California, 2024 (3 Viewers)

[rkj]

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.

 

[Montereyman]

The Moondglow dairy is being shut down in response to concerns about pollution of Elkhorn Slough with the 1000 plus dairy cows when it was active over the past 50 years. The dairy was a 365 day operation and the owner was there or on call for calf deliveries 24 hours a day. I am sure he is looking forward to having a vacation.

 

[rkj]

The Moondglow dairy is being shut down in response to concerns about pollution of Elkhorn Slough with the 1000 plus dairy cows when it was active over the past 50 years. The dairy was a 365 day operation and the owner was there or on call for calf deliveries 24 hours a day. I am sure he is looking forward to having a vacation.

Thanks for the information. I can easily believe it was a significant source of pollution. I know that the owner was at one time a county commissioner (or had some such political office) - I wonder if that helped him to keep it going for so long. It will be interesting to see what happens to the birds there.

 

[rkj]

15 August 2024

Not much to report. The first half of August has been disappointing. In addition to the trips previously reported, I went down to the Santa Cruz and Northern Monterey County shorelines on the 13th and again today, with no new birds. What is most frustrating is that other birders have gone to the same places I have gone and seen birds I would have liked to seen. There have been Baird’s Sandpipers and Common Terns at multiple locations that I have visited, but I have missed them all. Sigh. Some eBird checklists (not all the places I visited): 13 August: San Lorenzo River Mouth https://ebird.org/checklist/S191857195, Corcoran Lagoon https://ebird.org/checklist/S191857397, Aptos Creek Mouth https://ebird.org/checklist/S191857622, Pajaro Dunes Shorebirds Pond https://ebird.org/checklist/S191857868 15 August: College Lake https://ebird.org/checklist/S191862766, Zmudowski State Beach https://ebird.org/checklist/S191863289.

 

[rkj]

16 August 2024

This started out as another day visiting coastal locations in Santa Cruz County, hoping to turn up a vagrant sandpiper or tern. A stop at the San Lorenzo River mouth found the gull flock far down the main beach and nothing that looked unusual among the birds. Next was Corcoran Lagoon, where I saw nothing I had not seen in visits earlier in the month. (If I seem to stop there a lot, it is because the site is small, easily surveyed, and has held Semipalmated Sandpiper, Baird’s Sandpiper, and Common Tern in the past.) I went north, up the Santa Cruz County coast and hit Waddell and Scott Creek Beaches. Nothing new. Back in the city of Santa Cruz, I walked the Moore Creek Trail at Natural Bridges State Beach. The trail goes through some low riparian vegetation and it was nice to do some birding under the willows, but again there was nothing new there or down on the beach.

Back in my car I checked the local birders’ listserver and there was a report of a Red-eyed Vireo at Corralitos Lagoon, a site about 15 miles away. Red-eyed Vireo is surprisingly uncommon as a vagrant in California, given its abundance and breeding range, which extends far to the west in northern forests. I can only recall having seen it once in the state. This is the kind of thing I need if I am going to make it to 400 species. Off I went. Corralitos Lagoon is now a marsh, the water having filled in over the years. It is in a little valley, about 3.5 miles from the coast. A surprising number of vagrant birds have been found in the trees along its south side; whether this is because of something intrinsically attractive about the site or just because lots of birders go there and so find them, I do not know. Arriving, I saw a group of birders clustered down the trail. I did not rush to join them as they were not all looking and pointing in the same direction, as birders do when they are on a rare bird. Soon they broke-up, but then one of the smaller groups began waving at the rest of them, and I did trot on down. The Red-eyed Vireo was singing from back in the trees. Over the next hour it moved around a good deal, often singing, sometimes not. I never got a really good look at it, but I managed some photos that, though poor, were good enough to show the distinguishing features. At times it associated with another vireo, but whether it was another Red-eyed, or a Warbling, or perhaps a hybrid, we could not tell.

Feeling optimistic, I returned to Corcoran Lagoon, but there was nothing new. eBird reports: Corcoran Lagoon (morning) https://ebird.org/checklist/S191943919, Waddell Beach: https://ebird.org/checklist/S191944740, Scott Creek Beach https://ebird.org/checklist/S191945221, Natural Bridges – Moore Creek Trail https://ebird.org/checklist/S191946192, Corralitos Lagoon: https://ebird.org/checklist/S191948053, Corocoran Lagoon (afternoon): https://ebird.org/checklist/S191948690.

One new bird today, Red-eyed Vireo, bringing the total to 375.

