I got a chance recently to make a quick trip to the coast. The waves were pretty rough, and I was able to get a shot of a Brandt's Cormorant popping out of the bubble bath with a fish! I didn't see a Heermann's Gull like I hoped, but did get some distant scope views of a lifer Surfbird.
A few days later, on my 3rd visit to the area, I was able to spot my lifer Clay-colored Sparrow.
These photos are © 2025 Phil Thompson, all rights reserved.
My "birds in review" collages can be found here.
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11:57AM Wednesday September 24, 2025
American Goldfinch
11:57AM Wednesday September 24, 2025
Red-breasted Sapsucker
11:58AM Wednesday September 24, 2025
Red-breasted Sapsucker
12:01PM Wednesday September 24, 2025
Lesser Goldfinch
12:01PM Wednesday September 24, 2025
Lesser Goldfinch
12:01PM Wednesday September 24, 2025
Lesser Goldfinch
9:53AM Tuesday September 30, 2025
Greater Yellowlegs
9:53AM Tuesday September 30, 2025
Greater Yellowlegs
10:21AM Tuesday September 30, 2025
Cackling Goose
10:21AM Tuesday September 30, 2025
Cackling Goose
10:21AM Tuesday September 30, 2025
Cackling Goose
10:22AM Tuesday September 30, 2025
Cackling Goose
9:33AM Thursday October 02, 2025
American Herring GullThis gull shows Herring field marks including a yellow/orange orbital and light eye. The bill is not bulbous enough for Western Gull, and shows black in bill which Western would not have. Also, the back is too light for Western.
9:33AM Thursday October 02, 2025
American Crow
9:46AM Thursday October 02, 2025
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)This looks mostly like a Glaucous-winged, but the back and wingtips are pretty dark. The bill is a bit too strongly orange/yellow, and the gonys is perhaps bulging too much. The orbital is an indistinct color, not pink enough for pure Glaucous-winged. The legs may be a bit too pale as well.
9:49AM Thursday October 02, 2025
Sanderling
9:49AM Thursday October 02, 2025
Sanderling
9:50AM Thursday October 02, 2025
Sanderling
9:53AM Thursday October 02, 2025
Sanderling
9:55AM Thursday October 02, 2025
Sanderling
9:55AM Thursday October 02, 2025
Sanderling
9:56AM Thursday October 02, 2025
Sanderling
9:56AM Thursday October 02, 2025
Sanderling
9:56AM Thursday October 02, 2025
Sanderling
9:56AM Thursday October 02, 2025
Sanderling
10:25AM Thursday October 02, 2025
California GullDark eye, gray legs, and long tubular bill.
10:25AM Thursday October 02, 2025
California Gull
10:30AM Thursday October 02, 2025
Brandt's Cormorant
10:30AM Thursday October 02, 2025
Brandt's Cormorant
10:30AM Thursday October 02, 2025
Brandt's Cormorant
10:30AM Thursday October 02, 2025
Brandt's Cormorant
10:30AM Thursday October 02, 2025
Brandt's Cormorant
10:30AM Thursday October 02, 2025
Brandt's Cormorant
10:32AM Thursday October 02, 2025
Western Gull
10:32AM Thursday October 02, 2025
Western Gull
10:51AM Thursday October 02, 2025
Pelagic Cormorant
10:52AM Thursday October 02, 2025
Pelagic Cormorant
10:53AM Thursday October 02, 2025
Pelagic Cormorant
10:53AM Thursday October 02, 2025
Pelagic Cormorant
10:53AM Thursday October 02, 2025
Pelagic Cormorant
10:55AM Thursday October 02, 2025
Pelagic Cormorant
10:55AM Thursday October 02, 2025
Pelagic Cormorant
11:18AM Thursday October 02, 2025
California Gull
11:20AM Thursday October 02, 2025
Harbor Seal
11:36AM Thursday October 02, 2025
Black Turnstone, Surfbird
11:36AM Thursday October 02, 2025
Surfbird
11:36AM Thursday October 02, 2025
Surfbird
11:39AM Thursday October 02, 2025
Surfbird
11:41AM Thursday October 02, 2025
SurfbirdThis bird was a bit bigger than the nearby Black Turnstone, and had more yellowish legs and a thicker bill. The clinching field mark to distinguish this bird from the Black Turnstones is the rump in flight: a Black Turnstone would have a very prominent white patch on the lower back (rump) in flight, where this bird's rump (the part above the wide white tail stripe) is plain brown.
11:42AM Thursday October 02, 2025
California GullDark eye, and red in bill.
11:43AM Thursday October 02, 2025
Harbor Seal
11:43AM Thursday October 02, 2025
Harbor Seal
8:24AM Monday October 06, 2025
Clay-colored Sparrow
8:24AM Monday October 06, 2025
Clay-colored Sparrow
8:24AM Monday October 06, 2025
Clay-colored SparrowThe best field mark, visible on this bird, to distinguish this bird from a Chipping Sparrow are the lores. The dark line behind the eye does not continue through the eye and through the lores to the bill.
8:24AM Monday October 06, 2025
Clay-colored Sparrow
8:26AM Monday October 06, 2025
Clay-colored Sparrow
8:26AM Monday October 06, 2025
Clay-colored Sparrow
8:27AM Monday October 06, 2025
Wood Duck