Sunny Allen

Allen's Hummingbird Inside Bison Paddock

It was kind of a hazy and chilly morning, but even as gauzy clouds built up in the sky, I found it hard to believe the forecast of rain was going to come true, much as I wished it would. If it does come, it'll likely be the last we see for a while.

Sunny Allen, as I call the Allen's hummingbird at the Bison Paddock (Shady Allen is at Mallard Lake), might finally have some competition for his territory. Until today I hadn't noticed him going after interlopers. About the only things that used to get him off his perch were hunger and being buzzed by a speeding tree swallow.

Today's big surprise was seeing all the by-the-wind sailors washed up on the beach below the Cliff House. The Natural History of Bodega Head recently posted about masses of them washed up on the beach at Salmon Creek, but I didn't notice any here until today (although I didn't check yesterday). There's a long, sinuous wrack line of the poor things running south from below the Cliff House, and more masses of them on the little bit of sandy beach next to Sutro Baths.

A fig tree that I pass on my West Portal walk was still bare last week but is now sprouting new leaves -- and, somehow, a fig.

For a while it looked like the band-tailed pigeon was going to become increasingly exposed as the nesting birds broke their concealing twigs with their comings and goings, but now that more leaves are coming in, the nest opening (and the pigeon's eye) is actually getting harder to spot.

Camellia blossoms fallen from the tree.

Sunny Allen Flexing His Hair

I like the hummer's wistful look, knowing that he is probably laser-focused on something that would probably be long gone by the time I could turn my head and look.

Tree Swallow Through The Fence

I thought the swallow would fly away for sure when I walked right up to the fence to point my lens through it, but it didn't seem bothered in the least.

More Flexing of Head Feathers

Sitting Pretty

Video clips of the hummer and swallow as they take in their surroundings. In case you're wondering about some of the background sounds, there is a dog park nearby....

Bison in the Paddock

Seaside Daisy at Cliff House

Sea Thrift Near Cliff House

I finally decided to try riding my bike down to Sutro Baths, taking the path next to the old Louis' Restaurant. I was glad I got off and walked the bike down the last little steep section where there's a blind curve that runs into a good place to end up flying over your handlebars.

Those are all by-the-wind sailors (Velella velella) puddled in the nooks and crannies below Sutro Baths.

Looking like shards of glass, the sails are made of a chitinous material similar to what's found on the exoskeletons of insects and crustaceans.

Velella Tidepool I

Velella Tidepool II

Velella Tidepool III

Long-dried Velella with Driftwood

Velella View with Sutro Rock

I was surprised to see this new-to-me shorebird probing for num-nums very close to me.

Even when a wave pushed it to skedaddle up the beach and much closer to me, it simply resumed its business as if I wasn't there.

My first thought when I viewed the photos at home was that it was a greater yellowlegs (with not-very-yellow legs), but the Merlin app identified it as a short-billed dowitcher.

California Gull Eating By-the-Wind Sailors
(Those dark spots in the water are more Velella.)

Gulls like to call them sea-popcorn....

Bob-bob-bobbing Along

A song sparrow struts its stuff at Sutro Baths. Note the bit of green algae stuck to its beak. It probably comes all the way down to the shore only at low tide, when lots of seaweed is exposed on the rocks.

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