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Humboldt Bay Wildlife Refuge, Arcata, California, always a great birding adventure

7/31/2016

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Male Downy woodpecker, Humboldt Bay, Arcata California

The female Downy was closeby

Wilson's warbler, Humboldt Bay

Great egret flying over, Humboldt Bay Wildlife Refuge

Savannah sparrow with almost no tail - possibly the coastal version of this bird

Snowy egret on one of the footbridges, Humboldt Bay Wildlife Refuge

White-tailed Kite, Humboldt Bay

Wildflowers and grasses along one of the sloughs, Humboldt Bay Wildlife Refuge

Another savannah sparrow, Humboldt Bay

Willet in breeding plumage, Humboldt Bay

Willet in flight

Black-crowned night heron in flight, Humboldt Bay Wildlife Refuge

Bunny on the path

This snowy egret was fun to watch while it was catching teeny-tiny fish in the water.

A northern harrier was zooming low over the marshes and sloughs

A northern flicker was also foraging along one of the paths

A solitary egret sits patiently at one of the slough inlets, Humboldt Bay Wildlife Refuge

Juvenile black-crowned night heron as we were leaving

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On the way back from Oregon, a stop in Trinidad, California, a stunningly beautiful town on the coast

7/31/2016

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View of the coast from the town of Trinidad, Oregon

The small protected harbor was dotted with rocks and fishing boats, Trinidad, California

A family of sea otters on one of the rocks, an adult with three pups!

Sea otter with pup

Sea otter pups playing, Trinidad, California

Sea otter pup

Sea otter family in the water, Trinidad California

More pigeon guillemot seabirds, Trinidad California

Pigeon guillemot sebirds

Juvenile glaucous-winged gull? Trinidad, California

Juvenile double-crested cormorant possibly, Trinidad, California

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Road trip north through the California redwoods and up along the Oregon Coast

7/31/2016

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Thanks to Laura, a great driving journey with our dslr cameras as far north as Bandon, Oregon

Roosevelt elk, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park

Female elk with youngsters

Highway 101 goes right through Praire Creek Redwoods State Park, and the elk can easily be seen from the road.

Juvenile great blue heron near Gold Beach Oregon

Juvenile great blue heron in flight, one wing just dipping into the rogue river, in Oregon

Black capped chickadees in the woods along the rogue river near Gold Beach, Oregon

Black-capped chickadee, Oregon

Oregon wildflowers, possibly purple Loosestrifes (Lythrum Salicaria), i.d. thanks to Laura

Osprey a common sight along the rogue river where it meets the sea, Oregon

Lighthouse, Bandon, Oregon

We got as far north as Bandon, Oregon

Near the lighthouse a small group of pigeon guillemot seabirds

Pigeon guillemot, Bandon, Oregon

Common Loon? Bandon, Oregon

Juvenile ring-billed gulls? feeding, Bandon Marsh, in Oregon

First year ring-billed gull, Bandon marsh, Oregon

Small flock of juvenile robins in the brush near the Bandon lighthouse, Oregon

One of the spectacular views along the Oregon coast

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More Bodega Bay birding....

7/25/2016

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Bit of a heat wave here, so birding on the coast has become the most pleasant.

Snowy egret, a very low tide near the entrance to Bodega Harbor

A small flock of willets in breeding plumage foraged in the exposed tidal area, Bodega

Red-necked grebes fished off Doran Beach - distant shot.

Red-necked grebe, an uncommonly seen bird for the area.

Brown pelicans zoomed over the harbor.

Brown pelican in flight, Bodega Bay

Male belted kingfisher, Bodega Bay

Kingfisher, Bodega Bay

Sea otter eating a fish, Bodega Bay near Campbell cove

Back at the home feeders

Juvenile spotted towhee, camp meeker

Newly fledged stellar's jay, still showing remnants of its baby's beak

Red-breasted nuthatches shoot into the feeders from time to time.

Female Anna's hummer at the feeder.

Closeup, male Anna's hummer

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Whoops, this bird is a Willet in breeding plumage

7/22/2016

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Too bad it wasn't the wandering tattler, because it is such a cool name - there are recent sightings of the tattler in the same location that I saw this bird - however tattler is stockier, mostly gray on top, and with yellow legs.

