Today, while leading my Palo Alto Baylands birding class on a fieldtrip
at Mitchell Canyon, Mt. Diablo State Park, Contra Costa County, I saw a
Catharus thrush that didn't fall into the Swainson's or Hermit box. It
was evenly reddish brown throughout the upperparts, lacking the Hermit
Thrush-type contrast between reddish uppertail coverts/base and the
brownish back and wings. It did not have a noticeable eyering. And the
breast had a buffy wash with no distinct spotting. I was not able to
get a photo of the bird. While I have never seen this species before,
my impression was that it was brighter rufous (more like eastern form
than western).

It was seen about 100 yds. beyond the #2 nature trail marker in a grove
of oaks through which the trails cuts, approx. 0.25 mi. from the
parking lot. The creek courses close to the trail at this point. There
is a large oak with a trunk that splits into 4-5 smaller trunks on the
creek side of the trail. One large branch arcs low over the ground
toward the creek. The bird was seen in this area and in the creek.
Observation was around 12:30p and only lasted about a minute. I got a
15 second look at its back when I approached the creek.

Other notable birds seen were up to 4 Bell's SAGE SPARROWS up the
second canyon to the right, several RUFOUS/ALLEN'S HUMMINGBIRDS, and a
light-morph SWAINSON'S HAWK, seen later, along Camino Diablo west of
Vargas Rd. We also saw a flock of about 150 TRICOLORED BLACKBIRDS near
cattle at the Y intersection of Marsh Creek Rd. and Camino Diablo.


Les
---
Les Chibana
BirdNUTZ(tm) - Ornigasmic Birding
Palo Alto Baylands Birding Classes
em <les@...>
web <http://www.birdnutz.com>
ph 650-949-4335
fx 650-949-4137
snailmail: SR2 Box 335, La Honda CA 94020

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

Monterey Seabirds will be venturing out on the bay on May 15. Last May
we were fortunate to see a pod of Killer Whales try to predate on a Gray
Whale calf,  our avian highlight was a FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER.  That
trip report can be viewed at
http://www.montereyseabirds.com/SeabirdTripReport040509.htm

The May 2003 trip featured 60 BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS.

Birds reported on the bay yesterday were MARBLED and ANCIENT MURRELETS
and 6 RED-NECKED GREBE. On the 29th, 8 Killer Whales were seen attacking
a Gray Whale.
The northward Gray Whale migration seems to be a bit behind schedule
this year. The BBC is tracking a mother Gray Whale and her calf from
Magdalena Bay. They had expected to be in Monterey by mid-April but now
it looks like they won' arrive unitl the first of May. We stand a very
good chance of seeing Killer Whales waiting for the Grays to cross over
the canyon near Moss Landing.

The Pt. Sur Clipper came out of dry dock this weekend with a new
propeller, engines and coat of paint so she'll be ship shape.

Don Roberson, Dan Singer,Todd Easterla and Richard Ternullo will be
spotting.
Cost is $80 per person. Go one 3 trips and the fourth is free.Details
and online registration are at http://www.montereyseabirds.com

Hope you can make it,
Roger Wolfe for Monterey Seabirds
Soquel, CA  USA

Greetings all...
Just recently taken an interest in bird watching as I've been noticing
several varieties of birds flying around my neighborhood & perching
around my home.
Just recently though, I've been noticing a particular variety of birds
in my neighborhood in Montebello. I'm pretty sure they are Northern
Mockingbirds as I've notice white stripes on the wings when extended
and  V type tail feathers.
http://www.bird-friends.com/BirdPage.php?name=Northern+Mockingbird
But what has really peaked my interest in the birds is the fact that a
pair of the birds have set up a nest in a small tree right next to my
home by my back patio door!! What's really made it more worthwhile is
the fact that the nesting pair has hatched a brood of two chicks. So
now I get to watch the pair fly in & out as they feed their two chicks
daily.
I did some quick research on the Net about the Northern Mockingbird
and have discovered that there is a rather short incubation period
once the eggs have been laid by the female and that the chicks usually
leave the nest about two weeks after they are hatched. What I'm
curious about though is, I thought it took longer than just two weeks
for the chicks to mature & leave the nest? Is it because of the size &
breed of the bird or do most bird chicks mature that quickly?? Tells
you how uneducated I am when it comes to our feathered friends. I
guess I'm gonna have to do some more research...
If anyone can advise, I'ld greatly appreciate it.
TIA
IdLaFie
....newly hatched birdwatcher

IdLaFie,

Incubation and nestling durations vary widely from one bird group to another. 
10-20 days, give or take, is broadly typical of each for most temperate-breeding
songbirds.  Some raptors may go as long as 18 weeks from laying to fledging. 
Precocial species such as ducks and chickens often leave the nest the day they
hatch, though they may return to it.  There are lots of books out there that
give a sense of the variation in bird breeding biologies.

