The Great Backyard Bird Count Day 1

Today is the first day of the 2015 Great Backyard Bird Count. And, of course, I timed it to go with my monthly bird count at Lake Murray. Unfortunately, many species decided not to come out today. It was also extremely warm and dry out, too.  Most of the usual suspects were out and about.

Here are a few photos I took. I didn't take too many and half of these are of domestic birds:

Northern shovelers (all male)

American wigeon (all male)

This next one is of that domestic duck across the lake whom I haven't named.

The two Babbas, domestic geese:

And, I threw in this picture of a gopher trying to get some greens, lol. (he wasn't counted)

I also saw some horned grebes and a couple of western bluebirds, too. Conspicuously absent were scrub jays, Say's phoebe and swallows.

Bigboi and white pelicans

Today at Lake Murray, there were four white pelicans staying close to shore or flying around.  I wonder what they were looking for.

Bigboi and Puff were, once again, on the lawn chasing the girls.

Here is a video of them "chatting me up" and the goose vocalizing:

I also saw some shovelers grooming.

That female above didn't like me looking at her, so she swam out towards the male:

Crazy killdeer baths and a few duck pictures

It looks like Miracle and her little family were in store for a bath today.  I think I saw two young killdeer, Miracle, and maybe Killer Junior whose leg might have gotten better.  They're missing one of the babies.

Here's how you take a bath if you are a killdeer:

Start with at least one killdeer:

Miracle

Step into the water and get wet all over, using your bill to get water to the skin in places where you want it to be:

Make sure you bounce so that you make big circles:

Once you get out of the water, make sure you thoroughly spread oil all over your feathers, even if you have to turn your head upside down:

Be sure to get those hard to reach areas near the base of the tail:

Make sure you fluff up and shake all the water off.  And, voila!  You're have just finished a bath!

Nearby, a shoveler was feeding (with a coot):

I also saw Pepper today.  I wonder if his wing hurts and it twitches a lot:

He was with his brother and "cousin duck".  Just like old times:

A female black phoebe was catching flies:

There she goes!

Near Pepper was the vulture brigade.  There was a dead coot there and they have almost finished with it when I saw them.  They even eat the feathers:

A few photos and "Scoop" the sick duck

Northern Shovelers

This California thrasher is a long time resident at Lake Murray, but he's very shy of me.  It even upsets him if I walk by sometimes.  But, today, he, at least let me take a nice photo of him before flying off.

The sick duck is still alive and is slightly better.  I named him "Scoop" for his scoop-like bill.  However, he lets me get way too close before moving away, so I think he really feels miserable.  I think he's been sick for a month now, but I don't remember his crop being this big until about ten days ago.  I am still waiting and seeing if he will get better since he's had it so long.  I have a general rule that if the animal is eating, drinking, and moving around OK, I wait and see.  The exception is open wounds with heavy bleeding or infection, or broken bones that have broken through the skin.

He is trying to push his crop down and groom his chest in this photo.  It also looks like he might have a little ascites in this picture, which would mean he has an overall digestive issue or could have a fluid problem.

Also, it looks like, indeed, the little call duck has fallen victim to the coyotes.  I took this photo a few weeks ago when he was looking better after being sick for a while.  But, before he died, I did noticed he was hunching over again a little.  So, he may not have been strong or alert enough to fly away.

Big Daddy and a few other birds at Lake Murray

Big Daddy this year

Big Daddy is at his peak of redness and seems to get redder every year.  Here is a photo from last December:

A couple days ago, I did a bird count and found a bunch of shovelers:

For those who think I don't know what a yellow-rumped warbler looks like, here is a first year female.  Most of the ones we get here are Audubon's warblers.  I haven't seen any Myrtle warblers here:

And, I threw in a few white pelicans:

Lots of killdeer and a pelican

Killdeer at sunrise

Lots of killdeer around today, hanging around in Cooper's hawk territory.  I think I counted nine or ten of them including Squeak:

Squeak

And Miracle (I think that's Killer Jr. in the background):

Three other killdeer.  I think one might be Killer and the others might be the offspring of the "Beautiful Dad":

This one looks like George III:

Fred, the greater yellowlegs, has finally found the killdeers and is happy now:

Unfortunately, the feeling doesn't seem to be mutual on the killdeer's end:

A white pelican visited Lake Murray today, but he didn't seem to be very hungry and looked to be not feeling too good.  I think he might just be tired and needed to rest:

I'm not 100% sure, but I think the faded mallard drake might be one of Indy's brothers:

These might be Indy's other siblings, but no sign of Indy anywhere:

This is the first northern shoveler I've seen at the lake so far this year.  The scaups are starting to come in, too.  But, the only gadwall's I've seen, so far,  are the ones that are at the lake all year-round.

Curlews and other birds at Famosa Slough

The migrating shorebirds and ducks are coming in.  I saw this long-billed curlew there:

He was very itchy:

This willet was itchy, too:

Quite a few stilts, including a couple juveniles.  Perhaps the juveniles are from the nest I observed a month or so ago:

Marbled godwit:

Short-billed dowitchers, looks like two juveniles in this photo:

More dowitchers:

Least sandpipers:

Northern shovelers, blue-winged teal and stilts:

And, a whimbrel: