tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69619141054677552872024-03-27T16:53:43.474-07:00The Speckled HatchbackDorian Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15916335753403783947noreply@blogger.comBlogger218125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6961914105467755287.post-74876665968083577172023-10-30T09:13:00.000-07:002023-10-30T09:13:04.585-07:00Post #217 - MY BOOK IS FINALLY FINISHED AND AVAILABLE!!!<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I'm sorry to have let this blog lapse -- bird guiding is requiring increasing time each year -- but I figure it's worth posting a few words about my new book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Birding-Under-Influence-Cycling-Recovery/dp/1645022234" target="_blank">Birding Under the Influence: Cycling Across America in Search of Birds and Recovery</a>. Primarily the story of my 18,000-mile, bird-motivated bicycle trip around the lower 48 states, the adventure narrative is also an honest look at the alcoholism and substance abuse which preceded my departure. Beyond the birds I seek, I write about the people I meet along the road, the incredible array of landscapes I experience, and the overdue introspection which thousands of solitary hours permitted. Rather than rehash the entire story, I'll point you <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Birding-Under-Influence-Cycling-Recovery/dp/1645022234">here</a> to read more about and buy the book. <br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">You can also check out my new website, <a href="http://www.doriananderson.com">www.doriananderson.com</a></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCnrpBPNeIgAWmCMrRpWP0X5e8H9BHjuCuwvqFAADjthaXfIBjuDUZGd7yX5baZwEDi0RVCH9pohtnaDDx7Dlby6N9ERxLCAZaKHyYgEgU57I9Yl3dZIP0dDoK2KcTRKyXGTvLiZBW2EADarLP9eFriA_PHPNmZvIVLoALg8tzx_pDM-1Zc2r_y4Id-ZM/s1500/71HDx+p+HtL._SL1500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCnrpBPNeIgAWmCMrRpWP0X5e8H9BHjuCuwvqFAADjthaXfIBjuDUZGd7yX5baZwEDi0RVCH9pohtnaDDx7Dlby6N9ERxLCAZaKHyYgEgU57I9Yl3dZIP0dDoK2KcTRKyXGTvLiZBW2EADarLP9eFriA_PHPNmZvIVLoALg8tzx_pDM-1Zc2r_y4Id-ZM/w426-h640/71HDx+p+HtL._SL1500_.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-size: medium;">And since I'm still doing a lot of photography, here are a few recent clicks!</span><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTakqqqjkjMFSmEZ9pBIgEdAGe4J_8t9ZLDi_2d0Z-3nLNzJZWd3SBQMWfGpfMFC9YdPz2udIVtPCPVjIqv8UsX487Ce9Mh47PC-ZqHOlPkVPc1OHREuLgpXUG49l7HQyctb4OMQnqEo8lNtpjR5som17u8gOyabVHHL-CKyNjW1nICNHkYE6OfwzjXtU/s1600/little%20blue%20heron%20tall%20splash%20011123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTakqqqjkjMFSmEZ9pBIgEdAGe4J_8t9ZLDi_2d0Z-3nLNzJZWd3SBQMWfGpfMFC9YdPz2udIVtPCPVjIqv8UsX487Ce9Mh47PC-ZqHOlPkVPc1OHREuLgpXUG49l7HQyctb4OMQnqEo8lNtpjR5som17u8gOyabVHHL-CKyNjW1nICNHkYE6OfwzjXtU/w640-h426/little%20blue%20heron%20tall%20splash%20011123.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyYO7CNGqKhjjdTOeO-95lm-6S6Z3KnXaOVDShjRCXsI6UL1ZpQnxft18ST4HmnUgrt9PvIHsLpTa7bMXmnhjOQasVPRguVI8BTmCNmbdNDUPEM9Q7OWnNQEyeFuHxKjwI_p9Px7Bh3zctjcpSP-o1YZOpY0u2cdh2y9yAVnlYquq4qSMilfROT071G2w/s1600/capped%20wheatear%20flowers%20singing%20083123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyYO7CNGqKhjjdTOeO-95lm-6S6Z3KnXaOVDShjRCXsI6UL1ZpQnxft18ST4HmnUgrt9PvIHsLpTa7bMXmnhjOQasVPRguVI8BTmCNmbdNDUPEM9Q7OWnNQEyeFuHxKjwI_p9Px7Bh3zctjcpSP-o1YZOpY0u2cdh2y9yAVnlYquq4qSMilfROT071G2w/w640-h426/capped%20wheatear%20flowers%20singing%20083123.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0DNQjdMG6xuDiGSs5uA2DQs5ca5FRVodM1vUjng6hhelnuaNEfKv3ZZnwpIZZhCLEqncHVjzilZM58MEPY1XHMvX4BT5GpRjcLJ7KUjXp2YKVog2VpbH16aXOcPHchl1xgSfcv-u7jV8NVd3jk6qHHKINAGEcxMX-2wF1xqIxqURxKu1CBkzzc4Nol_A/s1600/yellow-headed%20blackbird%20flight%20062023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0DNQjdMG6xuDiGSs5uA2DQs5ca5FRVodM1vUjng6hhelnuaNEfKv3ZZnwpIZZhCLEqncHVjzilZM58MEPY1XHMvX4BT5GpRjcLJ7KUjXp2YKVog2VpbH16aXOcPHchl1xgSfcv-u7jV8NVd3jk6qHHKINAGEcxMX-2wF1xqIxqURxKu1CBkzzc4Nol_A/w640-h426/yellow-headed%20blackbird%20flight%20062023.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjyipFa7NL5TzNV_IqTVk882Qq1Pbk8WacFJUIBJG-I0wNTef6nR846qYjRRRhyNACP7KItTFMrZJljmgJ9hYGNRaAE444OsyIQ7mrntepqKC4En2c0Yiw9d1mtOo5H3wbPoJpTRUyeQ-o3QU0UvWTVE8WLXGyjSg9HYew_EPsB7oYReYpE1whAtB4TlE/s900/sunset%20tree%20082323.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjyipFa7NL5TzNV_IqTVk882Qq1Pbk8WacFJUIBJG-I0wNTef6nR846qYjRRRhyNACP7KItTFMrZJljmgJ9hYGNRaAE444OsyIQ7mrntepqKC4En2c0Yiw9d1mtOo5H3wbPoJpTRUyeQ-o3QU0UvWTVE8WLXGyjSg9HYew_EPsB7oYReYpE1whAtB4TlE/w512-h640/sunset%20tree%20082323.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Dorian Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15916335753403783947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6961914105467755287.post-47406816366471741172022-06-20T15:20:00.001-07:002022-06-20T15:20:11.197-07:00Post # 216 - Warblers in the House!<p><span style="font-size: medium;">The transcontinental crazyiness continues!!! I was in Asheville, North Carolina when I posted on May 4, and I've since visited Kentucky, Ohio, and Michigan while guiding for <a href="https://www.tropicalbirding.com/" target="_blank">Tropical Birding</a> and Tennessee, Indiana, and Illinois as part of my <a href="https://atailoftwositters.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">pet-sitting adventure</a>. I've been fortunate to see a lot of migrating songbirds along my spring arc, and I'll use this post to share a bunch of recent warbler frames. Songbirds are the weakest part of my portfolio (shorebirds are the strongest), so it's great to grow my collection with new species!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">First up is an obliging Protonotary Warbler which I found in Meeman-Shelby State Forest just outside of Memphis, Tennessee. A couple cycles of audio lured this curious individual into a fallen tree, and I was able to capture a couple frames as the bird bounced around the trunk and branches. <br /></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Prothonotary Warbler - <i>Protonotaria citrea</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Canon 600mm f/4 IS II + 1.4x III on EOS R5</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">1/500 at f/5.6, ISO 12500<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgErlSTnnLCecaMZXcF62m0iNpNYXTltvomJ42K5sMJFpzwZmCmKh5dpybA9rUPQLtAE-p5LWucUB6bFJbow2GCnCeQtQPeQ7olQvOUeQj1ZKOuChnEaZPyTbNl5idmCeJRg6lhdPYUpdoxDuQ0nx88tZwoJal9LqbjeKW4qFURH_66eei6nP3zUpeC/s1199/prothonotary%20warbler%20log%20043022.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1199" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgErlSTnnLCecaMZXcF62m0iNpNYXTltvomJ42K5sMJFpzwZmCmKh5dpybA9rUPQLtAE-p5LWucUB6bFJbow2GCnCeQtQPeQ7olQvOUeQj1ZKOuChnEaZPyTbNl5idmCeJRg6lhdPYUpdoxDuQ0nx88tZwoJal9LqbjeKW4qFURH_66eei6nP3zUpeC/w640-h428/prothonotary%20warbler%20log%20043022.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I'm even happier with this next frame because of the unique foliage/setting. Sandpipers, herons, and ducks are some of my favorite subjects, but their wide open and watery surrounds don't change much from place to place. In those instances, I really need the lighting to imbue the frame with color, mood, and character. However, that's not the case when shooting in forest as every perch and setting is unique. I mean, c'mon, how cool is this fallen log with the vines wrapped around it? I would have loved to have the green sprig in focus, but that wasn't gonna happen with so little light under the canopy (and the bird only posed for a second).</span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Prothonotary Warbler - <i>Protonotaria citrea</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Canon 600mm f/4 IS II + 1.4x III on EOS R5</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">1/500 at f/5.6, ISO 2000<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQnizuu8vmhxcwXpdzwQ-V1hIZngsg5SWS4rfBUg7V_Db0xp0SO9DVyf3ncqvQMVMxG9zyFr_RR5Xlh-j7mfZ-Zl5R_v_EjMw7opMlYyKmtmXs3Dxzmm9t06rkEvPQQR0saFZtqiFwboI21JuhYbs_AlXsRyBaXHheA745I8znasCrF6trKKm9Y7c/s1200/prothonotary%20warbler%20vines%20wide%20043022.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQnizuu8vmhxcwXpdzwQ-V1hIZngsg5SWS4rfBUg7V_Db0xp0SO9DVyf3ncqvQMVMxG9zyFr_RR5Xlh-j7mfZ-Zl5R_v_EjMw7opMlYyKmtmXs3Dxzmm9t06rkEvPQQR0saFZtqiFwboI21JuhYbs_AlXsRyBaXHheA745I8znasCrF6trKKm9Y7c/w640-h426/prothonotary%20warbler%20vines%20wide%20043022.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;">Since the above image was nearly full-frame, I had the pixels/resolution to extract the below image from it. I really like the negative space above the bird, especially with his gaze tilted in that direction. I think this would make a cool magazine cover.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Same frame/settings as above</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZfGNz_vAs_pTjmi8fFS4XBGoYBw9b5MNwWI7Iw3MUj7S4mv3hR4PRnI4dh7kshlsS2ELnWsIq0LXqc48mxz-1Y-3LMwWGIk-tqTwGrl6BxNpWPbP9td-cqFuByojcHVxL5oJ4RHp-csjUSpDLMgfyOFKjjGCaDnrMY26ATMt4QHBRh4t90Zi6G-B1/s900/prothonotary%20warbler%20vines%20tight%20043022.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZfGNz_vAs_pTjmi8fFS4XBGoYBw9b5MNwWI7Iw3MUj7S4mv3hR4PRnI4dh7kshlsS2ELnWsIq0LXqc48mxz-1Y-3LMwWGIk-tqTwGrl6BxNpWPbP9td-cqFuByojcHVxL5oJ4RHp-csjUSpDLMgfyOFKjjGCaDnrMY26ATMt4QHBRh4t90Zi6G-B1/w512-h640/prothonotary%20warbler%20vines%20tight%20043022.jpg" width="512" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />OK, let's move to Kentucky where I found this Swainson's Warbler at Red River Gorge outside Lexington. This species is very shy and shifty, so I'm stoked with these results! The shot with the dark background was dumb luck. The bird landed on a lit perch in front of a shaded hillside, and I darkening the shadows a bit in post in post to accentuate the spotlight effect. <br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Swainson's Warbler - <i>Limnothlypis swainsonii</i><br /></span><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Canon 600mm f/4 IS II + 1.4x III on EOS R5</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">1/500 at f/5.6, ISO 1600</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI0S85cl3UMTIqqWKxVqVj99PhMtCywTlkAP1mfgHmQ_tYdSijYW0Jvzks0hUzRseoq41kuhc2A9cGG1ETKYC94chzyAT-ESsNwIutusVCyeI6z3NFRhaB4egwk42VpHUzwCgGUhHLhJLbeVwkOCWQ0y_kgPatP1EGcMTor8wuCApMvV81iTGOTqxk/s900/swainson's%20warbler%20vertical%2005082.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI0S85cl3UMTIqqWKxVqVj99PhMtCywTlkAP1mfgHmQ_tYdSijYW0Jvzks0hUzRseoq41kuhc2A9cGG1ETKYC94chzyAT-ESsNwIutusVCyeI6z3NFRhaB4egwk42VpHUzwCgGUhHLhJLbeVwkOCWQ0y_kgPatP1EGcMTor8wuCApMvV81iTGOTqxk/w512-h640/swainson's%20warbler%20vertical%2005082.jpg" width="512" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Swainson's Warbler - <i>Limnothlypis swainsonii</i><br /></span><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Canon 600mm f/4 IS II + 1.4x III on EOS R5</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">1/500 at f/5.6, ISO 1600<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipfw7Hlm2v1HA-WJPjA1tNyzZ0OZjcK3nCUFIBZnK0AOaidQKT1UxREubdw6mQgPgDmwst3NKcaXLOPTRWAUxX6NHs9IE2xUI4sABTMIXkq9C85-ekXfNlttPK1TuRTE7TdRcU2XfcHlMlMtTYgmG4NKFli-fK2YeriwVqiCl10srhtPYhzOHzobsc/s1200/swainson's%20warbler%20dark%20050822.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipfw7Hlm2v1HA-WJPjA1tNyzZ0OZjcK3nCUFIBZnK0AOaidQKT1UxREubdw6mQgPgDmwst3NKcaXLOPTRWAUxX6NHs9IE2xUI4sABTMIXkq9C85-ekXfNlttPK1TuRTE7TdRcU2XfcHlMlMtTYgmG4NKFli-fK2YeriwVqiCl10srhtPYhzOHzobsc/w640-h426/swainson's%20warbler%20dark%20050822.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Swainson's Warbler - <i>Limnothlypis swainsonii</i><br /></span><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Canon 600mm f/4 IS II + 1.4x III on EOS R5</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">1/500 at f/5.6, ISO 1600<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgozccsgHehpQeaXVX7DdxYBgZkZjjfgy4LGTY-2X1WTL9ZlHCwik0KOTT0IJ_t2Wyi2AjaJuAcZGdjkf0ROpSqHFsFGg-9V0-JXDLud0TiUsTg4WSgchueli6y3fP6eg1BjT7nBNvwmuvbpOQrpdPteGTe7a_thc9GBkwV-oX6s7n9j5RmfCxVr2bp/s900/swainson's%20warbler%20singing%20050822.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgozccsgHehpQeaXVX7DdxYBgZkZjjfgy4LGTY-2X1WTL9ZlHCwik0KOTT0IJ_t2Wyi2AjaJuAcZGdjkf0ROpSqHFsFGg-9V0-JXDLud0TiUsTg4WSgchueli6y3fP6eg1BjT7nBNvwmuvbpOQrpdPteGTe7a_thc9GBkwV-oX6s7n9j5RmfCxVr2bp/w512-h640/swainson's%20warbler%20singing%20050822.jpg" width="512" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I'l leave you with this Blue-winged Warbler which materialized fifty feet from the Swainson's Warbler. I had no idea what this frame would like like since I had to shoot through multiple layers of leaves, but I am super happy with the result because it's different from everything in my collection. I think it's a natural representation of how we see spring warblers: feeding and buried in foliage. Fortunately, there was a window to see into this beautiful bird's world.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Blue-winged Warbler - <i>Vermivora cyanoptera</i><br /></span><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Canon 600mm f/4 IS II + 1.4x III on EOS R5</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">1/1250 at f/6.3, ISO 2500<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-9twFWp2G0WgrKXae8kEkdDi8Qr8-l_8jUY14ZyBqUWfrIbkOdiafhw9CwEbUwNqX2EKLOAKguhT65jOSx_N4-KJCA8A2ZYfHMGFhk_hPX-WwH8Wkb9NmvuMJCoJHJPV2czetD-qxV4J8JhOQKDgonQ9RFiO7bTZbMgPFvg2PpiH0m5L22L8v612f/s1199/blue-winged%20warbler%20050822-DeNoiseAI-standard.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1199" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-9twFWp2G0WgrKXae8kEkdDi8Qr8-l_8jUY14ZyBqUWfrIbkOdiafhw9CwEbUwNqX2EKLOAKguhT65jOSx_N4-KJCA8A2ZYfHMGFhk_hPX-WwH8Wkb9NmvuMJCoJHJPV2czetD-qxV4J8JhOQKDgonQ9RFiO7bTZbMgPFvg2PpiH0m5L22L8v612f/w640-h428/blue-winged%20warbler%20050822-DeNoiseAI-standard.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">That's it for now. I'm currently in Philly visiting my family but head to Canada to lead a Nova Scotia and Newfoundland Tour on the 27th. After that I go to Denver for a week of dog-sitting before traveling to South Africa and Namibia for 6 weeks. Yes, you read that right 6 weeks!!! But more on that next time. Cheers!</span></div></div></div>Dorian Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15916335753403783947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6961914105467755287.post-9743006610707490762022-05-30T09:57:00.000-07:002022-05-30T09:57:25.002-07:00Post #215 - A morning with Greater Prairie-Chickens in Colorado<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Spring has been a whirlwind with <a href="https://www.tropicalbirding.com/" target="_blank">Tropical Birding</a>! I guided an 11-day <a href="https://www.tropicalbirding.com/northamericacoloradochasinchickens" target="_blank">Chasing Chickens loop</a> through Colorado and Kansas April 6-16, flew directly to Texas where I lead a 5-day <a href="https://www.tropicalbirding.com/northamericatexashighislandshort" target="_blank">Upper Coast Migration trip</a> from April 17-21, and finished the season with an 12-day haul through Kentucky, Ohio, and Michigan on our <a href="https://www.tropicalbirding.com/northamericathemidwestwarblertour" target="_blank">Warbler Tour</a> from May 8-19. With five weeks of downtime before I head to <a href="https://www.tropicalbirding.com/northamericanewfoundlandbirdingwithacamera" target="_blank">Newfoundland and Nova Scotia</a> June 28-July 9, I'm going to try crank out a few bog entries. Here we go...</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I don't take many pictures on tour because I'm busy spotting and identifying birds for clients, but the stars aligned in Colorado, when we visited a Greater Prairie-Chicken lek outside Wray. My clients were content to sit the van on that frigid morning, so I exited the vehicle and slowly belly-crawled towards the birds. I reached a small rise 10 yards beyond the van, hunkered down, and waited. The males started displaying, and I had incredible views when the sun rose forty-five minutes later. I took ~1,200 photos across the next hour, and I'll use this post to present my favorites. After the lek slowed down and I crawled back to the van, the clients said they had as much fun watching me as they did the birds. They all thought I was crazy for lying on the frozen ground for nearly two hours, but that what it often takes!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">This first frame was captured just as the sun cracked the eastern horizon behind me; that's why it has such a strong pink/orange hue. The window to preserve this beautiful cast on any given morning is really narrow, so I was stoked this displaying male wandered into photo range at the magic moment. Besides minimizing disturbance to the birds, getting into position in the dark guaranteed that I'd be able to utilize this amazing light.<br /></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Canon 600mm f/4 IS II + 1.4x III on EOS R5</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">1/1000 at f/5.6, ISO 2500</span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9j_6maU-fwrkBotnfMFXvLzBS5l2fF3JjvhobYLVl7rDA1Bo0p6JfsAB2a4SoL18RNugXmq7cpqdVkdPNEEhTA-INiNdr5TNcTxqNPSx-v0l5KouerFt2-8lJIBaXDipgHFMd5UYpx3iEb4AGIld6qsK5TQSzWJO6rai12bdhYsxS3qdTsAbLOBcM/s1199/greater%20prairie-chicken%20display%20041222.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1199" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9j_6maU-fwrkBotnfMFXvLzBS5l2fF3JjvhobYLVl7rDA1Bo0p6JfsAB2a4SoL18RNugXmq7cpqdVkdPNEEhTA-INiNdr5TNcTxqNPSx-v0l5KouerFt2-8lJIBaXDipgHFMd5UYpx3iEb4AGIld6qsK5TQSzWJO6rai12bdhYsxS3qdTsAbLOBcM/w640-h428/greater%20prairie-chicken%20display%20041222.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><p></p><span style="font-size: medium;">This next frame shows the same bird, albeit a few minutes later, when he wandered closer to me to confront an approaching rival. I'm a huge fan of close-cropped portraits because they reveal feather detail so I couldn't have asked for more from this guy, the cluck at the other male rendering this frame full of personality.<br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Canon 600mm f/4 IS II + 1.4x III on EOS R5</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">1/1000 at f/5.6, ISO 2500</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgujEuVfILcQSR_OBpRiHzT4dfIDQuYtMgXQ6h086_EsL7m9mSB0cRq1tsw_pbUSP3k8a4sVwTOfeZVaDDBOv61v6GIh20LBV-KkHILrLr2TxKRNYAOWMc7-1YMvJL62zBcssSIena7hW-esrW7ozYfKxJoX83sFERRB_3KqgvXb9GdhuhFtNeObAt5/s900/greater%20prairie-chicken%20head%20041422.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgujEuVfILcQSR_OBpRiHzT4dfIDQuYtMgXQ6h086_EsL7m9mSB0cRq1tsw_pbUSP3k8a4sVwTOfeZVaDDBOv61v6GIh20LBV-KkHILrLr2TxKRNYAOWMc7-1YMvJL62zBcssSIena7hW-esrW7ozYfKxJoX83sFERRB_3KqgvXb9GdhuhFtNeObAt5/w512-h640/greater%20prairie-chicken%20head%20041422.jpg" width="512" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The first two shots don't show much habitat, so I present this third to offer more context. You can see how wide open the landscape is, and you'll note the drifting husks because this lek abutted a cornfield I think it's a nice contrast to the tighter crops.<br /><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Canon 600mm f/4 IS II + 1.4x III on EOS R5</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">1/2000 at f/5.6, ISO 1600</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAaRwWJ0PgmcvIivdJivhjBV6kl4LGMTR0UVp5NEit7nprerpFy41mCeNQEccgns_2p3aJb1E2YZbSJPe9BMS40VrvSt_eJUS1PURnbv_s-IuM3VLOqWM-bcB_iuC_Ia7WVQjqOQB19xH08R8NIImSND4RhlptPhuizlpJxGTTY_JNDXDH1xgnAPzW/s1199/greater%20prairie-chicken%20habitat%20041422.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1199" height="429" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAaRwWJ0PgmcvIivdJivhjBV6kl4LGMTR0UVp5NEit7nprerpFy41mCeNQEccgns_2p3aJb1E2YZbSJPe9BMS40VrvSt_eJUS1PURnbv_s-IuM3VLOqWM-bcB_iuC_Ia7WVQjqOQB19xH08R8NIImSND4RhlptPhuizlpJxGTTY_JNDXDH1xgnAPzW/w640-h429/greater%20prairie-chicken%20habitat%20041422.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />This fourth frame shows a different male. The sun is higher than in the first frame -- hence less orange/pink tones -- and I like this one as a color-neutral complement to it. I also like that both display tufts are visible in this shot. The pattern on the far/right one is really pretty. Notice how my shutter speed and ISO decreases as the sun rises (and thereby lends more light). In this instance I had sufficient light to stop down to f/7.1 (from f/5.6) to get more depth-of-field and critical detail across the bird's body.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Canon 600mm f/4 IS II + 1.4x III on EOS R5</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">1/3200 at f/7.1, ISO 1000<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8G-S6qhlv2u0_GLoE8rZBDI6EKWT8I38hTMsvvUouxd-cFUpqtd5ZH5nQZVlLmN_k8WIp-zcqVYsLy3SQwcgaNToc0EYF57QKS3Jxac7pJ-WLSN29CGB4S_PXbK8XhC1Pcq9EvGPeUYAdsJlCv4j2suRpR1kLd03pbfuc_G0T1_nNJLkedpOPl1Nq/s1199/greater%20prairie-chicken%20ear%20tufts%20041422.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1199" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8G-S6qhlv2u0_GLoE8rZBDI6EKWT8I38hTMsvvUouxd-cFUpqtd5ZH5nQZVlLmN_k8WIp-zcqVYsLy3SQwcgaNToc0EYF57QKS3Jxac7pJ-WLSN29CGB4S_PXbK8XhC1Pcq9EvGPeUYAdsJlCv4j2suRpR1kLd03pbfuc_G0T1_nNJLkedpOPl1Nq/w640-h428/greater%20prairie-chicken%20ear%20tufts%20041422.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And the fifth shot? Well, I saw this flying bird from the corner of my eye while I was looking at something else. I got my lens up, squared the subject in the viewfinder, hit the focus button, pressed the shutter, and hoped for the best. It was a classic example of 'spray-and-pray', but I couldn't believe this result once I put it into the computer. This shot is definitely one of my all-time favorites, and I've already put it on my <a href="https://www.dorianandersonphotography.com/" target="_blank">website homepage</a>. I got a bit lucky with the shutter since I didn't have time to cut it in the moment. 1/2000 is pretty slow for fast-flying birds, but it was enough here!<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Canon 600mm f/4 IS II + 1.4x III on EOS R5</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">1/2000 at f/5.6, ISO 1600<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGillQtMgHona3MnvfKx-c1pxgAi0cwkk3wOzpT_z4G5DV7YczV4Q-TdNOyGkEqNdXFVDo8gGDdTpc71duPc4jsUzrWMmi0DFRzHIyB40uecIHS04G_j1VdPOtzgpkoGkc5kPIcFUVyPuIKdb2Xx96QP3XD-1i9lvc5_U5ZHsuaHdP-m-hzTJzmcjB/s1200/greater%20prairie-chicken%20levitate%20041422.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGillQtMgHona3MnvfKx-c1pxgAi0cwkk3wOzpT_z4G5DV7YczV4Q-TdNOyGkEqNdXFVDo8gGDdTpc71duPc4jsUzrWMmi0DFRzHIyB40uecIHS04G_j1VdPOtzgpkoGkc5kPIcFUVyPuIKdb2Xx96QP3XD-1i9lvc5_U5ZHsuaHdP-m-hzTJzmcjB/w640-h426/greater%20prairie-chicken%20levitate%20041422.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;">As you can see, it was a memorable morning. There weren't many females/hens on the lek on this time around, so I'm hoping for photos of them next year. If you're thinking about joining us on next year's tour, have a look at <a href="https://www.tropicalbirding.com/_files/ugd/5f2632_f6cb71c94aee4fbe9a048d47b7b89fcf.pdf" target="_blank">this year's trip report</a> for a detailed description of what we saw and did. My tour was birding-focused, but we offer a separate <a href="https://www.tropicalbirding.com/northamericacoloradophototour" target="_blank">photo tour</a> as well. That's it for now. Cheers!</span></div></div></div>Dorian Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15916335753403783947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6961914105467755287.post-20243650617994204552022-05-04T18:48:00.005-07:002022-05-04T18:48:35.995-07:00Post #214 - My Extended Absence Explained<span style="font-size: medium;">For those that don't know, my wife (Sonia) and I are pet-sitting our way around the US this year (https://atailoftwositters.blogspot.com/). Her employer (Airbnb) lets her work remotely, and my employer (Tropical Birding) doesn't care where I'm based because they need to fly me in and out to lead tours regardless. The map below attempts to illustrate our movements. The blue dots represent our house/pets sits, the yellow dots represent personal stops in between those responsibilities, and the green trace is our simplified driving trajectory. So what the heck are the black lines? Well, those are the various flights I've taken to lead the indicated tours. The lines from Kansas City to Denver to Houston and onto NW Arkansas might be confusing, so I'll lay that bit out verbally. We finished our sit in Kansas City on April 5, and I immediately flew to Denver to lead a tour April 5-16. When that tour ended, I flew to Houston to lead a Texas migration tour April 16-21. When that tour ended, I flew to Bentonville/Fayetteville in NW Arkansas and joined Sonia at a sit which she started on April 12 (while I was in CO).