Eared Grebe with bright red eye swimming in water

An Afternoon in Bodega Bay

In the recent months of the pandemic, we’ve mainly stayed close to home to do our part to curb holiday spread and then because of the regional stay-at-home order during December and January (now recently lifted). This has meant foregoing our normally frequent visits to the bird-haven that is Bodega Bay.
 
Yesterday, at long last, we headed to the harbor for the first time in four months. A lovely winter day greeted us – sunny and mild, with barely any wind. Continue reading “An Afternoon in Bodega Bay”

Spotted Sandpiper walking along the river's edge next to pebbles

Sit Spot on the Russian River

We’ve been visiting a sit spot along the Russian River just a 7-minute walk from our house in Guerneville. Last month, we documented several days’ worth of observations. Though this beach is a popular summer hangout, in fall and winter we usually have it all to ourselves.
 
Sit spots are the shelter-in-place version of birding. Instead of roaming far and wide in active search of our feathered friends, we instead stay put, pull up a chair, and let the natural world unfold in front of our eyes. Continue reading “Sit Spot on the Russian River”