Sunny, if cool, morning hike

I got together with a friend this morning for a walk-and-talk bird hike -- she with her binoculars, me with my camera. We met at the Kite Flying Area parking lot at Shoreline Park, then hiked toward Stevens Creek, turned toward the bay, then up the trail along the bay, across to the trail along the perimeter road, and back to the Kite lot.

I was sad and surprised to note that the body of water on which I was expecting lots of waterfowl was nearly dry!  There were still some ducks -- mostly Green-Winged Teal, American Wigeons, Gadwalls, and a couple of Mallards -- but not the collection I've come to expect there. (You can just make out the edge of the green speculum on the wing of this male teal.)

The duck population on the bay was also rather low, but the Ruddy Ducks were well-represented.  Sadly, the duck hunters were also well-represented, given the number of shotgun blasts we heard.

I was surprised and well-pleased to see a Says Phoebe.  I think I've ever seen one but once, a-way back when I was relatively new to the birding thing in the mid-90s.  I wouldn't have known what it was then and I wasn't sure what I was looking at back then.  In the meantime, I've seen SO many Black Phoebes that I just automatically recognize the Phoebe silhouette.  I have seen drawings of the Says, so I know what the coloring is supposed to look like, too.  So, I stopped and took a bunch of pictures.

I was also surprised and delighted to see a herd (OK, 4-6) of Western Bluebirds in a tree by the road! The various species of bluebird have been disappearing from North America due to loss of habitat. But there are a number of organizations that are trying to bring the species back by creating Bluebird Trails across America.  They do this by setting up bluebird houses alone corridors of habitable environments so the birds can have a place to nest and raise their young.  And it seems to be working!

I was also surprised to see a single, juvenile Snow Goose grazing with all the Canada Geese in the Kite Flying Area at the end of our walk.

We had lots of good chatting and bird-viewing!