I spent last weekend down in California visiting friends, doing another pelagic with Shearwater Journeys, and attending an annual meeting of Bird Bloggers Anonymous. Before we get to all that I'm going to share adventures with my friend from Monday down in Pescadero, then back up in Pacifica. We stopped at Pomponio Beach to check out this big hunk of Heermann's Gulls:
Next stop was Pescadero State Beach where a lone Black Oystercatcher was rather unconcerned with us.
Black Turnstones were around also...
After the beach we went over to Pescadero Marsh, a pretty spot though fairly uneventful.
Field crescent, I believe
Yellow bush lupine
From the marsh we went down to the Pescadero State Beach trail off Water Lane, a fine place for lizards.
Western fence?
Cardinal meadowhawk
Coral hairstreak?
Praying mantis
Much of this trail was tame so when a Barn Owl came tearing out of a tree next to us it was pretty startling. But awesome too. No time for photos unfortunately. Back at the beginning of the trail is a small stand of pine trees that hosted piles of Chestnut-backed Chickadees and Pygmy Nuthatches. And I finally crushed one of those nuthatches.
I also started a new list: Birds seen perched on old microwaves. It's a short list so far.
Back in Pacifica we got lunch from Dinsoaurs (delicious!) and headed over to the fishing pier to walk around. A Red-tailed Hawk was busy plucking a pigeon on a light pole.
We walked out on the pier for views of Common Murres, Brandt's Cormorants, Red-throated Loons, and all of their gull and pelican friends.
Red-throated Loon
Brandt's Cormorant
Good times!! Stay tuned for tales from the open ocean...
Next stop was Pescadero State Beach where a lone Black Oystercatcher was rather unconcerned with us.
Black Turnstones were around also...
After the beach we went over to Pescadero Marsh, a pretty spot though fairly uneventful.
Yellow bush lupine
From the marsh we went down to the Pescadero State Beach trail off Water Lane, a fine place for lizards.
Much of this trail was tame so when a Barn Owl came tearing out of a tree next to us it was pretty startling. But awesome too. No time for photos unfortunately. Back at the beginning of the trail is a small stand of pine trees that hosted piles of Chestnut-backed Chickadees and Pygmy Nuthatches. And I finally crushed one of those nuthatches.
I also started a new list: Birds seen perched on old microwaves. It's a short list so far.
Back in Pacifica we got lunch from Dinsoaurs (delicious!) and headed over to the fishing pier to walk around. A Red-tailed Hawk was busy plucking a pigeon on a light pole.
We walked out on the pier for views of Common Murres, Brandt's Cormorants, Red-throated Loons, and all of their gull and pelican friends.
Good times!! Stay tuned for tales from the open ocean...
Super cool. Nice shots and you did, indeed, CRUSH that tiny little nuthatch. SO CUTE!!
ReplyDeleteSo, the suspense is killing me, what happened re: RT & raven rumble?
No drama there. The ravens gave up (there were three) and the hawk ate the whole pigeon before departing.
DeleteAh, good to know. Thanks. =)
DeleteGreat shots of your bird adventure Jen, can't wait to see what you saw on the ocean! Keep it coming!! Im loving it.
ReplyDeleteI love that your posts are saturated with death. Sweet pics.
ReplyDeleteBack to the gore. Pretty sweet shots Jen, and that legion of Heerrmmaann''ss Gulls is radical. That looks like a revolutionary army I could get caught up in!
ReplyDeleteYou know they're called PNuts, don't you?
ReplyDeleteWhat are you doing? Looking for Pnuts!
I saw three vultures waiting to take a bite out of a deceased harbor seal. Thought of you.
Don't you love that we think of you when we see dead stuff now? Good stuff as usual...
ReplyDeleteI forgot to tell you, yes, that's totally a western fence lizard, Sceloporus occidentalis. If ya wanna get freaky, subspp. bocourtii, so sayeth Calif. herps (check out the dist'n map, http://www.californiaherps.com/lizards/pages/s.o.bocourtii.html). =)
ReplyDelete