The April 13 survey of Bolsa Chica produced the following highlights (note we had a 4-foot high tide during the count):
1 (continuing) TRICOLORED HERON in the Pocket Pond. It was with a Reddish Egret and a group of Snowy Egrets, and they were moving around the pond together.
1 REDDISH EGRET (Pocket Pond)
1 MERLIN
709 ELEGANT TERNS
2 LEAST TERNS
20 ROYAL TERNS
28 WHIMBRELS
1 BONAPARTES GULL (Pocket Pond)
4 RIDGWAYS RAILS (1 in Pocket Pond)
There were no Brant geese today, so it looks like they might have finally left for points north.
Most of the ducks have left, although there were still 151 Ruddy Ducks, 18 Red-breasted Mergansers, and 38 Blue-winged Teal, along with 42 Canada Geese.
1 Horned Grebe is still present (at least one has lingered longer than normal the last several years)
We had 28 Great Blue Herons, including one nest in one of the palm trees that had 3 chicks in it. In addition, there were 2 Killdeer chicks about a week old in the nest site behind the fence at the end of the walkbridge.
There were no Burrowing Owls today, and the Brightwater group reported that the big hole has collapsed, probably bulldozed. The Brightwater Group has been doing a lot of work all along the trail to rigidly comply with their agreement with the Coastal Commission to have native grasses along there.
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Terry Hill
Huntington Beach