Mama Eagle taking a break from the nearby nest; we now have eggs!

Yes, it’s still only February — but to walk along the Lake Natoma bluffs on a morning like this, you would never know it wasn’t the middle of April. For me, it was literally a bluebird day; these beautiful Western Bluebirds seemed to be in tucked into every tree and working busily in the grass along the trail.

The sparrows were also out and about. I saw a Golden- and White-crowned Sparrows, an Oak Titmouse, and this busy little brownish bird (probably a female) that I couldn’t identify.

Not the actual Oak Titmouse I saw yesterday but one I recently spotted in my front yard

White-crowned sparrow checking me out

I could hear the intermittent hammering of a woodpecker from overhead but ignored it, assuming it was an acorn woodpecker. I love those little birds, but I’ve photographed so many of them over the years! When I finally looked, I found a pleasant surprise — it was a Nuttall’s Woodpecker, and it was working so hard it paid no attention to me as I moved closer, hoping for a clear shot through the bare branches.

Hard at work

Black Phoebe

Singing in the trees