Blog Archives

Bonaparte's Gull, Bodega Bay

11/27/2016

Bonaparte's gull, Bodega Bay

Looking somewhat like a red phalarope, this is a larger bird and definitely a gull.

By comparison, a red phalarope still active in the bay. Notice difference in head markings, and black patch through the eye.

Red-shouldered hawk, Bodega Bay.

A pair of ruddy turnstones, Bodega Bay.

Ruddy turnstone.

This ruddy turnstone not quite as colorful as the other one it was with.

Seem to feed among the algae and seaweed along the shore.

Least sandpiper and a dunlin - good size comparison - Bodega Bay

Dunlin by itself, Bodega Bay

Male Bufflehead in the bay, showing its colors.

Osprey on utility pole, highway one, in the town of Bodega Bay.

It was finishing a meal - osprey, Bodega Bay.

Possibly a juvenile osprey, Bodega Bay.

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Red-breasted sapsucker, yard tree near deck

11/25/2016

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Red-breasted sapsucker checking out cherry tree near deck, camp meeker.

White-breasted nuthatch, "frozen" in defense posture, it was difficult to resist this photo, hard to find a bird that is not moving around.

Towsend warbler near deck feeders, camp meeker

Hutton's vireo off of Coleman Valley Road, between Occidental and the coast.

Ruby-crowned kinglet, also off of Coleman Valley Rd, note thinner black beak, and yellow feet in comparison to Hutton's vireo, otherwise birds very similar.

Bewick's wren in same location as the kinglet.

Yellow-rumped warbler, clearing showing its identifying characteristic, near Campbell Cove, Bodega

Red-breasted merganser, Bodega Bay

Large Great Blue Heron takes off, Bodega Bay.

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Lincoln's Sparrow, Tolay Lake Regional Park

11/20/2016

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Lincoln's sparrow, Tolay Lake Regional Park, Petaluma

Lucky enough to get a few photos, as this Lincoln's sparrow turned around a couple of times on its wire perch.

Between rain storms, the area fills up with large puddles - this savannah sparrow takes a bath.

Northern Harrier cruises the open grasslands fast turning green in the park.

Say's phoebe finds a perch on dried grass stalks from the summer, Tolay Lake.

Female kestrel at the edge of the open pasture.

Juvenile red-tailed hawk takes off from a tree top.

Western Meadowlark, Tolay Lake Regional Park, Petaluma

While taking photos, I turned around to find this little calf had cautiously approached me, curious. Definitely free range.

Male western bluebird, Tolay Lake

A group of bluebirds hunted along a row of fenceposts in the park.

Female western bluebird keeps a keen eye open for insects.

A small flock of goldfinch were raiding the thistles for seeds, Tolay Lake Regional Park

Goldfinch changing from breeding to nonbreeding colors.

Goldfinch, winter plumage, Tolay Lake Regional Park, Petaluma.

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Snowy Plovers, Doran Beach, Bodega

11/16/2016

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Snowy Plover, Doran Beach

Small group of snowy plovers resting, Doran Beach - they had each scooped out little depressions in the sand, where they then nestled. Almost the same color as the sand, they are difficult to see until you almost step on them. Then they scurry out of the way and look up at you, as if to say, hey, can't you see where you're going?????

Snowy Plover, Doran Beach - very difficult to see when they are not moving.

Snowy Plover

Doran Beach, the snowy plover

Brant Geese back in the bay, this near the Doran Beach mudflats.

A large flock was gathering, here are some coming in for a landing.

Still lots of yellow-rumped warblers in the area, Hole in the Head, Bodega.

With the milder coastal climate, the blackberry bushes still have some blooms, always fiercely guarded by the resident Anna's hummer.

Anna's hummer feeding, blackberry blossoms, Hole in the Head, Bodega.

Bunny near Hole in the Head, Bodega

A few Black Oystercatchers were grooming and feeding at Campbell Cove, Bodega.

I believe the darker color at the end of the orange beak on the far right bird is supposed to indicate a juvenile.

Black Oystercatcher, Bodega Bay

Female surf scoter, Bodega Bay

Willet in flight, Bodega Bay

Flock of sanderlings in flight, Bodega Bay

Sanderlings

Starling checking out some of the opportunities presented by the low tide, Bodega Bay.

Further down the beach some least sandpipers, Bodega Bay

Red-shouldered hawk on a utility pole, Bodega Bay.

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Golden-crowned Kinglets, Shiloh Ranch Regional Park

11/13/2016

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Hiking up to the pond at Shiloh Ranch, hoping to see the hooded mergansers recently reported there, on one part of the trail a flurry of little birds greeted me, ruby-crowned kinglets, townsend warblers, and wonderfully, the golden-crowned kinglet!

