San Diego shorebird diversity

 

After completing my home inspection report this morning, I went out to the shoreline to see what birds were waking up with the dawn. Following is what I found.

California gulls fighting for food

 

Brown pelican off to chase the fishing boats

 

Gull diving for breakfast

 

Geese waiting for SeaWorld to open

 

Great egret fishing for breakfast

 

Great blue heron scouring the docks for leftover fish

 

Black-crowned night heron wondering where the night’s going 

 

Close-up of the black-crowned night heron

 

Juvenile black-crowned night heron practicing flying
(one of the parents is in the two pictures above)

 

Red-shouldered hawk (?) on a light pole 

 

Osprey watching over his territory

 

Nesting osprey (young in nest at far right)

 

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I speak, you listen

This post is dedicated to Gene Riemenschneider, a real estate agent with Home Point Real Estate in Brentwood, California. I have known Gene for several years through a real estate professional networking site and highly recommend him for anyone buying or selling a home in the East San Francisco Bay area. If he can’t help you in your special locale, I’m sure he can refer you to someone (almost) as good as he is.

Dedications are my way of trying to provide a little extra Google juice for people I have come to know and respect over the years.

Pictures copyright 2010 by Russel Ray Photos

I live fourteen miles from the Pacific Ocean. There are many play areas along San Diego’s 70 miles of ocean coastline but one of my favorites is Mission Bay Park, specifically Quivira Basin:

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Pictures copyright 2010 by Russel Ray Photos

I have found that Quivira Basin is the best place to go either at sunrise or sunset to find the great blue herons, black-crowned night herons, great egrets, brown pelicans, the occasional seal and sea lion, and, of course, the ubiquitous California gull.

When I went by yesterday at sunset, there was a California gull — I named him Mister Sentry — sitting on the top of a truck at the entrance to the parking lot:

Pictures copyright 2010 by Russel Ray Photos

I had to park at the end of the parking lot from Mister Sentry, but he was still there when I walked out of the parking lot. Since he was being photogenic, I decided to see how close I could get to him. As I got closer to Mister Sentry, he started talking to me:

Pictures copyright 2010 by Russel Ray Photos

Pictures copyright 2010 by Russel Ray Photos

Pictures copyright 2010 by Russel Ray Photos

I have no idea what he was saying, but I can imagine….

Pictures copyright 2010 by Russel Ray Photos

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The birds of Lake Murray in La Mesa, California

This post is dedicated to Chris Fisher, a virtual assistant and owner of her own company, Virtual Assistant For You.net of Concord, California. I have known Chris for about three years through a real estate professional networking site. I highly recommend her for anyone needing a virtual assistant anywhere in the world, not just the San Francisco Bay Area. Be sure to visit her web site to see the many members of her zoo family.

Dedications are my way of trying to provide a little extra Google juice for people I have come to know and respect over the years.

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Less than a mile from where I live is Lake Murray, part of the gigantic Mission Trails Regional Park system.

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It’s a large reservoir that offers boating, fishing, and, most importantly to me, bird watching. I’ll often walk, bike, or drive over there to feed the birds — American coots, Canada geese, swan geese, mallards, rock pigeons, California gulls, and cormorants. It’s a major stopping point for migrating birds; 149 different bird species have been sighted at the lake, including the endangered
tri-colored blackbird.

With all the rain we’ve had these last three days, I decided to stop by this afternoon to check on the lake. It was full, overfull, in fact. That meant that lots of birds were enjoying themselves, especially the American coots:

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Some of the birds that I’m making an effort to identify when I’m out are the gulls and terns, more commonly simply known as seagulls. Today I found the following bird and recognized it as one that I didn’t know:

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My National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America (p. 198) seems to indicate that it is the second winter coloring of a ring-billed gull. Up until recently a “seagull” was a seagull, but I’m making a sincere effort to learn my local wildlife.

Santa Catalina Island — Synchronized birding

This post is dedicated to Erika Rogers, a real estate agent with Stout & Associates Realty in St. George, Utah. I have known Erika for several years through a real estate professional networking site and highly recommend her for anyone buying or selling a home in the St. George, Utah, area. If she can’t help you with your specific real estate needs, I know she can refer you to someone (almost) as good as she is.

Dedications are my way of trying to provide a little extra Google juice for people I have come to know and respect over the years.

Pictures copyright 2010 by Russel Ray Photos

On my birthday trip last Sunday to Santa Catalina Island, my main goal was to see some American bison, more popularly known as buffalo. They are on Santa Catalina Island courtesy of William Wrigley Sr. of chewing gum and Chicago Cubs fame.

I failed.

However, I did see a lot of wildlife which I’ll share in my next few posts.

Today I’ll introduce you to synchronized birding. First….

Synchronized sitting, presented by two California gulls:

Pictures copyright 2010 by Russel Ray Photos

Synchronized standing, presented by the same two California gulls:

Pictures copyright 2010 by Russel Ray Photos

Synchronized swimming, presented by two brown pelicans:

Pictures copyright 2010 by Russel Ray Photos

I tried to get two California gulls swimming together but had to settle for the brown pelican substitutes.

By the way, the California gull is the state bird of Utah, but I’m pretty sure Erika Rogers, to whom this post is dedicated, knows that.

Pictures copyright 2010 by Russel Ray Photos