Fast forward to March 2012 when on a visit to LRGV to see grandparents, they take me to Benston SP to see a rare code 5 Black-Vented Oriole, and that's when I picked up my binoculars again. The past five years, I've been traveling, birding, and documenting all the new ones I've seen. This has lead me up to almost getting bird #600. So I had planned on doing a west coast palegic, and who better than in the business to go to, Debbie Shearwater of http://shearwaterjourneys.blogspot.com/
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| The Ohio People |
We booked in March for the August 12th, Half Moon Bay boat trip. So with that planned, and some much needed land life birds too, an itinerary was planned to make the most of this trip. After all California is expensive, so I had to make every bird count!!
Below is a review of the trip, places visited, birds seen and food eaten!! Birds listed are FOYs(bold)/Lifer(#)
Friday August 11th:
Don Edwards NWR
Marbled Godwit
Western Sandpiper
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| The Boat |
Red-necked Phalarope
California Gull
Black Phoebe
Western Kingbird
California Towhee
Ed Lavin Dog Park, Milpitas
Yellow-Billed Magpie #590
Acorn Woodpecker
Saturday August 12th:
Half Moon Bay Palegic
Elegant Tern #591
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| Yellow-billed Magpie, #yolo |
Sooty Shearwater #592
Pink-footed Shearwater#593
Cassin's Auklet #594
Buller's Shearwater #595
Black-footed Albatross #596
Tufted Puffin #597
Ashy Storm-Petrel #598
Northern Fulmer #599
Heerman's Gull--Missed in Washington in April, fall bird there
Western Gull
Northern Gannet--Devils Rock. It's the worlds only Northern Gannet in the Pacific ocean. This seabird is an east coast only bird, which I've seen before, FL, NC, & ME, but somehow this particular Gannet flew over and down probably from the top of Canada, or something. Debbie said it's been there on Devils' Rock now for five years!! Wow what a treat.
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| Northern Gannet, far left, white bird |
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| Elegant Terns, can't miss lifers:) |
Sunday August 13th:
Burliegh State Park
California Quail #600 Finish line?
Pacific-slope Epmdix.
Wrentit
Pygmy Nuthatch
Pescadero State Beach
Sanderling
Whimbrel
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| Cali Quail, male, #600 |
Black Oystercatcher
Black Turnstone
Surfbird
Wandering Tattler--My #500 ABA bird in 1991. Its the one that started this gig!!
Alemada
missed the Red-necked Stint. Birded for hours but never clean good countable look
MLK marsh
Ridgeway Rail #601
Forster's Tern
Blackberry Farm Park
Western Screech-Owl #602
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| Ridgeway Rail, lifer |
Nuttall's Woodpecker
Alemada 2nd time
missed the Red-Necked Sting again.
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| Whimbrel, neat |
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| Wandering Tattler, #500 in 1991--FOY 2017 |
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| Black Oyster Catchers, 3 birds |
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| Surfbirds!!! |
94 species seen
35 FOYs
13 Life birds
California is huge state, and defiantly deserves to be visited/birded in often. The state list is over 500, for just the state!
I will be back Cali . . . I will be back
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| Pescadero State Beach, off US 1 |
Food Review:
Welcome to a new section in the blog, I'll be reviewing food/meals while on trips. So with that said, how was the food??
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| Free Breakfast |
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| Fajita Salad w Steak |
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| Inn N Out Single, Animal style |
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| Udon Soup w Pork & beer |
TacoTruck: El Pastor tacos grande, $2.10 each, delicious, always count on a taco truck. Grade: B
Dinner: Tres Amigos. Wow, my kind of place. Look at that Fajita Salad pic. Included are chips, 3 types of salsa(including green) & pickled carrots and jalapenos. Grilled steak, black bean, lettuce, red onion, cheese, beautiful garnish. $12.95 Grade: A+
Lunch: Inn N Out Burger. Good, tasty burger, get it animal style. Fries of bad bad, like straws. $7.95 with drink. Quick and easy. Grade: B no fries next time, just double burger Animal, potato chips
Airport lunch: Udon soup w Pork and Soba Buckwheat Noodles, Japanese beer and sriracha. $12. Very very good, again I love noodle bowls, just what I needed for long flight home. Grade: A
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| Half Moon Bay, CA |
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| Nissan Pathfinder, 358 miles, 22.4MPG |
Next up: Gambill is gambling in Vegas!! Nov 2-5th. Birds too +10 foys maybe?