Golden-crowned kinglet, Shiloh Ranch Regional Park, Windsor

As small as the ruby-crowned kinglet, except showing a yellow patch on the head, and a "white eyebrow" and other distinct black markings.

One of the male ruby-crowned kinglets among the group of small birds.

Golden-crowned kinglet, bright yellow head patch.

Townsend warbler, running with kinglets and of course, chestnut backed chickadees.

Further down the trail, a noisy oak titmouse, Shiloh Ranch Regional Park.

A flock of cedar waxwings flew by, looking for berries probably.

Rosettes of turkey tail mushrooms (thank you Karyn) were thick on many of the trees, due to our early fall rains.

While in the park, hundreds of cackling geese passed overhead in straggled lines, and making lots of noise.

Quick trip to the coast

Red Phalaropes still around, in their winter plumage, in the bay.

A large mass of marbled godwits and willets snoozing, Bodega Bay.

Return of the bufflehead ducks!

A wrentit, owl canyon, Bodega Bay

More turkey tail rosettes, Owl Canyon

A Hutton's vireo, owl canyon

Anna's hummer, guarding the still flowering blackberry bushes, owl canyon, Bodega.

And of course, the almost ubiquitous for this time of year, ruby-crowned kinglet, Owl Canyon, Bodega Bay.

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Sage Thrasher?, Point Reyes National Seashore

11/11/2016

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This bird seemed as curious about me as I was about it, but for awhile I just thought it was a juvenile mockingbird, although it was larger and its behavior different. While looking through some other bird i.d.'s, I saw a photo of a sage thrasher, and realized this could be the bird that I had seen. Very closely related to the mockingbird, as it turns out.

Sage Thrasher?, near Drake's Estero, Point Reyes

First seen low in a bush on the side of the road.

It jumped on this fence post so we could get a better look at each other.

Sage Thrasher, Point Reyes National Seashore.

This Ferruginous hawk over the Drake's Beach parking lot, Point Reyes.

With the Ferruginous hawk, but lower in the sky, was this large red-tailed hawk.

This Hermit Thrush in the Drake's Beach parking lot, catching bugs.

Hermit Thrush with bug, Drake's Beach parking lot, Point Reyes.

This large coyote actually stopped traffic and walked slowly across the road, near the Drakes Beach turnoff.

This smaller coyote, photo taken through the windshield glass, in a quick hurry to get off the road, Tomales Bay State Park.

It was a real wildlife day for me, as when I drove completely out of the park, heading for Inverness, I saw this beautiful male adult bobcat.

Bobcat, near the town of Inverness, near one of the entrances to Point Reyes.

Bobcat, Tomales Bay

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Recent walk, Tolay Lake Regional Park

11/10/2016

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Black Phoebe reacts, perhaps to recent news events? Tolay Lake Regional Park, Petaluma

The sky fills with blackbirds, Tolay Lake

A western meadowlark sends his melodic call across the fields, Tolay Lake

Meadowlark in flight.

A Say's phoebe, one of many in the park right now.

Two large ravens harass and chase what looks like a juvenile red-tailed hawk, Tolay Lake.

A happier looking juvenile red-tailed hawk circles in the sky at Tolay Lake

Blackbirds roam freely on the backs of a seated group of cows in the park.

Early fall rains have dampened the urgency of the summer colors and added a stripe of vibrant green, Tolay Lake Regional Park, Petaluma.

A white-tailed kite hunts from a wire fence perch, Tolay Lake

Bright lesser goldfinch, Tolay Lake

Loggerhead Shrike in the park, one of two that I saw on my walk.

A savannah sparrow against a field of green, Tolay Lake Regional Park.

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Tapestry of Quail, Tomales Bay State Park

11/7/2016

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A group of california quail males sit huddled together in a patch of sunshine, Tomales Bay State Park - creating a design of shape and color.

Ruby-crowned kinglet, Tomales Bay State park

Female Townsend warbler, Tomales Bay State Park

Hutton's vireo - looks very much like the kinglet, but shape and color of bill is different, and all black legs and feet.

Hutton's vireo with a dried leaf, Tomales Bay State Park

Anna's hummer sits in a sunny spot, surrounded by tiny spidery webs, Tomales Bay State Park

Many small birds flock together with the chestnut-backed chickadees as they make their way through the woods. This one in Tomales Bay State Park is stopped in its tracks by the camera, as if saying, "what the heck - "

Another kinglet, Tomales Bay State Park

Another female Townsend warbler looks down through the foliage.

This wrentit on a recent drive down Willowcreek road, near Jenner.

Another view, wrentit, Willowcreek road, near Jenner.

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Peregrine Falcon, Abbotts Lagoon, Point Reyes

11/3/2016

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Peregrine Falcon

This Peregrine was sitting on a fence post on my walk down to Abbotts Lagoon.
I spoke with another hiker who came in after me, and she said she had seen two peregrines.