Foggy mornings give way to sunny skies. Daylight hours are getting longer. Spring is in the air.

The Covid/political fog and darkness of January seems to be brightening, or at least I'm feeling more optimistic. Mom in NYC is doing well and has had her vaccines. My husband has had his first and is scheduled for his second. I am hoping to get my first one in March. I have started a to-do list for post-vaccine. A few trips are on the list, but so are some simple things like hugging people, going to lunch with friends, and carpooling with those also vaccinated.

In addition to my post-Covid list, I am keeping my bird lists. Many birders are list keepers. Most have a life-list of all the birds they have seen in their life, and are eager to add a new 'lifer'.  Some keep lists by state or county, such as a life-list in California or LA County. Seeing a 'lifer' gets harder without travel. Seeing a county lifer gets harder with experience, and one has to resort to 'chasing' a rare bird that turns up.  Then there are year-lists. Sometimes people just keep a year-list, sometimes by state or by county. Birders rush out in the beginning of the year to see all the usual birds and chase the rarities. Many people use eBird to record their bird lists, as do I. Here you can see how many birds you have seen compared with others and with yourself in prior years. This is where the friendly competition drives one to seek out new birds, places, and skills. I try not to let my competitive side drive out the joy of quiet contemplation of a gentle walk through a park. I do a little of each. I am letting my lists fill themselves out as time goes on, and not pursuing them with competitive gusto. My January 1st LB100 birding event starts my Los Angeles County year-list each year. A few birds I chased locally this month for my county year-list were a Black-throated Green Warbler, an American Redstart, a Tropical Kingbird, a Grasshopper Sparrow, and a Greater Pewee (which was also a lifer!). They were all within a reasonable radius of my home and two were in parks new to me, so worth the excursion. I have a greater appreciation of the movie "The Big Year". If you haven't seen it, it gives an idea of competitive birding and 'chasing' birds. 

Having spent almost all of last year within a very short radius of my home, I am ready for new adventures. I have decided that I will venture more into Orange County and slightly further afield to places I visit less frequently. I am seeking pretty places, less crowded, and places I feel relatively safe to let my mind wander as well as my feet. There are some places that are good for birds, but also are often accompanied by homeless encampments. Parts of the LA river are like that. Even when enticed by good birds, I find the experience less than enjoyable.

Some of the experiences I enjoyed this month have been watching some common characters. I watched an Anna's Hummingbird working on her nest. She repeatedly flew out to a nearby tree seeming to collect material (spider webs?) and go back to her nest. She would compact the outside with her bill and then stomp her feet and wiggle in the cup. Many birds are starting to collect nesting materials. This month was also filled with Eastern Fox squirrels hopped up on hormones. Their lives have been filled with food, frolick, and f-ing fun. They were not the only ones looking for love. A pair of Kestrels were caught in the act, as were a pair of Variegated Meadowhawk dragonflies.

My birding and observations on iNaturalist caught the attention of a reporter for a local newspaper. She interviewed me for an article on Pandemic Birding and featured eleven of my photographs.

I was inspired by a friend who was making kaleidoscope art from photographs. Hers were stunning and she spent a lot of time carefully creating them in photoshop. I didn't want to spend as much time, but found an app that let me do some more easily. I see the flaws, but still like some of the effect. Someday, with more patience, I may try the more detailed approach.

Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KimMooreNaturalist/

Watch the slideshows or click on the links to look through at your own pace. Links open in a new tab.

Enjoy the show! I always appreciate corrections to ID's.

Local Stuff:    https://kimssight.zenfolio.com/new_feb-2021

Kaleidoscope:    https://kimssight.zenfolio.com/kaleidoscope