Easy Birding The Central Coast

Cathy from Palm Springs was visiting.  We were heading north to have a day of Easy Birding on the Central Coast.  Cathy was hoping for the coolness of fog while I was hoping for a warming sun.  What Mother Nature bestowed upon us was an ideal medium, sun, and wisps of fog with a gentle breeze. What more could one ask for?  Well, maybe a few birds.

First Stop - Estero Bluffs - Blooming female Coyote Brush lined the slightly damp trail.  After a few minutes of walking the brush opened giving us a grand view of Estero Bay.

    

Our first sighting was a female Northern Harrier silently flying, more like gliding, over the brush.  She had a wide search pattern but eventually flew out of sight. Northern Harriers can be fairly easy to identify.  The female is larger than the male.  She is a darkish brown, while he is grey with black wingtips. They both have an obvious white rump.        

On the rocky shoreline was about 30 Sanderlings.  They follow the ebb and flow of the waves, probing the wet sand as they race back and forth.  

Sanderlings breed in High Arctic tundra and fly down to the Central Coast for the winter.  A group of Sanderlings are known as a "grain."  Other birds were Black Turnstones, Black Phoebe, and two Yellow-rumped Warbler.    Next stop Cambria.

Santa Rosa Creek Lagoon - Cambria - We were in birding paradise.  Pied-billed Grebe, Eared Grebe aka, Fluffy Butt, Ruddy Duck, Bufflehead, Mallard, Black Turnstone, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Great Egret, a flock of Ring-billed Gull, and a ""whirligig" of Red-necked Phalarope.   What a treat!  photo by Mike Baird

It is impossible for me to bird the rocky coast without noticing the rocks.  The impressive Cambria Slab Greywacke Sandstone is prevalent from Cambria to San Simeon.  The Tafoni, the holes, in the sandstone are from physical and chemical weathering.  

                                         

Perched on the ancient sandstone - Double-crested Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Brandt's Cormorant, plus juvenile Brandt's and juvenile Double-crested.  (below photo)  I am quite certain the Cormorants are not into geology and had no idea the rocks they were perched on are well over 100 million years old. 

On the light colored rock, were four Black Oystercatcher and one juvenile (below photo).  It was a thrill to see the juvenile, as the Black Oystercatcher's reproductive rate along the Central Coast was tragically poor this year. 

Our last stop was the Sea Pines Golf Course located near Shark Inlet (yes there are sharks in Morro Bay).  If you are not a golfer, the only view of the pond is through wire fencing. 

Feeding on the grass was a gaggle of Canada Goose and a small gaggle of Greater White-fronted Goose.  (The photo was taken through the wire fence.)   The White-fronted Goose has one of the largest ranges of any species of goose in the world.  Now, in comparison, the Canada Goose just travels from golf course to golf course. 

Our last bird of the day was a doozy.  Cathy had just gotten her binoculars focused through the wire fence when she spotted this adorable female Hooded Merganser.  I've heard that many ducks are envious of the female Hooded's stylish hairdo.  There are three species of Merganser in North America.  Hooded is the smallest, about the size of a coot.  Seeing this little beauty was a gift, as only a few winter on the Central Coast.  Needless to say Cathy and I had a fabulous day of birding.

BOB JONES TRAIL - AVILA

Entered the Bob Jones hiking, biking trail near Avila Sewer Plant. I was hoping for Hooded Merganser. From the bridge that crosses the creek saw 4 female and 2 male Hooded Merganser. They were in diving mode. Every time they went under they came up with a small fish.

About half a mile up the creek were 3 Common Goldeneye. The golf course is between the trail and the creek, but once past the golf course, the creek is easy to view. In many areas along the creek the reeds and brush overhanging the creek provide habitat for the Green Heron. I was watching a Goldeneye dive when I saw movement across the creek - a Green Heron was darting around a pile of rocks. Nearby, watching the action, was a female Kingfisher perched on a half submerged tire.

Other birds of note Steller's Jay, Oak Titmouse, and Black-crowned Night-Heron. The Night Heron was perched at the very top of a tall Sycamore (photo). I think she wanted to get away from the busy trail. 2012 is going to be a great year for birding.

BOB JONES TRAIL REVISITED

Saturday, revisited the Bob Jones Trail. The weather was perfect, warmish, clear, no wind. Many walkers and bikers using the trail. I was the only birder that I could see. Saw the usual shrub and ground birds. The Acorn Woodpeckers were busy hiding acorns. They store nuts in individually drilled holes in trees, fence posts, and sign posts. The acorns are jammed in so tight that squirrels cannot pry them out. Some granary trees can have thousands of holes.

Had an excellent view of two handsome male, Hooded Merganser, chased them along the creek, catching glimpses of them between dives. Fortune shined again with a great sighting of a Hermit Thrush (photo). In an apple orchid, that obviously had not been picked, spoiling apples were an attraction to Yellow-rumped Warblers. They were everywhere - too many to count.