Brown Pelican - Pelecanus occidentalis

While watching the Goldeneye and Loon catching crabs at the Doran boat launch (Bodega Bay) an adult Brown Pelican swooped in low over the water and rose a bit to settle on the channel marker to preen.

The black on the back of the neck and the bright red gular pouch represent the adult alternate plumage, i.e. breeding plumage. The bill becomes colorful, with red on sides and tip, an yellow-green on lower mandible. Note the hook at the tip of the bill, an adaption seen in many birds and one that helps with preening. And check out the Paul Newman baby blue eyes.

More preening, and another look at the bill color:

Feather care is important for birds, but the pelicans also have to keep the gular pouch supple, accomplished with a variety of stretching exercises. The view here might be confusing at first. The neck has been retracted to allow the lower mandible to rest on the protruding breast, which bulges into and stretches the fleshy pink floor.

Another view of the stretch, from a few years ago at Richardson Bay, Tiburon shoreline. Note the marked flexibility the lower mandible :

Only 8 species of pelicans in the world, of which 2 are brown and 6 predominately white. Our Brown Pelican has 5 subspecies, with one in the Galapagos Island, one the east coast (green gular patch!), one in the West Indies and Caribbean islands, one in NW South America, and ours on the West Coast, namely Pelecanus occidentalis californicus.

White-faced Ibis - Plegadis chihi

White-faced Ibises appeared at Ellis Creek recently, so Patti and I went to check on them. The Ellis Creek water treatment facility is in Petaluma, accessed from S. McDowell Blvd. 

The Ibises (9 in all) were foraging actively near the path. Light was from the right side, but sometimes one would turn just right to reveal the shimmering greens and related hues we all love. These birds were all in basic (winter) plumage, and Patti suggested they matched some photos of subadult birds, either hatch year or perhaps second winter. The adult White-faced Ibis has a red iris, whereas these appeared amber in color.

A crop of the above photo below shows the iris color better. The birds foraged for invertebrates much like a a godwit or curlew, probing vigorously in the moist brushy areas close to the trail, rather than in the water.

Another shot shows the sickle-shaped bill better, as well as the long toes that help in marshy areas. Plegadis translates as a sickle, or scythe.

One last shot of the iris, cropped and enhanced from another photo.

None of the birds we observed exhibited any of the rich chestnut hues seen in alternate plumage birds, and none showed any red in the iris. Opinions welcomed as to the age.

So, if a group of Emus is called a "mob", what would be the term for a group of Ibises?

Hermit Thrush - Catharus guttatus

At Lake Solano Park, a gorgeous spot along widened portion Putah Creek where Pleasants Valley Road hits highway 128 (about 4 miles east of Winters, CA) we spotted our first bird as we exited the car, a brown spotted thrush (genus Catharus) foraging on the ground near the base of a tree:

The red tail confirms this is the Hermit Thrush, Catharus guttatus. But the identification is straightforward simply knowing the date, as Sibley writes regarding the Hermit, "This widespread and variable species is the only spotted thrush to be encountered in North America, Nov-Mar...". In April we'll see Swainson's Thrush, arriving in full song.

The bird seemed unconcerned at our presence, feeding openly not 10' away. The thin pale orbital ring was easily seen, and when it turned a bit we were able to see a few spots on the throat and breast:

Horned Grebe - Podiceps auritus

On trips to to Bodega Bay we spend a fair amount of time at Doran Beach near the Cypress Parking Lot, a spot where Rich Stallcup often took a group he called the "Native Birders", or Natives. Here shorebirds would mass as the incoming tides pushed them ashore from mudflats further out. Sonoma County Regional Parks wisely chose this site for a viewing platform. The Natives contributed funds for a commemorative plaque, and the spot is known as the Rich Stallcup viewing platform. The plaque is mounted on the hardrail there.

On a Feb 9 visit to Doran the plus tide had covered both the mud bars and muddy, shoreline, so few birds were present. Some Brant foraged on underwater eelgrass and a lone Podiceps grebe actively dove in the shallow water near the shoreline, only 30-40' from the platform.

The buoyant high-riding profile recalled that of an Eared Grebe, Podiceps nigricollis, as did the way the white from the cheek curled up behind the ear. But a look through the scope clearly identified it as Horned Grebe, Podiceps auritius. Two features confirm it as Horned rather than Eared. First (and perhaps the best discriminator according to Kenn Kaufman*) is the area immediately behind the eye. Here on Horned Grebes the white of the cheek is sharply separated from the black feathers of the head, whereas in Eared Grebes the black auricular area behind the eye extends down into the cheek. Secondly, the shape and color of the bill are classic for a Horned Grebe.

As seen in both shots, the tip of the bill is whitish, whereas the Eared Grebe's bill has a dark tip. In addition, the top of the bill (culmen) curves gently down at the tip, whereas most Eared Grebes bills have a flat culmen, giving the appearance of a sharper and upturned bill. Check out the rear mounted feet, great for a diving bird but not much use for walking. Podiceps could be translated at "rump footed" (Holloway). You may have guessed that auritus translates as "eared"!

*Kaufman, K. 1992. The practiced eye. Identifying monochrome Eared Grebes , Am. Birds 46:1187-1190

Here's an Eared Grebe, Podiceps nigricollis, for comparison. Nigricollis means "Black-necked", and in Europe they call it the Black-necked Grebe, referring to the color of the neck in breeding plumage.

There are 19 species of grebes in the world, with 8 of them in genus Podiceps. Along our coast we can also see the Red-necked Grebe, Podiceps grisgena.

Common Merganser - Preening

As Yogi Berra said, "You can see a lot by looking...". Often I see even more by taking a photo, as when in the field our eyes are drawn to the most obvious/attractive features of the subject and we may overlook or ignore some interesting subtleties.

On a recent trip to the Las Gallinas Ponds 4 adult male Common Mergansers vied for resting space on the guano-covered pipe, and one of them provided an entertaining display by actively preening. I counted 18 rectricies (tail feathers).

I was mesmerized by the feather display, with wings half spread and tail fully fanned. Viewing the photos later I saw how the uppertail coverts were partly erected. Most of my photos showed even more of what was hidden underneath at the base of the tail, as shown below. Also check out the toothy grin.

Whoa! Not sure I liked what the photos revealed, until it suddenly clicked that when birds preen they often reach back to rub their bill on the preen (uropygial) gland at the base of the tail, collecting oily/waxy secretions that can be spread on the feathers while preening, perhaps to reduce wear and provide water-proofing. This  can be best accomplished if the feathers overlying the gland are lifted up.

You may not enjoy a closer view, so you can skip this last shot, cropped from the above.

Geez, only took me 20 years of watching birds to finally see this important feature!