Not to pretend I'm the list moderator or anything, but this sort of question may
be more appropriate for BIRDCHAT.

Welcome to the flock.

Ken Burton
McKinleyville
   ----- Original Message -----
   From: idlafie
   To: CALBIRDS@yahoogroups.com
   Sent: Sunday, May 01, 2005 2:36 PM
   Subject: [CALBIRDS] SoCal Northern Mockingbird question


   Greetings all...
   Just recently taken an interest in bird watching as I've been noticing
   several varieties of birds flying around my neighborhood & perching
   around my home.
   Just recently though, I've been noticing a particular variety of birds
   in my neighborhood in Montebello. I'm pretty sure they are Northern
   Mockingbirds as I've notice white stripes on the wings when extended
   and  V type tail feathers.
   http://www.bird-friends.com/BirdPage.php?name=Northern+Mockingbird
   But what has really peaked my interest in the birds is the fact that a
   pair of the birds have set up a nest in a small tree right next to my
   home by my back patio door!! What's really made it more worthwhile is
   the fact that the nesting pair has hatched a brood of two chicks. So
   now I get to watch the pair fly in & out as they feed their two chicks
   daily.
   I did some quick research on the Net about the Northern Mockingbird
   and have discovered that there is a rather short incubation period
   once the eggs have been laid by the female and that the chicks usually
   leave the nest about two weeks after they are hatched. What I'm
   curious about though is, I thought it took longer than just two weeks
   for the chicks to mature & leave the nest? Is it because of the size &
   breed of the bird or do most bird chicks mature that quickly?? Tells
   you how uneducated I am when it comes to our feathered friends. I
   guess I'm gonna have to do some more research...
   If anyone can advise, I'ld greatly appreciate it.
   TIA
   IdLaFie
   ....newly hatched birdwatcher








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

On the way back from the Kern Biofest, the group I led stopped by the
West Lake Farms ponds on Hwy 41 between Jersey Ave. & Kent Ave.  The
Franklin's Gull which was discovered by Jim Gain on Friday and again
this morning, was still present this afternoon.  After the majority of
my group headed for home, Dave Quady spotted a second Franklin's Gull
with a rosy blush across the chest which was not present in the first
gull.  Dave and I both viewed this gull with our scopes, and concluded
that it was a different individual than the other.  The first
Franklin's we spotted was on the pond along Kent Ave.  There was also
an alternate plumaged Bonaparte's Gull present in the area making it
easy to compare these two similar species.  The Franklin's with the
rosy blush was on the pond bordering Jersey Ave.

-- Gary

Sanger, Calif.

I placed a wallpaper-sized photo on the CV Big Year Photos webpage of the
Long-eared Owl we found last Saturday at Butterbredt Springs in Kern County.
It obviously was not in the Central Valley, but it turned out pretty nice so
I put it there to share.

http://www.stanislausbirds.org/BY2004/cvby-photos.htm





Enjoy!



Jim Gain

Modesto



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

Hey!

Well...they're not exactly Ivory-billeds but thanks to the enormous
response on our question for good stake-outs for Lewis's woodpeckers
we saw around four birds at the Del Puerto Canyon (Road), just within
1-2km (around 1 mile!) to the left on The Junction there!

Marvellous birds; two were continuously found in the same oak, just
on the road near a small grey shed -> around 1 mile to the south (San
Antonio Valley R.).

Thanks!

Also great -for us- were the Yellow-billed magpies with a much higher
pitched sounds then Pica pica from Europe. Two Lawrence's
goldfinches, our first Lazuli buntings.

At Pigeon Point Lighthouse we had around 20+ Marbled murrelets, best
seen few 100 meters N of the lighthouse in a small bay. Also two
Cassin's and few Rhino's. &tc!

Thanks again,

Herman & Tom.

