Local Birds & Wildlife of Marin CA-Fall 2014

I can't believe we have been in Kona for 3 weeks! We landed here to take care of house projects and have been pretty much immersed in painting and yard work. As we start to get ready for our 3rd trip to Midway Atoll to count Albatross nests (see my blogs from January 2014), I feel compelled to share these photos of some of the local birds and wildlife we were lucky to see while in Marin, CA......

We saw this Alligator Lizard sunning on the Palormarin Trail.

The Anna's Hummingbird female - feeding and a rare moment at rest below:)

One of the local Barn Owls that hangs out at Ranch B or Mendoza's Ranch

A Bewick's Wren was giving us a show at the Stinson Beach State Park

This Black-bellied Plover in its winter plumage, was busy feeding in the Bolinas Lagoon.

We saw a few Black-throated Gray Warblers feeding in mixed flocks with Townsend's Warblers,  Chestnut-backed Chickadees, and more.

Bob catching up with an old childhood friend on Stinson Beach.

This molting juvenile Brown-headed Cowbird had us looking in the books to figure out what species this was.....thank goodness for the wonderful resources available to birders today:)

Juvenile Towhee in Stinson Beach

A California Sea Lion on the beach near Fish Docks at Outer Pt Reyes Peninsula

It was such a pleasure to see the California Towhees

All we need to do is to listen and look for the Chestnut-backed Chickadees to find the birds feeding in the area. From what we understand, many migrating warblers will hang out with the local chickadees to feed.

A Clark's Grebe off of Stinson Beach, CA

There is nothing "common" about the following "common" birds.....

This Common Loon we saw off of Fish Docks at Pt Reyes still looks like it is in breeding plumage.

This Common Mure had washed up on the beach in Stinson.

Common Raven at Drake's Bay

This Downy Woodpecker was feeding on Bob's Dad's suet feeder. It did not seem to mind being photographed:)

Dunlin's in winter plumage feeding at the mudflat's in Bolinas Lagoon

We never tired of seeing and hearing the Elegant Terns flying over Stinson Beach between the lagoon and the ocean.

It is always a treat to get to see and hear the Golden-crowned Sparrow along the coast. 

This unfortunate Golden-crowned Sparrow appears to have some form of avian pox. We came across 2 Golden-crowned sparrows with the pox along the Palomarin Trail.

This Gray Fox was out exploring during the middle of the day at Fish Docks at Pt. Reyes Peninsula

We noticed the 2 Great Horned Owls that were perched in the trees above where we parked near B Ranch (Mendoza's).

When we returned to the truck....the owls were gone but they left us a few presents.......owl pellets on our truck hood:)

A Western Gull hanging out with a group of Heermann's Gulls on Stinson Beach

Heermann's Gull on Stinson Beach

There were a pair of Hermit Thrushes enjoying the berries up Owl Canyon in Bodega Bay

This was one of the only Hermit Warblers we saw during our 2 month stay in Marin. This Hermit Warbler was near the residence at Fish Docks in Pt. Reyes.

A beautiful male House Finch on top of the world

A great look at a Hutton's Vireo along the Muddy Hollow Trail leading to Limantour Beach

A Lesser Nighthawk was discovered to be roosting in the Pines at Fish Dock in Pt Reyes. This was the first Lesser Nighthawk I had seen. Apparently they are common in the Sierras but it was a rare sighting to see one along the coast.

This Lincoln's Sparrow was trying to stay cool on a hot day at Muir Beach:)

America's largest regularly occurring shorebird ...... the Long-billed Curlew. The female's bill is longer than the male's as well as straighter than the male's with a more pronounced curve at the tip. The male's bill gently curves through out its length. The juvenile's bill is distinctly shorter than the adults' for the first few months......this looks like it might be a male??

Marbled Godwits feeding along the shoreline at Stinson Beach

Monarch Butterflies overwinter in coastal Monterey pine, Monterey cypress and eucalyptus groves in California and fir trees in the Mexican mountains. Their breeding habitat depends on milkweed...so as a result of the loss of milkweed habitat the Monarch Butterflies are decreasing in number....

Northern Elephant Seals have come back from the brink of extinction....in the 1890s there were nearly exterminated by the whaling industry for the oil rendered from it great rolls of blubber. In 1892, a tiny colony of fewer than 20 animals were discovered on Guadalupe Island, off Baja California. It was protected & there are now around 115,000 Northern Elephant Seals that breed from Baja California north to San Fransisco.

