Taking minerals or water, or both, from rock surface on this warm, dry day
Many of these moths were landing on a moss-covered rock face and taking minerals or water, or both, on this warm, dry day
This observation is for the darker gull chasing/pirating the paler gull. Herring Gull?
The paler gull being chased has a separate observation here. The darker gull successfully stole the food.
Glaucous-winged, Western, or maybe the hybrid Olympic Gull?
Glaucous-winged Gull, or maybe the hybrid Olympic Gull?
Glaucous-winged Gull, or maybe the hybrid Olympic Gull?
Short-billed?
In flight in the center, plus others scattered around it
The Rock Sandpipers and Surfbirds have their own separate observations.
Top plus just above and underneath the landing Black Turnstone
The Black Turnstones and Rock Sandpipers have their own separate observations.
This observation turned out to be a shorebird quiz for me. In the field, I only scored two out of three. I recognized the Black Turnstones and Surbirds but not the Rock Sandpipers (second photo upper right, third photo bottom two)--until I studied photos from the next day when enough birds were awake and showing their bills, which confirmed the Rock Sandpiper ID and let me see how their sizes and coloration compared to those of the similar Surfbirds (those answer-key photos from the next day are here).
They seem to have fairly extensive black at the bases of their bills but also a lot of pink in the rest of the bills.
About 45 minutes later, the pair flew over me as I was heading back inland.
Smaller and with rounder head. California Gull?
?
Glaucous-winged?
Thin bill held tilted up a little, extensive white on the neck, fine white markings on the back. Red-throated?
With Jupiter setting in the upper left!
With at least one Black Turnstone
This Canvasback flew in with a group of Ring-necked Ducks, and it appeared to hit one of the Ring-necked Ducks (third photo--also note that the Ring-necked Duck's head is bent down during the collision) and overtake it as they landed! Both seemed unharmed afterward and went about their ducky business.