Have I really not been to the Arcata Marsh since late July? See, this is what I mean about missing my outside time. When I woke up on Sunday morning to bright sunlight rather than the predicted rain, I grabbed my chance and drove the few minutes to this amazing habitat. The marsh was just overflowing with activity -- so many birds, and lots of happy people walking around. It was hard to decide where to look! A pond next to the road was filled with ducks, so that seemed like a good place to start:
A flotilla of Ruddy Ducks paddled nearest to my side of the pond:
A couple of female Lesser Scaup were in the mix as well:
Ruddy Ducks are such strange, dumpy birds, and this is one of the few times I've seen them up close:
Those tails are so cool and strange-looking:
Hello, funny bird. You are very cute:
A male Northern Shoveler mingled with the group as well. Why do so many ducks look so weird?
Green-winged Teal were in several of the ponds. This pair was resting in a nice sheltered spot:
Male Green-winged Teal are exceptionally fancy:
This teal trio made quite the tableau; I love the male's speckled breasts and the female's almost-hidden flash of green:
Here's the trio in another arrangement; the male in the back kept lifting up his head to make a high-pitched peeping call:
Swallows zoomed above the water's surface. (Perhaps I will be able to photograph a Violet-green Swallow sometime before the move. Their costumes are simply amazing.) A Northern Harrier flew low overhead, giving me the rare chance to admire this raptor's belly and wings:
Marsh Wrens sang out from every direction. It's such a treat to see these little birds being so bold:
In a nearby field, Western Meadowlarks flashed their brilliant yellow breasts as they foraged in the grass:
Every few minutes, the small flock of meadowlarks would burst up out of the grass to relocate to a new spot in the field. I felt a bit like I was watching a very quiet and very unpredictable fireworks show:
A tiny Ruby-crowned Kinglet foraged in some bushes next to the path and was remarkably obliging with me and my camera:
Later, I even saw the kinglet flash its bright red crown for a moment, but here it's looking typically plain and adorable:
As I was heading back to my car, the promised rain began, but I had to make a last quick stop when I met a Yellow-rumped Warbler on a moss-covered tree next to the path:
Beautiful warbler on branches that look like they will soon covered with leaves:
I suppose there really are seasons here, too, but they're certainly muted compared with what I'm used to in the east. I'm looking forward to seeing what spring in Northern California brings!
OK, one last catch-up post! A few days before Thanksgiving, Paul and I drove down to San Francisco to explore that city for the first time. Just like people say, it's a very cool place, and we had a great time. On the way back up north, we decided to visit Point Reyes National Seashore, and that turned out to be one of the best parts of the trip. We drove miles and miles off the highway, into what seemed increasingly like the middle of nowhere. And it was raining. A lot. We figured even with the downpour, we might drive up to an overlook, maybe hop out of the car for a few seconds to look around, then head back to the highway. But somehow, as we crossed into to the park, the rain stopped, and even the clouds went away! It was still very cold and very windy (somehow we always end up at the top of high windy spots during our vacations...) but we actually got to explore, and we saw lots of awesome things.
Let's start with the mammals. A bunch of Elephant Seals were hauled out on a beach where they apparently return every year to breed. I've certainly never seen these big creatures before, and I don't know when I'll get a chance to see them again; very cool:
None of the monstrous adult males were present, but the females and younger seals were strange enough, with their pointy noses and loud blubbery calls. A couple of seals were tussling in the water near where we stood on the cliff (territorial or amorous, I don't know!):
There was plenty of motion on the beach, too. Look at all the funny noses!
The seals took turns complaining loudly:
As we drove on through the park toward the actual point, a few other big mammals showed up as well. Black-tailed Deer (a subspecies of Mule Deer, it seems) watched us from fields near the road:
This male Black-tailed Deer was looking very impressive indeed:
He ambled across the road in front of us and joined two females nearby:
Just a little ways past the deer, we were surprised to see another creature in the road:
Coyote! I was worried that this creature was injured, but it got up and walked away when our car passed.... Hopefully the coyote was just relaxing on the warm pavement (although this is definitely not a safe place to doze). Injured or not, our car inched very close to this creature before it finally moved on, and it was amazing to see this guy (or girl) up close:
So dog-like, and also not:
Be comfortable, coyote, but don't rest here too long:
The bird life on Point Reyes was similarly amazing. A flock of young Western Meadowlarks foraged next to the road:
And I met two totally new birds in the alien landscape on the very top of the point. (And I should say, standing in that place felt like being at the edge of the world, with all the buffeting winds and ocean on every side. It was incredible.) First, there was a Say's Phoebe (yes, that's the ocean in the background):
Then a Rock Wren (is that a skull?):
The park was also a haven for raptors. A tiny American Kestrel perched on a little rock ledge near the road:
And we saw many Red-tailed Hawks, including this rather damp individual early in our visit:
The coolest views of Red-tailed Hawks, though, were when we were high up on the point and saw these creatures soaring practically at eye level:
The wind was so strong that the hawks were barely moving; they seemed more like tethered kites floating in the air. What an awesome sight:
Oh yeah, and the views from the point were incredible. Goodness, what a place:
There are so many amazing places in northern California. I just need to see as much as I can while I'm living here!
