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From the coast to open space lands, spring like January weather descends instead of rain

1/31/2015

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Small flock of male and female wigeons, Doran Bird walk pond



American Wigeons at the Doran Park bird walk area pond.

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American wigeon in flight, Doran Bird walk
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Female bufflehead, cheney creek near Doran bird walk
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Male bufflehead, after just coming up from diving
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Male and female Lesser Scaup, Cheney creek near bird walk
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Male Lesser Scaup
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Female common goldeneye, Bodega Bay
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Bewicks wren where all the warblers have been seen, Bodega Bay
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Brown Pelicans were zooming by rather frequently
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As the California drought weather kicks in again, the weather is unseasonably warm, trees and wildflowers have begun blooming.


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Meadowlark, Tolay Lake Regional Park
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Juvenile white-crowned sparrow, Tolay Lake
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Surprised a small group of Killdeer
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Killdeer, on the way out of the park
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Garter snake on the path
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Female Kestrel hunting, Tolay Lake Regional Park
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A lone Greater Yellowlegs feeding, Tolay Lake Regional Park
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Greater Yellowlegs, Tolay Lake
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Migrating geese

1/28/2015

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These Ross Geese are migrating south right now, from the Arctic, but apparently it is unusual to see them this far north; also the Greater white-faced geese, which have flown south from Alaska; I saw both in a flock in Napa, but they have also been seen in smaller numbers at the coast near Bodega Bay. 
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Ross Geese, Napa
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Large flock of Ross Geese take flight, Napa
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Ross geese in flight
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Greater white-fronted geese, Napa
Below, a small flock of ruddy ducks on Bodega Bay, most of the flock were sleeping on the water.
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Ruddy ducks, Bodega Bay
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Female ruddy duck
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Yellow-rumped warbler, Hole in the head, Bodega
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Yellow-rumped warbler in a tree beginning to bloom, in January
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Female red-breasted merganser, Bodega Bay
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White-tailed kite, the Laguna
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Cooper's hawk, the Laguna
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Red-tailed hawk, Tolay Lake Regional Park
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Our Northern Harrier again, Tolay Lake Regional Park
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This magnificent juvenile red-tailed hawk at Tolay Lake Regional Park
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Green-winged Teals, Petaluma

1/22/2015

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Early afternoon stroll through Petaluma's Ellis Creek Water Recycling Facility found a variety ducks
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Male Green-winged teal, Ellis Creek
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Male Green-winged teal out of the water
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Lots of coots
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Also, a large flock of Northern Shovelers
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Male Canvas back duck, Ellis Creek Water Recycling Facility
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Female Canvas back
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Male canvas back, Ellis Creek
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Marsh Wren in the reeds which surround each pond
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Marsh wren, front view





Red-shouldered hawk sat in one of the large trees and called out sporadically

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Red-shouldered hawk
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Red-shouldered hawk, keening
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A male kestrel sat on a nest box, but flew off as I approached.


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Beautiful male kestrel, Ellis Creek Water Recycling Facility
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One of two black-necked stilts that were at one of the ponds
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Townsend Warbler, Bodega

1/20/2015

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Back at Bodega location hoping to get photos of the Lucy's Warbler, but a Townsend Warbler did show up
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Townsend Warbler, town of Bodega
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All the small birds at the Bodega location had a buildup of some kind of black substance, maybe tar, from someplace where they have all been feeding.  There was some speculation that it is gum from nearby Eucalyptus trees, but others disputed that.
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Kinglets were also in the area, this one had a pretty bad substance buildup, but seemed to be very lively and was feeding.
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Nashville warbler feeding on the Abutilon flowers which were attracting the small birds
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Nashville warbler, Bodega
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The warbler is accessing the flower's nectar right at the base of the flower and the plant
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Below the area, a vine with berries, which was attracting robins
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Brown Pelicans were diving against the bright morning light of a beautiful clear day at the coast.


