Here's a photo of me at Bolsa Chica on July 5, 2008 behind the Canon 40D/100-400 IS/BushHawk rig taken by my good friend Ken Tyler, aka Mr. Zoom at the Fred Miranda Nature and Wildlife forum ( http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/board/41 )

A rare-for-the-area juvenile Yellow-crowned Night Heron, January 5 2013.

The juvenile Yellow-crowned Night Heron alongside an adult Black-crowned Night Heron, January 5 2013. You can see the difference between the two species, particularly the heavier-looking, thicker bill on the Yellow-crowned.

An adult (in breeding plumage) Black-crowned Night Heron, January 5 2013.

Early-morning at Bolsa Chica with the snowy San Gabriel Mountains in the distance, January 13 2011.

Green Heron just off the main pathway past the footbridge, January 17 2011.

The Reddish Egret in early-morning at Bolsa Chica, January 20 2010. Taken with the Canon 7D/500 f4 lens plus 1.4xTC.

A Bolsa Chica sunrise at the footbridge taken with the Canon 40D and 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM lens, September 29 2010.

Elegant Tern doing a Tern Flip, August 24 2010.

Shake, shake, shake...Shake your groove thing. :o)

The resident female Belted Kingfisher taken with the Canon 7D and the 500 f4 lens with the 1.4 TC (she was WAY out there), September 29 2010.

Seconds after the previous shot...September 29, 2010.

Green Heron with the Canon 7D and 500 f4 lens, September 29 2010.

Green Heron, September 29 2010.

Black Skimmer with Pacific Coast Highway in the background, August 24 2010.

Black Skimmer with bait fish, August 24 2010.

Great Blue Heron taken with the Canon 7D/500 f4, July 16 2010.

Another Great Blue Heron taken with the 7D/500 f4, July 16 2010.

3 poses of the Reddish Egret, Feb 2009.

The nesting Great Blue Herons are attracting a crowd on Raptor Ridge, including my good friend Anthony Whitmore ("Anthony Whitmo" on the Fred Miranda Nature and Wildlife forum) who'd come to southern California for a visit, March 7 2009.

This Great Blue Heron nest is right out in the open, affording great views of nesting behavior, March 7 2009.

One of the resident Red-tails in the back area near the "bean field", March 7 2009.

One of the local Kestrels just after takeoff, also in the back area of Bolsa Chica.

Spring sure seems to have sprung! Here's a Red-winged Blackbird in a field of wild mustard, March 7 2009.

And a Cassin's Kingbird, too.

The juvenile Reddish Egret is putting on a show pretty-much daily at Bolsa Chica, the trick is to get close to him -- or him to you.

The Surf Scoter from Bolsa Chica's footbridge.

Oops. Hard to maintain your Peregrine dignity when caught like that...March 7, 2009.

Marbled Godwit flight in early-morning light, Feb 12 2009.

"Just" a Willet in flight, Feb 12 2009.

The resident Mrs Harrier, Feb 2 2009.

This and the next 2 photos are a "takeoff" sequence of a female American Kestrel, taken in the back are of Bolsa Chica near the bean field, Feb 2 2009.

Snowy Egret in early-morning light, taken from the footbridge, Feb 2 2009.

The Common Loon further down the main channel near the intake.

Common Loon, unusual to see at Bolsa Chica, taken from the footbridge on January 14, 2009.

Kildeer, Jan 14 2009.

Male Northern Pintail in flight, Jan 14 2009.

Juvenile Black-Crowned Night Heron, January 14 2009.

The Long-billed Curlew moments before touchdown.

Long-billed Curlew banking in for a landing, January 14 2009.

And 180-degrees from the previous photo, you see the footbridge spanning the main channel, where folks can get up-close views of the birds. On this unusually-clear day, Catalina Island can also be seen off to the right.

This is the view from the main path at Bolsa Chica looking northeast, with the snow-dusted Mt Baldy in the background. As you can see, suburbia and industry border the preserve -- in the case of the derrick, oil is still pumped-out there.

