I made a trip out to the coast to scout for my shorebird class. Much of the trip consisted of running from site to site to check on conditions, but I did spend a little time at a few sites where the birds presented some nice close views.
Parking Lot C at Fort Stevens had a lot of young Brown-headed Cowbirds flying around. It always amazes me how cowbirds can be raised by other species but still somehow figure out how to be cowbirds.
This young cowbird had a nice yellowish cast to the underparts.
This Purple Shore Crab was out in the open near the tidal ponds at Parking Lot C.
This Ruddy Turnstone was hanging out with the Black Turnstones at Seaside Cove. Ruddys are harder to find during autumn migration than they are in the spring.
Ruddy and Black Turnstones
Black Turnstones are common at the Cove from autumn through spring.
A few Surfbirds are often mixed in with the turnstone flock.
Late summer and early fall sees a buildup of California Gulls along the coast, often in very worn and tattered plumage. So I was surprised to see this individual still rocking some very intense colors in the eye-ring and gape.
Heermann’s Gulls are always a favorite.
I didn’t find any juvenile Heermann’s on this trip. They experienced nearly complete nesting failures in recent years. Hopefully they had a little more success this year and we will see some young birds as the season wears on.
Ethical Birder 