Upper Newport Bay - California USA - September 2006

In September 2006 I was fortunate enough to visit Irvine/Newport Beach in California on business. I stayed at the Marriott Bayview Hotel which was situated right at the edge of the Upper Newport Bay wildlife reserve. Unfortunately I had not been expecting this, so I came totally unprepared with no camera, binoculars or bird book.

Having completed my assignment my mid-afternoon on the last day I was able to walk around the Bay for a couple of hours or so.

I had already seen a couple of Turkey Vultures low over some waste ground at the edge of the freeway and there were many more around the Bay.

At the upper end of the bay where it meets Jamboree Rd there were a large number of waders. I was able to identify Snowy Egrets, Lesser Yellow-Legs, Marbled Godwits, Long-billed Curlews, Willet and Long-billed Dowitchers. There were also Double-crested Cormorants.

In the bushes here were Blue-gray Gnatcatchers and Common Yellowthroats. I sat at the water's edge for a while watching the waders and the Turkey Vultures overhead (which were often extremely close). I then spotted 2 Belted Kingfishers fly past and watched as they perched in a nearby tree and dived for fish.

In the reedbeds there was a Great Egret and a few Great Blue Herons.

At one point there were many raptors in the sky together. The Turkey Vultures being joined by Red-Tailed Hawks and Swainson's Hawks. I walked up the hill alongside the back gardens of some very expensive looking houses for a better view. Here I saw a Rufous Hummingbird sipping nectar from flowers.

As I turned back to the Bay I spotted a hovering White-tailed Kite and saw a ringtail Northern Harrier (UK - Hen Harrier) gliding over the reedbeds.

Just before reaching the Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center the path crossed a stream where there were American Coots, Pied-billed Grebes and Western Grebes.

Around the visitor centre there were many Common Ground-Doves and the only mammals that I saw, Ground Squirrels. The squirrels had burrows on the opposite bank and here I saw them being chased on foot by Goshawks. Rock Pigeons and a pair of Ravens were flying around the cliffs.

Shortly after this I got my first views of 2 ospreys right over my head. As they moved around the bay I got many more good views. I learnt from the ranger at the visitor centre that this was the first year that they had bred in the Bay.

As I reluctantly returned to the hotel late in the afternoon several Black Skimmers were on a sandbank in the middle of the bay. From time to time they would take off to fly around the Bay skimming the water with their large bright orange beaks. Least Terns were hovering over the water and diving for fish.

Other birds seen in the area included, American Crow, Brewer's Blackbird, Common Grackle, European Starling, Western Kingbird and Black Phoebe.