Another bird that I haven’t seen in over 10 years was the Rufous-crowned Sparrow, which was along Ida Clayton Road in the northeast part of the county and reached 2680 feet as the road crossed into Lake County. At the top I heard Mountain Quail and I actually saw four but they took off before I could photograph them. In Lake County I did find a Pacific Banana Slug, which is a different species from the ones I saw in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Rufous-crowned Sparrow (Aimophila ruficeps) - Ida Clayton Rd, SON (CA)
EQ: Nikon D850, Nikkor 500mm f/4.0, with 1.4 TC, Taken: 4-28-2026 at 8:12
Settings: 700mm (35mm eqv), 1/1600s, f/5.6, ISO1400, +1 EV, Conditions: sunny
Pacific Banana Slug (Ariolimax columbianus) - Western Mine Road, LAK (CA) - 4-28-2026 11:05
The gang took a ride to the Sonoma Valley Regional Park where I was hoping to find a Common Gallinule, which we did. This is another bird I haven’t seen in years and the last time was a few years ago in Henderson Nevada, which is a few miles east of Las Vegas.
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) - Sonoma Valley RP, SON (CA) - 4-29-2026 11:34
Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata) - Sonoma Valley RP, SON (CA) - 4-29-2026 11:08
Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus) - Sonoma Valley RP, SON (CA) - 4-29-2026 11:50
On the west side of Bodega Bay there are cliffs at the Bodega Head where the shorebirds fly very close including this Brown Pelican. There were many Common Murres and I was able to capture Brandt’s Cormorants displaying there blue throats.
Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) - Bodega Head, SON (CA) - 4-30-2026 12:04
Brandt's Cormorant (Urile penicillatus) - Bodega Head, SON (CA) - 4-30-2026 11:59
Common Murre (Uria aalge) - Bodega Head, SON (CA) - 4-30-2026 11:28
At the Ellis Creek Water Recycling Facility I found a pair of White-tailed Kites and a pair of Common Yellowthroats with a male displaying for a female.
White-tailed Kite (Elanus leucurus) - Ellis Creek Water Recycling Facility, SON (CA) - 5-1-2026 9:02
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)
Ellis Creek Water Recycling Facility, SON (CA) - 5-1-2026 8:29
Western Kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis) - San Pablo Bay NWR, SON (CA) - 5-1-2026 10:32
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) - Osprey Dr Area, SON (CA) - 5-2-2026 10:53
The Estero Americano Coastal Preserve was right next to the house we were stay and I found Grasshopper Sparrows. I could barely hear their thin, buzzy, grasshopper-like song but it was enough to locate one on top a shrub. There also a great view of Bodega Bay to the northwest from the Preserve.
Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum) - Estero Americano Coastal Preserve, SON (CA) - 5-4-2026 9:42
Bodega Bay - Estero Americano Coastal Preserve, SON (CA) - 5-4-2026 9:39
At the Sugar Loaf Ridge State Park there were numerous photo opportunities with nesting Tree Swallows, Gnatcatchers, juvenile Oak Titmice, displaying Wild Turkey, and Juncos. After spending the morning it the forest I headed to the Bay Marshes where there were Terns and on a snag there was 5 species resting.
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) - Sugar Loaf Ridge SP, SON (CA) - 5-5-2026 7:50
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) - Sugar Loaf Ridge SP, SON (CA) - 5-5-2026 7:47
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) - Sugar Loaf Ridge SP, SON (CA) - 5-5-2026 7:46
Oak Titmouse (Baeolophus inornatus) - Sugar Loaf Ridge SP, SON (CA) - 5-5-2026 7:44
Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) - Sugar Loaf Ridge SP, SON (CA) - 5-5-2026 7:38
Dark-eyed Junco, Oregon (Junco hyemalis [oreganus Group]) - Sugar Loaf Ridge SP, SON (CA) - 5-5-2026 7:29
Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus) - Wall Road, NAP (CA) - 5-5-2026 10:25
Forster's Tern (Sterna forsteri) - Napa-Sonoma Marshes - Huichica Creek 8, NAP (CA) - 5-5-2026 11:49
DC Cormorant, Mute Swan, Canvasback, FO Tern, and GR Scaup - Napa-Sonoma Marshes - Huichica Creek 8, NAP (CA) - 5-5-2026 11:43
On one of the final days in Bodega Bay, I headed to the Salmon Creek section of the Sonoma Coast State Park. It was foggy but there were plenty of opportunities to capture the wildlife.
Beach Suncup (Camissoniopsis cheiranthifolia) - Sonoma Coast SP - Salmon Creek, SON (CA) - 5-7-2026 10:48
Sanderling (Calidris alba) - Sonoma Coast SP - Salmon Creek, SON (CA) - 5-7-2026 10:05
Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia)
Salmon Creek, SON (CA) - 5-7-2026 9:48
Western Gull (Larus occidentalis) - Sonoma Coast SP - Salmon Creek, SON (CA) - 5-7-2026 9:47
Your comments are welcomed and if you have any questions about these photos or any other leave me a message.