Stonechats & Rockies

I spent yesterday the 2nd January 2015 going through pipits and Stonechats on the shoreline at Clahane beach in Liscannor. This site has turned up Buff-bellied Pipit and Water Pipits in the past.  Unfortunately there were no interesting pipits there yesterday only the bog standard west coast Rock Pipits and plenty of Stonechats, all feeding on a hatch of flies along the road and in the decaying seaweed.

 

 Rock Pipits Anthus petrosus John N Murphy

Stonechats at Clahane John N Murphy

Western Meadowlark

Meadowlarks are a common farmland bird in North America and are slightly larger than Starlings. They feed in open grass meadows similar to Skylark and pipit habitats. This Western Meadowlark was photographed North of Santa Barbara on the west coast of California during my visit there in November 2014.

Western Meadowlark John N Murphy

Say's & Black Phoebes

During our trip to California in November 2014 we came upon numerous Phoebes.  I had seen Black Phoebe in Costa Rica before but Say's was a new world thick for me.  Black Phoebes always remind me of a cross between a Pied Wagtail and Black Redstart in their appearance, behaviour and habitat choice, whereas Say's remind me of a cross between Spotted Flycatcher and Redstart for much of the same reasons as black. 

 

 Say's Phoebe a new species on my trip to California John N Murphy

 Black Phoebe a common bird along the California west coast John N Murphy