My Birthday Birds

It was my birthday and my gift from the park was lots of birds. I saw the resident American Coot plus three new arrivals on migration. The Great Blue Heron, or its pals, appeared in three different places. Snowy Egrets worked the green rocks along the west side of the park. At least two Black-crowned Night Herons stood silently waiting for prey to appear. Two or three Willets foraged, bathed, and flew briefly, exposing their sharply patterned flight feathers, such a contrast to their dull grey exterior. A small pack of Double-crested Cormorants hunted in the middle of the North Basin. Six Brown Pelicans floated and flapped in a relaxed sort of way in different spots, hunting but not with intensity. On the west side of the park, I saw a Ring-billed Gull, not a common sight here. A Black Phoebe, the first I’ve seen in a while, perched briefly on a branch. There seemed to be a large bird in a major branch overhanging the water, but when I focused on it I discovered a clever sculpture by our anonymous rock artist. A great birthday morning:

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