Birds I'm Watching: Spring Lake, Bodega Bay (September 8, 2010)

I participated in the autumn bird survey at Spring Lake (in Santa Rosa) yesterday. It was my first extended hike with other bird watchers since returning to the US, a pleasant diversion. The group split into two teams, mine taking the "high road," staying up above the lake. A second group stayed down by the water. I record only what I see myself, which was a large fraction of the group total, but I once again missed seeing a Western Tanager. Western Wood Pewee was a new bird for me, though.

Other birds I saw at Spring lake were: Mallard, California Quail, Oak Titmouse, American Crow, Anna's Hummingbird, Dark-eyed Junco, California Towhee, Steller's Jay, Song Sparrow, Spotted Towhee, Acorn Woodpecker, Nuttall's Woodpecker, Black Phoebe, Hutton's Vireo, Belted Kingfisher, Bushtit, Bewick's Wren, Scrub Jay, Yellow Warbler, Vaux's Swift, Turkey vulture, Cliff Swallow (about 200!), Violet-green Swallow, Wrentit, Cedar Waxwing, House Finch, Orange-crowned Warbler, Western Bluebird, Canada Goose, Warbling Vireo, Red-shouldered Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, and Common Raven--for a total of thirty-six species.

Later in the day, went out to Bodega in the hope of finding interesting migrants. The trip wasn't that productive generally speaking, but I saw a Macgillivray's Warbler for the first time. All in all, a good day for birds--especially as I got quite a few good photographs, some of which are posted here (from top to bottom--Scrub Jay at Bodega Bay, California Quail at spring lake, and Western Sandpipers at Bodega Bay).

Birds I saw at Bodega Bay were: White-winged Scoter, Common Loon, American Goldfinch, Double-crested Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Brandt's Cormorant, Scrub Jay, Great Egret, Western Gull, Ring-billed Gull, White Pelican, Great Blue Heron, Marbled Godwit, Black Oystercatcher, Black Turnstone, Belted Kingfisher, Pied-billed Grebe, Song Sparrow, Western Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Black-bellied Plover, and Dowitchers--these mostly along the coast and at Campbell Cove and Bodega Head. It was at Owl Canyon, that I got my first look at the Macgillivray's Warbler.

For more information about bird watching in Sonoma County,
see my Website Sonoma County Birding Spots