The Rogue Parrots Have Returned!

Nothing says "let the migrations begin" like the return of the wild oddities of Orange County. Usually, by 4:00 pm, every spring, I am serenaded by 4-8 Red-Crowned Parrots flying and squawking across the sky. Today, it was 8:00 am, me, coffee and blanket on the back porch, and three (weird they are usually in pairs) parrots landed on the agave stalk in my backyard. Beneath them, pecking in the grass, skittered two pairs of California Quail. Next to the quail hopped 3 Cheeto headed house finches. Behind the parrots, silhouetted against an overcast sky, flew a pair of Mallards, one Kingbird, and a Great White Egret. Lordy!

This morning felt like preparation for my big birding trip in April. When I will send my son to Spain for 10 days with family friends, and I send myself to the following of the migration of tons of birds on a birding trip from San Diego to Santa Barbara via the Sonoran desert (Anza-Borrego, Salton Sea, Joshua Tree, Morongo Valley).

Just a few birds I might get to see: the highly Endangered California Gnatcatcher, Cassin's Kingbird, Ca Thrasher, Wrentit, Bell's Sage Sparrow, Gray Vireo, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Rock and canyon wrens, Scott's Oriole, Black-throated Sparrow, Burrowing Owl, Crissal Thrasher, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, Inca Dove (a serious favorite), Vermillion and Brown-crested Flycatcher, Summer Tanager, Green-tailed towhee, White-headed Woodpecker, Sooty and pink-footed Shearwaters, and many more!

Wish me Luck!!

For more on the Parrots of OC: Click Here