A Queen butterfly visits a pollinator garden at The Living Desert  - Photo by J Meyer Here's my latest column, scheduled to run on Saturday in The Orange County Register, Los Angeles Daily News, Long Beach Press-Telegram, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Pasadena Star-News, The Daily Breeze, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin and Riverside Press-Enterprise Winter is the perfect time to visit The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert. The temperatures are cool, and the animals tend to be more active. One recent morning, a group of birders kept their binocu ..read more

  A red-tailed hawk A Cooper's hawk A great-horned owl Setting the owl free I released a great-horned owl at the Orange County Bird of Prey Center's new facility near Oso Lake on Saturday. I was a bit overwhelmed looking eye-to-eye with that owl before I set him free.  Thirty-five raptors, which included Cooper's, red-shouldered and red-tailed hawks and great-horned and barn owls were released on Saturday, Aug. 14th. The injured birds had been treated then rehabilitated in mews or flight cages on the property. This release was the first at th ..read more

    Here's my latest column that ran today in the Southern California News Group newspapers including the Orange County Register, Los Angeles Daily News, Long Beach Press-Telegram, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Pasadena Star-News, The Daily Breeze,Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, and the Riverside Press-Enterprise.    Summer means family time for birds. It’s the transitional period between the frenzy of spring breeding and their preparation for fall migration. But that doesn’t mean birds are just kicking back for the season. There’s still plenty going on in the avian world. “M ..read more

                   Black Phoebes are monomorphic, so it's tough to say which adult is the male.      In some bird species, such as hummingbirds, females are solely responsible for nesting and caring for the young. In other species, males share equally in the tasks. Various species that work hard for the family include house finches, bluebirds, Nuttall's woodpeckers, Canada geese, bald eagles and brown pelicans. Read more about Daddy Birds and see a slideshow in The Orange County Regis ..read more

If squirrels are a problem in your yard, I'd love to talk to you for a story I'm writing. Just message me on this blog and we'll connect. Happy Birding! J.J ..read more

Here's my latest column, scheduled to run Saturday, March 13, 2021 in the Southern California News Group newspapers including the Orange County Register, Los Angeles Daily News, Long Beach Press-Telegram, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Pasadena Star-News, The Daily Breeze,Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, and the Riverside Press-Enterprise Interior designers have popularized the notion of bringing the outside in. Folding and disappearing doors can create a seamless transition to the great outdoors. The connection to nature adds a sense of calm and serenity to the home, they say. But what happens w ..read more

Migrant hooded orioles generally start arriving in Southern California in early March to breed during spring and summer. Hooded and Bullock’s orioles are the two most common species of orioles found in Orange County, although there have been rare sightings of Scott’s and orchard orioles in previous years. Orioles are medium-size songbirds about 8 inches long with slender bodies and long legs and tails. They are coveted among backyard birders mostly because of their bright colors. Hooded and Bullock’s orioles are sexually dimorphic, with males being more brightly colored than females. Hood ..read more

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is asking the public’s help to stop the spread of salmonellosis among songbirds by removing seed feeders until after spring migration. Pine siskins, which are winter visitors to Southern California, are most affected by the disease followed by a smaller number of lesser and American goldfinches. The disease was first reported in California’s Central Coast, the San Francisco Bay Area and Sierra Nevada communities. “We have been receiving reports of suspected Salmonellosis recently from Southern California,” said CDFW’s Krysta Rogers, Senior Envi ..read more

Grab your binoculars! It's time for the Great Backyard Bird Count. The event, sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society, asks birders to watch and record the number of birds seen in their own back yards. These observations help scientists better understand winter bird populations. To participate: Read more about the GBBC and their tools at www.birdcount.org Login to eBird during February 12 - 15, 2021 Create an eBird checklist and select your backyard as your location For the purposes of this event, consider your backyard to be within the limits of what ..read more

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has reported on salmonellosis outbreak among pine siskins and a smaller number of lesser and American goldfinches in California's central coast, the San Francisco Bay area and Sierra Nevada communities. Pine siskins are small songbirds from the finch family. They are gregarious birds that tend to flock with goldfinches. They are migrants, or winter visitors, to Southern California. At this time, the department has not reported any cases in Southern California. Though bird enthusiastics should remain vigilant in cleaning bird feeders. Infected bi ..read more