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California, 2024 (1 Viewer)

29 June 2024

This is a slow time for picking up new year birds. I have already seen most of the locally breeding species, those I have yet to see are hard to find, and there are few vagrants. But there are a few vagrants. Rose-breasted Grosbeaks have been appearing in the region all spring; most have been a bit too far or remained too short a time for me to pursue them, but a second report of one on Gazos Creek Road, near where I saw the Northern Parula, suggested one may be lingering there. A whale carcass at Gazos Creek State Beach further inclined me in that direction: it might attract some rarities. A report this morning of an Eastern Wood-Pewee in Davenport, which is on the way to Gazos Creek, settled the matter and I was off. This would be the first record of the species in Santa Cruz County, and for me the first ever seen in California as well as a first for the year.

Other birders were at the Eastern Wood-Pewee site when I arrived, but I could hear it call before they even had a chance to confirm that it was still present. They did point it out to me, perched high in a eucalyptus. From what I could see it could easily have been a Western Wood-Pewee, which is what one would expect here, but the call identified it. The situation did not lend itself to a photo other than the bird in silhouette. Neither did it lend itself to a good recording; I could hear it perfectly well, but wind and noise from a busy road made it beyond the ability of my phone to capture the bird’s calls in any recognizable way. After a bit the other birders left, the bird stopped calling, more birders arrived and I assured them the Pewee was still here, but I headed on to Gazos Creek. An eBird checklist may be examined here: https://ebird.org/checklist/S184697626.

It was a day made to drive people to the beach: a Saturday in the summer, very hot inland, cooler, but still pleasantly warm, on the coast. Gazos Creek Beach is relatively far from San Francisco and the cities that surround the bay, but even it had a fair number of visitors. Some of them were deliberately chasing the gulls on the beach. Others had dogs off leash (which is supposed to be illegal in a state park, but the law seems never to be enforced) that chased the gulls. It is one of those things I do not understand: it is okay to harass birds on a beach in ways that would never be okay for other wildlife. (I may have harped on this subject previously.) The whale carcass turned out to be little more than a pile of skin. Still stinky though, and some of the gulls were picking at it when they had a chance. There were a few hundred Western, California, and Heermann’s Gulls, but I did not detect any rarities among them. A Black Oystercatcher walked by, a bit unexpected on the sandy beach. Some Surf Scoters were out on the ocean, and a few Brown Pelicans flew by. The eBird list is at this address: https://ebird.org/checklist/S184698122.

Up Gazos Creek Road, Swainson’s Thrushes and Warbling Vireos were still singing with some vigor, but in the early afternoon most of the other birds were rather quiet. I saw or heard most of the species I had seen on 31 May, but not the Northern Parula (which seems to have left that night) or a Rose-breasted Grosbeak. eBird: https://ebird.org/checklist/S184698398.

One new species today, Eastern Wood-Pewee, zooming the total up to 349 for the year.
 

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6 July 2024

I went on a pelagic trip out of Half Moon Bay today, to the Farallon Islands. There was really only one species that I expected to see there that I had not seen on my pelagic in San Diego and that I might well miss on a Northern California pelagic in the fall; that was Tufted Puffin. But the trip is a great birding experience, and I would have made it even if no new species had been expected. The Farallones host one of the great seabird colonies of the world. The sheer number of birds breeding there in the summer is enough to make it a vacation destination for any birder. The islands are about 30 miles (50 km) due west of San Francisco. Birding trips go out from both Half Moon Bay and Sausalito; the distance to the islands is about the same from either port. I took a trip from Half Moon Bay because it is closer to my home. If that is not a consideration I would recommend going from Sausalito (which I have done previously) because that takes you out past San Francisco, through the Golden Gate, and under the Golden Gate Bridge, which is all fun. The trip was operated by Alvaro’s Adventures, owned by the eminent ornithologist, author, and trip leader Alvaro Jaramillo. The cost was $210. Unfortunately, Alvaro himself was not on this trip. It was run by some local birders. They could have done better. No one was on the loudspeaker calling out birds, there seemed to be little communication between the bow and the stern of the boat, and much of the time they all seemed to be together in the stern. I think most of the passengers still saw most of the birds that were out there, but if you are going on an Alvaro’s Adventures trip you might want to check that Alvaro will actually be on board. The boat was the New Captain Pete; it is smaller than I would prefer for such a trip, but it was fine.

There was fog in the harbor as we left the dock. It would continue all the way out to the islands – not real thick, but thick enough that distant birds were surely missed. We began with a tour around the harbor. That was not something done on previous trips I have taken there, but the reason for it became clear when we found a group of Marbled Murrelets. We did not approach them as closely as I would have liked, and I wondered if the boat captain was perhaps inexperienced. Later it occurred to me that the water depth may have been quite shallow there, and the captain did get us quite close to many other birds. We looked for Morris the Northern Gannet among the Brown Pelicans, Brandt’s and Double-crested Cormorants, and Western and Heermann’s Gulls roosting on the breakwaters, but did not spot him. There were a few each of Common Loons, Surf Scoters, Red-breasted Mergansers, Rhinoceros Auklets, and Pigeon Guillemots on the water.

