Last week, we headed to Monte Rio for an early morning paddle. At 6:30 AM, a layer of morning mist still covered the glassy water while the sun began to peek above the forest line.
We quickly came upon this female Wood Duck, decked out in her iridescent blue wing feathers and permanent eye makeup. Wood Ducks tend to be shy, but this beauty seemed quite relaxed as we floated by.
But wait – she had a brood of ducklings in tow! We quietly watched the family as they alternated between walking along the riverbank and swimming alongside it.
An ethereal, upward-spiraling song serenaded us right away – a Swainson’s Thrush! This enchanting tune emanated from the riparian corridor throughout our trek, but we never laid eyes on even one of these secretive birds. Luckily, Swainson’s Thrushes are amply admired by ear alone.
Naturally, our paddle along the Russian River yielded several Great Blue Herons.
We squealed when, suddenly, we spotted an adult otter and three pups scamper down the riverbank and splash into the water. The family swam upriver together, and we followed from a distance. At times, the mother ventured out to hunt crabs while her pups stayed behind in a shady cove, tussling and playing with each other.
As we continued on, a familiar “brjjjt-brjjjt-brjjjt” awaited us. Several adult Northern Rough-winged Swallows zipped back and forth, low across the river.
The rising sun illuminated several fledglings on nearby overhanging willow branches, patiently waiting for their next meal delivery. Could these no-necked, grumpy-faced swallow babies be any cuter? We think not!
One youngster stretched its newly developing wing and tail feathers, giving us a nice show.
Several swallow species are found on the river throughout summer, so it was no surprise to discover fledgling Tree Swallows around the next bend.
Listen below to the youngsters calling out to their nearby flying parents.
We noticed a flurry of bird activity in a patch of willows. As we approached at a snail’s pace, a family of Wilson’s Warblers continued about their business and treated us to these up-close-and-personal views. Check out the splotchy plumage of the juvenile compared to the cleaner adult plumage.
Both Wilson’s Warblers and Song Sparrows are plentiful along the river. In this recording, you can hear them both singing – the Song Sparrow dominates throughout, and the Wilson’s joins in at 0:17 seconds.
A couple hours in, we lamented only seeing Green Herons in flight as they darted past us, giving their characteristic staccato screeching calls.
Listen below to the calls of a Green Heron. We love how the final croak noticeably echoes off the river.
Finally, we floated past this perched adult and our hungry eyes took in its stunning beauty.
We most often see Green Herons in their hunched pose, so it’s always a treat to watch one extend its neck and raise its crest.
Wood Ducks weren’t the only duck species of the day – Common Mergansers and Mallards were also abundant along the river.
Check out the colors of the rainbow in this male Mallard’s face. This male is transitioning into his “eclipse plumage” (non-breeding plumage), held for only a short time during the late summer months.
Did you also happen to spot the reflection of the forest, river, and sky in his eye? Here’s a close-up.
We took advantage of the still water to sit a while and take in the soundscape. Listen below to two competing Black-headed Grosbeaks counter-singing – one on each side of the river. Though they start off alternating songs, listen closely around 0:30 seconds as they begin to sing on top of each other, creating a complex duet.
We were so engrossed in listening to the lush soundscape that 10 whole minutes passed before we noticed this adult Bald Eagle perched on an overhanging branch just 20 yards away!!! The closeness of the eagle took our breath away, and we marveled at its majesty. The massive bird seemed entirely unconcerned with us as we watched it resting and preening.
Our long and lazy paddle yielded views of three of the County’s four Columbidae (doves and pigeons) puttering around on the ground.
As we headed back towards the boat launch to wrap up, this Double-crested Cormorant popped up to kindly bid us adieu.
Every slow paddle we take on the Russian River reminds us of how incredibly lucky we are to live in a place so wondrous and overflowing with natural beauty.
For more Russian River birds, check out these earlier posts:
Sonoma County Birding: Russian River by Kayak
25 Birds of Our Patch – The Redwood Forest & Russian River (Spring Edition)
Thank you. I needed those tranquil views.