We saw this male Red-shafted Northern Flicker. The male has the red "whisker"

Oak Titmouse taking cover in dense foliage

This Orange-crowned Warbler was hanging around the pines at Fish Docks at Pt Reyes. Some more advanced birders said they thought this was the sub species "olestra" which is duller in color than the "lutescens" of the Pacific Coast. The "olestra" is typically seen in the Rocky Mountains and Great Basin region.

This Osprey was resting on a dead snag near Bolinas Lagoon.

WOW-what colors.... the Black Oystercatcher is a resident of the Pacific Coast from the Aleutians to Baja California. They forage along the rocky coast looking for mollusks, especially mussels & limpets.

This Pacific-slope Flycatcher was one of the last flycatchers we saw for the season.....it was probably getting ready to head to southwestern Mexico for the winter

This Pied-billed Grebe is still in breeding plumage with the black ring on the bill and the black under the chin.

This female House Finch was feeding at the Arrigoni bird feeders in Marin.

What a year for Pygmy Nuthatches! We saw or heard Pygmy Nuthatches almost everywhere we went. The National Geographic Bird App says that Pygmy Nuthatches serve as an indicator of forest health of ponderosa pine forests and is listed in several states as a species of special concern. We saw them in Oaks and Bishop pines..... It is wonderful to think that their presence is a message that the forests in the area are doing well:)

This Red-shouldered Hawk looks like it was trying to capture prey or do a little dance.... it then flew back up its perch on the pole

Note the "red shoulders"

A Ring-billed Gull on Stinson Beach

A Rock Wren foraging along the fence near the residence at Pt Reyes Lighthouse.

This flock of Semipalmated Plovers stopped for a rest at Stinson Beach on their migration through to coastal areas to the south

We saw this Snowy Egret hunting while birding Pine Gulch near Bolinas Lagoon.

The Surf Scoter is a seaduck common on the Pacific & Atlantic coasts in the winter.

We saw a great number of foraging Townsend's Warblers - which makes sense since they winter along the Pacific Coast from British Columbia to Baja California & onwards to northern Mexico & Costa Rica. This looks like a male since it has a black throat. Typically the female's throat is yellow.

We came across a large flock of Tricolored Blackbirds feeding in the cow pasture out at Pt Reyes. They have a very interesting posture while feeding.... they have their wings slightly out to the side and their tails cocked upward... see the bird in the lower right of the photos below.

This Turkey Vulture was enjoying a snack while feeding on the tree tops at B Ranch or Mendoza's at Pt Reyes.

This was a great view of a Varied Thrush busy feeding near the residence at Fish Docks at Pt Reyes.

A Warbling Vireo swallowing a meal......

just hanging out catching rays....

A Western Gull on Stinson Beach

This Western Meadowlark had the whole grassy area to itself one morning at the Stinson Beach Federal Park

This female Western Tanager was probably heading south to its winter home from central Mexico through Costa Rica.

This White-tailed Kite was resting on a dead snag near Bolinas Lagoon.

A Willet in winter plumage feeding on the mud flats of Bolinas Lagoon

This male Wilson's Warbler was probably getting ready to migrate on towards So Cal.... Mexico .....or Panama.

This Yellow Warbler was spotted at the pines at Fish Docks at Pt Reyes. It is probably heading to its winter home in Mexico or Central or South America.

I think this is a Myrtle's Yellow-rumped Warbler- the throat appears to be white and also there is a white eyebrow which can be an indicator of a Myrtle's ....... looks like it almost lost the berry....

I can't see the throat but I think this is an Audubon's Yellow-rumped Warbler

That is the end of our tales from Marin:) We will be remote, counting Albatross on Midway Atoll and then working with the Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project team on the south side of Haleakala in Maui until early February.

Happy & Healthy Holidays to everyone!!

The world is full of beauty & wonder,

Turtle & Hawk

Smells Like Rare Birds- Fall Migration in Marin,CA 2014

We had the most beautiful weather while visiting family in Marin. One of our favorite places is the Point Reyes Peninsula. It is also a great place to see migrating vagrants (rare birds) that are following the Pacific Coast south since the peninsula is one of the most western points. There are a few isolated areas with trees for the birds to feed  which provides birders with great visibility. We were fortunate to see some rare birds to this area that were migrating or stopping by.

We first saw the Black-throated Blue Warbler at Mendoza or B Ranch. It was the first female we had seen. A few years ago we saw the male Black-throated Blue Warbler at the same location which we thought was an incredible coincidence.

