Natural History Wanderings

Today we went birding at McLaughlin Eastshore State Park in Berkley from the Sea Breeze Market through Berkeley Meadow to Virginia Street Annex and back.  It was  low tide, overcast, breezy, 60 F. We identified 25 different species and had one unidentified hawk. The bird of the day was a Merlin, perched on a power line along the Virginia Street Annex where we usually see Kingfishers.  This is the first time we have seen a Merlin in this area. Also a Say’s Phoebe was perched on a fence along the path of the Berkeley Meadow, where we have seen them before. The seasonal ponds all had water in them in the meadow and we had a number of waterbirds including Mallard, Green-winged Teal and American Wigeon. Also by the ponds were Willet and Canada Geese.

click read more to see today’s bird list

McLaughlin Eastshore State Park 3/6/16

24 species (+1 other taxa)

Canada Goose  X
American Wigeon  X
Mallard  X
Northern Shoveler  X
Green-winged Teal  X
Greater/Lesser Scaup  X
Bufflehead  X
Ruddy Duck  X
Double-crested Cormorant  X
Great Egret  1
Snowy Egret  1
American Coot  X
Willet  X
Whimbrel  X
Marbled Godwit  X
Mew Gull  X
Ring-billed Gull  X
Western Gull  X
California Gull  X
Anna’s Hummingbird  2
Merlin  1
Say’s Phoebe  1
American Crow  X
Yellow-rumped Warbler  X
Red-winged Blackbird  X