Male Western Bluebird: Carol Ann Krug Graves
The Double-counted Cormorants Team (Carol Ann & David) had wonderful weather for our April morning Birdathon at Vasona Lake County Park. We were greeted in the parking lot by a Canada Goose before we could even get out of the car, and shortly after that, by a beautiful Western Bluebird posing on a sign post. The first Black-crowned Night Heron that we saw looked very sleepy, like he’d had a late night.
Great Blue Heron and chicks: Carol Ann Krug Graves
There were many signs of the season – male Ruddy Ducks in breeding plumage with bright blue bills; courting Pied-billed Grebes; a female Western Bluebird flying off with a downy white feather (perhaps from a duck or goose?), presumably to add to her nest; a Green Heron sitting on a nest, in the same location where we’ve seen them nest and fledge young since 2020; a Canada Goose who had nested at the top of the dam (four eggs were visible in the nest; the goslings may have a bit of a leap after they hatch); and a Great Blue Heron parent arriving on the island to feed young nestlings. We enjoyed all these sights while immersed in a soundscape f illed with many singing Bewick’s Wrens, Song Sparrows, House Finches, and others.
Bald Eagles: Carol Ann Krug Graves
Additional highlights include a Green Heron who was hunting dragonflies (we didn’t see him catch any); two Bald Eagles, sometimes perched in their usual redwood and other times flying over the lake (Are they a pair? It would be wonderful if they nested at Vasona! The larger of the two looks not quite adult, since some dark plumage remains at the crown); and a Pied-billed Grebe who caught a crayfish (it doesn’t look easy to swallow such prey).
Four hours fly by quickly when there is a hard deadline, and there are many birds to see, count, and photograph. In total, we observed 51 species (https://ebird.org/checklist/S319348055), and I photographed 33 species of birds, as well as California Ground Squirrel, Eastern Fox Squirrel, Western Fence Lizard, and Red-eared Slider.