Marina Park, Ventura Harbor -- the highlight!

Had a great morning at Marina Park in Ventura Harbor.  It was very busy (because it was Saturday morning -- I did not think about the weekends when planning this trip) Met another birder from NYC with a Scope! We had a fine time looking at the Jetty’s! Lots of life birds, but the bird of the day were definitely my 2 Long-billed Curlews. An early flyby but then at the very end one foraging in the field in the path next to my car. Talk about meant to be - the parking lot was supposed to open at 7 but it did not, so I found a place to park & walk which ended up being closer to where I wanted to go, and the Curlew! Had 9 life birds there – it was the most productive place in Ventura/Oxnard. 

Holiday Inn - Sunrise

Marina Park, Ventura Harbor

Heerman's Gull

Say's Phoebe

Whimbrel

Western Gull

American Pipit

Brewer's Blackbird

Whimbrel

Western Gull

Long-billed Curlew

Black Oystercatchers

Western Gull

Western Grebe

Double-crested Cormorant

Vermillion Flycatcher

Western Grebe

Clark's Grebe

Grebes

Long-tailed Duck (Rare there)

White-crowned Sparrow

House Finch

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Long-billed Curlew #2

White-crowned Sparrow

The Rocks

The Mermaid

Went out to the Naval base and had some great views

Brown Pelican

Hundreds of Northern Pintail

Surf Scoter

Red-tailed Hawk

Turkey Vulture

California Ground Squirrel

The View

Had a nice encounter with Sea Lions on the beach and in the late afternoon there were some sparring on the dock of my marina my hotel room overlooks.

Sunset from the Hotel

Next morning @4:20am they were at it again. Never occurred to me when I looked the room. Chalk it up to local charm…