 

[rkj]

20 August 2024

Today I tried a couple coastal spots I have not visited in a while. The first was the Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge. This is at the mouth of the Salinas River, a little south of Moss Landing. It has some upland fields that are mostly covered in small shrubs, a beach, and a saline pond that floods on the highest tides then gradually evaporates down. A trail about a kilometer long leads through the fields, past the pond, and to the beach. The pond has hosted some rare birds in the past, but today there were few birds there and nothing unusual. eBird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S192478144.

The other spot was the Moss Landing Wildlife Area, which is a group of salt ponds just east of Jetty Road on the north side of Elkhorn Slough. The ponds can attract some shorebirds, particularly phalaropes, and the area is a major roosting site for pelicans, gulls, and terns. A short trail has two observation platforms that overlook the slough. I arrived at a high tide when there were lots of Brown Pelicans and California Gulls, but few terns or other birds. There were five Black Skimmers, which is always a good species to see around here. eBird: https://ebird.org/checklist/S192480834.

Later I stopped in again a Corcoran Lagoon, seeing nothing new. The report: https://ebird.org/checklist/S192481840.

No new birds today, still at 375 for the year.

 

[rkj]

24 August 2024

This morning I went back to Corcoran Lagoon. I had been there, for about the sixth time this month, two days before, and found nothing new, but then yesterday a Common Tern was seen there. Yesterday’s bird was there early in the morning, so that is when I arrived today. Early enough that the terns were all still out feeding somewhere. A few Caspian Terns started coming in a bit before 7:00 and the first Elegant Terns a bit later. Two Forester’s Terns arrived a little after that, but I never did see a Common Tern. So it goes sometimes. The eBird Checklist may be accessed here: https://ebird.org/checklist/S192637297.

I headed north to chase another species. Two Baird’s Sandpipers had been recorded at Pecsadero Marsh. Pescadero State Beach surrounds the mouth of Pescadero Creek. To the north of the creek mouth is a nice beach. South of the creek mouth is a nice rocky shore line. Up the creek are some fresh and brackish water wetlands, and there is a lagoon that fills with saltwater at high tides and has some associated saltwater marsh. It packs a diversity of habitats in a small space. I found a perch on a little ridge overlooking the saltwater lagoon and scoped it for small shorebirds. There were Killdeer, Semipalmated Plovers, Western Sandpipers and Least Sandpipers, but nothing that really looked like a Baird’s Sandpiper. On the other side of the ridge was a view over a brackish-water pond. There, near a couple more Semipalmated Plovers, was a sandpiper that looked good. It was about the same size as the plovers, had an elongated shape, a straight medium-length bill, and though the view was distant, seemed to have a uniformly scaly back. Then some Western Sandpipers flew into the same area, and seeing them next to the bird convinced me it was surely a Baird’s – it was just as a Baird’s should look compared to a Western. eBird: https://ebird.org/checklist/S192638322.

One new species today, Baird’s Sandpiper. My total is up to 376.

 

[rkj]

25 August 2024

It was one of those plans that just grew. I needed to go to Hollister. That was half way to Panoche Valley, where Chukar have been reported this summer. If I went that far, I could swing north to the wildlife areas in Merced County in the San Joaquin Valley. I was having little luck with shorebirds on the coast, maybe I could find some there. The Chukar reports were mainly in the late afternoon, so I decided to do the route in the other direction and head first to the Central Valley sites.

An early start got me to Los Banos Wildlife Area by 7:30 AM. This is a site about 4 miles north of the town of Los Banos run by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and managed for fishing and hunting. During the hunting season it is closed to those without the appropriate hunting permits, so it is not a place you can bird during the winter. And it turned out not to be a great place to bird in the summer, at least if you are looking for shorebirds. There were some lakes and canals with high water levels for fishing, but at this time of year there were no shallow water ponds with muddy borders that would appeal to sandpipers or plovers. There were a fair number of fishing birds, in the forms of egrets, herons, an Osprey, and a Belted Kingfisher. An elegant Swainson’s Hawk was nice to see. My eBird checklist is here: https://ebird.org/checklist/S192973878.

I drove about half-way up Santa Fe Grade next. This is a gravel road (newly graded, the best condition I have ever seen it) that is mostly lined on either side by hunt clubs. It can be very good for waterfowl and good for shorebirds in winter, but again the ponds were mostly dry now. There were a few wet spots with a few Least Sandpipers, Black-necked Stilts, and Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, but nothing I have not seen many times this year. The list I composed for eBird is at this web address: https://ebird.org/checklist/S192975164.

