Special trip to the Heron and Cormorant rookery, not usually accessible to the general public, for the spring nesting activities of the Great Blue Heron and the Double-breasted Cormorant. This year there were mostly cormorants...every year the grouping of birds is different - unfortunately, a very overcast morning, photos were not taken in the best light....
The rookery tree, the Laguna de Santa Rosa
Double-breasted cormorants in the nest
Cormorant parent with chicks, at the Laguna Rookery
There were a couple of Great Blue Herons nesting, this one was near the front of the tree -sorry, not the best photo
The rookery was at the end of a pond, where there were some Canadian geese
Also, a single common look was in the pond, still in breeding colors
 Red-winged blackbirds were abundant |  Song sparrow in the mustard grass |
Probably a Vaux Swift, the Laguna There were lots of swallows zooming all around the pond, and then one of the group leaders said among them were swifts! These are similar to swallows, except they flutter their wings more when they fly, and have shorter tails.
Swifts are known for roosting in chimneys and other similar structures, as they do not perch, and spend most of their lives in the air.
Swifts are known for roosting in chimneys and other similar structures, as they do not perch, and spend most of their lives in the air.
Barn swallow chick at the edge of nest opening At one of the water pumping buildings along the pond, barn swallows had nests, and you could see the young chicks at some of the openings, waiting for a parent to return with food.
Meanwhile, around the Cherryridge Property...
The ash-throated Flycatcher, in the orchard
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Ash-throated Flycatcher
House finch in the orchard
 Violet-green swallows still flirting with the nest boxes, but no confirmed nesting as yet |  |
Male Western Bluebird, lower orchard
 Lesser goldfinch in the grasses, lower orchard |  Perched Violet-green swallow |