Lately, I’ve been trying to be more attuned to the seasons changing around me when out in the field. My usual rhythm has been to take a class on a subject - say Gulls - but by the time I’ve digested the material and hit the field most of them have migrated! Developing an awareness of seasonal changes around my local area I hope will not only help with timing of subjects, but also deepen my photography with season specific moments to watch out for.
With a daunting list of birds in Santa Clara County (let alone the surrounding areas), I wanted a simplified way to know what to expect as the season unfolds into Spring. To help, I made a simple Spring Birds Checklist. It’s based on the 2025 bird list published by Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance, and filtered to include birds that are rated a rarity of 3 or lower — keeping the focus on the most likely species in the county. Let me know if you see any!