Snowy Egret portrait taken on the footbridge at Bolsa Chica, morning of January 14, 2009.

Anna's Hummingbird at its usual perch near the benches on Raptor Ridge, Jan 7 2009.

Male Northern Shoveler in-flight, January 7 2009.

Green-Winged Teal drake in breeding plumage, January 7 2009.

In the back area of Bolsa Chica near the beanfield bordering the suburban housing tracts there's been a flock of Western Meadowlarks that descend on the fields in the late morning. Before that, though, they get some sun. Here's one of them, preening and then taking off, seen in the following 2 photos. Taken January 7, 2009.

One of the resident Belted Kingfishers at Bolsa Chica, Jan 7 2009.

Another look at the Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher fanning its tail.

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher in the mesquite and shrubs near the benches on Raptor Ridge, Jan 7 2009.

Black-Crowned Night Heron, January 7 2009.

Willet crossing the main footpath, January 7 2009.

This Osprey was airing itself out on a perch near the bean field after taking a dive (unsuccessful) for fish in the back channel, Oct 22 2008.

After airing, preening and fluffing, it went back to fishing...

Osprey near the back pond, August 28 2008.

Another Black Skimmer lit by the evening sun, August 16 2008.

The ongoing Reddish Egret, seen here on Saturday August 16, 2008. My good friend Ken Tyler (his Smugmug gallery is at http://ken.smugmug.com )and I saw him Up Close and Personal right off the main pathway, until he caught wind of us...

and flew off, scattering birds in his wake to a spot where he wouldn't be bothered :o( .

Lesser Yellowlegs off the main path, August 16 2008.

7:30pm at Bolsa Chica, a true oasis in suburbia and industria...

Black Skimmer in evening light, August 9.

Cormorants in urban Orange County (actually, those houses are further away than they appear), taken from the footbridge, evening of August 9.

Mrs. Mallard flys in to the back wetland area, August 9.

This and the following 3 photos were once again taken at the back wetlands area in the late afternoon when a stiff headwind slowed these normally zippy Barn Swallows down a bit. Skimming above the water for insects, the underwater details provide an interesting background IMO...Taken on August 9, 2008.

A Least Tern at the back wetlands, August 9.

This Turkey Vulture flew about 20 feet over me on the back wetlands path, August 9 2008.

Brown Pelicans in the evening light heading out to the ocean, August 6 2008.

Long-Billed Curlew, August 6 2008.

Who's There? Reddish Egret and Plover, August 6 2008.

That photographer is a little too-close for comfort...

OK, so he has me in-flight, but this is the only look he's going to get of me today!

At Bolsa Chica on Wednesday August 6, the Barn Swallows were flying low at the back wetland, skimming along the water's surface catching insects. These were taken around 4:30pm.

This and the following 3 photos were taken on Sunday, August 3 2008. A Reddish Egret, a rare visitor from Mexico, has been seen there off-and-on for nearly a year. While quite a ways away, and a big crop, these pics show it doing the Reddish Egret Dance, where it spins, runs and flaps in its quest for fish.

OUTTA MY WAY!

Elegant Terns --- in an aerial battle? Or just "kissing"? :o) From Bolsa Chica, July 28 2008.

And on the footbridge, in late-afternoon, this Elegant proudly displays its catch...

Tern Pandemonium at Bolsa Chica Ecological Preserve, Huntington Beach, CA, July 28 2008. This was the scene along the stretch of road behind the gate after walking across the footbridge.

Black Skimmer skimming near the intake, July 28 2008.

Black Skimmer with snack, July 28 2008.

In Huntington Beach, CA's Bolsa Chica Ecological Preserve a Killdeer nest finally hatched 2 eggs on July 12, 2008. This and the following photo shows Mom and one of the 2 chicks, less than a day old. Unfortunately, the other 2 eggs seen here never hatched as an unthinking person with a camera got too close to the nest and harrassed the Killdeers, causing Mom and the kids to flee the nest and abandon the remaining eggs... :o(

You can just make-out the 2nd chick underneath Mom to the right of the egg...

