California

Returning with a different travel objective.

 Northern California offers a backdrop of oceanic beauty. Our travels brought us to San Francisco and the Point Reyes National Seashore.

While in San Francisco the two spots which allowed us to observe many birds were Golden Gate Park and the Palace of Fine Arts.

At Golden Gate Park we patiently waited until a Great Horned Owl presented himself. A tip from another birder brought us to Sutro Heights Park where we saw a Great Horned couple with their two owlets.

A trip to the Palace of Fine Arts during the early morning hours granted us the opportunity to see Hummingbirds, Night-crowned Herons, Dark-eyed Juncos, White-crowned Sparrows, Great Blue Herons and many more species.

During our many hikes in Point Reyes, we were able to see migrating Blue Whales, Hummingbirds, Pelicans, Acorn Woodpeckers, Stellar Jays, California Quails, the Brewer's Blackbird and many others.

We had been to California many times but not with the intent to bird. Returning with these new intentions allowed us into a realm that was never seen nor experienced by us in the past.

Cape Cod

New experiences opening up.

When we booked our trip I was chomping at the bit to return to Race Point Beach with my new lens. A funny aside- On our last trip, my husband had told me that you could see Humpback Whales from the beach. I did not believe it. As soon as our feet left the parking lot and hit the sand, I saw the spray of a Humpback off the shore! This year, I couldn't wait to capture those beauties in their environment.

Another aside- I am deathly afraid of deep water. Ignoring that fear, we booked a Whale watching trip out of Provincetown. We were on the boat for about twenty minutes, when we saw them in the distance. Humpbacks breaching on the horizon. I never thought I would ever see that in person and was so grateful for catching that one breach. Little did I know that the whales were all around us that day. Within minutes we had Humpbacks bubble-net feeding at the side of the boat. This is when the whales blow bubbles from their noses which creates a circle around their food. Then they all gather together and rise up to the surface to eat. What a sight to behold! All of a sudden there were six whale mouths opened wide within spitting distance!  About ten minutes later we had whales breaching yards away. The sound of that enormous whale hitting the ocean was something I will never forget.

We did return to Race Point Beach and were still given a show, yet a bit farther away.

Another fascinating experience was coming upon at least forty Snowy Egrets at a Grist Mill. They were all feeding on the herring in the stream. At times there were mobs of them, but then a lone Egret would just stand in the morning light.

               Bucks County

                         Home away from home.

Bucks and Hunterdon counties provide idyllic country settings not too far from home. Every time we come, we find new places to bird. Seeing Eagles on the Delaware never gets old. This year we found Indigo Buntings at Mercer Meadows. We heard  there were Red-headed Woodpeckers at Nockamixon State Park and found the adults and juveniles in the early hours of the morning.

Seeing these elusive birds gives us such a thrill. Yet, I love hearing and seeing all the "common" birds who show themselves on our walks.  Carolina Wrens, Tufted Titmice, Blue Jays, Cardinals, and the ever present Catbird provide the score on our hikes. Red-bellies, Downies, and Flickers provide the percussion. We can't just be amazed by the "lifers," as our prevalent birds provide just as much beauty in our environment.