Blog Archives

Snowy Plovers, Doran Beach

1/28/2016

A fellow Nikon photographer at Doran Beach kindly told me where to look for the Snowy Plovers - a small shorebird that winters in this area.

Snowy Plover running along the sand, Doran Beach

Snowy Plover, Doran Beach

Size perspective: here's a snowy plover in front of resting group of sanderlings, Doran Beach

Snowy Plover digging in the sand

Different view, snowy plover

Sanderlings feeding, mudflat area Doran Beach

Willets land among a large resting flock of marbled godwits, mudflats, Doran Beach

Black Turnstones join the other birds on the mudflats

Back at home, a red-shafted flicker shows up at the feeders, and deck railing seeds.

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Hooded Mergansers, Shiloh Ranch Regional Park, Windsor

1/21/2016

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Last year I saw these ducks in this same pond at the top of the creekside trail in this park - so when there was a recent report that they had been seen again, I didn't wait to hike in for some photos because they are such trippy looking birds.

Male Hooded Merganser, Shiloh Ranch Regional Park, Windsor

Two males zoom past me

Male Hooded Merganser with immature male following, Windsor

Immature male similar to female, except yellow eyes and darker brown coloring.

Female Hooded Merganser, Windsor

Two males on the pond

Male Hooded Merganser

Female Hooded Merganser in flight

There was also a small Green Heron on the pond

Green Heron, Shiloh Ranch Regional Park, Windsor

At my arrival, the green heron stretches and relocates

Green Heron

Male American kestrel, Shiloh Ranch Park, Windsor

Red-tailed hawk, perched, Coleman Valley Road between Occidental and the coast

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Grey days between El Nino storms...

1/18/2016

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No sun at the coast due to winter weather, but there was at the time, a very low tide, which had exposed much of the bay mudflats, making easy pickings for the egrets and herons.

Great Blue Heron, Bodega Bay, begins to swallow a fish

Great Blue Heron, Bodega Bay, first catch

Male kingfisher, Bodega Bay

Same kingfisher, hovering in flight over the bay

Female western bluebird, the Laguna

Male bluebird, the Laguna

Male and female Northern Shovelers in the Laguna pond

Song sparrow in a blackberry bush, the Laguna

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Loggerhead Shrike, Tolay Lake Regional Park

1/10/2016

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Beautiful Loggerhead shrike landed on a fence post close to one of the main trails in the park. The shrike is a songbird with the hunting and feeding habits of a raptor, which accounts for its aggressive looking beak.

Loggerhead shrike, Tolay Lake Regional Park

The shrike seems to wear a very cool Zorro mask

Northern Harrier with the Tolay Park wilderness behind it

Usually cruising low over the open lands

Female Northern Harrier in flight, Tolay Lake Regional Park

Sparrows near the entrance to the park - this is the white-crowned sparrow

Golden-crowned sparrow, Tolay Lake

One of the Tolay Lake coyotes seen again, only closer

One of the small burrowing owls, very near first sighting on another hike, Tolay Lake Regional Park

Female American kestrel on a fence post, Tolay Lake

Meadow Lark on a fence wire, Tolay Lake

Red house finch, Tolay Lake

Brewer's blackbird in the park

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A week of colder than usual temps

1/3/2016

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Little chestnut-backed chickadee on my deck railing, fluffing up against the outside cold - might be a first year or late summer fledgling, going through its first winter. I put some seed and nuts on the deck railing, and it quickly flew over and grabbed a peanut!