Mindful Birding Missive: 15 October 2026
Dear Bird Friends,
 
Six people met at Spencer Spit State Park on a brilliant morning after early fog. Dark-eyed Junco and Bewick's Wren greeted us as we entered the forest and Pacific Wrens called from the undergrowth. The action and numbers were at the lagoon with Mallards - males with shimmering green heads, Northern Pintail females/immatures in tawny slenderness, big-bodied Canada Geese, and a lone male American Wigeon with a creamy forehead (their old name was "Baldpate" for this feature). Three female Northern Shovelers swept their spatulate bills back and forth through surface algae for aquatic invertebrates. A male Belted Kingfisher dove from a large piece of driftwood, flew with a fish to a sign pole, maneuvered it from cross-wise to head in, and slipped it down his throat. A flock of 9 churring Black Turnstones flew in to join the Short-billed Gulls (black wing tips, yellowish legs) and Glaucous-winged Gulls (all gray & white, no black, pink legs), scuffling with each other for favored foraging areas. Beyond them, Killdeer cried their name ("kill-deer" according to some) in high, plaintive voices.
 
Other birds observed: Great Blue Heron, Double-crested Cormorant, distant Bald Eagles.
 
The next walks will be on Tuesday, November 3 & Thursday, November 19. Outings are limited to 6 people for a quality experience, so please sign up early at the library or by emailing Beth@LopezLibrary.org
 
With gratitude and wonder for birds,
Beth

Recommended Resources
Among the Birds: Field Notes from Cascadia
by Lyanda Lynn Haupt

A delight for devoted birders, curious nature lovers, and casual backyard watchers alike, from two beloved local talents.
  • Fresh, experiential personal essays featuring more than 70 birds by a New York Times bestselling author
    Vibrant, colorful illustrations by an award-winning artist
    Accessible natural history with a focus on conservation

Join national bestselling author Lyanda Lynn Haupt on an enchanting journey through the avian world. In Among the Birds, Haupt moves intuitively from species to species, celebrating experience, memory, and the serendipity of daily life. Haupt's signature voice--curious and gently humorous--infuses each vignette with delight and insight. Blending personal observations with natural history, she offers a closer look at the captivating quirks and habits of birds such as Steller's Jay, Anna's Hummingbird, Merlin, Black Oystercatcher, American Dipper, Caspian Tern, and many more. Acclaimed artist Justin Gibbens's realistic yet whimsical illustrations complement each bird's distinct story and personality. Among the Birds sparks wonder and cultivates mindfulness compelling us all to care for the wild lives that thrive alongside us.
Cornell Lab's All About Birds

An amazing free resource from Cornell University. A field guide online plus articles, Live Cams, Courses, and more. Look up each bird we saw to see multiple photos of each species, including male/female/immature, perched/flying images, as well as food, nesting, behavior, and conservation information.
National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America
by Jon L. Dunn

National Geographic's iconic, best-selling guide for birders and birding enthusiasts of all levels includes unique subspecies maps never before seen in a field guide; extensive migration information overlaid on species maps; field-mark labels on all artwork; text updates with new species; reorganization reflecting taxonomic changes in the bird community; organization, readability, and increased page count.
Peterson field guide to birds of western North America / : Includes Birds of Hawaii
by Roger Tory Peterson

"A new edition of the best-selling field guide, with 25 all-new plates covering the birds of Hawaii"
The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America
by David Allen Sibley

Now completely revised and updated, the authoritative guide to over 700 birds of the American West from renowned birder, illustrator, and New York Times bestselling author David Sibley Compact and comprehensive, this guide features 715 bird species, plus regional populations, found west of the Rocky Mountains. Entries include stunningly accurate illustrations--more than 5,046 in total--with descriptive captions pointing out the most important field marks. Each entry also includes the most current information concerning frequency, nesting, behavior, food and feeding, voice description, and key identification features. This improved edition includes: - Updated habitat, description, behavior, and conservation text for each species account and all family pages.- New and revised illustrations of species and regional forms.- New design featuring species accounts in columns, allowing for better comparison and more illustrations and text.- Current taxonomic order and up-to-date common names.- All maps revised to reflect the most current range information.- More species and rarities included. The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America contains more than 652 updated maps drawn from information contributed by 110 regional experts across the continent, and shows winter, summer, year-round, migration, and rare ranges.