A Winter Stroll Along the Mission River

We spent the afternoon strolling along the Mission River, enjoying the variety and huge flocks of birds wintering along the tidal flats near the mouth of the Mission River.  The river is a favorite spot for birders with their binoculars and large telephoto lenses. A Winter walk along the river is a great way to get out and see all sorts of migratory waterfowl, all while staying within the city boundaries.

 This common merganser was hunting for fish between the boulders along the shore.

Two snowy egrets were following the common merganser, hoping to snatch a fish or two scared up by the merganser.

This Eurasian Wigeon was hanging out with the flocks of American Wigeons, a bit far from it's normal Eurasian breeding grounds.  This was the first time I've seen one of these; add another bird to the list!

White pelicans dipping their beaks into the water for fish in the Mission River.  When they found a school of fish, they would surround them, all seemingly dunking their heads in unison.  Watching them slowly drifting back and forth across the river, dunking their heads in and out of the water as they herded the schools of fish, was a total National Geographic moment.  These are not common here along the coast.  I'm feeling pretty lucky if I see them once a year; so, I was feeling pretty fortunate to see a whole flock of them.  Perhaps it has something to do with the recent rainstorm washing nutrients out into the river and stirring up a bunch of plant and animal life or perhaps it was just one of those random lifetime moments.

Northern Shoveler browsing for food in the Mission River.

Finding Tranquility Along The Mission River (A.K.A. Bird Nerd Has Fun)

The weather has been unseasonably warm and dry for January, hitting the 70s and low 80s (F) in the daytime.  It's still been in the 40s and 50s at night, just to remind us that it is really January.  Clearly, however, there is no Polar Vortex here.  Perhaps the Polar Vortex pushed all the hot air over the Southwestern edge of the country.  

Fire danger warnings have been issued and the California Governor has also declared a drought emergency and water rationing for much of the state.  There is a huge fire raging outside of Los Angeles that forced over 3000 people to evacuate their homes.  

Still, the worries of the world seem far away when you walk in some of the many preserves here in San Diego.  These pictures are two of my favorites from today's walk in the Mission River preserve.  I hope they help you imagine the peace and tranquility of the moment.  While we didn't see any new birds (new to me anyhow), most of our favorites were there including northern shovelers, blue-winged teals, American wigeons, green-winged teals, cinnamon teals, ruddy ducks, buffleheads, northern pintails, egrets, little blue herons, great blue herons, avocets, curlews, and many more.  Days like these remind me why we live in San Diego.

 Anna's Hummingbird, Calypte anna, stretching his wings and tail (and looking a bit fierce).  This little guy let me get close enough to get some great shots with the telephoto, occasionally flitting from one branch to another, while I snapped more pictures than I care to admit to.

Northern Shoveler, Anas clypeata, demonstrating that ducks really can walk on water.  The feathers on the head of a Northern shoveler glow an iridescent blue-green when the sun reflects off of them.  However, in the shadows, they look a dark black.  The trick, of course, is getting the sun in just the right angle for a photo.

Northern Shoveler

Northern Shoveler, Anas clypeata, at the Mission River Preserve, San Diego, California. These adorable ducks spend the Winters in San Diego every year and can be easily recognized by their large, shovel-like beaks. They spend their summers throughout North America all the way up through Alaska and Winter in the Southern states down through Mexico. I love the way the feathers on their head glow a deep purple when the sun hits them just right, their big gangly beaks that seems too big for their heads and those funky lemon-yellow eyes.

Drop Kick!

Dropkick Duck. In light of the Superbowl, I bring you the dropkick duck. Actually, "she" is the dropkick duckette doing a firm foot windup! Of course, being a "she" duck, she has the typical she-duck brown coloration which makes it oh so annoying to identify her. However, that nice big shovel of a beak suggests that she is a Northern Shoveler, Anas clypeata. A regular beak of distinction!