Bird Photography

Today’s post includes a selection of photos from several recent bird walks at various locations — including my neighborhood and yard.

Westlake Park is a small park with a lake. It’s a great little place to see ducks, American Coots, grebes and smaller birds. This was where I saw my first Green Heron a couple of years ago. The highlight of this recent and brief stop was a Belted Kingfisher.

Belted Kingfisher misjudges its landing at Westlake (Santa Cruz, California)
Duck landing at Westlake (Santa Cruz, California)

I recently returned to Pescadero Marsh Natural Preserve. You might be thinking, weren’t you just there? Yes, but it has such a variety of birds: ducks (especially Northern Shovelers) and grebes and egrets and herons. We always get a thrill from seeing them. Katherine and I saw two sets of Belted Kingfishers on this trip. Raptors include Northern Harriers and Red-tailed Hawks.

Great Egret watches in regret as a Northern Harrier flies off with a rodent at Pescadero Marsh Natural Preserve.

I’d never even heard of Santa Cruz Gardens County Park when Katherine took me there recently.

A Red-tailed Hawk about to take off near Santa Cruz Gardens County Park.

Another trip to Wavecrest in Half Moon Bay netted me this photo of a Red-tailed Hawk preening the feathers its beak won’t reach.

A Red-tailed Hawk preening at Wavecrest (Half Moon Bay, California)

Walking through the neighborhood, I saw drama in the sky above between an American Crow and an uninterested Red-tailed Hawk. (Yes, those Red-tails are ubiquitous.)

American Crow harassing a Red-tailed Hawk above the neighborhood.(Santa Cruz, California)

A California Scrub Jay was seen in our backyard looking for a place to hide his acorn.

California Scrub Jay looking for a place to hide its acorn. (Santa Cruz, California)

I saw Bewick’s Wrens in our yard in May of this year. Before that, I’d seen them at Henry Cowell State Park and in Wilder Ranch State Park.

Bewick’s Wren in full song.

A Hermit Thrush is another bird that I’d seen before (Moonglow Dairy, Wilder Ranch are two places) but not in our yard — until now. I spotted this bird underneath the Bottlebrush tree. His white eye-ring first drew my eye. I keep the camera near when I’m in the backyard and was able to grab a few pictures of it before it disappeared.

Hermit Thrush in backyard (Santa Cruz, California)

You don’t need to go far from home to view birds. Your neighborhood or backyard will do…if you are looking!

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