It's Where Everyone Has Been, It's Where Everybody Goes

Golden-crowned Sparrow at San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.

BLOGKRIEG! Well I finally did it....with The Spirit Gull post, Ive managed to post more blogs this month than ever before in the long, turbulent, fecund and fertile history of Bourbon, Bastards, and Birds. I would first like to thank my friend and colleague Felonious Jive for his invaluable assistance (he has saved my life time after time, not to mention pointing many a fine lady in my direction). But after Felonious has taken his bow, there is, of course, YOU.

Thanks, various friends (whom I love deeply, passionately, and at just the right pace) and strangers (whom I don't, but maybe I could) for reading BB&B, linking to it, or even openly enjoying it. If you're not already, I encourage you to become one of my loyal followers at the window conveniently located on the right side of your screen, and to spread the BB&B gospel as far and wide as you possibly can.

Another shot of the partial-albino Heermann's Gull (Heermann's Willet-Gull) at Ocean Beach. Looks like some white crept into the tail as well.

It's been a hectic week here in San Francisco. Living The Perpetual Weekend is not for the faint of heart, and Ive been lucky enough to lure some people from out of town into the Thanksfornothing-flavored Thanksgiving festivities. The real Thanksfornothing this year was held in Lee Vining on the east side of the Sierras, and it is rumored that no one survived.

With some free time to myself, today I shall set out in search of the Yellow-billed Loon that has been lurking just off the Berkeley Marina, and in the not-too-distant future I must set forth on a quest northward that may yield Brown Shrike, among other things....

At first I thought this shot was a throwaway, but I think I actually like it. First-year Thayer's Gull at San Francisco's Lake Merced.

Again, thanks for all your help during BLOGKRIEGY2K10. It's been grand. With so much output, I'm doing my best to not sink to the level of "This morning I went to Marsh X. I saw this is and this. After the wind picked up I went to Beach Y. I saw that and that. Then I got hungry and went home where I had delicious Food Z yadda yadda yadda". It's not difficult to come up with better content though, since Ive only gone birding for about 4 days in the last month. Ha!

In order to avoid another heartbreaking rare bird fail today, I will tell you right now that I won't see the Yellow-billed Loon. I've seen one before (off Point Mugu, CA, in the late nineties), missed two others in northern California (including the absurdly tame Bodega Bay individual), and I plan on missing this one. I mean, I'm going to look for it, but for sure it won't be there and therefore I won't be posting any pictures of this marvelous bird. Not gonna happen. To think otherwise would only result in a withering self-hatred. This is the best coping mechanism in the world for situations such as these, and I highly recommend it.

Who's a sleepy Pied-billed Grebe? You are! @Golden Gate Park.