Here's the latest update on Audubon Starr Ranch birds by ornithologist Holly M. Garrod. Really cool stuff:

While migration has slowed down and the rains have decreased bird activity, fear not, the birds are still around! The Christmas Bird Count was successful at Casper's Park, with volunteers finding 50 species! This month's MoSI session was a bit slower than the last one with a total of 20 birds over two days and 10 species. One of the highlights was getting to band a local Barn Owl that Pete rescued, bringing us to this week's bird of the week.....

Barn Owl (Tyto alba)! This photo was taken during the December MoSI banding by Tom Sheffield. Barn Owls are found all over the world, there are 46 different races or variations, with the North American being the largest. You might here their eerie screech call at night. They are identified by their large, white heart shaped faces, pitch black eyes and tawny body feathers. The ears of Barn Owls are actually uneven, this allows them to pick up even the faintest sound of a mouse crawling across the leaves and makes them exceptional hunters.

Here is a list of birds seen, heard and banded this past week at Starr Ranch. I've also included birds seen and heard in Casper's Park for the Christmas Bird Count. Birds banded are indicated with an asterisk.

1. Common Poorwill

2. California Quail

3. Double-crested Cormorant

4. Turkey Vulture

5. Red-shouldered Hawk

6. Red-tailed Hawk

7. Band-tailed Pigeon

8. Mourning Dove

9. Barn Owl

10. Western Screech

11. Great Horned Owl

12. White-throated Swift

13. Anna's Hummingbird

14. Acorn woodpecker

15. Nuttall's Woodpecker

16. Northern Flicker

17. American Kestrel

18. Black Phoebe

19. Say's Phoebe

20. Cassin's Kingbird

21. Hutton's Vireo

22. Western Scrub Jay

23. American Crow

24. Common Raven

25. Mountain Chickadee

26. Oak titmouse*

27. Red-breasted Nuthatch (?)

28. White-breasted Nuthatch

29. Bushtit

30. Bewick's Wren*

31. House Wren

32. Cactus Wren

33. Mountain Chickadee

34. Ruby-crowned Kinglet*

35. Wrentit

36. Hermit Thrush*

37. American Robin

38. Western Bluebird

39. Northern Mockingbird

40. California Thrasher

41. European starling

42. Cedar Waxwings

43. Phainopepla

44. Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubons)*

45. Spotted Towhee*

46. California Towhee

47. Song Sparrow

48. White-crowned Sparrow*

49. Golden-crowned Sparrow*

50. Rufous-crowned Sparrow

51. Fox Sparrow

52. Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon)*

53. Scott's Oriole

54. House Finch

55. Purple Finch*

56. Lesser Goldfinch