I hope all of you have been waterproof this month. As is typical in Southern California winter, we get our rain, but summer not so much. The cold wet winter should bring us glorious spring wildflowers, if we don't flood or mudslide away. Although the rain, and my husband's second bout of COVID, kept me in a bit, I used the good weather to my best advantage.

As is typical, I started the new year with the LB 100 when I organize a group to find 100 bird species on the first day of the year. There is always a push in the beginning of the year to see the wintering shorebirds, waterfowl, and  as many birds as we can. The LA River is one hotspot. Among other birds, a variety of gulls can be found. I am still working on my gull identification skills. As a way of learning, and proof that I saw them, I take photos. These photos are good for id even if not that pretty. I have rarely seen Iceland (Thayer's) Gulls and Black Backed Gulls, so they are a particular challenge. I am grateful to my more expert friends for help with those.

Rarities, such as the Ancient Murrelet that turned up at Cabrillo Beach, and the Brown Thrasher at the West San Gabriel River Nature Trail, require proof for the eBird reviewers. This involves a write-up and often photos. I record birds in eBird and all nature in iNaturalist, including insects and the very well-fed Coyote I saw sauntering one evening.

I went on a pelagic birding trip out of Redondo Beach. While I have gone on many ocean trips, I must say, this one had the most spectacular feeding frenzy I have seen. Dolphin were swimming upside down and the small fish in the bait balls were leaping out of the water. The gulls and pelicans were scooping them up. I guess that is why I keep going out, you never know what you will see.

I am very careful to proofread my blog before sending it out, but still often miss things. I don't always proof my eBird postings and text messages. I use voice-to-text to write them from my phone. That, combined with auto-correct, makes for some very strange comments. I'm sure many eBird reviewers think I am drinking something with a very high proof. Sometimes, even, with a few garbled words, one can decipher my sentences. One text got a few laughs when I posted on a bird chat group the observation of a possible Red-naped Sapsucker. My photo proved it actually to be a Red-breasted Sapsucker. However, autocorrect changed my original report to be of a Red-naked Sapsucker. When I learned of my mistaken post, I said that it was what I meant all along. The breast was red from the sun because it was naked. It should have worn clothes, or at least sunblock. I think we have a new name for the bird.

Happy nature watching.
 

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Watch the slideshows or click on the links to look through at your own pace. Links open in a new tab.

Local Stuff:    https://kimssight.zenfolio.com/new_jan-2024

Pelagic Trip:    https://kimssight.zenfolio.com/pelagic_trip_jan_2024