Buena Vista Lagoon January

Last Saturday was the bird count at the Buena Vista Lagoon. It was not the best day for birdwatching - a lot of the birds we usually see weren't there - but we still managed to spot fifty species. Below are six views of the lagoon.

There were a few American Coots here and there. Below are two photos of coots (they look the same, but they are two different coots).

American Coot

American Coot

One bird we don't normally see is the Western Bluebird. We saw four in total on Saturday, both males and females. They were going back and forth between telephone lines and a small field across the street from the Nature Center. Below is a female Western Bluebird sitting on a telephone wire.

Western Bluebird

There were many white-crowned sparrows around, hopping through the brush, calling, and singing. They seemed to be everywhere. Below are two photos of them.

White-crowned Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Quite a few House Finches were enjoying the seeds from the sycamore trees. Sycamores seem to be a favorite of finches and warblers. Below is a female House Finch.

House Finch

There were a few Eurasian Collared-Doves around. For some reason, an American Crow started to chase one and continued chasing it for quite a while around the trees. Perhaps it mistook it for a falcon or small hawk, or maybe it was just doing it for fun. Below is a Eurasian Collared-Dove walking on the ground on the trail behind the Nature Center.

Eurasian Collared-Dove

There were many, many blackbirds at the lagoon, both Brewer's and Red-winged. Below are three photos of blackbirds. The first photo is of Brewer's Blackbirds, the second and third are of Red-winged Blackbirds. There's also an American Crow (a black bird) in the second photo.

Brewer's Blackbirds

Red-winged Blackbirds and American Crow

Red-winged Blackbird

There weren't very many Western Gulls at the lagoon; only one or two here and there. Below is one standing on a light post in a parking lot.

Western Gull

There were probably over a hundred California Gulls. They were all swirling up into the air in one very large flock, riding the warm currents. Below are two photos of them.

California Gulls

California Gulls

There were many Anna's and Allen's Hummingbirds flying around. Below is an Anna's Hummingbird sitting on top of a tree.

Anna's Hummingbird

There were a few Mallards at the lagoon. A pair came up rather close to us. They were probably looking for handouts. The female seemed the more confident of the two. She led the way and walked up on the shore. Below are five photos; the first is the male, female, and a coot. The second is the male and the coot after the female swam away. The third is the same female coming up to us. The fourth is the male hiding in the reeds (the female is also partly visible in the photo; she's walking toward him). The fifth is another group of Mallards flying.

Mallards and American Coot

Mallard and American Coot

Mallard

Mallard

Mallards

There were a lot of Yellow-Rumped Warblers around. Hardly any of them sat still for more than a second or two, so I wasn't able to take very many photos. Below is a Yellow-Rumped Warbler.

Yellow-rumped Warbler

We saw hardly any egrets or herons, which was rather disappointing. We did, however, get a very nice view of a Great Blue Heron flying low over the lagoon. It was so low that every time it flapped its wings, its wingtips tapped the water. Below is a photo of it.

Great Blue Heron

There were quite a few Pied-billed Grebes around. There seemed to be a couple at every stop. Below is one of them just before it dove into the water.

Pied-billed Grebe

We saw Red-tailed and Red-shouldered Hawks. Most were pretty far away, but a couple of Red-tailed Hawks few right over us. Below is a photo of one of them.

Red-tailed Hawk

There were a few Orange-crowned Warblers around, hopping through the trees and bushes and singing their trilling song. One did something very unusual. It flew up to a little branch right above me, and sat there for a few seconds; just looking around. Then it flew away. I think that was the longest I've ever seen one sit still. Fortunately, I was able to get my camera out quickly and take a picture. Below is the Orange-crowned Warbler.

Orange-crowned Warbler