The Big Yard: Notes from a Pajama Birdwatcher.

The Black-and-white Warbler of last May—perhaps the best bird of 2024?

December 31, 2024

Fifty degrees at wakeup. After so many days of 70-degree, sun-drenched canyon light. Not bad for the final push of 2024. But this pleasant season of La Nina comes at a cost.

A desiccated landscape.

Grasses crumble under foot. The oaks have begun to turn, their foliage bleeding chlorophyll and taking on the jaundice yellows of our “fall” leaf-drop, normally four months away. Our wells dry to mud and stone. We’ve had less than an inch of rain since the start of September. Nothing in October. Nothing in December. Our total precipitation—at 17.58 inches for the year—is the 3^rd worst in two decades. I hear the rumble of water trucks.

But the La Nina drought has one advantage—if you want to call it that. Scores of thirsty birds flock to the fountain every morning where I sit with my camera and sip coffee. In my PJs. Winter sparrows and juncos, goldfinches and siskins, thrushes, titmice, towhees, kinglets, and bluebirds. Today, on the last day of the year, I’ll log 33 species. Or more. If the out-of-season rarities show, like the surprising rufous, broad-tailed, and violet-crowned hummingbirds of late.

Or that rare white-throated sparrow I’m calling the best bird of December 2024.

Which has me thinking about the best bird that appeared at the fountain this year. One of 129 species.

You decide.

December: White-throated Sparrow, a bird not seen in the yard since 2012 but has stuck around all winter this year.

November: Williamson’s Sapsucker. This one is a female, which appears more often than the male, although most years neither makes the list.

October: Common Ground Dove. Yard Bird #177, one of two new birds this year.

September: Olive-sided Flycatcher, a rare bird for the yard first recorded in 2009.

August: Violet-crowned Hummingbird, the yard’s “monsoon” hummingbird.

July: Band-tailed Pigeon, first seen in the yard in 2012.

June: Rose-breasted Grosbeak, another rare bird for the yard. I consider myself fortunate if I see one in any year.

May: Black-and-white Warbler, yard bird #176 and life bird #476.

April: Grace’s Warbler, first recorded in the yard in 2020 and a nice surprise for our elevation of 5700’.

March: Elf Owl, first time at the new nest box after APS slated removal of their power pole nesting site of 15 years. Good news—after my complaints, (so far) the pole remains!

February: Montezuma Quail. I hear their haunting call more than I ever see them.

January: the Magnificent Rivoli’s hummingbird, a gem of the winter months.

The Big Yard hosted many astounding birds in 2024. What will 2025 bring? I hope you will join me in finding out. No pajamas required only encouraged.