Tag Archives: Santa Barbara

Bird of the Week — Western Gull

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Western Gull – Larus occidentalis

Gulls are a common sight at the beach. I discovered our California beaches have a species called Western Gull. They are scavengers. Picnics or snacks will be raided by these plucky birds if you’re not on guard.

They can be found at ocean beaches and marinas, especially near fish cleaning stations or harbor restaurants. Western Gulls’ average lifespan is 15 years. They often mate for life and their offspring mature at four years. Their clutch each breeding season is one to three eggs. The male and female share incubating duties and feeding their chicks.

SIZE:

Length: 22.1-26.0 in (56-66 cm)
Weight: 28.2-44.1 oz (800-1250 g)
Wingspan: 47.2-56.7 in (120-144 cm)

This fellow survived losing a leg.

APPEARANCE:

Mature adults have a white body, dark gray or black backs and upper wings. They have a red spot on their beak which means they are of breeding age. The spot gets brighter during breeding season. Also, chicks peck the red spot to be fed and the adult regurgitates food for them.

These gulls were hanging out at surf camp for kids. They probably learned that snacks might be left or dropped.

FOOD:

The gull has been known to eats birds, eggs, nestlings, fish, invertebrates and decomposing carcasses. If food is not readily available at the sea, they may visit dumps and eat trash. They catch their food while flying, swimming or walking along the shore.

LOCATION:

Map from All About Birds

NESTING:

Both male and female will scrape out a nest near a windbreak like a rock or driftwood. Or they may nest in rocky shores where their nest will be hidden from predators. Their nests are about 12 inches across with the inside bowl six inches across. The Western Gulls line their nest with grasses, seaweed, weeds and feathers.

SOUNDS:

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Western_Gull/sounds

Home After Holiday!

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We’ve returned to our home sweet home. It feels wonderful to be back in my own home. One of the surprises was Red was waiting for me singing for my return. This vacation he didn’t hide and avoid me for weeks on end. I’m sure that had something to do with my neighbor making sure the birdseed was out every day. But Red did not look like himself. I’ll post photos later this week.

My trip highlights besides beach walks with my husband enjoying the ocean breeze would be spending time with our friends we don’t see often enough. Plus having my son and daughter-in-law with us for part of our vacation.

Here are some photos I took with my Nikon and 105mm lens on the beach. I was worried about getting sand in the camera or on the lens, but finally decided I could do it!

A man sitting and reading on the beach. I figured out to make photos black and white.

I found a piece of sea glass which is rare at this beach.

In the evenings, the misty fog comes ashore.

A sunbather enjoying a beautiful day at the beach.

Sunlight reflections on sand and water.

A Long-billed Curlew foraging in the sea.

View of where we walk looking south.

Almost sunset and time to go home.

Beach vacation has ended until next summer. It reminded me of a Madonna song “Holiday.”

Are you ready for fall? Or do you miss summertime?

What are your goals for fall?

Bird of the Week — Long-billed Curlew

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Long-billed Curlew – Numenius americanus

According to All about Birds, the Long-billed Curlew is America’s largest shore bird. We see them every day during our beach walks near Santa Barbara, California. I’ve seen three types of birds I used to call Sandpipers, but have identified one species as Willets and the second identified is the Curlew. I’m still working on identifying the third one.

SIZE:

  • Length: 19.7-25.6 in (50-65 cm)
  • Weight: 17.3-33.5 oz (490-950 g)
  • Wingspan: 24.4-35.0 in (62-89 cm)

APPEARANCE:

The Long-billed Curlew is a speckled cinnamon and brownish bird with flecks of white. It’s chest and belly are light a solid light cinnamon color. It has a touch of pink at the base of it’s bill. Males and females look similar but the females beak is slightly longer and more curved than the male.

LOCATION:

FOOD:

When the Long-billed Curlew are not inland, they forage along the shore eating marine life such as shrimp, crab and other crustaceans as well as worms and mollusks. Their long, curved bill helps them forage for earthworms and other prey that burrows underground. Inland in grassy or muddy areas they will use their long bills to eat insects including grasshoppers, beetles, caterpillars and spiders.

NESTING:

Long-billed Curlews are not monogamous for life but are for each breeding season. They may get back together for later breeding seasons. The males make several scrapes in the ground in dry areas. The female chooses which scrape she wants as their nesting place. Then they both complete the nest together digging it out deeper. Then they line it together with bark, feathers, grasses or other material. After two to three weeks after the eggs hatch, the female takes off and the male raises the chicks.

SOUNDS:

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Long-billed_Curlew/sounds

A Long-billed Curlew taking flight.

Bird of the Week — Willet

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A Western Willet foraging for food along the California coast. There is also an Eastern Willet, but my photos and focus is on the Western Willet.

Willet —
Tringa semipalmata

Willets belong to the shore birds more commonly called Sandpipers. I see several types of Sandpipers at the beach, but so far the only one I’ve successfully identified is the Willet.

SIZE:

Length: 13.0-16.1 in (33-41 cm)
Weight: 7.0-11.6 oz (200-330 g)
Wingspan: 27.6 in (70 cm)

LOCATION:

From All About Birds

DIET:

Willets forage along the shore, often alone. The tips of their beaks are sensitive and used to find food. They can forage at night as well as in the daytime. They eat crabs, insects, mollusks and worms. They feed along the mudflats, beaches and rocky shores.

