Marcus C. England
@england-ecology.bsky.social
Biological consultant. Principal at England|Ecology, LLC. Based in Los Angeles.
Website: https://mcengland.com
Website: https://mcengland.com
I found what I am henceforth calling a “Vanilla Dove” along the LA River this morning. In reality, it is a leucistic Mourning Dove; leucism being when an animal has reduced pigmentation, but is not albino. #birds
September 19, 2025 at 5:08 PM
I found what I am henceforth calling a “Vanilla Dove” along the LA River this morning. In reality, it is a leucistic Mourning Dove; leucism being when an animal has reduced pigmentation, but is not albino. #birds
I’m not really sure if this female White-breasted Nuthatch flew in to greet me, give me a stern talking to, or was just busy feeding and paid me no mind.
White-breasted Nuthatch. Verdugo Park, Glendale, California. September 15, 2025.
#birds
White-breasted Nuthatch. Verdugo Park, Glendale, California. September 15, 2025.
#birds
September 15, 2025 at 4:52 PM
I’m not really sure if this female White-breasted Nuthatch flew in to greet me, give me a stern talking to, or was just busy feeding and paid me no mind.
White-breasted Nuthatch. Verdugo Park, Glendale, California. September 15, 2025.
#birds
White-breasted Nuthatch. Verdugo Park, Glendale, California. September 15, 2025.
#birds
At the Cocos Booby breeding colony I posted earlier, we also had Masked Booby, and at least one Blue-footed Booby. I’ve provided two images of the latter as cleaned up as I could get it, but unfortunately the Blue-footed Booby just kept making high circling flights in a pretty dense fog bank. #birds
August 8, 2025 at 4:25 PM
At the Cocos Booby breeding colony I posted earlier, we also had Masked Booby, and at least one Blue-footed Booby. I’ve provided two images of the latter as cleaned up as I could get it, but unfortunately the Blue-footed Booby just kept making high circling flights in a pretty dense fog bank. #birds
A few images from along the LA River this morning:
- A Black-crowned Night-Heron in flight.
- An Ash-throated Flycatcher.
- A pair of Scaly-breasted Munias, a non-native established in SoCal (and elsewhere in the warmer parts of the Americas) native to India and Asia.
#birds
- A Black-crowned Night-Heron in flight.
- An Ash-throated Flycatcher.
- A pair of Scaly-breasted Munias, a non-native established in SoCal (and elsewhere in the warmer parts of the Americas) native to India and Asia.
#birds
August 4, 2025 at 4:43 PM
A few images from along the LA River this morning:
- A Black-crowned Night-Heron in flight.
- An Ash-throated Flycatcher.
- A pair of Scaly-breasted Munias, a non-native established in SoCal (and elsewhere in the warmer parts of the Americas) native to India and Asia.
#birds
- A Black-crowned Night-Heron in flight.
- An Ash-throated Flycatcher.
- A pair of Scaly-breasted Munias, a non-native established in SoCal (and elsewhere in the warmer parts of the Americas) native to India and Asia.
#birds
I arrived early this morning at Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park for yet another attempt at the phenomenally long-staying Swallow-tailed Kite, a spectacular raptor that is very far away from home. Unfortunately, no flight shots as it flew the opposite direction from where we were posted. #birds
July 28, 2025 at 6:09 PM
I arrived early this morning at Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park for yet another attempt at the phenomenally long-staying Swallow-tailed Kite, a spectacular raptor that is very far away from home. Unfortunately, no flight shots as it flew the opposite direction from where we were posted. #birds
Before a survey in nearby Eagle Rock this morning, I went birding along the LA River at North Atwater Park. I came away with photos of two distinctly different types of #birds: a Double-crested Cormorant riding low, and a Customs & Border Protection helicopter riding high.
July 21, 2025 at 5:08 PM
Before a survey in nearby Eagle Rock this morning, I went birding along the LA River at North Atwater Park. I came away with photos of two distinctly different types of #birds: a Double-crested Cormorant riding low, and a Customs & Border Protection helicopter riding high.
A Red-tailed Hawk with a Desert Cottontail caught for lunch, as well as a Northern Mockingbird that was not happy about it. Scene outside of my home office window a few minutes ago. #birds
July 14, 2025 at 7:33 PM
A Red-tailed Hawk with a Desert Cottontail caught for lunch, as well as a Northern Mockingbird that was not happy about it. Scene outside of my home office window a few minutes ago. #birds
The owner of the only type of big beautiful bill that matters: a Great Blue Heron along the LA River this morning is caught in an awkward-looking pose while preening. #birds
July 4, 2025 at 9:27 PM
The owner of the only type of big beautiful bill that matters: a Great Blue Heron along the LA River this morning is caught in an awkward-looking pose while preening. #birds
An Allen's Hummingbird scratching an itch this morning along the LA River. Not quite the futility of a Tyrannosaurus rex doing the same, but with their tiny feet (they are in the order Apodiformes [Greek for "footless"] for a reason) it seemed challenging. #birds
July 4, 2025 at 5:20 PM
An Allen's Hummingbird scratching an itch this morning along the LA River. Not quite the futility of a Tyrannosaurus rex doing the same, but with their tiny feet (they are in the order Apodiformes [Greek for "footless"] for a reason) it seemed challenging. #birds
A flock of Brown Pelicans flies high along the coastline in Pacific Palisades yesterday. I shot this image from well-inland in a steep hillside area, so ended up about the same height they were flying. #birds
June 25, 2025 at 2:37 PM
A flock of Brown Pelicans flies high along the coastline in Pacific Palisades yesterday. I shot this image from well-inland in a steep hillside area, so ended up about the same height they were flying. #birds
After a survey in Bel Air this morning, I headed again to Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park to again fail to find the Swallow-tailed Kite. #Birds shown below are:
- a Snowy Egret not doing much of anything.