Outside the harbor we began seeing Sooty Shearwaters. They would be constantly in view for the next three hours, often hundreds at a time, and would be in view most of the rest of the journey until we returned to the harbor. As we got further out a few Pink-footed Shearwaters were mixed in among the Sooties. The shearwaters were mostly resting on the water, except for those put to flight by the boat. Common Murres also appeared just outside the harbor, and I don’t think there was ever a time until we got back to the harbor when there were not some visible. They were both on the water and in flight, heading to or from the islands. Many were carrying small fish, visible in their beaks. A few Western Gulls and Brandt’s Cormorants were scattered along the route out to the islands. As we approached the islands all of these, other than the shearwaters, became more abundant, and they were joined by small numbers of Pelagic Cormorants, Rhinoceros Auklets, Pigeon Guillemots, and the first Tufted Puffin.

The Farallon Islands are jagged peaks of rock, uninhabited except for a few wildlife researchers. I have heard various values for the number of Common Murres breeding on them, but recent estimates seem to put it well over 100,000 birds and perhaps three times that. Cassin’s Auklets, Western Gulls, and Brandt’s Cormorants all number more than 10,000 and there are smaller numbers of Pigeon Guillemots, Rhinoceros Auklets, Tufted Puffins, Double-crested Cormorants, Pelagic Cormorants, and Ashy, Leach’s and Fork-tailed Storm-Petrels nesting. In the fog, the full effect of all those birds was not felt, but it was still substantial. The storm-petrels were presumably all hiding in their burrows or far out to sea – we never saw any. We also did not see many Cassin’s Auklets, and those we did see were mostly not right at the islands. The numbers of Common Murres were very impressive though. There were nesting areas that held tens of thousands of them peppering the slopes. Many more were in the waters around the islands. We spent a lot of time at one site, trying to confirm that a Brown Booby was hiding in the fog high on a cliff. That was confirmed, but I was more interested that many of the murres seemed curious about the stationary boat and swam right up to us. Pigeon Guillemots and Tufted Puffins were much less numerous and less curious, but excellent views of them were also had.

After visiting the islands we headed out further west, beyond the continental shelf and into deeper water. Out there we picked up Black-footed Albatross and my first Northern Fulmar, both of which came in close to the boat and allowed for excellent looks. It turned into a long afternoon of motoring fast and not seeing any new birds. We did encounter a few humpback whales, a Dall porpoise, and a blue shark. Coming back into the harbor we finally saw the first terns of the day, a few Caspians and Elegants, and on the breakwater Morris was roosting, giving us a nice finish to the trip.

This was another hot summer Saturday and Half Moon Bay is a popular destination for visitors from the bay side of the San Francisco Peninsula. Traffic was slow through the town. On the way home I treated myself and stopped for dinner at Duarte’s Tavern in Pescadero. I almost was too late; this is so small-town that even on Saturday they stop seating for dinner at 6:00 PM. The menu is seafood and burgers - not fancy, but all fresh well prepared. I had rockfish with fries and mixed vegetables. They are known for their pies, but I had olallieberry cobbler with ice cream for dessert. It was all very good and cost $48, not including tip.

And now the bad news. I realized some time ago that two species I have on my year list, Egyptian Goose and Swinhoe’s White-eye, are not accepted as having established populations in the state by the California Bird Records Committee. I have been including them because they both seem, from my own observations, to have large and growing populations in Southern California. The Committee is in a better position to judge, however. If I am going to have a list that means anything to anyone but me, I need to exclude them. So it was two new species today, Tufted Puffin and Northern Fulmar, but two species lost, and I am still at 349.
 

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11 July 2024

I began a trip to the Sierra Nevada Mountains and at least to the edge of the Great Basin today. It was a slow start. Family matters kept me in Hollister until late afternoon, and I only made it as far as Rocklin, just east of Sacramento, before stopping for the night. I stayed at the Comfort Inn in Rocklin; $129 for the night. If I want to nit-pick, I might complain that the WIFI was not the fastest. It was okay, and everything else was very good. The room was large, nicely furnished, had a good work desk, the bed was comfortable, all the amenities were there, the tv was large and had a good channel selection, even the breakfast was quite good – for an American hotel breakfast.

I did manage to pick-up a new bird. A Swainson’s Hawk flew by the highway south of Stockton, and I have finally reached a total of 350.



12 July 2024

Leaving Rocklin, I headed up I80 into the Sierra Nevada Mountains. I stopped at the Donner Summit Rest Area. Previously I have walked a nice little trail there, and I thought it would be a good place to start my mountain birding. Alas, the trail is now fenced off, and there is no birding to be had. The next two stops were a couple sites near Truckee where Clark’s Nutcracker has been recently reported. One site turned out to have a higher entry fee than I wanted to pay for a short visit, the other I could not find the access to at all.

