Huntington Beach SP

Super long post...
As promised from my last post here is the rack I purchased, if I had to review it for the money it's perfect,.it's not the best made one, and it's not the best quality, but for the price it's just right...

It's really simple after you put it together, mount it via the 2 inch trailer hitch receiver, it will hold 2 bikes, what I really like is the way it folds down out of the way so I can get into the cargo area without removing the bike...Its a bit annoying to put the pin back in with the weight of the bike on it but it's manageable. Here I did have the bike off but you can lower the rack with the bike on too...the gear shifter I replaced is working well...

So feeling confident that the bike wont fall off I took a 2.5 hr drive to the coast to try out my theory...to pedal the 2 mile beach walk...OK here is where human error comes into play...I got a late start and arrived at high tide...10:30 AM so I had some difficulty finding hard packed sand on the ride IN...Because the fishermen set up all down the beach...and I would have to steer behind them in the loose sand,  or risk being tangled up in their lines, if I go in front of them so I didn't consider that either.  I pedaled in and out of them till I came to the service road. Its about 1/3 the way down.

Fishermen lined up

I pedaled the  service road the staff use when they take a short cut in their ATV to make rounds, and it was sandy and had sand spurs that  stuck in my tires, did not cause a flat, but gave some worry and the beginning part of that trail was ankle deep sand and I had to push the bike...
So those are the trouble shooting things I ran into,
but once I arrived at the jetty cove area I had a blast. 

Parked the bike and left my backpack on it, and  made my way to the jetty  salt marsh ponds,

 found Semipalmated Plover, Least Tern, Black Bellied Plover, Snowy Egret, Willet, Wilson's Plover with chicks, and two Whimbrel, one took to the air and flew to a pond farther away but one hung out for a photo opt.  

Whimbrel 

The Wilson's Plover with a chick they had 3 chicks altogether

Hiding behind Mom, and Papa made sure I didn't get too close..

I came upon this odd couple they were together  A couple of bachelors maybe...a Sanderling with a Ruddy Turnstone.  Besties

They always remind me of an ice cream sundae...dripping with color

Oh and a couple of Oyster Catchers showed up----> distant view..

The group of Terns had some company with them so I started to try and pick through that to see what's in there...it's like sorting thru straight pins, or needles in haystacks looking for the subtle differences,

The big ones of course the Royal Tern.

Some are ringed I noticed...

Then I found some  Sandwich Terns, with the little yellow tip of the beak and much smaller than the royals 

also some ringed.

And a flying Sandwich...

When I see a Tern in the air, the first thing I look for is the wing tips, the second is leg color and the 3rd is bill color.  BUT where is his legs??? LoL tucked in pretty tight. 

found 2 Common Terns in there as well short reddish legs with a bi-color of red and black beak...A more finely shaped head, one on each side of the big tern preening centerstage...

and this batch had one Black Skimmer trying to hide but he stood out like a sore thumb...
 across the waterway on the opposite bank I could make out a few more skimmers.

No hiding that beak

The little Least Terns are all over the place they have a nesting area roped off for them and it's protected by an electric fence!  ZAPPA.....They make  little wooden tents to give some cover to the eggs, protection from Gulls and others.

According to ebird 100 is way too many TOO F'N BAD...Im so fed up with ebird...

After my trek around the cove end of the Jetty I moved the bike to the Jetty proper and had my lunch break and relaxed for at least an hour...nothing like sitting on hot asphalt just taking in all the recreation  happening around me

the Jetty cove

Fighter Jet, F15, or F18? Sound Barrier was Broken, 

If you like to hang out call    843 357 7777

After the rest....I pedaled to the point where you exit the Jetty to head back, tied up the bike and walked to the other end watched these Ruddy Turnstones hunt on the rocks, 

Then it was time to head back....can you find my bike in this photo?

the ride back was fine, what is normally an hr walk of 2 miles I did in about 20 minutes and that's with photo stops!!   I still don't have my biking legs yet.  Anyways it was more of a challenge that I had wanted but I did not figure in the tide, so the beach was wide open for the return I could easily get behind the fishermen the ones who remained most were gone, 

Sanderlings in the surf

 Jelly Fish  make food for the Black Bellied Plover

And a couple of  Sea Star...
did you know they can grow a new limb if one comes up missing for some "unforeseen" reason? 

I parked before exiting the park and walked along the sides of the Mullet Pond, had more Black Bellied Plover, along with Least Sandpiper, and Semipalmated Sandpiper along with Semipalmated Plover...

Semi Plover with a long worm...

a Least Sandpiper in the sand...

A black Bellied Plover in a hurry to see what's up over there....

The Semipalmated Sandpiper, 

The word semipalmated refers to a slight amount of webbing between the toes...

and the usual Great Blue Heron

And Yellowlegs, greater 

I was a tired puppy and got home around 8 pm...if not for having  to fed the girls  I would stay over, but they depend on me. 
 I was surprised at how crowded it was people have come out of the woodwork like 

wolf spiders on the the wood pile, hopefully they will return to the mall soon...lol But judging from all the fun they were having, I rather doubt it teehee! 

Till Next time...be safe out there...

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

The Coast!

After seeing a couple rare birds reported that I need to add to my life list I headed for the coast and that is way out of my 5 mile radius. 

                                        walkway to get to the Jetty and North Beach

Huntington Beach State Park.  I totally forget to get a shot of the entrance sign and couldn't find one online either... It was thundering and a shower of rain had just stopped upon my arrival.  I left home about 6:30 am and it's 129 mile drive.  So it was about 9:30 once I entered the park, found a spot in the parking lot, used the restroom and readied my small pack for the walk down to the Jetty.  It is a 1.5 miles hike one way down the beach to the Jetty...

Finally I got to the Jetty the thunder drew closer but I got lucky and the rain never came...the wind did pick up and it was pretty breezy!  Happy about that it made it feel much cooler. 

At the infinity point the jetty turns left and that is my destination...so altogether the walk is about 2 1/2 miles to get there.  And this is the there Im referring to...this cove and the surrounding area is shore bird nesting area 

This little spit of sand is the perfect spot for terns, since they have small webbed feet they don't really go swimming, they dive, and take off right back to flight.  They do stand in shallow water.

A black tern had been reported and I had hopes of seeing it...I checked this large mixed flock...no black.  But I had royal, sandwich, least, common, and lots of confusing juveniles! 

Mostly royal terns here with Black Skimmers and a few others mixed in...

royal terns on the wing

Least Tern

Juvenile least tern

I listed only 1 common, since this is the only adult I found, I think that one standing behind is an immature but Im not sure so the adult Common Tern  is center front...

And one of my favorite terns the Sandwich Tern

The Black was seen the next day there is only one and he just was not with the majority the day I visited...so I guess a second visit?   Lots of Semipalmated Plover walked down the beach..and they were hanging in the nesting area that is fenced off. 

And another target bird for me, and a LIFER this plover has eluded me over and over, but not this time!

The Wilson's Plover!  And not just one but quite a few of them and the bonus---->

with CHICKS...

Adorable!

This cove has a rounded shape...so I keep going around the curve and found some Ruddy Turnstone picking through the beach "goodies".  

over a small rise to this shallow pool...lots of small shell here. 

And I still don't know what this immature tern will be when he grows up!  What's your best guess...It is a medium sized tern.  This time of year is very challenging to ID gulls, terns, sparrows, and heck nearly all the new arrivals don't look quite like they should yet! 

I'm going to split this post it's way too long, stay tuned for part II. 

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.