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| White-throated Sparrow, Golden Gate Park |
This morning was even colder than yesterday, if you can believe it. That wind!
I don't love the cold, but I do kind of like it. It keeps you on your toes. I got so engrossed in trying to photograph some birds, including a white-throated sparrow, near the Horseshoe Courts, I mistakenly forgot how cold it was. When I eventually left the birds to resume my walk, I felt so chilled that I almost broke into a jog to warm up.
A northern flicker had drawn me into the birdy world, where among the many white-crowned, golden-crowned, and song sparrows I also spotted a brown creeper, a Bewick's wren, and the first white-throated sparrow I've been able to photograph in years. Because it was the only one of its kind, it took me a second to realize it was something different. Such a beautiful little bird. I never did a good look at the flickers....
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| Brown Creeper Working an Oak Tree |
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| As it ascended the trunk, the creeper briefly had a hint of fall color in the background. |
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| Bewick's Wren |
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| The white-throated sparrow did its own thing for a while, foraging by itself. |
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| But he eventually joined all the other sparrows kicking and pecking among the leafy detritus below the oaks. |
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| New Nasturtium Leaves |
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| The bison were all on their feet when I passed by today. |
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| It was very birdy down by the Cliff House and far out to sea. |
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| A couple of black oystercatchers caught my attention with their usual whistling calls, and I got a lucky shot of this one coming in for a landing on the big rock in front of Sutro Baths. Farther north, in the shipping lane, I saw a few whale spouts. |
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| Although the wind was stronger today, it was a little more offshore than yesterday and improved the surfing conditions. |
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| A couple of guys, including this high-flyer, were ripping at Kelly's Cove. |
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| Riding past South Lake I heard the high trilling of cedar waxwings. I stopped and scanned the area and soon spotted them going in and out of this large bush with red berries. The first bird to come out in the open, though, was this golden-crowned sparrow. |
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| Pluckin' Berries |
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| Assuming these are Cotoneaster berries, I can't help wondering why some of the park's many such bushes get hordes of cedar waxwings while others seem to be ignored. |
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| Waxie's Choice |
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