12 Delta Nats met at Reifel Bird Sanctuary on a misty morning – Lorraine, Jeff, Lorna, Dorothy, Jocelyn, Pat, Lee, Rose, Christine, Roger, Jonathan and Terry. Debbi joined us later.
Anna’s Hummingbirds were taking turns at the feeders on the side of the building. Northern Shovelers were doing their tight circle swimming behaviour to stir up food from the bottom in the house pond and Long-billed Dowitchers were sleeping on the island. There was no sign yet of the Black-crowned Night Herons in their usual wintering trees. There were lots of large carp swimming in the slough and Mallards and Dowitchers were sleeping on the logs. Two noisy Kingfishers flew by but did not stop for photos. House Sparrows, Chickadees and Yellow-rumped Warblers were in the bushes and a Eurasian Collared-Dove and an Eagle were perched on treetops.
We added Robins, Towhees, Juncos, Flickers, Goldfinches, Song Sparrows, Marsh Wrens, House Finches, Purple Finches, Brown Creepers and Cedar Waxwings as we followed our usual anti-clockwise route – but no owls. Red-winged Blackbirds landed on hands for seed. In the ponds were Coots, Pintail, Wigeon, Ring-necked Ducks, Green-winged Teal, Gadwall, Hooded Mergansers, Canada Geese, Yellowlegs, Pied-billed Grebes and more Mallards, Shovelers and Dowitchers. But only one Wood Duck was seen all morning. Harriers were hunting over the marsh and Snow Geese and Canada Geese flew over. There were lots of Herons including one that caught a flounder which it juggled into the head-first position for swallowing whole.
Back at the slough Yellowlegs and Dowitchers were lined up on the floating logs and a Kingfisher posed on a distant snag.
Report by Terry Carr
Photos are on flickr