Early Registration for the 2005 Cooper Ornithological has been extended 1
week. You can register at the lower rates until 9 May 2005! We have a
stimulating scientific program of more than 100 scientific presentations
including four plenary speakers, Ian Newton, Rocky Gutierrez, Dov Lank, and
John Goss-Custard and two symposia. To find out more, visit our website at:
http://www.humboldt.edu/cosmeet/


Reserve your campus lodging and dine on campus with conference participants
- a great way to connect with colleagues and meet new ones.  3-night
housing and meal package (including banquet ticket) is only $170 for single
room, $149 for a shared room!
http://www.humboldt.edu/~cosmeet/registration.html

For more information contact:
Luke George
Dept. Wildlife
Humboldt State University
tlg2@...
707.826.3430



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

Hi all,

Several new web pages are up on our website.  I am just now catching up on a
very busy winter!!  Pictures from the Salton Sea International Bird Festival
and the San Diego Bird Festival are now up as well as other Southern
California birding.

http://www.southwestbirders.com/


    (!__!)
    (0V0)      HAPPY BIRDING
    {}~~{}        BOB MILLER
=='''='''==
Southwest Birders
108 West I Street
Brawley, CA. 92227
Imperial County, CA
760-455-1413
http://www.southwestbirders.com <http://www.southwestbirders.com/>
bob.miller@...

Calbirders,

There was a report of a Gray Hawk on the Northern California BirdBox on
April 25 of this year and I was wondering if there were any photos
obtained.  Just curious.  Great bird!

Steve Abbott
Placerville, CA

Hi all

I'd be extremely grateful for any information you could provide on the
following in advance of a very brief trip to Southern California at the end
of August 2005 - going to a wedding in Vegas, and tagging on a few days
birding in SoCal afterwards!

1.  I was thinking of doing a day trip from Vegas to the Cima area to look
for Crissal, Bendire's and Le Conte's Thrashers, as well as Gilded Flicker,
Gray Vireo and Black-chinned Sparrow.  Is this still considered a good area
for these birds, and if so, are the best areas still as described in the
Harold Holt ABA guide, or are there better areas currently?

2.  Is Santa Anita Canyon still a good spot for Black Swift?  Any more
reliable sites near to Los Angeles?

3.  Is there anywhere particularly good for Lawrence's Goldfinches this
year?

4.  Which area of Salton Sea is currently considered most reliable for
Yellow-footed Gull in August?

5.  Any recommendations for reliable sites, between Salton Sea and Ventura
for the following species (all dipped on my previous visit to California!)

	 Grey Flycatcher
	 Brewer's Sparrow
	 Grey Vireo
	 Le Conte's Thrasher
	 Black-chinned Sparrow
	 Western Screech-Owl
	 Calliope Hummingbird
	 Costa's Hummingbird
	 Sage Thrasher
	 Williamson's Sapsucker
	 Flammulated Owl
	 Mountain Pygmy-Owl
	 Common Poorwill
	 Clark's Nutcracker
	 Cassin's Finch
	 Green-tailed Towhee
	 Lewis's Woodpecker
	 White-headed Woodpecker
	 California Spotted-Owl
	 Saw-whet Owl
	 Olive-sided Flycatcher
	 Cassin's Vireo
	 Bell's Sage Sparrow
	 Rufous-crowned Sparrow

As far as I can tell, the San Gabriel mountains seems like my best bet, but
any help in narrowing down the search area, or reliable alternative
locations would be extremely welcome!

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

Best wishes.

GRUFF DODD
Barri, Cymru/Wales
gruff@...

Dear Gruff,

Brad Schramm'[s edition of the Lane Guide is far updtaed, and more detailed. 
Lots of good info there.
Santa Anita Canyon will be a problem for the next 18 months or what have you,
due to the extensive rockslides in our Southern California mountains caused by
the record rainfall.  Many of my (and others') favorite hiking or birding trails
have disappeared without a trace.  Work is being done to replace these trails,
but this is the year when I an other will not be able to get a bunch of species
at the usual easy locations.  I am going to take a look at the Santa Anita
Canyon area in the near future, to see how much progress is being made.  The
nearest Black Swifts that you can reliably get to may be at Monkeyface Falls,
San Bernardino County (immediately east of LA).  Also good is the Kern River in
Kern County.  Bob Barnes or Michael McQuery or somebody could give you
specifics.
There are multiple reliable locations for Lawrence's Goldinches, so the trick
will be to chose the one closest to your other birds.  Listmembers can help you
decide.
There are 2 birders who live near Santa Anita Canyon who may know more, but they
travel a lot, so who knows when and if they will be checking their emails...

