Ash Canyon - April 30, 2024

 For various reasons, I had been unable to get out on a birding trip for nearly two weeks, so it was great to finally get out there.  As I expected, a few more species have returned from migration. Three Oriole species, including both male and female for two of them, were the stars of the show, but both genders of Black-headed Grosbeak along with Brown-headed and Bronzed Cowbirds were also welcome additions.

Cowbirds have a unique practice you may not be aware of.  Rather than building her own nest, a female Cowbird will lay her eggs, up to three dozen per year, in the nests of other birds while they are unattended.  The surrogate bird usually seems unaware of the different eggs and will hatch and mother the Cowbird chicks, which usually hatch first.  The cowbird chick may even kill other chicks as they hatch.  When a surrogate mother is aware of a different egg in her nest, she may push it out.  In such cases, the female Cowbird who laid the egg has been  known to attack and destroy the other eggs in the nest.

House Sparrow (M)

House Sparrow (F)

Lesser Goldfinch (M)

Lesser Goldfinch (F)

Brown-headed Cowbird (M)

House Finch (M & F)

White-winged Dove

Bronzed Cowbird (F)

Bronzed Cowbird (F)

Spiny Lizard

Pine Siskin

Lark Sparrow

Bullock's Oriole (M)

Bullock's Oriole (F)

Scott's Oriole (F)

Black-headed Grosbeak (M)

Black-headed Grosbeak (F)

Canyon Towhee

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