Friday, 12/14/12, back to Colusa Wildlife Refuge in central California, the ranger that tried to help us last night, came by again and spotted the Falcated Duck swimming, I saw it and described where it was to John and he took pictures. That is how it usually works, at least when I am with him. Then we went on the little auto tour. Counted 45 Black-Crowned Night Herons in about 100 feet of bushes, several Red-Tailed Hawks, a Bald Eagle and a Peregrine Falcon. The ranger had told us that when the falcon takes ducks, the hawks take the ducks from the falcon. He has a lot of mouths to feed. Back at the viewing platform, other birders had arrived and showed us where the Falcated Duck was resting. More pictures. Maybe we could have waited until there was tons of sunshine to get better pictures, but the highway north was calling. It is a pretty duck. 683 John had missed it at Colusa last winter.
Over to the 101, then up onto Dyerville Loop Road. About the time we were getting back to civilization and giving up, I spotted several large lumps of coal on the side of the road. The lumps started moving. We were too close by then and they jumped up into the brush. We parked and walked back, they flushed into the deeper woods. Were they Sooty Grouse? Probably, but countable?
Eureka! Delicious seafood at the Sea Grill.
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