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Donal Hill > Coronado Favorites > Coronado Fauna

Coronado Fauna Galleries

Great Egret : In this sequence of images a great egret, Ardea alba, which was flying across the South San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge, alights in shallow water and commences stalking its prey. These large, all-white birds are year-round natives to San Diego Bay and adjoing shorelines, and can ofter be seen seeking fish while wading through shallow water as well as insects and small rodents on dry land. Its large size and all-white body renders it easily identifiable any time.

Great Egret

Shorebirds, San Diego Bay : This gallery contains an assortment of birds, including western snowy plovers (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus), marbled godwits (Limosa fedoa) and black-necked stilts (Himantopus mexicanus). Each of these species prowls mudflats on or near San Diego Bay looking for small shellfish, crustaceans, insects, invertebrates and small fish.

Shorebirds, San Diego Bay

Great Birding Day : The South San Diego Bay Wildlife Refuge was hopping with avian activity the day I made these images in late November, 2005. Standing on the bikepath at the Imperial Beach end of the salt ponds, I watched, photographed and enjoyed, as many bird species swarmed together (see images below). American white pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos), brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis), great and snowy egrets (Ardea alba, Egretta thula), gulls and migratory ducks, not to mention numerous shorebirds, congregated on and near the berms and islets of the refuge. Some flew, some swam and some simply enjoyed the warm afternoon sun and light breeze.

Great Birding Day

Least Terns at the Post : The California Least Tern, Sterna antillarum browni, is the country's smallest tern, and is listed by the U.S. Government as an endangered, migratory species. Because it nests in sand dunes along beaches and bays and because 90% of California's coastal wetlands have been destroyed by development, it has only limited nesting areas, some of which have been set aside in the San Diego area; humans and other destructive forces are excluded from such preserves. Although least terns migrate from the San Diego area in the late fall, the birds in these photographs, for some reason, have not departed with the majority of migrating least terns. Instead they are wintering-over in the South San Diego Bay Wildlife Refuge, where they may be seen feeding throughout the winter, hovering above their prey and then plunge-diving to catch a meal of small fish. The least terns depicted here are all first-year birds, mature enough to care for themselves but that have yet to fiinsh molting, as evidenced by their speckled heads.

Least Terns at the Post

Least Terns in Flight : The California Least Tern, Sterna antillarum browni, is the country's smallest tern, and is listed by the U.S. Government as an endangered, migratory species. Because it nests in sand dunes along beaches and bays and because 90% of California's coastal wetlands have been destroyed by development, it has only limited nesting areas, some of which have been set aside in the San Diego area; humans and other destructive forces are excluded from such preserves. Although least terns migrate from the San Diego area in the late fall, the birds in these photographs, for some reason, have not departed with the majority of migrating least terns. Instead they are wintering-over in the South San Diego Bay Wildlife Refuge, where they may be seen feeding throughout the winter, hovering above their prey and then plunge-diving to catch a meal of small fish. The least terns depicted here are all first-year birds, mature enough to care for themselves but that have yet to finish molting, as evidenced by their speckled heads.

Least Terns in Flight

White Pelican Gaggle : The American white pelican, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos, may be seen in south San Diego Bay almost year-round on the berms and islets of the salt ponds or feeding in the water. White pelicans are typically gregarious as these photos show and often swim, roost and preen in groups. Local legend says that, although the habitats of the brown and white pelicans normally do not overlap, these white pelicans all have been released from Sea World in San Diego after being injured in the vicinity of the Salton Sea. Hence the presence of both white and brown pelicans in the South San Diego Bay Wildlife Refuge.

White Pelican Gaggle

Plunge-Diving Brown Pelican : In this sequence of photos, a California brown pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, performs an amazing, twisting plunge-dive for a meal. In the first three frames, the brown pelican skims low across one of the salt ponds in the South San Diego Bay Wildlife Refuge. In frame 4, the pelican begins a twisting plunge into the water, beak and head somewhat parallel to, but angled towards the water, webbed feet extended to help spread the impact of its impending collision. In frame 5, the brown pelican, having stuck its head into the water, twists about 180 degrees. In frame 6, the pelican resumes flapping its wings as it begins to extricate itself from the water. In the final frame, the pelican flies off with a slight bulge in its beak pouch, suggesting it caught a meal.

Plunge-Diving Brown Pelican

White Pelicans : The American white pelican, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos, may be seen in south San Diego Bay almost year-round on the berms and islets of the salt ponds. Although the white pelicans are usually gregarious and often swim in small groups, these images depict a solitary bird as it attempts to catch small fish while swimming. Frequently, white pelicans can be seen with underwater grasses draped around their necks or beaks from dipping into shallow waters attempting to catch their prey.

White Pelicans

Snowy Egrets : The snowy egret, Egretta thula, is a year-round resident of San Diego Bay and may often be spotted wading in shallow waters adjacent to the Coronado-to-Imperial Beach bikepath.

Snowy Egrets

Black Skimmers : The Black Skimmer, Rhynchops niger, utilizes one of the most unusual feeding behaviors in the avian world. It flies just above the surface of the water and inserts its lower jaw into the water to snag small fish and crustaceans. The lower jaw is noticabley longer than the upper. Black Skimmers are graceful fliers even while engaged in their skimming behavior, and are a treat to observe as they wheel, engage and disengage their lower jaws. These unusual birds may often be seen over San Diego Bay during late spring through early fall months of the year.

Black Skimmers

Western Grebes : The Western Grebe, Aechmophorus occidentalis, is a commonly seen bird on San Diego Bay. Its elegant but simple black and white markings reminiscent of evening wear distinguish it from most other waterfowl, but its duck-like behavior could cause it to be mistaken for true ducks. Its long, graceful swan-like neck distinguishes it from most other waterfowl upon closer inspection. With viewing glasses or close up, the adults' red eyes are quite noticible as these photographs demonstrate. Males and females look similar. These photographs were made near one of the large salt ponds at the South San Diego Bay Wildlife Refuge.

Western Grebes

Great Blue Heron & Great Egret : Great Blue Herons, Ardea herodias, and Great Egrets, Ardea alba, are species common to San Diego Bay and may be seen year round almost anwhere along Coronado's Bay shore. These species exhibit similar behaviors and may be seen standing motionlessly in shallow water waiting for small fish to approach or stalking their prey in low, dense foliage where they eat lizards and other small, terrestial creatures.

Great Blue Heron & Great Egret

CoCo the Cool Cat : While walking the dog over the Labor Day Weekend, I spotted a cat trying to beat the beastly heat in a bird bath. The bath was dry but the concrete undoubtedly was cooler than anything else around him. As I was only a block from home I took Boomer home where I got my camera. The cat -- whose name is "CoCo" was not moving when I returned, but in the process of shooting about 50 images, he looked at me once -- here -- as if to say, "beat it," of "get lost" or some other cat command.

CoCo the Cool Cat

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All text and photographs are copyright© Donal Hill and South Coronado Photo Company. All rights are reserved worldwide. This web site is intended purely for commercial purposes and the convenience of the customers of South Coronado Photo Company. No image may be copied, duplicated, modified or redistributed in whole or in part without the prior written permission of Donal Hill or South Coronado Photo Company. The South Coronado Photo Company logo of the circled bridge, boathouse, 3 birds and the text, "South Coronado Photo Company" is the trademark™ and property of Donal Hill and South Coronado Photo Company, 826 Orange Ave., #514, Coronado CA, 92118, phone: 619-435-2135, Web: southcoronadophoto.com.
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