Well I am a week or so behind in posting. It has been busy so I think I will start with last Thursday when I headed over to the Aleutian Goose Festival in Crescent City, California.
I left early to get to the all day scouting trip I was to join. I was surprised to find ice and snow on the road about halfway to the coast which made the drive a little exciting. I did make it on time and had a great day schouting out birds with a diverse group of birders from as far away as Texas. We saw 90+ species. That evening I met up with Melissa who shared a cottage and some of the events with me. Friday brought wet weather so I was glad I had a photography class which was indoors. It was a great class, there was a lot to learn. Friday evening was a “hoot”. I was in an owling group. I did learn several things – the Redwood forest can get very very dark and quiet – sometimes owls do not cooperate in appearing – a broom can be a very useful item to thump a ceiling when 2 barn owls are too lazy about flying off into the evening - do not let your leader go off hooting into the night. Saturday was the Lower Smith River birding float. The day was clear but cold, especially when the wind blew as we near the mouth of the river. River otters as well as the waterfowl and raptors entertained us. I saw two rookeries – Great White Egrets and Black Crowned Night Herons. Saturday afternoon brought me to the class Gulls, Gulls, Gulls. I couldn’t tell one gull from another until I had this class. The instructor was great and I can not only recognise the different gulls but I can tell what year they are in also! One lifetime for me gull that we I.D.ed was a Slaty-backed Gull which usually hangs out in Northeastern Asia & Alaska but is rare in the United States. Two other life birds for me were the Little Blue Heron and the Crested Caracara! Three great and unusual sightings for the Northern California coast. Saturday evening was the Food and Wine Gala. I ate & enjoyed. Both of us hopped up bright and early Sunday morning to watch the Aluetian Goose fly off from Castle Rock Island to the farmers fields to feed and fatten up for their trip to the Aleutian Islands to nest. What and amazing sight and sound of their wings and their calling as 35,000 geese passed over our heads in big waves or snakes as they are called. It does look like long snakes wiggling its way across the sky. What an end to a great weekend.
