Suprise At The Baywood Pier

About 10:00 I started out on my birding walk; as I approached the Baywood Pier there was the usual flock of Western Gulls. A few ducks were feeding in the muck. I wondered if the Blue-winged Teal had arrived. I swung my binoculars into action; the ducks were Mallards. Thinking there might be a Glaucous Gull among the Westerns I check the gulls, and what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a little Cattle Egret, so dear. ( photo) I think it was an adult transitioning out of its breeding colors.

A note about Cattle Egrets. They are an Old World Species, coming to South America from Africa. They reached Calif. in the Mid 1950s. Cattle Egrets are not bay birds. They usually forage in small flocks in association with livestock. It goes without saying, this little Egret made my day.

A Phenominal Week For Birding

About 2 miles east 0n Turri Road, in the area of the windmill and the pea field, birding mania was in full bloom. I believe it all began with the appearance of an Indigo Bunting in the latter part of June (see June 23 blog). Then on July 5th an Eastern Kingbird, rare to our area, was seen. Birders flocked to the site.

In the same clump of Willows, alongside the road where I had first seen the Indigo Bunting, a male (below photo) and female Blue Grosbeak had taken up residence. Two days ago the male sat at the top of the willow singing his melodious song while the female dashed back and forth across the road with insects for her brood, clasped tightly in her beak. Today, the male was singing from a tree across the road and the female was feeding 3, maybe 4 youngsters, that were waiting impatiently in the brush on the edge of the pea field - most delightful to view.

A Lazuli Bunting was feeding along the fence across from the windmill, and the song of an Indigo Bunting could be heard coming from the willows across the field (I hope I have all these names right). Up the road a few yard were several Cassin's Kingbird and a Lark Sparrow. By the old corral a female Bluebird was gathering insects for her nestlings. And perched on barbed wire was a juvenile Cassin's Kingbird fussing for food. Thank you Maggie Smith for use of yourIndigo Bunting and BlueGrosbeak photos.

As of Monday, I had yet to see the Eastern Kingbird. The most success at seeing the bird was early morning or early evening. Yesterday, I set my alarm; at 6:30 I was looking for the Kingbird and there it was sitting on the barbed wire directly across from me. I, per my usual, got a fuzzy photo, but it is proof that I saw the little darling (below photo). He was making his call sound and flying out for insects and back to his perch. Eventually he flew out of sight. I did get caught up in the birding mania and loved every minute of it. Below is a link to a video on my latest birding adventure.
http://youtu.be/fIq4fOVMcEE

RETURNING MIGRANTS

Happy days are here again. This morning, resting along the edge of the bay, were about 300 Willet (photo), 80 or more Black-bellied Plover, and one peep (species undermined).

The Willets were observed from the Audubon Overlook in Baywood (my usual haunt). I have included a video of their sound. http://youtu.be/4FrwjbSX70Y

In mid bay a feeding frenzy was in progress - Brown Pelicans, Cormorants, Gulls, eight Elegant Tern, and two Caspian Tern. I really enjoy the Caspian Tern as they have a harsh guttural sound that makes them easy to identify. Looks like there will be no birding doldrums this summer.

INDIGO BUNTING

For the last few days a handsome Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) has been seen in the area of a glorious pea field about a mile and a half up Turri Rd. from So. Bay Blvd. When looking for a rare bird, the easiest way to find it is to first find the birders. As I rounded a curve in the road, up ahead was a cluster of parked cars and a covey of birders, one with sound recording equipment and a scope. I had arrived.

The Bunting was singing from atop a cluster of willows that was located along the edge of the narrow, two lane road. The scene could not have been more beautiful, for the willows were located in a vast field of flowering peas. Notice, in Maggie Smith's photo, how the subtle color of the peas sets off the deep blue of this precious song bird.


I did a little research and discovered that Indigo Bunting's are actually Black; it is the diffraction of light through their feathers that makes them look blue. It goes without saying that this beautiful Bunting made my day.

(I apologize for the fuzzy pea foto, wrong setting on camera)

AUDUBON BBQ

El Chorro Park - Audubon year end BBQ - Definitely, a happening event with many enthusiastic birders attending. The weather, as you can see by the vivid blue sky, was devine. At 5:00 Mike Stiles, one of the top birders on the Central Coast, lead an hour birdwalk (photo). All he needs to ID a bird is a flick of a feather or a tiny peep.

I was surprised at the variety of beauties we saw. (birds, not birders) Best birds were a pair of highly visible, White-tailed Kites sitting in a tree, and an Ash-throated Flycatcher - most handsome with a perky crest and a long reddish-brown tail. Below is a link to the Ash-throated Flycatcher on Wikipedia (photo by none other than Joyce Cory). Ash-throated Flycatcher - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Great birding, delightful shared food and drink, and splendid comradery. What more could one ask for?

THE SELDOM SEEN GRAY CATBIRD

A few days ago a Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) was observed in willows which are located on Audubon property near Cuesta Inlet in Los Osos, Ca.  As the crow flies, the inlet is across Morro Bay from where the Catbird was last seen (on the south side of Morro Rock) in December 2008.  Needless to say the local birders were all a flutter.

 The Gray Catbird belongs to the Family Mimidae which also includes Mockingbirds and Thrashers - all notable singers, able to mimic other songbirds.

The Catbird, most distinguished, as there is only one species in North America, was playing hide and seek with the birders and photographers.  (photo taken at Morro Rock in 2008).  I never saw the little gray darling, but was able to record its sound.  Much like our local Mockingbirds, the Catbird song is composed of a variety of sounds, including a cat-like meow.  I do not believe I heard a meow, but I could be mistaken.  I have included two YouTube videos - The sounds of the Catbird, and for comparison a neighborhood Mockingbird who does a marvelous imitation of a Scrub Jay.

SWEET SWEET SPRINGS

A few days ago a friend mentioned hearing an unusual bird song in Sweet Springs. (photo - Eucalyptus reflected in pond)  The morning was lovely, partially sunny, with a soft fog over the bay and the distant dunes.  Perfect conditions for checking out the action in Sweet Springs.  Numerous songs could be heard but nothing unusual.  To my delight, observed Willow Flycatcher and Pacific-slope Flycatcher in the Eucalyptus trees.  Had not seen either one of these little darlings for at least a year.  Both the Flycatchers have unusual songs, but they were not singing, just darting about eating insects.

To my added delight a couple of  the resident Common Yellowthroat, one on each side of the pond, were having a song fest.  Recorded a short video of a Yellowthroat song.  In the background may be heard (besides the swoosh of automobiles) Song Sparrow and White-crowned Sparrow.  http://youtu.be/YKgMfhwaKiQ

  

The Juncos were lively - youngsters chasing after parents in hopes of getting a handout. Hmm, sounds familiar. Thank you Sweet Springs.  You never disappoint.