Amidst a sea of mallards and mostly gulls, a gem was hidden in the crowd of birds begging the woman with a loaf of bread. The green-winged teal pictured below (the smallest North American duck, per Sibley) attracted the attention of me and my new birding companion for a day (so far), Pete. We had just become acquainted through a mutual friend and spent an afternoon birding in the City.
Green-winged Teal, Lloyd Lake, 11/9/2011. |
After garnering inspiration from the film in one of my recent posts, Pete is attempting a Big Year of his own, of sorts. He's going to make an effort to see lots of birds and record them, but he's not competing against anyone. This is my kind of birder. We started in Golden Gate Park, then drove to the Presidio and birded both inland and on the coast there.
Great picture! It was an awesome birding day. Thanks for being an excellent guide. I look forward to more birding this winter!
ReplyDelete-Pete