One of the birds my sister from New Mexico had wanted for her California list was California Thrasher. On the coastal trip we had looked at some likely places, to no avail. On the way back from Montano de Oro, we stopped at the Elfin Forest in Los Osos. When we parked the car I could hear this bird singing its heart out--we only had to walk a few steps up the trail to see him perched atop this bush. He continued to sing on and on, giving lots of chances for his portrait, and was still singing as we drove away. One of our better, or at least easier, bird sightings! 10/2/21 www.sparhawkphotography.com
While hiking out at Montano de Oro, looking out over the cliffs above the sea, I spotted this Black Oystercatcher. It was using it long orange bill to probe around in the rock crevices, and came out with this yummy shellfish of some kind. He walked over to a spot, used his bill to open the shell, and ate the contents. He repeated the process a few times while I watched. All I can say is thank heavens for the bright orange bill, to help spot him on the rocks. 10/1/21 www.sparhawkphotography.com
