In between running errands today, Sarah & I stopped by Chrissy Field for a short bird walk that wound up being even shorter than planned due to high winds!
Chrissy Lagoon
Although we’d planned on walking along the promenade for a ways, it wound up being too gusty, with sand blowing all over the place, so we settled for a shorter walk around Chrissy Lagoon, which is where most of the non-seabirds are seen anyhow.
Caspian Terns (Sterna caspia)
There wasn’t a whole lot around, but a pair of Caspian Terns sunned on a sandbar, while a few more foraged overhead. A Great Blue Heron, my role model for patience, peered intently into the waters, motionless, then struck, unfortunately for it, coming up empty-beaked.
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)
By the footbridge across the east end of the lagoon, both common egrets (Great & Snowy) were seen singly, and a Killdeer noisily jetted past, the wind to its back. An Anna’s Hummingbird was in the bushes between the lagoon and the Golden Gate Promenade, as one often is, popping and whirring around.
Great Egret (Casmerodius albus)
We were sufficiently wind-blown by the time we reached the west end of the lagoon that we decided to walk around its south side back to the car. Although this was a short walk, it was nice to be out, and the recently re-introduced native plants were blooming well, giving a rare picture of what San Francisco looked like before it was developed.
Native plants thriving on the sand dunes at Chrissy Field
A Coast Guard plane flew slow and low overhead, followed by a pair of guard helicopters – hopefully they were on a training mission and not a real S&R!
USCG Lockheed HC-130H “Hercules”
| Birds seen (12 species): – Anna’s Hummingbird – Barn Swallow – Brewer’s Blackbird – Caspian Tern – Common Raven – Double-crested Cormorant – Great Blue Heron – Great Egret – House Sparrow – Killdeer – Snowy Egret – Western Gull |
Wildflowers seen: – Beach Primrose – Beach? Strawberry – Bush lupine – Seaside Daisy – Sticky Monkeyflower |
Adam Paul 
Once again really nice shots. I love the blue heron – the detail in that guy is really impressive. Even close up on the shores over here I’ve never seen that kind of detail with the naked eye.
Great list of birds and wildlfowers! As always, love your photos that you were able to get! Bravo!
Thanks, Aullori & Tom! Most of the GBH I see in SF are necessarily at least somewhat acclimated to humans, else they’d have to move somewhere else!