From: Bruce M. Bowman To: Gary & Lisa Bowman Subject: California birding report Date: Mon, 30 Jun 1997 01:28:28 Hi, Gary & Lisa, Here's my California trip report. The guy who took me out birding was really great. Todd Newberry is his name. He's a Professor of Marine Biology at UC-Santa Cruz. He's probably the best ear birder I've ever come across. He picked me up at my motel near S.F. International at 6:00am on Thursday. We started birding at Stanford Arboretum but then drove down toward Monterey. We ended in Santa Cruz at 5:30pm, and he dropped me off at my motel there. He picked me up at my motel at 6:30am on Friday and we birded our way north, ending at S.F. International at 8:30pm. So we did 11 1/2 hours the first day and 14 hours the second day, including driving time. My flight was at 10:10pm. I got home at about 6:30am Michigan time. I couldn't sleep on the plane because my neck hurt however I tried to position myself. I got in some half-sleep. I went to bed at 7:00am, taking the phone off the hook first. I set the alarm for 1:00pm and got up feeling pretty good. Here's the list of all the places we hit. JUNE 26, 1997 -- THURSDAY Burlingame Stanford Arboretum Frenchman Park, Palo Alto Baylands Preserve US 101 S.Cruz to Monterey Elkhorn Slough Moss Landing Moon Glow Dairy Moss Landing, Jetty Road Moss Landing, Fish & Game Pinto Lk SP, Watsonville Santa Cruz Lighthouse Field St.Beach Long Marine Lab, Santa Cruz JUNE 27, 1997 -- FRIDAY Natural Bridges St. Beach Santa Cruz lighthouse Davenport Scott's Creek Big Basin; Rancho del Oso Ano Nuevo Pigeon Point Light House Bean Hollow State Beach Pescadero St. Beach Marsh Water Lane, Pescadero La Honda, Liz's house Monte Bello Preserve Shoreline Park, Palo Alto Here are my lists. The first below is the list of my 24 life ABA birds. That gets me to 401. The last life bird, #401, was really great--a plain old Grasshopper Sparrow. The second list shows the 101 birds that I had for the trip. Todd had a number of birds that I didn't get, so his total count was probably 110 or more. Ones I recall that he had are House Wren, Sooty Shearwater (poor look?), a distant dowitcher, Red-shouldered Hawk (heard--and so did I, but I didn't know the call--it wasn't the call that's on the tape I have in my car), Swainson's Thrush (didn't know the song), Warbling Vireo (didn't sound like the ones I know), Vaux's Swift (I think--heard only?), Pygmy Nuthatch, and White-crowned Sparrow (heard only?). We were very successful in finding the target birds. The only one we failed on was California Thrasher. We looked twice for it at the Stanford Arboretum. That was our first stop on Thursday and our last stop on Friday. (I failed on Crissal Thrasher in Arizona, too.) There was one other bird--a swan to the left as we were driving in to the Baylands parking lot. (At least I think this is where it was.) I didn't get a look on the way in (not even the color of its bill); I intended to look for it on the way out but forgot. I had unforgettable looks at some birds on those two days. Special ones include: (1) a Great Blue Heron standing among the eucalyptus trees at the Stanford Arboretum, (2) Tricolored Blackbirds just loving the unbelievable amount of manure at Moon Glow Dairy, (3) Heermann's Gulls (a