Coastal birding

I haven’t been to the coast since the start of the year, so I decided to risk the weather and headed out to Pigeon Point, arriving at 10:30, along with a rain squall. Fortunately it ended in about 5 minutes, after which the sun more or less came out. It was — blustery — with a strong sustained wind coming out of the north and heavy chop and a lot of white caps in the ocean out to the horizon. Visibility to the horizon was good.

Because of the wind, it wasn’t very birdy. I was there for about 45 minutes (aka “until I couldn’t feel my fingers any more”), and there were only four significant flocks of birds that moved north; three were flocks of Brants (25, 35 and 40, give or take a couple) and one was a flock of about 40 surf scoters. Everything else I saw were individuals or groups of 2-3. birds that stayed local included the guilllemots and a couple of pelagic cormorants that fished out near the surf line. Everything else was fighting the winds heading north except for the occasional daredevil gull heading south on the wind. I left around 11:15 just as another squall moved in. One western grebe was seen briefly beyond the surf line in the water. Most of the northward birds were inside the surf line and very low to the water to avoid the winds. Out to the horizon was clear viewing of — water. Effectively no activity that I could see out there. I did potentially see one whale breach, but I couldn’t get a scope on it and didn’t see it a second time.

At pescadero, I stopped for a few minutes, the rocks had a few unhappy gulls and fewer unhappy cormorants. It was windy enough I had trouble getting a good enough look to see what kind. Along the sandy beach, though, were some black turnstones and sanderlings as well as one snowy plover, that got flushed by a wave as soon as I saw it and flew off and wasn’t seen again.

My final stop was Fitzgerald marine, where (if possible) it was even windier. The bushes were empty — whatever small birds were in the area, they weren’t just hunkered down, they were hanging on for dear life. Out on the rocks and in the water was, well, pretty much nothing. The rock to the north that normally has cormorants had a few, and one double-crested flew north past me cursing under its breath. Out on the reef from the viewpoint at the bench I saw two harbor seals pulled out on the rocks. Next to one were a pair of black oystercatchers, next to the other was a duck-like bird facing with its butt to me and refusing to cooperate. It finally did raise its head — and it was a red-breasted merganser. It then proceeded to tuck and go back to sleep and refused to stand for pictures.

All in all, not the best day to be doing a seawatch, but still better than not birding, right?

Location:     Pigeon Point
Observation date:     3/22/09
Number of species:     16

Brant (Black)     125
Mallard     2
Surf Scoter     40
Red-throated Loon     5
Western Grebe     1
Brandt’s Cormorant     4
Double-crested Cormorant     2
Pelagic Cormorant     3
Northern Harrier     1
Black Oystercatcher     1
gull sp.     X
Common Murre     2
Pigeon Guillemot     5
European Starling     X
Song Sparrow     1
Red-winged Blackbird     X

Location:     pescadero rock
Observation date:     3/22/09
Number of species:     7

Brandt’s Cormorant     X
Double-crested Cormorant     X
Snowy Plover     1
Black Oystercatcher     2
Black Turnstone     4
Sanderling     8
gull sp.     X

Location:     Fitzgerald Marine Reserve
Observation date:     3/22/09
Number of species:     7

Red-breasted Merganser     1
Double-crested Cormorant     X
Black Oystercatcher     2
Black Turnstone     2
gull sp.     X
Common Raven     2
Song Sparrow     1

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