California dreamscapes

I'm still going through and trying to index all my Californian gull images, so in the meantime thought it'd be nice to share a few atmospheric, more general shots just so you get a feel of what the place was like. It's one of those places that I'll go back to once again - stunning landscapes with the type of birding that I enjoy. As always, click on the image to make it larger.

Gulls watching the surf at Jenner

The boys with the boys at Petaluma - 18 birds of how many species?

And back to the coast. Californian larus style line up.

Another park and another load of showy gulls.

Californian gulling was generally in pretty spectacular locations.

Photographing the Rock Sandpiper at Bodega involved a slightly precarious climb down to the wave cut platform.

Having found an old chair, I chilled out while watching a Wilson's Warbler at Bodega Bay.

Big landscapes and big birds (condors) at Big Sur.

Sea arch into the sun at Jenner.

Deserted beach at Bodega Head just prior to dusk.

Route 1 just south of Monterey.

Russian River mouth with piled up driftwood.

Snow covered mountain peaks between Mines Road and San Jose.

Back to British gulling again

It didn't take me long to shift from the Thayer's and Glaucous-winged Gulls of California back to Caspian Gulls. On the tip today there were three of these beasts from the east, all 1st-winters, including a large, well-marked and showy bird that seemed to want to be an albatross at times when long calling, as well as generally just being agressive towards whatever got in its way: -

The other two birds were not quite as showy, and were less well-marked on the scapulars with one bird having much fresher, retained tertials too. There was also this guy, a Herring Gull (potentially a 2nd-winter on bare part colouration) lacking pretty much all of its pigmentation: -

And then, having been watching the Mew Gulls in Golden Gate Park exactly a week ago, closer than usual scruting was given to Common Gulls. Lots of variation in size, structure and moult. Here are a couple of proper retards: -

1st-winter

2nd-winter

Showing well at Golden Gate Park

We decided to go true dude on our final day and headed to Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. No major targets (aside from getting some nice images of Mew Gulls of all ages), just to see a few yanks at close range. The ponds, or at least one of them, was filled with Ring-necked Ducks and American Wigeons as well as a couple of Lesser Scaup - all to within a couple of metres. And they didn't pass the bread test (though the 3 Hooded Mergs on the same pond did).

drake American Wigeon

female American Wigeon

drake Lesser Scaup

drake Ring-necked Duck

Pied-billed Grebe

There were also the obligatory gulls just waiting to be papped, which included four Thayer's and some lovely Mew Gulls: -

juvenile Thayer's Gull

adult Mew Gull

Josh keeping the Western Gulls and hybrids alive

The place is the San Francisco equivalent of Hyde Park, so much so I almost expected Des McKenzie to burst out of the bushes. But he didn't, and nor did anyone else thankfully. It's a great introduction to Pacific coast US birding, and probably best to come here first as opposed to last as - typical of any urban birding - you don't get the biodiversity you get elsewhere. With just a load of common species to show for our casual efforts (Townsend's Warblers, Anna's Hummingbirds and three species of sparrow the highlights), Josh and Lee wanted to take the dudeometer to the next level, so we headed on down to the Golden Gate bridge.

And then there was a nice American Robin on a lawn along the Presidio, and the odd Western Grebe, Black Turnstone and Heermann's Gull by Fort Mason, before Josh navigated our way back through San Francisco to the airport largely based on his knowledge of the city from Grand Theft Auto San Andreas...

American Robin

The last couple of days in California

The last couple of days of my trip to California continued in the same vein, with showy birds in nice light. Friday morning started out in Monterey, where there were similar birds in Laguna Grande Park to the previous day - including the Palm Warbler and loads of Yellow-rumped (predominantly Audubon's Warblers) - but no sign of the American Dipper.

Audubon's Warbler, Monterey 22nd Feb 2013

We headed north from Monterey, and enjoyed a bit of Moss Landing. Loads of showy birds in the harbour area - Clark's and Western Grebes, Brown Pelicans, Heermann's Gulls as well as a few waders such as Hudsonian Whimbrel, Marbled Godwit and the first Semipalmated Plovers and Western Sandpipers of the trip and plenty of Sea Otters too.

Hudsonian Whimbrel, Moss Landing 22nd Feb 2013

Moss Landing holds good numbers of Sea Otters that show extremely well too

The rest of the afternoon was spent doing what I've loved best on this trip, and the primary focus too, which is getting close up looks of properly rare gull species over here in the Britain and Ireland. We'd been tipped off by Alvaro J about a place where you get decent views of Thayer's Gulls in San Jose at Hidden Valley Park, so after the obligatory golden arches stop, we spent an hour or so observing and snapping away; seven Thayer's Gulls present (mainly 2nd-winters) and a perplexing mix of hybrids as always with the Glaucous-winged x Herrings looking uncannily like Thayer's at times.

2nd-winter Thayer's Gull, Hidden Valley Park 22nd Feb 2013 - a slightly structured, retarded individual

We then headed off towards the coast, and the site that we visited on our first afternoon - Venice beach, just north of Half Moon Bay. There were 100s of large gulls present, and in amongst them the usual interesting mix including several Thayer's Gulls, including a third-winter bird (a rare age).

3rd-winter Thayer's Gull - not an age seen regularly by any means. Note the dark markings on the primary coverts, and adult type primary markings including an obvious mirror on P10 and a small mirror on the inner web of P9 and black subterminal mark to P5

1st-winter Glaucous-winged Gull, Venice Beach 22nd Feb 2013

A pretty scenic site too, making a change from all my gull watching on the Thames and rubbish dumps back in England. It also happened that this area was used to film Chasing Mavericks, a film I watched on the plane home earlier today.