Black-throated Blue Warbler-female 

Then, a few days later, a male Black-throated Blue Warbler showed in the same location and was feeding in the trees with the female!! They were calling back and forth. It makes me wonder if they did not have a date to meet in the trees at Mendoza Ranch:)

We had a few chances to get some great views of a Blackpoll Warbler. Our first sighting was in Bodega Bay- about 45 minutes north of Pt. Reyes. Our second sighting was in the pines at Fish Docks at Outer Point Reyes. The birds in the photos below are in fall or non-breeding plumage which is much different than breeding plumage.

This species is one of the most common birds of the northern boreal forest. They spend the winter in South America. Their typical fall migratory route is over the Atlantic Ocean from the northeastern U.S to South America. The route averages 1,800 miles over water requiring a non-stop flight of up to 88 hours. To accomplish this feat the Blackpoll Warbler nearly doubles its body mass and takes advantage of of the prevailing wind direction to help conserve the necessary energy for the trip! These birds traveling the Pacific Coast might have found an easier route??

Blackpoll Warbler in Bodega Bay, CA

Blackpoll Warbler in the pine trees at Fish Docks at Outer Pt. Reyes

The Chestnut-sided Warbler is a common bird of second-growth and scrubby woodlands of northeastern North America. On their wintering grounds of Central America, the Chestnut-sided Warbler joins in mixed species foraging flocks that include resident antwrens and tropical warblers. An individual warbler will return to the same area in subsequent years, joining the same foraging flock it associated with the year before.

Chestnut-sided Warbler- non-breeding or immature bird seen in the pines at Fish Docks at Pt. Reyes Peninsula, CA

Clark's Nutcrackers are not a new bird for us but this sighting definitely provided the closest views of the species we have ever had. It is a resident of the mountains from British Columbia to California and New Mexico. They may wander widely but irregularly in lower-elevation forests during winter. This is the first sighting in the Pt Reyes area. 

Clark's Nutcracker- seen off of Limantour Rd at the Muddy Hollow Trailhead.

The bird books describe the Dusky-capped Flycatcher's whistled call as being common among oak and pine woodlands of southeastern Arizona & southwestern New Mexico. That is why were were not expecting to see this flycatcher along the Pt Reyes coast. Bob saw the flycatcher and thought it might be an Ash-throated Flycatcher at first.....then it whistled. I fortunately had my camera and was able to get a few shots. We knew the whistle but could not place it right away. (we had seen and heard the Dusky-capped in S.E. Arizona in the spring) It was not until we came home and posted the photos on Flickr and listened to some calls that we came to the conclusion that we probably saw an immature Dusky-capped Flycatcher. Apparently there are a few that winter along the California coast but this was one of the earliest sightings.

Dusky-capped Flycatcher seen at Arch Rock via the Bear Valley Trail at Pt Reyes National Seashore.(9.5 mi round trip hike)

Local birders describe the Palm Warbler as commonly uncommon. They tend to see a few Palm Warblers during fall migration out on Pt Reyes peninsula each year. This Palm Warbler appears to be the western subspecies -palmarum. The western subspecies has dusky streaking on the breast, flanks & belly. They are very photogenic and love to wag their tails.

Palm Warbler in the pine trees at Fish Docks at Pt Reyes.

Palm Warblers along the road near Mendoza or B Ranch- Pt Reyes, CA

Philadelphia Vireo is the most northerly breeding species of vireo that summers in northeastern Canada and winters in Central America. The range maps show they do occasionally migrate along the Pacific coast. This is a bird of young deciduous woods. We had heard reports of sightings of the Philadelphia Vireo out at Pt Reyes and went to check it out a few times but had no luck. We kept trying to make the Warbling Vireo into a Philadelphia.....finally we got these fabulous looks at the Philadelphia Vireo.

Philadelphia Vireos seen near Mendoza or B Ranch- Pt Reyes, CA

The Prairie Warbler is described at a tail-wagging yellow warbler that can be found in everything from scrubby fields to reclaimed strip mines throughout the the eastern and south-central U.S. but not on the true prairies. We saw this striking warbler out at Pt. Reyes!

Immature Prairie Warbler seen in the pines at Fish Docks at Pt Reyes, CA

This was another new bird for us. We were birding in Pine Gulch (near Bolinas Lagoon) and Bob spotted this bird feeding in the tree. It was pretty dark so the photos were a bit grainy but you can clearly see the strong streaking across the breast which is one of the characteristics of the immature or female Rose-breasted Grosbeak. They breed in the north eastern part of North America & winter from southern Mexico to South American and even the Caribbean.

