The Reddish Egret found yesterday in Ellwood (west of Goleta in Santa
Barbara County) returned today and was watched for several hours this
morning at the location where it was first found. This is the mouth of the
creek that runs along the western edge of Sandpiper Golf Course. The bird
could be seen this morning from the beach, and not from the bridge 200
meters upstream. See my previous posting for directions.

Dave Compton
Santa Barbara


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hello California Birders.

I will be driving between Santa Rosa and L. Tahoe in a few weeks and
wonder if anyone knows of a location for Lawrence's Goldfinch along
the way. Will be at Tahoe with my wife for a few days of relaxation
and hope to find a calliope and a poorwill. Any ideas out there? Am
looking forward to birding California again!

John Carroll
reply: jcarroll@...

CALBIRDS folk,

A Reddish Egret (first Santa Barbara County record) was seen west of Goleta
today, at the mouth of Bell Creek. The bird circled high and flew north
northeast and out of sight before 4pm, but in case anyone's passing through
and wants to have a look, I'm passing along the relevant information.

The bird was a juvenile and could be seen well for much of the afternoon
from a bridge just west of Sandpiper golf course. To get to this area, exit
US 101 at Winchester Canyon Rd. and go to the south side of the freeway.
Just south of where Hollister crosses 101 is a road that goes west,
paralleling 101. Take this road, go past the entrance to the golf course,
and continue west. The bridge is just beyond the golf course. Park in the
public parking near the Baccara Resort, west of the bridge.

The bird was originally seen from the beach around noon by John Storrer. You
can walk to this area from the parking lot by walking to the beach and going
east to the creek mouth. By the time most birders got to the area this
afternoon, it was further upcreek and seen well from the bridge.

Dave Compton
Santa Barbara


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi Calbirders,

Please welcome Joe Morlan as the third moderator of Calbirds.


Good birding,
Steve <mailto:steve@...>, <mailto:mobile@...>
Co-listowner, Calbirds http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Calbirds

Steve Sosensky, photographer                        www.sosensky.com
10834 Blix Street #213                                  818-508-4946
Toluca Lake, CA 91602                      34*09'02" N, 118*22'47" W
AIM ID: SteveS310                   Yahoo Messenger ID: SteveSosensky
SoCal FRS: use channel 11 code 22

Kern County Birders, CALBIRDERS, County Listers:

On July 7, 2001, I joined John Trochet, Howard King, and Molly Pollock,
in counting birds in the South Fork Preserve along Sierra Way.  The
Red-eyed Vireo was a no show.  We counted Yellow-breasted Chats, Summer
Tanagers, and Black-headed Grosbeaks, Western Wood-pewee, a single
Brown-crested Flycatcher, and among the numerous Lazuli Buntings a
single Indigo Bunting showing no apparent hybridization.  In the creek
bed we did find some bear tracks. Outside of our own count area we did
find Rock Wren and Warbling Vireo.

At the official count gathering we learned of a single Black Swift found
at the Cane Creek Preserve, and American Bittern along the creek at the
eastern part of the main preserve, a Ring-billed Gull at the
south-eastern corner of Isabella Lake, and an Eastern Kingbird....yes,
an Eastern Kingbird.  I had reported finding two Eastern Kingbirds on
June 16, 2001 at the south portion of the South Fork Preserve.  The one
found on the official count was only about 1000 feet from where I had
found the two on June 16, 2001.  I have not heard whether the Eastern
Kingbird had been refound since then.  During the count gathering a male
Rufous Hummingbird showed up at one of the feeders, and a Yellow-billed
Cuckoo called several times.

After the count gathering I easily refound the American Bittern which I
needed for the county; I had already had Least Bittern for the county
from Prince's Pond which is the traditional location for this species.
I joined others in trying to refind the Eastern Kingbird, but none of us
succeeded in tracking down the kingbird within this large area.
Afterwards, I headed down old Paterson Road which parallels the south
side of the South Fork Preserve and State Route 178 from the preserve's
entrance to the west past the field where the Eastern Kingbird was found
just past the "No Overnight Camping" sign.  I followed this road to its
end at the east end of Isabella Lake.  Here I scoped the flock of about
30 California Gulls finding the Ring-billed Gull.  Overhead I found a
soaring Peregrine Falcon which was missed on the count.  In the snags
were about 30 Tricolored Blackbirds.

Then I headed up to to Greenhorn Park west via State Route 155 from the
town of Wolfford Heights (Southern California DeLorme, page 50, C2).  I
had learned from John Trochet that he had encountered some Cassin's
Vireos the evening before here at the campground.  Here there were
Western Tanagers, Band-tailed Pigeon, Rufous Hummingbird, Western
Wood-peewee, Mountian Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Golden-crowned
Kinglet, MacGillivray's Warbler (new county bird), and Purple Finch.
But Cassin's Vireos were nowhere to be found.  The short drive up to the
Shirley Meadows Ski Area provided little new in the range of species
selection.

The next morning I drove out to the Crane Brake Preserve which is 0.7
mile east of MP 66.0 on State Route 178 or at the eastern-most Joshua
Tree east of MP 66.0.  The entrance is at the north side of the road.
Be sure to take along your bug spray.  Here there were both Summer
Tanagers and Yellow-breasted Chats among other species.  There was no
sign of the Black Swift or for that matter any swift species at all.

