| Pier 94, San Francisco, CA January 14, 2009 |
San Francisco based Nature Trip - www.naturetrip.com 415-355-0450 |
 | |  | |  | |  | |  |
A "first for this site" sighting
was a first cycle Glaucous
Gull.
Another first for the day
was a Marsh Wren which
hunkered down in the
invasive hybrid cordgrass
Spartina alterniflora.
Unfortunately this
hybridized plant is known to
remove wetlands by
clumping soil at its base,
eventually raising the
substrate above high tide
line and crowding out
natives such as pickleweed.
The pinkish coverts and
green iridescense in the
auriculars of this Eurasian
Wigeon may indicate some
hybridization with American
Wigeon.
Ever notice that some male
American Wigeon have a
copperish colored
iridescence above and
behind the eye and others
only green even in the
same quality and angle of
light?
Couldn't help but snapping
a few images of these
beauties, one of each
patiently, slowly, stalking.....
One surprise in addition to
the warm weather or,
perhaps because of it, was
the Avocet behavior.
Certainly appeared to be
pair bonding behavior,
but in January?
There were two groups of
two Avocets and another
that would go from one
"pair" to the other setting
off quite a lot of
conversation and dancing.
Then they would settle
down and feed for a while.
Ain't Kessie gorgeous?
Here is what to look for
way up on those cranes.
On a Golden Gate Audubon
field trip a couple of months
ago, way back in 2008, we
had two adult Peregrines
and probably this same
juvenile all at Pier 94 at the
same time. Since then we
regularly see a (this)
juvenile there, usually
perched on one of the
cranes.
Beautiful winter light can
make even plain ol' juvenile
Western Gulls look good!
There are pirates out there!
Western Gulls in a food fight
Hope you enjoyed!
was a first cycle Glaucous
Gull.
Another first for the day
was a Marsh Wren which
hunkered down in the
invasive hybrid cordgrass
Spartina alterniflora.
Unfortunately this
hybridized plant is known to
remove wetlands by
clumping soil at its base,
eventually raising the
substrate above high tide
line and crowding out
natives such as pickleweed.
The pinkish coverts and
green iridescense in the
auriculars of this Eurasian
Wigeon may indicate some
hybridization with American
Wigeon.
Ever notice that some male
American Wigeon have a
copperish colored
iridescence above and
behind the eye and others
only green even in the
same quality and angle of
light?
Couldn't help but snapping
a few images of these
beauties, one of each
patiently, slowly, stalking.....
One surprise in addition to
the warm weather or,
perhaps because of it, was
the Avocet behavior.
Certainly appeared to be
pair bonding behavior,
but in January?
There were two groups of
two Avocets and another
that would go from one
"pair" to the other setting
off quite a lot of
conversation and dancing.
Then they would settle
down and feed for a while.
Ain't Kessie gorgeous?
Here is what to look for
way up on those cranes.
On a Golden Gate Audubon
field trip a couple of months
ago, way back in 2008, we
had two adult Peregrines
and probably this same
juvenile all at Pier 94 at the
same time. Since then we
regularly see a (this)
juvenile there, usually
perched on one of the
cranes.
Beautiful winter light can
make even plain ol' juvenile
Western Gulls look good!
There are pirates out there!
Western Gulls in a food fight
Hope you enjoyed!
