Origins of the Ranch Part LII
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In Search of the Elusive Goatsucker: Birdwatching Over The Years At The Ranch
By Peter Jensen
Birdwatching at Rancho La Puerta has become a popular pastime, thanks to the leadership of guide Rob Larson as well as the many years when fitness instructor Joe Sweeney led the walks, his camera always at the ready.
Even longer ago, back in the 1980s, the de facto Ranch Naturalist was a fellow by the name of Jim Root (a good name for a natural history buff!). He compiled the following list back then, which we used for many years.
Here’s our challenge to all of you birdwatchers today, expert and wannabee’s: bring this almost-40-years-old list to the Ranch and see if you can spot a good number of these winged beauties today.
We’re convinced you will add significantly to your lists. Or start a new pastime. Despite the pressures of drought (alleviated by this winter’s deep, soaking storms), Rancho La Puerta has always been, and always will be, an oasis for migrating birds who like a little “spa-ing” during the long flight down the Pacific Flyway from the northern climes to Mexico, Central and South America.
Not to mention those species that stay year ‘round: after all, the weather’s great and the rent is low—they need only follow the local pecking order. Massages and facials, however, are not included.
VULTURES, HAWKS & EAGLES
Turkey Vulture
Cooper’s Hawk
Sharp-Shinned Hawk
Marsh Hawk
Red-Tailed Hawk
Red-Shouldered Hawk
Prairie Falcon*
American Kestrel
Black-Shouldered Kite
Golden Eagle
GAMEBIRDS
California Quail
Gambel’s Quail
HERONS & THEIR ALLIES
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Black-Crowned Night Heron
Green Heron
Snowy Egret
Wood Stork*
SHOREBIRDS & GULLS
Western Gull*
Killdeer
PIGEONS & DOVES
Rock Dove
Mourning Dove
White-Winged Dove
ROADRUNNER
Greater Roadrunner
OWLS
Burrowing Owl*
Great Horned Owl
Barn Owl
Western Screech-Owl*
GOATSUCKERS
Common Poorwill
Common Nighthawk
SWALLOWS
Cliff Swallow
Tree Swallow
HUMMINGBIRDS
Anna’s Hummingbird
Costa’s Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
Allen’s Hummingbird
Black-Chinned Hummingbird
Calliope Hummingbird
KINGFISHERS
Belted Kingfisher*
WOODPECKERS
Common Flicker (Red-Shafted)
Ladder-Backed Woodpecker
Nuttall’s Woodpecker
Acorn Woodpecker
Red-Breasted Sapsucker
Hairy Woodpecker*
Downy Woodpecker
KINGBIRDS, FLYCATCHERS & PHOEBES
Western Kingbird
Cassin’s Kingbird
Ash-Throated Flycatcher
Western Flycatcher
Black Phoebe
Say’s Phoebe
SWIFTS
White-Throated Swift
JAYS, CROWS & RAVENS
Scrub Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
CHICKADEES, TITMICE, BUSHTITS, WRENTITS & NUTHATCHES
Mountain Chickadee*
Plain Titmouse
Bushtit
Wrentit
White-Breasted Nuthatch*
WRENS
House Wren
Bewick’s Wren
Rock Wren
Winter Wren*
Cactus Wren*
Canyon Wren*
MOCKINGBIRDS & THRASHERS
Northern Mockingbird
California Thrasher
Crissal Thrasher
THRUSHES & BLUEBIRDS
American Robin
Hermit Thrush
Western Bluebird
Mountain Bluebird
KINGLETS & GNATCATCHERS
Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher
WAXWINGS & SILKY FLYCATCHERS
Cedar Waxwing
Phainopepla
SHRIKES
Loggerhead Shrike
STARLINGS, OLD WORLD SPARROWS
European Starling
House Sparrow
VIREOS & WARBLERS
Hutton’s Vireo
Audubon’s Warbler
Wilson’s Warbler
Orange-Crowned Warbler
Yellow Warbler
BLACKBIRDS & ORIOLES
Western Meadowlark
Red-Winged Blackbird
Brewer’s Blackbird
Borwn-Headed Cowbird
Hooded Oriole
Northern Oriole (Bullock’s Race)
Scott’s Oriole
Streak-Backed Oriole*
TANAGERS
Western Tanager
GROSBEAKS, BUNTINGS & FINCHES
Northern Cardinal*
Black-Headed Grosbeak
Blue Grosbeak*
Indigo Bunting
Lazuli Bunting
House Finch
Purple Finch
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
Lesser Goldfinch
Lawrence’s Goldfinch*
TOWHEES
Rufous-Sided Towhee
Brown Towhee
SPARROWS & JUNCOS
White-Crowned Sparrow
Black-Throated Sparrow
Rufous-Crowned Sparrow
Sage Sparrow
Black-Chinned Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Golden-Crowned Sparrow
Dark-Eyed Junco (Slate-Colored and Oregon Races)
*Indicates casual or infrequent