 |
| Black Oystercatchers |
Starting our seventh week here at Golden Shore RV Resort in Long Beach, CA. Birds come in and out with the tides looking for goodies to eat. Even walking the same path to the Bay and the mouth of the L.A. River can bring different sights. Each week we make one trip out to different areas to find new birds, then pick up groceries on the way home.
 |
| Red-tailed Hawk |
 |
| Marbled Godwits "fencing" |
 |
| Great Blue Heron |
We drove south past Newport to Corona Del Mar to find a young Red-footed Booby that has been spending some time on one of the jetties. Ty rock-hopped out to get a close-up photo while Ida used the scope from a safe distance. Because this bird is a juvenile - no red feet yet. This is a new North American bird for us, only seen by us before in Hawaii.
We then drove to San Joaquin Marsh in Irvine, a very nice wildlife area where we found a new "Life" bird - the Swinhoe's White-eye, formerly the Japanese White-eye, which has been nesting several years in this area. Since this bird was not in the field guide, we didn't know what it was, but the local birders told us all about this introduced bird.
 |
| Cinnamon Teal |
We then drove to Mile Square Regional Park in Fountain Valley. We got great directions from the aba birding news and some birders and found the Greater Pewee quickly. This bird has strayed from it's fairly small territory in Arizona and Mexico.
 |
| Whimbrels taking a bath |
 |
| Willets come in for a landing |
 |
| American Coots need a long "run"way for take off |
 |
| Female Belted Kingfisher |
 |
| American Avocet and Short-billed Dowitcher |
 |
| Long-billed Curlew has been digging deep in the mud |
 |
| Mid December and it is finally looking like Autumn |
 |
| Sundog in the clouds, rain is coming! |
 |
| Bolsa Chica Conservancy along the Pacific, saved from developement in the 1970's |
 |
| Guess the binoculars aren't really needed for this Snowy Egret |
 |
| Bufflehead's feathers change from green to purple when he turns his head |
 |
| Eared Grebe goes for takeoff behind the Bufflehead |
 |
| American White Pelicans find fish in the fresh water ponds |
 |
| Belding's Savannah Sparrow found in this area, note larger bill. |
 |
| Say's Phoebe watching for insects |
 |
| White-faced Ibis |
 |
| Green-winged Teal |
 |
| The Pelicans, Great and Snowy Egrets have found a good fishing area |
 |
| Female Hooded Merganser sports great head gear |
 |
| A lone Snow Goose |
 |
| Northern Pintails |
 |
| Peregrine Falcon and an American Crow hassle each other |
 |
| Black Brant finding some good vegetation for lunch |
 |
| Successfully blending into the bare sands is a Mountain Plover |
 |
| The newly named "Ridgeway" Rail was seperated from the Clapper Rails |
 |
| Pyracantha bushes bear abundant fruit for wintering birds |
Only ten more days till Christmas, so let us take this time to wish you all a most Blessed Christmas!
Love & Prayers,
Ty & Ida Baumann
