Vacation to Cali (1 Viewer)

AmazonSupreme12

(AS)

• Jun 20, 2016

• #1

Vacation to Cali!

Hey all,
I will be going on a vacation to Southern California on Wednesday, and will be staying for about two months. Could you guys help me out with knowing what to expect (I.e.what birds are common/endemic to the area)?
See ya
AS :eat::t:

 

Jeff Hopkins

Just another...observer

• Jun 20, 2016

• #2

I recommend you get a copy of the ABA Birdfinding Guide (a.k.a. Lane Guide) to Southern California.

 

dacol

Well-known member

• Jun 20, 2016

• #3

I second Jeff's suggestion, you can find the book here

Both the Los Angeles Audubon Society and the San Diego Audubon Society have good birding information. They also organize regular birding walks that the public can join.

List of birds of San Diego county.

Hope this helps,

Dalcio

 

dandsblair

David and Sarah

Supporter

• Jun 21, 2016

• #4

Trip report

I attach our trip report that covers what we saw in San Diego area, Salton Sea and various other sites in California
Hope of some use

 

Attachments

• California.pdf

  2.6 MB · Views: 54

AmazonSupreme12

(AS)

• Jun 23, 2016

• #5

Thanks from the info guys, I'm in the MIA airport, we lost both connections!

 

AmazonSupreme12

(AS)

• Jun 24, 2016

• #6

Morning people of BF!
Today I really slept in, despite the excitement :-O
Before breakfast:
Hooded Siskin
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Raven
Dunnock
Several others that haven't been IDed yet.

 

Jeff Hopkins

Just another...observer

• Jun 24, 2016

• #7

AmazonSupreme12 said:

Morning people of BF!
Today I really slept in, despite the excitement :-O
Before breakfast:
Hooded Siskin
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Raven
Dunnock
Several others that haven't been IDed yet.

Click to expand...

Are you in California? Because 3 of those birds don't exist there.

 

AmazonSupreme12

(AS)

• Jun 25, 2016

• #8

Jeff hopkins said:

Are you in California? Because 3 of those birds don't exist there.

Click to expand...

Which ones? I got them all off Wikipedia...

 

AmazonSupreme12

(AS)

• Jun 25, 2016

• #9

Later...
Hairy Woodpecker
Gray Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
All lifers so far!

 

wintibird

André Weiss

Opus Editor

• Jun 25, 2016

• #10

AmazonSupreme12 said:

Morning people of BF!
Today I really slept in, despite the excitement :-O
Before breakfast:
Hooded Siskin
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Raven
Dunnock
Several others that haven't been IDed yet.

Click to expand...

Hooded Siskin is restricted to South America. Dunnock is an European species and Ruby-throated Hummingbird is only found in Eastern North America.
Wikipedia certainly doesn't replace a good field guide.....

André

 

Jeff Hopkins

Just another...observer

• Jun 25, 2016

• #11

AmazonSupreme12 said:

Later...
Hairy Woodpecker
Gray Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
All lifers so far!

Click to expand...

Gray Jay is only found in the far north of the state. If you're in SoCal and you saw a jay, more likely it was a Western Scrub-jay. But if the gray color was right, it was probably a mockingbird.

And while Hairy Woodpecker is certainly possible, Nuttall's Woodpecker is far more likely.

The corvids are both pretty likely in CA.

So let me echo Andre. You need to get a field guide. You can find one in any book store. I personally like the National Geographic guide.

 

Last edited: Jun 25, 2016

AmazonSupreme12

(AS)

• Jun 26, 2016

• #12

Pretty sure it was a hairy woodpecker: http://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/559977/limit/recent

 

birdboybowley

Well-known member.....apparently so ;)

• Jun 26, 2016

• #13

Think you should revisit the Nuttall's suggestion And buy that fieldguide!!

 

Jeff Hopkins

Just another...observer

• Jun 26, 2016

• #14

AmazonSupreme12 said:

Pretty sure it was a hairy woodpecker: http://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/559977/limit/recent

Click to expand...

Yeah, sorry. That's a Nuttall's.

A hairy has a big white vertical patch on its back. The Nuttall's has horizontal barring up the entire back.