On our 4th day in California we drove to the next place we were staying which was a bungalow in a town called Glen Ellen in Sonoma County. On the drive there one of the first birds seen was an American Kestrel. Other highlights seen on the journey were Vaux's Swift, Bald Eagle, Cooper's Hawk, House Finch, Red-Shouldered Hawk and Acorn Woodpecker. Once in Glen Ellen we had some time to kill whilst waiting to check in to the bungalow (owned by the Jack London Lodge). We went to Glen Ellen's fantastic market store, whilst eating lunch outside the market we saw some more great birds; Oak Titmouse, American Robin, Steller's Jay and Chestnut-Backed Chickadee alongside Acorn Woodpeckers. The desk clerk took our bags and because we still had a while before the house was ready and she recommended that we went to Armstrong woods, a large forest complete with giant Redwood Trees. On the way there we saw some Wild Turkeys in a field. Armstrong woods were spectacular and any birds in the canopy would have been tiny specs due to the sheer height of the trees. The birds were often few and far between until we found water. This is because of the drought that is currently affecting California. Throughout the woods there were many family parties of Pacific-Slope Flycatchers and White-Tailed Deer. We then went on to see Hairy Woodpecker and plenty more Steller's Jay. Other mammals seen were Grey Squirrels, a Rat (and some road-killed Skunks).
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| Acorn Woodpecker |
On the 22nd we awoke to the sound of Western Scrub Jays. These were a beautiful bird and very much like the Florida Scrub Jay which I have seen in the past. Dad and I then walked through the garden and down to the river (about 100m away). There were lots of birds around the area. The first (and loudest) was a pair of Belted Kingfishers. We stood still and the birds came out do drink and wash. There were 2 California Towhees, a few Pacific-Slope Flycatchers along with Chestnut-Backed Chickadees, Steller's Jays, a Song Sparrow, a Black Phoebe, a Wilson's Warbler, a Western Wood-Pewee, An Olive-Sided Flycatcher, A few Acorn Woodpeckers, a Northern Flicker, some high flying Turkey Vultures and American Crows and a pair of Mourning Doves. It was already turning out to be a highly productive day! Les and Shirley (family friends) were going to talk with a ranger about the management and regeneration of the San Pablo Bay Wildlife Refuge. My brother wasn't to keen on the idea as he is not as into birds as the rest of us, mum and dad decided to stay with him. I had a choice, I chose to go with Les and Shirley because it meant going to a bird-rich wetland whilst hearing about a very interesting project. On the way there we stopped at the Viansa Winery. This winery usually has a large wetland but, because of the drought a lot of it had dried up. There was still a small pool which didn't disappoint. On (and around) the pool itself were Canada Geese and Mallards. On the mud were some Killdeer and a Greater Yellowlegs. There were also plenty of Red-Winged Blackbirds (bicolour form) in the general area, there were also some California Ground-Squirrel. Then, in amongst a flock of House Finches we saw a Western Bluebird. We then looked up only to see a very large flock of American White Pelicans moving south, they found a thermal and rose in height until they drifted away into disappearance. Then some Vaux's Swifts and a Sharp-Shinned Hawk flew through. Once in San Pablo bay we drove towards the visitor centre. On the way there in the scrub was a Loggerhead Shrike. We noticed lots of Brewer's Blackbirds in the fields. In amongst them we picked out a Killdeer, then another, and another. As we started looking there were lots of Killdeer all across the field although they were very camouflage against the dry ploughed soil. The ranger, named Don, then took us on a kind of tour around the area telling us what it was they were doing in the area and explaining the importance of these coastal marshes and how over the next hundred or so years they planned to expand them. This was called the San Pablo Bay reclamation project. Whilst driving between the visitor centre/office the highway went straight through some fantastic habitat. We saw American Avocets, Willet, Black-Necked Stilts, Western Sandpipers, Caspian Terns, the occasional Dunlin, an Osprey, an American Kestrel, some California Gulls, a few Canvasbacks and some American Coots. We then reached the stop off where we saw all of the previously mentioned (except American Kestrel) and Sanderling, Least Sandpiper, 2 Baird's Sandpiper and American White Pelicans. The numbers of Sandpipers (mainly Western) was incredible and a fantastic sight. They were surprisingly confiding and were not bothered by the highway or our presence whatsoever. We then continued to Skagg's Island (which isn't actually an island) this used to be marshland but was turned into a Navy listening base. Then when the military left wildlife took over. The area once full of waders was now full of raptors, this was because of the booming Vole population. We saw about a dozen White-Tailed Kites, lots of Northern Harriers, a Golden Eagle and lots of Red-Tailed Hawks. In the plants when we got out of the car was a flock of Bushtits with a Yellow Warbler in amongst them. Don then found us a flock of Wild Turkeys. On the way back to the highway we stopped off at a small pool where there were both Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs. At the same time two Short-Billed Dowitchers flew overhead.
