That daring young man on the flying trapeze

Double-crested Cormorants. San Elijo Lagoon. August 3, 2014. Greg Gillson.

When another Double-crested Cormorant landed on this wire over the lagoon, the whole wire swung back-and-forth, nearly causing some birds to lose their balance. It reminded me of the song "The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze." 

He'd fly through the air with the greatest of ease, 

That daring young man on the flying trapeze.

So, where did that little ditty come from?

It is an 1867 song based on trapeze artist Jules Leotard. He invented the trapeze and, yes, the leotard!

Learn more about Mr. Leotard, the song, and trapeze here 

"When I grow up, mom, I want to swing on the wire, too. But I don't want to wear the tights!"

Medley of bird photos at Palomar Mountain

I have several bird photos from July 13 up on Palomar Mountain that I haven't had a chance to show, yet. So here they are with minimal comments.

Oak Titmouse. Palomar Mountain, California. July 13, 2014. Greg Gillson.

Restricted to oak groves (imagine that!). Previous post on Oak Titmouse at Hot Springs Mountain.

California Towhee. Palomar Mountain, California. July 13, 2014. Greg Gillson.

Common in chaparral, thus a widespread species in San Diego County. Previous post on California Towhee.

Spotted Towhee. Palomar Mountain, California. July 13, 2014. Greg Gillson.

Notice the grubs that dad has for his nestlings.

Band-tailed Pigeon. Palomar Mountain, California. July 13, 2014. Greg Gillson.

These pigeons are quite common in the oak and pine mountains.

Mountain Chickadee. Palomar Mountain, California. July 13, 2014. Greg Gillson.

Found in mountain conifers in the west. This bird is foraging on a live-oak. This is the only chickadee found in San Diego County (not counting the very similar Oak Titmouse, Bushtit, and Verdin).

Dark-eyed Junco. Palomar Mountain, California. July 13, 2014. Greg Gillson.

Several forms of Dark-eyed Juncos can be found here in winter. This (Oregon Junco) is the most common and only nesting form. The belly feathers of this male are very messed up, probably from sitting on the nest for the past couple of weeks.

Purple Finch at Palomar Mountain

Purple Finch. Palomar Mountain, California. July 13, 2014. Greg Gillson.

The 3 species of reddish North American finches are one of the most-frequently misidentified bird species. It's not because they are rare--no, just the opposite.

The separation of these common finches is a beginning and intermediate ID challenge. House Finches are now widespread in residential areas across North America. Purple Finches are found in mixed and conifer woods. Cassin's Finches are found in the pine forests of the Western mountains. Often their ranges overlap, so in many places in North America you can't just assume that you only get ONE species where you live.

I'm just talking about the red males. And the brown-striped females? Forget it. Actually, the females are identifiable, but it takes more work.

Want to know what other common birds are frequently misidentified? Read my post from last year in the Birding Is Fun! blog: Ten most misidentified birds in the Pacific Northwest.

Killer Pizza From Mars

Killer Pizza From Mars. Escondido, California.

This is a busy place. Busy in terms of people--but not over-crowded. Busy in terms of a lot of decorations to grab your attention: flying saucers, aliens, movie posters. You'll see references to Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, and B movies from the 1950's that you had forgotten completely about (for good reason). Busy in terms of noisy: they have multiple TV's set to ESPN for sports. They've got beer on tap. It's a fun place to go, great food, and left-overs for days!

Marlene and I like the works on our pizza. But we've found that we' rather have more vegetables and only pepperoni. So, we do what many do--order a vegetarian and add pepperoni. Our preference?

Pizza of the God's: a vegetarian pizza with mushrooms, lots of garlic, tomatoes, large artichoke hearts, with mozzarella cheese. We then add pepperoni.

Like the sign on the door says: "Sorry, we're open."

http://www.killerpizzafrommars.com/

Yummy!

Phainopepla at Palomar Mountain

Male Phainopepla. Palomar Mountain, California. July 13, 2014. Greg Gillson.

I really like these birds. They are unassuming and inquisitive, but still a bit shy. I wish my photos were a bit better. All-black birds aren't easy to photograph. They are a member of a group of 4 primarily Central American birds called "silky flycatchers." They are on the checklist next to Cedar Waxwing and not related to the other flycatchers. The name is quite the tongue-twister!

"Phainopepla" means shining robe in Greek. Indeed, males are glossy black, females grayer. Plumage is loose and fluffy. They have crests and a large tail, as well as white wing patches. The eyes are red and bill small but wide. Their call is an easily imitated whistled "whit!" somewhat similar to the call of Swainson's Thrush.

They are desert birds. I think of them most often from my visits to Arizona back in the 1970's and 1980's. They are found especially in the Sonoran Desert in mesquite trees where they eat mistletoe berries and insects.

According to The Encyclopedia of North American Birds (Terres, 1980), Phainopeplas in southern California breed in the desert in March and April and then move to riparian chaparral of the coastal slope to breed again in June. We had one wintering locally at our home in San Marcos that I saw a few times last December and January.

Female Phainopepla. Mission Trails Park, San Diego, California. April 20, 2014. Greg Gillson.