LA and Orange County birding weekend - 12/30/13 to 12/31/13

Got off to a great start for the New Year, albeit a little early. I went to a few parks for the New Year's "weekend" in the Los Angeles and Orange county areas, including Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park and Malibu Legacy Park. I found a photographed a lot of birds, including a few lifers for me: Eastern Phoebe and Clapper Rail, and I found another Tropical Kingbird and got a much better pic this time. Always a good thing :) Not to mention that I got to see someone I haven't seen in a long, long time. That, actually, was the highlight of the trip. Seeing the life birds was just icing on the cake. Anyhow, I posted pics below, and also am posting links to the full Flickr albums, as I left a lot of pics out.

Until next time, happy trails!

LA and Orange County birds - 12/30/13 to 12/31/13
LA and Orange County birds - 12/28/13
LA, Orange and Riverside County birds - 12/15/13 to 12/16/13

Ken Malloy Regional Park - Tropical Kingbird - 12/31/13

cr_KMRP_Tropical Kingbird3, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

the Tropical Kingbird can be distinguished from the Cassin's Kingbird by the bright yellow belly which extends up into the breast, and its thicker bill. Its tail is also more forked than the Cassin's.

This is the Cassin's Kingbird

Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve - Clapper Rail - 12/30/13

cr_BCER_Clapper Rail3, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

a very first time seeing one of these guys for me :)

Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve - female Bufflehead - 12/30/13

cr_BCER_Bufflehead7, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

looks like she caught some dinner

Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve - Horned Grebe - 12/30/13

cr_BCER_Horned Grebe1, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve - Ring Billed Gull - 12/30/13

cr_BCER_Ring Billed Gull1, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve - Reddish Egret - 12/30/13

cr_BCER_Reddish Egret3, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

I took a pic just as this guy caught some lunch

Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve - Marbled Godwit - 12/30/13

cr_BCER_Marbled Godwit2, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve - Bufflehead - 12/30/13

cr_BCER_Bufflehead3, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

Malibu Legacy Park - Eastern Phoebe - 12/30/13

cr_MLP_Eastern Phoebe1, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

A very cool sighting, indeed!

Malibu Legacy Park - Eastern Phoebe - 12/30/13

cr_MLP_Eastern Phoebe4, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve - American Avocet - 12/27/13

cr_BCER_American Avocet2, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

in their winter plumage

Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve - Brown Pelican - 12/27/13

cr_BCER_Brown Pelican2, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

Cabrillo Beach - Snowy Plover - 12/27/13

cr_CB_Snowy Plover2, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

Love these guys!

Cabrillo Beach - Snowy Plover - 12/27/13

cr_CB_Snowy Plover3, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

Lake Balboa - Mute Swan - 12/27/13

cr_LB_Mute Swan1, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

Hart Park - Western Scrub Jay - 12/23/13

cr_western scrub jay1, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

Hart Park - Dark Eyed Junco - 12/23/13

cr_dark eyed junco, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

Hart Park is located in Bakersfield, CA

Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve - Savannah Sparrow - 12/16/13

cr_savannah sparrow2, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve - Long Billed Curlew - 12/16/13

cr-_long billed curlew1, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve - Eared Grebe - 12/16/13

cr_eared grebe1, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

Lake Skinner - Hermit Thrush - 12/15/13

cr_Hermit Thrush1, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

Lake Skinner - Blue Footed Boobies

cr_Blue Footed Boobies1, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

rare winter visitors to California. There are currently about 4 of these guys at Lake Skinner, having been there since September 2013.

Cabrillo Beach - Mew Gull - 12/15/13

cr_Mew Gull5, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

Cabrillo Beach - Willet - 12/15/13

cr_willet2, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

Cabrillo Beach - Sanderling - 12/15/13

cr_sanderling5, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

Cabrillo Beach - Royal Tern - 12/15/13

cr_Royal Tern3, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

Cabrillo Beach - Western Gull - 12/15/13

cr_Western Gull1, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

Cabrillo Beach - California Gull - 12/15/13

cr_California Gull1, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

Cabrillo Beach - Heermann's Gull - 12/15/13

cr_Heermans Gull3, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

Cabrillo Beach - Caspian Tern - 12/15/13

Caspian Tern, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

Cabrillo Beach is located in San Pedro, CA

Lake Skinner - California Gnatcatcher - 12/16/13

cr_California Gnatcatcher1, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

Donald Trump Golf Course - Blue Gray Gnatcatcher - 12/15/13

cr_blue gray gnatcatcher1, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

Donald Trump Golf Course - Rock Wren - 12/15/13

cr_Rock Wren1, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

Located in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA

La Mirada, CA - Townsend's Warbler - 12/15/13

cr_Townsends Warbler2, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

La Mirada - Allen's Hummingbird - 12/15/13

cr_allens hummingbird1, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

Irvine Regional Park - Black Phoebe - 12/15/13

cr_Black Phoebe1, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

Irvine Regional Park - Western Screech Owl - 12/15/13

cr_Western Screech Owl1, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

A very sleepy Western Screech Owl

Lake Skinner - Nuttals Woodpecker - 12/16/13

cr_Nuttals Woodpecker1, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

Lake Skinner is located in Winchester, CA

Hart Park - Belted Kingfisher

1cr_Belted Kingfisher, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

the female sports the rust colored "belt"

Hart Park - Belted Kingfisher

1cr_Belted Kingfisher3, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

Merced National Wildlife Refuge - Wilson's Snipe

cr_MNWR_Wilsons Snipe1, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

Merced National Wildlife Refuge - Killdeer

cr_MNWR_Killdeer1, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

Merced National Wildlife Refuge - Least Sandpiper

cr_MNWR_Least Sandpiper1, originally uploaded by kimberzy.

in winter plumage

Merced National Wildlife Refuge - female Red Winged Blackbird

cr_MNWR_Red Winged Blackbird female, originally uploaded by kimberzy.