The flip side

  

Last week I was watching a small group of Ruddy Turnstones (Arenaria interpres) along the shore of Bodega Harbor.  At first they were resting, but then they started feeding among the cobbles, actively flipping stones in search of prey.

Below is a short video clip showing the active turning-stone behavior.  [At ~12 seconds, a Black Turnstone (Arenaria melanocephala) enters the frame from the right.]

The turnstones appeared to be quite successful finding prey.  Sometimes it was hard to tell what they captured, but several times I could see small shore crabs in their bills:

 

 

Crab for lunch!

Fueling up for a long journey

Okay, here you go, a few more Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) photos from Dillon Beach yesterday (15 May 2021).  

First, a few while the turnstones were feeding — looking for juvenile mole crabs just beneath the surface of the sand:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although the turnstones look bright and colorful against the sand, you can see how their varied plumage works well to camouflage them against rocky habitats mixed with sand and seaweeds:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And one more, just for fun — a close-up with seaweed and fog:

 

 

 

Wish them luck on their journey to the Arctic!

On the way to the tundra

  

After field work yesterday we caught a glimpse of a small group of six Ruddy Turnstones (Arenaria interpres) at Dillon Beach.  I only had a point-and-shoot camera at the time, and was disappointed not to have a larger camera and lens because the turnstones were quite striking in nearly full breeding plumage.  So I made another run to the beach early this morning (15 May 2021) to see if they were still around.  

I'll be sharing some more photos, but here's one to start.  The turnstones (and other shorebirds) were feeding on small mole crabs (Emerita analoga).  I was glad to see them before they depart for the Arctic — Ruddy Turnstones are one of the most northerly breeding shorebirds!

Turning turnstone

Not spending as much time at the coast these days, I miss seeing and hearing shorebirds migrating northward. Here's a Black Turnstone (Arenaria melanocephala) turning blades of seaweed to look for invertebrates, and molting into breeding plumage (note the strongly contrasting feathers on the face and chest).

Turnstones among stones

 

A Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) among stones in Humarock, MA, on 28 September 2018.

And here's a closer view of a Ruddy Turnstone in Bodega Harbor, CA, on 7 September 2018:

 

High on the rocks

Well, I finally found a few minutes to look for the Rock Sandpiper (Calidris ptilocnemis) that's been seen near the southern end of Bodega Head.  Below are a couple of photos for the record, taken on 13 January 2018:

Here's the Rock Sandpiper (lower bird) with a Surfbird for comparison:

 

And one more, this time with a Surfbird (left), a Black Turnstone (right), and the Rock Sandpiper (bottom):

 

Today I almost would have called it a "Seaweed Sandpiper."  Although rock was the base material, the sandpiper spent most of its time feeding very intensively among the seaweeds (primarily Pyropia sp., formerly Porphyra sp.) high on the rocks.  I couldn't see what the sandpiper was eating, but perhaps it was finding amphipods?

 

P.S.  If you're interested in seeing this bird, it's been pretty easy to observe from the main whale watching area at the outer parking lot on Bodega Head.  Check the large sea stacks just offshore from the whale watching area (e.g., when you're at the whale watching area, look down and a bit to the north).

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).

Turning stones

Last night when I was at Spud Point Marina, I heard the sound of rocks clinking against each other.  I looked down at the shoreline to identify the cause:

 

There was a small group of Ruddy Turnstones (Arenaria interpres) feeding among the cobbles.  In the picture above, you can see the rock that the turnstone just flipped into the air. 

Turnstone is an apt name for these birds.  They'll use their stout slightly upturned bills to turn stones, looking for prey such as crabs and snails.  In different habitats, they'll turn other objects such as shells or pieces of seaweed.

Ruddy Turnstones spend the winter in the Bodega Bay region.  In the spring they'll depart for their high arctic breeding grounds.

At this time of year their feathers are quite worn.  In the picture below, note that most of the feather edges are faded and tattered.

 

Because spring is approaching, while I was scanning the turnstones I checked for new feathers.  On a few individuals I observed what I think are new, russet-colored feathers.  It's subtle, but see if you can spot them in the picture below.

 

In full breeding plumage, Ruddy Turnstones are transformed into a harlequin pattern of russet, black, and white.  Here's a picture of one from the outer coast of Bodega Head in May 2010.

 

Different points of view

Yesterday I spent a little time watching a nice mixed flock of shorebirds on the outer coast of Bodega Head. 

The photo below is mostly Surfbirds, but there are a couple of Black Turnstones.  Can you find them?  The turnstones are slightly smaller and have extra white stripes where the wing meets the body and up the center of the back. 

 

[One Black Turnstone is by itself following a tight cluster of Surfbirds near the center of the flock; the other is in the very lower right corner.]