The nearby San Luis National Wildlife Refuge was next on my route. I had hoped to query the staff at the visitor center about possible locations for shorebirds, but, in a classic example of government serving the people, the visitor center was closed, as it is all weekends and holidays, just those times when people are most likely to visit. The Waterfowl Tour Route on the refuge was dry – no shorebirds here at all. A checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S192975476.

The visitor center may be at San Luis, but the real showcase of the local refuges is Merced National Wildlife Refuge. I thought it would surely have some habitat, even now. I was wrong. Twenty-seven Great Egrets roosting in a field (that should have been a pond) was the only sighting of interest. It is really surprising and rather disappointing that there is no shorebird habitat maintained on any of these refuges at this time, which is well into their migration season. eBird: https://ebird.org/checklist/S192975928.

I drove down toward Panoche Valley, in the foothills west of the San Joaquin Valley. I stopped briefly at Mercey Hot Springs, a little resort on the way, to enquire about birding there. This used to be a place where the birding was free and Long-eared Owls roosted in the trees – I stayed overnight there once and counted 24 flying out at dusk. Then Great Horned Owls arrived and the Long-eared Owls left. (A bit of local birding fame: some birders once met actress Daryl Hannah, who was staying at the resort, there. She is said to have been quite nice and interested in the owls.) The resort wanted $15 for a short visit, which I decided not to spend as I did not expect I would find any new birds. Or any celebrities. On up Little Panoche Road is a brief winding stretch known to birders as Shotgun Pass, which leads down into Panoche Valley. This was where the Chukar had been seen. Most recent reports had the Chukars present late in the afternoon. I had zipped through the reserves so quickly that I was now about two hours ahead of schedule. I walked down the pass and back up again, drove down into Panoche Valley, took a nap, drove back up, took another nap, listened to a baseball game on the radio, and finally heard a Chukar calling. The calling bird was perched sentinel-fashion on a rock outcrop above the pass. Getting it in the scope, I could see several other Chukars nearby. Other than some owls and perhaps some storm-petrels, this is the last locally breeding bird I had yet to see this year, so I was very glad to get it. A very short eBird list, covering just my last sojourn at Shotgun Pass: https://ebird.org/checklist/S192976485.

I made one final stop on the way in to Hollister, at Paicines Reservoir. The water level was unexpectedly high and there were lots of birds. You can only view the reservoir from a spot on the east side and at this time in the afternoon the reflection of the sunlight off the water made viewing less then optimal. There were a few sandpipers, all Least Sandpipers as far as I could tell. There were many ducks, Canada Geese, and American Coots, but I could not find anything new for my yearlist. What I did find is listed here: https://ebird.org/checklist/S192977483.

After a long day birding it was just one new species, Chukar, and the year list is up to 377.

 

[rkj]

30 August 2024

Yesterday I visited again some of the same places I have been visiting all month. I did get one new bird; a Parasitic Jaeger (or Arctic Skua, if you prefer) was chasing Elegant Terns at Aptos Creek Mouth.

One new species, Parasitic Jaeger, and it is number 378



31 August 2024

I did not visit Corcoran Lagoon yesterday, but others did and reported another Common Tern. That got me down there again this morning, and finally I saw it. The eBird checklist is here: https://ebird.org/checklist/S193468422. Later the Santa Cruz Bird Club held its annual pot-luck picnic. I am not much of a party person, but it was nice to talk to a few old friends. The pan of Susan’s Church Delights that I brought was a hit.

Two thirds of the way through the year, and it would seem like I have this thing in the bag since I am about 95% of the way to my goal and have four months to find 21 birds. I could get almost that many on one spectacular pelagic trip. I am signed up for a pelagic in about two weeks, but it is far more likely that I will get only a few new species on it – perhaps only one. There are still good chances for a few shorebirds, one or more owls, and several vagrant warblers. I should make it, but I shall also need a few unlikely things or another long trip to get to 400.

One more species today, Common Tern, and now I have 379 on the year list.

