Fall Adventures

No doubt about it, it was hot and still summer in Napa but migration had begun. It seems to me that the shorebirds are usually the first to get going at this time of the year and in late August reports began to appear of Baird's Sandpipers in several locations in the Bay Area. Thus far this species has eluded me so when they were found at Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline I went to look for them. They were well described in both look and location so were easy to find and I enjoyed a good 10 minute photo session with them.

Baird's Sandpiper

A few days later another species I have been hoping to see, the Northern Waterthrush made an appearance at a local park in the Eastbay. This park is really an urban creek corridor and has turned up some interesting birds. My friend Jeff had seen this bird there the day before I tried for it so I had an idea where to look. Most of the sightings had come from a few hundred yards further west than Jeff's so I spent an hour checking all of the locations out with no luck. I had given up and was walking back along the creek and I stopped at Jeff's spot for a few more minutes and low and behold out he popped. Bold eye stripe, streaking on the breast and doing a bob like a dipper. I only got to see him for about 10 seconds and then he was back into cover but I was super excited that I finally got to add him to my list. 

In mid September I had a chance to fly out to Montana to visit one of my oldest college friends Brian Kelly and do some trout fishing. I had not fished in some time and we had the most enjoyable time together. We caught some really nice fish and enjoyed the waning Montana summer.

Montana Rainbow

In late September, as summer began its slow retreat for the year, we spent a few days enjoying the glories of the Mendocino coast.  Taking our kayaks with us we spent a day exploring the Big River whose mouth is just south of the town of Mendocino. Our 7+ mile paddle took us into a beautiful riparian ecosystem.  Along the way we were accompanied by cormorants, kingfishers, herons and egrets along the water, and the usual resident passerines in the trees. Even though we had to work a little bit against the wind on our return it was a glorious day out.

Big River

On our last day in Mendocino (Oct. 1) I joined a pelagic trip out of Noyo harbor in Ft. Bragg. I had joined this trip three years ago and then the pandemic interfered during the last 2 years. It was fun to renew previous acquaintances and this time I was prepared for the sea with a scopolamine patch under my right ear. Hopes were high for the expected birds but with the ocean temperatures higher than normal some rarities were a distinct possibility. We were unfortunately engulfed in fog or clouds for most of the day and were not treated to any significant rarities. We did see Pink-footed, Sooty, and Buller's Shearwaters. Ashy and Fork-tailed Storm Petrels. Pomarine, Parasitic, and Long-tailed Jaegers (the Long-tailed was my one new bird on the day). Also present were Black-footed Albatros, Cassin's and Rhinoceros Auklet, South Polar Skua, and Northern Fulmar. Fun to be out there, fun to not be seasick, I am looking forward to a spring trip with this group.

Ft. Bragg Pelagic

As mid September rolled around Jeff came up to bird the Napa-Sonoma marshes with me. We put together a good checklist of shorebirds, gulls, terns and other residents of this unique marsh environment. The long conversion of salt evaporation pond back into natural coastal marsh continues here. This process has been fascinating to watch and gives one hope that nature, with a little help from us, can reclaim what is rightfully hers. Watching over this scene was none other than a wise old owl.

Great-horned Owl

Last year when Danette and I visited the Olympic Peninsula we had hoped to cross to Victoria to visit the famous Butchart Gardens, however Canada was not allowing Americans to enter their country so we had to put off that visit. This fall we planned to rectify that with a trip up to Vancouver Island to see the gardens and to play the tourist in Victoria. We spent a wonderful four days there and really enjoyed this incredibly beautiful place. I was able to slip away to the Victoria Airport to see the resident Eurasian Skylarks to add another species to my list but the best part of the bird show was whatever chanced to fly by our lovely accommodation right on the water in Saanichton. Loons, grebes, guillemots, geese, scoters and eagles all gave us a nod in passing.

Bald Eagle

So far this had been a successful fall with four new species to add to my life list but fate was not yet done with me. I usually pay pretty close attention to the rare bird alerts that pass through my email inbox and on October 18 they started to light up with news of a rare European warbler that only had been seen a couple of other times in the new world. This Willow Warbler was delighting crowds of birders at the western end of Rodeo Lagoon in the Marin Headlands and I did not want to miss it. This is one of the best things about retirement for me, I did not have to wait for the weekend to make the chase. I told Danette about the bird and she shooed me out the door to go find it. It's always fun to arrive at a spot where a rarity is putting on a show. All you need to do is to look for the huge camera rigs and spotting scopes and look where they are pointed. I literally pulled up, parked, opened my truck door, grabbed my binos, and there it was. I spent some time with the crowd following it as it forged in the brush and managed a few reasonable photos (nothing like what those giant lenses where getting though).

Willow Warbler

My final October adventure in the field took place in Bakersfield while visiting my mother-in-law. Over the years I have visited a spring in a clump of trees along Breckenridge Road which is an old stage road from Bakersfield heading east into the mountains. At this spot I have usually found Long-eared Owls. However, the last two times I have checked they have been absent. I made a quick dash up the hill to check and low and behold, there was one back in the trees. Nice to know that they still use this spot.

Long-eared Owl on Breckenridge Road

All-in-all it was a successful fall with five new species for my life list. 

1. Baird's Sandpiper
2. Northern Waterthrush
3. Long-tailed Jaeger
4. Eurasian Skylark
5. Willow Warbler

That brings my North American ABA total to 549 species. I don't know that I will make it to 700 but it seems like it is worth a try.