Hello [GrrlScientist]
The book would be nice but seeing people's original and not-so-original names is fun! Here are mine, some original, most not;
Common Loonie (Common Loon)
Peanut Butter Grebe (I abbreviate as PB Grebe, hence the translation)
Canoodle Goose (Canada Goose)
Necklace Goose (Brant)
Whistle Duck (Wood Duck)
Fish Hawk (Osprey)
Motorcyle Bird (Ruffed Grouse)
Chicago Quail (California Quail)
Cooties and Cootlets (American Coot and babies)
Screechy Screechy Bird (Killdeer)
Tippy Bird (Spotted Sandpiper)
Unidentified Gulls -- sung to the Beach Boys tune "I wish they were all California Gulls..."
Johnny Depp Bird (Caspian Tern)
Diving Woodpecker (Belted Kingfisher)
Red-headed Sapsucker (Red-breasted Sapsucker)
Blue Jay (Steller's Jay)
Camp Robber (Gray Jay)
Mouse Bird (Brown Creeper)
Jinx Bird (Wrentit, someday I'll see one, maybe...)
Skybird (Mountain Bluebird)
Tiger-faced Warbler (Townsend's Warbler)
Bandit Bird (Common Yellowthroat)
Meow Bird (Spotted Towhee)
Poor Me Bird (Golden-crowned Sparrow)
Chevron Bird (Fox Sparrow)
Black-assed Yellow Bird (Yellow-headed Blackbird)
Ok to post and to use my name.
Kathy
I think we all have a Jinx bird, but maybe Kathy needs to ignore the field guides to have a better shot at seeing a Wrentit! Their song is obvious, but they're damn near impossible to see when singing. However, they are easy to see when pairs give a quiet rattle to each other - listen for that when walking through chaparral. Then be prepared for it to not look like what's in the field guide. Here in the Bay Area they're gray above and have orangy stripes underneath.