<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg5UQK90ksKEsUVLtjmymvhMkfMBUjJ4mDeF6TnObfE_rMVfSZ37xnX5NlQLWVzhmx5jVOnk5pXDMhiFhIE0a07LZBOhpciCJVTHNHTM73nwdjXYP5C4RwHPvEy9quxvDtcM6peeio9sGxThLQonRadyKOPrVL12y_Ji1yIUYbBIogojOirSEYFiu4/s967/map%20extra.png"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg5UQK90ksKEsUVLtjmymvhMkfMBUjJ4mDeF6TnObfE_rMVfSZ37xnX5NlQLWVzhmx5jVOnk5pXDMhiFhIE0a07LZBOhpciCJVTHNHTM73nwdjXYP5C4RwHPvEy9quxvDtcM6peeio9sGxThLQonRadyKOPrVL12y_Ji1yIUYbBIogojOirSEYFiu4/w640-h382/map%20extra.png" /></a><br /><br /></span><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Think that's confusing? Our current sit in Asheville runs May 3-14, but I will be leaving on Saturday the 7th to fly to Detroit to lead another tour through Michigan, Ohio, and Kentucky which runs through May 19th. Sonia will finish the Asheville sit, spend May 14-18 with her sister outside Knoxville, then drive to meet me in Nashville on the 19th where we have another sit which runs until May 28. Our subsequent sit is in Chicago runs June 4 to 14. Then we fly to Philly to see my family for a week. Then back to Chicago. Then we have 3 days farm sitting outside Milwaukee. Then back to Chicago. Then I go to Newfoundland and Nova Scotia for another tour June 27-July 8. Sonia sits in Omaha on those days and we rendezvous in Denver on July 9. We then sit in Denver July 10-15. And then it's off to Africa for six weeks on July 16 (more on that later). Hell, planning six weeks through South Africa and Namibia is its own challenge, but do it on top of everything else we're doing and it's beyond hectic!<br /><br />And that's why haven't written a thing since February. I am doing a lot of birding in the areas we're visiting, but the blog has really taken a backseat to logistics, pet-sitting, and pet-blogging (https://atailoftwositters.blogspot.com/). I've also done very little photography this year. It takes time to learn new areas, and we're moving around so fast that I don't learn anywhere well enough to shoot it efficiently; I'd rather just go birding since it's easier. I did take some really nice photos on my Colorado Grouse tour, so I'll try to get those up in the next few weeks. <br /><br />So, that's what's happening with me at the moment. I hope to have more time to write later in the year, but please know that communication will continue to be sporadic for the next few months.<br /><br />OK, planning and dogs call. Later!</span></div>Dorian Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15916335753403783947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6961914105467755287.post-31393580678346899892022-02-12T19:12:00.000-08:002022-02-12T19:12:07.918-08:00Post #213 - Waterfowl photos from Arizona<span style="font-size: medium;">Our nomadic year of pet-sitting continues! Last time I recapped my bike-birding exploits in Henderson, Nevada, and this time I'll share a few photos I captured while we were in Prescott, Arizona. Although we were there for ten days (Jan 16 - 26), I didn't discover Fain Park (pictured below) until our second-to-last morning. It's nothing remarkable, just a man-made pond surrounded by hillsides and rudimentary trails, but the small sample of wintering waterfowl which it held were remarkably approachable; accustomed to being fed, the ducks swam towards me as soon as I lay prone on the frozen earth. The scaup, in particular, spent a lot of time inside the minimum focusing distance of my 600mm f/4 IS II lens (14.75 feet), so I had to shoo them back at several points! I shot from the blue shoreline with the morning sun rising behind me to the southeast. That big wall in the foreground is the dam which creates the lake.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjUrxbPop_5l3bJhf8MQTLnnTp4VGbyojYZEW5cytDCfW_2PDXpaNHAUCJtBt1R5c47XPEIy1F--S2UtAdBajCJuF5P19PRHFzLSLvEygSS-7igDzWFF5F3cXaHigK_wv1wJm8uyn9rAxsnMWd-YwIjoL3-xRjWobc5RiSLAiX5pdcgiFgYOR5QZI9=s846" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="846" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjUrxbPop_5l3bJhf8MQTLnnTp4VGbyojYZEW5cytDCfW_2PDXpaNHAUCJtBt1R5c47XPEIy1F--S2UtAdBajCJuF5P19PRHFzLSLvEygSS-7igDzWFF5F3cXaHigK_wv1wJm8uyn9rAxsnMWd-YwIjoL3-xRjWobc5RiSLAiX5pdcgiFgYOR5QZI9=w400-h309" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Let's start with this male Lesser Scaup. He was very confident in his approach, this image being nearly full-frame, and the golden water results from the reflection of the backing hillsides. With zero wind at this moment, the surface was as flat as a Trump electroencephalogram (aka EEG).<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Lesser Scaup (male) - <i>Aythya affinis</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Canon 600mm f/4 IS II on EOS R5</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">1/2500 at f/5.6, ISO 640<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_7FOfgyCttDTQ65s21hSP9dEN2aQRcVw9YovE-y9y4u9wCRvbIM8UhDFDmc0_R3FyEFkahsK5LhHZX1FYBa-tkFtFlJWmuZFmdIF-jzsWi5skaWEWY0zz5i7RWxKPiY3SwsU_PnyKgTo0w74Q0G9QaxA2aNwN2IRTFaZDIbSqNaQIQao0x7Wi0gR9=s1199" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1199" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_7FOfgyCttDTQ65s21hSP9dEN2aQRcVw9YovE-y9y4u9wCRvbIM8UhDFDmc0_R3FyEFkahsK5LhHZX1FYBa-tkFtFlJWmuZFmdIF-jzsWi5skaWEWY0zz5i7RWxKPiY3SwsU_PnyKgTo0w74Q0G9QaxA2aNwN2IRTFaZDIbSqNaQIQao0x7Wi0gR9=w640-h428" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />Since the female wasn't as contrasty as the male, I raised my lens a few inches so that I could capture a bit of texture on the water. I really like how the browns, tans, golds, and yellow blend together in this frame.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Lesser Scaup (female) - <i>Aythya affinis</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Canon 600mm f/4 IS II on EOS R5</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">1/2500 at f/5.6, ISO 640<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjefPtlWY_yLxQKRPkBx_yTkLbqfB290fbOmPLA1TnfX8zrPkwHPxdy6_kpC_1zG0SYxaT_n7lAZWHFbmL6ge7w_wQDpYSvjQZaJrxpbVPMKHelPQuAnP409gzub3L5kj6yEj7qP_eCVbDR7RBcWkYKQ2Cx9Ca4HQclx98DXRe50Su4WY8joBTpdEx=s1199" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1199" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjefPtlWY_yLxQKRPkBx_yTkLbqfB290fbOmPLA1TnfX8zrPkwHPxdy6_kpC_1zG0SYxaT_n7lAZWHFbmL6ge7w_wQDpYSvjQZaJrxpbVPMKHelPQuAnP409gzub3L5kj6yEj7qP_eCVbDR7RBcWkYKQ2Cx9Ca4HQclx98DXRe50Su4WY8joBTpdEx=w640-h428" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This male Canvasback wasn't present on my first visit, but I nearly crapped my pants when the stunning bird dropped into the park pond on my return the next morning. I've only had one other opportunity at this species, at Alondra Park near Los Angeles, but a concrete lip on the urban pond prevented me from getting my lens as low as I would have liked. Without similar impediment this time around, I was able to isolate this guy in super smooth surrounds.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Canvasback (male) - <i>Aythya valisineria</i><br /></span><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Canon 600mm f/4 IS II on EOS R5</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">1/3200 at f/7.1, ISO 800<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiuWXOevAqhj-uWrDP13hCp9FzxaPunZzQCtqjgCAHM6WPNAl3u26tppNtmuyoOaloDpDc-1yMCjPNnJtqauUbJQoIEtdWW3OXIKIorQGeGlpx83aKEE7IvxP87vbxJdIN1PmhPOgwoO5FyAvQ8ZAQdZfAdoRlntZZYoevM7uJ8KUyy4mFkeSUF5YKc=s1199" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1199" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiuWXOevAqhj-uWrDP13hCp9FzxaPunZzQCtqjgCAHM6WPNAl3u26tppNtmuyoOaloDpDc-1yMCjPNnJtqauUbJQoIEtdWW3OXIKIorQGeGlpx83aKEE7IvxP87vbxJdIN1PmhPOgwoO5FyAvQ8ZAQdZfAdoRlntZZYoevM7uJ8KUyy4mFkeSUF5YKc=w640-h428" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">He kept his distance at the outset, but he eventually swam a bit closer. I'm a huge fan of close-cropped headshots, so I was stoked with this result. Craned neck a definite plus!<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Canvasback - <i>Aythya valisineria</i><br /></span><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Canon 600mm f/4 IS II on EOS R5</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">1/2500 at f/7.1, ISO 800<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEkF7UmeC7V91_cItf1hC6IUWaVsqZMWSP5HGRw5S72NpfNW17ohxhLHF3CniN6rDSPscU1PM1d7sep1Nzly8eB3ARQply2y5nBm3XqL1aKEGROzoPnBgNGI3_YxpLG3I5Ie3UWIcAqDb-fmS59iP0IsDfpXMJW9Q5U4d7REjfpoWM4d9nh5zer8-Y=s900" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEkF7UmeC7V91_cItf1hC6IUWaVsqZMWSP5HGRw5S72NpfNW17ohxhLHF3CniN6rDSPscU1PM1d7sep1Nzly8eB3ARQply2y5nBm3XqL1aKEGROzoPnBgNGI3_YxpLG3I5Ie3UWIcAqDb-fmS59iP0IsDfpXMJW9Q5U4d7REjfpoWM4d9nh5zer8-Y=w512-h640" width="512" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;">And lastly, I present this male Common Goldeneye. He wouldn't come as close as the others, so I had to slap the 1.4x teleconverter (TC) onto my lens. TCs can degrades the images when they're used on crappy lenses, but I don't have to worry about that with my 600 prime.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Common Goldeneye - <i>Bucephala clangula</i><br /></span><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Canon 600mm f/4 IS II + 1.4x III on EOS R5</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">1/2000 at f/7.1, ISO 800<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9FmRyGzk5xTx9-uELpOHBb_VbhtCq3G3JibMnl5cv4kqPh8Yd35GbxTL5-oHcTtXn_1NwLYXrlFFZvAfdBdRwQoDnQ6knLj7dLn8_Pb488aremcKCTONmy1xq6ZzPUionBMAHjbMDWdRmZVlOSeGrSfTStNXijHS1dDjygzAnQq3iGYmxPska-hMn=s1199" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1199" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9FmRyGzk5xTx9-uELpOHBb_VbhtCq3G3JibMnl5cv4kqPh8Yd35GbxTL5-oHcTtXn_1NwLYXrlFFZvAfdBdRwQoDnQ6knLj7dLn8_Pb488aremcKCTONmy1xq6ZzPUionBMAHjbMDWdRmZVlOSeGrSfTStNXijHS1dDjygzAnQq3iGYmxPska-hMn=w640-h428" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I also did a fair bit of bike-birding around Prescott. Our pet-sitting gig (red pin on below map) was close to Willow and Watson Lakes, and I enjoyed a trio of long-staying Tundra Swans on the former and several Wood Ducks on the latter. Exploring farther afield, I caught up with Williamson's Sapsucker and Pacific Wren (pictured below, poor digibinoc) at Granite Basin Lake. All four of those were state birds for me, so it felt great to grow my Arizona list under my own power. Since Prescott is at 5,400' of elevation, I was really sucking wind on the 1,000' climb up to Granite BAasin. It felt like 2014 all over again! I visited the highlighted sites on different days, but I've shown them as one ride to streamline the imagery and give you a global view of where I explored. The bottom image is a view of the northern part of Watson Lake.<br /><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPT07SZSx40tTBB8YL3CO99wQmBNbbI7AKwtKqymP65ImAs1iD5bg5RuHDIUnEY5cOsUrm5oGEn2wT7YkN0n0hk1PEJv4RKttYnjoeVZQzZodFKt6rdlsYSqWOzDjqjuZLvli7BZVzWgOjjtSQkY7znPB1GpUZWBVOZNuJQ4dDj1WaxYbB7bi_Y68j=s1500" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="632" data-original-width="1500" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPT07SZSx40tTBB8YL3CO99wQmBNbbI7AKwtKqymP65ImAs1iD5bg5RuHDIUnEY5cOsUrm5oGEn2wT7YkN0n0hk1PEJv4RKttYnjoeVZQzZodFKt6rdlsYSqWOzDjqjuZLvli7BZVzWgOjjtSQkY7znPB1GpUZWBVOZNuJQ4dDj1WaxYbB7bi_Y68j=w640-h270" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEj92ZL8q1r7YeQwOCcpuL9xa4oAhxC1GUoRI-WG8p7vVYbe2fwAl0pNl63muqaIM54b19cI1TG98Nob1feMgNFo2hZj1t0UIJJuw7ukragpFmDOhC-zBqB8ZLPeWTXExeNwSRNrLm0qNDWS6KAqMWkZq-getC4CimIIl7jjR1QOgp_iNy3Czhy6-b=s1105" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="1105" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEj92ZL8q1r7YeQwOCcpuL9xa4oAhxC1GUoRI-WG8p7vVYbe2fwAl0pNl63muqaIM54b19cI1TG98Nob1feMgNFo2hZj1t0UIJJuw7ukragpFmDOhC-zBqB8ZLPeWTXExeNwSRNrLm0qNDWS6KAqMWkZq-getC4CimIIl7jjR1QOgp_iNy3Czhy6-b=w640-h304" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Things have been really hectic since we left Prescott. I spent a week in Albuquerque, flew to Minnesota to guide a six-day owl/finch tour, and returned to ABQ yesterday. I have three additional days around ABQ, then Sonia and I drive to Denver in Super Bowl Sunday, hopefully in time for the game. We're there for 3 weeks while we execute back-to-back pet-sits, but I'll disappear for five days in the middle of those to guide another winter tour, in Massachusetts. I'm not sure how I got suckered into leading all the cold weather tours for <a href="https://www.tropicalbirding.com/" target="_blank">Tropical Birding</a>, but I'm sure I'll survive (I really don't mind the cold). Plus, if the 2014 Polar Vortex didn't break me while I was on the bike, nothing will!<br /><br />That's it for now. Later......</span></div></div></div></div></div>Dorian Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15916335753403783947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6961914105467755287.post-46082387225083952722022-01-31T11:05:00.001-08:002022-01-31T11:05:53.287-08:00Post #212 - Biking for Birds in Nevada<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Regular readers know that Sonia and I are traveling the US for at least the first half of 2022, but I haven't revealed our exact motivation/purpose until now! Our plan to exchange pet-sitting for lodging while home/owners travel might sound insane, but <a href="http://www.trustedhousesitters.com">www.trustedhousesitters.com</a> allows people to do exactly that. I kept this news on the down-low until now because Sonia and I wanted to get a second blog, <a href="https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/" target="_blank">A Tail of Two Sitters</a>, up and running before we let the cat/dog/whatever out of the bag. While we have a loose itinerary of places/states we'd like to visit in upcoming months, we're generally going to allow the pet-sitting winds take us where they will. And that's how we landed in Henderson, NV from January 13-16. I did a bit of birding while we were in the area, most of it by bike, and I'll use this post to highlight some of the places I visited. Here's how we're carting the bike around!<br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhT89atAiuAV903SBsl94nYPFVyKmSq5KTLxOIpgEkymAS1a_m5N5Qt_ir0rmRRmxVgG7prILNyKXKfAMa1jFB9PdPxAI5DLPlUFf3AwVXcOKsHlVv_Imq0sKjLayRWC-6fBgPnkjITnuSYZEm246MwV4DjrrZiT5e_CROg0gGN513E4nzTKveoD5mR=s3873" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2394" data-original-width="3873" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhT89atAiuAV903SBsl94nYPFVyKmSq5KTLxOIpgEkymAS1a_m5N5Qt_ir0rmRRmxVgG7prILNyKXKfAMa1jFB9PdPxAI5DLPlUFf3AwVXcOKsHlVv_Imq0sKjLayRWC-6fBgPnkjITnuSYZEm246MwV4DjrrZiT5e_CROg0gGN513E4nzTKveoD5mR=w640-h397" width="640" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Among three Henderson sites which I visited on my bike, the <a href="https://ebird.org/hotspot/L209342" target="_blank">Henderson Bird Preserve</a> on the east side of town was the best. The impoundments hosted a great number and variety of waterfowl, and desert birds like Costa's Hummingbird, Crissal Thrasher, Vermillion Flycatcher, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, and Abert's Towhee lurked in the surrounding bushes. Over 300-species have been recorded at the reserve, and I tallied 60 across two morning visits, a breeding plumage Hooded Warbler an unlikely highlight. Beware - the HBP has very strict hours. Please consult <a href="https://www.cityofhenderson.com/government/departments/parks-and-recreation/facilities/other-venues/bird-preserve" target="_blank">this webpage</a> for info. If I had only one morning to bird in the Las Vegas area, the I'd use it at HBP. Images of reserve below.<br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg0imgGqpqbnsLiWVIwMLqMv7KTmmLpvJNjF5lxpXfHvjN8E1qw1NXxhhIw1jRCMediPwW46FEt2u0JtKPxvT7i6hfLWGz58080obfKP-5n1Dp_0SCcidylFXjPpLZP8bdUbUS0IHSmbR-XKfAMWURivxscn1dgDZiZTnIkihHYa8xRkwwLpAsgRvHQ=s1347" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="1347" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg0imgGqpqbnsLiWVIwMLqMv7KTmmLpvJNjF5lxpXfHvjN8E1qw1NXxhhIw1jRCMediPwW46FEt2u0JtKPxvT7i6hfLWGz58080obfKP-5n1Dp_0SCcidylFXjPpLZP8bdUbUS0IHSmbR-XKfAMWURivxscn1dgDZiZTnIkihHYa8xRkwwLpAsgRvHQ=w640-h220" width="640" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Neighboring <a href="https://ebird.org/hotspot/L160294" target="_blank">Clark County Wetlands</a> hosts similar species, but not in the same numbers as HBP. A series of trails winds through scrub and impoundments, and I think it's worth a quick pass even if it's a distant second to HBP. Same for <a href="https://ebird.org/hotspot/L456488" target="_blank">Sunset Park</a>. Though urban and heavily-visited, the park pond was loaded with waterfowl. The ducks are fed constantly, so super close views of Ring-necked Ducks, Canvasbacks, Redheads, Lesser Scaup, and American Wigeon were afforded. I hit the place on a cloudy afternoon, but it could be great for photography in the right conditions. Here is a map to show the relative locations of these HBP, CC Wetlands, and Sunset Park. It was easy to move between the three locations on the bike given our central location.<br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhgi-BcQyMBI9TWUtci_Tng0UIQLiM1olIqhDcqfg-_jQqrBHxpZEpod8VEAx8SOlpXSJ2tWd5u0_e6632PvbMM8kCsbAqA9bcw_1OVpsXEqP3K1areZZToYu8hIdh6vftI9tcA_GqF4wUXTVQPPI2oJ_9Ze9H1eXbQpk2OaGO29F7Q0T46WXsIZuNR=s1084" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="1084" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhgi-BcQyMBI9TWUtci_Tng0UIQLiM1olIqhDcqfg-_jQqrBHxpZEpod8VEAx8SOlpXSJ2tWd5u0_e6632PvbMM8kCsbAqA9bcw_1OVpsXEqP3K1areZZToYu8hIdh6vftI9tcA_GqF4wUXTVQPPI2oJ_9Ze9H1eXbQpk2OaGO29F7Q0T46WXsIZuNR=w640-h206" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size: medium;">A bit farther afield, <a href="https://www.redrockcanyonlv.org/" target="_blank">Red Rock Canyon</a> on the west side of Las Vegas is totally worth a visit. It doesn't hold diversity or numbers of birds, but the landscape is amazing. There are loads of trails, and it would be easy to spend a full day exploring the area. The two dogs which we were watching loved scrambling over the stratified geology! Birds were few and far between, but I did find Rock Wren, Phainopepla, and Peregrine Falcon. <br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7wBTLT5PG7qSioHWHZ0E0rq6UA_Ywn4xof9GS2bOy9bzejhtOnSRFK8uCWngMA7eV0fxVdhXTUGi8wnWGTMzeLWKV-4hTouYQcu0JYuslnPWRhUuWe-in4CrwpVGmO0Jjolgu9r84F7ilt-p3VHxwiUjG59c_nhxeUn4pwIbV8fcA1glfIithIe8U=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7wBTLT5PG7qSioHWHZ0E0rq6UA_Ywn4xof9GS2bOy9bzejhtOnSRFK8uCWngMA7eV0fxVdhXTUGi8wnWGTMzeLWKV-4hTouYQcu0JYuslnPWRhUuWe-in4CrwpVGmO0Jjolgu9r84F7ilt-p3VHxwiUjG59c_nhxeUn4pwIbV8fcA1glfIithIe8U=w640-h480" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />The bottom line is that there's an unexpected amount of birding and hiking to be done in the greater Las Vegas Area. While most who visit the city do so for other reasons, birders and outdoor enthusiasts will find plenty to occupy themselves over a three- or four-day stay.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We've already completed our second sit -- in Arizona -- but I'll save my Prescott birding thoughts/experiences until the next post. Cheers!</span></div>Dorian Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15916335753403783947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6961914105467755287.post-35968940485235650252022-01-11T20:08:00.003-08:002022-01-12T07:01:19.524-08:00Post #211 -- Some Southern California Photography<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Sonia and I are back in the US! There was, however, some serious doubt as to our return from Chile; the Abbott Labs COVID AG-Card tests which we took with us kits were defective, so we had to cobble testing together the night before our flight from Santiago to Dallas (and onto Los Angeles). To compound the drama, Sky Airlines, a Chilean carrier, pushed our final domestic flight from Punta Arenas to Santiago back three hours, a circumstance which cut our connection time in Santiago from five hours to two. We landed in that capital, scampered off the plane, claimed our luggage, sprinted to the international terminal, checked into our American flight, and fought our way through immigration and security. By the time we hauled ass to the terminal's farthest gate, we had only ten minutes to spare. So yeah, getting back was a total circus!</span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We made it, barely.....<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3Oep3Oc7JrSWdle4q9itA068C_5jE3gL7oPak0WRLeUq5Xah6aQpkT4fsNaokoWm7IDzDexDiL9tckLAB6Tpvu11QGBT7_13wqUzE1U3lnhtVE0Dyk-fJ1ifG9FYdiNgcoLZwyDAVpIeOOlq6BHq5Xr8QbleBMwIvXSXB_CckceOfIgVW0_OQsQD4=s1544" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="1544" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3Oep3Oc7JrSWdle4q9itA068C_5jE3gL7oPak0WRLeUq5Xah6aQpkT4fsNaokoWm7IDzDexDiL9tckLAB6Tpvu11QGBT7_13wqUzE1U3lnhtVE0Dyk-fJ1ifG9FYdiNgcoLZwyDAVpIeOOlq6BHq5Xr8QbleBMwIvXSXB_CckceOfIgVW0_OQsQD4=w400-h300" width="400" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I'll write more about Chile in future posts, but I'm gonna keep it simple this time around and post some photos I captured in Southern California just before we left. Recall that we've rented our San Mateo apartment and become digital/guiding nomads through September. Without a place of our own, we crashed with Sonia's dad in Riverside County for five days pre-Chile. There is some excellent photography to be had in that area, and I'll present a half-dozen shots that I captured across two sun-drenched mornings.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Those who read this blog regularly might recall <a href="http://thespeckledhatchback.blogspot.com/2021/12/post-209-few-photos-from-coastal-texas.html" target="_blank">a post from early-December</a> where I described a choice run-in with Greater Yellowlegs, a common bird that managed to avoid my lens for the eight years since I departed Massachusetts. And wouldn't ya know it? A month after that entry, I had an even better crack at the species!<br /><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Greater Yellowlegs - <i>Tringa melanoleuca</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Canon 600mm f/4 IS II on EOS R5</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">1/4000 at f/5.6, ISO 1000<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiomlgnJVrmhRKGNQAQ3NMTQ_2LtYsR5E26ZltuldBJPTiV0-b41UBdiGNZ5tROWf-gDtxu4dsavJLLIdy9XAri_m-3nPNz-2MLrUPuaA8k31FBUeR2jrl5Ok-3TACuCOOR0Ypnf6CYe7zgLsIA4LyarvB6i2qKmt1jv9aHtB_o7S8yz973x9dCZKng=s1199" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1199" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiomlgnJVrmhRKGNQAQ3NMTQ_2LtYsR5E26ZltuldBJPTiV0-b41UBdiGNZ5tROWf-gDtxu4dsavJLLIdy9XAri_m-3nPNz-2MLrUPuaA8k31FBUeR2jrl5Ok-3TACuCOOR0Ypnf6CYe7zgLsIA4LyarvB6i2qKmt1jv9aHtB_o7S8yz973x9dCZKng=w640-h428" width="640" /></span></a></div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Greater Yellowlegs - <i>Tringa melanoleuca</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Canon 600mm f/4 IS II + 1.4x III on EOS R5</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">1/4000 at f/5.6, ISO 640<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFGjZD3EVb4yGhjhZxLSKilw0d9KKuD_Jh7_E9lUDNYlzcYkbK8gNUf8hJmW1iflJKhphexXlF91r9iknSZXblMsZxuKwu-cryZH5kRLXpT5L9j6syIrNXucr56hxI65940rZ7JzRmpD62yeBhHCcnaGdvijs6cScar2JFGH51RH-piB8dcwBouP0r=s1199" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1199" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFGjZD3EVb4yGhjhZxLSKilw0d9KKuD_Jh7_E9lUDNYlzcYkbK8gNUf8hJmW1iflJKhphexXlF91r9iknSZXblMsZxuKwu-cryZH5kRLXpT5L9j6syIrNXucr56hxI65940rZ7JzRmpD62yeBhHCcnaGdvijs6cScar2JFGH51RH-piB8dcwBouP0r=w640-h428" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Besides those, I had mint opportunities at American Avocet and Black-necked Stilt. The color in all these shots is provided by the early-morning light reflecting off the rocky hillsides behind the impoundment. The stilt shot was taken earlier than the others; that's why it's the most color-saturated and dramatic of the bunch. The avocet waded hella close, and the crouched pose was the only way I could get the whole bird and reflection in the frame. Stoked with the water drop bouncing off the surface!<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Black-necked Stilt - <i>Himantopus mexicanus</i></span><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Canon 600mm f/4 IS II on EOS R5</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">1/4000 at f/4, ISO 400<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmk5mmUyZcWUJrDsrBdnvKfFNQtebmvgiSj66WejxBuMw5d7aWUjymIkO3xvE3vGrK2NBuBAPlzKErAnVfuQX7hoMm3bK-m7gz068ny6aQY6nwNmRaoJTWXR5KbmG34jqJtPAgxUDmAS1FaXTA42OT-EduS33RMBVcQhnfLjlGdwEATb7EFD1V_IFJ=s1199" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1199" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmk5mmUyZcWUJrDsrBdnvKfFNQtebmvgiSj66WejxBuMw5d7aWUjymIkO3xvE3vGrK2NBuBAPlzKErAnVfuQX7hoMm3bK-m7gz068ny6aQY6nwNmRaoJTWXR5KbmG34jqJtPAgxUDmAS1FaXTA42OT-EduS33RMBVcQhnfLjlGdwEATb7EFD1V_IFJ=w640-h428" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">American Avocet - <i>Recurvirostra americana</i></span><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Canon 600mm f/4 IS II on EOS R5</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">1/4000 at f/4, ISO 400</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh46z3I3aCvHArBWdurw4_oCbqTUR1FH6ADA84wSr9wobZVLEf8yUmiENtkvEwxcfOe8-_EBwJWfnnZW_9oUGQ9uLLCvox8ZcjLaMgQzrasrwSxCfA9gzyetfALl5VbTRGe3iNlvXoeCn4T7xfDtD_mZQ6tMNFJLaCPms9NIhMdf1hxCnJA8Ir3Z6ME=s1199" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1199" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh46z3I3aCvHArBWdurw4_oCbqTUR1FH6ADA84wSr9wobZVLEf8yUmiENtkvEwxcfOe8-_EBwJWfnnZW_9oUGQ9uLLCvox8ZcjLaMgQzrasrwSxCfA9gzyetfALl5VbTRGe3iNlvXoeCn4T7xfDtD_mZQ6tMNFJLaCPms9NIhMdf1hxCnJA8Ir3Z6ME=w640-h428" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">OK, enough shorebirds. Let's finish with two raptors. Birds of prey are a weak-point in my portfolio, so it's always nice to fluff-up those galleries. While I had several nice Merlin shots prior to this awesome encounter, the Red-tailed shot represents my best frame of that species. I'm not sure what the Merlin is eating, but relative abundance and light-colored legs suggest Savannah Sparrow.