Bird brain

Last night I went to the bird identification workshop offered by Yolo Audubon. I went because, though I like birds and enjoy looking at them, I can scarcely tell the difference between a chicken and a chicken hawk (and I don't really know what a chicken hawk looks like). The program included a lot of slides of various similar kinds of birds, the challenge to the audience being to say which one was which. I had no idea, of course (though I did know the mourning dove wasn't the ring-necked dove). But most of the differences came down to things like one bird having a darker stripe on its head (except when it didn't) or a larger patch of rosiness around its throat (except in the spring). Or something. All the birds were interesting, though, and beautiful to look at.

Despite my appalling ignorance, however, I was encouraged to sign up and take part in the annual Christmas Bird Count. So I did, and, along with my friend Dana, will accompany a much more experienced (and I hope infinitely patient) birder come Sunday, Dec. 16, out in the wide open spaces south of Winters. I hope there are a lot of chickens out there.