along the Villa Lapas streamside Common Basilisk lizards basked. These reptiles are found from Nicaragua to northern South America, usually near streams. In Costa Rica, most are found on the Pacific slope (which is where we were on 2 June 2017).

They are also known as Jesus Christ Lizards. When disturbed, they run on their hind legs across the water surface. They have flaps of skin on their hind toes, which maintain their buoyancy. The lizard also runs at about 5 mph, fast enough to keep from sinking. Old lizards are heavier than young ones, and often sink, after which they swim away from pursuers (Wikipedia).

Oak Titmouse

On our March road-trip, after leaving Morro Bay, we began to dodge stormy weather. During our visit to the Seal veiwing rest area described in my last few posts, we had to backtrack--the California Coast Road was blocked by landslides. The weather inland was balmy.

We found this Oak Titmouse at a picnic area along Lake Cachuma, northwest of Santa Barbara. These titmice mate for life, defend territories all year, and never make flocks as do other chickadees and titmice (Cicero 2000). They quickly responded to our squeaking noises.

Until recently, Oak and Juniper titmice were thought to be the same species, the Plain Titmouse. Recent genetic evidence concludes they are two species, with the Juniper Titmouse inhabiting dry interior junipers and the Oak Titmouse nesting in oaks and pines along the Pacific Slope of California.

Juniper Titmouse

The fourth titmouse species we listed during our winter trip was this Juniper Titmouse.  My photos are poor, the titmice did not pose very still for me, and these are the best I got. I will try to improve upon them the next time I am in the Southwest.

I lacked a photograph of the species, since, when I took photos of them before, they were of the Oak Titmosue, found in oak woodlands of the Pacific slope of California. Juniper Titmice are found in juniper and pinion-juniper woodlands in the interior of the Southwest. Recently the two populations, previously called Plain Titmice, have been declared to be separate species. 

Both species mate for life, and neither forms flocks as do other titmice. Both sexes hold year-round territories. They cache food, which is surprising in a non-flocking species. Males sing all year, though most intensely in the spring, and ususally defend their territories against other bird species (Cicero 2000).