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Merlin - <i>Falco columbarius</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Canon 600mm f/4 IS II + 1.4x III on EOS R5</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">1/4000 at f/5.6, ISO 800</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjatPTq4tBkxEvJDmGa7eD7JBYerlCXuN-9wY70yZgKi_O8eMHdxlyB6MF-TFWALoNx0BEp7-F7A4h9RX0HdMCpCGGDMy8GWVfA2D68eJxJ7lXwVbajkppfg0w1EcgMGhtoUEfchgNSEdQmttlPWs96JG5qP7owpT_YjFS8U_JtMIMCNrJ2yAX5YZbX=s1199" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1199" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjatPTq4tBkxEvJDmGa7eD7JBYerlCXuN-9wY70yZgKi_O8eMHdxlyB6MF-TFWALoNx0BEp7-F7A4h9RX0HdMCpCGGDMy8GWVfA2D68eJxJ7lXwVbajkppfg0w1EcgMGhtoUEfchgNSEdQmttlPWs96JG5qP7owpT_YjFS8U_JtMIMCNrJ2yAX5YZbX=w640-h428" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Red-tailed Hawk - <i>Buteo jamaicensis</i></span></div><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Canon 600mm f/4 IS II + 1.4x III on EOS R5</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">1/2000 at f/7.1, ISO 1600<br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">*opted for f/7.1 instead of f/5.6 to keep feet in focus when AF point placed on eye</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7z1egYGRh0QStn6ziWiuREtJUV5xEYFtgEPwKFQ0ne68Gvv_wi8KxIClAx__Gp7YAt60p3zcJWu03C6Ly_WpSfO9VWCeDuod99RVfuKkmCQ1DHEyCUsGb4TCTtFPlx4fYPeiHmiLmu5kckdD6fanmsXOisDFQNqdLRODJSD1xwqfNk3QHhYdUwT4U=s900" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7z1egYGRh0QStn6ziWiuREtJUV5xEYFtgEPwKFQ0ne68Gvv_wi8KxIClAx__Gp7YAt60p3zcJWu03C6Ly_WpSfO9VWCeDuod99RVfuKkmCQ1DHEyCUsGb4TCTtFPlx4fYPeiHmiLmu5kckdD6fanmsXOisDFQNqdLRODJSD1xwqfNk3QHhYdUwT4U=w512-h640" width="512" /></span></a></div></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;">And for those who made it this far, let me point you towards <a href="https://www.dorianandersonphotography.com/Yearly-Favorites/2021-Favorites/">a gallery of my favorite photos of 2021</a>. Several of the shots in this post made the cut, and you'll find a bunch of Chilean birds represented as well. There are 25 images in total.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.dorianandersonphotography.com/Central-and-South-American-Bir/Chile" target="_blank">Here is a link to my phots from Chile</a>. I ask for one good frame a day when I'm traveling -- shooting in new places is really tough, especially without idiot-proof set-ups like in Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Colombia -- so I'm super-satisfied with this haul of ~50.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And lastly, there is still space on the following tours which I anticipate leading for Tropical Birding:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://tropicalbirding.com/northamericaminnesota">Minnesota in Winter</a> - Feb 5-10</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.tropicalbirding.com/northamericamassachusetts">Massachusetts in Winter</a> - Feb 17-21</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.tropicalbirding.com/northamericafloridabirdingwithcamera" target="_blank">South Florida Birding with a Camera</a> - April 23 to May 1</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.tropicalbirding.com/northamericanorthcarolina">Coastal North Carolina (with two pelagics)</a> - May 22-28</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.tropicalbirding.com/northamericanewfoundlandbirdingwithacamera" target="_blank">Newfoundland and Nova Scotia Birding with a Camera</a> - June 28 to July 9</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.tropicalbirding.com/northamericayellowstonephototour" target="_blank">Yellowstone in Fall (photo)</a> - Sept 11-16</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.tropicalbirding.com/northamericacalifornia" target="_blank">California in Fall (with pelagic)</a> - Sept 23 to Oct 2<br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Cheers!</span></div><div><br /></div></div>Dorian Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15916335753403783947noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6961914105467755287.post-74292963608031508262021-12-26T18:37:00.002-08:002021-12-26T18:41:58.466-08:00Post #210 - An incredible encounter with Barred Owl<p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Greetings from the Southern Hemisphere! Sonia and I are eighteen days into our Chile vacation, and I’ll use our flight from Puerto Montt to Punta Arenas (Patagonia) as an opportunity to crank out a final blog entry for 2021. Though I’ll write about this trip when I’m back in the US, I’ll summon previous inspiration for this abbreviated installment.</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">I last saw my Philadelphia-based family in November of 2019, the pandemic and other commitments denying me contact for nearly two years, so Sonia and I headed east for two weeks at the end of October. We spent five days at my parents’ house and used another nine to road trip through New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. While Sonia reunited with a long-time friend in Boston, I headed north for a day of birding on the New Hampshire Coast, an area I hadn’t visited since January 1, 2014 (the first day of my bicycle Big Year). Here’s <a href="http://bikingforbirds.blogspot.com/2014/01/away-we-go-owls-and-gulls-edition.html" target="_blank">my ‘Biking for Birds’ blog entry from that kick-off</a>. Damn it was cold!</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Besides nostalgia, my recent New Hampshire brush gave me an wonderful window to Barred Owl, a species I hadn’t seen since Sonia and I moved to California in 2015. My bladder pushed to its limit while I was birding in Rockingham County, I ducked into wooded patch to relieve myself. I'd barely entered the trees when a large bird took unexpected flight from ten feet above my head. The commotion scared the hell out of me, but I fought-off premature evacuation as the startled owl fled. I took care of bathroom business, walked deeper into the woods, found the owl perched on an exposed branch, and raced back to the car to grab my camera.</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">The bird was incredibly trusting as I crept closer, and I was able to capture a bunch of frames as the arboreal noble watched curiously. The blur at the top and bottom of the frame in the first shot is deliberate; it was created by shooting through a thin veil of leaves which separated me from the subject. I think it lends a sense of secrecy, like I’m spying on the bird in its forested surrounds. </span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Barred Owl - <i>Strix varia</i></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO II on EOS R5</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">1/200 at f/4, ISO 3200<br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh5ZMG0LnLE0m3n7CcztqRwGpB_3bj-3KybcSzlfSbp2Z45XkrSJ_PX2slQ4RTfEjrnf9R4EJOy_ko7PRuN1uTBO_xPGcazP9WupDrDCOnQLaccjVI776mVmioRTQah13BoEkZqj-TaynT5ErLWv5IGhHwwh4eIMIvVVxj-L4s3q_BuX_AXtoRlCbgc=s900" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="720" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh5ZMG0LnLE0m3n7CcztqRwGpB_3bj-3KybcSzlfSbp2Z45XkrSJ_PX2slQ4RTfEjrnf9R4EJOy_ko7PRuN1uTBO_xPGcazP9WupDrDCOnQLaccjVI776mVmioRTQah13BoEkZqj-TaynT5ErLWv5IGhHwwh4eIMIvVVxj-L4s3q_BuX_AXtoRlCbgc=s16000" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">I don’t think I’m a particularly creative bird photographer, my work being mostly technical/editorial, so it was fun to try something different with this cooperative subject. How cooperative? Just check out this second shot. While Image Stabilization reduced motion blur, I also braced myself against a tree to further ensure a sharp result with the slow shutter.</span><br /><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Barred Owl - <i>Strix varia</i></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO II on EOS R5</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">1/80 at f/4, ISO 1600<br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEeTATL8VhH6MCCX051H4IWoqg_r8QRpKpl_1OK7Tz3s8mEi1aZHcY9wszEl0fcmZz-ulmd3f1xDXyiMtRfDvRUtv6hUsTjdLiyHcBvIRug-vloAoGdoT-1FZ8aKg1dYaBkewmurX-tKGLfErGnJCnONmfth_cvbqbyioxNPjenTLgu9cVrScfdkD9=s1199" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1199" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEeTATL8VhH6MCCX051H4IWoqg_r8QRpKpl_1OK7Tz3s8mEi1aZHcY9wszEl0fcmZz-ulmd3f1xDXyiMtRfDvRUtv6hUsTjdLiyHcBvIRug-vloAoGdoT-1FZ8aKg1dYaBkewmurX-tKGLfErGnJCnONmfth_cvbqbyioxNPjenTLgu9cVrScfdkD9=w640-h428" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p></p></div><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">I left the owl snoozing after twenty minutes, </span><span style="font-size: large;">the photos an enduring memorial of an amazing intersection. Take a leak; find an owl. Doesn’t get much better.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></div><p></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Interestingly, the New England leaves changed color very late this year; some to whom I spoke suggested that the delay was caused heavy summer rains. Regardless, you can see this patch of New Hampshire woods was still completely — and unusually — green at this late-October juncture.</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Cheers for now!</span></p>Dorian Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15916335753403783947noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6961914105467755287.post-5564903991172267512021-12-05T23:07:00.002-08:002021-12-05T23:07:35.575-08:00Post #209 - A few photos from Coastal Texas<span style="font-size: medium;">As per <a href="http://thespeckledhatchback.blogspot.com/2021/11/post-208-my-final-bay-area-bike-chase.html" target="_blank">my last post</a>, Sonia and I have rented our Bay Area apartment and will be traveling for the next ten months. We're currently staying with my father-in-law in Riverside County in Southern California, and we leave for a month in Chile starting on Wednesday, December 8th. I'll blog as our adventure unfolds, but I'm going to dip into the past for this post.<br /><br />A few weeks ago, in early-November, I served as a guide at the <a href="https://www.rgvbf.org/" target="_blank">Rio Grande Birding Festival</a> in Harlingen, Texas for the sixth time in seven years, the 2020 installment cancelled because of the pandemic. I'm responsible for leading morning field trips on each of the five festival days, but I have the afternoons to explore the vendor fair, go birding with other guides, or sneak off for photography. I had some great luck with the camera on South Padre Island, and I'll use this post to share those results with you.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Let's start with this Greater Yellowlegs. I regularly see these birds around the Bay Area and beyond, but they're always too far away or in situations/settings which won't yield pretty pictures. I haven't had a decent opportunity at this bird since I moved out of Massachusetts at the end of 2013, so I was hella stoked when this cooperative individual strode through my viewfinder while I was belly-crawling on tidal flats. #crushed!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Greater Yellowlegs - <i>Tringa melanoleuca</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Canon 600mm f/4 IS II + 1.4x III on EOS R5<br />1/6400 at f/5.6, ISO 800<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJanGlspp8sjJ6UTUsMVEkwiiBlAw1C7_KQTPR5YP-xn0hH9YBlILraofWrYNmDaDPnB_QdVyxwr30OL9I2_fsA4dDkk5fSY2gFlOhQrDUjT_bUxF4Vc1RJbkex4L7PUH8v6GlXC_zOI0/s2048/greater+yellowlegs+going+right+111421.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJanGlspp8sjJ6UTUsMVEkwiiBlAw1C7_KQTPR5YP-xn0hH9YBlILraofWrYNmDaDPnB_QdVyxwr30OL9I2_fsA4dDkk5fSY2gFlOhQrDUjT_bUxF4Vc1RJbkex4L7PUH8v6GlXC_zOI0/w640-h426/greater+yellowlegs+going+right+111421.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Greater Yellowlegs - <i>Tringa melanoleuca</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Canon 600mm f/4 IS II + 1.4x III on EOS R5<br />1/4000 at f/5.6, ISO 800<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg44dknEb6WShf_sNjtjF6zGXF5YTEkI4HjlPlzKje6N2infS6dVjNwPYZrSBss-bt9wR7qKGIcuZ-_fB3cB0sGIgVmqrYELJUR73DMX5SYtO_VZ67gYJVlU2D352YSN8U3kRG39d8fqGA/s2048/greater+yellowlegs+going+left+111421.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg44dknEb6WShf_sNjtjF6zGXF5YTEkI4HjlPlzKje6N2infS6dVjNwPYZrSBss-bt9wR7qKGIcuZ-_fB3cB0sGIgVmqrYELJUR73DMX5SYtO_VZ67gYJVlU2D352YSN8U3kRG39d8fqGA/w640-h426/greater+yellowlegs+going+left+111421.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I've done better with Ruddy Turnstones and Dunlin over the years, but I'm happy to add these two frames to my collection. I particularly like the curious head tilt in the first and the exaggerated bokeh (blur) in the second.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ruddy Turnstone - <i>Arenaria interpres</i><br />Canon 600mm f/4 IS II + 1.4x III on EOS R5<br />1/3200 at f/5.6, ISO 640<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUcaalF1lhmD7Qei2wnqvHmtbJUGFMz2TG1X3uFrcfOiC83O60cofbtx7I2S3EDizAX6nunSKvVhJs1ntc1wpAHW9KASL3QihTkSSAYT7zsjwzAU2SKLRGvR0PBu-BBPUKyMOafnjsGqs/s2048/ruddy+turnstone+creeping+111221.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUcaalF1lhmD7Qei2wnqvHmtbJUGFMz2TG1X3uFrcfOiC83O60cofbtx7I2S3EDizAX6nunSKvVhJs1ntc1wpAHW9KASL3QihTkSSAYT7zsjwzAU2SKLRGvR0PBu-BBPUKyMOafnjsGqs/w640-h426/ruddy+turnstone+creeping+111221.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dunlin - <i>Calidris alpina</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Canon 600mm f/4 IS II + 1.4x III on EOS R5<br />1/4000 at f/5.6, ISO 800<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMc5WLD0om04sLrPxIX95pNuzUYtJZomkGmZt_4F4EJ1RzipTHLM-mvWe5VQG8fTgRa96pyqMG63CtMxn0nkmTN-5T_0wRQ9uw_Y_7fTZ2AxWjdnpioEczPjyVZWBzI2KEJBHTJOu-yB8/s2048/dunlin+hella+blur+111221-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMc5WLD0om04sLrPxIX95pNuzUYtJZomkGmZt_4F4EJ1RzipTHLM-mvWe5VQG8fTgRa96pyqMG63CtMxn0nkmTN-5T_0wRQ9uw_Y_7fTZ2AxWjdnpioEczPjyVZWBzI2KEJBHTJOu-yB8/w640-h426/dunlin+hella+blur+111221-Edit.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />As much as I love shooting shorebirds, this White Ibis stole the show because I'd never had a decent photographic crack at the species. This example favored water that was 6 to 8 inches deep, so I had to be very careful to keep my lens dry as I crawled/floated/maneuvered into shooting position between the bird and the setting sun. The ruffled feathers in the first shot result from breeze blowing across the bird's left side. I don't know the identity of the prey in the second shot, but it was thrashing around like a worm or small eel.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">White Ibis - <i>Eudocimus albus</i><br />Canon 600mm f/4 IS II + 1.4x III on EOS R5<br />1/4000 at f/7.1, ISO 640<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtP1m8rstqYADGXYqQwTu0iU2ggm0mhPi3HhQcSFG9GISpMWrXGhHLcgPEDGRHyCerAWPEGCqtHUMKn2HQWtzoWksYrPGxr5ZLKtVhVqBurIUd5PF17Fo3xw4IpBXwt2yvUAqJOovdoqg/s2048/white+ibis+fluffy+111221.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtP1m8rstqYADGXYqQwTu0iU2ggm0mhPi3HhQcSFG9GISpMWrXGhHLcgPEDGRHyCerAWPEGCqtHUMKn2HQWtzoWksYrPGxr5ZLKtVhVqBurIUd5PF17Fo3xw4IpBXwt2yvUAqJOovdoqg/w640-h426/white+ibis+fluffy+111221.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />White Ibis - <i>Eudocimus albus</i><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Canon 600mm f/4 IS II + 1.4x III on EOS R5<br />1/4000 at f/5.6, ISO 800<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5DlbLkZxSurxw6V4GG4Z5VlJ1CZHJ2eEtPLPEJxsSHK-8NgU7il56Utb4uioNORNKoHVaxLwh6d1s-s5-9FFSdUL9z1_hroNaNpabXRYi6nEG2gpvzxgIZTW-Yp3I80XVlbqEMbO3d_c/s1199/white+ibis+sunset+leg+up+111221.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1199" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5DlbLkZxSurxw6V4GG4Z5VlJ1CZHJ2eEtPLPEJxsSHK-8NgU7il56Utb4uioNORNKoHVaxLwh6d1s-s5-9FFSdUL9z1_hroNaNpabXRYi6nEG2gpvzxgIZTW-Yp3I80XVlbqEMbO3d_c/w640-h428/white+ibis+sunset+leg+up+111221.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />And lastly, we have this Piping Plover. I don't waste time taking pictures which include man-made stuff -- feeders, metal perches, roads, etc -- because it's lazy photography, but I make exceptions for banded birds because 1) reporting the band to <a href="https://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/BBL/bblretrv/">this website</a> helps researchers and 2) it's fun to learn the bird's story. The leg tag might be difficult to read in this wide composition (chosen for dramatic/creative effect), but it's sufficient to identify the bird as 48F. The banding folks sent me a certificate of appreciation for my submission, and I've added it to <a href="https://www.dorianandersonphotography.com/Banded-Birds/">my running collection</a> as displayed on my photo website. Hopefully, I'll find and photograph more banded birds in the future!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Piping Plover - <i>Charadrius melodus</i><br />Canon 600mm f/4 IS II + 1.4x III on EOS R5<br />1/4000 at f/5.6, ISO 1000<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMrJPlYsasn6nFPMPsaGvj5tvofZbg35PZVryQwGCkTfDG9CLE8y2nNl2BRW9CRgNQx0ySzxcxmxXst_6opqlWGK9pIz1kf41qYa6uqCZzd43w9Fy2ObgFok3NA0LOmckayWd3lY1k9-k/s1199/piping+plover+tagged+111421.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1199" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMrJPlYsasn6nFPMPsaGvj5tvofZbg35PZVryQwGCkTfDG9CLE8y2nNl2BRW9CRgNQx0ySzxcxmxXst_6opqlWGK9pIz1kf41qYa6uqCZzd43w9Fy2ObgFok3NA0LOmckayWd3lY1k9-k/w640-h428/piping+plover+tagged+111421.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNXDL4DdEpXq-ZVepf7UHqmLACurtuahd2FITabJaqBOBdg6xCH0JJr9E6c1jX80q36ghbhLjV5HOWYtd2L0jQze77tQo8uofxt98Bx2GhYHJ0xb-NWAjHTvtw1ubf0djRHN8QqiLW6p8/s1124/PIPL+48F.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="842" data-original-width="1124" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNXDL4DdEpXq-ZVepf7UHqmLACurtuahd2FITabJaqBOBdg6xCH0JJr9E6c1jX80q36ghbhLjV5HOWYtd2L0jQze77tQo8uofxt98Bx2GhYHJ0xb-NWAjHTvtw1ubf0djRHN8QqiLW6p8/w640-h480/PIPL+48F.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It took several hours on my belly to capture all these frames, but the water was so warm that a pair of ratty old short was all the clothing I needed. I did catch a few birders watching me through their binoculars and scopes while I was crawling around, so I hope like hell that they've erased the image of my pasty white body from their memories! <br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Cheers for now!</span></div></div></div>Dorian Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15916335753403783947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6961914105467755287.post-37155959433445655552021-11-20T21:44:00.001-08:002021-11-21T12:16:37.256-08:00Post #208 - My final Bay Area bike chase and big plans for the future.......<p><span style="font-size: medium;">No, I'm not retiring from the glory-sport that is bike-birding, but I will be vacating the Bay Area for the next 10 months. Airbnb is permitting Sonia to work remotely through next September, and <a href="https://www.tropicalbirding.com/" target="_blank">Tropical Birding</a> will fly me from wherever I am to wherever my tours run. So, with that flexibility, we've decided to rent our apartment and hit the road! We're going to Chile for all of December, and we're planning to spend the remaining winter in CA, NV, AZ, and NM once we've returned. We've not visited OK or AR, so we'll hit those states en route towards LA, hopefully in early-April. From the bayou, we'll follow the Mississippi River north through May. We'll explore Ontario and Quebec in June and July, and we're planning on camping in Norway, Finland, and Sweden in August before returning to the US, picking-up the car in Philly, and recrossing the country in September. Throw my tour schedule (TX, FL, NC, MA, WY, Newfoundland) on top of that plan, and it's going to be a very hectic year. I'm optimistic we'll have room for my bicycle on the US and Canadian legs, but there should be plenty of blog material regardless!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Given the necessary preparations ahead of our departure, bike-birding has recently been curtailed. I did, however, put a pause on planning to pursue a Gray Catbird (GRCA) which was found in the San Francisco Botanical Garden on November 1st. I'd missed the mostly-Eastern species (range map below) on two different occasions -- once in San Francisco's Presidio in September of 2018 and again Half Moon Bay in August of 2019 -- so I was keen to avoid a third strike when I mounted up on the morning of November 4th.<br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDJuWJd12z-6doG6HicqWzP13e7lMcQ95ddU3z1vveXQwbcuH15qDN34cHxnEsqF5eOqr3z1nuD1sGd_lSvVioeD0PXvc84kv-eRauF3ZwT5L0c6rkvbXuXFbQumseUrEWw0powHAV0I/s1215/composite.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1215" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDJuWJd12z-6doG6HicqWzP13e7lMcQ95ddU3z1vveXQwbcuH15qDN34cHxnEsqF5eOqr3z1nuD1sGd_lSvVioeD0PXvc84kv-eRauF3ZwT5L0c6rkvbXuXFbQumseUrEWw0powHAV0I/w640-h296/composite.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />The 19.5-mile ride to the Golden Gate Park was painless (~85 mins). Half-a-dozen birders hadn't observed the bird by my arrival, so I settled into the search for the next hour. And then another. And then another. Nancy Palmer caught a glimpse of something promising as the fourth hour arrived, but it took another 30 minutes before a clearer view confirmed her initial suspicion, the bird finally perching in the open for all to see. It was a great 'get' given that I was ready to fold the search five minutes earlier!<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Gray Catbird - Bay Area bike bird #343 (SF bike bird #252)<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_sJixI5eX4GQM1ohyAQPBm7qpZQs0r3YxgbXGVjtmZXspA6N4Wp_PFpRV7Nx9vTzFy4K8mOW7YasPgrUbzgJQIi-c2DsWvNUVnEjK8d0FpETFr2xBTAV1NSF6A-yVuVYkkiE1wdQ3H-w/s785/GRCA.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="785" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_sJixI5eX4GQM1ohyAQPBm7qpZQs0r3YxgbXGVjtmZXspA6N4Wp_PFpRV7Nx9vTzFy4K8mOW7YasPgrUbzgJQIi-c2DsWvNUVnEjK8d0FpETFr2xBTAV1NSF6A-yVuVYkkiE1wdQ3H-w/w640-h426/GRCA.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;">39 round-trip miles<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQrYaOADL_KT_j3djkt6nT-oi7WKP0Gvvwi3EvZLIwWGPkSqprGBvnh2tVEv1netrCXfozba1siP-D7PXFI2duauQHJFOUdQr5cmtCU8Kuu_SHM8USPN3kvua9fnHIRKmwoKZMzu8ITLA/s668/route.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="651" data-original-width="668" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQrYaOADL_KT_j3djkt6nT-oi7WKP0Gvvwi3EvZLIwWGPkSqprGBvnh2tVEv1netrCXfozba1siP-D7PXFI2duauQHJFOUdQr5cmtCU8Kuu_SHM8USPN3kvua9fnHIRKmwoKZMzu8ITLA/w400-h390/route.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />The ride avenged my previous misses on this species and wrapped-up my Bay Area biking with a savory victory. I'll miss my adopted home these next ten months, but I know there will be plenty of biking and birding when we return next fall. <br /><br />Here are some numbers since we moved to San Mateo in May of 2017.