I continued along I80 to CA89 north. I stopped at the Donner Party Picnic Area, about 3 miles (5 km) north of I80. It is not named for festive meals al fresco. The site is where part of the Donner Party, a group of immigrants from Illinois that was heading for California in 1846, got caught in an early snow storm and were stranded. They would be stuck there all winter and many of them died of cold or starvation. Survivors ate some of their dead. Presumably picnics there these days have more conventional fare. There is a short trail with signage that tells the story. I birded along the trail. Western Wood-Pewees were the most conspicuous birds. Many others present were also birds I have seen already this year, including Dark-eyed Junco, Song Sparrow, American Robin, Warbling Vireo, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Red Crossbill, Steller’s Jay, Mourning Dove, and Band-tailed Pigeon. There were a few new birds too: Mountain Chickadee, Cassin’s Finch, and Green-tailed Towhee. A Williamson’s Sapsucker was sweet to see here in its usual habitat, even though I did see one back in February in the Bay Area. eBird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S186880505.

Keeping north on CA89, I stopped several times along the Little Truckee River. There was an abundance of little white spots on streamside rocks that suggested it might have American Dippers in residence. During those stops I encountered an Osprey, some Red-breasted Sapsuckers, Pine Siskins, Western Tanagers, Common Ravens, Northern Flickers, and Common Mergansers, but the only small bird bobbing on rocks in the stream bed was a Spotted Sandpiper. I took a little side trip to a place called Kyburz Flat, another site where Clark’s Nutcrackers have been seen. I did not find any.

I stopped in Sierraville for a cold drink (it was 98F – 37C) then headed on into Sierra Valley. Sierra Valley is a large, flat, mostly treeless, plateau that sits at about 5000 ft (1500 m) elevation. Much of the valley is grassland or sagebrush scrub used for grazing, but it has some protected wetlands where several species breed that are rare as breeders elsewhere in California, including Sandhill Crane, Willet, Wilson’s Snipe, and Yellow-headed Blackbird. A recent report of a Yellow Rail seen there was particularly intriguing. I went to Marble Hot Springs Road, which passes through the best accessible wetlands. I started at the west end where there is a bit of sagebrush, and quickly saw Sage Thrasher, Vesper Sparrow, Brewer’s Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, and Western Meadowlark. Soon blackbirds appeared, first Red-winged, then Brewer’s, and then, in the wettest areas, Yellow-headed. In the wetlands White-faced Ibis, American Bittern, and Black-crowned Night Heron alternated flying around and cooling off in the water. Tending families were Cinnamon Teal, Pied-billed Grebe, and American Coot. An iron bridge crosses the largest channel. It is home to hundreds of Cliff Swallows, and these could be seen all over the area. They were joined by much smaller numbers of Barn, Tree, Bank, and Northern Rough-winged Swallows. Given the amount of seemingly suitable habitat, I was surprised at hearing only one short song from a Marsh Wren. At the east end of the road a Swainson’s Hawk perched on a telephone pole. eBird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S186880884.

After driving around unproductively for a while, I made my way to Loyalton. This town seems to be the best place in the valley for Black-billed Magpie. It took a bit of looking and another rehydration stop, but eventually I found one.

I had been told that due to a bicycling event, there was no accommodation to be found in the area at this time. I booked a hotel in Reno, Nevada, about 40 miles away. Unfortunately, the hotel was the Motel 6 on Wells Avenue. The contrast between this and the Comfort Inn in Rocklin, or the Motel 6 in San Diego, was extreme. The room was small – it did not have any kind of closet or anywhere you could hang up something. It had a little desk, but almost no other furniture except a small refrigerator and microwave. There was no counter in the bathroom where you could lay out your necessities. There was no shampoo. The bed was too soft. It was noisy. There was no breakfast. The tv was okay. The WIFI was poor. At $98/night, the room was no bargain.

Eight new species today: Mountain Chickadee, Cassin’s Finch, Green-tailed Towhee, Vesper Sparrow, Brewer’s Sparrow, Sage Thrasher, American Bittern, and Black-billed Magpie, and the total is up to 358.
 

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Thanks for the kind words Frank. I adjusted the autofocus settings on my camera and I think I am getting some better results. Same lens and same photographer, so improvement will be limited.

13 July 2024

I went back to Marble Hot Springs Road early this morning, curious how different it would be from the previous hot afternoon. Surprisingly, I saw fewer passerine species; I missed the rarer swallows and Sage Thrasher, but did add Horned Lark. The non-passerines more than made up for the loss of a few passerines; I had nine on the 12th and 19 on the 13th. Lost to the site list was Swainson’s Hawk, but added to it were Willet, Killdeer, Mallard, Redhead, Canada Goose, Sandhill Crane, Virginia Rail, Sora, Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk, and Short-eared Owl. For all of the species that I saw both days, I saw more individuals in the morning. This was most dramatic with Marsh Wrens; I saw one in the afternoon, about a dozen in the morning. The one Short-eared Owl and two Northern Harriers were harassing a coyote. A mammal that was much more numerous was a kind of vole – one rarely sees any, but in the morning at least a half-dozen scampered across the road in front of me. Sadly, no Yellow Rail was detected. The eBird checklist is here: https://ebird.org/checklist/S186881478.

Most of the rest of the birding day I spent at various sites with stands of willows looking for a Willow Flycatcher. I did not find one, or anything else new or particularly interesting.

No new species today, still at 358.
 

