Bolsa Chica #3

Where: Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, Huntington Beach

When: 11 May 2011, ~1010 to ~ 1145
Who:  me, Dr. Centrocercus, Mrs. Centrocercus, Dr. Quiscalus

I was so pleased to see some old friends this week: my PhD advisor (Dr. Centrocercus), his wife (Mrs. Centrocercus), and a friend/colleague from grad school (Dr. Quiscalus).  They are in town to go on a birdwatching cruise from Long Beach to Vancouver.

All are birdwatchers (an understatement for the two Drs...) and we had a morning together, so I decided to take them to Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve.



Dr. Quiscalus was on crutches (an result of playing ultimate frisbee with the young 'uns), so we did not hike much.  Instead we parked at the Pacific Coast Highway entrance to Bolsa Chica to maximize our time looking at snowy plovers and least terns.

My bird list for today is below.  I'm sure that Dr. Centrocercus and Dr. Quiscalus had longer lists, as they are better birders than I am...

Pied-billed grebe
Eared grebe
Double-crested cormorant
Great blue heron
Great egret
Snowy egret
Gadwall
Black-bellied plover
Snowy plover
Semipalmated plover
American avocet
Willet
Whimbrel
Long-billed curlew
Marbled godwit
Ruddy turnstone
Western sandpiper
Dunlin
Western gull
Herring gull (?) -- did not see head or feet
Caspian tern
Royal tern
Elegant tern
Forster's tern
Least tern
Black skimmer
Horned lark
European starling
Common yellowthroat
Savannah sparrow
House finch