Birds of Los Angeles

Much of coastal Los Angeles is basically built on wetlands, so the bird life around the area is incredible.  I already wrote about the least terns, but there are lots of other birds I enjoy watching.  When I was there over the Thanksgiving holiday, I did my best to take photos of some of my favorites. I missed a shot of about twenty pelicans flying in formation, skimming low over the breaking waves, but here are some of the ones I did manage to capture.

A beautiful long-necked white bird fishing.  I love the reflection I was able to catch.  I'm sure some of my readers know whether it's an egret or a heron, but all I know is how elegant it is.

I was amazed when I took this shot how close I was able to get to these birds.  They are a mixture of curlews and sandpipers, I think.  They are all just hanging out, resting on one leg, totally unthreatened by the crazy lady slowly advancing with the camera in her hand.

Sandpipers are some of the coolest birds to watch in action, running from the waves on their tiny legs.  This group was also just resting on one leg.  I love how they are all facing the same direction.  Maybe it was away from the wind?  I've tried to get photos of these little guys in action, but they move so fast, they are always blurry.

There are many more birds that I have no photos of.  The herring gulls on the pier, coots, the many species of ducks in the canals . . .  The list goes on and on.  Luckily, I did get a close-up of a popular star.  This delightful blue parrot is often spotted dining at the premier outdoor restaurants.  He's even waving hello!