North American Ducks

While in California last year I encounter lot of great North American Ducks.. There was a large movement of Surf Scoters all the way along the Californian coastline.  Lesser Scaup were plentiful near Point Reyes and Buffleheads were almost in every bay and seafront along with Ruddy Duck and Mergansers.  Here are a small selection of some of the ducks I encountered.

 

 Surf Scoters John N Murphy

 

 Lesser Scaups John N Murphy

Buffleheads John N Murphy

Black-necked Stilt

I photographed these Black-necked Stilts at the Andree Clark Bird Refuge on the south side of Santa Barbara, California last November. I have seen many in my past visits to the US, but never got close enough for decent shots.  The American Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus, used to be treated as a race of Black-winged Stilt but is now usually regarded as a separate species. They are so similar to European Black-winged Stilts?

 

Black-necked Stilts, Santa Barbara, California John N Murphy

Waterbirds California

Here are a selection of water birds from California in November 2104.

American Wigeon, Salmon Creek, Bodega John N Murphy

Pied-billed Grebe Point Reyes John N Murphy

 Western Grebe, Bodega Bay John N Murphy

 American Coot Santa Barabara John N Murphy

 Red-breasted Merganser, Bodega Bay John N Murphy

 White Pelicans at Bodega Bay John N Murphy

Royal & Elegant Terns

Most of the beaches I visited in California had Royal and Elegant Terns.

Royal Tern John N Murphy

Royal & Elegant Terns John N Murphy

Elegant Terns John N Murphy

Royal & Elegant Terns John N Murphy

 

Western Bluebird

Western Bluebird was one of the 16 new species I saw on my trip to California last November.  I was amazed how striking they were and how plentiful from lowlands along the west coast to high pine trees in Yosemite National park.  These shots are no great and but more record images rather than decent photos.  Also below are a selection of other passerines I saw during the trip.

 

 Western Bluebirds near Point Reyes John N Murphy

 Song Sparrow John N Murphy

 

 Orange-crowned Sparrow John N Murphy

Pacific Dark-eyed Junco John N Murphy

 Red-winged Blackbirds John N Murphy

American Robin John N Murphy
 

 

Anna's Hummingbird

Anna’s Hummingbirds are common along the Californian west coast.  I photographed this young male in the grounds of our hotel at Bodega Bay last November.  They hover deftly and zip from flower to flower. In the first half of the 20th century, the Anna's Hummingbird bred only in northern Baja California and southern California. The planting of exotic flowering trees provided nectar and nesting sites, and allowed the hummingbird to greatly expand its breeding range northwards. They are at their most splendid when performing their wild courtship dives. A male flies as high as 130 feet in the air and then plummets toward the ground (and the watching female), where he lets loose a unique short high-pitched noise made by air whipping through his tail feathers. As courtship progresses, the male chases a receptive female, who leads him toward her nest site, and perches again. The male then performs a “shuttle display,” where he swings back and forth about a foot above the female, keeping his body horizontal and his head down toward the female, often singing an intense song. When males are not feeding or performing, they often sit fairly high in a bush or small tree, noisily chattering. Males and females do not form pairs, and both sexes likely mate with more than one individual per season. Only the females care for the young.

Anna's Hummingbird John N Murphy

Spotted Sandpiper

This Spotted Sandpiper was photographed in Santa Barbara in November 2014.

Spotted Sandpiper John N Murphy