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Early morning visit, Humboldt Bay Wildlife Refuge

1/31/2017

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The Aleutian Cackling goose winters in this refuge, thousands of them resting and feeding until their return north.
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A partial view of the geese in flight with the early morning light behind them, Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge
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Aleutian cackling goose in flight.
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A trio of Aleutian Cackling geese in a grassy area in the refuge.
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These could be tundra swans in flight, the early morning light just touching their wings.
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Male Downy woodpecker tackles a dead tree, Humboldt Bay NWR.
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Large groups of coots in the sloughs.
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The sound of meadow larks resounded in the refuge, as they basked in the first rays of sunlight.
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A male Northern Harrier on a trail sign, contemplating the new day.
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Getting ready to fly away, male northern harrier, Humboldt Bay NWR.
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The morning light catches a flock of northern shovelers taking off from one of the large wetland ponds.
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Two pairs of cinnamon teals near one of the viewing decks.
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Many marsh wrens in the reeds, singing.
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Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge

1/30/2017

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First afternoon visit to the refuge on a quick trip north to Humboldt County.
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American Bittern, Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge
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Black-capped chickadee in the refuge
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Another view, a black-capped chickadee foraging in the tree branches.
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Lincoln's sparrow among the reeds, Humboldt Bay Wildlife Refuge.
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Pied-billed grebe in one of the sloughs
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Early signs of spring, the pussy willows starting to bud and bloom.
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A pair of bufflehead ducks along with a ruddy duck, near the open bay water.
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Horned grebe with a fish at the entrance to the open bay waters.
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A curious ruby-crowned kinglet in a willow tree, Humboldt Bay Wildlife Refuge.
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A walk through Shollenberger Park after all the rain

1/26/2017

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A Bewick's wren on a chain link fence - one part of Shollenberger borders along an industrial park.
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This young red-shoudered hawk is probably the same one that hangs out near the main entrance to the park. Seems very used to the hustle and bustle of people using the park.
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Prairie Falcon, flew right over me, Shollenberger Park, Petaluma
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Prairie Falcon circling over Shollenberger Park
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Male and female wigeons, Shollenberger
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A small flock of wigeons circled around twice, in a flurry of wings and honking noises.
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Same flock of wigeons with their wings facing.
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Green-winged teal, Shollenberger
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American Avocet, non-breeding colors
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Female Northern Harrier cruising with a watchful eye, Shollenberger
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Male Northern Shoveler, Ellis Creek Water Plant, connects with Shollenberger Park
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Male Northern Harrier, hunting over the Ellis Creek ponds.
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Red-shafted flicker, Ellis Creek, I think this is a female.
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Male and female Northern Shovelers feeding, Ellis Creek Water Treatment, Petaluma
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Tolay Lake fills up after weeks of rain, and with more coming

1/21/2017

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Tolay Lake Regional Park, Petaluma
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Canada geese at the edge of the water.
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Northern Shovelers, Tolay Lake
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A flock of cinnamon teal, Tolay Lake
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Red-tailed hawk circling, Tolay Lake Regional Park
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As I walked towards one of the large trees in the park, a huge bird flew out of it. Flying over to the next tree, the bird was this great horned owl.
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Great horned owl, jumping away. It was getting dive bombed by white-tailed hawks in its rather exposed position.
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Against a storm laden sky, a western meadow lark in flight, Tolay Lake
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The white-tailed hawk in its usual position on a tumbling down fence, Tolay Lake Regional Park
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Male mallards in flight, Tolay Lake
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The white-tailed kite on another fence post.
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California Towhee on a gate, Tolay Lake Regional Park
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Golden-crowned sparrow on a lichen covered fence in the park.
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Cooper's hawk carrying off a bird, Tolay Lake Regional Park.
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Northern Mockingbird on one of the white vineyard fences along the road out of the park.
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Dark-morph Red-tail Hawk, Doran Bird Walk Bodega