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">2017: ~700 (estimate since I didn't keep track or know how obsessive I'd become)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">2018: 2,001 miles<br />2019: 2,086 miles</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">2020: 2,940 miles<br />2021: 2,080 miles</span></div><div><b style="font-size: large;">Total; ~9,800 miles</b></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Species totals by county:</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">San Mateo<span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>292<span> (408 checklists)</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">San Francisco <span> </span><span> </span>252<span> (137 checklists)</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Santa Clara<span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>229<span> (71 checklists)</span><br />Alameda <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>194<span> (29 checklists)</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Santa Cruz<span> </span><span> 117<span> (17 checklists, all on same overnight swing)</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Marin<span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>138<span> (11 checklists spread across six visits, mostly Rodeo Lagoon)</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Monterey <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>95<span> (6 checklists, all on one morning as part of 5-day trip)</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Stanislaus 73<span> (3 checklists, all on one day as part of 5-day trip)</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">San Benito 62<span> (6 checklist across an afternoon and morning as part of 5-day trip)</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">San Joaquin 59<span> (4 checklists across one summer morning as part of 5-day trip)</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Contra Costa 51<span> (4 checklists, all on one summer afternoon </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>as part of 5-day trip</span><span>)</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><b>1,562 county ticks representing 343 species</b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>***These totals include widespread and ABA-countable introduced species like European Starling and Eurasian Collared-Dove but not Red-masked Parakeet (observed in SF), Mute Swan (the pets at SF palace of fine arts), Mitred Parakeet (observed in Palo Alto), Northern Red Bishop (observed in SF), Chilean Flamingo (observed in Alameda), and so so.<br /><br /><b>Particularly notable birds:</b><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">Tufted Duck (SM)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Broad-billed Hummingbird (SF)<br />Black Rail (heard-only in SC)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Hudsonian Godwit (SM)<br />Bar-tailed Godwit (SM, Ala)<br />Ruff (SM, SC)<br />Rock Sandpiper (SF)<br />Parakeet Auklet (SF)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Sabine's Gull (SF, SC)<br />Slaty-backed Gull (SM)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>Laysan Albatross (SM)<br />Red-footed Booby (SM, SF)<br />Northern Gannet (SM)</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>California Condor (SB)</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yellow-green Vireo (SF)<br />Dusky Warbler (SM)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Brown Thrasher (SF)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">LeConte's Sparrow (SM)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">27 New World warblers including Canada, Black-throated Blue, Black-throated Green, Prairie, Yellow-throated, Lucy's, Worm-eating, and Ovenbird.<br /><br />OK, enough. More from the road in the near future. Cheers!</span></div>Dorian Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15916335753403783947noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6961914105467755287.post-71220021639331745632021-11-01T19:09:00.001-07:002021-11-01T19:09:36.456-07:00Post #207 - A few recent photos<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I've really struggled with the camera this calendar year. The closure of my local photo spot for major construction has been a crushing blow, and I've been reticent to travel for personal purposes during the pandemic (though that's about to change - big time). I have done some traveling while guiding for <a href="https://www.tropicalbirding.com/" target="_blank">Tropical Birding</a>, but it's virtually impossible to do my own shooting while I'm pointing out birds to clients or helping them take their own pictures. That said, I have managed a handful of decent frames around the Bay Area in recent months, and I'll use this post to present them and say a few words about each. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">First up is this Snowy Egret. I had way too much lens when this subject sauntered into my view on the SF bayshore, so a tight headshot was the best I could hope for given my proximity. The bird was very focused on a school of baitfish, but a quick whistle was enough to get it to look up for a brief moment. I'm a huge fan of the feather detail which these close-cropped frames reveal, and I find that it easy to connect with the subject when peripheral distraction is minimized, the yellow eye and lores attention-grabbing in this instance. I like this shot be because it's an uncommon look at a common bird.<br /><br />NOTE: I sold my Canon 1DX Mark II and have been relying on my 7D Mark II while I raise funds to buy the mirrorless R5. It's been nice to dust off this older body and see what it can do! </span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Snowy Egret - <i>Egretta thula</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Canon 600mm f/4 IS II on EOS 7D2</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">1/4000 at f/7.1, ISO 400<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLeYz2UjBfvO_dgJoGmKgT2b53q8Vc7AR35gqENINeLfMXm-TdSe9LGvzeWni2d9bOvVoJDVVBzOM3nDM6SmOPhjPvqGJZDZ_gBZLhBFuvXXS3iAgmS3AJTXNNAiJ6mlmLQCPfX3t5BmY/s1200/snowy+egret+head+083121.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLeYz2UjBfvO_dgJoGmKgT2b53q8Vc7AR35gqENINeLfMXm-TdSe9LGvzeWni2d9bOvVoJDVVBzOM3nDM6SmOPhjPvqGJZDZ_gBZLhBFuvXXS3iAgmS3AJTXNNAiJ6mlmLQCPfX3t5BmY/w640-h426/snowy+egret+head+083121.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />Next up is this Golden-crowned Sparrow which I intersected while birding outside San Jose. I rarely bother carrying the camera while I'm birding because I'm too focused on bird-finding and identification to worry about taking artistic photos, but I was stoked to have my walk-around rig with me when I spotted this subject at Vasona County Park. High overcast minimized midday shadows, and I consciously positioned the bird against some distant, low-hanging branches to suggest the Autumn season at the moment of capture. Sparrows don't get much photographic love, particularly in their winter plumage, so I was really happy with this colorful image of an under-appreciated species. <br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Golden-crowned Sparrow - <i>Zonotrichia atricapilla</i><br />Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 IS II on EOS 7D2<br />1/800 at f/5.6, ISO 800<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWs5rzf5x5HQxY0CqfooORCnQ2zACT1stQEp9TnBmkT1_2xyNqU_C4D8uhnwrbTXHAe0t2odZDFRQ21sfbH-Sz2fqKFRlTabnjr_nav5ZtbvXKgIGIn_TUUuMtnGA7LnkPk9neEcDt6OY/s1200/golden-crowned+sparrow+100621.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWs5rzf5x5HQxY0CqfooORCnQ2zACT1stQEp9TnBmkT1_2xyNqU_C4D8uhnwrbTXHAe0t2odZDFRQ21sfbH-Sz2fqKFRlTabnjr_nav5ZtbvXKgIGIn_TUUuMtnGA7LnkPk9neEcDt6OY/w640-h426/golden-crowned+sparrow+100621.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />Moving right along, I'll offer this Pomarine Jaeger, an oceanic species which spends the vast majority of its life many miles from land. We regularly intersect 'Poms' on pelagic trips, but those encounters are usually transient, the powerful fliers rocketing by the boat at high speed. It was therefore very unusual that this representative spent a week frequenting a public beach in Half Moon Bay. The bird flew around a good deal on my visit but eventually put down on the sand and allowed close approach. Unfortunately, the beach was covered with ugly-ass seaweed, so I decided to go with a headshot to keep the frame clean. I never imagined I'd be so close to this striking species. The light was super muted (see next photo for explanation why), but I like how that rendered the frame more contrasty than colorful.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Pomarine Jaeger - <i>Stercorarius pomarinus</i><br />Canon 600mm f/4 IS II on EOS 7D2</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">1/1600 at f/7.1, ISO 800<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipk8NZspm9HIb6uNkYlcQDELsv_FHehnIPeYEwuGmgRLrnzS_JA3KTeCbfFuxLznVHr2kYaNZ-GxwB_QJ5mbHI3HZuu5SwxPicJnXJ46L0k7hhgKS55MfdI7gJspRq_nIPfX_tCV_eqs0/s1200/pomarine+jaeger+headshot+081821.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipk8NZspm9HIb6uNkYlcQDELsv_FHehnIPeYEwuGmgRLrnzS_JA3KTeCbfFuxLznVHr2kYaNZ-GxwB_QJ5mbHI3HZuu5SwxPicJnXJ46L0k7hhgKS55MfdI7gJspRq_nIPfX_tCV_eqs0/w640-h426/pomarine+jaeger+headshot+081821.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />Now for the best one! Snowy Plovers love to hunker in human footprints along the edges of the dunes, a behavior which doesn't lend to striking/memorable photographs, but circumstances suggested that I get creative when this incredible opportunity presented post-jaeger. While some lazy, fake-ass photographers have taken to swapping-in prefabricated backgrounds instead of working to obtain a real result, this one is totally legit, it generated as the setting sun shone through forest fire smoke which had drifted onto the Pacific. Though I was hundreds of miles from the inferno, the scene was a striking reminder of the challenges California will continue to face as the impacts of climate change compound. This is a bird photograph, but it's the surrounding negative space (beach and sky) which renders the frame memorable.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Snowy Plover - <i>Charadrius nivosus</i><br />Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 IS II on EOS 7D2<br />1/2000 at f/5.6, ISO 800<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoCu8pXLIloz5q-y99dkXcyHRkpM3-ujxChtoh0029tdtIk3GdD_ChFiu9K2hgnk6EGGxojqKg7T4UxUkKRUEXC8zMlOA_hVYzPyI3nxm8kEI0yvvIScGKqug28YsLjo0_rq_M-nsJ5aM/s1200/snowy+plover+sunset+081821.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoCu8pXLIloz5q-y99dkXcyHRkpM3-ujxChtoh0029tdtIk3GdD_ChFiu9K2hgnk6EGGxojqKg7T4UxUkKRUEXC8zMlOA_hVYzPyI3nxm8kEI0yvvIScGKqug28YsLjo0_rq_M-nsJ5aM/w640-h426/snowy+plover+sunset+081821.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />Cheers for now!</span><p></p>Dorian Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15916335753403783947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6961914105467755287.post-33405339778608828652021-10-21T20:28:00.001-07:002021-10-21T20:28:32.779-07:00Post #206 - The bike giveth, the bike taketh away.......<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Williamson's Sapsucker (WISA) is common in California's Sierras but makes only rare appearances at lower, coastal elevations; between May of 2017 and September of 2021, eBird shows just three records from the Bay Area (blue pins on right map). All were single-observer encounters with flying/transient birds, so there was zero opportunity to initiate a pursuit in each instance. Given that scarcity and pattern, I was curious when Carter Gasiorowski reported a beautiful male at Vasona Park in Santa Clara County on October 4th (orange pin on right map). When the bird frequented the same small grove of trees through that day and the next, I decided to ride for it on the morning of the 6th. At 72 round-trip miles, it promised to be an exhausting undertaking.<br /></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">WISA range (left) and Bay Area sightings 2017-2021 (right)<br />Map adapted from <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Williamsons_Sapsucker" target="_blank">All About Birds</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt3yNrsyX7wq0GVjkPtlW9jpqpY9G59IBnCI0Mu5qsEOOytY_IlH8-Yw6MkOGy7M7k2i_lgKqPcPyQ0lfxRkMCdphdVGMjqEIJ_f4UytuMZMBkUaMlt-NcyI0dL0oZcrdmG3ZhFrkabx4/s904/WISA+map.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="904" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt3yNrsyX7wq0GVjkPtlW9jpqpY9G59IBnCI0Mu5qsEOOytY_IlH8-Yw6MkOGy7M7k2i_lgKqPcPyQ0lfxRkMCdphdVGMjqEIJ_f4UytuMZMBkUaMlt-NcyI0dL0oZcrdmG3ZhFrkabx4/w640-h320/WISA+map.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I departed San Mateo at 7:15am, battled heavy traffic and uncooperative lights south to Redwood City, and reached Palo Alto before joining Foothill Expressway and rounding the outskirts of San Jose. Reaching the park at 9:55, I intersected a dozen disappointed birders and photographers, the sapsucker absent all morning. Disregarding their dejection, I scoured the favored grove and surrounding with hopes of a midday reveal. No sapsucker in evidence and my stomach begging for sustenance by 1pm, I folded my search, grabbed a quick lunch, and started home. I assumed that task would consume three-plus hours given the northwest headwind which had built through the day, but I completed the inbound leg in the same 2 hours and 40 minutes which the outgoing required. Checking my phone after showering, I learned the WISA had shown for several observers at 3:30pm. Ugh - at least it was a nice day for a ride.<br /></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">75 miles including a detour for Vesper Sparrow in San Carlos<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhzEilq3BkTdTzSnOhUvD7YQiEPTyGKbHTq3jOXIj4NOSKJYzukZ8b1iyhPPRHnK9_AwkksYq3bq0dszcRbwHfWKIs6ssBPqD4mOvSpEH5h8qzYghve9Erw3i4YcO2TgEkvWoDTFdYhpQ/s725/WISA.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="634" data-original-width="725" height="560" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhzEilq3BkTdTzSnOhUvD7YQiEPTyGKbHTq3jOXIj4NOSKJYzukZ8b1iyhPPRHnK9_AwkksYq3bq0dszcRbwHfWKIs6ssBPqD4mOvSpEH5h8qzYghve9Erw3i4YcO2TgEkvWoDTFdYhpQ/w640-h560/WISA.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />That miss behind me, I turned my attention to the Ovenbird which Kaia Colestock and Elias Elias found at Salesforce Park on October 11th. Ovenbird is an eastern species which makes occasional cameos in California, usually during fall migration, but I'd not seen one anywhere in the state since moving from Boston in April of 2015 (6+ years). <br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ovenbird range<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn04K055AHw5OCFHgahpJFLJFu1AOolHZqRoWEVYHGofdgikPLxLYzHCYUzPtpJ-eLzGf-JPTUgZKTxoKLeFH777TAQUJD3NRzwBg1aJXAF4O3fR1urF2ip0ERQkr70f7XZbGfaisLErk/s600/31505191-1280px.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="575" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn04K055AHw5OCFHgahpJFLJFu1AOolHZqRoWEVYHGofdgikPLxLYzHCYUzPtpJ-eLzGf-JPTUgZKTxoKLeFH777TAQUJD3NRzwBg1aJXAF4O3fR1urF2ip0ERQkr70f7XZbGfaisLErk/w384-h400/31505191-1280px.jpg" width="384" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Huge northwest wind prevented a pursuit on the bird's discovery day, but positive reports on the 12th coupled with calm conditions to suggest a pursuit on that second afternoon. I'd knew nothing of the urban oasis when I arrived after an 85-minute ride, but it turned out to be a pretty neat place. I had no idea it was built on top of a transit center. It's not everyday I get in an elevator to go birding!</span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Salesforce Park in downtown SF<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmSHPQ4GiOhbrNMh27rEtk5EyzXbsaiX1_UFuHlJ_NPEdpFd-vu4V5PKUpqCGwcMBRBhnKFlk2en1h-sIo2I2hIJHhleW1r7xAaxCDCZMU2ivQbSpItm1OKx9786_sv-avCLId9bv0qNQ/s3000/salesforce.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="3000" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmSHPQ4GiOhbrNMh27rEtk5EyzXbsaiX1_UFuHlJ_NPEdpFd-vu4V5PKUpqCGwcMBRBhnKFlk2en1h-sIo2I2hIJHhleW1r7xAaxCDCZMU2ivQbSpItm1OKx9786_sv-avCLId9bv0qNQ/w640-h214/salesforce.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />There was zero drama on this day; a horde of observers pointed me towards the Ovenbird five minutes after I arrived. It was very approachable/cooperative, and I was able to snap a serviceable digi-binoc pic as the bird poked about the understory. <br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ovenbird - Bay Area Bike Bird #342 (SF #251)<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSfj6gzboMZN_7Mp2XroZ_ZlnHGXsNuMd5c3X7KUUyENz6NCvIxhGfkvvKMX-_WaPwQFd5SHXyLEOnuAljf2lYBnbLOlHpWurDb5NLhTSzkF4ofC1HzZp35R1N3Bk3vHSwzhYAIufNbac/s3076/oven+composite.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1022" data-original-width="3076" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSfj6gzboMZN_7Mp2XroZ_ZlnHGXsNuMd5c3X7KUUyENz6NCvIxhGfkvvKMX-_WaPwQFd5SHXyLEOnuAljf2lYBnbLOlHpWurDb5NLhTSzkF4ofC1HzZp35R1N3Bk3vHSwzhYAIufNbac/w640-h212/oven+composite.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8w7OCjmqVBExkCFID3tBRlLW0BjcghyphenhyphenN-FD68gbG96OnfRRmYVgYv-wwdVsKUFBRnPVKe7uDahog3jQHy9gI5HP3p7NlfgZXf9PxqREdqpCYr_j_TpeapY9S6w9mVEgNCo3Yh_MMTmPM/s636/OVEN.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="636" data-original-width="621" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8w7OCjmqVBExkCFID3tBRlLW0BjcghyphenhyphenN-FD68gbG96OnfRRmYVgYv-wwdVsKUFBRnPVKe7uDahog3jQHy9gI5HP3p7NlfgZXf9PxqREdqpCYr_j_TpeapY9S6w9mVEgNCo3Yh_MMTmPM/w624-h640/OVEN.png" width="624" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">OK - remember the Williamson's Sapsucker from above? Well, it was seen on seven consecutive days following my failed attempt. Non-birding responsibilities and wind prevented redemption through the 13th, but I decided to give the bird another crack on the 14th. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect day -- sunny, no wind, mid-60's -- but the goddamn thing failed to show (again) despite my 5-hour vigil. It was a demoralizing defeat, and the return 36 miles miles took close to 3 hours when it was all said and done. And the worse part? The bird reappeared the following day and continued through the 20th! It seems to be most regular in the late-afternoon, but that timing doesn't work on the bike because I'd need to spend the night down there afterwards. So, the bird will remain one of my greatest misses unless it decides to stay into November, when I return from the East Coast.<br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">72 miles direct, without detour for Vesper Sparrow as on 10/6<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhza9AbTO7HYUkJrE1i1BiY45c8L-L1K92qBJZ0Ns8PQMfsKj5lXkRjxEMzIMKfWYmyLCJ5R9ksZ_EQAqHCGYdqb8ED8gCEOKRo7scWOTzAzlkWZg0idJFZC8RcZgYuhbH70WrI5exf10A/s647/WISA+2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="544" data-original-width="647" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhza9AbTO7HYUkJrE1i1BiY45c8L-L1K92qBJZ0Ns8PQMfsKj5lXkRjxEMzIMKfWYmyLCJ5R9ksZ_EQAqHCGYdqb8ED8gCEOKRo7scWOTzAzlkWZg0idJFZC8RcZgYuhbH70WrI5exf10A/w640-h538/WISA+2.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />That's it for now. Cheers! <br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div></div></div>Dorian Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15916335753403783947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6961914105467755287.post-11458416404576889922021-10-12T19:55:00.001-07:002021-10-19T18:10:23.224-07:00Post #205 - The Bay Area Bike-birding hits keep coming!<span style="font-size: medium;">Locals have found so many great birds around here these last few weeks that I'm wondering if my legs are ever gonna get a rest! I guess there are worse problems to have, and I'm fortunate that breaks in my writing and guiding schedules have coincided to allow regular pursuits. I will recap one particularly involved chase in this post.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Black-throated Blue Warbler (BTBW) is an eastern species which makes rare cameos on the West Coast. One was found in Robertsville in Southern Santa Clara County in October of 2017, but it was out of my range (45 miles each way) in those early Bay Area bike-birding days because I was still recovering from a torn calf suffered ahead of my May move. As that was the only regional record across the last few years, I was stoked to learn that Nina Bai found a beautiful male in the San Francisco Botanical Garden on Saturday, October 2nd. Spotting on an <a href="https://www.alvarosadventures.com/" target="_blank">Alvaro's Adventures</a> pelagic on that day and locked into family stuff on Sunday, I had to delay my pursuit until Monday the 4th. Fortunately, the bird stuck, and a mini-mob pointed me towards it ten minutes after I arrived. Pro-tip: make sure you put the battery in your camera before leaving the house so that you don't have to resort to digi-binocs when your SLR is powerless. It was so dark in the understory that I was just happy to get anything with the phone.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Black-throated Blue Warbler - Bay Area Bike Bird #341 (SF #249)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP_AVFyf8wco3yCgiHsuZXs0H36A9n8LrJFKS7r1-n5R_NsEwfnNoOm41I7at6Fvy4QSWrjz4J-Vd9LljdXgXG6WErAmm2CLFeCx2dut0NRAxrhi33lTjvopa4LG6aLPqDz5TCl2gmKuY/s2500/BTBW+composite.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="876" data-original-width="2500" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP_AVFyf8wco3yCgiHsuZXs0H36A9n8LrJFKS7r1-n5R_NsEwfnNoOm41I7at6Fvy4QSWrjz4J-Vd9LljdXgXG6WErAmm2CLFeCx2dut0NRAxrhi33lTjvopa4LG6aLPqDz5TCl2gmKuY/w640-h224/BTBW+composite.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">With that first target secured, I hustled over to Crissy Field on the Presidio waterfront to look for the female Bobolink which others had reported for the previous ~3 days. Bobolink is another eastern species, but it reaches farther west than BTBW; it is therefore a more 'common' stray in California. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Bobolink range<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKYj7elM-XPxzMmF8U3eLKzsDF8RRXAn9Pl59bipiDNEP3HmS3tb9P3cqLKKunN-gW-IMlitxr3MYXVHo7boa68Xo7BwERTkpEKY-e6ya4tS_N5gHf1fzYVzPooyfHony2B3kRCaBek64/s1280/25037831-1280px.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="903" data-original-width="1280" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKYj7elM-XPxzMmF8U3eLKzsDF8RRXAn9Pl59bipiDNEP3HmS3tb9P3cqLKKunN-gW-IMlitxr3MYXVHo7boa68Xo7BwERTkpEKY-e6ya4tS_N5gHf1fzYVzPooyfHony2B3kRCaBek64/s320/25037831-1280px.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;">I spent 90 minutes stomping through wet grass but was unable to locate the field-loving bird, it clearly departed as suggested by additional negative reports from that day and the next. I did add a previously-reported female Blue-winged Teal (BWTE) on the lagoon as consolation (SF bike bird #250). That duck is regular around the Bay, but there's very little habitat for it in San Francisco. The female Blue-winged Teal can be differentiated from the very similar female Cinnamon Teal by the better defined eye-line and light patch at the base of the bill (among other subtle field marks). Note - the second/front bird in the below photo is NOT a female Cinnamon Teal, it is a female Green-winged Teal (GWTE). The confusion never ends......<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Golden Gate Bridge from Crissy Field</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlDPcDnG5zDRtlMkbD3-gePf52vTyNd8BLIYOf16nSscSajVr9XrDppcGHQ_sarBMwAiDJDY1okLy256Rk-6QleFk71eX6HA8s3aRpKUls91CH9wm4IDcn7lEOhK6g4Vc7qrcKH9zwdRI/s2725/IMG_5249.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1154" data-original-width="2725" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlDPcDnG5zDRtlMkbD3-gePf52vTyNd8BLIYOf16nSscSajVr9XrDppcGHQ_sarBMwAiDJDY1okLy256Rk-6QleFk71eX6HA8s3aRpKUls91CH9wm4IDcn7lEOhK6g4Vc7qrcKH9zwdRI/w640-h272/IMG_5249.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Female BWTE (with female GWTE front) - SF Bike Bird #250<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWtLM7RIIZAyWnHFKf17_NYnKvkf7jX7tXn0rhpfmpmRuz9sU2jlwAwZCbaod-ecEWVJqio-MasexMby_SvsSISRBKsEYoiN9dMHuQkQbjxbxH0fvKCiMUVy8_keGDFF1MZPRvDD1tVcQ/s962/IMG_5250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="434" data-original-width="962" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWtLM7RIIZAyWnHFKf17_NYnKvkf7jX7tXn0rhpfmpmRuz9sU2jlwAwZCbaod-ecEWVJqio-MasexMby_SvsSISRBKsEYoiN9dMHuQkQbjxbxH0fvKCiMUVy8_keGDFF1MZPRvDD1tVcQ/w640-h288/IMG_5250.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />From Crissy, I proceeded east along the water to Fort Mason. David Assman's Lark Sparrow (LASP) had continued for the previous ~10 days, but I wasn't able to find it despite two hours of searching. The bird wasn't reported on that day -- October 4th -- or any day after, so I was clearly looking for another departed example. I can live with missing birds which aren't present because they've moved on, but over-looking a bird which others later re-find sucks. I have LASP on my San Mateo and Santa Clara County bike lists, and I'm sure I'll get it in SF eventually.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">My route on October 4th - 50% ain't bad.......<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWRcAtWc-sJAaJlyvTZpyZb0yxvSOMKaJWsyLEe5UlOz8q5wBYwZigQUETe2ehuoSuuFu-m7yAOgMfnWjQoJaHY9NC75Q5Blgq2c4cpysJ6i0YuBSTu0xncYFzeUi8E6qAmH8JSvQcF-Y/s678/BTBW.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="678" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWRcAtWc-sJAaJlyvTZpyZb0yxvSOMKaJWsyLEe5UlOz8q5wBYwZigQUETe2ehuoSuuFu-m7yAOgMfnWjQoJaHY9NC75Q5Blgq2c4cpysJ6i0YuBSTu0xncYFzeUi8E6qAmH8JSvQcF-Y/w400-h376/BTBW.png" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I already have a backlog of content for you, so I'll try to crank additional entries in the next few days. Good birding until then - cheers!</span></div>Dorian Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15916335753403783947noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6961914105467755287.post-44234406206221073342021-09-28T22:09:00.000-07:002021-09-28T22:09:18.071-07:00Post #204 - Fall Migration in Full Swing!