Willet in breeding plumage, Bodega Bay

Willet, Bodega Bay

Another view, Bodega Bay

Tern, possibly Caspian, flying overhead with a fish, Bodega Bay near Doran Beach

Least sandpiper, Doran Beach, Bodega

Least sandpipers, Doran Beach

Mystery bird - some kind of juvenile seagull??? Bodega Bay

Short-billed dowitcher? These shorebirds are tough to I.D. Doran Beach, Bodega

Short-billed dowitcher? Plucking something tasty out of the surf.

The dowitchers were among a larger flock of marbled godwits, Doran Beach

Marbled godwits in flight, Doran Beach

On the way home, this young white tailed kite on a utility cable hunting for dinner.

Juvenile white-tailed kites have brown mottled streaks on their breast feathers.

Young white-tailed kite, Highway One, Bodega

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Juvenile Red-tail Hawk kicks up a fuss over Andy's Produce

7/19/2016

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This young red-tailed hawk was center of attention as it flew low and loudly over the Andy's Produce parking lot, Sebastopol

Juvenile red-tail hawk, Sebastopol

Another view, juvenile red-tail hawk

Savannah sparrow, Coleman Valley rd, out of Occidental

Two barn swallow chicks, Coleman Valley Rd - waiting for parents to deliver food.

Fledgling barn swallow, Coleman Valley rd

Recent walk through the Laguna de Santa Rosa, near Sebastopol

Female lesser goldfinch, the Laguna

Male Nuttall's woodpecker, the Laguna

Parent violet-green swallow brings a meal for a chick, the Laguna

Violet-green swallows

White-breasted nuthatch, the Laguna

A family of Western wood- pewees, the Laguna

Western wood-pewee, the Laguna

Male non-breeding goldfinch, the Laguna

Wild rose in the park

Black Phoebe on chain link fence, the Laguna

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Quail juveniles, Campbell Cove, Bodega Bay

7/15/2016

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Juvenile California quail, Campbell Cove, Bodega Bay

Cautiously the small group moved into view.

Juvenile quail, Bodega Bay

Adult female quail keeping watchful eye.

The same hummer probably from earlier visit, Hole in the Head, Bodega Bay - seems to feed exclusively on blackberry blossoms.

Anna's hummingbird, Hole in the Head

Has a coloring similar to the blackberry blossoms - Anna's hummer, Bodega Bay

This could be a white-throated sparrow juvenile.

Swainson's thrush, Hole in the Head, Bodega

I went back to Hole in the Head, Bodega Bay, to stake out this bird to see if I could get a photo for I.D. purposes. I have been hearing this trippy bird song for about a month in different places, and didn't know what bird.
Turns out it is the very shy and very secretive Swainson's Thrush, known for its "flutelike" song.

Highway One on the coast, a small herd of antlered deer cross the road.

On the drive to the coast, this red-tail hawk with a rather gruesome meal on top of a utility pole.

Red tail hawk with prey, Coleman Valley Rd.

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Bodega Bay Osprey

7/13/2016

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This could be the same powerful bird that caught the fish right in front of me a few weeks back...he was doing some serious fish hunting again today, in the same location.

Osprey, hovering over Bodega Bay

Osprey, Bodega Bay

Directly overhead - you wouldn't want to be a fish about right now.

Juvenile white-crowned sparrow, Hole in the Head, Bodega

Male breeding colors, American goldfinch

Male goldfinch, non-breeding.

Anna's hummer, Hole in the Head Bodega

Surprised this barn owl, Hole in the Head, Bodega

Barn owl in flight, Bodega Bay

Fortunately, the owl circled around me to find a new perch.

Harbor seal near the Tides Restaurant, Bodega Bay

A lone shorebird - perhaps a willet? Bodega Bay.

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Warbling vireo at Quarryhill Botanical Garden, Glen Ellen

7/11/2016

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My first visit to Quarryhill Botanical Garden, in Glen Ellen, a 25-acre botanical garden of mature, flowering plants from Asia. In the middle of the garden is a beautiful pond and waterfall, remnants of what had originally been an old quarry site (hence the name.)