5 January 08
Merlins
In between storms we got on our bikes to look for several BIGBY birds — wood ducks and merlins. Along the way we saw the female peregrine watching from the UC Davis water tower and several kestrels. We heard wood ducks but didn’t see any, though we did pick up pied-billed grebe and a male common merganser, a beauty. (Also green and black-crowned night-herons, a snowy egret, and double-crested cormorants.)
There have been two merlins roosting on Anza in North Davis for the past several winters, and they’re back. This is the first time we’ve actually made the trek up there to see them, and it was fun to do so on our bikes, taking a route that showed us a lot of the tree damage from Friday’s high winds. Arborists are going to be well employed over the next couple of weeks…
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Oh, you’re killing me! Even though I worked with wood ducklings at IBRRC, I still have never seen an adult.
Such lovely looking creatures.
Oh, the nostalgia! Good luck with the BIGBY. I haven’t managed a single birding trip so far in 2008 – very bad form!
Lisa: they winter here in the Arboretum. If any of your near future peregrinations takes you to the Central Valley, let me know, and will get you to see them.
Richard: I’m sure you’ll be out soon enough. If it’s not pouring today I’m heading over to the Bypass….
Hmmm, not sure heading out to the Bypass is such a great idea if there’s flooding, as it’ll probably be closed – perhaps you can scope from the levee? The first time I cycled out there I was amazed how quickly I arrived – until the return leg, when I was cycling into the howling wind… bon courage!