<p><span style="font-size: medium;">The stream of interesting migrants continues! I've been out on the bike a fair amount lately, and I'll use this entry to highlight a few birds I've intersected since my last post. Let's get rolling....</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Canada Warbler (CAWA) is an eastern species which occurs in California as a rare migrant, usually in fall (range map below). Beyond a would-be addition to my Bay Area Bike List, CAWA would be a state bird for me because I'd not intersected it anywhere in California -- by bike or by car -- since moving from Boston in April of 2015. That as a backdrop, I sprung into action when Aaron Maizlish reported one at the Colma Creek mouth on the San Mateo bayshore on September 14. The report came in 2.5 hours after the original sighting, and I wasn't optimistic about relocating the bird given the huge wind which had materialized in the interim. I saddled-up regardless and -- to my surprise -- relocated the bird after a ten minute search. Other birders arrived a bit later, and the subject showed well through the afternoon and the next day. It was the first CAWA reported in the county since 2014, so it was well-received by all.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Canada Warbler <br />Bay Area Bike Bird #340<br />San Mateo County Bike Bird #291<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCQHn0fZ2CxipiwxnwLktCxKC1vadNhdLO7unIj_i-wr5DLyPFj4KIjT2htz3cCdEEWXEYYrbL6Q5P_883-nHOPX_6bTIQrlMsE4ilFDos2tup7v21fk2797tRKx0AgfOblUp8LEfcYHQ/s1948/CAWA+photo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1948" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCQHn0fZ2CxipiwxnwLktCxKC1vadNhdLO7unIj_i-wr5DLyPFj4KIjT2htz3cCdEEWXEYYrbL6Q5P_883-nHOPX_6bTIQrlMsE4ilFDos2tup7v21fk2797tRKx0AgfOblUp8LEfcYHQ/w640-h262/CAWA+photo.png" width="640" /></a></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLKpoX57iQpJvm09TkVdt-AYig_jqUbfAc7dT4aLgoX6jPv-Hus6hKpT-O4ZdR9BsI9mGqB-dar7V6NyIlHu7st4nrm47yTq_baJPMDhcFoFFrpj-LmGuTKKA36JIbQhd-7JaHVmkpxIA/s932/CAWA.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="614" data-original-width="932" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLKpoX57iQpJvm09TkVdt-AYig_jqUbfAc7dT4aLgoX6jPv-Hus6hKpT-O4ZdR9BsI9mGqB-dar7V6NyIlHu7st4nrm47yTq_baJPMDhcFoFFrpj-LmGuTKKA36JIbQhd-7JaHVmkpxIA/w640-h422/CAWA.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;">While I was looking at the Colma CAWA, Noah Arthur found another in the San Francisco Botanical Garden. I didn't have the time to continue to SF for that second bird, but I caught up with it two days later, on September 16th (SF Bike Bird #248. No photo, sorry). So, after seeing zero CAWAs in California across six years, I saw two by bike in the span of three days. I think it was karma since I decided not to drive for a cooperative CAWA in Contra Costa County the previous week.<br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglOYbWpin4UMWKRCzqgYEzW_Iclx35IU6j2b5bMrSZVgJwxL4sGhXebHVJzVL9XauaLF89T3KFOsSoJThPrHZyAx2eB5FanMdy7Tcz6Qn5G2fmXsOZutYjNm-eGjJx6F3mgMDRbpH76WQ/s659/CAWA2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="659" data-original-width="623" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglOYbWpin4UMWKRCzqgYEzW_Iclx35IU6j2b5bMrSZVgJwxL4sGhXebHVJzVL9XauaLF89T3KFOsSoJThPrHZyAx2eB5FanMdy7Tcz6Qn5G2fmXsOZutYjNm-eGjJx6F3mgMDRbpH76WQ/w606-h640/CAWA2.png" width="606" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I hadn't birded the Colma Creek mouth prior to my CAWA visit, and I decided to return on September 24th since I liked what I saw the first time around. There's a lot of fennel along that stretch of bayshore, and I was hopeful I could find some interesting migrants. When I didn't find much beyond White-crowned Sparrows, Black Phoebes, Bushtits, I continued to the adjacent mudflats where I took a quick binocular scan of the various shorebirds.<br /><br /><i>What the hell is that? Could it be a Ruff ? No way - they're hella rare around here.</i><br /><br />I jumped off the bike, fished out my the scope, and threw it onto the tripod, my subsequent view to the bird confirming my Ruff suspicion! I snapped a few digiscope pics, but the bird vanished while I was posting it to the Telegram group and list server. Fortunately, I relocated it from another vantage half an hour later, and at least one other person arrived in time to see it. Ruff is a great find for San Mateo -- there are only a handful of county records -- but it wasn't a Bay Area Bike Bird since I observed one in Santa Clara at Don Edwards on November 3, 2018.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ruff - San Mateo Bike Bird #292</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihI9563R_XXnony91M40z90IKID0Eu6VgJx8QJ5uM9S2msctAVBW1fiol0BeIW7TqumXc1XFZk_ZZWbSOx9eOdPCO7XlG-tOwaZ8vI8E3GKEqJtQTfRGGK37dvR7ACk7puZEyeFPWxDpM/s1489/IMG_5221.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1090" data-original-width="1489" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihI9563R_XXnony91M40z90IKID0Eu6VgJx8QJ5uM9S2msctAVBW1fiol0BeIW7TqumXc1XFZk_ZZWbSOx9eOdPCO7XlG-tOwaZ8vI8E3GKEqJtQTfRGGK37dvR7ACk7puZEyeFPWxDpM/w640-h468/IMG_5221.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZgj4OaH8Acz27WoH0md4urPqjHn9odvuBoKYGwsKW0CRbZEpqqzZjamYEPovPZwzznOhBxbOG-QeqJogi8aEpU-dasJ4LZycxdervDFAo7tPWUTb2Q7Jhyphenhyphenwa02Yf8BAEXMRU0ltDzwC4/s783/Ruff.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="556" data-original-width="783" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZgj4OaH8Acz27WoH0md4urPqjHn9odvuBoKYGwsKW0CRbZEpqqzZjamYEPovPZwzznOhBxbOG-QeqJogi8aEpU-dasJ4LZycxdervDFAo7tPWUTb2Q7Jhyphenhyphenwa02Yf8BAEXMRU0ltDzwC4/w640-h454/Ruff.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">That's it for now. More to come in the next few weeks. Cheers!</span></div></div>Dorian Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15916335753403783947noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6961914105467755287.post-5081034702287685902021-09-10T20:10:00.003-07:002021-09-28T21:14:44.861-07:00Post #203 - My most ridiculous bike chases yet?<span style="font-size: medium;">I know the title is high billing, but two of the three pursuits I'll recap in this post were laughable, albeit for different reasons. With that teaser, let's start with something standard to get warmed-up.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I saw Eastern Kingbird (EAKI) by bike in San Francisco a few years back, but I've been waiting for one to appear in San Mateo. That finally happened when biologist Rusty-something found one at Crystal Springs Reservoir on the morning of September 1st. Though positive reports rolled in through midday, non-birding responsibilities prevented me from getting out until 2:30pm. I wasn't optimistic about my chances given the howling wind which had materialized across the day, but the bird showed right after I arrived. It stayed well inside the fence, so even scope views were poor. <br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span>Eastern Kingbird - San Mateo bike bird #289</span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">At least the white tail band is visible...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggdMrLTLFE0Y7SI68VuKy6gLlB_pjizvzy_vi354X2Gsexkn6HWkVkVAIn2819_6-5UyqFF6V1lfb91FREzubCLp8jWhvEAl-6V9QomIY4_jaQsyokKDJOa1tpVvzFDpaOByLHXe5Pzao/s2000/EAKI.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="2000" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggdMrLTLFE0Y7SI68VuKy6gLlB_pjizvzy_vi354X2Gsexkn6HWkVkVAIn2819_6-5UyqFF6V1lfb91FREzubCLp8jWhvEAl-6V9QomIY4_jaQsyokKDJOa1tpVvzFDpaOByLHXe5Pzao/w640-h214/EAKI.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It's nice when rarities show up so close to home....<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz7DlIBtkDbd1POc9yuO5ZfUoPCY011XNuTpOSNUzthnw4AoIZK8m1KPwj8SURmBEAWeCGADwB08Jy5A20ybUHMPgToIAgtWsfkh6h11bz-TLVaE0WKDo5W5JtmZ6YRMWWS1iU48Wpn1I/s710/EAKI+map.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="513" data-original-width="710" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz7DlIBtkDbd1POc9yuO5ZfUoPCY011XNuTpOSNUzthnw4AoIZK8m1KPwj8SURmBEAWeCGADwB08Jy5A20ybUHMPgToIAgtWsfkh6h11bz-TLVaE0WKDo5W5JtmZ6YRMWWS1iU48Wpn1I/w640-h462/EAKI+map.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />OK, now for the fun stuff! It began when Sonia and I drove to Garin Regional Park in the East Bay for a morning of hiking on Monday, September 5th. The birding in the parched hills was expectedly-slow -- the topography was selected to exhaust our energetic foster beagle -- but we swung through Coyote Hills afterwards to look for previously-reported Baird's (BASA) and Pectoral Sandpipers (PESA), two species which I needed for Alameda County (by car or by bike). I had great looks at two of each while Sonia gave the dog some additional walking, and we returned home via the Dumbarton Bridge at 3pm. <br /><br />Sonia wanted to lay low through the afternoon, so I decided to hop onto the bike and sprint straight back to Coyote Hills -- 22 miles -- with hopes of adding the same birds to my Alameda bike list. All the shorebirds had vanished since my earlier visit, but a BASA and a PESA eventually flew-in with a flock of peeps. The sun sinking to the west, I turned-tail and arrived home at 7:50pm, twenty minutes after sunset. I've double-chased birds before but not on the same day, so this represents a new level of bike-birding obsession. Not sure if that's good or bad.......<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Pectoral Sandpiper (left) and Baird's Sandpiper (right)<br />Alameda bike birds #193 and #194<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz7_9Sfe_I7lg7RVp8ZzE5_E9ZO5XX7RtW3TXytC1Dsx4GkyGev-th6pMiPEWBMI4gEyfnPQ2UicSt3tnAatIzicDZu00SfQg5YuI5ewvlIIQmYjFA31fit79kjCuP5rIBHeZBQET69BA/s2170/Alameda+shorebirds.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="725" data-original-width="2170" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz7_9Sfe_I7lg7RVp8ZzE5_E9ZO5XX7RtW3TXytC1Dsx4GkyGev-th6pMiPEWBMI4gEyfnPQ2UicSt3tnAatIzicDZu00SfQg5YuI5ewvlIIQmYjFA31fit79kjCuP5rIBHeZBQET69BA/w640-h214/Alameda+shorebirds.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What the hell was I thinking?!?!?!<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT1o-cFwY1fGKsNk8gpA_X620m69znY8GF0NCo_ECxD8kOqHE1vrqTILyoZ7mgoplYiloEUYUt06SyqACLbM2FJ5MhA7TaITRYq-bD5tngHZQGlDH6keBDVJTm4sX_dCveSNWm2M_6drU/s990/Coyote+Hills.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="569" data-original-width="990" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT1o-cFwY1fGKsNk8gpA_X620m69znY8GF0NCo_ECxD8kOqHE1vrqTILyoZ7mgoplYiloEUYUt06SyqACLbM2FJ5MhA7TaITRYq-bD5tngHZQGlDH6keBDVJTm4sX_dCveSNWm2M_6drU/w640-h368/Coyote+Hills.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />Interestingly, in pursuing the above pair, I necessarily passed on the Phainopepla which David Assman found at Fort Mason earlier on that same day. That location is a headache to reach because of all the traffic lights, and I was already limited by daylight given how late I was leaving. Plus, I wasn't keen to bike into the city via the baseball stadium when the Giants were playing the Dodgers on a holiday weekend. Phainopepla would have been a great SF bike bird (I already have it in Alameda and Santa Clara), but I didn't feel I was set-up for success given the above considerations. <br /><br />It was therefore apropos that Aaron Maizlish found another Phainopepla in San Bruno (San Mateo County) on Wednesday, September 8. I was walking the dog when the report came through, so I hustled home, jumped on the bike, and quickly covered the 6.6 miles to the location. 75 minutes of searching yielded nothing but a Chris Hayward sighting, so I folded the search and headed home with hopes of a productive afternoon. And wouldn't you know it? The crafty Brit found the bird about 20 minutes after I departed! I'd already covered 5 of the return miles with the aid of a stiff tailwind, but I immediately turned around and returned to the location. Chris kindly held onto the bird -- with Malia also en route he better have! -- and it showed shortly after my re-arrival (and again after Malia arrived). So yeah, with all the back-and-forth, I rode 23 miles to see a bird which was less than 7 miles from my apartment. Ugh.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Phainopepla (immature) - San Mateo bike bird #290<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSQXBT6_K-la-wjRJT-qediuPejxyaRJB8md30zTpYUW_XnlPSXDDJKAJ5sc4mmo1PcyG6yEKTJVpCoiWGwVbRPuCiR8T4M5WBGC0vWEPKywDQfmWLN1pQz9L66X7ulMtkP1i_ismoXAs/s1600/2L0A9607.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSQXBT6_K-la-wjRJT-qediuPejxyaRJB8md30zTpYUW_XnlPSXDDJKAJ5sc4mmo1PcyG6yEKTJVpCoiWGwVbRPuCiR8T4M5WBGC0vWEPKywDQfmWLN1pQz9L66X7ulMtkP1i_ismoXAs/w640-h426/2L0A9607.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">If at first you don't succeed.......<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjWRhiPHsxJHTMMlyggxHd-fqq3uWEPbl2Lu1JfUMXZvv07q9foF18MDAL2xW7Q6VZmRoTtugfJ7h7Dy7m_R48rw8_ndqv3Ma_RIyIJVE-soMX5OHb1CRQNC6gi7Q3v2VCNrV34vLvsEg/s899/Phainopepla.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="899" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjWRhiPHsxJHTMMlyggxHd-fqq3uWEPbl2Lu1JfUMXZvv07q9foF18MDAL2xW7Q6VZmRoTtugfJ7h7Dy7m_R48rw8_ndqv3Ma_RIyIJVE-soMX5OHb1CRQNC6gi7Q3v2VCNrV34vLvsEg/w640-h402/Phainopepla.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">That's it for now. I'm sure there will be additional chases as fall progresses, so I'll post about those as they unfold. Cheers!</span></div>Dorian Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15916335753403783947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6961914105467755287.post-50682038307086021422021-08-30T16:11:00.000-07:002021-08-30T16:11:06.053-07:00Post #202 - August Bike-Birding in San Francisco<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Spring migration was really slow here in the Bay Area, but fall might be more interesting if recent trends continue. There have been a number of exciting shorebirds found in the East Bay, and Sandwich Tern and Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher have sent many birders sprinting towards the North Bay. As those destinations are a bit ambitious on the bike, I'm thankful that a number of unusual birds have presented in San Francisco, a destination I can reach under my own power.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The first of those is Ruddy Turnstone (RUTU), a species I've already observed -- by bike -- in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties. Representatives have made sporadic appearances in San Francisco County since I moved to the Bay Area four years ago, but all disappeared before pursuits were possible. Fortunately, Sam Cooper found the first of three eventual birds on Ocean Beach on August 11th, and the trifecta hung in there until the 13th when I was able to catch up with two of them. These digiscoped photos are awful, but the birds kept running and flying under pressure of dogs and runners. I was just glad to get something.<br /></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ruddy Turnstone - San Francisco Bike Bird #245<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW8N8vYdIAcPj6tHjx5rSQPcjzNM5yVxz6u7HEz9V1ssS9z8mCfOnIujj6-c0ldAOMwB4064GWCdReEKjzDQWJrTIzI0kYQ_26A7hrhQfoqQ6KXPmtx9-Bxt3_rrBrllrS7eTLqmKBCMk/s1441/RUTUs.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="469" data-original-width="1441" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW8N8vYdIAcPj6tHjx5rSQPcjzNM5yVxz6u7HEz9V1ssS9z8mCfOnIujj6-c0ldAOMwB4064GWCdReEKjzDQWJrTIzI0kYQ_26A7hrhQfoqQ6KXPmtx9-Bxt3_rrBrllrS7eTLqmKBCMk/w640-h208/RUTUs.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">To Ocean Beach and back, with bit of time at the Cliff House<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiS33LPyaOXSqaAB9D2PrryYFk_rwvckV8HW9J_n4AQ6TKhgCpUso1XWYkTDUPjl5pjvBVGcVQhJLdiHTmk3Y0vUOAi-afrLuhfvkFwGnhe4qtET8YXVJK4dUpeqxQDjvgAXYed_UBi7U/s702/RUTU+map.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="702" data-original-width="661" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiS33LPyaOXSqaAB9D2PrryYFk_rwvckV8HW9J_n4AQ6TKhgCpUso1XWYkTDUPjl5pjvBVGcVQhJLdiHTmk3Y0vUOAi-afrLuhfvkFwGnhe4qtET8YXVJK4dUpeqxQDjvgAXYed_UBi7U/w602-h640/RUTU+map.png" width="602" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;">The SF excitement continued when Nina Bai found a Costa's Hummingbird (COHU) in the Presidio on August 18th. COHU would be new for my cumulative Bay Area Bike List -- the bird usually much farther south and east, in drier habitat -- but it was too late to organize a chase on that discovery day. When the bird was reported early on the 19th as well, I handled morning responsibility before powering north early-afternoon. The diminutive bird appeared in its favored bottlebrush 30 seconds after I arrived, and it spent the next fifteen minutes defending that food source as though it owned it. That behavior suggested that it might stick around for a while, and it's been reported daily through August 29th. A cool and cooperative regional rarity!<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Costa's Hummingbird<br />Bay Area Bike Bird #339 and San Francisco Bike Bird #246.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii0pfL38jHlhCdNcLQCQ8F5O2WrOMi3sY5pt3xuaX_RGjJ5KLdOZOcMQ2ZVx4soRxHE48hx_yCtWO3LvLLC578Xs9LY0orDPrm5sMcLkIlBAvM6GGZ9UJVgoBd5XgiVqGuT6CeYa2uUqw/s1600/COHU.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii0pfL38jHlhCdNcLQCQ8F5O2WrOMi3sY5pt3xuaX_RGjJ5KLdOZOcMQ2ZVx4soRxHE48hx_yCtWO3LvLLC578Xs9LY0orDPrm5sMcLkIlBAvM6GGZ9UJVgoBd5XgiVqGuT6CeYa2uUqw/w640-h426/COHU.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />Since COHU appeared so quickly, I had time to look for the Brown Thrasher (BRTH) which Daniel Scali found in another part of the Presidio four days earlier, on August 15th. I pursued the bird by car on that day, while returning from the Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher in Sonoma, but I failed to intersect it on that petroleum-powered pass. It favored a 200-yard stretch of impenetrable tangle, and I didn't have recourse beyond staring into the occupied ravine, a restriction rendering the search among the most boring I'd ever experienced. Given that consideration, I put the bird out of biking mind through the 16th, 17th, and 18th because I had better things to do than stare into bushes. However, when the bird continued through morning of the 19th, I decided to try for it post-COHU since I was already in the area. Anticipating a protracted and futile vigil, I was hella stoked when I spotted the shifty birding picking its way through the foliage after just 15 minutes. I never had an unobstructed view of the goddamn thing -- the flank visible at one point, the tail at another, and the head at a third -- but I was able to capture a record shot for blog purposes. This was only the second BRTH in the city in 20-some years, so it was great find by Daniel (and a strong poach by me). Coupled with COHU, it made for an amazing day on the bike!<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Brown Thrasher<br />Bay Area Bike Bird #339 and San Francisco Bike Bird #247<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVAghf36I1e5UJMcqN7Hdsvl0RfLpP-3LRmSLPf9ieUhyphenhyphen8c8nI2WQyAyBjYmVo5WhgRJEn1SSEBSLe51_NxL7mbxXVdTZF5hkApElvKbALKWBhxBt1ZbRS0uzS9M6aJAH_pMF0DCcQKo4/s2400/BRTH.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="2400" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVAghf36I1e5UJMcqN7Hdsvl0RfLpP-3LRmSLPf9ieUhyphenhyphen8c8nI2WQyAyBjYmVo5WhgRJEn1SSEBSLe51_NxL7mbxXVdTZF5hkApElvKbALKWBhxBt1ZbRS0uzS9M6aJAH_pMF0DCcQKo4/w640-h214/BRTH.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">To The Presidio and back<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNKyMDevipIZBMUxqZBHMJptpfXahZbYlDZYljg4jT8_vjCai0LCdCeoQX0nag5yQsRv9o38miEHbdYXleGdIfQd01JAiJbF6_RTjV01T7Yc9GhcE3u-z6QDaETFsM7wwWmL8aZ2VJaVE/s630/MAP.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="547" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNKyMDevipIZBMUxqZBHMJptpfXahZbYlDZYljg4jT8_vjCai0LCdCeoQX0nag5yQsRv9o38miEHbdYXleGdIfQd01JAiJbF6_RTjV01T7Yc9GhcE3u-z6QDaETFsM7wwWmL8aZ2VJaVE/w556-h640/MAP.png" width="556" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />Otherwise, we at Alvaro's Adventures have been killing it on the ocean this month. Every trip is turning up something sweet. Between Hawaiian Petrel, Cook's Petrel (4), Short-tailed Shearwater (2), Flesh-footed Shearwater, Laysan Albatross, Manx Sheawater (2), Guadalupe Murrelet (2), and thousands of storm-petrels (mostly Black and Ashy with dozens of Wilsons and single Fork-tailed and Leach's mixed in), it's been a epic August. If this keeps up, then fall will be amazing! Many boats are already sold out, so don't delay if you're thinking about joining us.<br /><br />https://www.alvarosadventures.com/pelagic-dates-2021.html<br /><br />That's it for now. Cheers!</span><p></p>Dorian Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15916335753403783947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6961914105467755287.post-3228513609680309752021-08-09T22:02:00.000-07:002021-08-09T22:02:41.113-07:00Post #201 - My epic, bike-birding quest for California Condor<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Among Golden State birds, none are as majestic or storied as the California Condor (CACO). The enormous vultures suffered near-terminal declines in the second half of the twentieth century -- poaching, habitat destruction, power line collisions, and lead poisoning reducing the population to 27 captives by 1987 -- but breeding programs and vigilant management have enabled a slow-but-steady recovery since that nadir. The birds currently number near 500, and the wild half of those are highly-localized in California, Utah, Arizona, and Northern Mexico.<br /></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">California Condor from Brian Sullivan - ten-foot wingspan!<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMhdEYozxqtHcxAd2-I_r89Bsh-qDscKY3Gx6L9pv2ek9WJp17BX4hsGMsZ7f05wd4Tr43XA7K3NReeOW3w9W_MVEEy_Lf08lYr0uQ8TDrrN-EdqunoLSkkA4_yP2_wr0661vV2-alFJc/s1280/condor.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMhdEYozxqtHcxAd2-I_r89Bsh-qDscKY3Gx6L9pv2ek9WJp17BX4hsGMsZ7f05wd4Tr43XA7K3NReeOW3w9W_MVEEy_Lf08lYr0uQ8TDrrN-EdqunoLSkkA4_yP2_wr0661vV2-alFJc/w640-h480/condor.jpeg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;">Setting my bike-birding sites on the iconic species, Pinnacles National Park emerged as my best bet; with 120 miles separating that location from my San Mateo apartment, it would be a significant undertaking. Triple-digit temperates would complicate my course, but I decided to brave the heat because a coastal detour on the outgoing leg would bring Black Swift (BLSW) into play, the uncommon breeder to depart the region by mid-August. If I went down the coast via Santa Cruz, spent an extra day kicking around the northern portion of Monterey County, continued to Pinnacles via Hollister, and returned north via San Jose, then I figured I pound out ~320 miles when all the twists and turns were considered. I'd also have chances for Cassin's Kingbird (CAKI) and Canyon Wren (CAWR) in Hollister and at Pinnacles, respectively, so the six-day journey could grow my cherished Bay Area Bike List by four species if everything went to script. <br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">My prototypical plan<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisnRfzukVCF94t85ATI1nbZdbH10GwVoaMMLX02LFoNUTJ4vj5ERCsHTL_ujVScKiCJWF3hLZ3ShGMSi6AYt4A1AFRS4Ie4jAHtb58AZZx1_Mxeuuc5x379vZ2iRG_B6yhmmWrMSWib5c/s819/route+map.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="819" data-original-width="702" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisnRfzukVCF94t85ATI1nbZdbH10GwVoaMMLX02LFoNUTJ4vj5ERCsHTL_ujVScKiCJWF3hLZ3ShGMSi6AYt4A1AFRS4Ie4jAHtb58AZZx1_Mxeuuc5x379vZ2iRG_B6yhmmWrMSWib5c/w549-h640/route+map.png" width="549" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><b>Day 1 - Tuesday, August 3 - The San Mateo and Santa Cruz Coasts</b><br /></u>Black Swift had been reported from south of Davenport across the previous six evenings, so my plan was to reach that area by 6:30pm and hope a representative revealed itself before nightfall. I left home at 9:30am, crossed the coastal mountains on Highway 92, and turned south onto Highway 1 in Half Moon Bay. Sunny skies prevailed, and a slight NW tailwind lent assistance as I achieved Pescadero and Año Nuevo through the morning. Crossing into Santa Cruz County, I found Olive-sided Flycatcher at Rancho Del Oso, Purple Martin on Swanton Road, Peregrine Falcon on the Davenport bluffs, and California Thrasher on Bonny Doon Road. Continuing to Yellow Bank Beach, I set up shop on the cliffs and waited. Then I waited some more. Unfortunately, zero Black Swifts appeared by my 8:20 departure, and I winced when I saw eBird reports which noted that a single representative buzzed my approximate vantage at 8:22pm. It was a nice day regardless, the night spent with a cycling couple in Davenport.<br /><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">My end-of-day vantage at Yellow Bank Beach<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdxwJDcIf63wsQplCUfwMW_I4RXK10i4g9aqO-3vblTxIJKWCaIRIE8hYrKmqhHHvJpKXOWk2RqFv_FD7FLVUZ5dMkaF1AjY5KycWTy0w5qAreamiYQmonwhekGfZNa239zuQvqxxAMak/s2048/IMG_4931.