#kissing all of my local birds on theirblittle heads. mwah.

[hal-o-ween]

Well, while we're all experiencing The Horrors, here is a post about some of my favorite local birds as a bit of relief <3 All pictures are from the Audobon and Merlin bird identification apps

First off is Chickadees! We have two kinds around here, Black-capped and Chestnut-backed:

[ID: First image is a black-capped chickadee facing left while perched on a thin branch amongst orange leaves. Second image is a chestnut-backed chickadee facing left while perched on a coniferous tree, holding a seed in its beak. End ID]

I always think of them as very brave and outspoken little birds. I've actually had a black-capped land on the scoop I use to fill my bird feeders so it could eat from it! It took me a while to notice we were actually getting two different kinds of Chickadee, rather than just seeing what I assumed was maybe subtle sexual dimorphism or breeding plumage. They're always the last bird to fly off as we approach them, and the first to come back once we leave. Chickadees are especially fun because they say their name; their call sounds like they're saying "chick-a-dee-dee-dee"!

Next up are the ""blue jays"", aka the two birds around here people often call blue jays, the Stellar's Jay and California Scrub Jay!

[ID: First image is a Stellar's jay perched on a branch. Its body is facing right, while it's head it turned to the left. Second image is a California Scrub Jay facing left and slightly towards the camera while perched on what appears to be the end of a broken branch. End ID]

Stellar's Jays are very vocal birds, and with their mohawks and dark colors, they'd be great in a metal band. I think they're absolutely beautiful, seeing their blue feathers in the sunlight is amazing. And they're smart! They're known to mimic hawk calls at times, possibly to scare off other birds. Hearing them do this is super cool.

The California Scrub Jay is also a very beautiful bird. I personally find them to be a bit less vocal than the Stellar's, and I always love the time of year when we have little families of them visiting our yard!

These next two are some of my favorite yard guests, the Mourning Dove and Band-tailed Pigeon!

[ID: First image is three Mourning Doves sitting in a cluster on a thin branch, with a bit of snow collected on the barren tree. Second image is two Band-tailed Pigeons sitting in a bird bath, their feathers slightly fluffed up. End ID]

Mourning Doves are named for their mournful calls, and it's truly a lovely sound to hear. For a while, we lived somewhere where every day there would be a whole flock of them near our house in the mornings, it was wonderful. One thing I love about them is that when they take off, their wings whistle! It makes them sound like squeaky toys!

Band-tailed Pigeons are large, I would say similar to Crows, and their call is deeper than the Mourning Doves. The back of their neck gets a bit of a metallic shine in the light. I've found them to be very skittish birds, but we're lucky enough to sometimes get a flock of over twenty in our yard! We've noticed that they send "scouts" to check our yard before the flock comes in. One or two show up alone for a minute, then the rest of the flock practically all fly in at once! And while Mourning Doves squeak when they take off, these guys sound like they're clapping!

Last will be the California Quail and Red-winged Blackbird!

[ID: First image is a California Quail digging through short, dry grass to forage, kicking up grass behind it in the process. Second image is of two male Red-winged Blackbirds. An adult male is perched on a bunch of yellow flowers, tilting his head back to look above him. Above him, a juvenile male is coming in for a landing. End ID]

California Quail are less frequent visitors to pur yard, but always a delight. The plumes on their heads bob as they walk, and watching them dig through the grass is so fun. I especially love when they start bringing their young to the yard. The father will always keep diligent watch while the young (up to thirteen of them!) and the mother eat. One year, we had three nesting pairs coming to our yard, and all of them had large clutches! I think the most Quail I was able to confidently count at once that year was 36. It felt nice knowing that they felt safe enough in our yard to bring their young like that.

Red-winged Blackbirds are a striking bird that I had never seen on our side of the mountains until moving here! The males are stunning, especially in flight, when the red and yellow on their shoulders is on full display. I also love listening to them. They have a distinct whistle sound, short and incredibly clear, like it somehow has better audio quality than the rest of the world. They also tend to come in flocks, and are a regular guest in our yard. I love seeing the young males start to get their black and red plumage, the in-between phase is rather pretty, with dark mottled browns and an emerging patch of red and yellow.

Honestly, I could say every bird I see around here is a favorite of mine. Watching them all, learning their unique habits, it's a wonderful way to feel connected to the world around you. I highly recommend getting to know your local birds, even a little bit. It brings a bit of joy to every outing.