passing overhead headed towards town.
Three turkeys hanging out near the road. On their way up into the brush.
This is the largest Manzanita I have ever seen. At least 40 years old as I am 46 and remember it as a young boy.
Inside of upper leg is black & white striped, lower leg is blue.
Best field mark is the small triangular black streaks on the side of the mid abdomen. This seperates it from the California/Aztec Dancer.
I'm trying to figure out if this Coot is an American Coot (Fulica americana) or other...
My husband and I heard a Common Poorwill calling at night in chamise-dominated chaparral along Pine Mountain Rd in southern Mendocino County (accessed from Cloverdale). We first heard it calling from quite a ways away (at least half a mile, as the crow flies) and were able to track it down to within 25m or so. It was calling pretty loudly below the road. Another could be heard calling in the distance, toward the north.
I've uploaded a video to YouTube at http://youtu.be/g274PF7l80M that captures the calls. You can't see the bird, but it should be good enough to confirm the id. The bird was close enough that we could hear a third syllable at the end of the call: "poor-will-ow". That's the first time I've ever heard that. You can just barely make it out in the video.
