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| Greater Yellowlegs, Coyote Creek |
I was feeling lazy this morning and caught myself already looking forward to a laid-back Saturday. The plan was to ride out to Tennessee Valley to look for bobcats if the wind wasn't too bad, and my laziness almost convinced me that some breeze-jostled tree branches out back should put the kibosh on the trip. I didn't let myself off the hook though, and it turned out to be a beautiful day for a ride.
It was good to see a lot of the seasonal marsh-loving suspects along Richardson Bay and Coyote Creek -- killdeer, greater yellowlegs, least sandpipers, black-necked stilts, and American avocets, plus the great egrets and snowy egrets that are out there year-round.
I'd hoped for another appointment with a bobcat, but couldn't swing it. The highlight of the valley was a Cooper's hawk enjoying the warmth of the morning sun while perched in some coyote brush.
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| A Pair of Killdeer Foraging Together |
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| I was watching the killdeer when a greater yellowlegs that had been resting, well-concealed among the marsh plants, stood up and mosied away. |
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| As the yellowlegs left, a small flock of least sandpipers swooped in. |
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| A killdeer looks sneaky as it walks past some pickleweed. |
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| There were quite a few black-necked stilts, dressed in formal wear as usual. |
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| There were a couple of minor squabbles among the stilts, resulting in a few small flights to safety. |
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| Stilt & Marsh Grass |
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| Rippled Reflections |
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| Tennessee Valley Cooper's Hawk |
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| A pair of California quail kept an eye on me from the fenced edge of Haypress Campground. |
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| The quail were not tame or unconcerned with a human's presence. I doubt there are enough campers using the facility to get them more acclimated. Meanwhile, I'm sure they deal with owls, coyotes, hawks, and bobcats every day. Crossing open ground isn't a time to dawdle. |
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| Mirror Image on Coyote Creek |
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| Greater Grooming |
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Feather Flexing
(Check out this article on preen oil and its scented place in a bird's life.) |
Brief Video Clip of Preening Greater Yellowlegs in Coyote Creek
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| American Avocets Foraging Among Snoozing Gulls |
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| Killdeer & Pickleweed |
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| I kind of like the way the sculler photo-bombed the great egret, forming a kind of contrail for the flying bird. |
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