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| Olive-Sided Flycatcher |
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| Mixed Waders mainly Western Sandpipers |
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| Western Scrub Jay |
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| California Towhees |
Day 6 (23rd August)
On day 6 we got up quite early as we were heading to Point Reyes Banding (ringing) Station and then onto Point Reyes itself. Whilst eating breakfast my dad saw out of the window a bird he had always wanted to see, California Quail. It was a small family party consisting of a male and a few females and juveniles. The male particularly was a fantastic bird. We then set off towards Point Reyes. On the journey we saw quite a few Northern Rough-Winged Swallows as well as an American Kestrel. Unfortunately we were caught in a traffic jam and arrived a little late. The site was having quite a quiet morning though so we didn't miss much. It was a pleasure to watch them band (ring) a Brown Creeper, a Wilson's Warbler, a couple of Pacific-Slope Flycatchers and a few Chestnut-Backed Chickadees. Around the net lanes there was also a Spotted Towhee present. We then drove to Point Reyes headland. We first went to the Chimney Rock trail and we saw quite a few Northern Elephant Seals which were amazing but unfortunately quite distant. Off the viewpoint there were also quite a few Pacific Divers (Pacific Loons) and Western Grebes as well as a River Otter and an Osprey. On the outer headland we saw lots of Song Sparrows, lots of White-Crowned Sparrows, a Rock Wren, an Arctic Skua (Parasitic Jaeger), a Townsend's Warbler and a Yellow Warbler. Both of the Warblers were on passage as some of the Sparrows may have been. Les and I also had fleeting glimpses of a different warbler but never saw it again. On the headland there were also lots of White-Tailed Deer and a few Thule Elk.
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| Anna's Hummingbird |
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| California Quail |
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| Yellow Warbler |
After days 4-6 the trip list stood at
with- California Sea Lion, Harbour Seal, Harbour Porpoise, California Ground-Squirrel, White-Tailed Deer, Elephant Seal, River Otter and Thule Elk
Feral Pigeon Great Blue Heron Pelagic Cormorant
House Sparrow Collared Dove Black Turnstone
Raven Starling House Finch
Western Gull Willet Snowy Egret
Brown Pelican Pigeon Guillemot Barn Swallow
Surf Scoter Caspian Tern Marbled Godwit
Brewer's Blackbird Heerman's Gull Elegant Tern
American Crow Black-Crowned Night-Heron Long-Billed Curlew
Great Egret Purple Finch Semipalmated Plover
Double-Crested Cormorant Anna's Hummingbird Turkey Vulture
American Goldfinch Killdeer Cooper's Hawk
Canada Goose Red-Tailed Hawk White-Faced Ibis
Lesser Goldfinch California Gull Brown-Headed Cowbird
Bald Eagle American Kestrel Acorn Woodpecker
Red-Shouldered Hawk Vaux's Swift Oak Titmouse
American Robin Wild Turkey Pacific-Slope Flycatcher
Hairy Woodpecker Steller's Jay Western Scrub-Jay
Belted Kingfisher California Towhee Western Wood-Pewee
Wilson's Warbler Olive-Sided Flycatcher Northern Flicker
Mourning Dove Northern Mockingbird Northern Rough-Winged Swallow
Western Bluebird Red-Winged Blackbird American White Pelican
Sharp-Shinned Hawk Greater Yellowlegs American Avocet
Loggerhead Shrike Black-Necked Stilt Western Sandpiper
Dunlin American Coot Canvasback
Least Sandpiper Northern Harrier White-Tailed Kite
Bushtit Yellow Warbler Golden Eagle
Lesser Yellowlegs Short-Billed Dowitcher Baird's Sandpiper
California Quail Brown Creeper Spotted Towhee
Pacific Diver Western Grebe Townsend's Warbler
Rock Wren Arctic Skua
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