A day at the San Diego Salt Works.

Once a month, docents from the San Diego Audubon Society lead a tour of the San Diego Salt Works area that is usually closed off to the public.

When we arrived, we were greeted by killdeer, but I couldn't get any photos of them because people ahead of me caused them to move too far away.  But, we did find a whole bunch of gulls and grebes at first.  Also, there was a peregrine and the remains of many, many dead birds, mostly eared grebes, but also a cormorant, gulls, a few ducks, and a black-necked stilt.  There were also coon and dog prints around.

One of the first friendly birds we saw was an least sandpiper.  Later, though, we saw several dozen flying around.  Only a few western sandpipers were present.

Also, hundreds of Belding's savanna sparrows:

And, there was an American pipit there, too:

And, we saw some Clark's and western grebes:

This willet was very curious:

There was an Eurasian wigeon among the brant, but I don't think I got a photo of him.  

Also, a rare winter Caspian tern among the juvenile gulls:

Our guide said this was a glaucous-wing crossed with a western gull, juvenile:

We saw several royal terns and a few Forster's terns, too:

A friendly female northern shoveler who seemed to expect us to give her food:

Black-necked stilt:

Marbled godwit:

Here are more shots of the salt ponds:

Other birds seen include lots and lots of eared grebes, a horned grebe, kestrel, osprey, brant, dunlin, ruddy and black turnstones, blue-winged teal, northern pintail and American avocets.

Counting Day

Today was my monthly counting day at Lake Murray.  I saw some new types of birds today.

One bird I saw was a canvasback.  I think it's been years since I've seen one there.

I saw this hummingbird acting very different than all the Anna's hummingbirds in the area.  Instead of singing and fighting, she basically scolded everyone and chirped aggressively.  I thought maybe it was a Costa's as they are seen from time to time in the area, so I took a photo to make sure.  But, when I got home, I noticed that the undersides were a pale orange.  I think it's a calliope hummingbird, but it's a little too big.  It's possibly a Allen's or rufous hummingbird.

Here are the last of the gadwalls this year.

Coot fight!

Pepper ran up to me as soon as I called him and posed for his picture.

Quacker was standing on an overturned boat at the dock, but was nowhere to be seen later on.

I found 15 vultures all around where I last saw Spoonface (Bossy).  I think they just like that spot and weren't there because anything was dead.

Where is Spoonface?

I didn't take many photos today, but I am beginning to worry about Spoonface (Bossy).  I haven't seen him in almost a week.  If he could fly, I would feel better.  He has gone missing before, I hope he shows up again.

Today's photos include a couple of shy wigeons:

And, a snowy egret, close up.

Missing duck found alive!

Not long ago, I wrote about a duck that I hadn't seen in a while and I presumed she was dead.  It was the duck with the wing that drags along the ground.  Well, today, she was found alive and well.

Also, just about everyone else was seen doing well today except Spoonface (Bossy), but he was last seen on the move, so he might be MIA for a while.  Also, I don't think I saw Curly today, but that's not unusual.  He's seen when he wants to be seen.

Quacker has been acting weird, lately, more feral and less friendly.  I feel sad because she was once one of the most friendly, talkative duck there.  Now, she will only come up to people when they have food.  I can't even get a good photo of her anymore because she's either swimming away from me, or she's in a bad light.

Pepper was seen, resting on one leg:

Big Daddy, whom I also found out is also called Cinnamon, is doing well, too.  Here he is with a girlfriend:

This wigeon was very lonely and calling for another wigeon.  I think it might be the friendly juvenile now all grown up and in his adult feathers:

I saw this gull with a weird-looking bill.  I think it's a juvenile California gull:

I did see the other young western gull flying around.  No more sounds of baby gulls begging since that one got taken in to Project Wildlife.

And, finally, I saw Jill.  She's doing well, but hasn't chosen a new partner, yet.

Baby gull is sick

The big juvenile western gull at Lake Murray was found mostly paralyzed and weak this morning.  A worker moved him aside and I checked on him after two hours.  He was still in the same spot, not moving.  But, if you tried to touch him, he was ready and willing to bite.

Karen, who works for the water department, donated some money and he was taken to Project Wildlife for care.  Botulism or a bacterial infection may be the cause as it is not uncommon with birds who eat crustaceans.  

I am not a huge fan of gulls because they eat small birds, baby birds, and eggs, but they deserve to live like anything else does and they are only trying to survive.  I'm sure the animals don't like a lot of things that people do, too.

Also seen today were the herons on their nest.  There was a third heron nearby, but I think it was one of last year's offspring.  It didn't seem to have a mate.  Last year, there were two pairs, but one pair lost their eggs/chicks very early. 

I saw this black-crowned night heron in a tree, trying to sleep.

Somebody complained about the osprey nest being an eyesore because they never use it.  While they don't raise chicks in the nest, they do like to use it for resting and eating.

These lesser scaup were really friendly.  Usually, when they first arrive at the lake, they're very scared of everything and don't approach the shoreline.  However, about this time of year, they are more relaxed and will come up to get food or a closer look.

Male

Female

Pepper was seen today with a big hole in his chest.  He's been a bad boy and picking fights, lately.  He's still in love with his mom, too.

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.