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Western Bluebirds are small thrushes that usually perch upright. They are stocky with thin, straight bills and fairly short tails. Male Western Bluebirds are blue above with rust- orange extending from a vest on the breast onto the upper back. Females are gray-buff with a pale orange wash on the breast and no blue or blue tints to the wings and tail. Western Bluebirds use open woodland, both coniferous and deciduous, backyards, burned areas, and farmland, from sea level to high mountains. They hunt for insects by dropping to the ground from a low perch and also feed on berries. Western Bluebirds nest in tree cavities made by woodpeckers and other processes and are quick to use nest boxes. These birds are year-round residents in southwestern Canada, the western U.S., and most of Mexico, with some southward movement and movement to lower elevations in the winter. Western Bluebirds often have helpers at the nest, and genetic studies showed that 45 percent of nests had young that were not fathered by the defending male. These birds have a gentle look, but territory battles can get heated. Rival males may grab each other's legs, tumble to the ground, and then pin their opponent on the ground, stand over him, and jab at him with his bill. During the non-breeding season (winter), Western Bluebirds are highly social and usually feed in flocks. Western Bluebirds are common throughout Four Seasons in the winter, and flocks of up to 10 birds have been observed in the past month. Look for birds moving between the ground and perches. Listen for their soft, hesitant calls of stuttering or whistled notes lasting one to two seconds. Note that most of the flock will be females and immature birds that are not blue. Birds with patchy blue are young males. ~ Steve Edelman Birding CLUB We welcome beginning and experienced birders to start or hone their bird identification skills. Our main activity is monthly bird walks along Four Seasons' beautiful nature trails, which follow native riparian woodlands and preserve endangered habitat. We also take field trips to local birding hot spots, discuss backyard bird feeding and share information on unusual species and behaviors. Our monthly meeting was on Sept. 2, but it was so windy we postponed the bird walk for a week. Instead, we talked about birds. As mentioned in this column last month, many members like observing and feeding hummingbirds and that as of last month two hummingbird species had been observed at Four Seasons (Costa's and Anna's Hummingbirds). We have potential for six species, including Black-chinned Hummingbird, and sure enough both Mike Lilly and I observed Black-chinneds at our feeders in September. The recent sightings of Black-chinned Hummingbirds brings our Four Seasons total bird species count to 57. Of these, we have observed 26 species on our monthly bird walks and 13 to 18 species on individual bird walks. The birds are already moving around for the fall season, some long-distant migrants heading to Mexico and South America, such as the Black-chinned Hummingbirds, and some moving south and/or down from the mountains to winter here, such as the Western Bluebirds that have been around Four Seasons for the past few weeks (see Bird of the Month below). Club members are birding our community to observe the changing avifauna and look for new species to add to our list. We meet on the first Saturday of each month at 8 am in the RCN Lobby, talk about birding, then we go on our bird walk. We walk the nature trails directly from the Lodge (good exercise!). Bring your binoculars and bird identification guide if you have them, or just come to a meeting and ask about birding gear. For more information and to receive club communications, email Steve Edelman at steve.h.edelman@gmail.com. ~ Steve Edelman Bird of the Month Photo: Glenn Bartley/VIREO Photo: Kevin Cole FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | OCTOBER 2017 65

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