Monday, July 27, 2009

Birds I'm Watching: Point Reyes (July 27, 2009)


I went bird watching today at Point Reyes. Three new species for me--northern harrier, pigeon guillemot, and Eurasian collared dove. Other birds I saw included: American goldfinch, great egret, willet, brown pelican, Heermann's gull, California gull, Western gull, common tern, white-crowned sparrow, common murre, barn swallow, turkey vulture, and scrub jay.

Interesting rock formations (conglomerate) out at the old lighthouse. Saw the harrier at Limantour Estero, the rest mostly at the two points--Chimney Rock and the lighthouse. The doves were at Chimney Rock. I wish I better understood how these formations were deposited.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Birds I'm Watching: Whimbrels and Willets at Bodega

Haven't felt much like writing in the past week, but had a fruitful day of bird watching yesterday out at Bodega. Near the Tides Restaurant (from the parking lot, actually) saw Western sandpipers (I think), a whimbrel and a Willet. Later spent some time looking at seagulls, which usually go in one eye and out the other, so to speak. Saw Western gulls, Heermann's Gull, and ring-billed gull. The latter two I've certainly seen before, but this is the first time I've actually stopped to figure out what any of them were, so I count these as first sightings. Same for the Western sandpipers, if that's what they were. First sighting also for the whimbrel and the willet. While at the parking lot an Osprey flew over carrying a trout-sized fish. Down closer to Bodega head, on the road that leads out to Campbell Cove, past Spud Point Marina, saw many other birds. Saw these birds on the day:

Osprey, *Whimbrel, *Willet, *Western sandpiper, Western gull, *Ring-billed gull, *Heermann's gull, Black oystercatcher, Snowy egret, Great egret, Marbled godwit, Brown Pelican, White Pelican, Turkey vulture, American Goldfinch, Mourning dove, Western grebe, Great Blue Heron. Birds with asterisks are ones that I've definitively identified for the first time as an adult--not that I've necessarily never seen them before. All in all, a productive day--18 species, four first sightings.

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