Next I headed over to Cerro Coso College Campus in Ridgecrest (Southern
California DeLorme, page 52, D2).  From China Lake Blvd. near Walmart
head south on College Heights Blvd. to the campus.  There had been a
pair of Red Crossbills reported from here several weeks ago.  There was
no sign of the crossbills, but the eastern end of the parking lot had
Rufous Hummingbirds, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, and Verdin (new county
bird).

Check out the Kern River Preserve's web site at
http://www.kernriverpreserve.org/.

--
Mike Feighner, Livermore, CA, Alameda County

Inland County Birders, CALBIRDERS, County Listers:

On July 6, 2001 I birded parts San Bernardino County, and July 8/9,
2001, I birded parts of Riverside County.

Silver Lake (San Bernardino County, July 6, 2001) Southern California
DeLorme, page 95, B5:

Silver Lake is reached by taking State Route 138 east from I-15.

There were no real surprises here.  There were flying White-throated
Swifts around the I-15 overpass.  At the lake there were Great-tailed
Grackles, Western Kingbirds, and Purple Finches among the usual expected
species.

State Route 173, MP 14.83, San Bernardino County, Southern California
DeLorme, page 95, B6:

From the east end of Lake Arrowhead I headed north on State Route 173
where at MP 14.83 I found a family of Mountain Quail of two adults and
four young right in the middle of the road.

Then while passing Lake Gregory and all the way to Big Bear Lake I  ran
into a second day of heavy rain.  So, besides the weather there was
little to report.

Chino/Ontario Pond at Grove and Riverside (south of State Route 60,
Southern California DeLorme, page 95, D2):

I had first learned of this location from Jim Lomax's post to County
Listers.  Jim Lomax reported finding American Avocets there which I did
not need for the county and did not find there but did find 6
Black-necked Stilts there which I did need for the county.  There was
otherwise no shorebird activity.

Chino/Ontario Dairy Pond at Euclid and Bickmore (south of State Route
60, Southern California DeLorme, page 95, D2):

None of the shorebirds Jim Lomax had reported were still present
(Western Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, American Avocet, Long-billed
Dowitchers, Wilson's Phalaropes ,and Whimbrel).  All that remained were
Black-necked Stilts.  Time was now running out as I was to being at the
Kern River Preserve the following morning for the annual Summer Bird
Count.  So, I had to forfeit the drive to Prado Park from where Jim had
reported Bell's Vireo.

Hidden Valley Wildlife Area, Riverside County, July 8, 2001, Southern
California DeLorme, page 104, A4:

Hidden Valley Wildlife Area is not really "Hidden".  From State Route 91
in Riverside take the La Sierra Avenue exit north.  La Sierra Avenue
ends at Arlington.  Turn left here.  The entrance to the park is a short
distance after this on the right.

Howard King informed me that the Bell's Vireos he reported were near the
pond just east of horse trailer parking area.  By the time I arrived
here, it was much too windy for adequate birding.  I did find one
eclipsed-plumaged Wood Duck and a male Green-winged Teal on one of the
eastern ponds viewed from the overlook.  I opted to return the following
morning.  In the mean-time I headed over to Lake Perris State Recreation
Area.

Lake Perris State Recreation Area, Riverside County, Southern California
DeLorm, page 105, A6:

I primarily birded the north-east corner of the reservoir.  Among the
several Western Grebes I found a single Clark's Grebe.  Present were
Green Heron, Caspian Tern, Northern Rough winged Swallow, Western
Kingbird, Blue Grosbeak, and American Goldfinch.

Hidden Valley Wildlife Area, Riverside County, July 9, 2001, Southern
California DeLorme, page 104, A4:

The next morning I returned to Hidden Valley Wildlife Area.  The wind
had dispersed in the mean-time, and the birding had much improved.  I
began birding around the pond just east of the horse trailer parking
area.  Here I easily found Yellow-breasted Chat, Ash-thoated Flycatcher,
Western Kingbird, Western Bluebird, and American Goldfinch.  Missing
still were the Bell's Vireos.

On the way out I decided to try the pond which you normally access by
taking the first left when you enter the park from Arlington.  Here I
found many of the same birds plus three Bell's Vireos in a willow at the
east end of the pond.  I actually saw two of them but heard three.  Of
the two I did see, one was an adult, and the second one was an
immature.  For the record, there was one Brown-headed Cowbird at the
opposite west end of the pond.
--
Mike Feighner, Livermore, CA, Alameda County

Los Angeles County Birders, CALBIRDERS, County Listers:

Sorry for this belated report and for cross-posting, but there are those
who subscribe only to one of the three lists and not the other two.
CALBIRD now has already 215 members, far below the 420 I counted once at
its peak.

Hansen Dam 7-5-2001, see
http://www.sanfernandovalleyaudubon.org/sfvas/sfv_map.htm:

Here the singing Blue Grosbeaks and Yellow-breasted Chats were an easy
find.  I saw two Bell's Vireos but counted a total of 6 by sound in the
north-west corner of the pond.  There were a number of Great-tailed
Grackles, and to think that just a couple years ago I tried hard to find
a Great-tailed Grackle in Los Angeles County!  There was also one
Western Kingbird, one male Black-chinned Hummingbird, and a few Western
Bluebirds here.  The only Brown-headed Cowbirds I found here were the
ones in the traps.

