Flocks

 

Sanderlings on the Wing off Marshall's Beach

I noticed the 150-200 sanderlings foraging on a sandy portion of Marshall's Beach from high above them on Lincoln Boulevard. They had a great stretch of beach -- probably the only stretch of beach in San Francisco today that was empty of people -- until the tide came in and sent the whole flock whirling in circles before finally alighting on an offshore rocky outcrop just south of Helmet Rock (no doubt named for the helmet of white guano that covers the cone-shaped sea stack). Google Maps doesn't show a name for the nondescript outcrop.

Just offshore were decent numbers of cormorants on Helmet Rock, plus lots of surf scoters and Clark's grebes lazily floating and preening in fairly calm ocean conditions just north of the rock.

This was the waxing crecent moon and Venus as they appeared from my living room window on Jan. 3. They were much farther apart the next night, and I wish I'd thought to look for them when they were closer together. The diameter of Venus is actually about four-times greater than our moon's, but it's also about 100-times farther away. 

The sea lion appeared to be waiting for someone to toss down a snack from the fishing pier near the Warming Hut.

Chillin' Grebes

Whirling Flock

Casting Shadows

Helmet Rock

Obligatory Snapshot: Just Another Gorgeous Day in Paradise

I was riding west on Lake Street next to Lincoln Park when this red-shouldered hawk swooped down and flared its wings to land in some grass maybe 30 feet away from me. I got off my bike to grab my camera, but the hawk had nothing in its talons but a bunch of grass and immediately flew to the top of this pole, swooping very close to a little bitty poodle-type dog on its way. I think the dog just happened to be in the hawk's path, but I wondered if the hawk briefly thought about going for it. I don't think the dog's owner, who was sitting in his parked car, saw any part of it.

I was going to photograph the hummer as it was perched on a branch, putting the bridge in the background, but the bird took off before I could fully get into position.

A juvenile black-crowned night heron was hanging out on the tree that fell into South Lake when it suddenly flew out of sight and evidently chased this adult into flight. They both swooped around the far side of the little island with the redwood trees, then landed in this redwood right in front of me.

The juvenile heron was even smaller than some other juvenile herons hanging out over at North Lake. It hopped/flapped from branch to branch, apparently trying to get closer to the adult, but maybe just trying to get more concealed.

Unfortunately I was zoomed in too tightly when he made this last leap, which got him closer to the adult, but also more concealed from view.

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