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14 July 2024

The day began well. Driving up through Sierra Valley I saw the distinct long, narrow-winged shapes of nighthawks flying overhead. I stopped the car, jumped out, and confirmed they had the white wing patches that would identify them as Common Nighthawks, the expected species here.

It was on up into the mountain forests. I went to Yuba Pass, at an elevation of 6701 ft (2942 m). The pass has a campground, a small meadow, and lots of tall conifers. My first reaction on arriving was “oh no”. The campground, an excellent birding site in the past, had been cleared of most of its large trees (many over 1 m in trunk diameter and over 50 m tall). I do not know why. Much of the timber was piled around. As I got to birding, I became somewhat mollified. One of the features of the site is that finches come to the side of the road to collect grit. That was still happening; there were Evening Grosbeaks, Cassin’s Finches, Pine Siskins, and even a Red Crossbill. Dark-eyed Juncos and Chipping Sparrows were around the edge of the parking lot. A Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Flickers, and Red-breasted Nuthatches called from the forest, and then some White-headed Woodpeckers worked around the forest edge. I walked out into the meadow and in the nearby trees and shrubby willows found Orange-crowned, Wilson’s, Hermit, and Yellow-rumped Warblers, Cassin’s and Warbling Vireos, Lincoln’s and loudly singing Fox Sparrows, Western Wood-Pewees and a Dusky Flycatcher, and Western Tanagers. A Swainson’s Thrush gave a couple songs, and some Hermit Thrushes outdid it with prolonged singing bouts. Ravens and Steller’s Jays called in the distance. It was at least most of the species that I would have expected here had the campground been intact. An eBird list is at this address: https://ebird.org/checklist/S187311850.

I drove Yuba Pass Road, a well graded gravel road, south from the pass for about a mile, then turned off on a dirt road with an arrow indicating it led to Lincoln Valley. I had been up this road once before, but not far. This time I took it the mile distance to what I presumed was Lincoln Valley. Along the way I stopped to photograph a lovely stand of columbine. As I was taking the pictures it occurred to me that this was a good hummingbird flower, and that this stand might be large enough to attract one. On cue, a little Calliope Hummingbird came for a quick sip, then was quickly off again. Lincoln Valley, when I reached it, turned out to be filled with a beautiful boggy meadow, covered in bright green grasses and rushes, where it was not covered in flowers. Many of the same birds as at the pass were there, and there were also White-crowned Sparrows – a different race than we have breeding down on the coast. A stop just beyond the end of the valley turned up a Mountain Quail calling from under a willow, and a Rufous Hummingbird guarding a patch of paintbrush.

Down the other side of Yuba Pass, Chapman’s Saddle Road has been recommended and I gave it a try. About a mile along there was a small burn scar. Black-backed Woodpeckers have a reputation of preferring such areas, though all the ones I have ever seen (which is a small number) have been in unburned forests. I gave it a search though, and after sorting through three or four White-headed Woodpeckers, did find a Black-backed. It was a good get; this is the hardest of the Sierra woodpeckers to find.

On down the road I stopped at Bassetts Station. This is known by birders for having hummingbird feeders that attract Calliope and other hummers. I did not see any today. I did have root beer float – what that involves I shall leave to the imaginations of non-American readers. It was good. The Yuba River is just across the road from the station, and a quick stop there revealed an American Dipper. It was too far upstream to attempt a photo, but it goes on the list.

Further down I came to Sierra City, an optimistically named small town, and my lodgings for the next two nights. The Buttes Resort consists of several small cabins, a rec room, and a deck overlooking the Yuba River. The cabin I rented was very small. There were some minor maintenance issues that should have been attended to. The bedroom was rather small. It had lots of tchotchkes, but not a lot of furniture. The bed was too soft for my liking. The tv was large with a good channel selection. The bathroom was tiny, but did have all the usual perks and a small cabinet over the sink where you could store things. The kitchen was adequate, with everything one was likely to need to fix a simple meal. Fitting two people around the table would have made a crowd, but the table did provide work space. The big drawback was that there was no air-conditioning. Even though the recent heat wave had abated, it was still uncomfortably warm.

I went owling in the evening, up Chapman Saddle Road, but with no joy. July is the worst time for this activity; I should have come a month (or more) ago.

It was six new species today, Common Nighthawk, White-headed Woodpecker, Black-backed Woodpecker, Calliope Hummingbird, American Dipper, and Evening Grosbeak. I have reached 364 for the year.
 

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15 July 2024

The plan today was to concentrate on a few species, particularly Sooty Grouse, Townsend’s Solitaire, and Pine Grosbeak. And if an American Goshawk should fly by, that would be okay. Pine Grosbeaks had been reported at Yuba Pass in the company of Red Crossbills. I decided to try to watch the roadside where finches were coming in for grit, and see if one would join the crowd there. I found a spot where I could park and see where the birds were coming-in and sat and watched to see what would show up. At a minimum there were Evening Grosbeaks, a Red Crossbill, Pine Siskins, a House Finch, and Cassin’s Finches. Possibly there were also Purple Finches. I took lots of photos and have spent hours over the last couple days trying to identify all of the raspberry-headed finches in them. I am sure some are Cassin’s Finches. There are not any that I am sure are Purple Finches, but there are many I am unsure about. The photos are too poor, some of the birds are molting, and some seem to have blunted their beaks, perhaps from pecking at pebbles too much. If anyone has any ideas from the photos I post, I would be glad to hear them. Other birds came to check out the happenings without going down to the road, including Hairy and White-headed Woodpeckers; Nashville, Wilson’s, and Orange-crowned Warblers; a Warbling Vireo; a Western Wood-Pewee; and a Dusky Flycatcher.