Surfbirds coming in to land:

 

I'm calling the next one, "A Peregrine's Point of View."  I don't know if this is what a falcon sees when pursuing a shorebird flock, but it's interesting to wonder about!

 

Mostly Surfbirds (all but one) on the shore:

 

And one close-up (below).  Since they have just returned from Alaska, most of the Surfbirds are still in breeding plumage (paler faces), but note the bird on the lower right (darker face) that has molted into non-breeding plumage already.

 

I hope you don't mind more pictures of Surfbirds...I just can't seem to resist them!  I'm so glad they've returned from their journey north!

In flight

Here's a fun little quiz.  How many species of sandpipers can you find in this photo?  And how many individuals of each species?  (Which birds look similar to each other, and which birds look different?)

 

Answer: There are 3 species of sandpipers.  

Below I'll reveal their identities, but I hope you found 5 individuals of one species, 1 individual of a second species, and 1 individual of a third species.

In flight, you can use a few different characteristics to separate these sandpipers:

* size: small, medium, or large

* tail pattern

* wing/back pattern

- The Surfbirds are the largest with a broad white tail band and single white wing bar.  

- The Rock Sandpiper is the smallest and is the only one lacking a complete white tail band.  Instead it has a dark line running down the center of the tail.  It has a single white wing bar.  

- The Black Turnstone shows the most white, with a complete white tail band, single white wing bar, additional white bar near the base of the wing, and a white stripe running up the back.

Here's the photo again.  Can you tell which is which?

 

5 Surfbirds, 1 Black Turnstone, and 1 Rock Sandpiper

[The two lowest birds include the Rock Sandpiper (left) and Black Turnstone (right)]

 

Below is a slightly different view of the same birds (they're now in different positions).  For practice, can you identify the three species again?  (The light isn't quite as good, but I think you'll still be able to do it.  Remember you can click on the photo to enlarge it.)
 

 

This time the Rock Sandpiper is second from the left and the Black Turnstone is fourth from the right. 

On 2 December 2012, I posted images of a Rock Sandpiper.  I've caught up with it a few more times since then (as recently as 12 January 2013), so this seems like a good opportunity to share some additional photos.

Three "rockpipers" (because they prefer rocks rather than sand):

 

From left to right: Rock Sandpiper, Surfbird, Black Turnstone

Patterned like granite:

 

Profile view:

 

Partaking in a nap (note the worn and tattered feather edges):

 

Probing the Porphyra (Rock Sandpiper at upper left):

 

Recently, all of these sandpipers have been foraging among the dark maroon patches of Porphyra (a red seaweed) growing on the rocks.  I'm not sure what they're finding there — amphipods?

Rock Sandpipers generally leave this area by the end of March.  There's only one record for April (in 1969).  It'll be interesting to see when this one departs for its northern breeding grounds.

36 seconds

I've always been impressed watching raptors capture prey.  Although I learned early on that many observers are empathetic to the prey (see story below), it's hard not to be awestruck by the superlatives involved in these events — the sheer speed, skill, power, and efficiency of the predators.

The story: I'll never forget the first time I saw a Peregrine Falcon capture a Green-winged Teal.  I was leading a birding trip and we had spent some time watching a flock of teal.  We had excellent looks at these beautiful ducks dabbling at the surface.  Suddenly, the teal took off.  We looked around for the cause just in time to see a falcon aiming straight for the flock.  The falcon successfully caught a teal and I couldn't help letting out a small cheer in the excitement of the moment.  I turned around to say, "Wow!  That was amazing!  Did you see that?", but quickly realized from the expressions on everyone's faces that the group was more focused on the well-being of the teal.

I believe that both views have their place.  And with that in mind, here's a local predator-prey interaction from Bodega Head on 1 January 2013.

I was fighting a cold, but decided to go out for a few minutes of fresh air.  I was sitting quietly by the shore, watching a flock of shorebirds (Surfbirds, Black Turnstones, Whimbrel).  Suddenly, one of them gave an alarm call and the action began.  Luckily, I had my camera nearby, because this event lasted a total of 36 seconds.


12:08:57

 

12:08:58

 

12:09:00

 

12:09:09

 

12:09:14

 

12:09:29

 

12:09:29

 

12:09:30

 

This sequence shows a Northern Harrier capturing a Black Turnstone.  It was very quick and very dramatic!  I did feel badly for the turnstone, but I was happy this young harrier found a meal.  [Harriers primarily eat small mammals.  They're known to eat songbirds occasionally, but I don't how often they take shorebirds.]

In the pictures, look for the long legs and sharp talons of the harrier.  You can also see that the harrier has a facial disc (or ruff) — as in owls, this structure helps locate prey acoustically.  The size of the harrier suggests a female (females are larger than males).  The rufous coloration below indicates a younger bird.  But the yellow eyes are more typical of older birds, so perhaps this is a second-year female?

All in 36 seconds!