Jeannine, the pups, and I spent about a month in Bodega Bay, which is a windswept coastal village on California’s Sonoma Coast about 70 miles north of San Francisco. The coastline has short and long beaches with cliffs mixed in between. Go inland and you can find Redwood Forest and Chaparral woodlands mixed between rolling pasture lands.
Estero de San Antonio State Marine Management Area, SOM (CA)
EQ: Nikon D500, Nikkor 70-200mm f/4.0, Taken: 4-26-2026 at 9:19
Settings: 120mm (35mm eqv), 1/500s, f/6.7, ISO180, +1 EV, Conditions: sunny/fog
Heading to the coast gives me the opportunity to capture birds that I don’t have in the Reno, NV area. The Oystercatcher is one of those birds and I got lucky seeing this one in full sun. Most of the days at the Bay were foggy with maybe a couple hours of sun in the afternoon. But go inland and you leave the fog behind.
Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani) - Bodega Bay - North Shore, SON (CA)
EQ: Nikon D850, Nikkor 500mm f/4.0, with 1.4 TC, Taken: 4-12-2026 at 12:28
Settings: 700mm (35mm eqv), 1/1250s, f/5.6, ISO280, +1 EV, Conditions: sunny
Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana) - Bay Hill Rd, SON (CA) - 4-13-2026 10:20
Settings: 700mm (35mm eqv), 1/800s, f/5.6, ISO1000, +1 EV, Conditions: sunny/shade
Hudsonian Whimbrel (Numenius hudsonicus) - Bodega Bay - North Shore - 4-13-2026 12:34
Settings: 700mm (35mm eqv), 1/500s, f/5.6, ISO200, +1 EV, Conditions: sunny/fog
Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata) - Jenner Beach, SON (CA) - 4-10-2026 9:51
Settings: 700mm (35mm eqv), 1/800s, f/5.6, ISO160, +1 EV, Conditions: sunny/fog
On the first day of our stay, I headed north to Goat Rock Beach and then took Willow Creek Road that ran along the Russian River. There were Hummingbirds, Ravens, Warblers, and I was able to capture a Western Flycatcher and Bi-colored Red-winged Blackbirds, which can only be found in California.
Common Raven (Corvus corax) - Willow Creek Rd, SON (CA) - 4-10-2026 10:46
Settings: 700mm (35mm eqv), 1/1250s, f/5.6, ISO1250, +1 EV, Conditions: sunny/fog
Wilson's Warbler (Cardellina pusilla) - Willow Creek Rd, SON (CA) - 4-10-2026 11:01
Settings: 700mm (35mm eqv), 1/1250s, f/5.6, ISO110, +1 EV, Conditions: sunny
Allen's Hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin) - Willow Creek Rd, SON (CA) - 4-10-2026 11:55
Settings: 700mm (35mm eqv), 1/1250s, f/5.6, ISO200, +1 EV, Conditions: sunny/fog
Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna) - Bay Hill Rd, SON (CA) - 4-13-2026 10:13
Settings: 700mm (35mm eqv), 1/1250s, f/5.6, ISO220, +1 EV, Conditions: sunny
Western Flycatcher, Pacific-slope (Empidonax difficilis [difficilis Group]) - Willow Creek Rd, SON (CA) - 4-10-2026 10:42
Settings: 700mm (35mm eqv), 1/1250s, f/5.6, ISO1400, +1 EV, Conditions: sunny/fog
Red-winged Blackbird, California Bicolored (Agelaius phoeniceus californicus/mailliardorum) - Willow Creek Rd, SON (CA) - 4-10-2026 11:08
Settings: 700mm (35mm eqv), 1/1250s, f/5.6, ISO2000, +1 EV, Conditions: fog
Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans) - Willow Creek Rd, SON (CA) - 4-10-2026 11:50
Settings: 700mm (35mm eqv), 1/1250s, f/5.6, ISO1400, +1 EV, Conditions: sunny/fog
Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans) - Armstrong Redwoods SP, SON (CA) - 4-16-2026 10:32
Settings: 700mm (35mm eqv), 1/400s, f/5.6, ISO2000, +1 EV, Conditions: sunny/shade
Of coarse there were Sparrows and so many Vultures even as many as 20 at a times. There were Wrentits, Egrets, Herons, and I saw many Green Herons, which sometime show up in Reno.