San Gabriel Mountains, State Route 2:

I began the trip by purchasing my $5 pass at the Shell Station just
south I-210 at the south-west state of State Route 2.  If I hadn't had a
copy of ABA's Birding Guide to Southern California, I would not have
known the need to purchase a pass or where to purchase one.  Along
Highway 2 you will see many signs reminding you that you need to
purchase a pass, but strangely no sign tells to where to purchase a
pass.  An on-site self service pay station would be the preferred way.
For details see
http://www.r5.fs.fed.us/angeles/visitor/adventurepass/adventurepass.html.

First stop was at Switzer Picnic Area (MP 34.19....ABA Guide says MP
34.2).  Here I found Nuttall's Woodpecker, Western Wood-pewee,
Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Steller's Jay, Mountain Chickadee, one singing
Canyon Wren, Hutton's and Warbling Vireos, Yellow Warbler, Western
Tanager, Black-headed Grosbeak, and Purple Finch.

Colby Canyon Trail, MP 34.5:

Here the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher that Jim Lomax had reported earlier only
to County Listers were an immediate and easy find.  Also present were
Olived-sided Flycatcher, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Steller's Jay.  It
started raining here.  The rain followed me all the way to the summit of
Mount Wilson, and did not cease until I reached the Dawson Saddle at MP
69.5 (ABA Guide says MP 69.1).

Dawson Saddle MP 69.5, elevation 7, 901 feet:

There is a metal shed along the north side of the road.  Here a mixed
flock of Cassin's and Purple Finches foraged on the ground and there
were flying Violet-green Swallows overhead.  About 200 feet behind this
shed I found a single female Williamson's Woodpecker.  Along the south
side of the road I found two Hairy Woodpeckers and two White-headed
Woodpeckers.  Along the trail heading up the hill to the south a few
hundred feet to the east of the shed, I found Olive-sided Flycatcher,
Clark's Nutcracker, Mountain Chickadee, Pygmy Nuthatch, Western
Bluebird, Western Tanager, Green-tailed Towhee, and Chipping Sparrow.

Lancaster 15th Street West and H Avenue:

I learned of this location through Jim Lomax's post to County Listers.
None of the previously reported Western Sandpipers, American Avocets, or
Common Snipe Jim had reported were present.  What I did find however
were about 6 Black-necked Stilts, a flock of Red-winged Blackbirds
containing a single male Tricolored Blackbird, a single
female/immature-type Yellow-headed Blackbird, an eclipse-plumaged pair
of Cinnamon Teal, a male Black-chinned Hummingbird, and two Horned
Larks.

Lancaster north-east of State Route 14 and H Avenue:

There are two large ponds here (even shown in the Southern DeLorme Guide
page 79, C5).

Here there were a single Western Grebe, a single Great Egret, additional
Black-necked Stilts, another male Black-chinned Hummingbird, two Least
Sandpipers, and one Western Kingbird.  I would imagine shorebird
activity is on the increase by now.
--
Mike Feighner, Livermore, CA, Alameda County

It was pointed out to me by one of the CALBIRDS originators that ALL
of the many California regional birding lists hosted by Yahoo!Groups
have the feature that
    o all daily input is archived (copied to a permanent file)
    o such that, if you join one of the lists
    o and, set the "nomail" mode of operation (useful also for vacations)
you can then
    o receive NO daily mail messages
    o but, still read all the messages on that list (from the archives)
at a periodic rate (weekly? monthly?) that meets your needs.

By my count a few weeks back, there were aprx 18 regional CA lists
hosted by Yahoo, to which CALBIRDS has recently been added.  Some of
these have completely public archives that even a non-member can
read, others require that you become a (possibly NO-MAIL) member.
So, you have the possibility of finding out more than you probably
care to know about birding in California
    o AND get NO email AT ALL on a continuing basis.
You need only subscribe actively to ones for which you require
immediate access.

(It's probable that you'll have to register with Yahoo to obtain full
access to the complete range of mail list features.  I don't know
this for a fact, cause I joined them long ago for other reasons --
and am automatically accorded further access to stuff like this.)

It may be of interest to some that the BirdXXXX series of mail lists
has essentially the same features (archives, no-mail).  You can check
this out at
    <http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/index.html>
I don't think you have to be a "member" to read these archives.

For better birding --

Scott

P.S. You can find some/all of the CA county birding lists via Joe
Morlan's invaluable resource
    <http://fog.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~jmorlan/county.htm>
and/or via this site
    <http://www.geocities.com/steve_holzman/birding/camap.gif>
For the Yahoo!Groups collection, you'll need something like the
following URL with the last field made to match the "name" you found
on the Holzman map
    <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kerncobirding>
I'm pretty sure I've seen this map somewhere in a clickable form;
but, I've lost track of it.  Perhaps, somebody else can provide this?
It would appear to be a constructive addition to the CALBIRDS
supplementary files mentioned elsewhere.
--
Scott T. Spencer   aka stspencer@...
Menlo Park, CA     spouse: AWfolks@...

