Post by Gord on Aug 9, 2024 22:42:32 GMT -8
The boys and I went for an early morning walk at Harrison. It was not hard to get up early as the thunder storm had us all up. This continued at Harrison and we enjoyed seeing some good lightening as well as a nice hello with Ed who had a similar idea this morning.
We hoped the weather change might make for some good birding. It was not too bad. We saw a couple Least Sandpiper and enjoyed seeing them at close range as they didn't seem to mind us and walked right past our feet.
Out on the lake it was quite active and I was happy to have the scope. We got a Red-necked Phalarope, five Horned Grebe and three Bonaparte's Gull quite a ways out. The gulls and phalarope were active and feeding but the grebes were loafing and not diving. Probably resting before continuing west to the coast. We don't have many August records for Horned Grebe but likely this is an annual thing that's easily missed if pausing far from shore like this. There were decent numbers of California Gull with two young Ring-billed Gull mixed in. The usual mix of adult and juvenile but there was one of last year's hatching.
I got a photo of it a few mornings ago
_0247123 by Geordie LaForge, on Flickr
A Great Blue Heron was having great success hunting in the lagoon
_0247231 by Geordie LaForge, on Flickr
From a trip earlier this week, I saw, in addition to several Least Sandpiper, a Baird's and two Semipalmated Sandpiper.
A juvenile Least
_0247180 by Geordie LaForge, on Flickr
An adult
_0247195 by Geordie LaForge, on Flickr
With a Pine Sisken in the background. They sure are small sandpipers!
_0247211 by Geordie LaForge, on Flickr
Semipalmated Sandpiper
_0247140 by Geordie LaForge, on Flickr
_0247136 by Geordie LaForge, on Flickr
This one was taken before the sun came up over the mountains so the white balance is a bit off
_0247101 by Geordie LaForge, on Flickr
We hoped the weather change might make for some good birding. It was not too bad. We saw a couple Least Sandpiper and enjoyed seeing them at close range as they didn't seem to mind us and walked right past our feet.
Out on the lake it was quite active and I was happy to have the scope. We got a Red-necked Phalarope, five Horned Grebe and three Bonaparte's Gull quite a ways out. The gulls and phalarope were active and feeding but the grebes were loafing and not diving. Probably resting before continuing west to the coast. We don't have many August records for Horned Grebe but likely this is an annual thing that's easily missed if pausing far from shore like this. There were decent numbers of California Gull with two young Ring-billed Gull mixed in. The usual mix of adult and juvenile but there was one of last year's hatching.
I got a photo of it a few mornings ago
_0247123 by Geordie LaForge, on FlickrA Great Blue Heron was having great success hunting in the lagoon
_0247231 by Geordie LaForge, on FlickrFrom a trip earlier this week, I saw, in addition to several Least Sandpiper, a Baird's and two Semipalmated Sandpiper.
A juvenile Least
_0247180 by Geordie LaForge, on FlickrAn adult
_0247195 by Geordie LaForge, on FlickrWith a Pine Sisken in the background. They sure are small sandpipers!
_0247211 by Geordie LaForge, on FlickrSemipalmated Sandpiper
_0247140 by Geordie LaForge, on Flickr_0247136 by Geordie LaForge, on FlickrThis one was taken before the sun came up over the mountains so the white balance is a bit off
_0247101 by Geordie LaForge, on Flickr