October 10, 2004
All quiet on the western front
Today saw me heading out to Point Reyes for the fourth consecutive weekend, this time as part of a merry band of Yolo Audubonites led by Kevin Guse. The sky was blue, and the wind blew away any traces of coastal fog, showing off the spectacular coastal scenery to its full advantage. However, this also meant that birds were very thin on the ground. So, the trip highlights for me were more great views of Great Horned and Barn Owls (could this be the premier location for viewing these species in the US?). We caught this bird enjoying its morning preen.
This pale morph Ferruginous Hawk put on a great show for us, and at one point was subjected to repeated dive-bombing by a Peregrine!
At Drake's Beach this Palm Warbler (only my second ever) was most obliging as it fed along the edge of the willows. Note the distinctive tail pattern in photos 2 and 3.
I had yet another close encounter with a strange arachnid. This individual looked like a garden spider with a toadstool strapped to its back! If anyone knows the name of this species, please let me know.
Looks like an orb-weaver of the genus Araneus. Unfortuanely, there are about 1,500 species in this largest genus of spiders, so you need somebody better at it than me for keying it out.
BTW, in your previous post you witnessed a Black Widow "playing dead". I don't know their acvtual state, but the ones I met (LOTS) in California's Gold Country assumed that posture very often when disturbed. I found them very docile.
Thanks for the great bird photos. I'm "trapped" by circumstances right now and enjoy living vicariously through your pictures.
Posted by: OGeorge at October 14, 2004 12:26 AM