SueO
Well-known member
After spending most of the morning on BF reminiscing about birds I'd seen, I thought I'd go and look at some birds in real life. It was already after 1:00. I didn't want to go to Bolsa Chica and be with the crowds or traffic noise, so I opted for an almost non-birding walk on the beach. I decided to go to the mouth of the San Gabriel River. Usually not many birds--but I liked the idea of walking barefoot in the sand. Besides, you never know, I did get a lifer there a few years ago while walking with my granddaughter--black oystercatcher. On the way down to the beach, I scanned a small area planted with shrubs and native sages. Mostly House Sparrows and White-crowned Sparrows. Saw an Orange crowned Warbler, an Allen's Hummingbird and American Goldfinch in the mix. A few Western Gulls hung out on the rocks of the jetty that lines the river. A Double-crested Cormorant flew over. At the end of the jetty, a lone Black-bellied Plover hunted. I got to see it so close up. Usually, I see these block-heads at a distance. He was so pretty and such big eyes! More gulls; California, Ring-billed, some I'm not sure about and I left my Sibley's at my daughter's! No Heerman's, which was strange. A lone Willet walked lazily and Brown Pelicans flew low over surfers and breaking waves. A young Western gull was feeding on a skate of some kind. I didn't want to disturb it by getting a closer look. Fifty feet down the beach lay another deceased skate. It's poor little face looked really unhappy. Wonder what caused two, so close, to be dead. I will have to research what they were. On the way back, I saw some Heerman's bathing and drinking at the freshwater 'pond' created by surfers and sandy kids rinsing off. As I walked up, I saw a small, slender bird pump its tail: an American Pipit! I certainly didn't expect that. All in all, a nice hour and a half.
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