- a Black-crowned Night-Heron in flight.
- a Pin-tailed Whydah bathing.
- a Snowy Egret not doing much of anything.
- a Black-crowned Night-Heron in flight.
- a Pin-tailed Whydah bathing.
June 20, 2025 at 7:23 PM
After a survey in Bel Air this morning, I headed again to Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park to again fail to find the Swallow-tailed Kite. #Birds shown below are:
- a Snowy Egret not doing much of anything.
- a Black-crowned Night-Heron in flight.
- a Pin-tailed Whydah bathing.
- a Snowy Egret not doing much of anything.
- a Black-crowned Night-Heron in flight.
- a Pin-tailed Whydah bathing.
This morning, I walked along a cloudy and somewhat dreary LA River to test out my new Nikon Z8 and Nikkor 180-600 lens set-up I received yesterday. Shown are American Crows, a Great Egret, a Red-winged Blackbird, and a pair of White-faced Ibis. #birds
June 8, 2025 at 7:06 PM
This morning, I walked along a cloudy and somewhat dreary LA River to test out my new Nikon Z8 and Nikkor 180-600 lens set-up I received yesterday. Shown are American Crows, a Great Egret, a Red-winged Blackbird, and a pair of White-faced Ibis. #birds
Some images from the LA River this morning:
- A Great Egret Preening.
- Male and female Western Bluebirds, both sallying for insects for chicks in a nest in a cavity in a cottonwood immediately behind where I stood for these shots.
- My first ever Common Gallinule on the river.
#birds
- A Great Egret Preening.
- Male and female Western Bluebirds, both sallying for insects for chicks in a nest in a cavity in a cottonwood immediately behind where I stood for these shots.
- My first ever Common Gallinule on the river.
#birds
May 19, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Some images from the LA River this morning:
- A Great Egret Preening.
- Male and female Western Bluebirds, both sallying for insects for chicks in a nest in a cavity in a cottonwood immediately behind where I stood for these shots.
- My first ever Common Gallinule on the river.
#birds
- A Great Egret Preening.
- Male and female Western Bluebirds, both sallying for insects for chicks in a nest in a cavity in a cottonwood immediately behind where I stood for these shots.
- My first ever Common Gallinule on the river.
#birds
A bit of mutual watching occurred between myself and a Bushtit this morning during a nesting bird survey. A bit later, I found an Allen's Hummingbird on its nest high in a pine tree. #birds
May 14, 2025 at 5:36 PM
A bit of mutual watching occurred between myself and a Bushtit this morning during a nesting bird survey. A bit later, I found an Allen's Hummingbird on its nest high in a pine tree. #birds
- Least Bell’s Vireo. Endangered. Singing away on territory.
April 28, 2025 at 4:17 PM
- Least Bell’s Vireo. Endangered. Singing away on territory.
- American Goldfinch. Not a daily observance here, as Lesser is the common one.
April 28, 2025 at 4:17 PM
- American Goldfinch. Not a daily observance here, as Lesser is the common one.
- Western Wood-Pewee. My first of the year.
April 28, 2025 at 4:16 PM
- Western Wood-Pewee. My first of the year.
- European Starling. Not my favorite species, but a bird nonetheless.
April 28, 2025 at 4:16 PM
- European Starling. Not my favorite species, but a bird nonetheless.
Black-necked Stilts nesting in the LA River this morning. On the walk out, this stilt was on its eggs. On the way back it was off and the eggs were visible.
It is supposed to rain Friday. If it rains even a moderate amount the river will rise and the nest will fail.
#birds
It is supposed to rain Friday. If it rains even a moderate amount the river will rise and the nest will fail.
#birds
April 14, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Black-necked Stilts nesting in the LA River this morning. On the walk out, this stilt was on its eggs. On the way back it was off and the eggs were visible.
It is supposed to rain Friday. If it rains even a moderate amount the river will rise and the nest will fail.
#birds
It is supposed to rain Friday. If it rains even a moderate amount the river will rise and the nest will fail.
#birds
A few images of #birds from along the Arroyo Seco in South Pasadena this morning:
- Yellow-rumped Warbler
- Anna's Hummingbird
- American Robin
- Yellow-rumped Warbler
- Anna's Hummingbird
- American Robin
April 4, 2025 at 5:49 PM
A few images of #birds from along the Arroyo Seco in South Pasadena this morning:
- Yellow-rumped Warbler
- Anna's Hummingbird
- American Robin
- Yellow-rumped Warbler
- Anna's Hummingbird
- American Robin
I’ve been out of art for about five years. I’ve decided to get back in, but in a different way, adapting my fine pen and ink approach to iPad and adding color. Easy for me to pick up anytime I want to. This is the very start of a large work with three Green Jays.
#birds
#birds
April 4, 2025 at 1:52 AM
I’ve been out of art for about five years. I’ve decided to get back in, but in a different way, adapting my fine pen and ink approach to iPad and adding color. Easy for me to pick up anytime I want to. This is the very start of a large work with three Green Jays.
#birds
#birds