WINTER WATERFOWL

I was leading a bird trip for Pt. Reyes Field Institute in west Marin today.  Today’s magic word was “duck.” 

The tweo photos above show Green-winged Teal, Pintails, American Wigeon, a female Mallard and one Willet with its head underwater. All were on the shore of Bolinas Lagoon. 

Marbled Godwit were one of the abundant shorebirds present around the lagoon. The two ducks in a supporting role are a pair of Green-winged Teal.  The Long-billed Curlew do not form dense flocks like smaller shorebnirds but went about their solitary mud probes. The Anerican Avocets in one flock of about 100 birds were in a feeding frenzy in very shallow water.  No way to tell what they were sieveing from the Bolinas Lagoon.  We also had two loon species, including the usually oceanic Red-throated, five grebe species and large numbers of a handful of shorebird species plus a lone Whimbrel.  We did not get a picture of the possible Iceland Gull on the north side of Bolinas Lagoon.  The Hutton’s Vireos at Five Brooks were relentlessly calling.  See from the car along Highway 1 between Olema and Stinson Beach: Kestrel and possible Loggerhead Shrike.  Total for the day was about 70 species.

Pt. Reyes–Bear Valley Trailhead, Marin, US-CA.  Feb 11, 2012 7:30 AM.17 species.  California Quail (Callipepla californica)  40. Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  5. Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)  6. Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)  1. Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)  2.  Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus)  6.  Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)  1.  Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica)  2. Common Raven (Corvus corax)  2.  American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  20. Varied Thrush (Ixoreus naevius)  15.  European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  45. Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus)  1.  California Towhee (Melozone crissalis)  2. Golden-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla)  12. Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)  30. Brewer’s Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus)  40.   Five Brooks Pond, Marin, US-CA. Feb 11, 2012 9:00 AM. 25 species.   Gadwall (Anas strepera)  2. American Wigeon (Anas americana)  20.

Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris)  30

Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)  2

California Quail (Callipepla californica)  12

Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)  2

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)  12

White-tailed Kite (Elanus leucurus)  2

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)  2

American Coot (Fulica americana)  1

Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypte anna)  1

Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)  1

Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)  2

Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans)  1

Hutton’s Vireo (Vireo huttoni)  2

Steller’s Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri)  2

Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica)  4

Common Raven (Corvus corax)  1

Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula)  1

American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  2

Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus)  1

California Towhee (Melozone crissalis)  4

Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  25

Brewer’s Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus)  30

Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria)  15. Bolinas Lagoon, Marin, US-CA

Feb 11, 2012 10:00 AM.  36 species.   American Wigeon (Anas americana)  1000

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  50

Northern Pintail (Anas acuta)  500

Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca)  800

Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis)  6

Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata)  25

Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)  60

Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)  45

Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis)  150

Red-throated Loon (Gavia stellata)  1

Common Loon (Gavia immer)  1

Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus)  10

Eared Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis)  8

Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis)  5

Clark’s Grebe (Aechmophorus clarkii)  2

Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus)  3

Great Egret (Ardea alba)  15

Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)  25

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)  8

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)  1

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)  2

Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)  2

American Coot (Fulica americana)  50

Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)  120

American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana)  300

Willet (Tringa semipalmata)  400

Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)  1

Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus)  60

Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa)  300

Sanderling (Calidris alba)  75

Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri)  150

Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  200

Western Gull (Larus occidentalis)  70

California Gull (Larus californicus)  30

Common Raven (Corvus corax)  6

Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  1.  Stinson Beach, Marin, US-CA.  Feb 11, 2012 12:15 PM.10 species.  Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)  12

Western Gull (Larus occidentalis)  15

Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens)  2

Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypte anna)  1

Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans)  1

American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)  20

Bewick’s Wren (Thryomanes bewickii)  1

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata)  1

White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys)  25

Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus)  2.