CLOSED: ID help -Please.

Yes - sorry, I should have included the 'Dark Eyed' part of the name!!

You might have the Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Begonia - in this one book I have it mentioned "from Alaska to California," while the Black-capped Chickadee just says "northern half of US. I suspect you could have both (I do here in WA)

Great pics begonia!

Black-capped Chickadee does just get into northern CA, down to about Mendocino, but Chestnut-backed Chickadee is also in the area. Also check out Mountain Chickadee, common in the CA mountains.

Resin

Great pics begonia!!

Here's a few shots of the woodpecker that I would love some help getting an ID on. Thanks in advance for the help!

another - shows the back a bit better.

sorry for the poor quality, but here's another.

another

last one.

Nuttall's Woodpecker (male) . . . nice one!

Grrrr.... missed out on finding any of these when I was in CA :-(

Resin

Gosh you guys (and gals) are fast!!! After referring to my book, I though 'ladder backed' but the range was too far south. Then the photo the book has of the Nuttall's didn't have a red head so I wasn't sure!
Great to know, and we have an orchard full of them!! THANK YOU!!!

Thanks Resin! I'm really a neophyte in the bird world. Glad to learn something new every day!

Such great photos Begonia girl.

Thanks honey!!

Just had a thought (I know, dangerous!) any hoo, I found this bird (what I'd call a shore bird) in my back yard back in July. My cat was chasing it and it would not fly away. As soon as I saw this going on, I gathered up the bird and found a bird rescue not far from here who took it in and I assume rehabbed it to release it. No one knew for sure what it was.
I've never seen one before or since. Any ideas on what it is? And if it is a shore bird, why so far from home.

It's a Virginia Rail (Rallus limicola). A freshwater marshland bird, living in dense reedbeds, etc., usually very shy and difficult to see.

Resin

WOW! I'm not really even that near to coastal marshlands. As the crow flies, I am close, but so far upstream (by 35-40 miles) that I would have never expected to see this bird so far from it's habitat. I do live on a major tributary that empties into the SFO bay, I wouldn't have expected it to come this far upstream.
It was very quiet, and seemed not afraid of humans (or cats for that matter) so I assumed it was ill, hence the trip to the bird rehab. We were concerned about West Nile Virus, though we vaccinate our large animals for it.

Once again, Thank you Resin!!!

Begonia, very exciting pictures!!

Thanks Murmur, the best thing is that I get to see them all from my desk while I work!

Not a bad perk, eh???!!! I'm out and about on my job so get to stop at the beach, etc. - gives me some splendid opportunities as well!!

Your bird was probably a bit lost on migration, though they will use quite small wetlands, an acre or two is enough. The map in Sibley shows them as breeding throughout California, but only present all year in the milder south and west, while being summer visitors only in the north and east. They also breed north as far as southern Canada. Food is mainly worms, water snails, etc., but they will also eat some plant food (seeds, etc). Since they rarely ever see humans, they probably don't consider people a potential predator; even if they do, their main evasive strategy is to run and hide in dense wet vegetation (which doesn't work so well in a garden!).

There is a very similar, closely related species (Water Rail, Rallus aquaticus) on my side of the Pond - was actually looking for them today, heard 2 or 3 calling in the rushes, but too deeply hidden to see them.

Resin

awesome pics Begoniacrazy

I've been seeing this one for a few days now. Today I had this orange fella and another with similar markings but were red. Then another that was the same but female - no coloring.
Is it a 'common house finch'?

Here's another shot of him in the middle with all of his pals.

It was a busy day of gossip over the water cooler... er... uh.. Bird feeder.
At one point, as I sat still waiting to take their photo, I counted over 50 birds between my three feeders and those hanging out in the trees above. It was quite a cacophony! Mostly the yellow finches, but a handful of the juncos as well. There are a few others, I believe are titmice (is that the correct plural form?) and hummers too.

The lil' junco. They seem to toss the seed that they don't want out of the feeder to get to the good stuff!

The hummer.

Beautiful pics begonia!!

Looks like a House Finch but definitely not common looking with those beautiful colors.

Yep, House Finch - to quote Sibley, "Yellow variant occasional; most frequent in the southwest".

Resin

Thanks gang! you all are the BEST!!

Yes your so lucky to see such a beautiful colored one like that. I saw a pic of one before somewhere and its such a nice change.