The Baylands

Landed under the cloudless, sun-bleached, Californian sky and blundered straight into the Department of Homeland Paranoia who still seem unable to accept people have haircuts in the years after posing for passport photos. Picked up the car and joined a multi-vehicle pile-up inspired southbound tailback on Highway 101 which afforded an excellent opportunity to listen to local radio and study my fellow road users.

An easy evening's birding at the Palo Alto Baylands produced the hoped for California Clapper Rail Rallus longirostris obsoletus plus a good supporting cast of waders and other waterbirds including a single 1st-winter Franklin's Gull (how scarce are they round here?). The rail was easier than anticipated, with one individual calling and then showing at very close range. Stupidly, I'd left the SLR in the car but did get this shot with the Coolpix (no digiscoping, just the Coolpix),...