For the First Time in Forever

    December 7th, a Sunday morning where I found myself biking to the Palo Alto Baylands to do some birding. Unlike the vast majority of my trips, however, for this one I had planned to go with two very knowledgeable local humans: Will Brooks (whom I had "met" once before on the pelagic trip) and Rachel Rothberg. It was a great day filled with many interesting conversations, mooching off a Swarovski scope, and, of course, birds.

    We had planned to arrive at 8 am but due to my poor ability to estimate traveling time by bike, I arrived twenty minutes early. Oops. However, no amount of time spent in nature is time wasted and I immediately went to work poking around for anything interesting. 

Western Gull

Morning ducks with the usual Green-winged Teals and Northern Shovelers

    Will and Rachel then arrived and we headed down the trail by the airport. It was a lovely day, with a gentle mist rising and moist ground from the recent rains. We first tried to find the overwintering Swamp Sparrow, but unlike during 11/28, where it cooperatively posed around 10 feet away, giving me amazing looks (of course I didn't have my camera), today the bird decided to not show up or vocalize. Bummer, but the marsh was still filled with activity. Numerous Ridgway's Rails called and the adorable whinnying of a Sora was heard a few times. Neither of these cryptic birds were seen though.

Juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron at the channel edge. If only all birds could be this cooperative.

Dew on spiderwebs

I love song sparrows with their cute looks and beautiful patterning. I believe this is the Alameda subspecies (M. melodia pusillula), both because it is the default one found in South Bay saltmarshes and from the apparent yellowish wash on the flanks.

    Following reaching the San Francisquito Creek delta, we turned back, walking by the mud flats and Duck Pond towards Byxbee Park. 

Canvasback exhibiting great flexibility.

Actual very socially-acceptable conversation that occurred: 

Will: "I wish we could go further into the water treatment plant to get better looks at the gulls."           Rachel and me (synchronously): "Yeah"

Those red eyes are quite stunning.

Lone Semipalmated Plover. During my 11/28 trip mentioned earlier, I saw at least 60 of these birds on this mudflat, a fairly high number for the area. Interesting how this individual shows what looks like an extensive white rump.

One of the many photogenic pigeons by Duck Pond.

The stunning iridescence is always a nice sight.

Our closest star. It was interesting how the fog was present at 8, burned off in the morning sun, then began to return at 9:30 ish.

There were plenty of interesting fungi growing in the area, growth spurred by the moisture. This beautiful speckled ink cap of some sort (Coprinellus flocculosus?) was amazing. 

As was this bizarre wonder. Looks like Coprinus / Coprinopsis sp. Mushrooms are so much fun.

Such intricacies in a small organism. Nature never fails to impress.

Psilocybe cyanescens I think or probs some other Psilocybe sp. The genus name comes from the fact that many of these 'shrooms contain psychedelic compounds like Psilocin.

Partially leucistic Canada Goose. Unfortunately the goose flock at Byxbee Park did not yield any other species.

Nomophila nearctica - the lucerne moth

Dowitcher flock that flew overhead as we crossed a hill in Byxbee Park

Really orange House Finch.

The Fab Hummingbird Model

Make 'em wait for it, then...

BAM

    At this point, it was almost 11 and I had agreed with my parents that I would go back at 10. Oops, again. So I bid farewell to Will and Rachel and rushed away on my bike. And that was the 7th of December in a nutshell. It was a pleasure birding with others around my age from the area and I look forward to the next opportunity! Until next time, enjoy life and love nature!

Assorted Past Musings Part 1

    Happy Throwback Thursday! Here are some long overdue reports from the late summer after I returned from New York up to the end of my summer break. Enjoy!

July 29th: Just a short trip to Salt Pond A2E and back. My first trip after returning from the Huyck Program.

Some bee fly species. Perhaps Paravilla sp.? The alkali heath around Salt Pond A2E is surprisingly rich in insect life. 

Common buckeye in the pickleweed

Behold, North America's smallest butterfly and one of the smallest in the world, the humble Western pygmy-blue. It seems that this lovely species really loves this area as I have seen numbers of probably at least 100 in this small area of salt vegetation.

Probable Enchoria sp.? Pretty little geometrid moth.

Parasitoid wasp on the prowl.

Haha can't identify these for my life... So many species...

Common checkered-skipper.

Another Western pygmy-blue. I love this butterfly so much! My best pictures came from last year at around the same time when one was cooperative enough for me to take a phone picture.

Good to finally see a monarch in this county for this year. This beloved butterfly is going through severe population declines. Hopefully this one passes down its genes.

Charismatic great egret in breeding plumage.

Oops missed.

Forster's tern

Sleeping barn swallow. Look at that eyelid!

Gulp. Sequence of Great Egret eating what looks like a staghorn sculpin, in which case, the caption could also be "ouch" as that fish species has spines on its gill opercula which open and impede swallowing. The bird did dip its catch in the water several times, so perhaps that made it easier to swallow. I wonder how these fish got into Shoreline Lake. I mean, who stocks native bay fish into a recreational water body?

August 6th: Following the SECOND rain we had this year in the summer, I went on a standard bike trip to Alviso. Shorebird migration was going well, with a large diversity of those species seen. Overall a very lovely day.

Lovely crepuscular rays

Invasive Mediterranean white snails becoming active after the precipitation. Normally during the summer these mollusks aestivate, often covering dead vegetation with their white shells.

Photogenic double-crested cormorant at Salt Pond A4.

Such a lovely bird.

Some of the many passing Wilson's phalaropes at Alviso.

Common raven.

Lesser yellowlegs

Comparison shot of red-necked (top) and Wilsons' phalaropes. Fairly early for the red-neckeds but they were starting to come in.

Lovely Wilson's phalarope. Even in basic plumage this species is beautiful.

Red-necked phalarope feeding on land with a least sandpiper. 

Cooperative least sandpiper at New Chicago Marsh.

Great blue heron contemplating its existence.

Great Egret looking towards its uncertain future.

Not sure what this green heron was thinking of though.

Lovely native yellow Orange Sulphur nectaring on invasive yellow star thistle.

August 13th: Another regular bike trip to Alviso for migrants.

Morning shorebirds at Charleston Slough.

Calm reflective waters...

Egret and night heron party at A1

California least tern, an endangered subspecies. This adorable bird stages at A2E before continuing on its southbound migration. Too bad I couldn't get nicer photos...

Salt Pond A3W in pretty spectacular lighting.

Peregrine falcons at Sunnyvale WPCP

Audubon's cottontail by Pond A12.

Seriously such an adorable bunny.

Black tern going into basic plumage. My first spotting of this lovely species this year.

Another cool wasp I cannot identify. Looks like a Trypoxylon sp but again, not sure. Alviso has a surprisingly high diversity of curious hymenopterans.

Flyover of a shorebird mix as I biked back from A11.

California ground squirrel

Possibly stuck. What a cutie.

Downy woodpecker gorging on pistache fruit at Sunnyvale Baylands

Dancing anise swallowtails also at the Sunnyvale Baylands.

August 17th: The last day. Went on a short trip to A2E and back. Because of suboptimal lighting, no good pictures were taken. Nothing out of the ordinary seen but a nice, relaxing way to end summer vacation.

Surf scoter holding onto a mussel it just dove for. The large beak of this species is needed to tackle such large food.

Feeding frenzy at Pond A2W.

A lovely flock of American white pelicans.

    Well that was a long post. For all of you readers, expect a similar one of these posts soon. Until then, enjoy life and love nature!