Marlene and I have a drive and picnic scheduled for Monday. We haven’t been away from home/work for over 4 months of isolation.
Hi Greg – I hope you and Marlene had a successful outing. This was our first outside-our-immediate-neighborhood outing in several months, too. It felt so good!
Wow, that was a special post. I feel like I was there with you!
Thanks, Maria!
I love your photos, writing, and sound recordings. I’m trying to develop a better ear, so the recordings are a special gift. Thanks for letting us follow you on your outings.
It’s our pleasure, Liz, thank you. We’re glad to hear the recordings are helpful!
Exquisite. Bless you. Yes tranquility indeed. Your photos and your narration are uplifting, and are a healthy dose of peace in nature.
Thanks again for your kind words, Gail, we really appreciate it!
Really nice trip. Miss my kayak. Working on kiosks as Shollenberger.
Hi John, hope those kiosks are coming along nicely – hope you are doing well!
Thank you so much for sharing all of these sights and sounds. My 13 year old daughter and I loved being invited on the journey.
I was SO excited to hear the Swainson’s Thrush song, as I’ve heard the song at Ragle many times and looked in vain up through the willows and wondered who it was. When I read “ethereal, upward spiraling…”, that resonated and then when I listened, YES! So thank you for solving that mystery. Now I know who that is!
Best, warm wishes to you both.
Ahhh, a bird sound mystery getting solved is the best feeling! Thanks for reading and sharing the post with your daughter. =)
hmmmm. wonder where exactly the BAEA was? how far down the river….. more towards Jenner or Monte Rio?
Hey Larry, the BAEA was near the Bohemian Grove’s beach area, so between the Monte Rio bridge and Guerneville. We’ll see one every once in a while in our neighborhood in Guerneville as well. Once we watched one force an Osprey to drop a fish in flight and swoop down to catch it in mid-air right above our house!
Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful experience! I am new to bird watching and relished the combination of up close beautiful photos with sounds and narration. I really felt like I was on the journey. Again, thanks for capturing the unique beauty of the River and her inhabitants.
That’s so great you are getting into birdwatching – it’s the best! We’re glad you enjoyed the post =)
Have you ever watched the PBS Nature “DUCKumentary”? It features Wood Duck ducklings from their time in the nest until their mother calls out for them to fledge. They have to take a real leap of faith from the nest high up in the hollow of a tree.
I like seeing Bald Eagles but I don’t think it’s welcome news to the neighborhood ospreys.
Ooooh – I’m not sure if we’ve seen that particular duckumentary (hehe), but we’ve seen some clips of baby Wood Duck’s leap of faith – so neat! Maybe one day we’ll get to see it in real life! As for the Ospreys, they seem to be having a banner year on the river – in just a few mile stretch, we saw 3 nests with young! Maybe the Baldie was just taking a pit stop on its way back to Jenner?
You’ve outdone yourselves this time! Thanks for sharing this inspirational edition.
Thank you and you’re very welcome!
«Sublime comme d’habitude !»
Nous étions heureux de le faire, André!
It was great to meet you both the other day! If you’re ever at the end of Hidden Valley Rd. we’re the last house on the right!
Hi Nicole, how funny to meet you randomly in the neighborhood!! I’m sure we’ll be wandering down that way again sometime soon. Hope the Barred Owl has made another appearance!
Always a treat, with a wonderful dose of education! Imagine that.
😊😊😊
Loved your juvie pics and development of GRHE crest!
Aren’t Green Heron’s the coolest?!
Thanks so much for sharing your adventures! I almost feel I was there with you on the river.
Hi Cynthia, thank you! Hope to see you in the not too distant future at a PWA survey =)
Felt like I was there kayaking down the river with you! What a lovely article and educational post! 🙂
Thanks for saying hello and for the great feedback, Jenny, we appreciate it!
I recently saw an Eagles nest along River Road with a juvenile eagle just about ready to leave the nest. The baby eagle’s voice sounded as I watched and took a picture – calling to me and letting me know it was aware of my presence. The wild life is so special. Thank you Miles & Teresa for bringing it all closer.