Happy shorebird counting day!

I started a new tradition last years for New Year's day where I go and count shorebirds.  I still don't have a scope, but it didn't matter because it was so foggy!  I don't think I could even see a mile even later in the morning.  I went to the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge in the South Bay which includes the mud-flats.  Here is what the fog looked like at 10:30, but it was way worse when I arrived.

Many of the photos were taken through the fog and a couple were taken through fences, hence the "noisy" photos.

First the ducks:

Green-winged teal and short billed dowitcher

Northern Pintail (looks like Snoogie!)

More pintails

Bufflehead

I was pleasantly surprised to see these guys for the first time.  They're surf scoters!  Here are some females:

The only male was not very co-operative:

Now, for the shorebirds, beginning with some stilts seen through the fog and a fence:

Stilt drinking

Short-billed dowitcher

Best picture I could get of a long-billed dowitcher

Dunlin

Bunch of western sandpipers

Willet, eating

Godwits and dowitchers

Godwits and least sandpipers

Long-billed curlew

The next picture shows a godwit and a willet.  These two are best buddies and followed each other everywhere.  Another willet came by to visit, but went away.  If one got too far away, the other would call for it.

There were also brant, eared grebes, several species of gulls and sparrows, too.