This is the first in a series of posts on the birds I spotted in the last three or four days. Starting on the 24th, I went to various local birdwatching spots, including Radio Road in Redwood City (right next to the Foster City landfill areas), Bayfront Park at the end of Marsh Road in Menlo Park, and the Shoreline walk at Mountain View Park.

The first images, however, come from a local tree near my parents’ home–specifically, a persimmon tree with the fruit ripening, filled with birds eating the yummy treats. This kind of tree attracts one of my favorite birds: the Cedar Waxwing.

A few extra passerines to finish up this first post. There are tons of sparrow-like birds, and I have given up on trying to figure out which is which. They’re just far too similar for the trouble.

These are House Finches, the male with the notable red coloring:

Here’s a Brown Towhee, a basic “brown bird” for the SF Bay Area:

Some interesting birds with yellow patches (you’d be surprised how many of those there are):

There were several Black Phoebes around, often flying crazily about. This one perched between us and an American Coot.

More coming soon!