Given that Jen wasn't working today my birding was pretty much restricted to what I could see from the condo, or the car. On the plus side, a new visitor to the pile of stale bread and black oil sunflower seeds that I leave outside for the regular juncos, towhees and song & fox sparrows attracted a fine California quail this morning.
We went for a walk round Westwood Lake, our first visit. Bird-wise is wasn't too rewarding (bald eagle, common mergansers, ring-necked ducks, Steller's jay, chickadees, and so on) but it was a great walk on a bright, crisp, cold day.
We treated ourselves to some nosh at the Crow & Gate pub where I was able to bag what's probably the island's entire population of American black ducks... nestled amongst some mallard and a brace of black swans. Yep, the Australian ones. I must say, the last time I saw these black ducks, dabbling in a nearby flooded field a couple of weeks ago they almost looked tickable.
I did manage to pop by the estuary yesterday afternoon where I had brilliant prolonged views of a juv harrier hunting in the grassy area by the large oak. No owls showed though a shrike put in an appearance. It was otherwise quiet.
Walking! As you know from our esteemed leader( you know whom I mean)proper birding can't be done on a WALK!!!! I hope you weren't talking to people as well. No doubt you were wearing a hat too ,and admiring views. What about science? Anyway, best wishes from RAY, who has just got Woodcock for his local 3k year list. It's not science, but it will do. If you want to know what trousers are in a birding context, you will have to read my blog, steam-driven in the good old UK, written while wearing a bowler hat of course.
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