Today we were birding along the Bay Trail and Eastshore State Park in Berkeley between Gilman St. and University Av. We arrived just after high tide. No photos as I had a dead battery in the camera and didn’t bring a backup (as I almost never need one on birding walks?; Lesson learned!)
There were several highlights today:
- watching two Black Oystercatchers chasing a Cooper’s Hawk ( a surprise to me)
- two White-tailed Kites posing very peacefully and cooperatively on a large shrub at the north entrance to the fenced in Berkeley Meadow area
- Watching two Kingfishers chase each other around and one sitting on a wire several times offering good views
- a Harbor Seal who seemed to follow us around for a while
Also saw my first Black Turnstone of the season. There were a number of Monarch and Anise Swallowtail Butterflies and some dragonfly activity as well.
The wet areas in the Berkeley meadow area are still dry. The earlier rains were not enough to create the seasonal ponds. No Burrowing Owls yet. Thirty-three species were identified. To see today’s bird list go to: Eastshore State Park Bird List 9/28/13
Natural History Wanderings 
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