Purple Stained Fingers

· Maine Event

Today was a slow day. We went on a nice walk over to the Vedanta Retreat Center. On the way is a gorgeous marsh that the birds like. We picked blackberries, and while we ate a few, we also brought some home for breakfast tomorrow.

Pine siskins are my favorite bird. They are nondescript, relatively plain, small brown birds. They don't live in the city, and it took me years to easily identify them. It's such a treat that they are everywhere here every day.

Then we came home and chilled out. Enjoyed a few hours of blue sky and sunshine.

Later we buzzed over to the Gospel Flats Farmstand for a few things. Made a nice dinner and went for our usual evening walk.

Too many people here on a Saturday for the owls. Though we did see the gray fox.

The wild world around us: Elephant seals were hunted to the brink of extinction before Mexico and the US banned hunting in 1922. An adult male has more than 25 gallons of oil. In the early 1970s, after 150 years, elephant seals returned to Point Reyes. There are approximately 4000 seals now. Most of their time is spent at sea, and 90 percent is underwater. They can dive up to 2,000 feet and stay under for nearly half an hour! Source and more info (plus cute pictures).

The Western or Gray Buckeye (Junonia grisea)
Backyard
Turkey Vulture
Osprey on its nest calling presumably for someone (anyone) to feed it
garden decoration ideas
Divide Meadow
Black Mountain has been eaten by fog

6:26 am – 8:04 pm, which is 13 hours and 38 minutes of daylight

The bird of the day is the Philadelphia Vireo

Here is a poem for you.

Love, Tawnia

Bird List: 46 species today

California Quail
Band-tailed Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Mourning Dove
Anna's Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Egret
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Red-shouldered Hawk
Swainson's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Belted Kingfisher
Acorn Woodpecker
Nuttall's Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Western Wood-Pewee
Western Flycatcher
Black Phoebe
Steller's Jay
California Scrub-Jay
American Crow
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Oak Titmouse
Purple Martin
Cliff Swallow
Bushtit
Wrentit
Pygmy Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Pacific Wren
Marsh Wren
American Robin
House Finch
Pine Siskin
Lesser Goldfinch
American Goldfinch
Field Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Song Sparrow
California Towhee
Spotted Towhee
Common Yellowthroat
Wilson's Warbler