Blog Archives

Red Phalaropes, Doran Beach, Bodega

10/31/2016

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Large flock of Red Phalaropes on the beach at Doran Park, Bodega - blown in by the storms?

Red Phalaropes in the surf, Doran Beach

Red Phalarope, non-breeding, Doran Beach

Another view, red phalarope, Doran Beach

Red Phalarope in flight, Doran Beach

Foraging on the storm debris

Black turnstones browsing among the piles of storm debris, Doran Beach

I think this might be a Dunlin, Doran Beach, Bodega

A marbled godwit browses by itself, Doran Beach

Surf birds, Bodega Harbor entrance rocks, beach side, Doran Park.

Surf Bird, Bodega

Surf bird, darker plumage.

Farther down the beach, a large flock of sanderlings.

Sanderling, Doran Beach

With the sanderlings, another Dunlin? Doran Beach, Bodega

Snowy Egret fishes, near the mudflats, Doran Park Bodega

Spotted Towhee through the branches, behind Hole in the Head, Bodega

Bewick's Wren, Doran Beach Bird Walk, Bodega

House finch, Doran Beach Bird Walk, Bodega

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White-tailed Kite with prey (a good sized gopher)

10/26/2016

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This seemed mildly ghoulish, in time for Halloween...

This is a good meal spot on highway one, Bodega - I've also seen a red-shouldered hawk hunting here.

White-tailed Kite, highway One, Bodega

Another red-eyed bird, the black-crowned night heron, Hole in the Head, Bodega

Yellow-rumped warbler, Hole in the Head, Bodega

Least sandpipers snooze and groom in a large flock, Shollenberger Park, Petaluma

Greater yellowlegs (I think) at Shollenberger

Greater Yellowlegs, Shollenberger Park, Petaluma

Turtle sunning, in one of the sloughs, Shollenberger Park

Avocets in flight, Shollenberger - these birds on in their non-breeding plumage.

Mute swan, at the Ellis Creek Water Treatment Facility which connects to Shollenberger

Marsh Wren in the reeds, Ellis Creek Facility

Some photos from the deck

This male ruby-crowned kinglet visiting the deck feeders, camp meeker

Another view, ruby-crowned kinglet near the feeders.

Reddish fox sparrow on the fence, camp meeker

Red-breasted nuthatch

Red-breasted nuthatch drinking at the hanging water feeder, camp meeker

Townsend warbler in a fir tree near the deck.

The little kinglet again, this could be a female.

Acorn Woodpecker at one of the suet feeders.

White-breasted nuthatch with a seed

Chestnut-backed chickadee contemplates a bath, camp meeker

Red-tailed hawk lands in tall tree near the deck

As soon as the hawk realizes it's been spotted, it takes off for a more private perch.

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Light birding in Yosemite Valley

10/19/2016

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The face of El Capitan, Yosemite Valley

Cutting back home through Yosemite - from the Merced area, it's a pretty easy drive up Higway 140 into the Valley.

From a distance, a female downy the first evening in the park

Perky robins at the tops of the trees, Yosemite.

Beautiful fall color, Yosemite National Park

Townsend warbler along the Merced river in the Valley

Dark-eyed junco, Yosemite Valley

Lots of brown creepers in the park, this one in a small tree along the Merced river in the Valley

Best and only shot of the mountain chickadee, along the Merced river, Yosemite Valley

Stellars' Jay reflected in the Merced river, Yosemite Valley

Red-breasted nuthatch was among the group of small birds all traveling together, Merced river, Yosemite Valley

Some purple wildflowers still in bloom, Yosemite Valley

Further along, where the Valley trees are thicker and very tall, a small group of white-headed woodpeckers were softly hammering, Yosemite. Sorry for the poor photo, have to return for a better one!

With the white-headed woodpeckers in the same tall, dark trees was this female yellow-bellied sapsucker - apologies again for poor photo. Just to document variety of birds.

Deciduous trees turning, Yosemite Valley

Climbers' tent, El Capitan, Yosemite

There were climbers camped on the sheer rock face of El Capitan, and many people in the park were watching their progress upwards, with binoculars and powerful cameras and scopes.

Way high in the treetops along the Valley floor, cedar waxwings, Yosemite.

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Great Horned Owl, Merced NWR

10/17/2016

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At the end of the footpath part of the Merced NWR, a small group of great horned owls were gathered for a hooting contest. For some reason this one owl stuck around longer than the others.

