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My Birding Day: Coyote Hills RP and Pacific Commons Linear Park

My Birding Day: Coyote Hills RP and Pacific Commons Linear Park

Flamingo! Wait, what? In the Bay Area?

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

California Scrub Jay, 2019

Bald Eagles, 2019

Bald Eagles, 2019

Golden-crowned Sparrow, 2019

Golden-crowned Sparrow, 2019

White-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.

Barn Owl, 2019

Barn Owl, 2019

My Birding Day: Coyote Hills with FBC

My Birding Day: Coyote Hills with FBC

FBC Coyote Hills, 2018

FBC Walk, Coyote Hills, 2018

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

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

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!

Great Egret, 2018

Great Egret, 2018