A-Birding on a Bronco

A series of field sketches and natural-history notes records seasonal birdlife in a small coastal valley of southern California. The writer rides through the landscape to follow migrants and nesting birds, describing behaviors, nests, songs, and interspecific interactions; many chapters focus on particular species or local habitats such as oak groves, sycamores, and eucalyptus avenues. Entries blend identification remarks, nest and egg descriptions, occasional mysteries or tragedies, and practical hints for observers. Illustrations and a species list supplement close studies of wrens, hummingbirds, orioles, thrashers, and other residents and migrants, yielding a lively portrait of resident bird communities and habits.