>From: Gruff Dodd <gruff@...>
>Date: Wed May 04 14:45:13 CDT 2005
>To: CALBIRDS@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: [CALBIRDS] RFI: SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

>Hi all
>
>I'd be extremely grateful for any information you could provide on the
>following in advance of a very brief trip to Southern California at the end
>of August 2005 - going to a wedding in Vegas, and tagging on a few days
>birding in SoCal afterwards!
>
>1.  I was thinking of doing a day trip from Vegas to the Cima area to look
>for Crissal, Bendire's and Le Conte's Thrashers, as well as Gilded Flicker,
>Gray Vireo and Black-chinned Sparrow.  Is this still considered a good area
>for these birds, and if so, are the best areas still as described in the
>Harold Holt ABA guide, or are there better areas currently?
>
>2.  Is Santa Anita Canyon still a good spot for Black Swift?  Any more
>reliable sites near to Los Angeles?
>
>3.  Is there anywhere particularly good for Lawrence's Goldfinches this
>year?
>
>4.  Which area of Salton Sea is currently considered most reliable for
>Yellow-footed Gull in August?
>
>5.  Any recommendations for reliable sites, between Salton Sea and Ventura
>for the following species (all dipped on my previous visit to California!)
>
> Grey Flycatcher
> Brewer's Sparrow
> Grey Vireo
> Le Conte's Thrasher
> Black-chinned Sparrow
> Western Screech-Owl
> Calliope Hummingbird
> Costa's Hummingbird
> Sage Thrasher
> Williamson's Sapsucker
> Flammulated Owl
> Mountain Pygmy-Owl
> Common Poorwill
> Clark's Nutcracker
> Cassin's Finch
> Green-tailed Towhee
> Lewis's Woodpecker
> White-headed Woodpecker
> California Spotted-Owl
> Saw-whet Owl
> Olive-sided Flycatcher
> Cassin's Vireo
> Bell's Sage Sparrow
> Rufous-crowned Sparrow
>
>As far as I can tell, the San Gabriel mountains seems like my best bet, but
>any help in narrowing down the search area, or reliable alternative
>locations would be extremely welcome!
>
>Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.
>
>Best wishes.
>
>GRUFF DODD
>Barri, Cymru/Wales
>gruff@...
>
>
>
>
>
>Unsubscribe: mailto:CALBIRDS-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>Website: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CALBIRDS
>Listowners: mailto:CALBIRDS-owner@yahoogroups.com
>
>For vacation suspension of mail go to the website. Click on Edit My Membership
and set your mail option to No Email. Or, send a blank email to these addresses:
>Turn off email delivery: mailto:CALBIRDS-nomail@yahoogroups.com
>Resume email delivery: mailto:CALBIRDS-normal@yahoogroups.com
>
>
>Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>

This is very interesting!
Why do the people at the forest service office keep saying that "this is closed
until May 2006" and "that is closed until December 2005"???
I said what I said based on them telling me flat out that these roads are
closed, gne, destroyed...
Tom

~
>From: Nick_&_Mary Freeman <mnfreeman@...>
>Date: Thu May 05 08:45:54 CDT 2005
>To: Thomas Miko <thomas.miko@...>
>Cc: gruff@...
>Subject: Re: [CALBIRDS] RFI: SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

>Tom
>
>Santa Anita Avenue is open to Chantry Flats; the way in to Santa Anita
>Canyon.  My co-worker was there this past Monday.  She didn't go into the
>canyon to the falls.  She said Heninger Flats (I'm not really familiar where
>it's at honestly) was still closed.  So no doom and gloom of extensive
>rockslides like you've described in your Calbirds posting at least on the
>road up.  No report on the Gabrielino trail though which goes down into the
>canyon.
>
>See ya!
>
>Mary

http://www.bigsantaanitacanyon.com/trail/roadconditions.htm



Roger Cobb

Santa Monica, CA



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

http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/angeles/conditions/conditions-road.shtml



Roger Cobb

Santa Monica, CA



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

It has not escaped my attention that some birders on the Web seem to
have no idea of how or why the birding world exists as it does today.
With this shiny new toy that lets you ask any question and get an
instant response, there often seems little acknowledgement of the
decades of work and exploration that went before. Perhaps it would be
appropriate to have some birding history available on the Web.

A year ago, I started a project to create a birding history and
chronology of the “golden years” in California between 1965 and 1989:
before the Internet, before cell phones, before BirdBoxes; before the
Sibley guide and CDs. Everything that we know today is based on the
knowledge discovered and passed down by those who went before. It is
right and proper than we give credit to those pioneers. It was also a
very exciting time of discoveries: when something truly new could be
right around the next bush.

