Ormond Beach

The boss on guard

To the Conejo Botanic gardens early in the day. Here I found an Acorn Woodpecker’s Oak tree. I am told they are no longer seen hereabouts but the oak tree is testiment to their former occurrence in the area.

Oak tree larder used by Acorn Woodpeckers

I walked round the bird habitat maintained in honour of Elliot McClure (1910-1998). Also the Butterfly garden. A Cooper’s Hawk seen and some hummingbirds but not much else. A squirrel up a tree seemed very richly coloured – it was photographed!



[ORMOND BEACH/PT. HUENEME BEACH
[Restrooms, Parking, Fee at Pt. H. Beach, free at end of Perkins Rd.] Coastal strand, dunes, marsh between ocean edge and water treatment plant.
Location: From Ventura, take Harbor Blvd. (becomes Channel Islands as curves to left). Stay on that to Ventura Rd. and turn right. Follow to end. Pay fee, park, bird. Or, turn left on Hueneme Rd., continue to Perkins Rd. (just past 'J' St.), turn right, go to end. Free parking at end of road on right.
Highlights: Endangered Least Tern/Snowy Plover nesting site. Sea and shorebirds, terns, Brown Pelican, bitterns. Rare migrants often found.
Best Season: All year, esp. summer for shorebirds; late spring and summer for nesting species.]

The above is the website extract for the area visited this afternoon. My observations follow.

We (that is Tracey, James and me) drive to Point Hueneme Beach at lunch time and here I find lots of waterbirds, also some ground squirrels that did not have clearly striped backs.

Ground squirrel

Excellent views of lots of waders and a Red-shouldered Hawk which explained the odd rapator seen out at Ojai that I was uncomfortable about identifying a few days ago. Turkey Vultures (at least 4) onto a carcass in the dunes. Saw a Western Meadowlark and 4 Black-necked Stilts, a few Sanderling but most numerous were the Willets and Marbled Godwits, but also about 15 Killdeer and half a dozen Snowy Plovers, a handful of Whimbrel and a couple or three Long-billed Curlew.

Long-billed Curlew

Snowy Plover

Also noted a female Ruddy Duck, about 10 Snowy Egrets, some Heermann’s Gulls (at least 4) and some Ring-billed Gulls. Plenty of Western Gulls. Lots of things photographed.

Snowy Egret

Industrial Mallards

Heermann's Gulls

All seen in the space of about 80% the length of the lagoon and along the tideline on my way back to the carpark. Great stuff. We visited Ormond Beach on the way home but did not stay – called in just for orientation purposes because this is the beach that David and Tracey often visit with Alice the dog becaue dogs are tolerated here. Mourning Doves calling well on dusk at home. Marbled Godwit and Snowy Plover were highlights today.

Marbled Godwit

Marbled Godwits & Willets

Willet

Brewer's Blackbird

Great Blue Heron