A Willet getting a bite to eat along the shore.

NESTING:

Western Willets move inland from the shore for breeding along wetlands, grasslands or fresh water lakes. They nest on the ground and the male will scrape out a nest from the mud or grass. They line their nest with grasses or other soft materials. A typical clutch is four eggs. Males and females incubate their eggs, but the male takes over at night.

Although they are monogamous, they may separate after breeding season and reunite the next breeding season.

CALLS:

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Willet/sounds

A Day at the Market

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Saturday we visited the Santa Barbara Farmers Market. It runs across two perpendicular streets downtown Santa Barbara. It used to be held in a school parking lot. I found that much easier because all the stands were in a large rectangle and I walked up and down the aisles knowing where my favorites were located. Now it’s spread out over blocks and blocks.

I took my Nikon camera and 105 mm lens because it does close-ups from 1.3 feet to normal range photos like above. Also the 105 mm lens isn’t as cumbersome to carry as my telephoto lens that weighs a ton!

Here are photos of people, veggies and flowers from the Farmer’s Market:

One of the many gorgeous flower stands.

Squash blossoms. My friend who lives near Santa Barbara stuffs zucchini squash blossoms with ricotta cheese and sautés them. Delicious!

There was live music which added to the festive atmosphere.

I love cauliflower.

This is a closeup of the blue flowers that were in the flower photo above.

Interesting spelling of garbanzo beans.

One of the flower stands was all orchids.

Another was all mushrooms. I’ve never seen mushrooms like these in clumps. Have you?

The couple in the center look like they’re enjoying themselves.

A closeup of rich purple blossoms.

Lots of veggie stands feature beautiful tomatoes.

I like the name Tutti Frutti Farms.

It was fun to take people pictures, because I haven’t done that since my college days as a journalism major. I was surprised when I loaded the photos onto my laptop and saw interesting interactions.

I hope you enjoyed my day at the market. Our objective was to buy a homemade pie at a pie stand for a friend’s BBQ Sunday. We found the stand and bought a cherry crumble pie. Yum. Then with mission accomplished I wandered around with my camera.

What photos do you like best?

Do you go to farmers markets near you? What do you like best from farmers markets?

Bird of the Week — Snowy Egret

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A Snowy Egret I spotted during our beach vacation near Santa Barbara, California. Photos were taken with my iPhone during a beach walk.

Scientific name: Egretta thula
Genus: Ardea

I learned that herons and egrets both belong to the genus Ardea and that there is no scientific difference between the two. Egrets are white and herons are blue or other colors. That’s it.

The Snowy Egret has white plumage with a black beak and legs. They have a yellow streak on their faces behind their beaks. Their feet are bright yellow and called golden slippers. The brightly colored feet are helpful in herding small aquatic creatures while the Snowy Egret forages in shallow waters.

When they are breeding, the adults grow wispy long plumes which were in demand for ladies’ hats in the 1880s. The plumes were valued at twice the price of gold. Many Snowy Egrets lost their lives because of their valuable feathers.

SIZE and SHAPE:

Snowy Egrets are long, thin herons with a long neck, long legs and beak.

  • Length: 22.1-26.0 in (56-66 cm)
  • Weight: 13.1 oz (370 g)
  • Wingspan: 39.4 in (100 cm)

RANGE:

FOOD:

They eat aquatic animals including fish, crustaceans, frogs, worms and insects. They forage in mud flats, along the shore, marshes and tidal flats and eat while standing up.

NESTING:

The male will start building a nest before finding a mate. He’ll select a location at the top of a tree, shrub or vines. When the male finds a mate, the two will finish building the nest together. It’s a shallow oval of grasses, twigs, rushes and moss from 14 to 18 inches across and eight to 13 inches high.

The male and female share the job of incubating their eggs. A Snowy Egret clutch usually has three to five eggs. They also share feeding their chicks. Snowy Egrets do not mate for life, but are monogamous for each breeding season.

CALLS:

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Snowy_Egret/sounds

Day One

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The photos were taken with my iphone on our first beach walk. I haven’t taken my Nikon to the beach yet, but will soon! This bird is a Willet and part of the Sandpiper family.

We finally made it to the beach! It was a long drive and we stopped along the way to visit our old home town and friends from my husband’s childhood and earlier days of married life. We hadn’t seen them in years, so it was a nice way to break up a long drive.

This is a Snowy Egret known for their golden slippers.

This beauty is a juvenile Gull. The specific type of gull will be known in a couple years when it loses its brown colors and turns white with markings and features of its species.

Another photo of a Willet. They were gathered along the shore catching a bite to eat between waves.

We walked on our favorite beach early in the morning before the sun broke through the clouds and fog. I can’t tell you how good it feels to take beach walks. Next, our son and daughter-in-law will be joining us. They met in college at UC Santa Barbara and love to visit and stay with us when we’re here. Our DIL surfs, so it will be a delight to sit at the beach with a book and watch her in the waves.

Evening Photos:

What a change from the morning to the afternoon. The sun is out. People are on the beach, but it’s not crowded at all. It never is.

Look at the American flags. Love it!

Is that a gorgeous view or what? All I need is a few dolphins leaping through the surf.

What is on your agenda this week?