It was a good June for birds. We traveled through New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and California. We didn’t bird all the time, but just by being all those different places, we stumbled into a good variety. We saw Gambel’s Quail, Cassin’s Kingbird, Crissal Thrasher, Phainopepla, Lucy’s Warbler, and Allen’s Hummingbird at Bosque del Apache in New Mexico. Common Mergansers, Townsend’s Solitaire, Swainson’s Thrush, Western Scrub-jay, Lewis’s Woodpecker, and Cordilleran Flycatcher in Colorado. Juniper Titmouse in Nevada. Gila Woodpecker in Arizona. California Quail, Prairie Falcon, Nuttall’s Woodpecker, Wrentit, and California Towhee in Vista. Heerman’s Gull, Western Gull, and California Gull, in Oceanside. Band-tailed Pigeon, Anna’s Hummingbird, Acorn Woodpecker, White-headed Woodpecker, Oak Titmouse (the first time ever we’ve gotten Juniper Titmouse and Oak Titmouse in the same year), Pygmy Nuthatch, Dark-eyed Junco, Lawrence’s Goldfinch, and Purple Finch in the San Gabriel Mountains. In total: Canada GooseMallardCommon MerganserRuddy DuckCalifornia QuailGambel’s QuailWestern GrebeDouble-crested CormorantAmerican White PelicanBrown PelicanGreat Blue HeronGreat EgretSnowy EgretCattle EgretGreen HeronWhite-faced IbisTurkey VultureNorthern HarrierCooper’s HawkSwainson’s HawkRed-tailed HawkAmerican KestrelPrairie FalconAmerican CootKilldeerFranklin’s GullHeermann’s GullWestern GullCalifornia GullLeast TernGull-billed TernCaspian TernForster’s TernRock PigeonBand-tailed PigeonEurasian Collared-DoveWhite-winged DoveMourning DoveInca DoveGreater RoadrunnerGreat Horned OwlLesser NighthawkCommon NighthawkBlack-chinned HummingbirdAnna’s HummingbirdBroad-tailed HummingbirdAllen’s HummingbirdAcorn WoodpeckerGila WoodpeckerLadder-backed WoodpeckerNuttall’s WoodpeckerWhite-headed WoodpeckerNorthern FlickerOlive-sided FlycatcherWestern Wood-PeweeWillow FlycatcherDusky FlycatcherBlack PhoebeSay’s PhoebeVermilion FlycatcherBrown-crested FlycatcherCassin’s KingbirdWestern KingbirdGray VireoWarbling VireoSteller’s JayBlue JayWestern Scrub-JayBlack-billed MagpieAmerican CrowCommon RavenNorthern Rough-winged SwallowTree SwallowViolet-green SwallowBarn SwallowCliff SwallowBlack-capped ChickadeeMountain ChickadeeOak TitmouseJuniper TitmouseVerdinBushtitWhite-breasted NuthatchPygmy NuthatchCactus WrenRock WrenHouse WrenWrentitWestern BluebirdMountain BluebirdAmerican RobinNorthern MockingbirdEuropean StarlingPhainopeplaLucy’s WarblerYellow WarblerCommon YellowthroatSpotted TowheeCalifornia TowheeAbert’s TowheeVesper SparrowLark SparrowBlack-throated SparrowSage SparrowWhite-crowned SparrowDark-eyed JuncoBlack-headed GrosbeakLazuli BuntingRed-winged BlackbirdWestern MeadowlarkYellow-headed BlackbirdBrewer’s BlackbirdCommon GrackleGreat-tailed GrackleBrown-headed CowbirdHooded OrioleBullock’s OriolePurple FinchCassin’s FinchHouse FinchLesser GoldfinchLawrence’s GoldfinchAmerican GoldfinchHouse Sparrow The White-headed Woodpecker and Lawrence’s Goldfinch were Life Birds for us.
