My wife , Kei, and I are back from the south (think LA, CA) and boy did
we see something strange. I beautiful La Verne (east of Hollywood) is a
really nice big resevoir, FULL of water. My sister likes to jog there
but I wanted to photo birds, like well DUH! Jumped out of the car,
grabbed my camera, turned around and saw--- wait for it--- a bird I had
NEVER seen before. Long black tail, coloring and relative body size
(except for the tail) of a Chickadee, EXCEPT for the bright orange
beak! Oh, and the beak was quite large, kind'a like a Cardinal. And
that TAIL-- like a Magpie, like a really LLOONNG tail. Click, click,
click. Got enough shots to get and ID. Not in any of MY books. Might
be something from say Africa?? Called and left a note to LA Audubon.
Ring. "Yes, we DO have birds like you describe". "It IS from Africa
and DOESN'T belong here in southern California. It is a Pin-tailed
Whydah". 'A WHADD'A, I ask?' "A w,h,y,d,a,h" says the nice lady on the
phone. Thank you mam. Now I really DO have a story to tell. Don't
believe me? Check out these shots on my web site. And by the way I am
told that the ones w/o the bright orange beaks (there were THREE of
them) are this season's fledglings! A complete family of Pin-tailed
Whydahs. Right there in beautiful La Verne, California.
https://www.kevinsmithnaturephotos.com/Quick-Shots/i-tdmMfHJ/A
https://www.kevinsmithnaturephotos.com/Quick-Shots/i-wwzNTF2/A
And of course this link gets you to my latest "New Sightings" from the
rest of the trip to the south (of California).
https://www.kevinsmithnaturephotos.com/New-Sightings/
Kevin Smith