Hi Birders,

        I (John Green) am going on vacation.  E-mail reports to the Southeastern
California Rare Bird Alert from 7-16-01 through 8-9-01 should be sent to Jon
Ausubel at jausubel@...

     He will also be checking for reports at our phone RBA [(909) 793-5599] and
posting updates there.  NOTE...Jon will also be posting e-mail updates to the
Southeastern Ca RBA mailing list, BUT he may not post any weekly summaries to
Birdwest.  If you are not on the SE CA RBA mailing list, now would be a good
time to ask to be added if you want reports from our area during this time!

     The Southeastern CA RBA covers these inland Southern California counties:
San Bernardino, Riverside, Imperial, Inyo, and Southeastern Kern.

     After August 9th, e-mail reports should be sent to me as before.

Thank You,

John Green
Compiler of the Southeastern CA RBA
Riverside, CA
bewickwren@...

Ed,

Don't try telling that to another Cedar Waxwing that they sound that way.

Since I enjoy much of the music of ND, I can't be convinced that those
adjectives apply to him. either.

So, maybe it doesn't apply to either.  Personally, I like hearing both in
the appropriate places and times.

Lynea Hinchman
Michigan City, IN
canyonwren@...

Use Channel 11 subcode 22 in Indiana

----- Original Message -----
From: Ed Stonick <stonicks@...>
To: <CALBIRDS@yahoogroups.com>; Roger Higson <art.higson@...>
Sent: Thursday, July 12, 2001 12:00 PM
Subject: Re: [CALBIRDS] blythe birds


> Does the following apply to the Cedar Waxwing or to Neil Diamond!?  ;-)
>
> vocalisations, I feel safe in
> saying that I will offend none in the Cal Birding world, when I describe
it
> as " an atonal, simpering, repetitive, self indulgent, rehash of its last
> uninspired warbling"
>
> Regards,
> Ed
>
> [Ed Stonick]
> stonicks@...
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Roger Higson" <art.higson@...>
> To: <CALBIRDS@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2001 12:39 PM
> Subject: [CALBIRDS] blythe birds
>
>
> > greetings.Temps cooling, barely 109 at Noon. Thankfully the humidity is
> > dropping down to 65% and hopefully as these drop the acceptance of this
> new
> > format will rise.Nothing special Selasphorous Hummers are zipping
through,
> > and my out of place Waxwing continues. Apologies to Diamond fans who
> mailed
> > me! Yes " I AM I SAID" is a classic. Not many people sing to their
> > furniture.As my final input on Cedar Waxwing vocalisations, I feel safe
in
> > saying that I will offend none in the Cal Birding world, when I describe
> it
> > as " an atonal, simpering, repetitive, self indulgent, rehash of its
last
> > uninspired warbling"  A bit like "BABS"  roger higson
> art.higson@...
> > blythe
> >
> >
> > Unsubscribe: mailto:CALBIRDS-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
> > Website: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CALBIRDS
> >
> > For vacation suspension of mail go to the website. Click on Edit My
> Membership and set your mail option to No Email.
> >
> >
> > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
> >
> >
>
>
> Unsubscribe: mailto:CALBIRDS-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
> Website: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CALBIRDS
>
> For vacation suspension of mail go to the website. Click on Edit My
Membership and set your mail option to No Email.
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>

Does the following apply to the Cedar Waxwing or to Neil Diamond!?  ;-)

vocalisations, I feel safe in
saying that I will offend none in the Cal Birding world, when I describe it
as " an atonal, simpering, repetitive, self indulgent, rehash of its last
uninspired warbling"

Regards,
Ed

[Ed Stonick]
stonicks@...

----- Original Message -----
From: "Roger Higson" <art.higson@...>
To: <CALBIRDS@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2001 12:39 PM
Subject: [CALBIRDS] blythe birds


> greetings.Temps cooling, barely 109 at Noon. Thankfully the humidity is
> dropping down to 65% and hopefully as these drop the acceptance of this
new
> format will rise.Nothing special Selasphorous Hummers are zipping through,
> and my out of place Waxwing continues. Apologies to Diamond fans who
mailed
> me! Yes " I AM I SAID" is a classic. Not many people sing to their
> furniture.As my final input on Cedar Waxwing vocalisations, I feel safe in
> saying that I will offend none in the Cal Birding world, when I describe
it
> as " an atonal, simpering, repetitive, self indulgent, rehash of its last
> uninspired warbling"  A bit like "BABS"  roger higson
art.higson@...
> blythe
>
>
> Unsubscribe: mailto:CALBIRDS-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
> Website: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CALBIRDS
>
> For vacation suspension of mail go to the website. Click on Edit My
Membership and set your mail option to No Email.
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>

CalBirders,

Thanks to the contributions of Don Roberson, the California County
birding page has been updated with three new categories: Northern
California, Southern California and Statewide information and
statistics.

See: http://fog.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~jmorlan/county.htm

Suggestions for additions or improvements are always welcome.

The mystery photo from June remains unresolved and could use further
input.  Also there is still time to register your analysis, opinions,
and speculation on the May mystery bird.

See: http://fog.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~jmorlan/mysteries.htm

I have added a few new photographs to the CBRC web site including
pictures of the Pink-backed Pelican from the Farallons.

