San Carlos Bird Life - our ever changing views

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)

Every day offers a varying view of the shorebirds of San Carlos, right outside our patio.  We take advantage of the 'show' as much as possible before heading off to the works yard, market or other tasks of the day.  There appears to be the same individual Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Tricoloured Heron and Reddish Egret wading and fishing in this section of the bay; some territoriality is evident when one or the other wanders in or purposely lands too close to another bird's chosen waters.  The following photos offer a sampling of our ever changing views.

Great Egret (Ardea alba)

Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)

Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor)

Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor)

Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens)

Reddish Egret striding

Willets, Royal Terns, Black Oystercatchers, Killdeer, a variety of Gulls, and of course the Brown and White Pelicans, Short-eared Grebes, Cormorants are nearly daily visitors, depending on the time of day, the tides and their own schedules!

Willet (Catoptrophorus semipalmatus)

Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis)

Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani)

Family of Eared Grebes (Podiceps nigricollis)

Eared Grebe just before diving

Royal Tern (Sterna maxima) with Willet in foreground

Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus)

Gathering of Pelicans and Cormorants as tide ebbs

Cormorant drying wings after diving

Yellow-footed Gull (Larus livens) and Gulls in conversation

Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)

Brown Pelican in flight

Monday musings - February 19

Monday musings....all weekend as we dutifully followed our schedule of medications, we considered what the coming weeks have in store for INTREPID II.  There is only so much flexibility that can be built into a cruising season and we didn't allow for as much 'under the weather' time. The "San Carlos crud" we referred to earlier was actually more serious for the Captain and understandably has meant less energetic efforts on the boat.  Progress is being made of course, but the weeks slide by; cruising is still our hope, even for a few short weeks.  Stay tuned.

In the meantime, we made a second visit to the nearby Estero de Soldado on Saturday afternoon, as we had read in the local birding report of sightings of Roseate Spoonbills.  A bird we had never observed.  There are several 'off the road' tracks near the estuary and one led us to a gap in the vegetation, where we stopped and parked.  The first birds we spotted were not far away and not of the delicate, rosy variety.  A pair of Black Vultures ( Coragyps atratus) were standing quietly by observing.  The field guide mentions the 'wrinkled grey' neck and all blackish colouration of feathers with silvery patches on the wingtips.  Very conservative and still.

Black Vulture pair (Coragyps atratus)

Closer to the water we were enthused to view a pair of what had to be Roseate Spoonbills (Platalea ajaja) feeding in the shallows, although they were at a distance.  These wading birds nest and roost in low trees and forage by walking slowly, sweeping their bills from side to side to capture fish and invertebrates.  The 'spoon-shaped' bill is indeed distinctive when raised out of the water.  Based on our Sibley's guide we assume we were seeing 2nd year birds, as they were missing a distinctive reddish section to their plumage.  

Roseate Spoonbills ( Platalea ajaja)

Even from a distance, we were able to spot several other residents of the estuary and check our findings in the field guide.  Our 'best guess' is attached to each.

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)

Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)

Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)

Out and about in San Carlos

While restoring and organizing INTREPID II back to a well functioning sailboat is our top priority, we do take time for day to day tasks, participating in local events and catching up with cruising friends.

BCA cruising friends Barb and Bjorne of Hoku Pa'a are diligently putting their sailboat back together in "Gabriel's works yard in Guaymas.  They kindly drove down with an overlooked item - our Melita coffee pot! - and our Christmas mail, much appreciated.  We met them again recently at Marina San Carlos where they were connecting with a cruiser who had several large quantities of line for sale.  Fortunately, he had something which fit their needs for a halyard for their new mast.  Then a quick visit to INTREPID II on A dock, as she hasn't been back home since 2009.  The cleaning, polishing and detailing efforts of "Jimmy" who is in great demand by busy cruisers showed her to good advantage.  There was time for lunch at JJ's and to meet Byron, the resident "maitre 'd" then both crews headed back to boat projects.

Kelly welcoming visitors aboard INTREPID II 

Local and visiting musicians play throughout the week at various restaurants and later that day (what a social whirlwind!) we joined our neighbours and their friends for a "Special Jazz, Pizza and Wine" event at La Bartina 64.  A new to us spot on the outskirts of San Carlos.  Well attended and enjoyable, although as always, little chance for conversation over the music volume.  The first group was "Assterisko", a soft and hard rock classic group; we would return for their excellent renditions.

"Assterisko" at La Bartina 64

Verania Luken and Enrique Hulsz - jazz performers

 They were followed by one of the top Mexican jazz vocalists, Verania Luken and guitarist Enrique Hulsz, who will also be performing in an upcoming music festival in the historical city of Alamos.  The restaurant and outside patio were filled with interested patrons as the vocalist sang a medley of songs reminiscent of Ella Fitzgerald. Our group enjoyed the offerings for a time then departed to allow new arrivals to enjoy the event.

