Barnacles, Shorebirds, and the Moon

Barnacles

Elegant Terns (Thalasseus elegans)

Below are more scenes from Ballena Bay this month. I've been doing my best to identify the local shorebirds but have quickly figured out obtaining a correct ID is tricky business. That won't stop me from trying and I have been using several great tools in an attempt to be as accurate as possible. The Merlin Bird ID app from the Cornell Lab has been very useful. I've also been using  inaturalist.org to get feedback from the community on my observations, which is a lot of fun.

Moonrise

Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus)

Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)

Juvenile Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)

Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus)

Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)