August 8, 2017 – 28 species

 

Double-crested Cormorant – 1

Mallard – 1

Brown Pelican – 35

Royal Tern – 2

Great Blue Heron – 1

Great Egret

Snowy Egret

Black-crowned Night Heron – 1

Ridgeways’s (Clapper) Rail – (heard only)

Long-billed Curlew

Red-tailed Hawk

Cooper’s Hawk – 1

Mourning Dove

Asian Collared Dove

Anna’s Hummingbird

Black Phoebe

Crow

California Scrub-Jay

House Wren -- 1

Bewick’s Wren – (heard only)

Wrentit – (heard only)

California Gnatcatcher – (heard only)

Hooded Oriole

Song Sparrow

California Towhee

Spotted Towhee – (heard only)

House Finch

Lesser Goldfinch

 

            Our birding excursion along the south shore trail in San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve began with the temperature around 70 degrees under a coastal marine layer, then warming slowly into the upper 70s as the sunshine broke through to a mostly sunny late morning that was enhanced by a light ocean breeze.  Avian highlights included two orange-beaked Royal Terns, several Long-billed Curlews feasting on food in the mudflats, a Red-tailed Hawk and Cooper’s Hawk, the latter above the other as they both circled on the ocean breeze, and the clattery chatter of Ridgeway’s (Clapper) Rails coming from hidden places within the expanse of salt marsh.  We enjoyed lunch at The Tin Leaf on El Camino Real, Carlsbad.  

 

 

 

 

 

Photos by Joan Comito