August 24, 2007
Last day birding
My last day of California birding, like so many others before, was due to start at 6am with Joan, though I managed to sleep through my alarm and we didn't get going until closer to 7. Both yellowlegs and a MacGillivray's Warbler at North Pond were highlights, and bumping into Steve Hampton for a chat saved us birding his local patch. Over at Woodland wastewater treatment ponds, the Peregrine was still on duty.
Masses of shorebirds continued, with roosting Long-billed Dowitchers forming doughnut shapes on the exposed mud.
Among them I was pleased to pick out my first juvenile Short-billed Dowitcher of the fall.
Note those diagnostic tiger-striped tertials.
A mixed flock of Avocets and phalaropes was feeding in the shallows.
I made a short digiscoped movie of a Wilson's Phalarope taking exception to a nearby Red-necked.
Sadly, we found a few casualties of collisions with the overhead wires. It was, however, interesting to see a Red-necked Phalarope close-up. I was impressed with its coot-like lobed feet for swimming.
A size comparison with a dead Western Sandpiper.
In the evening a bunch of birders assembled for a farewell trip around the City of Davis Wetlands and the Yolo Wildlife Area. In addition to enjoying the multitude of dowitchers, pelicans, ibis and gulls bathed in the evening light, Sami spotted this crowd-pleasing Virginia Rail peeping out from the cat-tails.
We rounded off my stay with a trip to Dos Coyotes Mexican restaurant for beer and burritos. Thanks to everyone who came along for a great send-off!
And now to the 'vital statistics'. Over the whole trip I recorded 204 bird species, including 3 life birds (Horned Puffin, Dusky Grouse and Himalayan Snowcock), bringing my ABA area list to 580, the puffin took my California list to 414, and Collared Dove, Roadrunner and Franklin's Gull on my first morning pushed my Yolo County list up to 255. Mammals proved to be an unexpected highlight - I recorded 35 species including two new ones (Porcupine and Mountain Goat). You can read the full trip list here:
Much as I loved my bird-fest of a vacation in California, the 6am starts and late nights must have taken their toll - after the long flight back to France I slept for a solid 12 hours and took another 2-hour siesta this afternoon!
Posted by rjhall at August 24, 2007 9:09 PM