If I had come earlier in the summer, when the grouse were booming and the solitaires singing, neither species would be very hard to tally. (Though it would still be hard to see a Sooty Grouse. I have been in the mountains when they were doing their displays and even if you hear them they are remarkably hard to locate. I am not sure how females ever find males to mate.) Now the strategy to try for a grouse was to drive down a lonely byway early in the morning and hope to surprise one on the road. I chose the road to Lincoln Valley. It worked! A mile or so beyond the valley, there on the side of the road, was a Sooty Grouse. I took a few photos through the windshield before he wandered off to the side, then got out to try for some better ones. He flushed up into a nearby tree, where he was remarkably well camouflaged among the scaly-barked branches. More photos, not really better. Heading back down the road I stopped again at the Lincoln Valley meadow. In the top of a tree a silhouette looked like it should belong to a Townsend’s Solitaire – slim, long tailed, slender billed, properly postured. Eventually it flew and I saw the pale band across its wing that confirmed that it was indeed the sought-after solitaire.

To the north of Sierra City there are a group of small lakes, and that seemed as good as anywhere in the area to look for a Pine Grosbeak. This species is always rare in California; it is one of those birds that are lots of places but that you can never find. I visited several lovely lakes, went up a mountain and down to a waterfall, and never found one today. Or a goshawk. Birdwise, it was a quiet afternoon altogether.

Two new species on this day: Sooty Grouse and Townsend’s Solitaire; the total is 366.
 

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A quick question and I don't need a detailed answer, just a single number will do: in your estimation how many "nailed on" species have you got left to see? (I know perfectly well that there are no guarantees in wildlife watching!)

Still enjoying your accounts, including the accommodation reviews.

Cheers

John
 
A quick question and I don't need a detailed answer, just a single number will do: in your estimation how many "nailed on" species have you got left to see? (I know perfectly well that there are no guarantees in wildlife watching!)

Still enjoying your accounts, including the accommodation reviews.

Cheers

John
Hi John,

I should have said earlier that I am quite happy that you survived the two maniacs and even retained at least some interest in science. Long ago my Dad drug the family to an airshow in Farnboro. Hard to recall, but I think I enjoyed it.

As to your current question, it is hard to say. There is a whole spectrum of "near certain" to "if I am really lucky". I think there are about 10 more in the near certain category, not including the few I have recently seen and shall update upon soon. There are a lot in the rest of the spectrum.

Cheers, rkj
 
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An interesting report rkj, any Rosey Finches seen, as I’ve been to that part of the world many times (Oregon) and have failed to connect?

Cheers
Hi Ken,

Rosy-Finches are a pain in the year/location/life list. If one is willing to brave snowy, freezing, nasty, dangerous conditions, there are places where one can see lots of them in the winter, I am told. If one is willing to hike to remote locations at high elevations in the summer, there are places where you have a good chance of seeing them, so they say. If you are like me and you want to see Rosy-Finches in the summer without that much effort, as far as I know, in California, there is one other option. I shall soon be reporting on my experience there on 17 July.

Cheers, rkj
 
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16 July 2024

I went south today, to try to get some birds that are more easily found in the central Sierra Nevada and its east side than they are further north. I got a late start and it was a slow trip – many traffic delays. It was well into the afternoon by the time I arrived in Bridgeport, my home for the next two days.

One bird I hoped for was Plumbeous Vireo, and there was a report of one on Masonic Road just a few miles out of town. Bridgeport sits on the edge of a great green meadow that is surrounded by sagebrush, but heading up Masonic Road one is immediately into an extensive piñon pine-juniper woodland. It all looked quite similar, but the report said 1.15 miles up the road so I set my odometer and stopped when it reached 1.1 miles. I got out and walked up the road. It was probably about 1.2 miles when I saw a Mountain Chickadee a bit off the road to the north. I walked over that way and started pishing. The chickadee seemed uninterested, but a Plumbeous Vireo quickly took note. I kept pishing and it kept giving me the eye for several minutes. I suppose it would be boring if they were all this easy.