Venice Beach, Half Moon Bay

Anyway, more from California on another blog post soon.

Monterey today

Still in Monterey this evening after a bird (and mammal filled) day out and about locally. The sun was shining throughout, and a stroll around the harbour early doors produced a few nice bits. Loads of divers and grebes floating around, as well as a Hooded Merganser amongst the Surf Scoters, and the first good looks of Heermann's Gulls this trip. All to a continual raucous yelping of the Californian Sealions.

Sealions - slothing about in the sun

drake Surf Scoter

Heermann's Gull

Then to a whale watching trip where we quickly hit upon a group of 3 Grey Whales, and that was that. Impressive beasts they were and a species I'd not seen before, but as they chose the inner bay to chill out in, it meant that the punters were happy and we didn't go out any further. However, we did luck out on 3 Ancient Murrelets amongst the copious amounts of Rhinoceros Auklets and Guillemots, while the odd 'Pacific' Fulmar and Kittiwake flew by.

Grey Whales doing a bit of blowing

Back on dry land, after a typically American sized 'small' cup of Clam Chowder we headed a couple of miles north to Laguna Grande Park. There we met another birder who told us about a Palm Warbler, which performed admirably and looked suitably rare, from a European perspective at least, feeding amongst the thickets in somewhat waterthrush-style manner.

Palm Warbler, Laguna Grande Park, Monterey

The real prize here, however, was an overwintering American Dipper; a mega rare bird for Monterey and it showed rather well as it fed in typical fashion along the stream coming off the lake.

American Dipper, Laguna Grande Park, Monterey

The day was rounded off with another short drive to Point Pinos where another vagrant - a Vermilion Flycatcher - was also overwintering. A pretty scraggy first-winter bird; a far cry from the jewel you'd expect. A drake Cinnamon Teal showed well on the small pond and a Surfbird was on the rocks with a small group of Black Turnstones, and we made it back to Fisherman's Wharf just before dark, where the vagrant Black-throated Diver was showing in amongst the Pacifics to round off a thoroughly satisfying day.

Californian goose fest

Yesterday, we were birding inland in California - remarkably like the Lincolnshire/Norfolk fields where the geese hang out. And instead of the Pinkfeet you'd expect, these were replaced by goose flocks of a different colour - a big flock of Snow Geese (2,000+) near Rio Vista and then 20,000+ Ross' Geese at Merced National Wildlife Refuge were proper special despite absolutely appalling weather. Also some intriguing Canada Geese too.

blue morph Snow Goose amongst a load of Ross' Geese

a cloud of Ross' Geese

Nice to see lots of Sandhill Cranes, and some Pacific Whitefronts for the first time - pale, large with tepid pinkish/orange bill and really bright orange legs.

Pacific White-fronted Goose

The whole area was stacked full of birds that, on the other side of the Atlantic, would make your day even in their ones and twos. All nice and close too. American Wigeon, Cinnamon and Green-winged Teals, Ring-necked Ducks and Canvasbacks, Whistling Swan, Killdeer, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Long-billed Dowitcher, Least Sand and Wilson's Snipe and also good to see the fine flank streaking on Hudsonian Dunlins.

Hudsonian Dunlin - showing those fine lines of flank streaking leading off the breast

My real target for the day was Mountain Plover, and we located 16 of these Caspian Plover-style birds in short turf off Sandy Mush Road. This type of habitat was pretty prevalent and birds such as Ferruginous Hawk, Western Meadowlarks, huge flocks of Tricoloured and Red-winged Blackbird, Lark Sparrow and one of these lovely Burrowing Owls.

Just a shame about the weather - the abysmal grey and torrential rain meant it wasn't just the landscape that reminded me of home. Today, however, has made up for it with bright blue skies with snow in the mountains, Californian Condors in dramatic coastal scenery, more gull action and finally our first cracking meal of the trip, in Monterey. More of this sometime soon. 

Rock on

Fresh this morning out on the tip of Bodega Head, it wasn't long before I picked up the Rock Sandpiper amongst a small group of Surfbirds and Black Turnstones. A very rare winter visitor this far south, I was well pleased to see this 'Purple Sand of the Pacific' as it was a new bird for me. Thanks to a bit of ingenuity and guts from JJ, I scrambled down the eroding cliff face to get some proper views as it fed on rockpools just above the crashing waves.

Rock Sandpiper Bodega Head, California 18th Feb 2013

And here is one of the Surfbirds it chose to keep company with: -

So, heading back to the town itself, we were able to quickly locate the overwintering Nashville and Wilson's Warblers, as well as a couple of Orange-crowned and Townsend's Warblers, below Diekmann's Store. Yellow-rumped Warblers were absolutely everywhere - present in their 100s. But, with our eyes firmly fixed on the gull action, only a Swamp Sparrow near Salmon Creek could get in our way before heading off to Lucchesi Park in Petaluma. I'll keep it brief here, but totally mindblowing views of loads of Thayer's Gulls of all ages, lots of other interesting gulls including hybrids, including a real dopy looking Glaucous-winged x Glaucous (my first of this concoction). Just a couple of the 800 or so shots; I'll save some of the others for another time!

presumed juvenile Glaucous-winged x Glaucous Gull

juvenile Thayer's Gull up close and personal

adult Thayer's Gull

presumed adult American Herring x Glaucous-winged Gull

Last hour of light spent at Shollenberger - nice groups of American Avocets, a large flock of distant Canvasbacks, a couple of Cinnamon and Green-winged Teals while numerous Red-winged Blackbirds, White-crowned and Golden-crowned Sparrows present. The day was rounded off with a Dennys, our third night of crap American food.