Sunday was also the 2nd birthday of our great-nephew Michael.  He was feted to a family party with balloons and presents and we hope our birthday card will reach him shortly.  Perhaps we should bring back a pinata for him!

Say's Phoebe (Sayornis saya)

Watching for 'wildlife' is always on our agenda.  Our best guess for the first bird is a Say's Phoebe (Sayornis saya).  Sibley's reference indicates its habits are similar to the Eastern Phoebe, which "forages mainly for small flying insects from low perch; may perch on open fences, rocks, branches'.  This bird definitely was on the watch from the top of a dead tree stump in the open lot in front of our patio.

Gila Woodpecker (Melanerpes uropygialis)

The sight of a 'flicker' on the aloe-type plant in the rock garden was a treat.  We have Northern Flickers back home, who regularly visit our suet-feeders.  This bird was enjoying the blooms which are similar to a red-hot poker plant. (Must get our other reference book from the boat!).  Sibley's states the Gila Woodpecker "is common in low-elevation deserts with woody plants large enough to provide nest sites, including areas with saguaro cactus".

We never tire of looking out the kitchen window which faces north, into the vacant lot below.  "Our" jackrabbit often forages within view, ears always alert.  A burrow must be nearby, but we won't search for it; it's more enjoyable to look out and be surprised.  With thanks to Wikipedia, we believe our neighbour is an Antelope Jackrabbit (Lepus alleni), a species of North American hare, found in northwestern Mexico and southern Arizona.  The male and female are identical, large in size, wit long, pointed ears and a distinctive coat coloration. It feeds on cacti, mesquite leaves and other vegetation.

Antelope Jackrabbit (Lepus alleni)

Frequent visitor - part of a larger herd from nearby ranchito

Snowy Egret at marina

The horses from what we assume is a neighbouring ranchito often show up and meander through the vacant lots of the De Anza and adjacent neighbourhoods.  We have only seen people 'round them up' occasionally.  They are docile and feed on what looks to be extremely dry vegetation.  Unlike the cattle who also show up, they don't wander up the road and down the driveways to feed on private gardens.  The Snowy Egret at the marina was posing politely near the ramp.

Hasta luega - projects are calling.

A little bird told me.....

San Carlos has an abundance of bird life and the local "What's Up in San Carlos" online newsletter carries a birding report which reports recent sightings in the area.  We also refer to "The SIBLEY Field Guide to Birds of Western North America" as one of our sources to puzzle out visitors to the marina waters and around our rental accommodation.

This little fellow is a sparrow - perhaps a Brewer's Sparrow (Spizella breweri) or Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina).  They appear in flocks of six to a dozen in the empty lots nearby and forage on the ground amongst the mixed grasses and bushes.

My initial reaction to spotting this solitary bird was 'a cardinal'.  The birding reports mentioned spotting Northern Cardinals and Pyrrhuloxias, a name I wasn't familiar with.  Sibley's pointed the way and the photo below, not as clear as I'd like, is of Cardinalis sinuatus.  "Common in brushy desert habitat; moving in small groups through brushy vegetation; stubby, curved, yellowish bill and longer pointed crest" (page 398).

Pyrrhuloxia (Cardinalis sinuatus)

This photo was taken with my cellphone, so is not distinct.  This particular Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) was intent on some fish in the water between A and B dock, near the entrance ramps.  SIBLEY'S states:  "forages for small fish in shallow water, actively crouching and running" (page 57) - exactly what we observed.

Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) at marina

We don't have clear photos of the gatherings of water birds visiting the marina this past week, but Kelly identified them as Eared Grebes (Podiceps nigricollis). They are also known as Black-necked grebes. [I am taking the liberty of copying a photo from Wikipedia, with thanks, until we can get a clear photo of our own to use.]  These birds "winter on open water from small ponds to open ocean, often in groups of up to 100 or more; dives for aquatic insects and crustaceans".

Eared or Black-necked Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) courtesy of Wikipedia

Now that I recall, we saw 'rafts' of birds when we were anchored in Caleta San Juanico and they could have been the same bird.

Raft up of seabirds - possibly Eared Grebes - San Juanico 2012

Brown Pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) and Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura) are common sightings as well.  These photos were on San Francisco Beach on our visit to the Estero. The pelicans are a delight to watch as they plunge-dive into the water to catch their meal.  I particularly love to watch them as they fly in a low formation just above the water, keeping in time, rising and falling. 

Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis)

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)

The Turkey Vulture has a "distinctive flight with wings raised in dihedral and tilting gently from side to side" (Sibley, page 96).

Always on the lookout for new sightings.