[EBB Sightings] This a.m. at Coyote Hills

The Black Rail was most cooperative, singing loudly until at least 8:00 a.m.
(no need for me to have arrived at 6:30 am, but who needs sleep, right?)
Note that the gate does not open until 8:00am. Most folks parked outside the
gate and walked in. When we walked back to the cars just before 8, the
ranger lectured me and told us that he would ticket us in the future.  (The
guy needs to get a life.) 

No joy on the Brown Thrasher.  However, for the photographers there were
some fairly cooperative models, most notably,

A lovely Merlin that repeatedly posed:
http://www.pbase.com/jimscarff/image/110209519
http://www.pbase.com/jimscarff/image/110209518 

Female and male Northern Harriers:
http://www.pbase.com/jimscarff/image/110209516 
http://www.pbase.com/jimscarff/image/110209517 

A nice male Allen's Hummingbird at the Butterfly Garden:
http://www.pbase.com/jimscarff/image/110209515 

And some fairly cooperative Northern Flickers and a Nuttall's Woodpecker
outside the Butterfly Garden

Nice to see a lot of old friends there (after the sun came up).