Birding on the Disc Golf Course

I wanted to add California to the list of states where I'd played disc golf, so while we were in Bakersfield we headed over to nearby Hart Park which sports not one, but two 18-hole courses. The lower course plays along a creek and through some large trees. We played it first and were amazed by the number of birds we saw.

Rose-ringed Parakeet

The most unusual birds that we saw were Rose-ringed Parakeets. These large parakeets are native to Indian and Africa, but escaped birds have established a large breeding population in the Bakersfield area. We saw seven of them high in the trees. I didn't have my big camera but Teri got a couple of shots with hers. 

We went back to Hart Park the next morning to do some "serious" birding. One new bird for us was the California Scrub-Jay. It was formerly considered a Western Scrub-Jay, but the ornithologists have decided that this is now a separate species. 

California Scrub-Jay

We saw several Hooded Mergansers in the creek, including this pair. Such attractive hairdos!

Hooded Merganser pair

Black Phoebes were common along the creek as well.

Black Phoebe

We enjoyed a Belted Kingfisher rattling up and down the creek.

Belted Kingfisher

At one end of the park the creek widened into a small lake. There were several pair of Wood Ducks swimming there. 

Wood Duck pair

After a couple of hours of birding we headed up to play the second disc golf course. This course plays up and down the steep, grassy hillsides. Lots of pretty views and steep uphill/downhill shots. 

Here is a shot from one of the teepads. The basket is down to the right of the barn. There was a 100' elevation drop down to the basket. 

Next: Woodpeckers in the park.

Mark