See: http://www.wfo-cbrc.org/cbrc/photos/index.html

Enjoy!

--
Joseph Morlan, Pacifica, CA 94044: mailto:jmorlan@...
California Birding, mystery birds: http://fog.ccsf.org/~jmorlan/
California Bird Records Committee: http://www.wfo-cbrc.org/cbrc/

Hi Calbirders,

I know the Greater Sandplover was measured for ID purposes, but I have been
wondering what happened to the feather that was gathered and was supposed to
be examined by a feather expert, then eventually make its way to a DNA
researcher.  How far did the feather make it?  Is it still being researched
or has it become a moot point?

Great birding and find that next lifer,

John  (One of Birders2)
John + Irma = 2, we are birders, too.

John C. LeVine  Birders2@...  Los Angeles, CA

-*-*-*-*-*--*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
"Whatever the reason for this particular bird's presence,
I am delighted to have (it) sharing our bit of earth."
-*-*-*-*-*--*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
From David Kline's "Scratching the Woodchuck - Nature on an Amish Farm"

greetings.Temps cooling, barely 109 at Noon. Thankfully the humidity is
dropping down to 65% and hopefully as these drop the acceptance of this new
format will rise.Nothing special Selasphorous Hummers are zipping through,
and my out of place Waxwing continues. Apologies to Diamond fans who mailed
me! Yes " I AM I SAID" is a classic. Not many people sing to their
furniture.As my final input on Cedar Waxwing vocalisations, I feel safe in
saying that I will offend none in the Cal Birding world, when I describe it
as " an atonal, simpering, repetitive, self indulgent, rehash of its last
uninspired warbling"  A bit like "BABS"  roger higson art.higson@...
blythe

If you only have one day in Monterey and are a beginner, take the birding
pelagic.  If you know your birds fairly well, the good whale trips offer
more times at less money.  You'll see lots of whales and 80 to 90% of the
species that you'd see on the birding trips for about 60% of the money.

Richard C. Carlson
Full Time Birder, Biker, Skier, Hiker
Part-time Economist
Palo Alto & Lake Tahoe, CA
rccarl@...
650-949-9590

greetings.My first submission. Nothing of any major import, but I have a
Cedar Waxwing in the local park which has been sitting in a tree all day ,
basicly making the same awful sound ! Is this a song ? Most of my available
literature does not hint as to their melodic nature, but then I know people
who like Neil DIamond ! Good luck with this venture . And may the nay-sayers
quit neighing. regards rh . Roger Higson . art.higson@... Blythe

I read with interest Ed Stonick's recent post about Northern
California pelagic trips, and I wanted to comment on the use of whale-
watching/fishing trips as substitutes for trips dedicated to birding.
I also wanted to comment on Ed's assertion that the pricing of these
trips is higher due to the fact that there is only one major tour
operator providing these trips.

Before I discuss the whale-watching/fishing trips vs. birding trips,
I'll disclose both my conflicts of interest and relative experience
with these different options. I've been on close to 200 pelagic
trips, mostly in CA and NC, but I have been out of over a dozen ports
in the US, as well as five continents. I am a frequent leader for
tour companies on both coasts, (including the company Ed refers
subtly to), and about 60% of my trips were free in exchange for my
leadership, the rest were as a paying customer, and I continue to pay
full fare for my wife. I've been out on well over a 20 whale-watching
trips on both coasts, and roughly the same number of fishing trips.
My conclusions are simple. I will always go on a birding trip as my
first choice, and here's why:

The primary purpose of a birding trip is to see birds, and the
captain, leaders, and participants are all focused to that end. Whale-
watching trips generally go to the closest whales, fishing trips to
the fish, and that may or may not be where the birding is best. Even
when you do see birds on whale-watching or fishing trips, the boat is
not going to stop for you to get a better look. On Monterey Bay,
murrelets are usually at the top of birders' most-wanted lists. On
bird trips, I have on numerous occasions had long, leisurely looks at
pairs of murrelets on the water at a distance of only a few yards. A
whale-watching/fishing boat is not going to spend ten or twenty
minutes doing that, at best you'll see them flying away, or get brief
views on the water as the boat goes by. The same holds true for
Monterey Bay's unique storm petrel rafts. Pelagic birding trips often
spend a substantial amount of time getting good looks at these
flocks, and searching for uncommon species amongst the Ashy and Black
Storm-petrels. A whale-watching/fishing trip will most likely not
even see a flock, and will most certainly not stop and carefully
search through them.

Chumming also makes a huge difference. The popcorn/fish/ cod liver
oil often used not only increases the chances of seeing rare or
uncommon species, but generally brings jaegers, shearwaters, and
albatrosses to the stern where they can be observed at closer range,
for a more extended period than would otherwise be possible.

Add those benefits with the, camaraderie of spending the day at sea
with like-minded birders, and the obvious benefits of having so many
well-trained eyes scanning the horizon, and the advantages of going
on a birding trip are clear. There are a number of other factors, but
in the interest of brevity, I'll not elaborate further, except to say
birding trips are also usually a great way to see whales, and I would
prefer to take a birding trip to do that as well. I've seen
spectacular whales in CA on birding trips, definitely the equal of
any whale watch tour I've been on.