This and the following 2 photos are of Black Skimmers in flight, taken on July 5 2008. Hard to get the catchlight on that black eye, but I managed it on two of these shots.

The Flying Gadwalls, July 4 2008.

An Elegant Tern at the ongoing Tern Pandemonium display at Huntington Beach's Bolsa Chica Preserve, July 4 2008.

A Snowy Plover chick pauses for a moment in its scampering around the main pathway, July 5 2008.

No eye here, but I like the wing details...

Barn Swallow in-flight, April 27 2008.

Horned Grebe at 6:15am, April 27 2008.

Long-Billed Curlew in flight, April 21 2008.

Ash-Throated Flycatcher, April 21 2008.

Marbled Godwit at low tide, March 28 2008.

The iridescence of White-Faced Ibis in flight, March 27 2008.

Male Kestrel surveying the field, March 27 2008.

Western Kingbird in the back part of Bolsa Chica, March 27 2008.

Snowy Egret coming in for a landing.

Mrs Northern Harrier once again at Bolsa Chica, March 27 2008.

Mrs Northern Harrier and wildflowers on a Bolsa Chica ridge make a nice springtime composition...

Great Blue Heron flyby, March 26 2008.

Northern Flicker flexing its feathers, March 26 2008.

Juvenile Cooper's Hawk, March 26 2008.

Orange-Crowned Warbler, March 25 2008.

The resident female Northern Harrier on the prowl, March 26 2008.

Male Kestrel, March 6 2008.

Dark Morph Red-Tail Hawk on light at Pacific Coast Highway across from entrance to Bolsa Chica Reserve, March 3 2008.

Male Kestrel at "Raptor Ridge", December 15 2007.

Peregrine Falcon, December 19 2007.

Male Blue-Winged Teal in breeding plumage, Dec 2 2007.

Male Northern Shoveler in breeding plumage, Dec 2 2007.

White-tailed Kite hover-hunting near the main parking lot to Bolsa Chica, Nov 29 2007.

Male Northern Pintails in breeding plumage taken in the back channel, Nov 29 2007.

Female Northern Harrier also at "Raptor Ridge", Nov 10 2007.

Cooper's Hawk at "Raptor Ridge", Oct 1 2007.

Closeups of the Peregrine Falcon at "Raptor Ridge", Oct 1 2007.

Reddish Egret at the back pond at Huntington Beach, CA's Bolsa Chica Ecological Preserve, October 1 2007.

This and the next 3 photos are of a Reddish Egret taken at Bolsa Chica on October 1, 2007. Reddish Egrets are rare visitors to southern California from Mexico.

Though distant, these next 8 photos are of one of the local Peregrine Falcons nabbing a Tern in mid-air. As you can see it created quite a commotion... July 2007.

The Peregrine "running the gauntlet".

"Get the heck outta here!"

Marbled Godwit in-flight.

"Hello!"

Sometimes you're not aware of what you snap until seeing it at home on the monitor...A Common Tern caught in mid-flip at Bolsa Chica.

This and the following shot show a Common Tern keeping watch on the bait fish off the footbridge. First it hovers to land on the rail...

Dark-morph Red-tail Hawk flying over the footbridge, June 9 2007.

This and the next 3 photos were taken on May 27, 2007 during Tern Pandemonium from the footbridge using the Pentax K10D and a Pentax FA 77mm f/1.8 Limited lens.

Mr. Anna's Hummingbird at his usual perch up at the fenced area on Raptor Ridge, March 27 2008.

Cooper's Hawk flying high in the vicinity of Raptor Ridge, May 13 2007.

Snowy Egret in the shallows, Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, Huntington Beach, CA, May 13 2007.

If you can get the shallow DOF just right it really helps in isolating, and bringing attention to, the bird.

The Osprey Stretch...