Today I birded Coyote Hills Regional Park and Pacific Commons Linear Park. This was my first trip down to Fremont this year.
One of the oddest birds I saw today was a flamingo. It was far away but you couldn’t miss the bright pink glowing in a sea of black silhouette waterfowl. The first time I spotted this flamingo was in 2016. It’s an escapee and has been living its long life here in the Bay Area. It’s quite a sight to see – but you will need binoculars!
Super-Cropped Flamingo, Coyote Hills RP, 2016
Pacific Commons Linear Park was hopping with birds. We’ve had several days of rain and it seemed like all the birds were rushing out to grab some grub before the next rain arrives. I find that birding right before and after storms often yields a lot of bird activity.
California Scrub Jay, 2019
Bald Eagles, 2019
Golden-crowned Sparrow, 2019
White-crowned Sparrow, 2019
My favorite moment was when a beautiful Barn Owl flew in front us and landed in a nearby tree. I carefully, quietly, and quickly snapped a couple pictures and left it alone so as not to disturb it or draw attention to it. I haven’t seen a Barn Owl in over a year, so it was quite a treat.
I am a member of a Facebook group named the Fremont Birding Circle. Lead by local expert Jerry Ting, we participate in monthly bird walks around the Fremont area. For the month of December, we visited Coyote Hills Regional Park and explored No Name Trail down its long stretch into the bay. It is a beautiful trail that gives hikers a close-up look at various waterfowl, gulls, terns, sandpipers, and more.
Dunlin, 2018
We spent three hours walking three miles round trip. My personal trip was closer to four miles because I had to run back to the main part of the park to find a bathroom while the group trudged ahead. The morning was picture-perfect with a cool, gentle breeze and still water that gave a mirror-like quality to the resting birds.
American Avocets, 2018
We did not find our target bird (Red Phalarope) but a Glaucous Gull was spotted that day – a rarity in our area. In total the group saw 75 species that morning. Since we arrived late, I spotted 54 species which goes to show the immense diversity this trail offers. If you’re lucky, sometimes you can spot a flamingo named Floyd that likes to hang out in that area from time to time!
I have much to be thankful for: a great husband and family, healthcare, a roof over my head, access to healthy food, rain, and of course birds. Take a moment away from the stress or busyness of orchestrating the perfect Thanksgiving meal and watch some birds.
Thanksgiving reminds us of turkeys and in the past few years I’ve observed many wild turkeys on my various outings. When I’m strolling through a park and hear loud noises that sound like a bobcat recklessly falling downhill through a pile of dried leaves, I know I’ve stumbled upon a noisy flock of turkey foraging for food. I’ve spotted turkeys taking quick naps on the UC Berkeley campus and have even seen them in quaint little neighborhoods in the city sitting on a car parked on the street (and probably scratching the paint). They have started to become a nuisance to some residents.
Wild Turkeys, Coyote Hills RP, 2017
My favorite turkey story takes place at Coyote Hills Regional Park. It’s an unusual day if I don’t see, or hear, turkeys rummaging in the hills at Coyote. One sunny day, my husband pulled the car into an open parking slot near the visitor center and we were greeted by a displaying tom. The turkey approached the front of our car and stared a deep, mean glare at us. We decided to stay put in the car until he moved on knowing that these guys can get pretty aggressive. We eventually stepped out of the car and watched as a photographer lowered himself to the ground to get that perfect shot of the display. The turkey slowly sauntered over to the photographer and I could hear the excited clicks of the camera grow more rapid. Someone cautioned the photographer to be careful, but I’ll bet he was getting great close-up shots. The turkey got within striking range, lifted up its wing, and smacked the photographer in the arm causing him to fall over and scramble away. Don’t mess with a tom looking for love!
Today my husband and I drove down to Fremont, which is one of our favorite birding areas. We heard that Bonaparte’s gulls were visiting Coyote Hills Regional Park (originally reported by local expert Jerry Ting), so we made sure to stop at this rich birding hotspot for the day’s birding destination.
We parked at the Quarry Staging Area and set-up our scope and tripod in preparation for seeking out water birds. The sun was still intensely warm – when will the cool autumn days finally arrive? I slathered on sunscreen while listening to the sweet, melancholy song of the nearby golden-crowned sparrows.
Near No Name Trail, Coyote Hills RP, 2018
The short walk to our destination featured deep blue sky and wispy clouds overhead. One by one, western meadowlarks flew by giving us a quick glance of their yellow stomachs. I spotted an American kestrel on a bare branch and watched as she preened herself. Through the scope, I could make out the brown-striped feathers and intricate head markings. It was beautiful to watch.
Digiscope of the American Kestrel, 2018
I was still in a grumpy mood about the unusually intense sun and lack of nearby shade, but that mood quickly shifted to excitement when we reached the aptly-named No Name Trail and spotted the Bonaparte’s gull. This little gull was in its winter plumage with its identifiable black “ear” patch and black bill against an otherwise white head. It was cute to watch as it slowly scanned the surface and gently dipped into the water to grab a morsel of food.
What I saw next made my heart leap. I was so focused on the gull that I neglected to see, or hear, the egrets close by. Typically, I’ll see a few together at a time. This time I saw nearly 150 snowy egrets squabbling with each other and several dozen great egrets focused on their seafood buffet, sponsored by the roaring water spewing out of a pipe. The noise of the egrets crabbing at each other was loud and I attempted to record it on my phone, but the powerful wind muddied my recording. Then another surprise. As we looked through the scope and binoculars, we spotted another Bonaparte’s gull! Then another, and another – wow ten! Wait, there’s more sitting on the water over there… Thirty in total! I was ecstatic to simply see one let alone dozens!
A variety of birds enjoying the flowing water. 2018
Snowy egrets, 2018.
We watched the birds for nearly an hour and decided to return to the car. We were delighted to watch a Say’s and black phoebe harass each other for the prized perching branch, spot house wrens in the bushes, and get a quick glance of a merlin as it flew off into the distance.
Entering bird sightings into eBird. Photo by Gabriel Olin, 2018.
