Plenty going on at the Presa this evening as I cycled on rough tracks down to its south-east corner. It was immediately obvious that the Ducks have started to return for the winter. A huge flock of approximately 3000 Northern Shovelers fed away in the shallows, interspersed with 30+ Pintail, 20+ Green-winged Teal, a few Blue-winged Teal and numerous Mexican Ducks. They made a pretty impressive site, particularly when put up by predators.
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| Count the ducks?
Soon enough the guilty party showed itself - an absolutely huge female Peregrine trying to snatch one of the thousands of Wilson's Phalaropes...
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| Dinner Time |
There was plenty of good stuff going on on the shore as well. Baird's Sandpipers, Spotted Sandpipers, Least Sandpipers, Killdeers and Wilson's Phals have been regular since I arrived, but this evening they were joined by a supporting cast including 49 Black-necked Stilts, 4 American Avocets, 1 Western Sandpiper (not common here), 1 Pectoral Sandpiper (my first record here), Lesser Yellowlegs, and masses of Greater Yellowlegs.
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| Baird's Sandpiper |
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| Western Sandpiper |
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| Wilson's Phalarope |
The spectacular birding ended with a groups of White-faced Ibis and Cattle Egrets flying off to roost against a beautiful sunset.
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| White-faced Ibis at sunset. |
Full species list:
Peregrine, Turkey Vulture,
Mexican Duck, Pintail, Shoveler, Blue-winged Teal, Green-winged Teal,
American Coot, White-faced Ibis, Cattle Egret,
Spotted, Baird's, Least, Pectoral, Western Sandpipers
Killdeer, American Avocet, Black-necked Stilt, Lesser Legs, Greater Legs, Wilson's Phalarope
Barn Swallow,
Verm Flycatcher, Cas Kingbird,
Curve-billed Thrasher, Cactus Wren
Lark, Chipping and House Sparrows,
Inca, Common Ground and Mourning Doves,
Violet-crowned Hummingbird,
Great-tailed Grackle, Abeille's Oriole, Northern Cardinal,
House Finch, Lesser Goldfinch.
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