[birding] moths and osoberry in the rain 2/26

[howard bruner]

The Bald Hill loop from campus to Oak Creek road had many flickers sitting stoically at the tops of the taller shrubs and trees.  Robins ran and bobbed in soggy mud where the geese have denuded the grass fields.  I now always find western bluebirds on this loop, in different locations but I could wager that they are there somewhere on the route and win a lot of bets. 

Brown Creeper and gold-crowned sparrows on the fine-barked trunk of the acorn oaks and dodging puddles on the ground, respectively, while starlings and a woodpeckers acted like it was just another day in the grove.

The east hillslope of Bald Hill has one of the most impressive populations of Indian plum (osoberry) I have seen.  The entire hillside understory is in bloom and while I paused to revel in the white bloom largess a mixed flock of insectivores came by.  I watched the response of the forest to their presence.  A panicky exodus of ruddy Mettaranthis moth (I assume - I did not capture a specimen) came right out of the canopy and understory toward me.  A black-capped chickadee and Hutton's vireo chased one individual in unison and flaring and banking and almost colliding they managed to let the prey get away.  I saw another bcc miss twice on these fairly large macro moths.  The flock also had towhees and rc kinglets and moved on to the south to look for more sustenance in the deluge.  Did not see or hear the resident Anna's hummer in Witham Oaks

If indeed these are ruddy Mettaranthis moths it is quite early for them.  

H
 		 	   		  
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