Late January Banding 2010

It was cold on Saturday - at least for Southern California. We've had a lot of rain lately, so the canyon is getting green.
And the wildflowers are starting to bloom.


Bad focus on the lupine, but it is such a lovely flower I wanted to include it.

Lots of Anna's hummingbirds and Hermit Thrushes, but these two were the highlights for me:

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

And the always saucy Spotted Towhee

January 2010 Banding

It was one of those kind of winter days in Southern California, when it is so patently obvious why one would chose to live here.

We only netted 20 birds; the Audubon's Warbler was the majority of them.
I was so happy to be back banding - walking the trails, being outside, listening to the birds - that I forgot to take photos. It had been a long absence due to work and the holidays. More in a few weeks, barring unforeseen circumstances.