Birds

I’m going to have to get up on identifying birds–there almost seem to be more around here this time of the year than during the summer.

These guys, of course, are no mystery.  The reason I thought it worth posting them is that they seem to be flocking around where a couple of creeks come out to the ocean.  I haven’t been able to figure out why, though I assume it has to do with food.  I can’t figure out what the actual food is, though.  (You may have to click on the pictures to see them big enough to see the actual birds.)  They mostly stay on the ground–in the second picture they are flying because I let CJ flush them.

The rest of the pics are from a local former logging pond that has been turned over to the county for a county park.  They’ve shut the park down for the winter–I don’t know why, but I’ve sorta been ignoring that and walking out there anyway.  In fact, it makes it better walking for me, because I can let CJ off leash and count on not encountering anyone else (though I do see fresh tracks from other people out there, so I’m not the only one still walking out there.)

Anyway, the pond seems to be a major winter stopping place for water birds.  (I’m wondering if that’s why they closed the park.  If so–there’s no sign to that effect.)  I know what some of them are, but others were new to me.  (Thanks to my sister Terri for helping me ID various of the following, including this one.)  For instance:

That one may be an American Wigeon.  I’m not totally sure, because my camera, especially in the dim light of cloudy days, isn’t capturing color all that well. But that’s my best guess.

A couple more that were new to me.  This one I think is a Northern Shoveler:

And the next, Buffleheads (I love that name 🙂 ).  I wish I had a clearer picture of them,  but they seemed a bit more shy than some of the others and stayed further out.  My hands aren’t steady enough to get really good pics when the camera is zoomed, unless I can brace it on something.

Now for birds I was already familiar with.  Mallards:

The mallards are actually more johnny-come-latelys; I saw them for the first time only on my most recent walk out there.

A juvenile cormorant (this one took awhile to identify, but I think between me, Terri, and her partner, we do have it right):

A bunch of Canada geese (I got a lot pics I like of them, so am including several).  In the first two, a goose is perched up on a post, with a bunch of other birds in the water around them; in the first mostly coots, but I can’t tell what they are in the second.

These next two are the money shots, I think, especially the second:

The next one is pretty cool too–a blue heron.  I assume, anyway.  The first two shots are very similar, but I couldn’t choose between them, so am including both.

Here are a couple of longer shots, to give a better idea of what the pond actually looks like:

I wanted to include a couple of  video clips, but I’d have to do a paid upgrade to do it.  Which I’d do, except then I have to pay every year.   Which I’m not quite ready to do yet.  Maybe someday, if I start blogging more.  Or wanting to post a video a lot.