Cormorant Fishing

 

 

Chris saw a cormorant struggling with a fish that was too large for it. Soon, another came over followed by Mike with the camera.

Back in Jersey: Lake Nelson Birds

Belted Kingfisher


Hooded Mergansers


Cormorant

Ruddy Duck

 

Red Throated Loon

We're back home in New Jersey. Lake Nelson had a few visitors today who are very infrequent: A lone ruddy duck and a lone red-throated loon. Four hooded mergansers arrived. The wind may have blown them off course. Of course, the resident cormorants are still active and the kingfisher also is out.

California Dreaming

 

 

We spent the week before Thanksgiving in Southern California. The best part was visiting our children. We also got some time in for birding. A few of our favorite spots are the Bolsa Chica Wetlands in Huntington Beach and the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary in Irvine. We also went out to Palm Springs and did some birding in the Salton Sea area. We discovered that 30% of the American White Pelicans winter in the Salton Sea.

San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary

Great Blue Heron

Northern Shoveler

Green-winged Teal

Cinnamon Teal

Black Necked Stilt

Thw San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary managed by the Irvine Ranch Water District has an impressive variety of birds.

Roadrunner

 

 

 

More Widgeons

 

 

 

 

These widgeons were on a golf course in the Palm Springs area.

Western Meadowlark

 

 

We saw this Western Meadowlark at the Bolsa Chica Wetlands. He looks quite similar to the eastern meadowlark.

Say's Phoebe from San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary

 

Flicker

 

A Flicker from Big Morongo Canyon.

Hummingbirds from Palm Springs

This is probably too many hummingbird photos, but I couldn't decide which was best.

Bewick's Wren in Palm Desert

 

Verdin from Palm Desert

 

 

Orange House Finch from Palm Springs

 

 

We didn't know house finches can be orange. Males can be orange, yellow or red. The color comes from pigments in the food they eat.

Happy Thanksgiving

Great-horned Owl

 

 

Chris (aka Pocahontas) spotted some owl pellets on a trail. She looked around and spotted this Great-horned Owl. We like photographing birds that barely move.

Female Phainopepla

 

 

The top Phainopepla was from the State Recreation Area at Salton Sea. The bottom one was taken in the Palm Springs area.

Gambel's Quail

 

The Gambel's Quails were plentiful at the Salton Sea NWR, but they are a bit shy and often ran under the bush. We got pictures of this one on top of a bush.

Green Heron

 

He was on a dock at the Salton Sea State Recreation area.

Loggerhead Shrike

 

Juvenile Shoveler

 

We saw four shovelers swimming by (followed by a coot) at the Salton Sea NWR. There were two adults and two juveniles. The adult beak is already large, but in the juvenile, the beak is almost as large as the body.

California Towhee

 

 

We think the eastern Towhee is more striking than the California Towhee.

Wood Duck