Weather: Nicest day I've had here all year. Mid to high 70s, little to no wind and sunny the entire day.
Map of Union Bay for Reference: CLICK HERE
Species count was 42: bewick's wren, robin, black-capped chickadee, barn swallow, Virginia rail, tree swallow, violet-green swallow, double-crested cormorant, bushtit, dark-eyed junco, mallard, green-winged teal, ring-necked duck, American coot, American crow, northern shoveler, bufflehead, pied-billed grebe, yellow-rumped warbler, marsh wren, northern flicker, song sparrow, Anna's hummingbird, Canada goose, European starling, red-winged blackbird, gadwall, GBH, Savannah's sparrow, house finch, golden-crowned sparrow, killdeer, rock dove, cinnamon teal, organge-crowned warbler, common yellowthroat, Cooper's hawk, brewer's blackbird, blue-winged teal, wood duck, American goldfinch, brown-headed cowbird
Notes from the day:
While there wasn't much activity in either the cove or the swamp in the morning, Shoveler's Pond made up for it in spades. I joined a few other birders near the pond to admire a pair of blue-winged teals who had recently arrived at the Fill. They dabbled alongside of the shovelers and the mallards, which were both giants compared to the teals.
While the cove wasn't teeming with bird life as it usually is, I did get to see a wood duck there for the first time in weeks. While I didn't see any ducklings, I did get to see this male take a lap around the cove. Hopefully the ducklings will be here next week.
The water was easily at it's highest level in the cove that it's been all year. Normally the activity in this particular area is dominated by the birds, but not today. Carp were surfacing along the shore in the shallows thrashing about the weeds. They were doing the same thing in the Southwest Pond as well. Initially I thought that they may be nest robbing but they were in fact mating. Apparently, carp require a sunny day when water levels are high and the water temperature is somewhere between 65-74 degrees Fahrenheit. And today, all three requirements were met and there was thrashing all over the place. Pretty cool to experience it.
I decided to sit for a short time along the fenceline of the helipad in search of the brewer's blackbirds. I had heard from another birder a few weeks ago that a pair was nesting near the area but I hadn't spotted them until today. After I had sat motionless for about 15 minutes, I decided to pack up and try again another day. Just then, the male brewer's blackbird flew right above my head and posed for a few pictures. The female flew in shortly after.
A pied-billed grebe had her young swimming out in the middle of the Southwest Pond. She would dive to get them food and feed them as soon as she'd surface. I saw a few other pied-billed grebes throughout the day, but only the one had young with her.
The Canada geese had their goslings out on the water today near the Turtle Logs. Last week I saw them for the first time feeding on grass seeds along the shore of the Main Pond, but today they were motoring along the lake. And there were plenty of spectators taking in the beautiful sight.
I finally caught one of the wiley common yellowthroats on camera just east of the slough. Normally they only let me see them from afar for only a split second, but this one decided to pose for a few seconds. They were singing just about everywhere in Union Bay today, just as they were last week.
Aside from the heat, it was a productive day at the Fill. I experienced a new arrival and a few first of the year sightings today which I'm extremely thankful for.
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