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1087" data-original-width="2048" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdxwJDcIf63wsQplCUfwMW_I4RXK10i4g9aqO-3vblTxIJKWCaIRIE8hYrKmqhHHvJpKXOWk2RqFv_FD7FLVUZ5dMkaF1AjY5KycWTy0w5qAreamiYQmonwhekGfZNa239zuQvqxxAMak/w640-h340/IMG_4931.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Approximate route from San Mateo to Davenport. <br />The Strava App measured exact distance with twists, turns, backtracks.<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPTQj06k0wdF7__BCWLvh85g3y0wSoLrT_kHfO90MKI12QNe274CKLUOwEmf5TW5-nbw9qRYu16Ga2_McTBXiA-MDvCNcVSrYKWGHX63s1xwo5B5zpn8apJDVFtieYKwXNle9XBhyCKtY/s675/Day+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="505" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPTQj06k0wdF7__BCWLvh85g3y0wSoLrT_kHfO90MKI12QNe274CKLUOwEmf5TW5-nbw9qRYu16Ga2_McTBXiA-MDvCNcVSrYKWGHX63s1xwo5B5zpn8apJDVFtieYKwXNle9XBhyCKtY/w478-h640/Day+1.png" width="478" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><b><u>Day 2 - Wednesday, August 4 - The Santa Cruz Coast<br /></u></b>Looking to avenge my BLSW miss, I returned to Yellow Bank Beach at 7:30am and immediately spotted my quarry buzzing over the bluffs for Bay Area Bike Bird #334. Additional swifts appeared in the next few minutes, and I had seven in my binoculars at one disbelieving point, the aerodynamic fliers offering eye level views as they knifed and wheeled over the ocean breakers. I didn't tote a proper camera for weight reasons, so forgive this sorry-ass digi-binoc. I had to go with a bird that was far away because the phone couldn't focus on anything closer. It was also kinda cool to add Pink-footed Shearwater to same the checklist as the swift, that pelagic spotted during a subsequent seawatch.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Black Swift at one million miles-per-hour<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiug-A2elF9WxB994ogMhtjHQu9mFBI49yDMs2OBVSpM8LHosNO9cwZ3GCjN2Xssvl8N7yUGdsIWAlljzgypr3-OlsE93u-YbVNsv-l0ujL6iai1-zsvYPxXjVf3Lu4F2zHtaodVKozw9U/s2048/IMG_4935.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1411" data-original-width="2048" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiug-A2elF9WxB994ogMhtjHQu9mFBI49yDMs2OBVSpM8LHosNO9cwZ3GCjN2Xssvl8N7yUGdsIWAlljzgypr3-OlsE93u-YbVNsv-l0ujL6iai1-zsvYPxXjVf3Lu4F2zHtaodVKozw9U/w640-h440/IMG_4935.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I spent the remainder of the day weaving along the coast and amassed 107 SCZ species after exploring Natural Bridges, Neary Lagoon, Corcoran Lagoon, and Pajaro Dunes. I'd submitted only one SCZ bike checklist previously -- from Skyline in winter -- so that haul increased my SCZ bike total to 117.<br /></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Approximate route from Davenport to Watsonville<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEKUwnmCphQGi78ZMch2h70S7lEdFmOu6-ZjzVyUEoDmvJPgiWhiFXvhbpDs6TZ4sdxhT022i6435TVWD8yntrYytF4YypGjBGoK6odsxV3W6xbMd4KhhQacl6xiUAY2TFSeDV1u_CM0Q/s858/Day+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="502" data-original-width="858" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEKUwnmCphQGi78ZMch2h70S7lEdFmOu6-ZjzVyUEoDmvJPgiWhiFXvhbpDs6TZ4sdxhT022i6435TVWD8yntrYytF4YypGjBGoK6odsxV3W6xbMd4KhhQacl6xiUAY2TFSeDV1u_CM0Q/w640-h374/Day+2.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><b><u>Day 3 - Thursday, August 5th - Monterey County<br /></u></b>I'd not done any bike-birding in Monterey, so I decided to use the first part of this day to dip into that county. A stop at Moss Landing revealed a continuing Long-tailed Duck, and I spotted an out-of-season female Black Scoter in the inlet. Moonglow Dairy yielded a mid-morning Bar Owl hunting over the marsh, and Elkhorn Slough produced a lone Wilson's Phalarope. My morning birding completed with 95 Monterey species claimed, I headed east into San Benito County. I didn't find much around Anzar Lake, but I did spot a pair of Cassin's Kingbirds (Bay Area Bike Bird #335) near the Hollister WTP. I was so tired that I didn't think to take a picture, but I did snap a record shot of another the next day. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Moss Landing (north side of inlet)<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE1EbpsTGHV28nV-oIpIUMJo52pHUQI_KFIyQzaB1IWqDhGyN_cqjTe-S1uf6xxHSLSYUEYHK33oYca0wN3BKf2PfNcbn921zSgPdyQF7I6oayt0SbSg0KgkpxNA_yUVQJl4hLnMRpglE/s2048/IMG_4940.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1148" data-original-width="2048" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE1EbpsTGHV28nV-oIpIUMJo52pHUQI_KFIyQzaB1IWqDhGyN_cqjTe-S1uf6xxHSLSYUEYHK33oYca0wN3BKf2PfNcbn921zSgPdyQF7I6oayt0SbSg0KgkpxNA_yUVQJl4hLnMRpglE/w640-h358/IMG_4940.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Moonglow cows<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkuAYsBkAA2Vl_4bbfV2fVR6G8dw40Hnb3LolwwVPhUtYfJi4jGFPKdAeh3mdUl0AL87gcuiAIcL2uL6QX2FoHmEaLDDWyQNnRmRILW3CqPUFGxGZMYl8cpiTjyh98_Oa9wjWmPU_1sKU/s2048/IMG_4945.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1221" data-original-width="2048" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkuAYsBkAA2Vl_4bbfV2fVR6G8dw40Hnb3LolwwVPhUtYfJi4jGFPKdAeh3mdUl0AL87gcuiAIcL2uL6QX2FoHmEaLDDWyQNnRmRILW3CqPUFGxGZMYl8cpiTjyh98_Oa9wjWmPU_1sKU/w640-h382/IMG_4945.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Awful but diagnostic digi-binoc of Cassin's Kingbird<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8rDFi_16yg0hGL8PiwpXCNkepEpQMInaNFPQ2SY_ABlK2x0Cb2idw9c4xv2rZOZQUMoIIrmBpQ8NtLtQExgTWv4XLQhfXq0ChPPxPhMOnJrJeGbnuvV7_esWqGPYDpE5wJJsj6i9l1fo/s1467/IMG_4968.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="1467" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8rDFi_16yg0hGL8PiwpXCNkepEpQMInaNFPQ2SY_ABlK2x0Cb2idw9c4xv2rZOZQUMoIIrmBpQ8NtLtQExgTWv4XLQhfXq0ChPPxPhMOnJrJeGbnuvV7_esWqGPYDpE5wJJsj6i9l1fo/w640-h260/IMG_4968.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Approximate route from Watsonville to Hollister, via Monterey County<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2oaQedgYmWi38mJ94nSZJOR0jfcFu7IjXVYKaZWDDp3H7-UHWuVrT-MG3e8hLKp5cRZzCBT1-A4I05HD9vdZS2zlgsyctgi5iBHB9Mre5737g4wt5gjC3jFYe5rojyMvwzeZJoCiMhMs/s1179/Day+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="1179" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2oaQedgYmWi38mJ94nSZJOR0jfcFu7IjXVYKaZWDDp3H7-UHWuVrT-MG3e8hLKp5cRZzCBT1-A4I05HD9vdZS2zlgsyctgi5iBHB9Mre5737g4wt5gjC3jFYe5rojyMvwzeZJoCiMhMs/w640-h286/Day+3.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><b><u>Day 4 - Friday, August 6th - Pinnacles National Park</u></b><br />I knew it was gonna get hella hot hella fast, so I left my motel at 6:30am, housed four donuts at Spudnuts, and cranked south along Highway 25. Paicines Reservoir held a nice assortment of waterbirds, and Phainopepla and Yellow-billed Magpie appeared as I battled through the rolling, up-and-down topography. By the time I covered the 35 miles to the Bear Gulch Trailhead, I'd netted 1,000 vertical feet from 1,600 feet of climbing.<br /><span> </span>It was already 10am, so I hustled up the trail with high condor hopes. I'd barely covered a quarter-mile when I spotted several candidates soaring high above the rocky formations, and I managed distant views of six individuals as the massive birds spiraled skyward through the next half-hour. All the birds disappeared to the west by 10:40, presumably towards Big Sur, so I was stoked to have arrived in time. Bay Area Bike Bird #336 secured, I used playback to pull a pair on Canyon Wrens (#337) from the rocks before vacating the gathering inferno. The afternoon heat wrenched moisture from me on the return ride, but I outlasted the sweltering conditions, regained my motel, and spent the remainder of the day recovering while watching the Olympics.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">View from Highway 25 in morning<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDqAPRF1q7wESvojkhkrjExLe-Bi0rnH7xje0O-iVGYmk1DD612ijzt29WJQcGiQ36opbYH8DmbRdEXjOJ3pU2xV3UpIBn8Xb6y3yGBogHAGw49tgsqnUEdTZ9Cu7-mFqxQaA_d1TnzKk/s2626/IMG_4970.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1198" data-original-width="2626" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDqAPRF1q7wESvojkhkrjExLe-Bi0rnH7xje0O-iVGYmk1DD612ijzt29WJQcGiQ36opbYH8DmbRdEXjOJ3pU2xV3UpIBn8Xb6y3yGBogHAGw49tgsqnUEdTZ9Cu7-mFqxQaA_d1TnzKk/w640-h292/IMG_4970.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">California Condor, hella high up<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6tN-MVplLm8nawDPTCTK7hneCxFoSqI68RPf7ZpLFAUJIRGZMWC21Y8q9C1CJWItm929clqLgijvdVrGMlk79yjHS6fffey9C1mWyAzMn9PSYdI85KbDika7PKQ7QWjbzL14Lya5AxJo/s644/IMG_4974.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="358" data-original-width="644" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6tN-MVplLm8nawDPTCTK7hneCxFoSqI68RPf7ZpLFAUJIRGZMWC21Y8q9C1CJWItm929clqLgijvdVrGMlk79yjHS6fffey9C1mWyAzMn9PSYdI85KbDika7PKQ7QWjbzL14Lya5AxJo/w640-h356/IMG_4974.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Canyon wren digi-binoc. Just happy to get anything given how fast it moved.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp_QjzGgz8P5N8wIkaoB931nCz-Hf0nMVp5SesVmJHfrzWkC85XtyXaoG-SVWjR_f4tVk1KtBsVa1hY6usiyjyczRbjxazp7Bn6JW_tOAtLMAmR54a71B20ylqnc9um8HJDav_R2yM4s0/s2048/IMG_4982.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1437" data-original-width="2048" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp_QjzGgz8P5N8wIkaoB931nCz-Hf0nMVp5SesVmJHfrzWkC85XtyXaoG-SVWjR_f4tVk1KtBsVa1hY6usiyjyczRbjxazp7Bn6JW_tOAtLMAmR54a71B20ylqnc9um8HJDav_R2yM4s0/w640-h450/IMG_4982.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Pinnacles formations<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZX0ZWkf6rOylo0UXCu83E_Cj34OMsQHleSj3zF3CPDPiEcqC1c-oczlz4xxptZLWV_kW2mOpWqrZhAOIcmmnecbp44ykmaZk0Yt3PQCenyZO8-bYyPXCSX9iCkd5dniODI3Ew6kbSjBA/s2048/IMG_4986.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1030" data-original-width="2048" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZX0ZWkf6rOylo0UXCu83E_Cj34OMsQHleSj3zF3CPDPiEcqC1c-oczlz4xxptZLWV_kW2mOpWqrZhAOIcmmnecbp44ykmaZk0Yt3PQCenyZO8-bYyPXCSX9iCkd5dniODI3Ew6kbSjBA/w640-h322/IMG_4986.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Approximate route from Hollister to Pinnacles (and back)<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPEFURHZ78N3LSxW1gnLxL6DG9lU0u6NR2tJD-1fbRZDl3BQ1hfQtbuDrKQV6vOmC0MOX__oaBpblreu5pTV0G-0T9CHBetLhT0UimVBMHtSkx7JdxYFZ3ihYrBTg5bKAhnAiQ37lbLNg/s672/Day+4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="672" data-original-width="539" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPEFURHZ78N3LSxW1gnLxL6DG9lU0u6NR2tJD-1fbRZDl3BQ1hfQtbuDrKQV6vOmC0MOX__oaBpblreu5pTV0G-0T9CHBetLhT0UimVBMHtSkx7JdxYFZ3ihYrBTg5bKAhnAiQ37lbLNg/w514-h640/Day+4.png" width="514" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><b><u>Day 5 - Saturday, August 7th - Southern Santa Clara County</u></b><br />Rolling north out of Hollister, I rode a fortuitous southern tailwind towards San Jose through the morning. I'd planned to spend the middle part of the day birding Coyote Creek and Almaden Lake Park before hunkering down for the night, but my aspirations swelled when my three target Santa Clara birds -- Wood Duck, Osprey, and Scaly-breasted Munia -- appeared without any effort. With sudden time and energy to spare, I decided to push home rather than drop $90 on a motel. Despite already putting down 55 miles, I managed to cover the final ~30 miles in ~2 hours! I'm not sure what The Wok put in my sweet and sour tofu the previous night, but I felt unstoppable all day.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Approximate route from Hollister to home<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKuUeTbQs2iBCKlKMQ4u-emMSByZzhZq1_3r_k8yQ6r35RWaeM053L4NdXFeueTT45rSwowLI7i_nEN0MeEuYRMTKg4YOZyBlmP4ntgGr-NKUPYwxEemZJYE2_2FymCiQTEMC11tdY1tI/s732/Day+5.1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="732" height="584" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKuUeTbQs2iBCKlKMQ4u-emMSByZzhZq1_3r_k8yQ6r35RWaeM053L4NdXFeueTT45rSwowLI7i_nEN0MeEuYRMTKg4YOZyBlmP4ntgGr-NKUPYwxEemZJYE2_2FymCiQTEMC11tdY1tI/w640-h584/Day+5.1.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />So, a great trip! I explored some new areas, saw some sweet birds, and overcame the usual cycling obstacles, most notably the scorching heat on Day 4. I originally estimated I'd ride about 320 miles across the six days, so I was spot on with the 324 which I ultimately amassed, albeit in only five days. And the bonus? I chased (and missed) the Golden Gate White-breasted Nuthatch the day after returning home, that 40-mile ride bringing my six-day total to 366. I'd not pounded those kinda miles since 2014, so it's nice to know my legs can still get it done. Oh, I also pushed my total county ticks to 1,548. That breaks down as follows:</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN0XxlElD_teoQ47QWssgPnuFdQmdDrQhmgCFb6V1ReAR_aKSsGO6JyHWhxh-USyDK9M-nQfMlN0JsWwPCXY3vAuuYR9xDngCm2prO25a3HpbbT-Sx_GrFJpbwO6xWABiZD85OP8jpqVY/s594/ticks.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="594" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN0XxlElD_teoQ47QWssgPnuFdQmdDrQhmgCFb6V1ReAR_aKSsGO6JyHWhxh-USyDK9M-nQfMlN0JsWwPCXY3vAuuYR9xDngCm2prO25a3HpbbT-Sx_GrFJpbwO6xWABiZD85OP8jpqVY/w640-h448/ticks.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">This latest undertaking will be my most ambitious riding for a while, but I'd like to make a five- or six-day loop through Marin > Sonoma > Napa > Solano > Contra Costa sometime in early-winter. I haven't done any bike-birding in Sonoma, Napa, and Solano, so that trip would probably net me 250 - 300 county ticks and get me that much closer to 2,000. But, for now, it'll be occasional day rides with some pelagic birding in between. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Whew. Hella Long. Later.</span></div><p></p></div>Dorian Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15916335753403783947noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6961914105467755287.post-71929972163247757502021-06-29T20:32:00.003-07:002021-06-29T20:33:46.259-07:00Post #200 - A hella slow spring on the bicycle - with one unexpected find!<p><span style="font-size: medium;">My 200th post crept up on me since I allowed blogging to slide during the year's second quarter, but I'd like to use the milestone to recognize the The Speckled Hatchback's six-and-a-half-year lifespan! Though my online journal isn't going to garner me international fame and fortune, knowing that at least a few people enjoy my bike-birding tales, photography, and avian musings is enough. So, I like to say 'thanks' to whoever reads my ridiculous blog, however infrequently. I hope my content inspires you to explore the natural world and appreciate the birds around us. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">In that vein, I recently received an email from Brianna Camp (briannacamp37 on Instagram) who asked permission to use my Loggerhead Shrike photo as a template for some sidewalk art she'd been commissioned to do. I'm always honored when artists ask me to use my work to inspire/assist their own, so I immediately granted her permission on the condition she send me a photo of the finished product. I'm not sure if Patrick is obsessed with shrikes or if the bird holds special significance as a school mascot, but I thought the result was pretty cool regardless!<br /><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">My capture of a Loggerhead Shrike in Riverside County<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn2pVA9qpt1XomTZyIS4qEgNHiW2NQShzd5a2USk84r3YHmOydwPAVwgmc93c1QlieyvQkd10e4jdupq7huVsAIzV-HcW_8k35mdXK0dvx0O5H8VgTlVKLWFPftD9FkuuInaqp4oNQSvA/s1200/loggerhead+shrike+on+green+021120.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn2pVA9qpt1XomTZyIS4qEgNHiW2NQShzd5a2USk84r3YHmOydwPAVwgmc93c1QlieyvQkd10e4jdupq7huVsAIzV-HcW_8k35mdXK0dvx0O5H8VgTlVKLWFPftD9FkuuInaqp4oNQSvA/w640-h426/loggerhead+shrike+on+green+021120.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Brianna's chalking<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7DeulPHgfJs3ZT_QPIXZQIW6WT8NkBPynpT3HbBW7mMEv-Zvapq_-cSCbGWVj7Ze96og36PfWAkR4jUtqpctf6rnb2pQqHlf4iXewPhd4MFPZNbiDxE2mz6yz7j8i47i5oBSQjb8722Q/s2016/IMG_8073.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7DeulPHgfJs3ZT_QPIXZQIW6WT8NkBPynpT3HbBW7mMEv-Zvapq_-cSCbGWVj7Ze96og36PfWAkR4jUtqpctf6rnb2pQqHlf4iXewPhd4MFPZNbiDxE2mz6yz7j8i47i5oBSQjb8722Q/w640-h480/IMG_8073.JPG" width="640" /></a></div></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">All that said, this spring was really, really slow on the birding front. I don't think it was specific to the Bay Area because I heard rumblings about low numbers and delayed movement from other corners of California (and beyond), but there wasn't much to get excited about through April, May, and June. I have to pick-and-chose my moments on the bicycle, and it felt like I was constantly waiting for a burst of activity which never materialized. This spring was very windy, so I'm curious if that contributed to the lack of birds, perhaps by blowing migrants farther inland than usual. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">One anomalous bird that did materialize was Indigo Bunting (INBU) at McLaren Park in San Francisco. I've seen the bird in Santa Clara (it was Bay Area bike bird #283 in June of 2019), but I was unable to connect with the SF example despite making two rides for it during its extended stay. Ugh.<br /></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">My unsuccessful rides for INBU<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIgM0tX4jmWOC67kEppfzgwzL-vzg2GrF1eiXC2he-pZttC2FR_WL4eXTg9VhixiVMre2UJSI573TAoEl33gQhd3otd8uLCuBAOgJiAqAk5AO2r2s7AGaRmiexva4XnwI9cuB7iu7FCAk/s632/INBU.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="632" data-original-width="535" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIgM0tX4jmWOC67kEppfzgwzL-vzg2GrF1eiXC2he-pZttC2FR_WL4eXTg9VhixiVMre2UJSI573TAoEl33gQhd3otd8uLCuBAOgJiAqAk5AO2r2s7AGaRmiexva4XnwI9cuB7iu7FCAk/w542-h640/INBU.png" width="542" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />I missed a bit of action while I was in Minnesota and North Dakota in the middle of June, but my interest was piqued by a Black Tern (BLTE) at the Sunnyvale Wastewater Treatment Plant in Santa Clara a week after I returned. I'd not seen that species anywhere in the Bay Area -- by bike or by car -- so it would be a nice addition to my cumulative Bay Area Bike List. Though the bird was seen by individual observers on the 23rd and 25th, several of us were unable to relocate it on the morning of the 26th. I did, however, hear something intriguing from the adjacent tidal marsh. Reaching for my cell phone and dialing up a Black Rail (BLRA) call, I was able to elicit a confirmatory response from a bird less than twenty feet away. I stared into the reeds for a while but was predictably unable to get eyes on the stealthy figment. Regardless, it joins my Bay Area bike list as species #332, my lone 'heard-only' among that four-year total. It was great to salvage that species in place of BLTE, particularly as I was able to share the rail with a handful of other birders. <br /><br />This map is from Strava, a running/cycling app which maps my movements in real time. It knows when I'm moving and when I'm stopped, so the time on this graphic (blue box, bottom) is the time I spent actively cycling. The Google time displayed on the INBU graphic above is only a prediction, so Strava is infinitely-more accurate in that respect. My 51 miles across 3 hours and 24 minutes translates to ~15 miles per hour, so that's about what I'd expect on flat ground without significant wind aid or impediment.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">My ride Sunnyvale on June 26th<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy2bz8WfpvhEnsHENa9_sFomptYhu8NJF5kkskXqYsZFSricAXI8lbIjTK8ukA28GCEV5Pw0bPNFAtUsiP_UUNbr9Li2sZe3LEkFBo448WfCL7ms44pQs22uFXvpErlwGoOAoyHeRgE5I/s716/BLRA.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="716" data-original-width="716" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy2bz8WfpvhEnsHENa9_sFomptYhu8NJF5kkskXqYsZFSricAXI8lbIjTK8ukA28GCEV5Pw0bPNFAtUsiP_UUNbr9Li2sZe3LEkFBo448WfCL7ms44pQs22uFXvpErlwGoOAoyHeRgE5I/w640-h640/BLRA.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />OK, that's it for now. Take care until next time!</span><p></p>Dorian Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15916335753403783947noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6961914105467755287.post-73500573619612039092021-06-04T20:04:00.002-07:002021-06-05T16:34:53.962-07:00Post #199 - A Morning of Marsh Photography in Sierra County, California<span style="font-size: medium;">My goal when I head out with the camera is simple: capture one high-quality frame of whatever species I'm seeking. Sometimes I'll get lucky and end up with multiple shots of the desired target -- as occurred on <a href="http://thespeckledhatchback.blogspot.com/2021/05/post-198-whimbrel-meets-canyon-wren.html" target="_blank">the Canyon Wren and Whimbrel outings I chronicled in my last post</a> -- but it's really, really rare that I come home with keeper shots of different species from the same outing. That's what happened in while I was shooting in Sierra County, California last weekend, and I'll use this post as a photo essay to recap a pretty memorable morning at the marsh.<br /><br />Let's start with one of the most striking birds in North America - the male Yellow-headed Blackbird. This species is common in the Sierra Valley in summer, and the birds can be very confiding along the region's rural roads. It can be tough difficult to get birds on a natural perches with so many available fenceposts, but I was fortunate to intersect this individual as he belted out his song from a low shrub. The vegetation is a bit busier than ideal, particularly between the wings and tail, but I think it makes for a natural-looking frame.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Yellow-headed Blackbird - <i>Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus</i><br />Canon 600mm f/4 IS II + 1.4x III on EOS 1DX2<br />1/1000 at f/7.1, ISO 800<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdtXg5dBnNdlSjzwMn2e_tE6C5woHKMwFnRTrOCyabgMo2uNsngWUSU9XvcGrP05uL9oE5okHtXwZmpkMkue_Loxyn0U1zIOxGOjcvYaGI7Ft7PQJXCnuwWzUb01hP8bcLUTpEdiO51oo/s1200/yellow-headed+blackbird+singing+053021.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdtXg5dBnNdlSjzwMn2e_tE6C5woHKMwFnRTrOCyabgMo2uNsngWUSU9XvcGrP05uL9oE5okHtXwZmpkMkue_Loxyn0U1zIOxGOjcvYaGI7Ft7PQJXCnuwWzUb01hP8bcLUTpEdiO51oo/w640-h426/yellow-headed+blackbird+singing+053021.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />The blackbird bagged, I turned my attention towards the morning's primary target, Virginia Rail. With marsh on both sides of the road, I laid down in the deserted thoroughfare and used a bit of playback to see what I could draw out of the reeds. I've had decent responses from this species in the past, but this was unlike anything I'd ever experienced, two birds sprinting across the road twenty feet in front of me within twenty seconds. They recrossed the road a minute later, and the more curious of the pair walked to within fifteen feet me of as I remained prone. I'll certainly remember the encounter for a long time! Fortunately, I was so low that the gravel road is mostly unrecognizable in these shots.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Virginia Rail - <i>Rallus limicola</i><br />Canon 600mm f/4 IS II + 1.4x III on EOS 1DX2<br />1/3200 at f/5.6, ISO 800<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNSPF9kDZofql8lOD3_TN75Z-BAjBEHgc6vOwuijFJaMABWk0kSpHEzTByAOqGIX9bV5AlXwIM3K2bggwbXFEv4Gh1yR12awrWNlXCMkTiZjgTzPwJR2hF8hdjm_OZFSQ-nEHYfN5kYpM/s1200/virginia+rail+raised+foot+053021.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNSPF9kDZofql8lOD3_TN75Z-BAjBEHgc6vOwuijFJaMABWk0kSpHEzTByAOqGIX9bV5AlXwIM3K2bggwbXFEv4Gh1yR12awrWNlXCMkTiZjgTzPwJR2hF8hdjm_OZFSQ-nEHYfN5kYpM/w640-h426/virginia+rail+raised+foot+053021.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Virginia Rail - <i>Rallus limicola</i><br />Canon 600mm f/4 IS II + 1.4x III on EOS 1DX2<br />1/3200 at f/5.6, ISO 800<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJnvX-WCaKOiIjKfCMfzvir05i9idLq5fr_ALYqb6VXvwSKoWhCZKQQooa2gji5HlzXcFQdPDUxj0f_sY86YFzPCPsfyWxNuT5lFpsfhbfM-yRSjNVfWU9KoS-Gndjvnwb7o1hfkxSOPc/s1200/virginia+rail+widest+053021.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJnvX-WCaKOiIjKfCMfzvir05i9idLq5fr_ALYqb6VXvwSKoWhCZKQQooa2gji5HlzXcFQdPDUxj0f_sY86YFzPCPsfyWxNuT5lFpsfhbfM-yRSjNVfWU9KoS-Gndjvnwb7o1hfkxSOPc/w640-h426/virginia+rail+widest+053021.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Virginia Rail - <i>Rallus limicola</i><br />Canon 600mm f/4 IS II on EOS 1DX2<br />1/1600 at f/8, ISO 800<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhut0uNoKxr3PlyQbfR7nOP8ONGqBtgUXT2SX-tqrU8Mzbz239XcZafojVKhD7OXDwfR-sbAhrMU_BRduSiLGV_gPCUALy7FDr0DUcdpKTxEWTaAuIVslsIMCu1yQvx8QnS71JGAeOdJf8/s1200/virginia+rail+head+053021.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhut0uNoKxr3PlyQbfR7nOP8ONGqBtgUXT2SX-tqrU8Mzbz239XcZafojVKhD7OXDwfR-sbAhrMU_BRduSiLGV_gPCUALy7FDr0DUcdpKTxEWTaAuIVslsIMCu1yQvx8QnS71JGAeOdJf8/w640-h426/virginia+rail+head+053021.