Birds of a different feather

  

A few more miscellaneous bird photos from Hawai'i for you...

Above, a kōlea, or Pacific Golden-Plover (Pluvialis fulva), all dressed up for the breeding season and departing soon for the Arctic tundra.

 

 

 

Close-up of a nēnē , or Hawaiian Goose (Branta sandvicensis), endemic to the Hawaiian Islands.

 

 

 

 

A distant photo, but these were my first kioea, or Bristle-thighed Curlews (Numenius tahitiensis).

 

 

 

Also distant, but fun to see a pueo, or Hawaiian Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus sandwichensis).

 

 

 

An ‘ūlili, or Wandering Tattler (Tringa incana) on a nice bed of limu kala. (I think this might be Sargassum aquifolium, formerly S. echinocarpum, but feel free to correct me!)  This endemic species is the state seaweed of Hawai'i and an important alga used in cultural practices by native Hawaiians.

 

 

 

‘Ā, or Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster).

Thanks for tuning in for some special guests from Hawai'i!

Golden light

  

Field work has been keeping us busy, but here's a Long-billed Curlew with golden reflections from Point Reyes on 24 November 2023.

In the prairie, after the rain

  

Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) in the coastal prairie, 31 March 2022

In the Bodega Bay area, Whimbrel are often observed in marine and estuarine habitats — sandy beaches, mudflats, rocky shores.  But sometimes, especially when the ground is wet after rain, we'll see them feeding in the grassland.

 

 

 

 

I wonder if it reminds them of the tundra habitat that they'll spend time in during the breeding season?

 

 

 

Steppin' out

 

 

Near the end of a walk at Point Reyes today (26 November 2021) we encountered a large flock of Long-billed Curlews (Numenius americanus) feeding along the shoreline.  The afternoon light really brought out the colors in their feathers.

 

 

 

 

There were upwards of 50 birds in this flock by the time we left them.  Here's a small part of the group:

 

 

 

Such beautiful birds in such beautiful light!

 

Curlew up-close

  

Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus), 24 December 2020

Beach hoppers for brunch

  

Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) feeding on amphipods (beach hoppers) at Salmon Creek Beach. 

 

 

 

Spending the summer?

Mid-June is probably one of the least likely times to see a Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) in Bodega Bay.  Most of them are much farther north at this time, nesting in the Arctic.

When you see a Whimbrel in mid-late June, it's probably either a non-breeding individual that didn't migrate north, or one that's returning from the breeding grounds very early.  I'm guessing this is the former, as its feathers are very worn and tattered, as if it didn't complete a molt into breeding plumage.

Photographed in Bodega Bay on 22 June 2019.

 

Two of eight

 

Two of eight Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) resting in Bodega Harbor on 20 June 2018.

 

Whimbrel and friends

 

 

 

Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) and Sanderlings (Calidris alba), 28 April 2018

 

Should I stay...

...or should I go?

 

Two Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) deciding whether or not to flee the flying foam during stormy conditions today.

Here's another example of the flying foam:

 

And the sunset over stormy seas.  The swell is predicted to be over 20 feet tomorrow!

 

Golden-plover, Part 2

Okay, I know...some of you have been wondering if there are more photos of the golden-plover seen last night at Spud Point.  Here's a selection of images, showing the plover in different positions, from different angles, and with other shorebirds nearby. 

 

 

 

 

Above, the golden-plover is front and center.  Directly behind it with a decurved bill is a Whimbrel.  Two Black-bellied Plovers are in the background on the far left and far right.  And one Dunlin is in the lower right corner.

The next two photos (below) show mixed shorebird flocks.  Can you spot the golden-plover?  And how many other species of shorebirds can you find?  Answers are below the photos.  [Click on the photos for larger versions.]

 

The golden-plover is uppermost bird in the center of the image (it's also the brownest).  Most of the other birds (grayer and larger) are Black-bellied Plovers.  The bird on the far right is a Red Knot.  And the lowest bird (third from the right) is a Dunlin (it's the smallest bird in the flock).

 

Want to try again?  This is a little harder because the birds are roosting:

 

The golden-plover is the highest bird, second from the left.  The leftmost bird is a Red Knot.  The largest bird on the far right with dark stripes on its head is a Whimbrel.  There are four Black-bellied Plovers (one is low in the vegetation to the right of the golden-plover; two more are to the right of that bird, and the fourth is behind the Whimbrel); and, there are two Dunlin (in the foreground, at center and at far right).

High tide roosts often provide helpful side-by-side comparisons.

Looking sharp

 

Juvenile Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)

 

Juvenile Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus)

Both photographed on Salmon Creek Beach on 5 September 2016.

Curling

 

Long-billed Curlew at Salmon Creek Beach on 2 January 2016 

 

19.9

 

This juvenile Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus) is standing in water that's 19.9°C (67.8°F)!  The photograph was taken on 29 August 2015 at Salmon Creek Beach.  I won't be surprised if the Pacific Ocean off Bodega Head reaches 20°C (68°F) tonight.  Amazing.  (That's more than 5°C above the long-term average for this time of year.)

Early birds

Just a quick note to document the early return of Whimbrel to our area.  I photographed this flock of eight on Salmon Creek Beach on 27 June 2015.  These are early migrants — the first individuals returning from the northern breeding grounds.  (Most don't start appearing in the Bodega Bay area until July.)

In western North America, Whimbrel nest in subarctic and arctic areas of Alaska and Yukon Territory.  They winter from British Columbia to Chile, with most birds south of San Francisco Bay.  

 

Rough seas

 

A few images to capture the storm today.  At the time (around noon), waves were about 16 feet, and the wind was blowing at about 20 knots (23 mph) from the south. 

 

Average wave period was about 8.5 seconds.

 

 

I dashed out when the rain was lighter, but for the record, it looks like we received about 4.5 inches of rain on Bodega Head during the last 24 hours.

When the coastal prairie is flooded and the rocky shore is unavailable due to high surf, we often see shorebirds roosting and feeding among prairie vegetation.  It's always fun to see Whimbrel and Black Turnstones surrounded by Seaside Daisies.

 

 

P.S.  I can't help mentioning that the ocean temperature is still remarkably high.  Today it was 15.3°C (59.5°F).

Walking a-long

 

This one's for Megan, and anyone trying to learn more about shorebirds.  Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus), Salmon Creek Beach, 2 September 2014.

Beach break

I'm at a meeting in Oxnard, CA, and was indoors for most of the day.  But the meeting is at a hotel that's right on the water, so during a break I took a quick look at the beach and found a few birds nearby:

 

Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus)

There were a few curlews actively feeding in the swash zone.  They appeared to be catching small Mole Crabs (Emerita analoga).

 

 

Occasionally they would be joined by a flock of Marbled Godwits (Limosa fedoa), offering a nice comparison.

 

I also encountered several Snowy Plovers (Charadrius nivosus) resting higher on the beach:

 

 

Not such a bad meeting break!

Curlew up close

 

Earlier this month I spent a little time observing a young Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) on the outer coast of Bodega Head.  These are a few of my favorite images from that day.

 

 

 

 

There were a couple of adult Whimbrel nearby.  Occasionally one would call in response to the younger bird's approach.  This is a different call than the typical flight call of a Whimbrel — more of rolling trill:

whim1 by nhbh


P.S.  A Whimbrel is a type of curlew, and used to be known as a Hudsonian Curlew.