Birding Tuesday

Sweet Springs -  From the East Overlook - Green-winged Teal, Willet, Godwit, Ring-billed Gull, and a large brace of Ruddy Duck with a smattering of Bufflehead.  To the west a smaller brace of Scaup.  Whether they were Greater Scaup or Lesser Scaup, I was unable to determine.  I am working on my Scaup ID skills.

From left to right, Lesser Scaup and Greater Scaup (google photo)  The lesser has a narrower, purplish  head and smaller bill.  The Greater is 1.5 inches larger, has roundish, greenish head, and larger bill.  I am quite convinced some birds intentionally make identification difficult.

The Pond - Watched 20 Blue-winged Teal splash down in the pond. (above)  They immediately began a vigorous, high spirited bath that entailed much splashing and dunking.  Also in the pond, Green-winged Teal, one Pied-bill Grebe, and two pair of Pintail.

The brilliant white breast of the Pintail is most evident when they are resting along the edge of the pond.  Below a male Kingfisher let itself be known as it landed on a branch.  Their distinct call is described as a loud, dry rattle.

West Overlook - Feeding along the edge of the bay, Willet, Godwit, Western Sandpiper, Greater Yellowleg, Great Blue Heron, and two Black-bellied Plover.  Looking up is a must when you want to see a Bald Eagle or an Osprey in Sweet Springs.  Looking up this fine morning produced a magnificent Bald Eagle.  Yeah!

Montaña de Oro - Black Oystercatcher Update - The family of three continue together.  Seeing this precious family warms my heart.  The juvenile, the one with the two tone bill, is feeding in a splash zone.  Oystercatcher photos by Gary O'Neill.

Highlights of The Black Bloy Competition

January 3, 2020 - Montaña de Oro - The day was beautiful, sun warming, sea and sky a quiet azure.  Parking was not a problem as many of the Bloy (acronym for Black Oystercatcher) fans had either hiked, biked, or kayaked into the park.  For those who were unable to attend the events, a podcast will be available online.***

      Highlights of the Competition

Race to Hazard Reef - A paired race - From Islay Point (above photo) to Hazard Reef.  Each Bloy had to collect a food morsel, hold it securely in its bill and and fly back to the starting point.  Food morsels could not be eaten until after the morsels were weighed by the judges.  (many of the athletes could not resist eating their morsels)  The pair with the shortest flight time and the heaviest morsels won the event.  Briana and Bruce Bloy from Rug Rock were the proud winners.  As you can see in the photos they have a close relationship.

Pebble Toss - A precision sport - A pebble is tossed into a slight depression similar to the size of a Bloy nest.  The toss is judged on distance and how close the pebble comes to the center of the depression.  Too strong a toss could cause the pebble to bounce out.  Brandy Bloy from Point Buchon had been practicing her toss all year.  Brandy has a loyal following, as she is an environmental activist on climate change.  If it wasn't for the waves pounding against the rocks, you could have heard a pin drop when she executed her winning, no bounce toss of 12.38 feet.  Although shy, she posed for photographers.

Feeding Pose - Considered a difficult event - Participants had to hold a pose for a considerable period of time.  Since none of the entrants lasted more than three minutes, not much was expected of the last performer.  Brayden (below) the teenage son of Briana and Bruce Bloy astounded the crowd with a time of 9.35 minutes.  Brayden said he owed his success to his parents love and support.

Mussel Relay Race - A timed event - 5 teams of 5 were up for the challenge.  Team members were stationed about every half mile between Islay Point and Coon Creek.  The team member at Islay point began the race by collecting a mussel and flying it to team mate #2.  When the mussel finally reached team mate #6 at Coon Creek the mussel had to be relayed back to #1 at Islay Point.  If the mussel was dropped, the team member had to find a replacement.  The event was chaotic as all 5 teams were racing at the same time.

Team captain Bridget and her mates (below photo) won first place as they were the only team to complete the race with their original bivalve and all their original team mates.  Each Member of the winning team received a portion of the mussel's tasty adductor muscle.  In the above photo Bridget is demonstrating her winning grip.

Moments before the start of the next to the last event, a Marathon Flyathon between point Buchon and Morro Rock, there was an announcement - The competitors would be taking a four hour break to feast on a smorgasbord of delights that had been exposed by a minus tide.

As a consequence of the announcement, the "Black Bloy Competition" was officially placed on hiatus.

Photos by - Gary O'Neill, Mike Baird, J.A. Cory

***This is a work of fiction.  Any resemblance to actual events is entirely coincidental.