Coastal Birds
I'm living about 75 feet from the breaking waves of the Pacific Ocean and about half a mile from a protected freshwater lagoon. While there certainly bird friendlier places to live, there probably aren't a lot! I've had a couple or more truly memorable birding days walking out of my front door in the last couple of months since we've lived here.
The four newest birds that I hadn't seen here before I saw with my neighbor Tim in Laguna Salada on Monday after work. I added a Green Heron, a Black-crowned Night Heron (juv.), a Greater Scaup, and a beautiful Ruddy Duck with its bright blue bill.
Standard fare on any given day are American Coots, Pied-billed Grebes, Red-winged Black Birds, Marsh Wrens, Common Goldenthroats, Song Sparrows and Ravens.
There is a resident Red-Shouldered Hawk. On Sunday we watched thim beat from perch to perch trying to shake a Raven that didn't appreciate his presence as much as we did. I lost him for a little while, but right before it would have been too dark to see anything a Ravens rose up from out of nowhere and the Red-shoulder too, but he fled off to the north. A moment later another Red-shoulder and a Red-tailed Hawk rose from the same spot harassed by the Ravens and split up heading south and east. A majestic finale.
On a solo hike though the lagoon and the hills and coastal cliffs I had my widest variety of raptors, and probably birds in general. I found the Red-shoulder and Red-tail right away. The next bird got my pulse going. A Peregrine Falcon flew into the area marking the second time I've seen him. I'm fairly sure I spotted a Merlin hunting at near the peak of hills near Mori Point. From the peak I spotted an American Kestrel perched at the the top of a tree on a neighboring hill. And a Cooper's or Sharp-shinned Hawk sprang into view just in front of me then flew around the hillside out of view.
Later on I added a Horned Lark to my life list. And I recall a Great Blue Heron slowly drift over head before alighting on a the grass atop the cliffside. LBJ's I saw that day remain that.
It was a great day of hiking and birding and I can't wait to repeat it.
Along the surf itself there seem to be a regular contingent of Surf Scoters. The males' remarkable oversized red, yellow and black bill makes for fun contrast to the black and brown bills I'm used to seeing. As far as sea gulls go I'd say there is a mix of California Gulls, Herring Gulls, Western Gulls, and Mew Gulls. But there could be a lot more that I can't distinguish.
Crows, Rock Pigeons, Brewer's Black Birds, and Starlings round out the more common birds in the district.
The four newest birds that I hadn't seen here before I saw with my neighbor Tim in Laguna Salada on Monday after work. I added a Green Heron, a Black-crowned Night Heron (juv.), a Greater Scaup, and a beautiful Ruddy Duck with its bright blue bill.
Standard fare on any given day are American Coots, Pied-billed Grebes, Red-winged Black Birds, Marsh Wrens, Common Goldenthroats, Song Sparrows and Ravens.
There is a resident Red-Shouldered Hawk. On Sunday we watched thim beat from perch to perch trying to shake a Raven that didn't appreciate his presence as much as we did. I lost him for a little while, but right before it would have been too dark to see anything a Ravens rose up from out of nowhere and the Red-shoulder too, but he fled off to the north. A moment later another Red-shoulder and a Red-tailed Hawk rose from the same spot harassed by the Ravens and split up heading south and east. A majestic finale.
On a solo hike though the lagoon and the hills and coastal cliffs I had my widest variety of raptors, and probably birds in general. I found the Red-shoulder and Red-tail right away. The next bird got my pulse going. A Peregrine Falcon flew into the area marking the second time I've seen him. I'm fairly sure I spotted a Merlin hunting at near the peak of hills near Mori Point. From the peak I spotted an American Kestrel perched at the the top of a tree on a neighboring hill. And a Cooper's or Sharp-shinned Hawk sprang into view just in front of me then flew around the hillside out of view.
Later on I added a Horned Lark to my life list. And I recall a Great Blue Heron slowly drift over head before alighting on a the grass atop the cliffside. LBJ's I saw that day remain that.
It was a great day of hiking and birding and I can't wait to repeat it.
Along the surf itself there seem to be a regular contingent of Surf Scoters. The males' remarkable oversized red, yellow and black bill makes for fun contrast to the black and brown bills I'm used to seeing. As far as sea gulls go I'd say there is a mix of California Gulls, Herring Gulls, Western Gulls, and Mew Gulls. But there could be a lot more that I can't distinguish.
Crows, Rock Pigeons, Brewer's Black Birds, and Starlings round out the more common birds in the district.
posted by Chuck Baldwin at 5:52 PM
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