beautiful bird, in my opinion), (4) at Rancho del Oso, the best imaginable look at a Wrentit, (5) three Black Oystercatchers (through Todd's Leica scope) at Pescadero State Beach, (6) an Orange-crowned Warbler at Water Lane, which showed me its crown and a great look, (7) a Wilson's Warbler at Water Lane that had the largest black cap I've ever seen, (8) the Grasshopper Sparrow at Monte Bello Preserve, a bird that was incredibly cooperative, singing nonstop while posing for minutes only 35(?) feet away while I watched to my heart's content, (9) a male Lazuli Bunting at Monte Bello, the brightest one I've ever seen, (10) a pair of Surf Scoters closeup at Shoreline Park, (11) 400 American Avocets all in a bunch at Shoreline Park, (12) as we walked at Shoreline Park, four sets of American Avocet chicks, each set younger than the one before and then an adult sitting on eggs!, and (13) Alcids--flying rocks, strange birds to a midwesterner. The most productive sites were Shoreline (29) Big Basin/Waddell Creek & Rancho del Oso (28) Pescadero (State Beach Marsh & Water Lane) (27) Moss Landing (Jetty Rd. and Fish & Game ponds) (26) Baylands (22) Stanford Arboretum (17) Incidentally, do you guys know why both editions of the NGS field guide have no range map for Black Oystercatcher? It's not an accidental bird in California. Bruce ABA LIFE BIRDS from CALIFORNIA TRIP Birding with Todd Newberry, Santa Cruz JUNE 26, 1997 to JUNE 27, 1997 First Sighting MO DA YR SPECIES LOCATION ... 06 26 97 Nuttall's Woodpecker Stanford Arboretum 06 26 97 California Towhee Stanford Arboretum 06 26 97 Allen's Hummingbird Stanford Arboretum 06 26 97 Chestnut-backed Chickadee Stanford Arboretum 06 26 97 Black-necked Stilt Baylands, Palo Alto 06 26 97 Long-billed Curlew Baylands, Palo Alto 06 26 97 Clapper Rail Baylands, Palo Alto 06 26 97 Western Gull Baylands, Palo Alto 06 26 97 California Gull Baylands, Palo Alto 06 26 97 White-tailed Kite Elkhorn Slough 06 26 97 Wrentit Elkhorn Slough 06 26 97 Tricolored Blackbird Moon Glow Dairy 06 26 97 Heermann's Gull Moss Landing, Jetty Road 06 26 97 Common Murre Moss Landing, Jetty Road 06 26 97 Snowy Plover Moss Landing, Fish & Game 06 26 97 Ross's Goose Pinto Lk SP, Watsonville 06 26 97 Pigeon Guillemot Lighthouse Field St.Beach 06 26 97 Brandt's Cormorant Lighthouse Field St.Beach 06 26 97 Pelagic Cormorant Lighthouse Field St.Beach 06 27 97 Red-throated Loon Santa Cruz lighthouse 06 27 97 Black Oystercatcher Davenport 06 27 97 Marbled Murrelet Davenport 06 27 97 Pacific-slope Flycatcher Big Basin; Rancho del Oso 06 27 97 Grasshopper Sparrow Monte Bello Preserve ============= Total = 401 ============= SIGHTINGS LIST from CALIFORNIA TRIP Birding with Todd Newberry, Santa Cruz JUNE 26, 1997 to JUNE 27, 1997 ** = life bird (ABA) First Sighting MO DA YR SPECIES LOCATION ---------- LOONS --------------------------------------------- 06 27 97 **Red-throated Loon Santa Cruz lighthouse 06 26 97 Common Loon Moon Glow Dairy ---------- GREBES -------------------------------------------- 06 26 97 Pied-billed Grebe Moss Landing, Jetty Road 06 26 97 Western Grebe Moon Glow Dairy ---------- PELICANS ------------------------------------------ 06 27 97 American White Pelican Shoreline Park, Palo Alto 06 26 97 Brown Pelican