Tags
bonaparte gull, long-bille curlew, loon, marbled godwit, Marina beach, photography, postaday, song sparrow, surf scoter
The area between the Pacific Ocean and Jetty Road at Moss Landing is small, just a sliver of land in comparison to other wildlife refuges, but it contained a good variety of birds, some I had never seen. I kept going back there, three times in all on different days, and there was always some new animal or bird to photograph.
A colorful duck was a Surf Scoter swimming near the human surfers.
Not to be outdone, a Loon was doing the same thing.
A young bird counter helpfully pointed out to me a juvenile Bonaparte Gull strolling near the Sea Otters.
Nearby a Song Sparrow was in full singing mode.
A Brown Pelican occasionally flew by the surfers, checking them out and making sure they knew what they were doing.
Only a couple miles from Moss Landing beach, Cliff Swallows had built their nests under the overhang of a building.
On the beach, many Long-billed Curlews and Marbled Godwits were strolling on the sand, looking for food morsels.
Love these happy birds! Great captures, Hien! 🙂
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Thank you Amy!
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Nice variety of birds , love the Surf Scoter. Great set!
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Thanks John! That Surf Scoter and its bill was really striking.
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Amazing photographs of beautiful birds! Thank you for sharing!
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Thank you for stopping by and commenting. Glad you like them!
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What a collection of amazing beaks! Nature is so fascinating as these different shapes and sizes evolve for daily use.
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You are so right, Sue: curving up or down, thin or thick, and all variations in between.
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Long billed curlew shot is awesome….
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It’s supposed to be North America’s largest shorebird. Thank you for commenting!
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Stunning
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If I was getting photos like yours, I’d have kept going back too!
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You would really enjoy it too, Jerry!
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I have never seen a Surf Scoter. It definitely stands out. Wonderful capture of the Song Sparrow. I can see why you returned several times.
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I’ve seen them in New Jersey, but not as close to the one shown here. Thanks for commenting, Beth!
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Lovely pictures! My favorite is the song sparrow. I could almost hear him sing:)
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Thank you Tiny! He did not stop singing even as I moved closer, and I don’t think it was an alarm call.
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Sometimes they just decide to serenade us photographers 🙂
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