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Fall Birding | Andree Clark Bird Refuge, Santa Barbara, CA

Updated: Dec 31, 2020


Distance: 1 mile | Duration: 90 minutes | Habitat: saltwater marsh.

Note: Feeding wildlife is prohibited in the park.


When we arrived right after 9:30 AM, Great-tailed Grackles were eating bread. Red-winged Blackbirds, Song Sparrows and House Sparrows were also present.

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A pair a Mallard.

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Many Double-crested Cormorants and Mallards were taking it easy on one of the islands while American Coots were on duty.

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Brown Pelicans flew above the march then went towards the ocean. On the photo, they are barely noticeable above the Palm trees. Snowy Egrets and Great Egrets were taking a snooze on one of the islands. On the photo, they are the little white dots in the vegetation. Black-crowned Night Herons were also hiding on the island near the water.

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Red-necked Phalarope.

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American Avocets have an upturned bill, they capture invertebrates in the water by sweeping their bill side to side.

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Love the blue legs.

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Mallards, American Coots, Black-necked Stilts, Ruddy Ducks, Red-necked Phalarope and Egrets did not mind when the Zoo train passed by.

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Killdeer foraging.

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Male Ruddy Duck.

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Brown Pelican.

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Several Northern Shovelers were resting in the company of Snowy Egrets and Black-necked Stilts.

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Mystery bird only showing on a single photo, a Long-billed Dowitcher.

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Great Egret on the hunt.

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Question: How many different leg colors are you able to identify?

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Answer: 4. From left to right, Greater Yellowlegs (yellow), American Avocets (blue), Black-necked Stilts (pink) and Northern Shovelers (orange).


This was a productive morning as we observed a total of 34 bird species including Pied-billed Grebes, Rock Pigeons, Anna's Hummingbirds, Least Sandpipers, Western Gulls, Elegant Terns, Great Blue Herons, American Crows, Lesser Goldfinches, California Towhees, as well as a Black Phoebe, a Northern Mockingbird, an Orange-crowned Warbler and a Common Yellowthroat.

Credits and Additional Information


Birding the Andree Clark Refuge was productive! Species spotted were Red-necked Phalaropes, Northern Shovelers and even American Avocets!

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