1/16/2017

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This dark morph red tail was so dark it looked like some kind of black hawk!  Not a rare bird, but maybe unusual.
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Dark-morph red-tail hawk, Doran bird walk, Bodega
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Jumping from its perch
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Dark morph red-tail hawk in flight, Bodega Bay
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Lots of yellow-rumped warblers still in the area around Campbell Cove, this one with a yellow patch on its head.
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A female belted kingfisher zoomed over the water near the mudflats off of Smith Brothers Rd, Bodega
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Lots of great egrets were roosting in the trees near the Doran bird walk, Bodega
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Female bufflehead duck near Doran Bird Walk
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A snowy egret in the same area, Doran Bird walk, Bodega
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A lone sanderling on Doran Beach, Bodega
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Whimbrel, Doran Beach, Bodega
From an earlier visit to the coast, just before the week of storms that the area recently experienced.
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Red-tail hawk, exhibiting more commonly seen coloring, on the speed limit sign, Bodega Bay
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This seemed like a regular hunting perch for this bird - red-tail hawk, Bodega Bay
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Male Brewer's black bird, Bodega Head.
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A peregrine falcon holding steady in a strong wind over Bodega Bay.
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Bald Eagle, Doran Bird Walk, Bodega Bay

1/11/2017

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Bald Eagle, Bodega
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Bald eagle in flight, Bodega Bay
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The eagle took off from its perch as I approached, but then circled around and landed there again.
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This is a pretty large bird, so the landing was a little rough.
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Trying to find a solid perch, bald eagle
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The eagle has landed!
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Bald Eagle, Doran Bird Walk, Bodega
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Two pied-billed grebes on hole in the head, Bodega
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Juvenile great blue heron gets a drink of water from the flooded area near hole in the head, Bodega
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Surf bird perched on the wind protected side of the ocean rocks at Bodega Head.
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Black oystercatcher on same rock, Bodega Head
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Male surf scoter on Bodega Bay
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I believe this is a horned grebe and an eared grebe together. I might have been getting these two birds mixed up, but the horned grebe has the larger white patch on the neck.
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Common goldeneye, Bodega Bay
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Marbled godwits and a willet, Bodega Bay
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Least sandpipers joined the flock of godwits and willets, Bodega Bay
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White-crowned sparrow eating leaves, Doran bird walk, Bodega
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Some Sonoma County winter birds

1/8/2017

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In the middle of our atmospheric river storm here, but there was a brief two day break, with clear skies and cold temps.
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A small flock of common goldeneye on the russian river near Jenner. This is a male and female.
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A pair of common goldeneye in flight.
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Briefly appearing, a river otter!
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Kinglet with a small worm, Willow Creek Rd near Jenner.
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Every few group of shrubs seemed to have its own kinglet (ruby-crowned).
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Ruby-crowned kinglet, a perfect color match to its surroundings.
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Also the elusive hermit thrush was very present, I saw three or four different ones in this area.
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Hermit thrush, Willow Creek Rd near Jenner
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Another thrush, the American Robin
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Scout quail keeping watch over a flock on the ground, which I heard, but never saw - Willow Creek Rd
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The chestnut-backed chickadee, of course.
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A Bewick's wren jumped into view, then quickly disappeared back into the thick shrubbery.
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This is a good area to hear and see wrentits, Willow Creek rd near Jenner.
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Near the creek, this is also a thickly wooded area.
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Fox Sparrow, willow creek rd.
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Another kinglet? Look again, this is a Hutton's vireo.
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Hutton's vireo, Willow Creek Rd near Jenner.
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A couple of recent walks, Tolay Lake Regional Park

1/3/2017

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Torrential rains here currently for the next few days - here's some photos before the rains, weather dry and very cold - thought I'd better put the post up while I still had electricity.
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Yellow-rumped warbler, Tolay Lake
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Loggerhead Shrike doing some hunting in the park.
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The flock of long-billed curlew which usually spend winter in Tolay Lake Park flew overhead.
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Say's Phoebe - in the park through the fall and winter and early spring months.
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White-tailed kite hunts from the air, Tolay Lake Regional Park
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White-tailed kite on a fence post, Tolay Lake Regional Park
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Zoom over by a white-tailed kite being chased off by a red-tailed hawk.
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Red-tailed hawk, Tolay Lake
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Male Kestrel in a tree top - their coloring makes sense in this environment, was well camouflaged.
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Deep winter colors of the park
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Fly over by the prairie falcon! Tolay Lake
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Prairie falcon in flight
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Meadow lark near one of the fence gates
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Juvenile White-crowned sparrow, just starting to get his black head stripes, Tolay Lake Regional Park
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    Walking through
    California coastal parks and redwoods, and sometimes beyond, with a Nikon DSLR & telephoto lens (completely amateur)


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