A little to the south is Bodie, an abandoned mining town, now a California state park. It is surrounded by sagebrush scrub and has long been known as a place to look for Greater Sage-Grouse. Closing time for the park was 6:00 PM, and it was after that when I started up the several mile long road to the park. I had hoped that by that time I might have the road to myself, but there were still a few cars coming down. I had just turned around at the entry kiosk when three big birds flushed from a nearby wet spot and flew up over a hill. Long graduated tails and black bellies, around here they could only have been Greater Sage-Grouse. I would love to have had better views, but at least I could add them to the year list. Driving back was fascinating and frustrating. By this time I did have the road to myself. I kept hoping for more Sage-Grouse, but none appeared. What did appear were scores and scores of small birds. Who knew that sagebrush scrub could hold so many? They were joined by many, many least chipmonks. I think they must all have been coming to the road to pick up bugs that had had fatal encounters with cars throughout the day. Sage Thrashers and a family of Rock Wrens were easy to identify; what was frustrating was that the rest of the birds were not. I was looking into the setting sun, so the light was bad. Many of the birds seemed to be juvenile sparrows, which are difficult under the best conditions. They all seemed to have learned that when a big scary thing (like a car) comes near a little bird should fly directly away and dive into a thick shrub. I am sure that some were Brewer’s Sparrows and some Vesper Sparrows, but most were mysteries. Further down, the road goes through a little canyon and more mixed habitats. There Mountain Bluebirds, Black-billed Magpies, and a trio of Common Nighthawks were all nice to see.

My hotel was the Redwood Motel in Bridgeport. It is an older building and could benefit from some renovation, particularly of the wall paper. My room was moderately sized, but not well designed; there was space in the bedroom, but the bathroom was cramped. The usual bath amenities were included, though the “shampoo-conditioner” did little in the way of conditioning my hair. The bed was good. The rest of the furniture was adequate. There was a small refrigerator and a microwave. The tv was small, but had a large channel selection. The WIFI connection kept cutting out. Not a bad place, but at close to $150/night, including fees and taxes, it was not a bargain. For a tourist town at the height of the season, I don’t know that it was really out of line either – gas here cost nearly twice what it cost 65 miles (110 km) away in Gardnerville, Nevada.

The Plumbeous Vireo and Greater Sage-Grouse made two new species today, and I am up to 368 species for the year.
 

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17 July 2024

This morning I went to Virginia Lakes, a region high on the east side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains just north of Yosemite National Park. There are several small lakes and a resort there. The resort has some bird feeders, and it is the only place I know of in California where one can reliably find Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches in the summer without a long hike at high altitude. When I arrived at the resort the cook was standing on a stair-landing by the feeders throwing slices of bread to three deer – all bucks in velvet. He went in after a bit, and the birds started arriving. The first were Cassin’s Finches, but they would soon be joined by Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches, Pine Siskins, Brewer’s Blackbirds, Mountain Chickadees, and White-crowned Sparrows. It is fun taking photos of birds at or near feeders, but it is hard to get pictures of them without bits of seed clinging to their bills. Chipmunks and ground squirrels joined in the feast.

It was a beautiful morning. I was not the only one who thought so; there were many people fishing in the lakes. They seemed to be having some success. An Osprey and Bald Eagle joined them in the pursuit, and at least the Osprey was also successful. There was a modest variety of birds, and they were mostly rather quiet. Many accounts of Clark’s Nutcrackers state that you are most likely to hear the birds before you see them, but that was not true at Virginia Lakes today. I saw two and I suspect they were feeding young at a nest – they kept returning to the same clump of trees. They never made a sound that I heard. Other birds included California Gull, Warbling Vireo, Common Raven, Steller’s Jay, House Wren, the Audubon’s form of Yellow-rumped Warbler, Green-tailed Towhee, the Oregon form of Dark-eyed Junco, and Brewer’s Sparrow. I was a bit surprised to see a family of Bushtits at this high elevation, but they too were there. I enjoyed the birds, and the scenery, and the abundant flowers, but eventually decided there was another bird I wanted to see today, and I was unlikely to see it at Virginia Lakes. Virginia Lakes checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S187795753.

Sagebrush Sparrows occur in the summer in California east of the central and northern Sierra Nevada Mountains, with a concentration of records in the Mono Lake area. Mono Lake is just east of Yosemite National Park. It is known to birders for its concentrations, at certain times of the year, of Eared Grebes and shorebirds, and its colonies of breeding California Gulls. All great stuff, but not what I was after today. I drove out Cemetery Road, just north of the lake and parked under a tree by the cemetery. I prepared for a hike in the desert, gooping-up with sunscreen, putting on my boots and hat, drinking lots of water and strapping on my water bottle, and headed across the road into the sagebrush. There was a Sagebrush Sparrow perching on a fence post about 10 meters away. It dove down into a bush and in about an hour of looking I never saw it or another again. Back to the hotel to process photos, write, and try to determine where to go next.

Three new birds: Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch, Clark’s Nutcracker, and Sagebrush Sparrow, rocketing the total to 371.
 

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18 July 2024

After going over my target bird list for this trip, I decided to go back home today. There are a dozen birds still on the list, but I still do not think it is worth prolonging the trip. Five of those are owls; they are just not calling now and for three of them my chances are as good much closer to home as they are in the Sierra. Three other species are just too rare to spend a lot of time searching for them: American Goshawk and Pine Grosbeak are surely in the forests, but I could spend months and not see one; White-tailed Ptarmigan has not been reported on eBird anywhere in California this year. Willow Flycatcher and Red-naped Sapsucker I have a good chance of seeing on the coast later in the year, during or after migration. That leaves Yellow Rail and Virginia’s Warbler. Having missed Yellow Rail in Sierra Valley, there may still be a chance for them at a site on the California-Oregon border. (Literally: it is on Stateline Road.) That is too far to go for one bird. I had not realized how rare Virginia’s Warbler is as a breeding species in California until I planned this trip. There are one or two places I could look for them, but they are distant, I am not familiar with the areas, and even in the right place I could easily miss them. They are occasional on the coast in migration, so I may have a chance for one later.

