Birding up a storm # 1 of 2

GREAT Birding in Irvine, CA: San Joaquin Wildlife Refuge. It is a five-minute drive from where I grew up. Who knew? Geographically, it's an extension of the Newport Back Bay. Politically, it was a duck-hunting club and then turned over to the Irvine Ranch Water District. The Sea and Sage Audubon current administers it... it'd be worth looking into a job there if I were interested in hanging around Orange County. I went last Monday and again today, this time with Mom.

New species (for me) seen today: Least Bittern (Ixobrychus exilis) with a gorgeous chestnut and black back... striped chest and hidden in the reeds. Also new for me was the White-faced Ibis (Pelegadis chihi) that was digging in the mud by itself in pond #2.

From Monday: Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiacus) which is an exotic species that someone imported and then set free in OC!; Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis) with a gorgeous sky-blue bill; Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) which was a tip I got from a photographer named Art who was also there at 5:30am; Green Heron (Butorides virescens) which was super awesome because I had always wanted to see one -- it flew around pond #4 quite a bit;

American Avocets (Recurvirostra americana) which were bullying the Mallard ducklings; Black-necked Stilts (Himantopus mexicanus) that competed with the avocets and then literally JUMPED on the avocets' backs as they flew by/over- I thought I was seeing things until I confirmed it with Art; Scattered Black-crowned Night-herons (Nycticorax nycticorax) including a juvenile with a distinct and fascinating orange eye- got that one up close- I had seen adults before but the juvenile was a treat;

Least Terns (Sternula antillarum) which were so small and delicate as they dropped into the water for fish; ditto that with the Elegant Terns (Thalasseus elegans); Black Skimmers (Rhynchops niger) though not the first time I saw them, it was a super cool experience to watch in action, skimming the surface for food;

Bushtits (Psaltriparus minimus) playing in the trees around the edges of the ponds and the trails; Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris) so cute, so small, found in the reeds in a marsh... it had to be a wren and a marsh one at that. There were other shorebirds (maybe Dowitchers or Common Yellowlegs) but I struggle with them so I am still not confident enough to put them on my list. Not accurately identified yet.

I had another bunch of writing but I will make another blog post of it!