Snow Accumulating on Canada Geese

 

 

We are back in New Jersey after visiting our children in California. We also visited a few bird watching areas in Southern California. We did see a few Canada geese when we were there. However, we had to come back to New Jersey to see a lake with ice on it and snow accumulating on the Canada Geese. Perhaps it's a good day to have a down blanket.

Reddish Egret from Bolsa Chica

 

We took several photos of this unusual heron at Bolsa Chica Wetlands. When we got back, we identified it as a reddish egret, a fairly rare egret that has been spotted there.

Eared Grebe from Bolsa Chica

 

Here's a photo of an eared grebe. They have similar coloring to the western grebe but are about half the size. They are great underwater swimmers- quickly covering almost 100 feet in a single dive.

Sandbar at San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary: Pelicans and Cormorants

Pelicans and Cormorants sharing a sandbar at San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary. While we were taking this, a bobcat walked by us with a duck its in mouth. We were too surprised to get any pictures, except one of the bushes that it walked under.

A Pretty Finch

 

Green-winged Teal from San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary

 

Chris saw this photo of a Green-winged Teal on the computer and couldn't believe we didn't post it. Well, we took over 2000 pictures in 2 days so we didn't post them all. If you could hear her rave, you would know why we are posting it now- such a handsome duck.

Shore Birds from SoCal

Spotted Sandpiper

Long-Billed Curlew

Long-Billed Curlew

American Avocet

Greater Yellowlegs

Happy Thanksgiving

 

Lesser Scaup

 

 

Photos of Lesser Scaups from Bolsa Chica Wetlands in Huntington Beach, CA.

Great Egret

 

 

Photos of Great Egrets from Bolsa Chica

Northern Shovelers

 

 

 

 

Northern Shovelers at San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary

Redheaded Ducks

 

It took us a while to identify this duck with a red head. It turns out that it is called a Redheaded Duck. Here is a handsome male with two females from Bolsa Chica Wetlands.

Black-headed Grosbeak

 

This Black-headed Grosbeak could use a pedicure.

Western Kingbird

 

Photo of a Western Kingbird from San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary.

Red-Breasted Mergansers

 

 

We saw a few red-breasted mergansers at Bolsa Chica. There were many more females (top) than males. The red-breasted mergansers are about the same size as the common mergansers and much larger than the hooded mergansers.

Gadwall

 

Gadwall from San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary

Ruddy Ducks

Ruddy Ducks at Bolsa Chica

American Coot

 

Maybe it's the 70 degree weather and sunshine, but this coot photo from Huntington Beach came out better than the one on Lake Nelson.

Black Pheobe

 

Black Pheobe from San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary in Irvine

American Widgeon

 

 

 

American Widgeons from Bolsa Chica.

Surf Scooter at Bolsa Chica Wetlands

 

 

 

Chris spotted the male (top) and female Surf Scooters when they were on the other side of the bay. They joined up with some scaups and came close enough for Mike to get a few photos.

Female Bufflehead at Bolsa Chica Wetlands

Here is a photo of a female bufflehead. Isn't she a cutie?

Cormorants at Bolsa Chica Wetlands

 

 

Many cormormants were out yesterday morning fishing in the bay.

Cinnamon Teals at San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary

 

 

Here are some photos of Cinnamon Teals.

Anna's Hummingbird from Bolsa Chica Wetlands

We like this hummingbird photo better than the one we took yesterday.

Snowy Egret having breakfast at Bolsa Chica Wetlands

 

 

 

 

We were lucky to get these photos of a snowy egret eating a fish.

Kingfisher at Bolsa Chica Wetlands

 

California Brown Pelicans Fishing in Bolsa Chico Bay

 

 

At sunrise, the pelicans are very active at Bolsa Chica Wetlands. There is a footbridge that crosses the bay and the pelicans dive for fish splashing the photographers on the bridge.