Neighborhood Highlight: Birds of Arrowhead

Originally published on November 7, 2024

GUEST POST: Written by Bruce Donaldson

Now that the temperatures are getting a bit cooler, it’s time to get out and walk around our beautiful greenbelts. You’ll notice our wildlife going into winter mode. If you were brave enough to walk around our lakes in the summer, hopefully in the early hours, you’d probably see our typical, Ducks, Herons, and Egrets.

Summer in Glendale is a bad time to be a wildlife photographer. The good news is, “those temperatures are changing”!

Finally… I’ve been seeing a few “snow birds” arriving to our neighborhood lakes.

Have you seen any Coots? They’re not one of my favorite birds but they’re back. We’ll have hundreds soon. Upon closer inspection you’ll see they’re kind of cool. Check out their feet – stripped green! I remember having a pair of shoes that same color in the 80’s. They are maybe the least respected birds on our lakes but definitely pretty cool.  

You can also expect to see other fall/winter birds like a White-crowned sparrow. They look like a normal Sparrow but have a cool white band around their head – like a superhero. Recently I saw a rare Bufflehead duck swimming in the middle of the lake. A real sign that cooler temps are heading our way. They are difficult to see because they tend to blend in to different flocks in the center of the lake. I recommend bringing a pair of binoculars on your next walk. Stand and gaze at the various flocks. They all have an attitude. You may see something special

Here are a few other fall/winter birds I’ve been seeing around our lakes this month.

Late arrivals we expect to see in the next couple of months include: Northern Flicker, Wigeon ducks, Ring-necked ducks, Ruddy ducks, Pied-billed Grebes, Northern Shoveler ducks, and the occasional Western Grebe & Bald Eagle. I’ll let you know when I see them.

Stay tuned for future updates…

Thank you Bruce, I know we all are looking forward to seeing more of your images as winter visitors arrive.

We are lucky to have such an amazing talent in our community 🙏