I think the difference between a whale-watching/fishing trip and a
birding trip can be compared to the difference between taking a
professional birding tour as opposed to a cheaper generic tour. You
are going to pay more to go on the professional birding tour, but you
are going to see more, and see it better. For most birders, that is a
worthwhile investment.


As for the prices of California trips being too high, they are in
line with Gulf Stream trips out of NC, and Northern CA is a far more
expensive place. I live in LA and commute to Monterey, and I have
watched reasonable accommodation become increasingly difficult to
find. Fuel prices are at least 15% higher in CA, and the price to
charter boats has increased, partly because of increasing fuel
prices, and partly because of an increase in demand for whale-
watching and fishing trips.  The amount of work that goes into to
organizing and marketing 30+ boat trips a year is far greater than
the financial returns, and I suspect that is the real reason there
are not more tour operators out there.

Finally, let me add that all of my comments are my own, and are not
necessarily the opinion of any of the tour companies I lead for. And
lest I be flamed, I have nothing against whale-watching or Fishing
trips. I will continue to go on both, and always enjoy myself. My
only point is that trips dedicated to birding are far better choices
for birders.
Good seabirding!

Todd McGrath
Marina Del Rey CA
SKUA@...

I will be visiting FT Irwin for 4 days at the end of July.  I not be able to
travel far from main post.  Does anyone have any experience birding there?
Are there any particular places on post?  What species should I look for
this time of year?  I was there a couple of years ago and about all I found
were ravens.  Thanks!

Randy Rogers
Columbus, OH
_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com

>- RBA
>
>* California
>* Southern California BirdBox
>* July 9, 2001
>* CASO017.09
>
>- Birds mentioned
>
>Reddish Egret [Riverside]
>Red-eyed Vireo [Los Angeles]
>Northern Parula [Los Angeles]
>
>Least Tern [Riverside]
>
>- Transcript
>
>REDDISH EGRET
>An immature was at the Whitewater River mouth at the north end of the Salton
>Sea on 7/7 (CTL).
>
>This is a CBRC Review Species. Please send supporting information to Guy
>McCaskie (below).
>
>RED-EYED VIREO
>One was heard singing on 7/4 by KG along the Arroyo Seco above Pasadena,
>just beyond the intersection of the main trail and Brown Mtn. Rd. If looking
>for this bird, park at the north end of Windsor, reached by exiting the 210
>Fwy. at "Arroyo Blvd." and heading north. Arroyo becomes Windsor, and the
>lot is on the left. Walk up the trail (through the right-hand open gate) for
>about 1/2 mile.
>
>NORTHERN PARULA
>A singing male continued on 7/4 along the Arroyo Seco above Pasadena, just
>beyond the intersection of the main trail and Brown Mtn. Rd. (KG).
>
>LEAST TERN
>One was at the mouth of the Whitewater River on 7/7 (CTL).
>
>hotline: Southern CA BirdBox
>date: July 9, 2001
>number: (818) 952-5502
>to report: (818) 952-5502
>coverage: Southern CA, also Northern CA as merits
>compiled: July 9, 2001
>transcriber: Daniel S. Cooper, Audubon-California
>e-mail: dcooper1@...
>
>Observers: Kimball Garrett, Cin-Ty Lee
>
>California Bird Record Committee documentation should be sent to:
>
>         Guy McCaskie, Secretary
>         California Bird Records Committee
>         P. O. Box 275
>         Imperial Beach, CA 91933-0275
>
>- End transcript
>
>For BirdWest archives or to change your subscription options, go to
>http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdwest.html
>To contact a listowner, send a message to
>mailto:birdwest-request@...

>Hello,
>I have been a "backyard birder" for some time and can recognize most (but not
>all, especially differentiating the finches) of the birds that come along.
>How does one find a fellow "birder" to do day trips with? Any reference to
>lists or organizations would be appreciated. Thanks.
>Jen

To persist beyond what probably seems reasonable -- here's another idea

My wife (and I, of course) belongs to the American Birding Association

    <A HREF="http://www.americanbirding.org/">Click here</A>

out of Colorado Springs, CO - which publishes an annual directory
called "A Birder's Resource Guide".  It includes names & addresses of
(willing) members sorted out by state and first three digits of their
ZIP code, eg. mine is CA/940/Spencer.  If you're interested and will
supply me with the equivalent info for your area - I'll xerox a page
or two of our '01 Guide and send it along.  Presumably the people in
this book are at least moderately tolerant of calls from strangers
asking for area birding info.

I'd need your ZIP and a mailing address, right?  Looking that over
again, I see that what I really need is just a mailing address ;<}

Cheeps, Scott

P.S. Looking once more at my last two lines -- I conclude that in
this mailing list business, you want to be concise -- but not so
concise that you "damage the surroundings" or "hurt" one of your
email correspondents.  We're all in this birding biz for pleasure,
right??
--
Scott T. Spencer   aka stspencer@...
Menlo Park, CA     spouse: AWfolks@...

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi Jen,

I would suggest looking in your local newspaper for nature oriented filed trips
and attend them and find some other
bird, butterfly or flower lovers and see if you can get together and go out with
them.  Check out the clubs listing in
the paper and look fo the above oriented groups and don't forget photography
clubs - they usually have some bird
oriented folks.

