Today was a holiday so I drove the 50 miles from my home to Pigeon Point Lighthouse to see if there were any jaegers left that I could study. There was none. However, I saw six MARBLED MURRELETS which is exciting because I see them so rarely in San Francisco. The only other interesting birds were three or four WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS that flew by. I also saw EARED GREBE, BRANDT'S CORMORANT, GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, HEERMAN'S GULL, a few lingering ELEGANT TERNS, two BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS, CALIFORNIA GULLS, and WESTERN GULLS, a few BLACK TURNSTONES, and several SURFBIRDS. On my way out I ran into Jennifer Rycenga who told me about some Varied Thrushes at Gazos Creek Road. Before I left I saw an AMERICAN KESTREL on its usual spot on the wires and there were one or two TRICOLORED BLACKBIRDS in the blackbird flock in the field on the way out.
At Gazos Creek Road there were STELLER'S JAYS, WESTERN SCRUB-JAYS, BAND-TAILED PIGEONS, HERMIT THRUSHES, TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS, AND YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS you would expect this time of year. I walked the road past the junction with Cloverdale and then started up an unnamed trail to Butano State Park. About 1/4 way up the trail I encountered four VARIED THRUSHES. On the way back down Gazos Creek Road I flushed a WILSON'S SNIPE. On Old Woman Creek Road there were WINTER WRENS, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, DARK-EYED JUNCOS, CALIFORNIA QUAILS, one HAIRY WOODPECKER, one SPOTTED TOWHEE, and some SONG SPARROWS.
Next I drove to Waterlane in Pescadero, a part of Pescadero State Park. At first all I saw was one COOPER'S HAWK and a TURKEY VULTURE but then I ran into a nice mixed flock and saw TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS, AMERICAN ROBIN, HERMIT THRUSH, WRENTIT practically at my feet, CALIFORNIA TOWHEE, GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS, LESSER GOLDFINCHES, one HUTTON'S VIREO, and best bird of they day, one NASHVILLE WARBLER.
Next I walked all along North Pond at Pescadero Marsh where I was surprised to see one BRANDT in North Pond along with many NORTHERN SHOVELERS, BUFFLEHEADS, AMERICAN WIGEONS, GADWALLS, and two CINNAMON TEALS. It was high tide so shorebird numbers were low but I saw WILLET, GREAT EGRET, BLACK TURNSTONE, WHIMBREL, AMERICAN COOT, and MARBLED GODWIT. On the beach was one HERRING GULL, more SURFBIRDS, and one COMMON YELLOWTHROAT.
I stopped at Wavecrest on the way home. There were no owls but there were 12-15 WHITE-TAILED KITES, NORTHERN HARRIER, one MERLIN, SAVANNAH SPARROW, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, and one SAY'S PHOEBE.
Then it was time to head home. All in all a quite enjoyable Veteran's Day.
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