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Snowy Egret landed very near me, eager to get some of the fish the pelicans were catching
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Too close for comfort - Snowy Egret relocates for a safer perch
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The female kestrel I often see in the same location, along Bodega Harbor
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Female American Kestrel, Bodega Harbor
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Rare warblers in town of Bodega

1/18/2015

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Some warblers rarely seen in this area have been spotted in the town of Bodega - the most coveted and rarest is the Lucy's warbler which I did not see on the day I was there.  The other two are a Nashville warbler and the orange-crowned warbler.
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Nashville warbler, in the town of Bodega
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Nashville warbler in California
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Orange-crowned warbler
Meanwhile, a short hike in Tolay Lake Regional Park, in Petaluma
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Western Bluebird, near entrance to park
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Say's phoebe, Tolay Lake Regional Park
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In the distance, the Northern Harrier was flying low over its path, hunting anything that moved.
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Female kestrel made a pass over my position
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Female kestrel, Tolay Lake Regional Park
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Red-winged blackbird at the park, its red patch hidden under black feathers
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The best photo I could get of a northern flicker
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Juvenile Red-shouldered hawk? Tolay Lake Regional Park
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Song sparrow, Tolay Lake Regional Park
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Savannah sparrow? Tolay Lake Regional Park
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Canadian geese fly off over farm buildings, Tolay Lake Regional Park
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Surf Scooters, Bodega Bay Harbor

1/14/2015

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Male surf scooter
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Pair of surf scooters
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Female surf scooter
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Brown Pelican
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Pacific Loon
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Small flock of marbled godwits feeding on the shore
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Great Blue Heron hunting in the ice plant, Doran Park Bird Walk, near Doran's Beach
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Seemed pretty pleased with itself, might have caught something
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Might be a juvenile red-shouldered hawk on utility pole along the harbor
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Male Anna's hummer along the Doran's Beach Bird Walk
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Male Anna's hummer, near Doran Beach
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A small flock of Wigeons were in the flooded area inside the Doran Beach Bird Walk area
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Male and female American Wigeons
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A lone female golden eye was diving for fish in the stream
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Tolay Lake Regional Park - first sighting of Killdeer 

1/11/2015

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As I got closer, Killdder flew off complaining loudly
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Killdeer, Tolay Lake Regional Park
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A different Great Horned Owl - first shot was distant, but when I went to get closer, trying to also get a clear view through all the branches, I spooked him or her, and it flew off


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Great Horned Owl, perched to fly off
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A mass of starlings in the park
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Our Northern Harrier again, working the fields in its usual spot
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Northern Harrier
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Flock of northern pintails overhead
Female Anna's hummer in the park near the farm area, looking more like some kind of sprite than a small bird - very yellow looking as well.
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Female Nuttall's woodpecker in the grove of trees lining one of the main trails
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Female Nuttall's woodpecker, Tolay Lake Regioinal Park
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African bird, an escaped exotic,  seen in the Laguna today...

1/9/2015

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Probably a molting male orange or red bishop, a finch native to Africa
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Escapee from someone's exotic bird collection probably
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Red finch in the Laguna
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Western Bluebird in the Laguna
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Lots of kestrel activity


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Female Kestrel in the Laguna
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White-crowned sparrow, the Laguna
On the cherryridge property -
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Red-breasted sap sucker, just opposite front porch
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Sapsucker making new holes in the acacia tree
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White-breasted nuthatch, front porch tree, evening light
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Varied Thrush, front yard area
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Another view, Varied Thrush, front yard
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                            Northern Harrier

1/3/2015

1 Comment

 
Taking small steps and advancing very slowly, I was able to get fairly close to this Northern Harrier at Tolay Lake Regional Park

We stared each other down for so long, that it had to do a series of stretches before it could fly away...
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Either a juvenile or female Northern Harrier, Tolay Lake Regional Park
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Wing stretch
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Feet can be stretched, too, at the same time
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Northern Harrier, Tolay Lake Regional Park
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Both wings
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Female or juvenile Northern Harrier in flight
Elsewhere in the park...
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Very cute Hermit Thrush
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Say's Phoebe
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Found the Great Horned Owl again, in the same area as before.
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Robins, everywhere, in the Park
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Super low tide at Bodega Harbor New Year's Day

1/1/2015

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Very low tide at Bodega exposes large tidal areas and concentrates fish and birds in small deep pools.











The water surface was smooth and as reflective as glass
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Great Blue Heron with fish
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Western Grebe, Bodega Bay
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Male Bufflehead, Bodega Bay
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Small flock of Brant Geese in one of the pools
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These might be Lesser Scaup, Bodega Bay
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Male and female Lesser Scaup
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Snowy Egret with a small shrimp
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Lesser Scaup in flight
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Male Bufflehead and eared grebe, Bodega Bay
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On the way home, stopped to admire red-tailed hawk on utility pole along the highway.

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Red-tailed hawk in flight
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    Author

    Walking through
    California coastal parks and redwoods, and sometimes beyond, with a Nikon DSLR & telephoto lens (completely amateur)



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