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />A bit later in the morning, this Wilson's Snipe landed on a roadside post. That perch was very big and blocky, so I decided the only way to minimize its distraction was to eliminate it altogether by going for a tight headshot. This bird permitted unexpectedly close approach, and I was really happy with the resulting feather detail. He wouldn't turn perfectly parallel to the light, so I'll have to live with diffuse shadows across the breast. Can't complain about the engaging head angle though!<br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Wilson's Snipe - <i>Gallinago delicata</i><br />Canon 600mm f/4 IS II + 1.4x III on EOS 1DX2<br />1/2000 at f/8, ISO 1000<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmCqm2hEABJ6rbx6rQskZMCNMcZfuyIUwQZuEvcLilarzv0BQEv-ytNYIc9bsbwDDLqIw3g29BPfLtvaMNy_KHvzPViNx-0jsfURMbdiCm89j4_Vh0_1Dbbg2SxARMi4iWpuHBqcTx-b8/s1200/wilson%2527s+snipe+head+053021.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmCqm2hEABJ6rbx6rQskZMCNMcZfuyIUwQZuEvcLilarzv0BQEv-ytNYIc9bsbwDDLqIw3g29BPfLtvaMNy_KHvzPViNx-0jsfURMbdiCm89j4_Vh0_1Dbbg2SxARMi4iWpuHBqcTx-b8/w640-h426/wilson%2527s+snipe+head+053021.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-size: medium;">And lastly, I'll include this American Bittern since I photographed it at the same location, albeit on the previous evening (I ditched camped in nearby National Forest overnight). Cloudy conditions rendered the light pretty dodgy on that first visit, but I cranked up the ISO to combat the conditions. Topaz Denoise AI did a great job at reducing the noise and recovering the feather detail once I put the file into the computer. If you haven't used that program, it's definitely worth checking out. It can be used an a plug-in in Lightroom or Photoshop, so even Luddites like me can figure it out. I'm super stoked with this result because it's my first good frame of this species!<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">American Bittern - <i>Botaurus lentiginosus</i><br />Canon 600mm f/4 IS II + 1.4x III on EOS 1DX2<br />1/2000 at f/5.6, ISO 3200<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmUPmyes9QbjxWklIj5Ieb3Mk_KqvDtm9_9QColDXCQRq5VneCy_n2jZwqavkOigLqYj33ko8Bm8KmcEovDrdm38zHvSsgAoXlGPrmaJhJo97BkBcFLoy8gao42nBer0xCpjHTaOAOmvQ/s1200/american+bittern+053021.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmUPmyes9QbjxWklIj5Ieb3Mk_KqvDtm9_9QColDXCQRq5VneCy_n2jZwqavkOigLqYj33ko8Bm8KmcEovDrdm38zHvSsgAoXlGPrmaJhJo97BkBcFLoy8gao42nBer0xCpjHTaOAOmvQ/w640-h426/american+bittern+053021.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">So yeah, a sweet pair of visits to the same spot. I'll certainly go back in the future, if not this summer then perhaps sometime in the fall. Cheers!</span><p></p></div>Dorian Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15916335753403783947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6961914105467755287.post-62988511287861793092021-05-19T18:30:00.001-07:002021-05-19T18:30:09.618-07:00Post #198 - Whimbrel meets Canyon Wren, <p><span style="font-size: medium;">Wow - <a href="http://www.tropicalbirding.com/" target="_blank">Tropical Birding</a> responsibilities have kept me busy since my last entry a month ago! My Upper Texas Coast tour piled up 250 species when the Hill Country extension was included, and my South Florida Birding with a Camera© installment found most of the Sunshine State specialties plus Antillean Nighthawk, Shiny Cowbird, Black Noddy, and Black-faced Grassquit. Running back-to-back nine-day tours took a lot of planning and energy, but both ventures unfolded perfectly. I'll be tweaking the itineraries based on my experiences on this go-round, and I'll be sure to link the finalized versions when they're done.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I've been swamped with trip reports these last few days, so I have limited appetite for additional writing at the moment. Fortunately, I captured a nice panel of photographs before I left for Florida and Texas, and I'll use this post to share those with you. Canyon Wren is a new species for my photo collection, and the Whimbrel images represent a huge upgrade from anything I previously had of that elegant species.<br /><br />Let's start with this Whimbrel. Getting super low really makes the bird look like giant, right?! This bird was on a slightly-raised tidal ridge, so I think I was shooting up on him from the low trough I'd assumed. The soft background is a distantly breaking wave.<br /></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Whimbrel - <i>Numenius phaeopus</i><br />Canon 600mm f/4 IS II + 1.4x III on EOS 1DX Mark II<br />1/3200 at f/5.6, ISO 800<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6glSHjyce41b1S7Z8m2Xf8V8kPD11dX5bh8OEmbeL24dwOiiZ51JSqB5wwSgocCb3tMj5cPmVBd6eN-zpBRotqae6yBxptCsbC30Px28ArAoANizbb0yoADhSHIeaSE4-Y0Rrge1TbDM/s1200/whimbrel+upright+041421.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6glSHjyce41b1S7Z8m2Xf8V8kPD11dX5bh8OEmbeL24dwOiiZ51JSqB5wwSgocCb3tMj5cPmVBd6eN-zpBRotqae6yBxptCsbC30Px28ArAoANizbb0yoADhSHIeaSE4-Y0Rrge1TbDM/w640-h426/whimbrel+upright+041421.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Let's start with this Whimbrel. Getting super low really makes the bird look like giant, right?! This bird was on a slightly-raised tidal ridge, so I think I was shooting up on him from the low trough I'd assumed. The soft background is a distantly breaking wave.</span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Let's jump to the Canyon Wren for a moment. Given numerous intersections with the species in AZ, NM, UT, and CO, it's kinda funny that my first decent photograph of this Southwestern speciality came from outside San Jose, CA where it very unusual. This individual had been eBirded from a local park for weeks, so I went to look for it knowing it would be a Santa Clara County bird even if it didn't cooperate for photos (fortunately, it did). This favored perch featured several dried poops, so I used an old rag to scrub them off while he rotated through others. Who needs Photoshop when it can be done in the field, right? I was a bit nervous I wouldn't be able to freeze the pulsating beak in the cloudy conditions, but ISO 3200 did the trick. I'm not usually one for lat-light results, but the super-sharp details made this a keeper. <br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Canyon Wren - <i>Catherpes mexicanus</i><br />Canon 600mm f/4 IS II + 1.4x III on EOS 1DX Mark II</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">1/1250 at f/5.6, ISO 3200<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg10ZKRx8hiHaclZ9ZSbZYb5xAE5FHERnhc0bzbMiQ0_rs7Xy0stwq3qJC0ClomFgoue5rM5O1ryXb2xDPGCoZZ_rZSBWmLwgTQUOaHuYEnoGRtKWmIap3hKAL4eY-Fw3H3ZQpHZ_xF_rc/s900/canyon+wren+vertical+041021.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg10ZKRx8hiHaclZ9ZSbZYb5xAE5FHERnhc0bzbMiQ0_rs7Xy0stwq3qJC0ClomFgoue5rM5O1ryXb2xDPGCoZZ_rZSBWmLwgTQUOaHuYEnoGRtKWmIap3hKAL4eY-Fw3H3ZQpHZ_xF_rc/w512-h640/canyon+wren+vertical+041021.jpg" width="512" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;">Returning to our Whimbrel friend, I liked this frame because the subject is almost perfectly isolated from the surroundings. Some might want more habitat context, but there wasn't much of that to be found in this wide, sandy expanse. This is also about the best example of direct eye contact that I have in my collection. <br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Whimbrel - <i>Numenius phaeopus</i><br />Canon 600mm f/4 IS II + 1.4x III on EOS 1DX Mark II</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">1/3200 at f/5.6, ISO 1250<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPrTmu_ybUeqJ9yJnYiqEJanE5fa8oOlKhpERDCarJz46mbQoWGwYr2eBDZ6au-QxpOEEe9dLhOgfMV3PtKOwAmkFVzLhA7LwkPWX1L6zrsHlfZtrv2n8xk6LzOhoxDUtu5St0iMxPQMA/s1200/whimbrel+closest+041421.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPrTmu_ybUeqJ9yJnYiqEJanE5fa8oOlKhpERDCarJz46mbQoWGwYr2eBDZ6au-QxpOEEe9dLhOgfMV3PtKOwAmkFVzLhA7LwkPWX1L6zrsHlfZtrv2n8xk6LzOhoxDUtu5St0iMxPQMA/w640-h426/whimbrel+closest+041421.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This next frame represents the same wren as above. I was really happy with this result because the direct sunlight helped to bring out the colors on the bird and the rock. I liked the lichen so much that I went with a wide crop to included a lot of it.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Canon Wren</span><span style="font-size: large;"> - </span><i style="font-size: large;">Catherpes mexicanus</i><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />Canon 600mm f/4 IS II + 1.4x III on EOS 1DX Mark II</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">1/3200 at f/7.1, ISO 1250<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAh8xQNU2Bz7wyFMAWhNt4HQhDR1IuMaA84mI0Bt081VtItd7ynN-C5vFym5k7Q5Cbi1oD5VfX9JZHMzzUO1VD6OhwakDYiIybimszwV9zIK7YsC7XomWSLTrmRkIn9RNZ2MSFoFoJi0A/s1200/canyon+wren+horizontal+041021.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAh8xQNU2Bz7wyFMAWhNt4HQhDR1IuMaA84mI0Bt081VtItd7ynN-C5vFym5k7Q5Cbi1oD5VfX9JZHMzzUO1VD6OhwakDYiIybimszwV9zIK7YsC7XomWSLTrmRkIn9RNZ2MSFoFoJi0A/w640-h426/canyon+wren+horizontal+041021.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;">We'll close with a third Whimbrel shot. The other two images showed the subject closely, so I decided to back off a bit for this frame. Minus the reflection, I think I could be convinced he was walking across the sky. It's really hard to use negative space effectively in the Bay Area areas since buildings, people, dogs, bridges, trash, and all manner of other man-made distractions inevitably work their way into the background, so I was really happy with this result. Getting low delivers again!<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Canon 600mm f/4 IS II + 1.4x III on EOS 1DX Mark II</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">1/2500 at f/5.6, ISO 1000<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic3jCVOVn4Ma6sfdT-z8OK5AIZ1lesReEVWSKxjWA1nC2oPci3DcpQG-nuMp_2T1BL3y7ZXkEP1p5s4nhgtsGQr0BiWPbPyU3AxGh57s5zAZ5NyvTjnCHEpca6pXEBCo3bF1nXPsGvjYU/s1200/whimbrel+wide+041421.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic3jCVOVn4Ma6sfdT-z8OK5AIZ1lesReEVWSKxjWA1nC2oPci3DcpQG-nuMp_2T1BL3y7ZXkEP1p5s4nhgtsGQr0BiWPbPyU3AxGh57s5zAZ5NyvTjnCHEpca6pXEBCo3bF1nXPsGvjYU/w640-h426/whimbrel+wide+041421.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;">Five keeper frames from two individual birds on two different days - can't argue with those results! That's it for now. Cheers!</span></div></div><p><br /></p>Dorian Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15916335753403783947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6961914105467755287.post-68109021750960611502021-04-15T10:44:00.000-07:002021-04-15T10:44:21.026-07:00Post #197 - A bit of San Francisco bike birding<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I usually present my rides in threes, but I'm going to rush these two to press ahead of leading back-to-back-birding tours for <a href="http://www.tropicalbirding.com/" target="_blank">Tropical Birding</a> across the next three weeks, the first on the <a href="http://www.tropicalbirding.com/us-and-canada-birding-tours/texas/upper-texas-coast-hill-country/" target="_blank">Upper Texas Coast</a> and the second in <a href="http://www.tropicalbirding.com/us-and-canada-birding-tours/florida-birding-with-a-camera/" target="_blank">South Florida</a>. I signed on with the company last year, and the two tours I've led before this pair -- one in Southern California and the other in Southern Texas -- have been tons of fun. I'm operating domestically at present but hoping to expand in the future, my ability to teach photography particularly portable as far as international borders are concerned. Anyway, I'm happy to be a part of the Tropical Birding team, and I encourage you to <a href="http://www.tropicalbirding.com/" target="_blank">check out our tour line-up</a> as COVID restrictions ease through the later part of the year.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">TB clients and I with world'd largest killer be in Hidalgo, TX.<br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKdT3hf6feNEp7xvyNuA1ymajUWDn40-CrhRYrAzOAuFYko8wq_j4WTMXP0lgvI_WjNKRrIfpG3dSZQsBIIM4dlb4g1Cdz8f2jY5f4597EPa_haIhEqKFJiZ_LMwv_Mm9DyWOSpFSPk5o/s2048/clients+with+killer+bee+selfie+copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKdT3hf6feNEp7xvyNuA1ymajUWDn40-CrhRYrAzOAuFYko8wq_j4WTMXP0lgvI_WjNKRrIfpG3dSZQsBIIM4dlb4g1Cdz8f2jY5f4597EPa_haIhEqKFJiZ_LMwv_Mm9DyWOSpFSPk5o/w640-h480/clients+with+killer+bee+selfie+copy.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">OK, on with the bike-birding! The first ride I'll recap targeted an adult Bald Eagle discovered on Lake Merced on March 11th (and possibly earlier given scattered sightings at that site across the previous two months). The species is highly-irregular in San Francisco where it occurs almost-exclusively as a flyover, so I followed continuing reports of the Lake Merced example while waiting for an opportunity to pursue it. A free afternoon presenting on March 17th, I made the ride to the location where I found the bird roosting on its favored eucalyptus on the far side of the lake. Anti-climatic from that distance? Sure. One the the list regardless? You bet!<br /></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Lake Merced Bald Eagle (DSLR) - SF bike Bird #242<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ0DDoQQ7yNjp1pv80za0xfM8vX6ntNORH_SMwopy9OJKr3UaXTnt9Gii-QCVRc3s1rhcv096yKilk2UL0himErHP_4CRWnLVvIPWms2r2HuoPAqyQgtnM6j0eJW-YzSc4h7Qp-r1eK6g/s1200/BAEA.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ0DDoQQ7yNjp1pv80za0xfM8vX6ntNORH_SMwopy9OJKr3UaXTnt9Gii-QCVRc3s1rhcv096yKilk2UL0himErHP_4CRWnLVvIPWms2r2HuoPAqyQgtnM6j0eJW-YzSc4h7Qp-r1eK6g/w640-h426/BAEA.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />The eagle presented quicker than I expected, so I figured I'd double-down with the continuing Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (YBSA) in Corona Heights Park. Hustling across the undulating cityscape, I reached the park at 4:30pm, the bird flying into its favored cotoneaster tree 30 seconds later. I'd dipped on a YBSA -- quite possibly the same bird -- at nearby Buena Vista Park several months prior, so it was nice to redeem that miss with this close look. The sap wells are pretty sweet!<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Corona Heights Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (DSLR) - SF Bike Bird #243<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaQVqtcVTgWQju3gbqOWt90ncIhBpX7UcTM8mPRw34OjA18ADRkqAakudGB4FxcZEfBQyeF12HuZ8XO8GXjsCNq305p2dMyQWXEmDhyphenhyphenOn037SX9Pm-mGZ5Cug7KCMcddSG4R4Taai2aMU/s1000/YBSA.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaQVqtcVTgWQju3gbqOWt90ncIhBpX7UcTM8mPRw34OjA18ADRkqAakudGB4FxcZEfBQyeF12HuZ8XO8GXjsCNq305p2dMyQWXEmDhyphenhyphenOn037SX9Pm-mGZ5Cug7KCMcddSG4R4Taai2aMU/w512-h640/YBSA.jpg" width="512" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Two birds in a single, 42-mile swing!<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXZUOPEl9Iozp5FsgfQT8-8H-kWnAQJaeP12yfHTOWklrVL4hqlV3BMitYWfSy6NmmmC1hvG3VGgAD5pmaxp3lmiAVoJIEVkcQFwbcusfucevrcTv2DtVFV0CCcrE5vlsykDpajdBXILw/s636/BAEA+YBSA.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="634" data-original-width="636" height="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXZUOPEl9Iozp5FsgfQT8-8H-kWnAQJaeP12yfHTOWklrVL4hqlV3BMitYWfSy6NmmmC1hvG3VGgAD5pmaxp3lmiAVoJIEVkcQFwbcusfucevrcTv2DtVFV0CCcrE5vlsykDpajdBXILw/w640-h638/BAEA+YBSA.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />The second ride I'll chronicle, undertaken on April 5th, took me to Ocean Beach in San Francisco to search for the Sabine's Gull which had been present for the previous two days. The species is usually highly-pelagic, the bird migrating far off the California Coast in spring and fall, but this individual had suffered a chest injury which forced it to the beach to rest and recover. Chasing an injured individual for listing purposes initially felt dirty and self-serving, but my feelings changed when I intersected it, the views better than I've had on any pelagic trip. Though the bird was missing some feathers at the apparent wound site (visible as dent in breast in photo), it did make a few short sorties along the beach when flushed by dogs. The bird has remained on the beach since my sighting -- 12 days total -- so it will be interesting to see how it fares moving forward. Hopefully it recovers and heads back out to sea. <br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sabine's Gull (digiscope) - SF Bike Bird #244<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4gBno5iqjgnJia1YBNaf1I642aY6huY61NnUk-xWz4Kdrs9si14lqX0AD4wwFzEibtol9ZZPpKuMkcmJ1-Gw0fVgXWsvVCKYjZKTnFsRMoORfY8jSnAOl_-RE7Zv2XW5MkvVU6xpFQFI/s2048/SAGU.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1515" data-original-width="2048" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4gBno5iqjgnJia1YBNaf1I642aY6huY61NnUk-xWz4Kdrs9si14lqX0AD4wwFzEibtol9ZZPpKuMkcmJ1-Gw0fVgXWsvVCKYjZKTnFsRMoORfY8jSnAOl_-RE7Zv2XW5MkvVU6xpFQFI/w640-h474/SAGU.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A quick 40 miles!<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnBC8fagl_JhjLzUZaqpZ7mVn6MSfUS3k_DXHTWpleuf0IoWxb1jmYn_Tv_yRQ9gY-Y9cq079_amBYk435BsNUvo3L-W5AUkD2Ax47nObg8_W3MSt3iB6BOzop-yOmH1PJLUzA_soOC0E/s589/SAGU.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="589" data-original-width="493" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnBC8fagl_JhjLzUZaqpZ7mVn6MSfUS3k_DXHTWpleuf0IoWxb1jmYn_Tv_yRQ9gY-Y9cq079_amBYk435BsNUvo3L-W5AUkD2Ax47nObg8_W3MSt3iB6BOzop-yOmH1PJLUzA_soOC0E/w536-h640/SAGU.png" width="536" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />That's it for now. I doubt I'll be able to squeeze in another post before I leave for my tours, but I'm sure I'll have something for you when I return. Cheers!</span><p></p>Dorian Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15916335753403783947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6961914105467755287.post-15413421182624243152021-03-27T21:28:00.000-07:002021-03-27T21:28:13.973-07:00Post #196 - Recent Photographs<span style="font-size: medium;">I've dispensed a lot of bike-birding content recently, so I'm just going to throw up a bunch of photos and say a few a words about each. It's been really, really hard with my local shorebird spot shut down for the two years starting in January, but I've squeezed out a few keeper frames from other places. I'm hoping to get out a bit more now that the days are longer and sunnier!</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Surf Scoters are usually far from shore, but I was able to float right up onto this male in my inflatable kayak. Since depth of field compresses at such close range, I closed the the lens down to f/8 (from f/5.6) to make sure I preserved focus across the face and neck. These high-contrast subjects are a real challenge in bright sunlight. It's easy to overexposure the whites or underexpose the blacks, so I was stoked to preserve feather detail at those extremes. I think he looks like an alien with that multicolored beak and white eye!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Surf Scoter - <i>Melanitta perspicillata</i></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Canon 600mm f/4 IS II + 1.4x III on EOS 1DX Mark II</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">1/2500 at f/8, ISO 800<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGhbv5PnL9IpM3LZUEZSOEx9iiUzB31ckDz_Gf0Y8mCEW0UcpbPtfo7kYScnlvz-eT4wD-Xa_l4D8x0Oavwssn6eDBqBnsYlO9_w8BEJXPg_Kq6Nuusc_Y_hCniBzDHadmkVXYiUoqpDw/s1200/surf+scoter+head+020421.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGhbv5PnL9IpM3LZUEZSOEx9iiUzB31ckDz_Gf0Y8mCEW0UcpbPtfo7kYScnlvz-eT4wD-Xa_l4D8x0Oavwssn6eDBqBnsYlO9_w8BEJXPg_Kq6Nuusc_Y_hCniBzDHadmkVXYiUoqpDw/w640-h426/surf+scoter+head+020421.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Incredibly, this Bushtit frame happened without the aid of audio or food. How'd I get the bird onto such a sweet perch without crap in the background? Well, I saw a family group of ~20 picking its way through a low hedgerow. There was a break at the end where the birds would emerge, so I ran ahead of them and waited. My plan worked to perfection, and I had a quick opportunity at this bird before it flitted across the opening and disappeared into another shrub. I see this species around my San Mateo apartment almost every day, but this is the first decent photo I've managed of this tiny and highly-kinetic bird. For perspective, the bird's body is about the size of a golfball. So yeah, a hella small target!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Bushtit - <i>Psaltriparus minimus</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Canon 600mm f/4 IS II + 1.4x III on EOS 1DX Mark II</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">1/2500 at f/5.6, ISO 800<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQiTC5Cvi583PrxIaAM5cCwtn4BcbqCx7M7KILw6oq_bzMoWZz0HUyQuyRWFAxFuD71n3gUyNjCKMuCDLczUTQ77cQUDvcyYr1pOLUK1U_l5Lsw0uxjgfx5cIEfbDxZtOhtzbwkavy8ho/s1200/bushtit+022721.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQiTC5Cvi583PrxIaAM5cCwtn4BcbqCx7M7KILw6oq_bzMoWZz0HUyQuyRWFAxFuD71n3gUyNjCKMuCDLczUTQ77cQUDvcyYr1pOLUK1U_l5Lsw0uxjgfx5cIEfbDxZtOhtzbwkavy8ho/w640-h426/bushtit+022721.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I have lots of shots of the Ring-neck Ducks which winter in Golden Gate Park, but I love the consistent, low angle opportunity they offer. The birds patrol Stowe Lake while looking for handouts, so it's as simple as staking out a water-level vantage, laying prone on my stomach, and waiting. That's easier said that done while holding my heavy camera, but my patience paid off when this guy cruised by at the perfect distance. You can't beat water-level bokeh/blur!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ring-necked Duck - <i>Aythya collaris</i></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Canon 600mm f/4 IS on EOS 1DX Mark II</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">1/3200 at f/5.6, ISO 640<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-MWgbG_sAcDEur8vhLZYgRznHP0fKVyhbCDv-Krr6pR3_WMmPml-QzBz-9GWhRokcWejxwFe2QO2ya2hQD0MFqZlk_vJqi_8PYDdcT3smNUIJwbQdzzHpsIOTLOxjvMCzvsq5C8E5JpE/s1200/ring-necked+duck+male+031221.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-MWgbG_sAcDEur8vhLZYgRznHP0fKVyhbCDv-Krr6pR3_WMmPml-QzBz-9GWhRokcWejxwFe2QO2ya2hQD0MFqZlk_vJqi_8PYDdcT3smNUIJwbQdzzHpsIOTLOxjvMCzvsq5C8E5JpE/w640-h426/ring-necked+duck+male+031221.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Last, a bit of a cheap shot. I was in a blind while leading a photo workshop in Texas in January, and food and water were used to lure a variety of local birds to an array of perfect perches (this happened at a private ranch which specializes in this sort of 'set-up' photography). It's kinda cheesy since it requires zero behavioral knowledge or stalking skill, but it's a great way to reinforce technique with clients. I much prefer shooting in the field - where shots have to be earned - but it's tough to argue with results like this, particularly when the subject is as stealthy as the Long-billed Thrasher!<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Long-billed Thrasher - <i>Toxostoma longirostre</i><br />Canon 600mm f/4 IS II on EOS 1DX Mark II</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">1/800 at f/5.6, ISO 1250<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSGMS2F8KFFfHiM2PJRSmJvNr9sy-JKgdA0DWJ_AxX_E5XizM7f3MkHgHMUo_RlHOBKUY9TLNhrc0RnABaN6Asx3HJptxwld577ZrYed9ECLnRbZE94zhpLFxpFlkuBXcTdOGpgULTF3I/s1200/long-billed+thrasher+011921-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSGMS2F8KFFfHiM2PJRSmJvNr9sy-JKgdA0DWJ_AxX_E5XizM7f3MkHgHMUo_RlHOBKUY9TLNhrc0RnABaN6Asx3HJptxwld577ZrYed9ECLnRbZE94zhpLFxpFlkuBXcTdOGpgULTF3I/w640-h426/long-billed+thrasher+011921-Edit.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That's it for now. Headed out with the camera tomorrow, so hopefully I'll have more for you in the next installment.</span></div></div>Dorian Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15916335753403783947noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6961914105467755287.post-23082081481394477362021-03-16T07:25:00.000-07:002021-03-16T07:25:14.488-07:00Post #195 - Tired of bike-birding? I hope not cuz it's all I have right now!