Another option would be to check with your local Junior college, Senior college
and/or high school with adult education
programs.  Look for bird, california plants and animals, and similar classes and
take them (or arrange to go on their
field trips).

Check at any nature centers for groups or trips and attend them.

Also find out if there are any nesting, atlasing, banding or other bird projects
you could volunteer for by asking any
or all the above.

You are bound to meet bird oriented people there in any of these.

Also if you have a nearby bigger city, get involved and attend their Audubon
meetings.  I bet you meet some other people
who live near to you who also attend the meetings.
  It might even be worthwhile to run an ad in your local paper looking for like
oriented people and set up regular
meetings (at a safe public place/library, etc.) and field trips.

I would also try to get the beginning type birding magazines - Birder's Digest,
Wild Bird and Birder's World.

Well those are just some ideas.

Good Luck,

Bob Y. in Redding Calif.


JenC5@... wrote:

> Steve,
>
> One of the reasons I have not contributed actively to this list is that the
> tone, in the past, has quickly become rather nasty and to be truthful, I was
> rather intimidated. My question was not intended to solicit personal
> responses as far as particular groups, but rather general methods in which to
> solicit fellow birders (which I thought this list was intended for).
> Obviously, you disagree. In the future, I will refrain from taking an active
> part in this list (just in case the answer is available "somewhere" else).
> Thanks anyhow.
> Jen Castro
> Oak Glen, CA
>
> > Jen,
> >
> > It's no longer a suggestion, it's a rule. Every message you send to this
> > list must include your first and last names, your e-mail address, and your
> > city.
> >
> > The Inland Empire is a big place. I think you'll find you get answers
> > faster if you ask specific questions rather than general ones. You don't
> > need to include a street address, but a city is minimum acceptable.
> >
> > Also, please use the web site to do research before asking questions. This
> > list and its web site are still young, but if you go to the Bookmarks
> > section, then Audubon Chapters, then SoCal Audubon Chapters and clicked on
> > your county, you'll find San Bernardino Valley AS.
> >
> >
> > Good birding,
> > Steve <mailto:steve@...>, <mailto:mobile@...>
> > Co-listowner
> >
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
> Unsubscribe: mailto:CALBIRDS-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
> Website: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CALBIRDS
>
> For vacation suspension of mail go to the website. Click on Edit My Membership
and set your mail option to No Email.
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

Steve,

One of the reasons I have not contributed actively to this list is that the
tone, in the past, has quickly become rather nasty and to be truthful, I was
rather intimidated. My question was not intended to solicit personal
responses as far as particular groups, but rather general methods in which to
solicit fellow birders (which I thought this list was intended for).
Obviously, you disagree. In the future, I will refrain from taking an active
part in this list (just in case the answer is available "somewhere" else).
Thanks anyhow.
Jen Castro
Oak Glen, CA

> Jen,
>
> It's no longer a suggestion, it's a rule. Every message you send to this
> list must include your first and last names, your e-mail address, and your
> city.
>
> The Inland Empire is a big place. I think you'll find you get answers
> faster if you ask specific questions rather than general ones. You don't
> need to include a street address, but a city is minimum acceptable.
>
> Also, please use the web site to do research before asking questions. This
> list and its web site are still young, but if you go to the Bookmarks
> section, then Audubon Chapters, then SoCal Audubon Chapters and clicked on
> your county, you'll find San Bernardino Valley AS.
>
>
> Good birding,
> Steve <mailto:steve@...>, <mailto:mobile@...>
> Co-listowner
>




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Someone suggested including my location (which was a very good suggestion,
thanks). If anyone knows of a group in the Inland Empire, the information
would be appreciated. Thanks.
Jen


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

At 04:14 PM 2001-07-08 -0700, Hank & Priscilla Brodkin wrote:
>Jen -
>First of all I would suggest to you to send your message again with your
>location on it.  California is a pretty big place with many groups and
>clubs devoted to birding as well as special trips by parks, museums,
>etc. - most of which are free are especially friendly to new birders.
>Actually, Steve, location of the sender should be one of the "rules" for
>calbirds.

I agree, Hank. Thanks for the reminder. The following text has been added
to the group description:

A signature is required at the end of every message and must contain your
first and last names, your e-mail address, and your city.



Good birding,
Steve <mailto:steve@...>, <mailto:mobile@...>
Co-listowner

Steve Sosensky, photographer                        www.sosensky.com
10834 Blix Street #213                                  818-508-4946
Toluca Lake, CA 91602                      34*09'02" N, 118*22'47" W
Audubon in So. California                www.SoCalAudubon.org/socal/
San Fernando Valley AS       www.SanFernandoValleyAudubon.org/sfvas/
AIM ID: SteveS310                   Yahoo Messenger ID: SteveSosensky
SoCal FRS: use channel 11 code 22

>Hello,
>I have been a "backyard birder" for some time and can recognize most (but not
>all, especially differentiating the finches) of the birds that come along.
>How does one find a fellow "birder" to do day trips with? Any reference to
>lists or organizations would be appreciated. Thanks.
>Jen
>
I'd start by identifying just where you're located ;<}    Then,
likely prospects might have something to suggest.  An obvious
starting point to me is the fairly large number of Audobon local
groups in Calif.   If you're near one of them, attending a meeting is
a good place to begin.