 

[rkj]

1 September 2024

Two reports got me headed down to the Monterey area today. One was of an American Golden-Plover at Asilomar, the other of a Yellow-throated Vireo at the Carmel River. I visited Asilomar in the winter, hoping to find a Ruddy Turnstone there. I never did, though I did see a Pacific Golden-Plover. In Northern California Black-bellied (Grey) Plovers are common, any golden-plover is rare. Of the golden-plovers, Pacific is more frequent than American and European is unrecorded. As I was arriving at the beach at Asilomar, one of the birders I had talked to at the picnic the day before was just leaving. He had not found the bird and was going to check some nearby roosts. I decided to check the beach anyway and was glad I did. There were several Black-bellied Plovers there, but the American stood out from them rather clearly. Even the silhouette at a distance looked slimmer, longer winged, and smaller headed. I had good looks before it flushed away far down the beach. Before leaving I paused to take some pictures of other birds on the rocks at the edge of the sand. This is one of those places where the birds are just tamer than usual and allow for better photos than I commonly manage. An eBird report may be viewed here: https://ebird.org/checklist/S193747216.

The stream bed of the lower section of the Carmel River is an excellent vagrant trap and I have seen many good birds over the years. It does, however, have a stream in it. The water level varies. There have been times when one could walk down it in sneakers and never get them wet; there are other times when one needs tall rubber boots if you want to keep your feet dry. Today you needed the wellies, and I had not brought mine. I decided to forego the search for the Yellow-throated Vireo.

I went instead to Laguna Grande Park. I had not looked at any recent reports or heard of any current rarities, but I like birding there. I did not find any rarities, though Merlin beguiled me with teasing claims of what it said it heard. If I could believe everything it said I could easily get to 400 species. My eBird checklist from the visit is here: https://ebird.org/checklist/S193748334.

As I thought about where to go next, it occurred to me that the Frog Pond Wetland Preserve was nearby and that it had the kind of habitat that might appeal to a Willow Flycatcher. The preserve is small and mostly covered in willows and alders, but with live oaks around the edges. One was there! A Willow Flycatcher was around the edge of the pond (not much water remained) foraging in and around small willow trees. It almost makes me think I have actually learned some things about birds over the years. Today it was moderately birdy, making for a pleasant walk even if I found no more vagrants. The eBird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S193750292.

Two new birds today (four in the last three days!), American Golden Plover and Willow Flycatcher, leaps me to 381 species for the year.

 

[Joe H]

Wow! Less than 20 to reach the magic 400 - certainly this is an amazing accomplishment regardless of the final tally. Thank you again for letting us "share" in the process. It's really interesting reading your trip reports.

 

[rkj]

Thanks Joe, I am glad you are enjoying the series and really appreciate the feedback.

 

[rkj]

4 September 2024

I went back to the Monterey area today, to have a search for the Yellow-throated Vireo and for a Pectoral Sandpiper that had been reported at Laguna Grande. I went to Laguna Grande first. There were lots of birds there, but no Pectoral Sandpiper or other rarity that I could find. The eBird checklist is similar to that for 1 September: https://ebird.org/checklist/S194327334.

This time I came prepared for wading and walked down the Carmel River the short distance to where the Yellow-throated Vireo had been seen. I spent about an hour and a half, but neither saw nor heard the bird. Reports I saw later suggested I should have come here first today – several people had seen it in the morning while I was at Laguna Grande. My list on eBird is here: https://ebird.org/checklist/S194329011.

No new birds, still at 381.

 

[rkj]

6 September 2024

Point Reyes juts out into the Pacific Ocean north of San Francisco. It is mostly enfolded within Point Reyes National Seashore, though there is a state park on its eastern side and cattle ranches within the Seashore. The western portions are mostly grassland, but there are scattered clumps of trees that birders have long known are excellent fall vagrant traps. There are also estuaries and lagoons that are excellent water bird habitat. My main goal today was to visit Abbotts Lagoon on the long shoreline that sweeps north-northeast from Point Reyes itself. The previous day there were reported to be Pectoral, Baird’s, and Semipalmated Sandpipers there along with a real treat, a Common Ringed Plover. That might not seem too exciting to Old World birders, but there are only a handful of previous records from California and it is not a species I have ever seen in North America.