<p><span style="font-size: large;">More of the same around here at the moment! I've been venturing farther afield since birding my local Coyote Point Park is so depressing right now; a big chunk of the park is ripped up for levy improvements. It's incredibly frustrating on top of the Foster City closure (2 damn years!). It seems the entire San Mateo bayshore is under construction. Why can't they do one place at a time, do it fast, then move to the next? So dumb. Anyway, let's get into my recent adventures. <br /><br /><span style="color: #04ff00;">California Thrasher (CATH), San Francisco, March 4th</span><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Common in my home San Mateo County where its preferred chaparral is more widespread, CATH is quite rare in the more developed confines of San Francisco to the north; eBird suggests it ~annual with 4-5 records spread across the last 4-5 years. A couple stuck around for a while in 2018, but I wasn't invested in those sightings because I'd seen the bird in San Mateo and hadn't starting listing for the other, individual counties at that juncture. Wondering if I'd get another crack at CATH in SF, I was happy to learn about one at Candlestick Point at the end of February. I couldn't make time for a pursuit until March 4th, shocking as the bird was less 15 miles from my apartment (an hour's ride), but I was happy to find it kicking around the same area it had spent the previous week. I forwent the scope in favor of the DSLR on this occasion, that decision validated when the bird allowed close approach!</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">California Thrasher - SF bike bird #241<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHovCLknWxLvpk_YM6i1vJOK1SxT65YQ4JuREW2CIRT-oOYxOD10pGqcqHb4uo83ZDpxxseYj6W25iJBHSDUOhAHp0ClQkbCvWG-RyZv2kXMZ3fKnC0IXwRmpfWkjJ_MJ5G8OIALVcyl4/s2048/CATH.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHovCLknWxLvpk_YM6i1vJOK1SxT65YQ4JuREW2CIRT-oOYxOD10pGqcqHb4uo83ZDpxxseYj6W25iJBHSDUOhAHp0ClQkbCvWG-RyZv2kXMZ3fKnC0IXwRmpfWkjJ_MJ5G8OIALVcyl4/w640-h426/CATH.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br />Mileage is for the round trip</span><span style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYEJn8zVaDdIRpq9F7vu1p1pPgK4Tq-wdoE3wF18HnwWYRC5p9Xzlz8ras4KjqwNhmDDgTAH4NPx4sFgNT8Jm8cWbC6GvKePdsQSnzOuZt0kSqoi2tjgmFZjS_JM96Kp8zERLxp95NB78/s639/CATH.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="537" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYEJn8zVaDdIRpq9F7vu1p1pPgK4Tq-wdoE3wF18HnwWYRC5p9Xzlz8ras4KjqwNhmDDgTAH4NPx4sFgNT8Jm8cWbC6GvKePdsQSnzOuZt0kSqoi2tjgmFZjS_JM96Kp8zERLxp95NB78/w538-h640/CATH.png" width="538" /></a></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #04ff00;">Common Poorwill (COPO), San Mateo, March 11th</span><br />Nocturnal birds present another level of bike-birding challenge because riding at night comes with additional dangers versus riding during the day. My wife lets me get away with it close to home, but neither of us wants me riding significant distance - like over the coastal mountains - after dark. So, chasing a continuing COPO in Montara required more logistics than usual, specifically an overnight in Half Moon Bay.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I left home at 4pm on Thursday, March 11, did some leisurely birding en route, and reached Montara at 6pm. The bird had been showing on a particular path like clockwork between 6:30 and 6:45, but it was not to be on this this night. It had rained heavily overnight and all morning, so I suspect the weather disrupted the bird's routine. Worse, more rain materialized just as I was leaving. Visibility was reduced to twenty feet, and I had no choice but to push south along Highway 1 until I found temporary shelter. That came in the form of a gas station where I spent fifteen minutes before continuing to south the Half Moon Bay under lighter drizzle. I was drenched from head to toe. It sucked. I made it home the next morning without trouble, but I really should have waited for the weather to stabilize before I invested the time. Overall, it was a big bummer as COPO would have been new for my cumulative Bay Area bike list. I might make another attempt if the bird sticks around, so stay tuned for that. <br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Shelter from the downpour - see street behind!<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ3Grz1ZLcvZ3tK92_gf4InpYlbXsrN7mRUB0OEwQD0QZ-ifC74qs-g62r3Itrpg6z1uWu1i2DRznAtxlL8pRVO53Ae8SlGP4lLspUk6tphXfjm5dUqRCRw9U3M6GeqNsHK_FlKGsmXtI/s2048/IMG_4341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1368" data-original-width="2048" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ3Grz1ZLcvZ3tK92_gf4InpYlbXsrN7mRUB0OEwQD0QZ-ifC74qs-g62r3Itrpg6z1uWu1i2DRznAtxlL8pRVO53Ae8SlGP4lLspUk6tphXfjm5dUqRCRw9U3M6GeqNsHK_FlKGsmXtI/w640-h428/IMG_4341.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT-aBgYTJKcJpSQr2ZkfNQuWwioSAjgg2vf5CmDSf4OzPf9XUac3vqRQN6e-7nJLIr0_bpSKaCUPJve43KFR6VvJrIKq5zjC9QH-kzzIdWzv6s6MRjjfU9S9mCFfaWqGrYB_2c45el1aA/s671/COPO.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="671" data-original-width="505" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT-aBgYTJKcJpSQr2ZkfNQuWwioSAjgg2vf5CmDSf4OzPf9XUac3vqRQN6e-7nJLIr0_bpSKaCUPJve43KFR6VvJrIKq5zjC9QH-kzzIdWzv6s6MRjjfU9S9mCFfaWqGrYB_2c45el1aA/w482-h640/COPO.png" width="482" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><span style="color: #04ff00;">Lesser Black-backed Gull (LBBG), Santa Clara, March 14th</span></span><div><span style="font-size: medium;">This another bird which slipped through my radar with at least 3 individuals kicking around Alviso in the South Bay for the previous few days. That's a tough destination for me to reach on the bike because prevailing NW winds make the return ride a huge pain in the ass, but Sunday offered unusual opportunity on two fronts. First, the start of daylight savings guaranteed the roads empty at sunrise, a circumstance which would let me run every light and stop sign on the outgoing leg; second, south winds ahead of an approaching storm meant I'd have a rare tailwind on my return (rain in the Bay Area is almost always accompanied by southwest winds).<br /><br />I left at first light and hauled ass south. Making tracks through Palo Alto, I glimpsed four geese flying towards me as I zipped by the Renzel Wetlands. Three were standard Canadas, but the final was a comparatively-tiny Cackling Goose (CACG). That species had eluded me in Santa Clara as far as the bike was concerned, so it was a nice bonus en route to Alviso. Santa Clara bike bird #223 - woo hoo!<br /><br />Reaching that destination 1 hour 52 minutes after I left home, I bumped into Santa Clara stalwarts Matthew Dodder and Bob Reiling who said they had the 1st cycle LBBG ten minutes before I arrived. The three of us were unable to relocated the bird, but it flew in for me 90 minutes later. A quick digiscope snapped - light head, dark body, black bill, long wings, slender appearance - it was time to head home ahead of approaching rain. I bombed up the bayshore, but traffic lights crushed me once I rejoined the sprawl; I had to stop more times that I cared to count. Regardless, the return ride took 1 hour 56 minutes, a solid 45 minutes faster than when I need to ride into NW winds to get home.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">1st cycle Lesser Black-backed Gull<br />Bay Area bike bird #331. Santa Clara Bike bird #224.</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglAcAagwXOrYx6rog0oh6Xjbjk4PhPgrdtNGetEdyh0Grg67OsTSANLCsFKtX4vmRP0SbCe3BT5aDEazPXBCRNJy9yL6d4qMoFz2xckQBWWSZHli7ipjtWNT5xgnmEPOxj3c4bdLSW8UA/s843/IMG_4360.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="843" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglAcAagwXOrYx6rog0oh6Xjbjk4PhPgrdtNGetEdyh0Grg67OsTSANLCsFKtX4vmRP0SbCe3BT5aDEazPXBCRNJy9yL6d4qMoFz2xckQBWWSZHli7ipjtWNT5xgnmEPOxj3c4bdLSW8UA/w640-h456/IMG_4360.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx0z6K85XNGI2wCgVwlr34okjM4d81OXp0JAB0CD6pM9-uukg0AGZb8srC6EEI4GohjohIEK9hcnfgrLg_xciOZSfeEW6_5iVNsJXh0e5EU1gcSRu2hAlB3ngHnXv3xZs3zBoP5S_dsZA/s1075/LBBG.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="1075" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx0z6K85XNGI2wCgVwlr34okjM4d81OXp0JAB0CD6pM9-uukg0AGZb8srC6EEI4GohjohIEK9hcnfgrLg_xciOZSfeEW6_5iVNsJXh0e5EU1gcSRu2hAlB3ngHnXv3xZs3zBoP5S_dsZA/w640-h360/LBBG.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />So, two outta three ain't bad. I've been doing a bit more photography lately, so maybe I'll go with an image-driven post the next time around. Cheers!</span>Dorian Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15916335753403783947noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6961914105467755287.post-44349762039903595132021-02-27T18:32:00.002-08:002021-02-27T18:32:48.177-08:00Post #194 - More Bay Area Bike-birding<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Days are lengthening, the COVID vaccine is being distributed/administered, and spring migration will be here before we know it. Things are looking up! My bike-birding has been hampered by other projects, familial commitments, and injured toes (long story) of late, but I've managed to sneak out on the bike a few times since my last post. I'll recap three recent rides in this installment: one in San Mateo County, one in Santa Clara County, and one in San Francisco City/County.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #04ff00;">Mountain Bluebird (MOBL) and Red-necked Grebe (RNGR) in San Mateo County</span><br />More common towards the Sierras, MOBL makes only rare appearances at/near the coast; there are only a handful of eBird records spread across San Francisco and San Mateo Counties, so folks on the peninsula were surprised by an iNaturalist report from Mori Point Pacifica on January 24. The bird was seen daily for the next week, but I wasn't able to ride for it because of high winds and accompanying rain. Better weather prevailed on the 30th, and I used a free morning to make the hour-long ride to Pacifica. Drama? Nope! The bird showed with 5 minutes of my arrival and bounced around the coastal cliffs exactly as advertised. Pretty sweet San Mateo bird, especially on the bike!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Mori Point in Pacific - Not traditional Mountain Bluebird habitat!<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgScQeccYnIe2sXZhdTveimcCf9FaqVgyT-BivUIGQ-98rj0QRYeMV6EPPGV01u4KQYF5av68T6Ks0BS70nqskrqhGWCVqy466056GOLX5dm3Lc57mlFztMCrrpOdNHEeQSi6fs6_TabBg/s3234/IMG_4247.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="973" data-original-width="3234" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgScQeccYnIe2sXZhdTveimcCf9FaqVgyT-BivUIGQ-98rj0QRYeMV6EPPGV01u4KQYF5av68T6Ks0BS70nqskrqhGWCVqy466056GOLX5dm3Lc57mlFztMCrrpOdNHEeQSi6fs6_TabBg/w640-h192/IMG_4247.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Mountain Bluebird (digi-binoc)<br />Bay Area Bike Bird #329, San Mateo County Bike Bird #287</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtYwbROtD6p0HEQGTIuzYVIcv6FaBQHBgYq2Ov8_s-3FNSEKLolzmHSOZjJrqtwv8naP-RrOw_3DWekrpTfKF7YJIDDDsIP6T8DcQQpEn3PESx4Nmca8xLqENmf2Ubls3dchHDDaPAE0Q/s1402/MOBL.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="956" data-original-width="1402" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtYwbROtD6p0HEQGTIuzYVIcv6FaBQHBgYq2Ov8_s-3FNSEKLolzmHSOZjJrqtwv8naP-RrOw_3DWekrpTfKF7YJIDDDsIP6T8DcQQpEn3PESx4Nmca8xLqENmf2Ubls3dchHDDaPAE0Q/w640-h436/MOBL.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />The MOBL showing quickly, I shot up to Mussel Rock to look for the Red-necked Grebe(s) which had been hanging around there for the previous week. The species has been a bit of a San Mateo bike nemesis for me. I've tried piggy-backing it onto pursuits of other species, always without success, and this time was no different despite a two-hour vigil. I have it on my SF bike list and my regular San Mateo list from a pelagic, but it's proved elusive in San Mateo when I'm on the bike. Eventually......<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">My ride for MOBL and RNGR on January 30th<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-rfF_RDfikmWDJdYVfXzPML5BeH45V90nNQl3aDdx_F9ICggtsLoULyNPI1gzT_R0Z8PZvWF3pTxSpHybeIfmODkV8U9zfuKfIMI2d-frISo433GrF544QvknKMZgAsZPaG3fia6IHJI/s718/MOBL.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="488" data-original-width="718" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-rfF_RDfikmWDJdYVfXzPML5BeH45V90nNQl3aDdx_F9ICggtsLoULyNPI1gzT_R0Z8PZvWF3pTxSpHybeIfmODkV8U9zfuKfIMI2d-frISo433GrF544QvknKMZgAsZPaG3fia6IHJI/w640-h434/MOBL.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="color: #04ff00; font-size: medium;">Chipping Sparrow (SCHSP) in Santa Clara County</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;">This species had eluded me in Santa Clara, so I rode down to Terman Park (Mountain View) on the advice of Adam Burnett and ticked three continuing birds within 30 seconds of arriving. Easy as could be. And that's all I'm gonna say about that<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Chipping Sparrow </span><span style="font-size: large;">(digi-binoc) </span><span style="font-size: medium;">- </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">Santa Clara bike bird #222 </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6nKz8Jj0AJKm0ACVMDZUFyIROD9l2hWKfUTXXJD8Fo4ddd1Lm_Lw3m-jJlSvba5YdMSAz3RI_QiywnS8kQEGV3fDTU23hgscrxzfBMEC9aLRKWnM8wHTd_VkhxDHEabeSgwCuFNdGvNE/s852/CHSP.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="852" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6nKz8Jj0AJKm0ACVMDZUFyIROD9l2hWKfUTXXJD8Fo4ddd1Lm_Lw3m-jJlSvba5YdMSAz3RI_QiywnS8kQEGV3fDTU23hgscrxzfBMEC9aLRKWnM8wHTd_VkhxDHEabeSgwCuFNdGvNE/w640-h470/CHSP.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">My ride for CHSP on February 10th<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVUESIK9yl4RBQP-h0pmeOCuiBEIUzNl45oh-VyWLsqF2FlTGl7vo-zemBtMjHsHUaCAkZNEaJt6URpUEyEr5iwPDoFt40iXGklan1VwNEM_bqkprrqzF1At74htq6rEr6-xNlnt1r6wk/s1005/CHSP.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="649" data-original-width="1005" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVUESIK9yl4RBQP-h0pmeOCuiBEIUzNl45oh-VyWLsqF2FlTGl7vo-zemBtMjHsHUaCAkZNEaJt6URpUEyEr5iwPDoFt40iXGklan1VwNEM_bqkprrqzF1At74htq6rEr6-xNlnt1r6wk/w640-h414/CHSP.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><span style="color: #04ff00;">Varied Thrush (VATH), Bullock's Oriole (BUOR), and Baltimore Oriole (BAOR) in San Francisco</span><br />I was prepared for a longer search since took a friend and I ninety minutes to find a VATH at this location the previous week (by car), so I was stoked when one revealed itself just 5 minutes after I arrived. San Francisco Bike Bird #238 secured with minimal effort, I cruised over to Fort Mason to look for the continuing Bullock's and Baltimore Orioles. I didn't have a whiff of either across three hours, so I packed it in at 12:15. I loaded my crap into my panniers and pushed my bike out of the community garden where I'd stashed it. Mounting up, I heard an unexpected rattle from behind me. Slamming on the brakes and excavating my binocs, I got eyes on the sought Baltimore a moment later. It kept calling, so I fished out my 7D2 and 100-400, reassembled the functional rig, and captured some frames of the improbable bird. As I was pishing it in closer, the Bullock's popped up as well! It was really sweet to salvage both birds after I'd conceded them. <br /></span><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">VATH - SF Bike Bird #238 (DSLR)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-6__R74LI5-osiLYYd6HDhPYlMo6HJ9HX_7RLQqbdRjndChDuCHmio-jAP2JL8U9OL3_tpfmcyMElcSySZWX-4VG5rSQhdrHpHq4FnzdoMW_2aeexvESgtUZWGvW2-ADCtXFDfqN2EI/s800/VATH.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-6__R74LI5-osiLYYd6HDhPYlMo6HJ9HX_7RLQqbdRjndChDuCHmio-jAP2JL8U9OL3_tpfmcyMElcSySZWX-4VG5rSQhdrHpHq4FnzdoMW_2aeexvESgtUZWGvW2-ADCtXFDfqN2EI/w512-h640/VATH.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Bullock's Oriole - SF Bike Bird #239 (DSLR)<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4yhke-GwLk-w18mLzbJx09TK_kNK1nZkNi9p9b3b3oDTbo8QwMew9D9Tx2dWbYwZKd3pw8Gmt6rLJI2NN_8w25Tfwu3ypU3BP7qJa1nsn5j_m69h1qj68qwZ8PdnQEe1cVz_qw8HZilo/s1200/BUOR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4yhke-GwLk-w18mLzbJx09TK_kNK1nZkNi9p9b3b3oDTbo8QwMew9D9Tx2dWbYwZKd3pw8Gmt6rLJI2NN_8w25Tfwu3ypU3BP7qJa1nsn5j_m69h1qj68qwZ8PdnQEe1cVz_qw8HZilo/w640-h426/BUOR.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Baltimore Oriole - Bay Area Bike Bird #330 and San Francisco Bike bird #240 (DSLR)<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPbiEAIF5NdnCc9zE9Lj0gVN5zDPK7rw5lGfWk96eYUWr0Ak1DRF0TFyIm988oCDVSQ4UGFBn1JNyyyjSQvXxywkwk-24HXStgjgejpuPWA4poaoFUE3dSRLjL1NK93GYbiuFZCJHw5o0/s1200/BAOR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPbiEAIF5NdnCc9zE9Lj0gVN5zDPK7rw5lGfWk96eYUWr0Ak1DRF0TFyIm988oCDVSQ4UGFBn1JNyyyjSQvXxywkwk-24HXStgjgejpuPWA4poaoFUE3dSRLjL1NK93GYbiuFZCJHw5o0/w640-h426/BAOR.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />And what about this thing?!?! It's an immature male Northern Red Bishop which has been hanging around Fort Mason, apparently for some time. He doesn't count towards my various lists since the species is an introduced exotic in California - it's native to equatorial Africa - but I had fun chasing him around community garden while I was looking for the orioles.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Northern Red Bishop (DSLR)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1FH2jMaCDnnboJ2ZPAh0z64WV-YCu8tBIbMcYlNeckg580SugH9S9VHsP3YjSRW2hPqMkIuI0mIkQL2zU97hWSGdGccvacAc4CAvME0Mg0dGeq79IkJakyPCAzhAyVn76RpJVdnAtduU/s800/2L0A8495-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1FH2jMaCDnnboJ2ZPAh0z64WV-YCu8tBIbMcYlNeckg580SugH9S9VHsP3YjSRW2hPqMkIuI0mIkQL2zU97hWSGdGccvacAc4CAvME0Mg0dGeq79IkJakyPCAzhAyVn76RpJVdnAtduU/w512-h640/2L0A8495-Edit.jpg" width="512" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikZB7Uh-1nN5dDsghHueJnSY4eK_-HbuIecBEIUpDiIURjkvowbS9b0JUZSYwoW7gtPenhoLA5FHF5dVjX1tBIXfgCursQH9zvx28s5pJgFU6j7EE7H4FMqBdzubgQ8mbRcMTK1Hq5OJ8/s1200/2L0A8483.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikZB7Uh-1nN5dDsghHueJnSY4eK_-HbuIecBEIUpDiIURjkvowbS9b0JUZSYwoW7gtPenhoLA5FHF5dVjX1tBIXfgCursQH9zvx28s5pJgFU6j7EE7H4FMqBdzubgQ8mbRcMTK1Hq5OJ8/w640-h426/2L0A8483.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">My ride for VATH, BUOR, BAOR on February 26<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVZ60hYh_mJE14J3dFOJtuZKX9qVli4KgtUmU_5KUASIZKJddS4o01QVVgo_LHOM1ZaeQOEbmJPUF7Rtkf5RUONIYaYo1XLKzRCrhl__S_SaJCwccWa3K4WdJMrxbjpMolbqQHCGYoXjY/s625/today.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="575" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVZ60hYh_mJE14J3dFOJtuZKX9qVli4KgtUmU_5KUASIZKJddS4o01QVVgo_LHOM1ZaeQOEbmJPUF7Rtkf5RUONIYaYo1XLKzRCrhl__S_SaJCwccWa3K4WdJMrxbjpMolbqQHCGYoXjY/w589-h640/today.png" width="589" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />That's it for now. Stay safe. I hope to see folks in the field the next few weeks. Cheers!</span>Dorian Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15916335753403783947noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6961914105467755287.post-45925168745247215462021-02-08T17:58:00.000-08:002021-02-08T17:58:03.454-08:00Post #193 - San Francisco Bike-birding<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Last time I recapped a super productive ride through Santa Clara County, and this time I'm going to describe some San Francisco exploits. The described ride is another holdover from the first half of January, it undertaken on January 7th and targeting three birds in different parts of the city. The first of those was the continuing Swamp Sparrow (SWSP) at Lake Merced. Reliably present for the previous nine days, the bird was favoring the scrubby hillside separating the Vista Grande Canal and the adjacent golf course. Ditching my bike in some bushes after covering the ~14 miles from my San Mateo apartment in 53 mins, I glanced skyward just in time to view a White-tailed Kite (WTKI) float buoyantly over my head. That bird was long-overdue for SF bike bird #236, and my subsequent passes of the favored hillside produced the sought SWSP for SF bike bird #237. Two-for-one, no complaints.<br /></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Digi-binoc'd Swamp Sparrow - sweet perch, right?<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKbShPh42HIh-yY5de7FjtFokmsl66DIKq5fLseUeHbRax0mAx7R6_25vjoE6UsYJkWlPhXCX0I-OP_H8bCAJMdGSF7jkpI-D5ry0jvH8728UkvfOtCmHZyiunPHvYbKUdDasDG9k5V8U/s1057/IMG_4129.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="1057" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKbShPh42HIh-yY5de7FjtFokmsl66DIKq5fLseUeHbRax0mAx7R6_25vjoE6UsYJkWlPhXCX0I-OP_H8bCAJMdGSF7jkpI-D5ry0jvH8728UkvfOtCmHZyiunPHvYbKUdDasDG9k5V8U/w640-h376/IMG_4129.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />My first target acquired, I turned my attention towards the Hammond's Flycatcher (HAFL) which had been frequenting Moscone Park in the city's northern reaches since December 29 (10 days prior). Beyond a SF bike bird, it also be new for my cumulative Bay Area bike list, that consideration motivating me through the cityscape post-sparrow. The sun broke through while I was en route, and I hoped the flycatcher would be active given warming temperatures and associated insect activity.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I don't know about anyone else, but I'm not a huge fan of birding in urban parks, particularly on really nice days. Why? Well, with a group of little kids playing on one side of the flycatcher's favored area and a dozen twenty-something women doing yoga on the other, I looked like hella shady as I repeatedly scanned chain link fence which separated the two groups. I've watched enough Law and Order: Special Victims Unit to know I - as a forty-two-year-old, ugly-ass white dude - fit the pedo-perv stereotype, particularly with binoculars dangling from my neck, so I just wanted to find the bird and get the hell out of there.</span></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">"What were you doing George, birdwatching?"<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWG2T7ik7vk33nmUnLVuS32aNlhcVExaNpQdpKSG6Tevh6AiC4XhsSC5ci6kBqfy3H7Qp7wHOcBu6z6_nI6kX2e8KKE6cnm8Hu8G3-vvYf9fsL8sdWk_04ejGO7As4d_MWdvQVoZGYT_o/s600/A68KUJZCcAMg5LJ.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="600" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWG2T7ik7vk33nmUnLVuS32aNlhcVExaNpQdpKSG6Tevh6AiC4XhsSC5ci6kBqfy3H7Qp7wHOcBu6z6_nI6kX2e8KKE6cnm8Hu8G3-vvYf9fsL8sdWk_04ejGO7As4d_MWdvQVoZGYT_o/w400-h264/A68KUJZCcAMg5LJ.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />Swirling hoards of White-crowned Sparrows and Yellow-rumped Warblers monopolized the fence for 75 minutes, but a small flycatcher eventually found the gumption to join their ranks. Approaching for a better view, I noted the blocky head, small bill, eye ring, and long primaries, that final field mark rendering the tail short in appearance. The bird also drooped its left wing as other observers had noted of this individual Hammond's (SF bike bird #238). I snapped a few quick shots, jumped on the bike, and cleared out.</span><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Digi-binoc'd Hammond's Flycatcher, thankfully without downward dog behind.....<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjL8hEibdxd70Xupkp_nsE3DGQFHOdhUhtuUxYD1kq97NZX9i5aeY-vfF_zHLrnLBxVzUNnt4wP_0m3-E4YlqLKipcmWPh3AMSZEX32Cfg0l5zMGdd_eoVESLgzD8X73mioIjeajHyXIM/s1350/IMG_4144.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="995" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjL8hEibdxd70Xupkp_nsE3DGQFHOdhUhtuUxYD1kq97NZX9i5aeY-vfF_zHLrnLBxVzUNnt4wP_0m3-E4YlqLKipcmWPh3AMSZEX32Cfg0l5zMGdd_eoVESLgzD8X73mioIjeajHyXIM/w472-h640/IMG_4144.JPG" width="472" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />With ample daylight on my way home, I made a one-hour stop at Heron's Head to see what I could find. That yielding nothing unusual beyond Rocky, the incredibly-approachable Rock Sandpiper which has spent the last two winters at the park's distal terminus, I continued to Yosemite Slough with hopes of Loggerhead Shrike. More common inland, the crafty predator makes only hella rare appearances in San Francisco; the individual found by Rachel Lawrence on December 23 as part of her record-breaking SF total (275 species, I think) represented the first SF sighting since 2008 and one of only a handful since 2000 (according to eBird). I missed the bird on my previous December 28 swing, and, sadly, the result was the same this time around. Can't win 'em all, and 2 outta 3 (plus the kite) ain't bad!<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Digiscoped Rocky as bayshore consolation<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUgIQehNYbLIEfCO_DPHvw2avIaJ-tTei8BtngSyRquDTAZ3hdi9rbhW5YjEh-K9PNsJHwAKHUVfdbiv8mLKtvKdELgm9Q5CrcGI039-kt8MPauzGVOmaS_IdEb57gf6Wtl5F4Eu_yt9c/s2048/IMG_4158.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1490" data-original-width="2048" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUgIQehNYbLIEfCO_DPHvw2avIaJ-tTei8BtngSyRquDTAZ3hdi9rbhW5YjEh-K9PNsJHwAKHUVfdbiv8mLKtvKdELgm9Q5CrcGI039-kt8MPauzGVOmaS_IdEb57gf6Wtl5F4Eu_yt9c/w640-h466/IMG_4158.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNmtMk5SLU5sd4K9feRwArf_9rr6LbD0iAQrqBCcp-LmIvqlQnparuMgl3RoB4oLeDzOWZ0LbYJXe-HYdbdVmUyCwF_5xWzfpyA01gIAn4RMmcFcJBdl03BUFrGimuic8ekj8sEeGXay4/s624/SWSP%252C+WTKI%252C+HAFL.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="624" data-original-width="589" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNmtMk5SLU5sd4K9feRwArf_9rr6LbD0iAQrqBCcp-LmIvqlQnparuMgl3RoB4oLeDzOWZ0LbYJXe-HYdbdVmUyCwF_5xWzfpyA01gIAn4RMmcFcJBdl03BUFrGimuic8ekj8sEeGXay4/w605-h640/SWSP%252C+WTKI%252C+HAFL.png" width="605" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Until next time.........</span></div></div>Dorian Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15916335753403783947noreply@blogger.com0