Carmel and 17-Mile Drive

Just a few miles from Monterey lies the small seaside town of Carmel. We had a couple of visits here and the nearby 17 Mile Drive. Birdwise, we didn’t add much to the trip list, but I did have my one and only sighting of Berwick’s Wren here.  

Berwick's Wren (honestly!!)

Other birds seen in Carmel itself were: Mourning Dove, Heerman’s Gull and Pygmy Nuthatch. On the beach, we had great views of California Ground Squirrel.

California Ground Squirrel

During a drive around nearby 17 Mile Drive we visited Bird Rock where we saw our first Mule/Black-tailed Deer, along with Black Oystercatcher, Black Turnstone, Heerman’s Gulls, Brandt’s Cormorants, California Sealions (hundreds!) and Californian Ground Squirrels. 

Black Oystercatcher

Rufford CP - 25th September 2022

 Jayne and I had a couple of hours at Rufford today. There were c49 Black-headed Gulls present, and we saw a couple of ringed birds (258A and 293A) and a ringed Canada Goose (579019). 

Both the gulls were regulars at Rufford (click on the labels for details of previous sightings).

258A

293A

Canada Goose 579019was a bird I'd seen there previously (in October 2021) and had been ringed nearby on 12th May 2016.

5279019

Also present was a single Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Linacre - 24th September 2022

 A week after my last visit, I was back down at Linacre this morning for a walk around all three reservoirs.

Overall, waterbirds numbers were very similar to last week, except for Moorhen and Coot which had risen to 19 (15 adults and 4 juveniles) and 9 (5 adults and 4 juveniles) respectively. Other birds reported were: Kingfisher (1), Grey Heron (1), Grey Wagtail (2), Mallard (60), Mandarin Duck (70), Tufted Duck (25, up from 12 last week), Little Grebe (1) and Great-crested Grebe (5; 3 adults and 2 juveniles). 

The highlight of the morning, however, was another flock/skein of c.98 Pink-footed Geese flying over west at 9am.

Other birds seen around the reservoirs included: Chiffchaff (1 singing), Magpie (3), Woodpigeon, Nuthatch, Blackbird, Robin, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw and Wren.

Big Sur and Andrew Molera State Park - 31st July 2022

On July 31^st Jayne and I drove from Monterey down to the area called Big Sur and visited the Andrew Molera State Park. Our main reason to visit this area, was to see the fantastic scenery (including the famous Bixby Bridge) and to try and catch up with one of the world’s rarest birds, the California Condor. We did manage a very distant view of this species (very high up above the park), but also saw several other species, namely Acorn Woodpecker, California Thrasher, Turkey Vulture (15+), Band-tailed Pigeon (heard, but not seen), Dark-eyed Junco, California Scrub Jay, and Song Sparrow. 

Acorn Woodpecker

California Thrasher

We also saw our first California Ground Squirrels and Western Fence Lizards.

Elkhorn Slough and Moss Landing Wildlife Refuge- 3rd and 4th August 2022

About 10 miles north of Seaside is a small marina called Moss Landing. Jayne and I visited this area and went on an electric boat tour up a river/lagoon called Elkhorn Slough (pronounced sloo, like who). The first birds seen were Western Gulls, followed closely by a juvenile and adult Pied-billed Grebe and a Western Grebe.  As we set off up the slough, we passed a large colony of breeding Brandt’s Cormorant. Over the course of the next two hours we recorded: Willet (6+), Marbled Godwit, Whimbrel, Long-billed Curlew, Semipalmated Plover, American White Pelican (4), Brown Pelican, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, American Kestrel, Caspian Tern, Elegant Tern and a beautiful Northern Harrier. Southern Sea Otters, Harbour Seal and Californian Sealions were also present throughout the trip.

Brandt's Cormorant

Whilst on the trip, we heard about a nearby reserve, Moss Landing Wildlife Area, so we popped across there for an hour. I also had another visit early next morning. Birds ween there were:  Black-necked Stilt (adults and juveniles), Killdeer, Least Sandpiper, Western Sandpiper, Semipalmated Plover, American Avocet (adults and juveniles), Willet, Long-billed Curlew, Black-bellied Plover, Elegant Tern (c500), Caspian Tern, Black Skimmer (2), Brown Pelican, Western Gull, California Gull, and Red-necked Phalarope (70+!!)

American Avocet

Black Skimmer

BH Gull EY19562

During a quick walk around Bakewell this afternoon, I spotted Black-headed Gull EY19562 back on the River Wye for its 4th winter. My first sighting was at this spot, on 4th November 2018, but it had been ringed (as a first-year bird) at Westport Lake, Staffordshire on 10th December 2014, so it is possible that it's been present since then. 

EY19562

Click on the label below to see the other sightings of this bird.

House Martins, Chiffchaffs and Pink-footed Geese

 When I set off to carry out this month's WeBS count at Linacre it felt like a "Pink-footed Goose morning". There had been several reports of skeins flying over during the last week, and the weather was perfect, with bright blue skies and no cloud cover. As it was, I heard one skein and saw another, totalling 28 birds, and heading west. This is my first record at Linacre this autumn.

Pink-footed Geese

Whilst stood by the dam wall by the lower reservoir, I also heard House Martins, and was very pleased to see 4 flying above the trees, my latest record for this site. a total of 4 Chiffchaffs were also singing around the site, along with several other birds "wheeting" in the willows by the top reservoir. Other birds counted whilst on site were: 78 Mallard, 87 Mandarin Ducks, 6 Moorhens (3 adults and 3 juveniles), 9 Coots (8 adults and 1 juvenile), 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 4 Grey Wagtails, 2 Little Grebes, 3 Great-crested Grebes (2 adults and 1 juvenile), 1 Grey Heron, 1 Kingfisher and 12 Tufted Duck.