The ranch we are now at for the next 4 nights is about 45 minutes south of San Francisco only a mile from the coast. The ramshackle tired image presented from the outside belies the revelation inside; beautifully appointed and having all the facilities including a hot-tub! The peace and quiet is great and just a walk around the grounds here produced an American Robin, a super couple of Wilson's Warblers, Pacific Scrub Jays, Hairy Woodpecker, numerous Red-winged Blackbirds, Chestnut-backed Chickadees and Brewer's Blackbirds. Seeing Eurasian Collared Dove seemed rather odd, but obviously they have been introduced here too.
A walk around the local beach proved worthwhile with hundreds of Brown Pelicans, California Gulls, Western Gulls, Heerman's Gulls, Elegant Terns and a couple of Caspian Terns; on the wader front, a Black Turnstone on the beach, a Surfbird on the rocky shore, a Marbled Godwit and Short-billed Dowitcher on the lagoon. On some open water were several Ruddy Ducks, the first I have seen for some years since they were exterminated in the UK. Nearby on the coastal agricultural fields were one possibly two White-tailed Kites, fantastic!
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| Gulls and Terns on the beach |
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| Heerman's Gulls, California Gulls and Elegant Terns |
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| Western Gull, adult |
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| Western Gull, juvenile |
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| Elegant Tern |
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| Elegant Tern |
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| Elegant Tern |
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| Caspian Tern |
