Birds of California's Santa Cruz County

After sharing some thoughts and images of birds from a trip to Orange County, California the other day I thought I'd continue with a California theme today and share images of some birds I enjoyed during a business trip to San Jose back in August. I was able to fit in a couple trips from San Jose to the Santa Cruz area between work meetings during the five days I was there. I managed some brief visits to Terrace Point/Long Marina Lab, Natural Bridges State Beach, and West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz. I spent a half day at Pajaro (Spanish for 'bird') Dunes with a former work colleague and a local birder the day before my work meetings began. When I checked my lists at the end of my trip I realized I was able to see 12 life birds during my outings.

The first outing to Pajaro Dunes resulted in the following images.

California Towhee (a life bird) at Pajaro Dunes Santa Cruz County, CA

California Poppy, the California State Flower, at Pajaro Dunes Santa Cruz County, CA

Heerman's Gull at Pajaro Dunes Santa Cruz County, CA

Heerman's Gull at Pajaro Dunes Santa Cruz County, CA

Below are images of three separate Red-necked Phalaropes in three different plumages. I believe I captured one each of an adult male breeding (some red remaining in neck), a juvenile (gold tones/stripes on back), and an adult non-breeding (essentially black and white) plumage. I may be missing the mark on those identifications so I welcome additional thoughts/insights on the plumage details.

Juvenile Red-necked Phalarope at Pajaro Dunes Santa Cruz County, CA

Adult Non-breeding Red-necked Phalarope at Pajaro Dunes Santa Cruz County, CA

Male Adult Red-necked Phalarope at Pajaro Dunes Santa Cruz County, CA

White-crowned Sparrow at Pajaro Dunes Santa Cruz County, CA

Chestnut-backed Chickadee (a life bird) at Pajaro Dunes Santa Cruz County, CA

The remainder of the images are from various locations closer to Santa Cruz. I wish I would have had a scope to see the birds out on the ocean. I'm sure I missed some good ones, but it's hard to take a scope on a business trip.

Brewer's Blalckbird on West Cliff Drive Santa Cruz, CA

Bewick's Wren at Long Marine Lab Santa Cruz, CA

Bewick's Wren at Long Marine Lab Santa Cruz, CA

The following images of Black Turnstone's (a life bird from the trip) were taken under a foggy sky so I had to play with my exposure settings.

Black Turnstone at Natural Bridges State Beach Santa Cruz, CA

Black Turnstone at Natural Bridges State Beach Santa Cruz, CA

Black Turnstone at Natural Bridges State Beach Santa Cruz, CA

 The sun finally broke through the fog just before I spotted my lifer for California Thrasher.

California Thrasher at Long Marine Lab Santa Cruz, CA

Heerman's Gull Flying Along West Cliff Drive Santa Cruz, CA

Heerman's Gull at Natural Bridges State Beach Santa Cruz, CA

Snowy Egret Hunting Under Gloomy Skies at Natural Bridges State Beach Santa Cruz, CA

Western Gull Santa Cruz, CA

1st Year Western Gull? West Cliff Drive Santa Cruz, CA

Whimbrel on Natural Bridges State Beach Santa Cruz, CA

Black Oystercatcher at Natural Bridges State Beach Santa Cruz, CA

Black Oystercatcher at Natural Bridges State Beach Santa Cruz, CA

Birding California's Orange County: Our Senses Are Blessings

My wife and I drove from Utah down to Orange County, California at the end of September to help some of her siblings care for her aging parents. One parent is giving in to the effects of terminal cancer and the other is being slowly pulled away from all she knows by the relentless grip of Alzheimer's Disease. We spent about four full days sorting through items that had been accumulated and stored over many years in an effort to return a garage to normal use. We were very aware that her parents' time on this earth was growing short so we were creating memories of family helping family.

I often make time to do some birding when I travel and I did so on this trip, but I had some poignant moments during this trip as I sat and visited with my wife's parents and realized how incapacitated they had become. They were so different from the people I met nearly 29 years before when I married their daughter. I imagined myself in their situation and realized what a blessing it is to have health that allows me to move about at will and keenly functioning senses that allow me to hear, see, touch, smell, taste, and feel deeply the beauties (people and nature) of this life. I counted them blessings each morning when I awoke to be with family and to hear the varied songs of the local Northern Mockingbird, the calls of Black Phoebes and Allen's Hummingbirds, and the busy chattering of the small, nomadic flock of Bushtits that passed through the backyard on a daily basis. I more fully appreciated the raptors and other birds perched on poles along the roads as I made my way to the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve near Bolsa Chica State Beach, one of my traditional birding spots when I am near Orange County. And, I ended up adding a new birding location during this visit, Huntington Central Park in Huntington Beach. 

I enjoyed capturing the images below. I hope you enjoy the diversity and beauty of these birds as well.

Female (yellow iris) Bushtit in Cypress, CA

Female (yellow iris) Bushtit in Cypress, CA

Female (yellow iris) Bushtit in Cypress, CA

Male (dark iris) Bushtit in Cypress, CA

Northern Mockingbird in Cypress, CA

Black-bellied Plover at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Orange County, CA

Forster's Tern at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Orange County, CA

Hunting Great Blue Heron at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Orange County, CA

Least Sandpiper at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Orange County, CA

Long-billed Curlew at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Orange County, CA

Foraging Long-billed Curlew at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Orange County, CA

Long-billed Curlew with Crab at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Orange County, CA

Marbled Godwit at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Orange County, CA

Hunting Reddish Egret at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Orange County, CA

Hunting Reddish Egret at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Orange County, CA

Hunting Reddish Egret at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Orange County, CA

Hunting Reddish Egret at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Orange County, CA

Hunting Reddish Egret at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Orange County, CA

Hunting Reddish Egret at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Orange County, CA

Savannah Sparrow at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Orange County, CA
I believe this is a Beldings variety, resident in southern California saltmarshes

Semipalmated Plover (showing its semipalmated/partially webbed toes) at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve
Orange County, CA

Willet at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Orange County, CA

Red-tailed Hawk at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Orange County, CA

Adult Cooper's Hawk in Cypress, CA

Adult Cooper's Hawk in Cypress, CA

Juvenile Cooper's Hawk at Huntington Central Park in Huntington Beach, CA

Juvenile Cooper's Hawk at Huntington Central Park in Huntington Beach, CA

Juvenile Cooper's Hawk in Huntington Central Park Huntington Beach, CA

Hutton's Vireo in Huntington Central Park Huntington Beach, CA

Pin-tailed Whydah (in the wild) in Huntington Central Park Huntington Beach, CA