San Luis National Wildlife Refuge

October 18, 2015

I took Pongo to San Luis National Wildlife Refuge yesterday.  It's been a while since I've taken him on an adventure.  We were in for a few surprises.

Northern Shoveler -- San Luis National Wildlife Refuge, CA

We always start with the drive around the avian sanctuary.  It's already been flooded.  The early arrivals are already there.  Northern shovelers mostly, with a few coots and mallards thrown into the mix.  I was expecting dry fields, so that was a nice surprise.

Sandhill Crane -- San Luis National Wildlife Refuge, CA

I wasn't too surprised to see shovelers.  They're generally the first to arrive.  I wasn't expecting sandhill cranes.  Maybe they're early arrivers too, I'm not as familiar with them.  I was happy to see 'em, though.

Sandhill Crane -- San Luis National Wildlife Refuge, CA

White Pelican -- San Luis National Wildlife Refuge, CA

If you can't tell from the pictures, the light as pretty bad.  It was dark, the sun was stuck all afternoon behind a group of dark clouds.

Tule Elk -- San Luis National Wildlife Refuge, CA

The bachelors were hanging out together in the elk refuge.  Poor guys.  Better luck next year.

Tule Elk -- San Luis National Wildlife Refuge, CA

Tule Elk -- San Luis National Wildlife Refuge, CA

San Luis National Wildlife Refuge, CA

Alameda / Martin Luther King, Jr. Regional Shoreline

Just a few odds and ends from around the neighborhood over the last month or two.  Nothing too exciting, just some birds and things.

Ring-billed Gull -- Martin Luther King, Jr. Regional Shoreline, CA

San Francisco, CA

USS Hornet, Alameda, CA

American White Pelican -- Martin Luther King, Jr. Regional Shoreline, CA

American White Pelican -- Martin Luther King, Jr. Regional Shoreline, CA

Martin Luther King, Jr. Regional Shoreline, CA

Great Blue Heron -- Martin Luther King, Jr. Regional Shoreline, CA

Marin Headlands & Lake Merritt

March 23, 2014

I didn't have the opportunity for a big adventure this weekend.  I was able to get away for a few hours, though, so I headed over to Marin to visit Rodeo Lagoon.

Rodeo Beach, CA

I read that there are often a lot of birds on the lagoon.  Not so, at least not when I got there.  There were a few canada geese and mallards.  A common merganser made an appearance at one point.  I saw a few surf scoters out on the ocean, but they were too far out to photograph.  So, I just spent a little time relaxing on the beach.  I watched the surfers.  The waves were big and they seemed to be having a great time out there.

Great Blue Heron -- Rodeo Lagoon, CA

I decided to stop at Lake Merritt on my way home.  I was in the mood for getting some bird pictures and Rodeo Lagoon had proven to be something of a disappointment in that regard.  It was a lovely day at the beach, mind you.  I just wanted more birds.

Hank -- Lake Merritt, Oakland, CA

Hank was there, of course.  He's a white pelican from Klamath Falls, OR.  He was injured up there a few years ago and sent down to the lake to live.  I wasn't aware of this until recently, but Lake Merritt is the oldest wildlife reserve in the country.  The folks there take good care of him, feeding him fish, which you can witness first-hand if you're lucky.  I get the impression Hank is pretty happy, all things considered.

Greater Scaup -- Lake Merritt, Oakland, CA

Lesser Scaup

I've gotten better at telling greater scaups and lesser scaups apart.  Greater scaups always look angry.  Lesser scaups usually look either a little dopey or "cool" in an Arthur Fonzerelli kind of way.  Simple, right?

Black-crowned Night Heron -- Lake Merritt, Oakland, CA

Eared Grebe

A horned grebe and an eared grebe were sporting breeding plumage out on the lake.  They'll be heading off North soon, I suppose, along with most of the other waterfowl.  Not Hank, of course, he can't fly.

 Lake Merritt, Oakland, CA