Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Birds at the Alameda County Fair

Alameda County Fair small animals exhibit includes the following: ducks, peacocks, parakeets, doves, chickens, geese, parrolets, love birds, quail, finches, and swans. Wild owls live in the palm trees on the grounds.

My favorite was the parakeet exhibit with two green parakeets fighting over positioning on a ladder!

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Birds at Alameda County Fair

Looking for the bird display at the Alameda County Fair...I will check it out and post information here. They usually have parakeets, finches, canaries, chickens, and maybe some parrots.

One of the themes is "Pick Up Chicks" http://www.alamedacountyfair.com/2010fair/home/index.php

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Bird Watching on Sunday June 20 - Veterans Park in Livermore

Hosted by the Livermore Area Recreation and Park District ranger Patti Cole, we spent the evening viewing birds and a few mammals, too.

When the wild turkeys' calls changed abruptly we looked around for what might be causing the disturbance. Walking slowly near a barbeque pit was a beautiful bobcat. The cat crossed the open patio area, stopped to look at us all staring at him through binoculars, and slowly walked away. He was approximately 30 yards from the group.

When we returned to this same area from our walk, three turkeys were quietly roosting in the trees protecting their young under their wings.

Looking for summer birds in the evening, we found:

Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Wild Turkeys
American Kestrel
Anna's Hummingbird
Black Phoebe
American Crow
Scrub Jay
Brown Creeper
Bewick's Wren
House Wren
Dark-eyed Junco
Spotted Towhee

Along with the excitement of seeing the bobcat and the roosting turkeys, viewing a huge Great Blue Heron nest, complete with chicks was a highlight of the evening.

Future bird watching events will soon be posted on this blog. Until then, enjoy!

The Bat House Sale Continues at BirdLodges.com

Back by popular demand....low prices on Bat Houses at http://www.birdlodges.com/bat-houses.html

Bats love to eat insects and help keep the mosquito population under control.

Monday, June 14, 2010

Bats Love Insects! Great prices at BirdLodges.com on Bat Houses

It's almost summer and the bugs are here. Did you know bats can eat thousands of insects per night? Check out www.BirdLodges.com for great prices on Bat Houses.

Interesting interview with a bat: http://www.nps.gov/bibe/naturescience/interview_bat.htm

Sunday June 20 Bird Watching Walk

Return of the Summer Birds
Sunday, June 20 6:00 p.m.

It's summertime and the summer birds have returned. Join us for a walk in Veterans Park as we look for flycatchers, tanagers and any other wild birds in the park. For a change of pace we will be meeting at 6:00 p.m. instead of the usual early morning time. Bring binoculars and field guides if you have them, and some are available to lend for the program.

www.larpd.dst.ca.us LARPD is sponsoring this program
Livermore Area Park & Recreation District in California

Bat Mansion Bat House Sale

A great sale on Bat Mansion Bat Houses! Regularly priced at $70.00, on special for $64.50.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Monday, June 7, 2010

BirdLodges.com and Eco-Friendly Products

In addition to the sustainably grown eastern white pine products, BirdLodges.com also offers birdhouses made from “scraps.”

The “Unique Natural Bark Birdhouses” are made in Northern Michigan from items found in the forest. Formerly part of the living forest protecting woodland creatures, these tree branches, twigs and bark now have a new life as birdhouses.

No two of the birdhouses are alike because the building materials, while similar, give each birdhouse a unique look. Comical names, such as “Mother-In-Law” and “Condominium” also create a distinct personality when decorating your yard with birdhouses.

The Sunday Duckling Count

This week there were only three very young ducklings in the Arroyo Las Positas. Lots of adult ducks, one jackrabbit and two very vocal and close flying black-necked stilts. With the sun setting in the background the ducks were in silhouette on the water.