Mostly in California all the smaller streams only run seasonally (mostly from the first rains to maybe April or May most years). The bigger rivers like the Sacramento and others further north can run all year around but mostly most streams from San Diego to San Francisco don't run year around because it is too dry here most of the year for that to happen. For example, the last rain (until a few weeks ago was in May). So, things dry up a lot between May and December most places.
I was walking in the forest within a mile of where I live where I can be miles away from the nearest person usually most days of the year walking on trails in the forest and noticed water is beginning once again to run in some of the streams there. This is always a relief to be able to walk into the forest when there is water running because all the Redwoods and Pine Trees and oak trees and Ferns do better with water running above ground and not just below ground.
I also saw a Scrub Jay and his mate. At first I thought I was looking at a western Blue Bird which is relatively rare here but upon closer inspection it didn't have the bronze effect on it's chest and had no top knot (feather that go up into the air on the head) and had some white and black on it's chest and so I realized soon it was a Scrub Jay as opposed to a Steller's Jay which has a top knot that goes straight up.
I also saw a woodpecker recently and yesterday heard another one but too far away to see. Here are some woodpeckers that live in California.
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Here are some western bluebirds:
Description
The western bluebird is a small thrush, about 15 to 18 cm in length. Adult males are bright blue on top and on the throat with an orange breast and sides, a brownish patch on back, and a gray belly and undertail coverts.
Wikipedia
Steller's Jay:
Description
The California scrub jay is a species of scrub jay native to western North America. It ranges from southern British Columbia throughout California and western Nevada near Reno to west of the Sierra Nevada.
Wikipedia
Description
The Steller's jay is a jay native to western North America, closely related to the blue jay found in the rest of the continent, but with a black head and upper body. It is also known as the long-crested jay, mountain jay, and pine jay. It is the only crested jay west of the Rocky Mountains.
Wikipedia
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