Great horned owl turning around on its tree branch to plan its escape, or to see where the object of his hooting had gone to. His or her superior feathering to resemble tree bark is evident.

Great horned owl, hooting - Merced National Wildlife Refuge

Further along on the auto tour, a group of killdeer hold a conference.

Killdeer, Merced NWR

Large flock of Long-billed dowitchers in one of the ponds, Merced NWR

Also quite of large group of tree swallows resting and grooming on some utility lines in the refuge.

Small cottontail bunnies near the front entrance, Merced NWR

Loggerhead shrike at the San Luis reservoir, a state park near Gustine

Great Egret in flight, San Luis Reservoir

Northern Harrier, San Luis Reservoir

Savannah sparrow in the reeds, San Luis Reservoir

Female belted kingfisher, San Luis Reservoir

Mourning dove on a fence wire, San Luis Reservoir

This handsome Clark's grebe, San Luis Reservoir

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Merced National Wildlife Refuge

10/16/2016

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Merced had closer access to the sandhill cranes on the ground.

Sandhill cranes at Merced NWR

Two sandhill cranes coming in for a landing.

Another view, sandhill cranes landing, Merced NWR

Also at Merced, a large flock of white-faced Ibis

Ibis in flight

White-faced ibis wing stretch, Merced NWR

I think this is a common gallinule, related to coots, at Merced NWR

Black phoebe in the reeds, busy catching bugs (of which there were many).

The american coot, a large flock, at the refuge.

A barn owl in the walking section of the wildlife refuge.

One male and two female cinnamon teals.

Healthy population of red-tailed hawks.

Male Nuttall's woodpecker in the walking area, Merced NWR.

Perched juvenile red-tail hawk, MNWR.

Gadwall ducks (I surmise) take flight at one of the ponds.

Gadwall ducks in flight, Merced NWR.

A small group of cranes approach the refuge, behind them smoke from an agricultural controlled burn.

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Road Trip south to see the Sandhill Cranes

10/16/2016

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Original destination was the Merced National Wildlife Center, but due to a navigation error on my part, ended up further south at Kern and Pixley. The Sandhill Cranes were at Pixley, so the longer drive wasn't too bad. And Merced was still on the way back for the next part of the trip.

Sandhill cranes in flight at Pixley and silhouetted against an early evening sky.

Meadowlark in flight at Pixley

Sandhill cranes illuminated by a rosy early evening light, Pixley National Wildlife Refuge

Cranes on the ground at Pixley

Two cranes in flight together, Pixley

Red-winged blackbirds among the grasses, Pixley NWR

Least sandpiper? Pixley NWR

A lone sandhill crane flies in to join the flock. There were probably about a thousand cranes in the refuge.

Wild black-eyed susans at Pixley

Great egret on the path, in the soft evening light, Pixley

A lone killdeer, Pixley

Masses of cranes start returning to the refuge for the evening as the sun begins to set in the central valley.

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Black Turnstones, Bodega Bay

10/10/2016

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Black turnstone, Bodega Bay

Watching these birds forage along the shore, I realized why they were called "turnstones" - they turn over every little item in their path looking for tasty things.

Another view, black turnstone

Sea otters were feeding in the bay, near to the shore.

Sea otter, Bodega Bay

Great Blue Heron taking off, Bodega Bay

Yellow-rumped warbler, Campbell Cove, grooming after a bath.

Same bird fluffing up - Bodega Bay

Perched juvenile red-tail hawk Bohemian Highway near Bodega

Townsend warbler visits the deck feeders, camp meeker!

Townsend warbler, camp meeker

Likes the suet

Townsend warbler up close, camp meeker

What a cool bird!

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Two Downy woodpeckers and a bobcat!

10/8/2016

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Male Downy, Owl Canyon, Bodega

Female northern harrier, usually makes a couple of passes over the pond at Hole in the Head, Bodega

Another view, female northern harrier

Yellow-rumped warbler eating a berry, Hole in the Head, Bodega

Yellow-rumped warbler amongst the leaves, Hole in the Head

Yellow-rumped warbler

This young bobcat appeared out of nowhere, Hole in the Head Bodega. I think it was waiting for mom to return with a meal. It was so close, my telephoto lens only got a cropped image.