January 16, 2026: City of Menlo Park Birdwalk, Bedwell Bayfront Park

The first of a series of 3 bird walks led by me and sponsored by the City of Menlo Park.

It was a great birding morning with a group of 10 wonderful bird loving people and lots of wildlife action and great weather.

Snowy Egret - black beak and yellow feet or "golden slippers"

Northern Shoveler - head can appear both purple and green because its iridescent feathers shift color dramatically with the light, looking deep green in some angles and a glossy purple or even black in others

Great Egret - yellow beak and black feet

Great Blue Heron on the island

Closer angle of the Great Blue Heron on the Island

Snowy Egret

Love was in the air - it may look like he is trying to drown her but this is how they do it.

She seemed quite happy afterward

Venturing out around the first turn, Snowflake in the background

We were greeted by a Lesser Golden Finch around the corner

We were checking off the birds as we discovered them!

Mom and Daughter outing

We saw a good number of Black-necked stilts

Black Phoebe feeding on flies on the water.

We came upon a very large hare who took off running and never stopped!

The only Pelicans we saw all day. Unfortunately they flew away from us.

After a long walk along the water, we headed into the grassy center of the park

Merlin bird app told us this was an Olive-sided gnatcather but it turned out to be a Say's Pheobe, a flycatcher, not a gnatchatcher..

The one that got away

One of the group spotted this sleepy coyote in the distance.

Beautiful Male Anna's Hummingbird showing us his colors.

Taking in the view and checking out the large Red-tailed Hawk in the tree before ascending down to the parking lot.

Red-tailed Hawk in the tree. Looked like a large one so most likely a femaie.