jak86094

I got a late start yesterday on a birding/photography trip to Bolsa Chica Wildlife Preserve in Huntington Beach, CA. Arriving around 11:20 AM, I started in the Northeast in an area referred to as Brightwater. The first thing I noticed was how few birds were out. An earlier start (like 7:00 AM) would have probably have found many more birds to view and maybe photograph. Most of the ducks have migrated. The sun was bright and moving overhead, so you won't see any golden hour photos here. Postprocessing helped me deal with the hard, deep shadows. I then worked around the Pocket Pond area until 12:30 PM. Driving down Pacific Coast Highway, I renewed my trek across the walkbridge and through the main wetlands. I found around 40 Least Terns in the designated and protected Least Tern nesting area and was lucky to capture shots of the rare and threatened Beldings Savannah Sparrow on the ground or in its preferred pickleweed environment. Brown and American White Pelicans, Double-crested Cormorants, Western and Ring-billed Gulls, and a few wading birds like Killdeer, Marbled Godwits, and Black-necked Stilts were often too far away for decent photographs, even with my Nikkor 200-500 mm zoom lens. The noise of Caspian, Elegant, Least and Forster's Terns filled the air and the birds offered some nice photo ops. As I returned to my car across the walkbridge, another birder pointed out where he'd been watching a Ridgeway's (Clapper) Rail walking along the shore. Just then the rail appeared, walking around a corner behind the shoreline plantlife. Hurrying back to the parking lot, I was was able to snap off one not quite sharp and distant photo. It was a warm, sunny day with a nice ocean breeze, and in the end, I had some decent photo opportunities. Hope you enjoy some of these.

jak

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Blue-winged Teal

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Eared Grebe in breeding plumage

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Eared Grebe rising from its dive

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Forster's Tern

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Snowy Egret with the wind at its back

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Killdeer on careful watch (a possible nest nearby)

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Savannah Sparrow (Beldings) only lives along coast where there is pickleweed (endangered species)

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Least Terns (not quite enough depth of field) in Least Tern nesting area.

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American White Pelican (part of a multi-image sequence of landing)

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Ridgeway's Rail (aka Clapper Rail) - before it disappeared into the swamp plants

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joecichjr Loc: Chicago S. Suburbs, Illinois, USA

Excellent and eye-catchingly beautiful 💙⭐🌿⭐💙

jak86094

Thanks very much. Very kind, joecichjr. Have a great photo day. jak

AJFRED Loc: Alabama

Very nice, and especially the shot of the windblown egret. Good work!

jak86094

AJ, thank you very much for the kind comments. It keeps me coming back and sharing more photos. Yes, that windblown egret was unique. I think the wind kept its mind off of me and allowed me to get a good shot. Have a nice week. jak

UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

Excellent photography and variety, jak!

kpmac Loc: Ragley, La

A really nice set.

NMGal Loc: NE NM

Wonderful captures.

Curmudgeon Loc: SE Arizona

Amazing set, particularly the Rail

jak86094

Thanks, Mike. Hope you’re doing well. I’m working on taking fewer but better photos. Not much progress yet, but I’ll keep trying. Meanwhile, hope you have a nice week. jak

jak86094

That is very kind of you. Glad you enjoyed them. Take care and take lots of photos. jak

jak86094

Nice of you to say that, NMGal. I appreciate the support and wish you a productive and creative week. jak

jak86094

Thanks. The rail was a surprise and the photo is really more of a snapshot than a well executed photograph. I had a better sighting last week but it’s always exciting to see and sometimes photograph rails. During last week’s sighting, we saw a Ridgeway’s Rail, a Virginia Rail and a Sora in the same part of the same pond…all within about 50 ft of each other. See pictures below.

Ridgeway’s Rail at UCI Preserve on 5 May 2022

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Sora

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Virginia Rail

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J-SPEIGHT Loc: Akron, Ohio

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

Fantastic set!!!