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It’s that time of year (at least in the northern hemisphere) when birders fortunate enough to visit the coast once again get a chance to see one of the most funky ducks in the world - the marvellous Surf Scoter Melanitta perspicillata. Surf Scoters breed in Alaska and northern Canada (they’re the only species of [...]

The Prairie Falcon flying off a power poll. A Belted Kingfisher making my record shot of the Bolsa Chica Reddish Egret much more interesting.  A Surf Scoter. And, of course, the Rock Pigeon, Common Pigeon, Feral Pigeon, whatever the heck you want to call it. How about Pigeon? Anyway, these are, as my sadly unclever [...]

After a wonderful but very long day (Jan 29th) in the San Jacinto Mountains and the desert areas nearby, some readers may think I’d have been satisfied and gone home the following night after spending the rest of my time off relaxing at the hotel. Some readers may think that, but those who know me [...]

Ah, California. Oranges, the Beach Boys, surfing dudes, wetlands, mountains, and deserts, great birds and great birding of course - and, what was that other thing I keep forgetting about? Oh, yes, FOG! Huge great sky-darkening, end-of-the-world-resembling, camera-messing banks of never-ending FOG. Take a look at the two photos below: both were taken from my [...]

After an outstanding circuit of San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary, the intrepid Amy Hooper introduced me to the manifold wonders of the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve. This swath of coastal wetland off the shore of Huntington Beach is like no other place I’ve seen. Bolsa Chica is, at least in midsummer, all about terns. Thousands of [...]