Leaving home in the dark, I made it to the Abbotts Lagoon parking lot by 8:30 AM. Others were there before me and I met some who were coming back on the trail, which is about a mile (1.6 km), out to the lagoon. They assured me that the bird was still present and that there were several birders out there on the western shore who could point it out to me. When I got out there I could not see a single other birder. I began trudging through the sand around the north end of the lagoon and along the western side. I saw a few Semipalmated Plovers along the way and wondered how I was going to distinguish the Common Ringed from them. I had assumed I would see the two species side-by-side, but would I be able to identify it if I saw it on its own? Eventually I did encounter some birders, and they pointed out the bird to me. It was more distinctive than I had expected, with a noticeably bolder face pattern, wider breast band, and more orange legs. I had a great time out on the lagoon shore, sorting through all the shorebirds. I quickly saw a Baird’s Sandpiper, getting a much better view than I had had at Pescadero. Two Pectoral Sandpipers were quite confiding. Three Red Knots did not look red at all. There were also American Avocet, Marbled Godwit, Whimbrel, Short-billed Dowitcher, Black-bellied Plover, Snowy Plover, Western Sandpiper, and Least Sandpiper. At one point I was fairly sure I had a Semipalmated Sandpiper, but the look was brief and I could not nail down all of the distinguishing features before it flew. I spent a lot of time hoping to find it again, but never did. I lost track of time, and when I finally got back to my car was astonished that it was almost 2:00 in the afternoon. My eBird checklist for Abbotts Lagoon may be examined here: https://ebird.org/checklist/S194353346.

To try to get another sandpiper for my year list I went to Drake’s Beach, on the south shore of Point Reyes. This is where (perhaps) English privateer and slave trader Francis Drake stopped to refurbish his ship in 1579 and claim the land for Queen Elizabeth I - ignoring the claims that the native people had. I claimed a lot of Heermann’s Gulls on the beach, a lot of Surf Scoters just outside the surf, one each of Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, but not the Solitary Sandpiper that had been here the day before. I stopped at a couple of the vagrant landbird sites, but saw few birds of any sort at either. Drake’s Beach eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S194354517.

I drove along the coast back to San Francisco. It was beautiful with the late afternoon sunlight on the dramatic shore. If you are nervous about heights this is maybe a road you would want to drive south to north rather than the other way – the road is narrow, the cliffs steep on the west side of the road, and guard rails are often absent. I had made a list of several places to stop in San Francisco where vagrants had been seen, but with the lateness of the day I only tried one. The Gray Catbird did not meow or show itself to me.

Two new birds today: Common Ringed Plover and Pectoral Sandpiper, and the total has climbed to 383.

 

[foresttwitcher]

Congratulations on the Common Ringed Plover. Nice reminder of my afternoon at Abbott's Lagoon just over a year ago ... and the drive back to the Golden Gate Bridge.

 

[rkj]

7 September 2024

It turned out that while I was at Drake’s Beach unsuccessfully chasing a single Solitary Sandpiper, three were being seen in Watsonville, much closer to my home. A group of sloughs run through the City of Watsonville. These are variously dammed or allowed to flow slowly toward the coast according to some water management plan that is a mystery to me. Water levels have been very high all summer, but are dropping a bit now. Lowering levels can cause them to attract some birds. Walking trails along many parts of the sloughs allow for good access. The Solitary Sandpipers were on Sturve Slough, a little above Main Street. Today I went, the birds were still there, I took some pictures, and I added Solitary Sandpiper to my list. The eBird checklist is here: https://ebird.org/checklist/S194479780.

One new bird and I am up to 384.

 

[rkj]

9 September 2024

Chores around the house gave me a late start birding today. It was not until about 11:30 AM that I made it down to Bethany Curve. Bethany Curve is a narrow little park that follows a little creek four blocks up from the ocean on the west side of Santa Cruz. A great birder, Steve Gerow, lived near it for years and found a remarkable number of rare birds there. Steve passed away a few years ago, which was a great loss to the local birding community. Local birders still go to Bethany Curve in the fall and still find some vagrants. The Gerow Effect was missing today, however, and there were very few birds at all. An eBird list is here: https://ebird.org/checklist/S194663600.

After lunch I checked the local birders’ listserver and saw a report of a Rose-breasted Grosbeak at the UCSC Farm. That was close by, though by the time I worked out a parking permit (I am still not sure what it cost) it was nearly 2:00 PM when I got there. It was very birdy. A mixed flock of swallows and Vaux’s Swifts swooping around was a delight. Down among the flowers and vegetables were a variety of seed-eaters, including the largest number of Chipping Sparrows I have ever seen in one place in Santa Cruz County. I searched among them, hoping for a Clay-colored Sparrow, but failed to find one. As I was looking at sparrows a voice said “There is a grosbeak here.” I had not seen the other birder at all, but looking up I saw where he was looking, and quickly found the Rose-breasted Grosbeak. It did not linger to get its photo taken. I was particularly glad to finally see one; there have been many reports of them around the area all year long, but not until now was there one I could conveniently chase. For those who may be interested, an eBird checklist for the UCSC Farm may be found at this address: https://ebird.org/checklist/S194664593.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak was the one new species today; it is the 385th species on my year list.