A first fall or female Rose-breasted Grosbeak seen at Pine Gulch-Bolinas, CA

The Tennessee Warbler is a dainty warbler of the Canadian boreal forest. This species specializes in eating the spruce budworm. As a result their population rises and falls with fluctuations in the population of the budworm. They winter from southern Mexico to northwestern South America. There are no spruce budworms in their winter grounds. There they are known as a nectar "thief"- instead of probing the flower & spreading the pollen on its face in the process- the warbler pierces the flower tube at the base and gets the nectar with out participating in the pollination activities.

An adult breeding female Tennessee Warbler (must be transitioning to non-breeding plumage)-seen near Mendoza or B Ranch-Pt Reyes, CA

The Tropical Kingbird is a common bird of the American tropics. It reaches the U.S. in southern Texas & southern Arizona. The Tropical Kingbird is one of the most specialized of the flycatchers. It forages almost exclusively by chasing after large flying insects.

This species has become a regular fall visitor to the Pacific Coast. We had to come to Pt. Reyes to see one. Nearly every year a few wandering Tropical Kingbirds are discovered there. Most of these are thought to be immature birds.

We saw this Tropical Kingbird near Mendoza or B Ranch- Pt Reyes, CA

The White-throated Sparrow typically summers across Canada & winters through out the southeastern U.S. & along the Pacific Coast. The White-throated Sparrow has 2 color morphs: white-striped & tan-striped morph. Individuals almost always mate with a bird of the opposite morph? Also- White-throated Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos occasionally mate and produce hybrids. The offspring look like gray, dully marked White-throated Sparrows with white outer tail feathers. Learn something new everyday!

White-throated Sparrow (tan-striped morph) seen at Mendoza or B Ranch-Pt Reyes, CA

The natural world continues to inspire and amaze us!!
Enjoy the beauty & wonder:)

Turtle & Hawk

A Love Affair with Snowy Plovers

How can you not fall in love with a face like this??

We have been blessed to have had the opportunity to count Snowy Plovers in Stinson Beach for the past 3 years. This is their winter or stop over spot. The coastal population is considered to be threatened due to loss of habit since there is so much human and canine activity on the Pacific Coast beaches. They have not had a recorded successful chick hatch at Stinson Beach since 1987. Two years ago we had a Snowy Plover lay an egg but it was not a successful hatch.

This year we have counted a record 29 Snowy Plovers at one time out on the beach!! Our previous high was 18. This is encouraging.We had 8 banded birds this year. (with 3 new additions to the 5 we had seen the past 2 years) Each banded bird has a history. When you see a banded bird you can contact the following website  to get more detailed information: https://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/BBL/bblretrv/.  They will typically get back to you and provide the history that is known due to similar reportings of sightings. 

Bob has a file with each banded bird's history- where it was banded and the locations of reported sightings. It appears the birds have great fidelity to this area - as seen by the birds we have counted repeatedly over the past 3 years. Snowy Plovers can be very difficult to see when they are hanging out in the sand. They roost in small depressions that make it difficult to detect unless they start moving about. We have watched people and dogs walk right through the middle of a group of Snowy Plovers that are in their little depressions and never even realize it. The  Snowies will start running around and only fly when they have to. If you are quiet and move slowly you can get pretty close to the birds. 

This bird is standing up in its depression in the sandGO-GO (green-orange--green orange) Band designation is read from the top then lower band on the left leg then the top and lower band on the right leg. We have been seeing GO-GO here on the beach for the past 3 years. If we had a favorite (but of course we don't have favorites) it would be GO-GO:)OG-YR (orange-green--yellow-red) We have also been seeing OG-YR on the beach in Stinson for the past 3 years. OW-OA (Orange-white--Orange-aqua) is another regular.  YRY-V (yellow-red-yellow--violet)- this is a new bird- it was born this year. After our initial sighting it was later seen and reported up in Sonoma County. GK-PB (green-black (black =K since blue=B)--pink-blue)- another new bird this year. L-R (lime--red) is another bird we have seen on the beach for the last 3 years. It actually lost two of the other original bands on its left leg. VW-YB (violet-white--yellow-blue)- another "regular" on the beach for the past 3 years. 
The world is full of beauty and wonder and we are blessed to be able to get out there  and experience it:)

Turtle & Hawk