The drive home took me over the Sierra at Sonora Pass on CA108. I stopped several places along the way, just in case a Goshawk or Pine Grosbeak wanted to show itself, but none chose to. I did pick up a couple of second sightings. A Sooty Grouse crossed the road in front of me just as I was passing a Marine Corps training center. It was headed away from the Marines. Along a little creek an American Dipper flew downstream. It did not stop to be photographed, but a Spotted Sandpiper did, in a way that suggested it had a nest close by. I watched where I put my feet.

This trip covered 1418 miles which required about 40 gallons of gas. Gas prices were so variable I can’t begin to estimate what that cost. There were some annoying traffic delays, particularly on the last few days. Who would have guessed that this would be more of a problem in rural Northern California than it had been in the Southern California megalopolis? The hotels were mostly okay or better, the exception having been in Reno. They did generally cost more than I expected to have to pay. I prepared most of my meals myself in an effort to save some money – thus few eatery reviews. There were no unpleasant encounters with anyone along the way. The weather was good – it started hot but finished cooler and was never unbearable. I never saw more than a brief shower of rain. I picked up 22 species of birds for the year list. Of the birds missed, some of them I have a good chance of seeing later in the year as they migrate along or to the coast. I need to do better with the owls though. I shall have to put in some effort owling in the fall. Overall, I still think 400 birds in California is still a reasonable possibility for me this year, but it will take a good fall pelagic trip and a good fall vagrant season.

No new birds today, still on 371.
 

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25 July 2024

A report of a Pectoral Sandpiper had me heading down to Zmudowski State Beach again this morning. Pectoral, Baird’s, and Semipalmated form a trio of sandpipers that turn-up in Central California in small numbers in the fall. I could get them all, or miss them all. As usual, the birding as Zmudowski was excellent, but it did not include a Pectoral Sandpiper or either of the others. The eBird list is here: https://ebird.org/checklist/S189703743.

I moved on to the near-by Jetty Road at Moss Landing. Shorebird migration is beginning. The numbers are not large yet, but I did pick up two second-sightings for the year, Short-billed Dowitcher and Rudy Turnstone. eBird: https://ebird.org/checklist/S189704752.

Not thinking about what day it was, I stopped by Moonglow Dairy. When I saw work was underway at the usual parking spot, I did not stop. I did see enough though, to see that that the First Pond, the best part of the site, is nearly dry. Unless they start filling it fast, this is a blow to me, to other birders, and, of course, to the birds. It has been a magnet for rare birds in the past – on one occasion I had multiple Pectoral Sandpipers there and also the much rarer Sharp-tailed Sandpiper; I have had Semipalmated Sandpipers there several times.

No new birds today, still on 371.
 

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30 July 2024

I suppose, if you think about it, all the birds of the world, there are many that I was less likely to see in California this year. Most of them, really. But nowhere on any list, even the “if I am really lucky” ones in my head, was Slate-throated Redstart regarded as any kind of possibility. But on 29 July one was found in San Francisco, and today I went and had a look at it. Slate-throated Redstart is a bird of Mexico and points south. There are scattered records in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, but it is very rare even in those states. The San Francisco bird is the first record for California and about 750 miles (1200 km) from the next nearest known location. Finding the site, at a park in the south-west part of the city, was no problem. Once there, birders coming out let me know that the bird had been seen minutes before and gave me precise directions. About 25 birders lined a narrow dirt trail, peering into thick willows that lined a small lake. It was about 40 minutes before the bird put in another appearance. A few other birds were seen while waiting: Anna’s Hummingbirds, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Steller’s Jays, a Song Sparrow, a Western Flycatcher, and some rather friendly Wilson’s Warblers. The Slate-throated Redstart was not very friendly, but did give looks quite sufficient to establish its identity and to allow for some poor, but recognizable photos. It is a sharp looking little bird. The colors were not as bright as I had expected, but that was likely due to its being under dense cover on a typical overcast summer day in San Francisco and its being in molt. I watched for another 40 minutes or so, decided it was unlikely to come out for better looks with all these people around, and went on. The eBird list is here: https://ebird.org/checklist/S189705471.

I was hoping for a two redstart day, as an American Redstart had been seen recently not too far away. This is a species widespread across Canada and the Eastern United States and one of the more common vagrants to California. I went to the site and gave it an hour, but the bird did not appear. I stopped by Chrissy Field, a park on the north shore of the city where I once saw a Ruff, but today there were views of the Golden Gate and Alcatraz, but no rare birds.

A non-birding note, though perhaps of interest to the potential vacationer. The right-wing press likes to put down San Francisco at every opportunity. I do not visit it a lot, but when I do I always find a thriving, clean, safe city. It is probably not a good idea to leave your binoculars and cameras out on the seat of your parked car, but that is something I would avoid anywhere. Off the main throughfares there are a lot of stop signs you have to endure while driving.

