There were three serious choices to be made in the run-up to the New Year.
One: Squeeze the imagined joy out of yet another largely forgettable New Year's Eve, trying to match each of the last few year's equally desperate attempts at a forced shared sense of jollity,
or
Two: Make a New Year's resolution to not be so cynical and ...maybe? Lighten the feck up a little. Sheesh.
or
Three: Feck off to San Francisco and go birding.
We chose option three.
(All photos: Michael O'Clery, N of San Francisco, 29th-31st December 2017).
Bufflehead.
These lads were everywhere. Well, not literally EVERYWHERE. They weren't, like, in the hotel foyer... I mean, they were very common in suitable habitat. Very common indeed. But not actually, literally, everywhere.
Ok then. A couple of ground rules about this blog post.
Rule One: This is not a trip report. All photos from the trip are selected largely at random, over a few vague days, in the run up to New Years Eve, at sites just to the north of San Francisco. More than that, I can't be arsed to relate. Just hope you enjoy the photos.
Rule number two: The birds we see in San Francisco STAY in San Francisco. No smuggling White-crowned Sparrows in the luggage for a staged photo shoot back in Castlegregory.
Rule three: NO GULLS!
No explanation necessary.
First-winter American Herring G.... Wait. Sorry. No gulls allowed. Especially not immature gulls.
Be grateful you are not about to 'enjoy' 40 photos showcasing a suite of full-frame photos of second calendar-year Glaucous-winged x Western Gull hybrids. Let's move on.
Acatraz.
The first morning saw us birding around the bay immediately north of San Francisco where the backdrop was the island of Alcatraz. Apparently there is some bird expert or other that lives out there, but we didn't get to meet him. Not sure he's even home these days...
Some bridge or other. However, in the foreground, Great Blue Herons, Buffleheads, Snowy Egrets, Greater Yellowlegs, Killdeers flying over, and Anna's Hummingbirds zipping around in the foreground.
The photo above shows a beautiful, bird-filled lagoon and bay, but largely spoiled by a massive monstrosity of a big ugly bridge that somebody put there. A passer-by said it was the 'Golden' Gate Bridge or something, but it is distinctly red. Don't get it.
Anyways, on with the birds.
Community allotments, an inner city haven for birds.
Actually, our first stop on our first morning was to a community allotment, an ex-miltary base, out towards that bridge thing. In the space of an hour, as the garden warmed with the rising sun, we saw perhaps 40 species including several each of woodpecker, warbler sparrows and more. Here's a few...
Dark-eyed Junco.
The 'Oregon' sub-species, very much a West Coast version, so unlikely to turn up on a Kerry headland, but the dark-backed, 'Slate-coloured' East Coast version might well do.
House Finch.
A female/immature House Finch. Actually, if a 'Common Rosefinch' turns up on a Kerry headland in autumn following a massive westerly gale, it might just be worth ruling this species in or out.
'Audobon's' Yellow-rumped Warbler.
Even at dawn, the distinctive 'Chwitt!" calls of this species could he heard from almost every tall tree in the area.
Anna's Hummingbird.
It's a little unexpected, on an almost-frosty morning, to have pretty much the first bird of the day be a Hummingbird. Nectar-feeding, with a high metabolism, this bird needs to get out and about and feeding on flowers as soon as possible.
Adult White-throated Sparrow.
This would certainly turn heads in Kerry in autumn. And it is certainly possible, some day.
First-winter 'West Coast' White-throated Sparrow.
This would certainly turn heads in Kerry, but realistically, is more likely in winter. In California.
Black Phoebe.
One of the commonest 'roadside' birds in California. A beautiful species.
American Wigeon.
Common as muck, on mucky-type habitats, like estuaries.
Eurasian Wigeon. A rare bird in California.
On day two we had a rare birding moment, one that will live with us for many, many seconds. There, sort of unexpectedly, amongst the hordes of amazing American Wigeon, in front of our mildly disbelieving eyes, was a much less amazing Eurasian Wigeon. We kinda stopped in our tracks, exchanged brief, vaguely incredulous glances, checked again and exclaimed in an offhand kind of way, "Yep, Eurasian Wigeon... Oh look! There's another Black Phoebe!".
