[SBB] Shoreline Lake 7/3

["Chuq Von Rospach" <[[email protected]]>]

Took my walk today out around Shoreline. The Common Loon continues, and was down near the north end of the lake when I arrived, and swam over to the island and behind it while I was there. Also saw Mr. and Mrs. Surf Scoter. 

In the area just to the north of the lake in the marshes, the Black-necked stilt chick was hiding when I arrived, but out and around on the return trip, along with a proud mom and dad watching out. 

I ran into three short-billed dowitchers along the water on the lake today (one almost literally, it wasn't paying attention and almost stepped on me while feeding)

The Forster's terns continue to fish for their young in good numbers. 

The island in the middle of the lake had the normal terns and acovets, but it also had (a first for me here) a black skimmer fly in and settle down. 

Turning east at the boathouse and out to the salt pond, the tern island was being invaded by -- horrors -- researchers counting eggs, which made for interesting discussion between the terns and the scientists, as well as a cloud of terns hovering. further out on some of the piering further east were some terns, but in them was a black-backed tern-like bird as well. At the time, I wasn't sure, but I think it was another Black Skimmer; at the edge of my binocs ability, though, but it clearly had a black back and a tern-like shape, but I never got a look at the face or beak.

Way out in the eastern part of the salt pond was a small group of ruddy ducks, and about a dozen white pelicans. 

Other than that, it was pretty quiet -- a couple of young snowy egrets hunting, one great egret, one great blue heron on the northern bank of the salt pond, a bunch of song sparrows attempting to drown out the fishing terns, and a good number (10+) Northern Mockingbirds doing a good job of drowning out the song sparrows. I saw two or three pairs of birds chasing each other about, but it didn't seem to be territory protection, it seemed more the preamble to baby birds, so we can expect even more mockingbirds keeping us up at night soon... (the two that have lived around the house the last few years, known as "pissed off cockatiel" and "car alarm", are in fine voice and doing well...)

Oh, and a couple of canada geese. I counted 150+.  Most of the kids have grown into their adult shape, there were only two groups that you could easily look at and say "those are goslings", but if you get close enough, you can still tell the birds that are growing into their adult feathering, and mom will happily let you know if she decides you're a bit too close. Nothing unusual in the geese flocks, unfortunately. 

Saw no raptors. The only gulls I saw were a couple that decided to leave rapidly with a tern on their butt helping, and I only saw a few mallards and two american coots... 

-- 
Chuq Von Rospach
([[email protected]]; http://chuqui.typepad.com)
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