Elkhorn Slough ---------- CORMORANTS ---------------------------------------- 06 26 97 Double-crested Cormorant Pinto Lk SP, Watsonville 06 26 97 **Brandt's Cormorant Lighthouse Field St.Beach 06 26 97 **Pelagic Cormorant Lighthouse Field St.Beach ---------- BITTERNS and HERONS ------------------------------- 06 26 97 Great Blue Heron Stanford Arboretum 06 26 97 Great Egret Baylands Preserve 06 26 97 Snowy Egret Baylands Preserve 06 27 97 Black-crowned Night-Heron Shoreline Park, Palo Alto ---------- SWANS, GEESE, and DUCKS --------------------------- 06 26 97 **Ross's Goose Pinto Lk SP, Watsonville 06 26 97 Mallard Baylands Preserve 06 27 97 Northern Pintail Shoreline Park, Palo Alto 06 27 97 Cinnamon Teal Shoreline Park, Palo Alto 06 27 97 Northern Shoveler Shoreline Park, Palo Alto 06 27 97 Gadwall Shoreline Park, Palo Alto 06 27 97 Greater Scaup Shoreline Park, Palo Alto 06 27 97 Lesser Scaup Shoreline Park, Palo Alto 06 26 97 Surf Scoter Moss Landing, Jetty Road 06 27 97 Ruddy Duck Shoreline Park, Palo Alto ---------- AMERICAN VULTURES --------------------------------- 06 26 97 Turkey Vulture Moss Landing ---------- KITES, HAWKS, EAGLES, and ALLIES ------------------ 06 26 97 **White-tailed Kite Elkhorn Slough 06 27 97 Northern Harrier Bean Hollow State Beach 06 26 97 Red-tailed Hawk US 101 S.Cruz to Monterey ---------- PARTRIDGES, GROUSE, TURKEYS, and QUAIL ------------ 06 27 97 California Quail Water Lane, Pescadero ---------- RAILS, GALLINULES, and COOTS ---------------------- 06 26 97 **Clapper Rail Baylands Preserve 06 26 97 American Coot Baylands Preserve ---------- PLOVERS and LAPWINGS ------------------------------ 06 26 97 **Snowy Plover Moss Landing, Fish & Game 06 26 97 Semipalmated Plover Moss Landing, Fish & Game 06 26 97 Killdeer Baylands Preserve ---------- OYSTERCATCHERS ------------------------------------ 06 27 97 **Black Oystercatcher Davenport ---------- STILTS and AVOCETS -------------------------------- 06 26 97 **Black-necked Stilt Baylands Preserve 06 26 97 American Avocet Baylands Preserve ---------- SANDPIPERS, PHALAROPES, and ALLIES ---------------- 06 27 97 Greater Yellowlegs Shoreline Park, Palo Alto 06 26 97 Willet Baylands Preserve 06 26 97 **Long-billed Curlew Baylands Preserve 06 27 97 Marbled Godwit Pescadero St. Beach Marsh ---------- SKUAS, GULLS, TERNS, and SKIMMERS ----------------- 06 26 97 **Heermann's Gull Moss Landing, Jetty Road 06 27 97 Ring-billed Gull Shoreline Park, Palo Alto 06 26 97 **California Gull Baylands Preserve 06 26 97 **Western Gull Baylands Preserve 06 26 97 Caspian Tern Moon Glow Dairy 06 26 97 Forster's Tern Baylands Preserve ---------- AUKS, MURRES, and PUFFINS ------------------------- 06 26 97 **Common Murre Moss Landing, Jetty Road 06 26 97 **Pigeon Guillemot Lighthouse Field St.Beach 06 27 97 **Marbled Murrelet Davenport ---------- PIGEONS and DOVES --------------------------------- 06 26 97 Rock Dove Burlingame 06 27 97 Band-tailed Pigeon Big Basin; Rancho del Oso 06 26 97 Mourning Dove Stanford Arboretum ---------- SWIFTS -------------------------------------------- 06 27 97 White-throated Swift Big Basin; Rancho del Oso ---------- HUMMINGBIRDS -------------------------------------- 06 27 97 Anna's Hummingbird Big Basin; Rancho del Oso 06 26 97 **Allen's Hummingbird Stanford Arboretum ---------- WOODPECKERS and ALLIES ---------------------------- 06 26 97 Acorn Woodpecker Stanford Arboretum 06 26 97 **Nuttall's Woodpecker Stanford Arboretum 06 27 97 Downy Woodpecker Big Basin; Rancho del Oso 06 27 97 Hairy Woodpecker Big Basin; Rancho del Oso 06 27 97 Northern Flicker Big Basin; Rancho del Oso ---------- TYRANT FLYCATCHERS -------------------------------- 06 27 97 **Pacific-slope Flycatcher Big Basin; Rancho del Oso 06 26 97 Black Phoebe Stanford Arboretum ---------- SWALLOWS ------------------------------------------ 06 26 97 Tree Swallow Moon Glow Dairy 06 26 97 Violet-green Swallow Moon Glow Dairy 06 27 97 Bank Swallow Ano Nuevo 06 26 97 Cliff Swallow Baylands Preserve 06 26 97 Barn Swallow Baylands Preserve ---------- JAYS, MAGPIES, and CROWS -------------------------- 06 27 97 Steller's Jay Big Basin; Rancho del Oso 06 26 97 Western Scrub-Jay Stanford Arboretum 06 26 97 American Crow Baylands Preserve 06 27 97 Common Raven Big Basin; Rancho del Oso ---------- TITMICE ------------------------------------------- 06 26 97 **Chestnut-backed Chickadee Stanford Arboretum ---------- BUSHTITS ------------------------------------------ 06 26 97 Bushtit Stanford Arboretum ---------- WRENS --------------------------------------------- 06 26 97 Bewick's Wren Stanford Arboretum 06 26 97 Marsh Wren Baylands Preserve ---------- THRUSHES and WRENTIT ------------------------------ 06 26 97 American Robin Frenchman Park, Palo Alto 06 26 97 **Wrentit Elkhorn Slough ---------- MOCKINGBIRDS and THRASHERS-------------------- 06 26 97 Northern Mockingbird Stanford Arboretum ---------- SHRIKES ------------------------------------------- 06 26 97 Loggerhead Shrike Moss Landing, Fish & Game ---------- STARLINGS and ALLIES ------------------------------ 06 26 97 European Starling Stanford Arboretum ---------- VIREOS -------------------------------------------- 06 27 97 Hutton's Vireo Big Basin; Rancho del Oso ---------- WOOD-WARBLERS ------------------------------------- 06 27 97 Orange-crowned Warbler Water Lane, Pescadero 06 27 97 Black-throated Gray Warbler Monte Bello Preserve 06 27 97 Common Yellowthroat Water Lane, Pescadero 06 26 97 Hooded Warbler Stanford Arboretum 06 27 97 Wilson's Warbler Big Basin; Rancho del Oso ---------- TANAGERS, GROSBEAKS, BUNTINGS, SPARROWS ----------- 06 27 97 Black-headed Grosbeak Big Basin; Rancho del Oso 06 27 97 Lazuli Bunting Monte Bello Preserve 06 26 97 Spotted Towhee Stanford Arboretum 06 26 97 **California Towhee Stanford Arboretum 06 27 97 **Grasshopper Sparrow Monte Bello Preserve 06 26 97 Song Sparrow Baylands Preserve 06 27 97 Dark-eyed Junco Big Basin; Rancho del Oso ---------- BLACKBIRDS and ALLIES ----------------------------- 06 26 97 Red-winged Blackbird Moon Glow Dairy 06 26 97 **Tricolored Blackbird Moon Glow Dairy 06 26 97 Brewer's Blackbird Burlingame 06 26 97 Brown-headed Cowbird Stanford Arboretum ---------- FINCHES and ALLIES -------------------------------- 06 26 97 House Finch Burlingame 06 26 97 Lesser Goldfinch Moss Landing, Fish & Game 06 27 97 American Goldfinch Water Lane, Pescadero ---------- OLD WORLD SPARROWS -------------------------------- 06 26 97 House Sparrow Burlingame ============= Total = 101 =============