If you're up to web browsing, here's the URL  of a ( Bay Area ) site
that has a lot of "starting points", including one to the the CA
Audobon clubs, I hope!!

It's at

    <A HREF="http://www.stanford.edu/~kendric/birds/">Birding URLs</A>

If by chance, you're in or near the San Francisco Bay Area - one of
Kendric's pointers gives some fellows complete summary of local
outings planned by a variety of types of groups (birds, flowers,
walking, ...)

    <A HREF="http://www.best.com/~folkbird/calendar/">Nature Activities</A>

HTH, Scott
--
Scott T. Spencer   aka stspencer@...
Menlo Park, CA     spouse: AWfolks@...

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

JenC5@... wrote:
>
> Hello,
> I have been a "backyard birder" for some time and can recognize most
> (but not
> all, especially differentiating the finches) of the birds that come
> along.
> How does one find a fellow "birder" to do day trips with? Any
> reference to
> lists or organizations would be appreciated. Thanks.
> Jen
>

Jen -
First of all I would suggest to you to send your message again with your
location on it.  California is a pretty big place with many groups and
clubs devoted to birding as well as special trips by parks, museums,
etc. - most of which are free are especially friendly to new birders.
Actually, Steve, location of the sender should be one of the "rules" for
calbirds.

--
	              Hank & Priscilla Brodkin
	           Carr Canyon, Cochise County, AZ
                    Send Mailto:hankb@...
              SouthEast Arizona Butterfly Association
           http://www.naba.org/chapters/nabasa/home.html
          "Butterflies of Arizona - a Photographic Guide"
     by Bob Stewart, Priscilla and Hank Brodkin - due September 2001
          http://www.naba.org/chapters/nabasa/book.html

Hello,
I have been a "backyard birder" for some time and can recognize most (but not
all, especially differentiating the finches) of the birds that come along.
How does one find a fellow "birder" to do day trips with? Any reference to
lists or organizations would be appreciated. Thanks.
Jen


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi Calbirdsers,

Welcome. Membership is already at 51 and growing rapidly.

I'm writing to invite you all to take advantage of the Files and Bookmarks
sections of the Calbirds website at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CALBIRDS

To get things started, I've added the following folders to Bookmarks:

Birding Classes
Birding e-mail lists
Checklists
Organizations
Reporting sightings
Tour Operators and Birding Guides
Where to Bird

In Files, I added three folders -

Directions
Photos
Videos


Feel free to ad your links, photos, and directions to these folders or add
other folders if you need to. Please follow the cautions in the folder
descriptions.


Good birding,
Steve <mailto:steve@...>, <mailto:mobile@...>
Co-listowner

Steve Sosensky, photographer                        www.sosensky.com
10834 Blix Street #213                                  818-508-4946
Toluca Lake, CA 91602                      34*09'02" N, 118*22'47" W
Audubon in So. California                www.SoCalAudubon.org/socal/
San Fernando Valley AS       www.SanFernandoValleyAudubon.org/sfvas/
AIM ID: SteveS310                   Yahoo Messenger ID: SteveSosensky
SoCal FRS: use channel 11 code 22

At 08:07 PM 2001-07-07 -0700, D. Heindel wrote on Calbird:

>Hi Calbirders,
>
>The new Yahoo Calbird rules are stated as:
>
>Banned topics are pet birds, virus warnings,
>
>commercial announcements or ads, and anything
>
>  not related to birdwatching in California. Reports
>
>  of rare birds anywhere in SoCal are welcome.
>  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>So it seems as an example, an announcement about Condor
>pelagic birding trips is not allowed, but rare bird reports
>from them are.  Is that the two-faced case?
>

Not at all. Announcements of pelagic trips, or reports from them, are not
only acceptable but desirable. You're also free to sell your old
binoculars, cameras, and bird books on Calbirds. On the other hand, we
won't take kindly to posting the LAAS Book Store Catalog complete with
prices or the forty parrots you're raising in the back yard.

These are the same policies that Calbird has. Use your common sense. If you
go too far, we'll let you know.


Good birding,
Steve <mailto:steve@...>, <mailto:mobile@...>

Steve Sosensky, photographer                        www.sosensky.com
10834 Blix Street #213                                  818-508-4946
Toluca Lake, CA 91602                      34*09'02" N, 118*22'47" W
Audubon in So. California                www.SoCalAudubon.org/socal/
San Fernando Valley AS       www.SanFernandoValleyAudubon.org/sfvas/
AIM ID: SteveS310                   Yahoo Messenger ID: SteveSosensky
SoCal FRS: use channel 11 code 22

The male Black-backed Oriole is still present in Smuggler's Gulch in
the Tijuana River Valley, off of Monument Rd. The bird was seen this
morning as I was trying to take pictures, but it stays in the very top
(s) of the Eucalyptus Trees.

From the Intersection of Monument Rd. & Hollister Rd. Head west on
Monument for about 150-200 yards, and the Gulch is on the left side
of the road before the road makes a hard right.

Look for Tamarisk and Eucalyptus Trees.

Good Luck,
Doug Aguillard
San Diego, CA
doug@...