Tag Archives: rare bird

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A rare bird was seen the week after the Christmas Bird Count in January. Diane Hichwa wrote, “Last Wednesday Bill and Paget Lenarz, who had come up to help with the Bird Count, were still watching for birds. They noticed at Pebble Beach a very light gull on the sand below. Not wanting to disturb it, they stayed on the bluff trail. They called me, and I phoned Craig Tooley to get photos. This was just what was needed to document the bird!”

Diane sent Craig’s photos to Dan Nelson, a Sonoma County expert on gulls, and he confirmed the sighting. He wrote, “A classic first winter Glaucous Gull. Nice!!” The Audubon Guide describes this gull as “a big, pale, ghostly gull of the far north.”

It's easy to take gulls for granted, but they can travel great distances, and have a story to tell. Glaucous Gulls are the second-largest gulls in the world! You can hear their calls at this link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Glaucous_Gull/sounds

Thanks to Craig for allowing me to share his photos with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is the link to his website: www.ruffimage.com

The wind arrived during the night. Today the ocean is whipped up into a froth and it's sunny, but chilly.

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A rare visitor to the Mendonoma Coast, a Pacific Golden-Plover was spotted by Richard Kuehn.

Pacific Golden-Plover by Richard Kuehn

This bird gets its name from the gold color etched on its wings.

To hear the call of this shorebird, here's a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pacific_Golden-Plover/sounds

Thanks to Rich for allowing me to share his photo with you here.

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Perhaps it was one of the recent storms that blew this rare visitor to Point Arena. Leslie Dahlhoff wrote, “How exciting! Eric, the non-birder, actually spotted it in our backyard and told me I should check it out. There I saw the sunniest, yellowest bird seriously chowing down on aphids in the artichoke.”

A rare visitor - a male Prothonotary Warbler by Leslie Dahlhoff male Prothonotary Warbler by Leslie Dahlhoff

This songbird is usually found in wooded swamps in the southeast. Wow, is this bird off course! To hear its call, here is a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Prothonotary_Warbler/sounds

Thanks to Leslie for allowing me to share her photos with you here.

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Richard Kuehn often looks at the birds and the sea mammals that occupy Gualala Point Island. He was surprised to see something new among the usual suspects - a juvenile Brown Booby. Craig Tooley came out and took these photos. Doesn't it look like the Cormorants are surprised to see it?

A juvenile Brown Booby takes flight by Craig Tooley Brandt's Cormorants eyeing a Brown Booby by Craig Tooley

These birds are normally found in the tropics, so what it is doing here is a mystery.
Thanks to Rich for the sighting and to Craig for allowing me to share his photos with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is his website: www.ruffimage.com