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Whrimbrels among the Godwits, Bodega Bay

3/28/2015

A large flock of shorebirds gathered close to the road around Bodega Bay. Mostly Marbled Godwits, however there were also a few Whimbrels - similar in size and coloring to the Godwits, but the beak curves downward, and are not pink.

Whimbrel, Bodega Bay

Just the edge of a large flock of shorebirds, Bodega Bay

Whimbrel

Whimbrel among the Godwits

Also some smaller shorebirds, these might be least sandpipers

Least Sandpipers? Bodega Bay

A couple of Black Turnstones also were among the large flock

Just offshore from the flock hovered small groups of lesser scaup, this is a male and female

Lesser scaup

And our ruddy ducks, too, this is the male

Male and female ruddy ducks, Bodega Bay

A couple of Brown Pelicans were diving a litter farther out in the Bay

Brown Pelican entering the water from a dive

Brown Pelican

On the Cherryridge property...

Allen Hummers in the Grevillea shrubs

Violet-green swallow

Starting to see some violet-green swallows, but the full flock does not seem to have arrived yet.

Still see the occasional Varied Thrush

Female Anna's hummer a the front porch feeder

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First blossoms from the orchard apple trees

3/21/2015

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Allen's hummer, apple tree, old orchard

As the "real" spring begins, the first apple blossoms appear

Allen's hummer at the Grevillea hedges, old orchard

Black Phoebe with a large bug, lower orchard

Oak Titmouse, sitting in tree and giving voice to a loud song, I believe it is calling for a mate.

Anna's hummer, lower orchard

The yellow-rumped warbler male in its breeding plumage

Yellow-rumped warbler, adult male

This little Allen's hummer at one of my feeders, it is so shy I can only get a photo through the window glass

A quick trip to the coast, this is a female Red-breasted Merganser, in cheney creek near the Doran Beach Bird walk

Harbor seal surfaced while I was getting photos in the Bay

A Common Loon molting to its breeding plumage, Bodega Bay

Weekend visit to Tolay Lake Regional Park

On the way into the park, got a distant photo of two red-tail hawks that had just been mating

Male Western Bluebird, Tolay Lake Regional Park

Tree swallows still very active, especially near their nest boxes

Tree swallows nesting

Tree swallow, Tolay Lake Regional Park

Young Red-tailed hawk, Tolay Lake Regional Park

Coyote!!! Surprised this guy in the park

Fluffy red-winged blackbird

Mockingbird

Female Western Bluebird, Tolay Lake Regional Park

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Common Loon in breeding plumage, Bodega Bay

3/17/2015

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Adult Common Loon, breeding plumage

Common Loon

Loon moulting to breeding plumage? Bodega Bay

Western Gull, Bodega Bay

Brant geese still in the bay

Eared Grebe

Eared Grebe in the bay seemed to catch a small eel; it was a bit of a struggle for it to get a good hold on it and finally consume it.

Marbled Godwit, Bodega Bay

Marbled Godwit coming to rest

This looks like a Willet, maybe moulting?

Female Belted Kingfisher on top of a sailboat mast, in Bodega Bay, the marina

Female Belted Kingfisher

Red-shouldered hawk on utility pole, Bodega Bay

Finally, a good enough photo of male Ruddy Duck, so its blue beak can be seen! Bodega Bay

Male Ruddy Duck

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Nesting begins at Tolay Lake Regional Park

3/14/2015

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Tree swallows and bluebirds were establishing rights to nest boxes that are set on fence posts in the park. Red winged blackbird males were displaying in their attempts to attract females; they seem to nest in the grasses.

Female Western Bluebird with nesting material, Tolay Lake Regional Park

Western Bluebird, female, has to make her way through a flock of swallows with her nesting material

Finally, at the nest box!

Female Western Bluebird starting her nest

Male bluebird is perched nearby, watching the female's successful maneuvering back to the nest

Female tree swallow on top of another nest box. Swallows and bluebirds use the same boxes, which can lead to some tense exchanges.

A pair of tree swallows claim a nest box

Defending their claim against other tree swallows, which drive bomb the nest box

A nearby Say's Phoebe seems unperturbed by all the nesting frenzy.

Tree swallow, following the nest box action

Red-winged black bird males call and start displaying their bright wing patches to attract females.

Male red-winged black bird begins display

Male red-winged blackbirds puff out their bright red wing feathers as part of their display

Female red-winged blackbird, Tolay Lake Regional Park

Male red-winged black bird at rest, perhaps tired from his exertions?

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Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge

3/11/2015

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When my neighbors across the road started having their roof done the other day, I decided this was a good time to drive north, and check out the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge

Old farm buildings, Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge

My first bald eagle!!! Two flew over the refuge headed for the hills, late afternoon on a cloudy day

White-crowned sparrow with a yellow face from eating tree blossoms in the refuge

Male Northern shoveler

Female Ruddy duck

Male and female Cinnamon Teals

Male Ruddy Duck

Raven

Marsh Wren

Canadian geese in flight

Canadian geese flushed from the slough

Tropical Kingbird, Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge

Tropical Kingbird

Northern Harrier

Yellow-rumped warbler

Song sparrow

Black Phoebe

Tree swallow

Kinglet with a worm!