Slate-throated Redstart is the one new bird today, and it raises the total to 372.
 

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1 August 2024

A report of a Semipalmated Sandpiper in Alviso, at the southern tip of San Francisco Bay, had me heading over there today. The bird had been seen in the late morning, so that is when I planned my arrival. One other birder was already there. He had not found the bird, but with lots of the very similar Western Sandpipers to sort through, the Semi might still have been there. There were also a few Least Sandpipers, adding to the confusion. The next two hours turned into a study of variation in the Western Sandpiper. Other birders arrived, some left, no one claimed a Semipalmated Sandpiper. Finally one birder was left looking at the birds. I had given up and was sitting in my car tallying-up, when one of the birders who had parked some distance away and headed off toward her car turned around and started trotting back. It took me a minute to realize that the remaining birder must have phoned her. I got out and went up to them. The Semi had been there, but was gone again I was told. Frankly, I thought it a bit suspicious. I did not know the guy, but in the three minutes when he was the only observer, the bird suddenly appeared and then disappeared again? We continued to look for another 20 minutes, but did not refind the bird. An eBird checklist may be examined at this site: https://ebird.org/checklist/S189938848.

I went to Vasona Lake County Park in Los Gatos. One bird that breeds in the area that I had so far missed was Vaux’s Swift. It is not something I ever particularly look for; if you do enough birding in the area, you are likely to encounter some somewhere. I had not encountered any anywhere yet this year. Vasona Lake has had several reports of them over the summer, so I decided to go there, find a bench with a view of the sky, and see what I might see. It was a warm summer afternoon and very pleasant in the park. Lots of kids were having fun with small water craft on the lake. There were Canada Geese, Mallards, Double-crested Cormorants, Pied-billed Grebes, and American Coots on the water. In the air there were a few Northern Rough-winged and Cliff Swallows. After about an hour, a pair of Barn Swallows joined them, and then a single Vaux’s Swift made a couple passes past my bench. Easy birding.

At home in the evening, checking my eBird alerts, I saw that a Semipalmated Sandpiper was reported at Alviso, shortly before the time I left there. I had not known the face, but the name of the observer was one I recognized from many listserver postings as a very experienced birder, and I recognized the excellent photos included with his eBird checklist as clearly those of a Semipalmated Sandpiper. I should have stayed longer.

One new species today, Vaux’s Swift. I am at 373.
 
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5 August 2024

With no reports of any birds that I need nearby, I went out looking on my own today. I visited several sites along the Santa Cruz and San Mateo County coasts. I saw lots of gulls roosting on beaches and lots of Brown Pelicans flying around, but I did not find any new birds for my year list or anything particularly unusual. I did not keep eBird lists at every stop, but here are those I did: San Lorenzo River Mouth https://ebird.org/checklist/S190593132, Corcoran Lagoon https://ebird.org/checklist/S190593504, Sturve Slough – Lee Road https://ebird.org/checklist/S190593867, Pajaro Dunes Shorebirds Pond https://ebird.org/checklist/S190594558, Younger Lagoon https://ebird.org/checklist/S190594968.
 

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9 August 2024

Again today I went searching for birds without having any known rarities to chase. This time I started in the north of Monterey County, back at Zmudowski State Beach. Water levels in the freshwater wetlands had dropped since my visit on 25 July, but there were still good marshy areas. The birds were largely the same, with lots of roosting California and Heermann’s Gulls. Last visit there were many juvenile Marsh Wrens, this visit it was lots of juvenile Common Yellowthroats. The biggest excitement was out at the mouth of the Pajaro River where a Pomarine Jaeger (a.k.a. pomarine skua) chased an Elegant Tern, giving me a new year bird. Here may be found an eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S190940690.

I stopped briefly at Jetty Road, but the tide was high and few birds were where they could be easily observed. I went into Castroville, the “artichoke center of the world,” for lunch. I did not have any artichokes; I had cod and chips at Phil’s Fish Market & Eatery, which was quite good. It was one of the few time I have had fish and chips where there was actually more fish than chips.

I went next to have a better look at Moonglow Dairy. The dairy, which sits just above Elkhorn Slough, has been a terrific birding site for many years. Two ponds there have attracted many rarities. There have been big changes there over the past few months. Most of the cattle are gone and many of the fences have been removed. The ponds are nearly dry. They are working to improve the saltwater wetlands along the shore of the slough; perhaps they will be better bird habitat eventually, but now they are just dry dusty fields. Bird numbers were down considerably. It did smell better. The few birds that I did see are recorded on this eBird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S190942122.

Further up Elkhorn Slough I stopped at Kirby Park. Tidal ponds there held some Least Sandpipers and Semipalmated Plovers, but I could not pick out anything uncommon.

The previous two days there have been reports of large numbers of Sooty Shearwaters off of the city of Santa Cruz in the late afternoons. I went to the harbor mouth, hoping the flocks would be there again. The numbers of Sooty Shearwaters on Monterey Bay can be staggering at times, a real wildlife spectacle. Today I saw many, many thousands – barely visible, way out on the horizon.

One new species today, Pomarine Jaeger, bringing the total up to 374.
 

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