Early Morning at Elsie Roemer

Just another early morning at Elsie Roemer, my once or twice-a-week morning romp before work. It’s so great because it’s just two blocks off my route and I’m usually the only person there. Sometimes there are people walking their dogs or taking a walk, but I rarely see more than a couple people. It’s always so quiet, the sound of water, and birds… fifteen minutes is all I need to charge up, perfect way to start the day!

As I was walking back to my car I noticed a hawk land on a lightpost right in front of me. Of course I had already put away my camera, so by the time I got it out again, it had flown onto the rooftop across the street… thanks to Merlin, I learned it was a Sharp-shinned hawk, WOW!!

I also learned that I have been likely mis-identifying black bellied plovers… will be going back through my photos to check on what I thought were sanderlings and western sandpipers, all of these little peeps and shorebirds can be so confusing! Thanks to Merlin again, I now know the black-bellied plover (even though they’re apparently juveniles and not black yet).

Birds at Elsie Roemer Bird Sanctuary:

Willet	American Avocet
Black-bellied Plover*	Long-billed Curlew
Marbled Godwit	Black-necked Stilt
Sanderling	Sharp-shinned Hawk*

*first sighting!