Ruby-crowned kinglet with a small worm

Great Egret almost at a standstill in flight against a strong breeze at the mouth of Humboldt Bay

Large flocks of both Canadian and cackling geese, the latter being a smaller, stockier version

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Raptors Abundant, Merced National Wildlife Refuge

3/6/2015

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(Last posting of four detailing visit to MNWR, Central Valley California)

Red-tailed Hawk, Merced National Wildlife Refuge

Dark morph red tail?

This hawk swooped down from a tree where I was walking

Surprised this Great Horned Owl while walking in another wooded area

Great Horned owl, doing its best to keep its eyes open

Many utility pole cross-arms had hawks - this is a young looking red-tailed hawk, I believe

Burrowing Owls, Merced Wildlife Refuge

A photographer with a very high powered lens was set up with a tri-pod pointed at what looked like an empty field. I stopped and asked him what he was photographing, and it turned out to be a couple of burrowing owls.

My lens doesn't do them justice

Burrowing owl, with my meager telephoto lens

Small bunnies everywhere, in the fields, as well as ground squirrels and jack rabbits

A million ground squirrels in the open fields, all pointing to a good raptor population

Large red-winged and tri-colored wing blackbird population

Kestrels, too, abounded - this beautiful female in late evening light

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Avocets and Ibis, Merced National Wildlife Refuge

3/6/2015

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American Avocet, at Merced Wildlife Refuge

(Part three of blogs devoted to my recent MNWR visit)

Early morning visit, lots of birds were still napping.

American Avocet

Sleeping Avocet moving away

Black-necked stilts were often in the same area feeding with the Avocets

There were two different groups of small sandpipers

These least sandpipers were feeding and chattering very close to the shore of one pond

There were a fair number of white-faced Ibis at the refuge

White-faced Ibis

White-faced Ibis grooming

Ibis fluffed up after grooming, Merced Wildlife Refuge

Many great egrets throughout the refuge, from the fields to the ponds

The ever-elusively shy Killdeer

This was the only Snowy Egret that I saw

Great Blue Herons as well

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Sandhill cranes and water fowl at the Merced wildlife refuge

3/6/2015

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Sandhill Crane overhead, Merced Wildlife Refuge

In my brief visit, I did not see any of the Sandhill Cranes on the ground, but a small flock did circle overhead the first afternoon I was there.

Sandhill Cranes

Trippy birds!!!! I'll have to visit earlier next year to catch the flock in its full glory!

Green-winged teals

Cinnamon Teal

Northern Pintail

Female and male pintails

Lots of Northern Shovelers

The marsh wren kept up a constant chatter in the reeds

The marsh wren

The American Coot, or mud hen

Sometimes you had to stop your vehicle for a large group of them to cross the road

Small group of American Wigeons in the morning visit

American Wigeon

A pair of Gadwall ducks

Male Gadwall

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A visit to the Merced National Wildlife Refuge in California's central valley

3/6/2015

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Spectacular birding experience, will post photos from this trip in a couple of different blogs - The Refuge plays host to the largest wintering populations of lesser Sandhill cranes and Ross’ geese along the Pacific Flyway. Each autumn more than 20,000 cranes and 60,000 arctic-nesting geese terminate their annual migrations from Alaska and Canada to make the Refuge home for six months. Here they mingle with thousands of other visiting waterfowl, waterbirds, and shorebirds – making the Refuge a true winter phenomenon.

Large flock of Snow and Ross Geese at the Merced Wildlife Refuge

Snow geese - their website mentions Ross geese, but by description these seem like snow geese

At one point the entire flock lifted into the air, and the sound was like an airplane taking off

The dark birds in the flock definitely indicate Snow Geese

These birds in flight seem to be Ross geese, which have a shorter bill and are generally a smaller bird

Smaller flock of Greater White-fronted geese were also present

Many Meadow Larks, and their melodious calls were one of the constant bird song in the background

Meadowlark in full song - (those spots are small bugs)

Say's Phoebe, in lesser numbers

Lots of Black Phoebe's, doing very well here with the abundance of small flying bugs

Small flock of bushtits, this is a female

This Northern Flicker, checking out a nest hole, this is in a wooded area of the Merced wildlife refuge

Northern Flicker, Merced Wildlife Refuge

Nuttall's woodpecker

Male Nuttall's woodpecker near entrance to refuge

Large flock of Barn Swallows at the San Luis Refuge, my original destination

Tree swallows at the Merced Refuge

Tree swallows, obviously pairing up and looking for nesting sites in the wooded areas

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