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February 2001 Sketchbook from southern California

By Andy Birch

February 18th 2001 - A fairly cloudy February morning found me out at Dockweiler State Beach leaned up against a "Baywatch" tower. Fortunately, the weather deterred any bathers, which meant I could scan the beach with my binoculars without fear of getting arrested. Neither the reported Black-legged Kittiwakes nor the Long-tailed Ducks materialised. But amongst the gulls, I found nice numbers of Mew Gulls, many of them adults with nice ochre nape shawls and bright yellow bills. Out of nowhere a Royal Tern with a nice full black crown alighted amongst the gulls. It's bright orange beak summoning attention amongst the rather somber colors of that morning.

February 11th 2001 - Sepulveda Wildlife Basin has hordes of Canada Geese in every array of shapes and sizes and often a few Ross's and Snow Geese thrown in too. This morning, however, after some rain and low cloud cover, there were lots of swallows over the lake, giving the park a very spring-like feel. Amongst the Tree Swallows, were some Cliff and Violet- green Swallows, harbingers of the spring to come.

Back at the parking lot, were an obliging male and female Merlin sitting in some leafless trees and spooking the local Cedar Waxwing flock. The female Merlin sat still for some time, eyeing me suspiciously from her perch in the last of the evening sunshine.

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