Black Phoebe--Fluffed

We drove yesterday afternoon from south of Los Angeles north to Ventura, on the Pacific Coast, where we'll spend the rest of our brief trip. We visited Arroyo Verde Park both morning and afternoon--a lovely park within the city limits along the foothills.

Morning was much better than afternoon, but in both sessions the star was this Black Phoebe--always seeming fluffy, but here in the afternoon especially so, in really good light--possibly a juvenile. He's a flycatcher, and very common in these parts. The best bird in the morning was a Nuttall's Woodpecker, but he always seemed to be twisting away from the camera.

Our hotel room is on the fourth floor overlooking a large marina inVentura harbor, with so many boats (overwhelmingly sailboats) that they are impossible to count; I'd estimate at least 200. We had supper on our balcony, watching the sun go down. with brown pelicans flying by and regularly diving for fish between the boats.