othmanebe's Identifications

Cliff Swallows built mud nests under a neighbor's eaves. Since the Spreckles sugar plant across the river was dismantled, the swallows have had to relocate. It takes a lot of time and effort for a Swallow to collect wet mud in their small mouth and bring it back one mouthful at a time to build a large mud nest. Very impressive animal architecture!

Link to better closeup photo/observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/208965919

Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) is a fast-flying, migratory, highly social bird in the Swallows and Martins (Hirundinidae) family. They live in colonies and are best known for building mud nests, often on man-made structures.

The Cornell Lab: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Cliff_Swallow/
"Cliff Swallows often swarm around bridges and overpasses in summer, offering passers-by a chance to admire avian architecture and family life at once. Clusters of their intricate mud nests cling to vertical walls, and when a Cliff Swallow is home you can see its bright forehead glowing from the dim entrance. These common, sociable swallows are nearly always found in large groups, whether they’re chasing insects high above the ground, preening on perches, or dipping into a river for a bath."

E Bird: https://ebird.org/species/cliswa/
Cliff Swallow is a "compact swallow with a short, square tail. In flight, looks slightly less angular than other swallows, with more rounded wings. Note pale buffy-orange rump, which separates Cliff Swallow from most other swallows in this range. Also look for dark throat and pale forehead. Widespread and fairly common, especially in western North America. Breeds under bridges, eaves of buildings, overpasses, and culverts. Winters in South America. Before man-made structures, it built its jug-shaped mud nests on the sides of cliffs. However, the sides of barns and the supports of bridges provided sheltered sites that were far more widespread than the natural ones. Taking advantage of these artificial locations, the species has moved to many areas where it never nested before. Although it is continuing to spread in the east, it is still more common in the west, where practically every culvert and highway bridge seems to have its own Cliff Swallow colony."
E Bird: https://ebird.org/species/cliswa/

Audubon Guide to North American Birds https://www.audubon.org/bird-guide and https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/cliff-swallow

Bird songs and sound recordings from around the world https://xeno-canto.org/explore?query=Petrochelidon%20pyrrhonota

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BIRD (References in general):

The Cornell Lab (Birds in U.S. and Canada, includes Compare with Similiar Species) https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/

Xeno-canto: Bird songs, sound recordings, bird range and migration map: https://xeno-canto.org/about/xeno-canto

Audubon Guide to North American Birds https://www.audubon.org/bird-guide

Ebird with species description, range map and sound recordings: https://ebird.org/explore

National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, ed. Jon L. Dunn, 7th ed., 2017

National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of Western North America, ed. Jon L. Dunn, 2008

Monterey Birds, Don Roberson, 2nd ed. 2002, sponsored by Monterey Peninsula Audubon Society

Merlin Bird ID: How to use/get the portable App (Bird ID help for 8,500+ species) https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/

Comprehensive Feather I.D. tools and more: https://foundfeathers.org/resources/

Found Feathers (Worldwide): https://www.fws.gov/lab/featheratlas/idtool.php

A truly amazing encounter with one of the world's most enigmatic ungulates. When I first saw this Pygmy Hippo, it was resting on the ground a few meters off the trail, covered with sweat droplets. After about an hour of waiting, it got up and slowly walked through the forest. It did not appear to mind my presence.