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) - Shorttail Gulch, SON (CA) - 4-14-2026 10:23
Settings: 70-200mm f/4, 310mm (35mm eqv), 1/1250s, f/6.7, ISO400, +1 EV, Conditions: sunny
Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus) - Santa Rosa Creek Trail, SON (CA) - 4-14-2026 12:02
Settings: 700mm (35mm eqv), 1/500s, f/5.6, ISO2000, +1 EV, Conditions: shade
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) - Doran RP, SON (CA) - 4-09-2026 11:32
Settings: 700mm (35mm eqv), 1/1250s, f/5.6, ISO560, +1 EV, Conditions: sunny
Wrentit (Chamaea fasciata) - Shorttail Gulch, SON (CA) - 4-9-2026 10:32
Settings: 70-200mm f/4, 340mm (35mm eqv), 1/1250s, f/6.7, ISO2000, +1 EV, Conditions: sunny/fog
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) - Osprey Dr Area, SON (CA) - 4-10-2026 7:54
Settings: 700mm (35mm eqv), 1/800s, f/5.6, ISO2000, +1 EV, Conditions: fog
Great Egret (Ardea alba) - Osprey Dr Area, SON (CA) - 4-10-2026 7:54
Settings: 700mm (35mm eqv), 1/800s, f/5.6, ISO1800, +1 EV, Conditions: fog
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) - Bird Walk Coastal Access, SON (CA) - 4-13-2026 8:51
Settings: 700mm (35mm eqv), 1/1250s, f/5.6, ISO250, +1 EV, Conditions: sunny
American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana) - Shollenberger Park, SON (CA) - 4-14-2026 9:21
Settings: 700mm (35mm eqv), 1/1250s, f/5.6, ISO320, +1 EV, Conditions: sunny
Green Heron (Butorides virescens) - Shollenberger Park, SON (CA) - 4-14-2026 9:46
Settings: 700mm (35mm eqv), 1/1250s, f/5.6, ISO180, +1 EV, Conditions: sunny
I miss the Acorn Woodpecker and when I lived in the Santa Cruz Mountains I had a family sharing my space. Other birds I miss are the California Towhee, Nuttall’s Woodpecker, which is another California bird, and the Oak Titmouse that looks like the Juniper Titmouse you can find in the Reno area. More to come.
Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus) - Armstrong Redwoods SP, SON (CA) - 4-16-2026 10:54
Settings: 700mm (35mm eqv), 1/800s, f/5.6, ISO125, +1 EV, Conditions: sunny
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) - Santa Rosa Creek Trail, SON (CA) - 4-16-2026 13:33
Settings: 700mm (35mm eqv), 1/1600s, f/5.6, ISO500, +1 EV, Conditions: sunny
California Towhee (Melozone crissalis)- Santa Rosa Creek Trail, SON (CA) - 4-16-2026 13:40
Settings: 700mm (35mm eqv), 1/1600s, f/5.6, ISO1800, +1 EV, Conditions: sunny/shade
Nuttall's Woodpecker (Dryobates nuttallii) - Santa Rosa Creek Trail, SON (CA) - 4-16-2026 13:54
Settings: 700mm (35mm eqv), 1/1600s, f/5.6, ISO800, +1 EV, Conditions: sunny/shade
Oak Titmouse (Baeolophus inornatus) - Santa Rosa Creek Trail, SON (CA) - 4-16-2026 13:58
Settings: 700mm (35mm eqv), 1/1600s, f/5.6, ISO1800, +1 EV, Conditions: sunny/shade
Your comments are welcomed and if you have any questions about these photos or any other leave me a message.