We were, all of us, underwhelmed by the enormity of the moment. This is a species which is not only rare in California but is... Shite! There! Look! Another Black Phoebe!...
Forget the Black Phoebe, it's a Belted Kingfisher!
This is a species which will always make you stop what you are doing. All the more so if it could only be on the Irish side of the Atlantic. Kerry could easily host one of these extraordinary Jackdaw-sized birds some day, but where? Dingle Harbour? Cromane?
American Coots.
This would be an extraordinarily good day on Lough Gill. One American Coot is good, three would be just greedy.
American Avocet.
No further captioning necessary.
Cinnamon Teal.
Double-crested Cormorant.
One of these has already made it to Ireland, but just one. a first-year bird in Galway several decades ago (read all about it HERE). A small cormorant with a bright yellow/orange snout should grab attention should you ever come across one on this side of the Atlantic.
Great Blue Heron.
Marbled Godwits, Willets and Black Brant.
A good day at Rough Point.
The 'Anti-New Year crew'.
Ok, can you spot the celebrity birders, here celebrating the ticking of Marbled Murrelet?
I'll give you a clue...
One is good-looking, intelligent, has a great eye for a rarity, is charming, witty and well-travelled. The other two... well, I don't know who the two blokes are.
(Michael.O'Clery, Eric Dempsey, Hazel Johnston).
Song Sparrow.
If a grain ship from Canada sails up the Shannon Estuary some September afternoon, you might be in with a shout for this species in Kerry.
Snowy Egret.
With the ever-increasing number of Little Egrets now in Kerry, it would be easier than ever to over-look this species. But it will occur here one day. The most oft-quoted field mark is the yellow lores, but at a distance, that's not the main thing to look out for... What is? Ah, you'll have to buy me a pint to extract that secret...
It's not much of a secret really, but if you want to still buy me a pint, that's ok. Check out the Birding World ID article on Snowy Egret for the real secret. If you don't have that article, I'll email it to you, for the price of a pint.
Willet?
Great name for a bird because, of course, every birder in Ireland says, "Course it will! And it'll be on my patch!" Some day, everyone, some day...
Western Bluebird. The most beautiful bird of the trip.
[Excerpts from proceedings of the case: The State against the Western Bluebird: Court Transcipt 396: 45-874 (2017). Ref: RTN-908-143.].
PROSECUTING COUNSEL: "So, in summary, M'Lud, I put it to the jury, that while good looks alone are insufficient in finding this species guilty of Overwhelming And Becoming Beauty, I put it to you that not only is the extraordinary chalky blue iridescence of the plumage of the crown, mantle, wings and tail offset by the ridiculously beautiful russet tones of the breast and flanks, but that this species is also CONFIDING! Furthermore, it almost always perches openly, often in full view, for prolonged periods of time, AND... [a pause for effect] ... AT CLOSE RANGE!...
[Prosecuting Counsel puts both thumbs in his lapels, turns to the jury and says:]
"I rest my case, M'Lud".
JUDGE [Glaring at the Defending Counsel]: "Well?".
DEFENDING COUNSEL: "Eh, well.. my learned friend said, and I quote, "confiding",... and em.. "close range...", so... em... they would... I suppose... eh... both seem to be... I suppose... similar..."
JUDGE: "Is that ALL you have to say?"
DEFENDING COUNSEL: "Em... Well... Eh... yes... No further questions, M'Lud".
JUDGE: "Very well."
JUDGE: "By the powers invested in me...."
[Long pause]
JUDGE: "...the court hereby finds the Western Bluebird....
[Long pause]
GUILTY...
of all charges."
[Courtroom erupts in cheers and the Prosecuting Counsel (a first-winter House Finch) and the Chief Prosecutor (a female House Sparrow) are carried shoulder-high out of the courtroom to a waiting audience of cheering first-year hybrid Herring Gulls, moulting Dunnocks, juvenile calidris waders and several species of Locustella Warblers...]
Brewer's Blackbird.
Time to get the ferry back to the city, and then home.
Farewell San Francisco, it's been great.
