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Tag: Double-Crested Cormorants

My Birding Day: Crown Memorial State Beach

My Birding Day: Crown Memorial State Beach

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Ring-Billed Gull

Begging Ring-Billed Gull, 2020

I opened my eyes to a familiar pounding in my head. Migraine. Damn, there goes my Sunday. I quickly popped various medications, drank some caffeine, and settled in for the unavoidable deep sleep. After a while, I groggily pulled myself together for a little outing for fresh air. Migraine or not, I needed my bird fix for the day.

I’ve been studying gull IDs, so we headed over to Alameda to watch the tame gulls at Crown Memorial State Beach. Right away we were greeted with a batch of gulls in the parking lot. Some were standing around waiting for park visitors to drop a tasty morsel. Others were sitting comfortably and seemed to be melting into the asphalt. I cheerily identified as adult California Gulls and Ring-billed Gulls. So far so good on the IDs!

Dunlins, Western Sandpipers

Incoming Sanderlings and Western Sandpipers, 2020

I reluctantly strapped on my binoculars and heavy camera setup. I was still drowsy a bit wobbly from the meds. But within minutes of crawling onto the sand, I was mesmerized by the birds and forgot about my weariness. As long as I didn’t spin around too fast tracking bird action, I would be OK. I love how birds can lift your spirits even when you’re feeling cruddy.

The next two-and-a-half hours were spent studying tons of gulls and peeps, trying to discern the various waterfowl out in the bay partaking in a feeding frenzy, and patiently continuing my learning of camera settings. We only walked 0.8 miles away from the car, but it was a peaceful stroll along the beach and the birding was fantastic.

Double-Crested Cormorant

Double-Crested Cormorant Silhouette, 2020

My Birding Day: Rainy Weekend Birding Highlights

My Birding Day: Rainy Weekend Birding Highlights

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Red-Throated Loon

Red-Throated Loon, Middle Harbor Shoreline Park, 2019

Friday: It was cloudy out with scattered showers. We decided to check out Middle Harbor Shoreline Park at the Port of Oakland to see if the storms turned up any interesting birds stopping for rest in the Bay Area. We started the walk with only our binoculars, but soon ran back to the car to grab the camera and scope. A loon! A Red-throated loon at that! Despite its white-throated winter appearance, this bird has a distinctive red throat during breeding season. I have yet to witness the brilliant plumage of this particular loon, but hope to see it someday.

Western Gull

Western Gull, Middle Harbor Shoreline Park, 2019

Saturday: Rain, rain, rainy day. We set out to Lake Temescal to see we could sneak in a quick trip. Upon arriving, the rain settled into an annoying mist that instantly dotted up our glasses, binoculars, and camera. The moisture kept the park mostly free of human visitors; however, the bird activity was amazing. Sparrows were dancing about, herons were active, and we even spotted a Belted Kingfisher.

Double-crested Cormorants were eagerly trying to dry off their wings. Their feathers absorb water to allow for faster dives and swims. Absorbing water means fewer bubbles are produced on their wings, which would slow down their underwater speeds. As a trade-off, they need to dry them out, which is why you’ll see them spreading their wings at times.

Double-Crested Cormorant

Double-Crested Coromorant, Lake Temescal Regional Recreation Area, 2019

Sunday: We joined the Ohlone Audubon Society for another bird walk, this time at Quarry Lakes Regional Recreation Area. It was cloudy for the entire trip. It even showered on us for a time, but no umbrellas were deployed, only plastic baggies to cover cameras. The three-mile trip yielded an impressive list of nearly 70 species. Grebes, ducks, gulls, sparrows, swallows, hummingbirds, woodpeckers, thrushes, and more were spotted with this group. I enjoyed the brief pops of color from the Anna’s Hummingbirds that contrasted with the dreary grey that hung over our heads. The highlight of the trip was spotting several Canada Geese that had unusually white heads where we typically see black. This feature shared with nearly half a dozen geese stumped the experts until a phone field guide app yielded pictures that shared the same traits. Everyone was excited to learn about this new field marker.

Anna's Hummingbird

A Pop of Color from this Anna’s Hummingbird, Quarry Lakes, 2019