It has been a year in the making, but my history of the birding world in
that quarter-century is now available. The project grew to over 50 web
pages, and includes a three-part chronology on the ‘60s, 70s, and ‘80s,
as well as a gallery of the “top 40 birders” from those years. There are
side pages and explanations to explore here and there, there are
individual birding biographies of those “top 40,” and more.  All of the
pages focus on 1965-1989: they intentionally do not cover recent events
in any detail.  Read the “fine print” and the introductory material for
more details. Also many thanks to those that contributed photos or
stories or reviewed early drafts.

You will not read all these pages at once.  It has turned into a web
book.  But it starts at
http://montereybay.com/creagrus/CAwhoswhointro.html

Don Roberson
[who, oddly enough, has a history degree . . . ‘twas about time it was
used]

P.S.  Some reviewers of the draft pages suggested that I collect,
collate, and publish short stories or reminiscences of others from this
period in history. If those do come my way, I may create an additional
page.  As always, please send me corrections or errors that you find.
There will surely be some mistakes here -- as in any written history.
And please remember that is just one person’s view of history. Comments
welcome.

Today (May 6, 2005) Rich Stallcup relocated the Crested Caracara in
the Pt. Reyes National Seashore.  He first spotted it at the Mendoza
(B) Ranch "schoolhouse" buildings.  It was spooked by an eagle and
flew towards the ocean.  Rich last saw it in the dunes there in the
early to mid-afternoon.

This evening Cindy and I went out after work, arriving at 6:45pm and
Cindy soon found the bird sitting on the ground amongst the yellow
bush lupines in the dune area well out towards the ocean.  It also
spent time walking along a couple of the small ridges.  This area is
viewable from the road as it starts to climb up from the Mendoza area
towards Nunez (A) ranch at the sharp curve.  There is a wide pull-out
for parking at this spot.  We appreciate that Mark Butler and Mary
Anne Rotella stopped to share their scope.  I got some VERY blurry
video.

The Crested Caracara was first sighted by David Appleton, visiting
from the UK, on May 3 in the morning.

Les & Cindy Lieurance
San Francisco

Greetings All

I'm new to the group, and relatively new to the state.  I have a
friend from Spain who will be visiting later this month for five days
of birding, one of which we've already scheduled a pelagic trip for.
He's given me a short list of species he'd like to see in order to
fill in some of the gaps in his California/US list.

Can anyone provide me with the names of a few locations where we
would have good chances to see the birds on his list?  Some of my co-
workers have already recommended Diablo Canyon and Pinnacles National
Monument as possible spots that are relatively near Los Banos (Los
Banos is south of Modesto).  We are willing, and intend, to travel
overnight to other spots as well, and places where it would be
possible to car/tent camp would be ideal, such as state parks,
national forests, etc.

His list follows, and I thank anyone who can provide me with any
assistance with finding good spots.

prairie falcon, mountain quail, spotted owl, northern saw-whet owl,
black swift, Costa's hummingbird, Allen's hummingbird, white-headed
woodpecker, black-backed woodpecker, Nuttal's woodpecker, Pinyon jay,
Le Conte's thrasher, California thrasher, gray vireo, Scott's oriole,
Lawrence's goldfinch, pine grosbeak, rosy finch, Cassin's finch

In May of 2003 Cliff Hawley saw and videotaped a female Hooded Merganser
with chicks on the Sun City Lincoln Hills property just east of Lincoln in
Placer County. I submitted this record to NA Birds at the time, but Cliff was
unable to download the video so it had no associated documentation. In the last
few days I learned that a Lincoln Hills resident had seen evidence of breeding
HOMEs in the same area this April. Jack Ferrante  just sent me excellent
photos of the female with chicks taken on April 17-18 this year.

I have not yet done a full literature review, but am unaware of any
documented Central Valley breeding records for this species (and only a handful 
of CA
records). If anyone out there has info on this, please contact me  offline.

Also, since I would like to confirm that these are indeed wild birds, I'd
appreciate folks' thoughts on that. I understand that Hoodies are NOT easy to
raise in captivity and these birds appeared to be wild by behavior and lack of
physical signs of captivity (no bands, no indication of flight feather
clipping).


Ed Pandolfino


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

Talk to people monitoring Wood Duck nest boxes. We've now documented
breeding Hooded Mergansers in both Humboldt and Mendocino County by talking
to those folks!

Ron LeValley, Senior Biologist
ron@...
707/826-0300
Cell 707/496-3326
Fax 826-0540
www.madriverbio.com
Mad River Biologists
920 Samoa Blvd. Suite 210
Arcata, CA 95521


-----Original Message-----
From: CALBIRDS@yahoogroups.com [mailto:CALBIRDS@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf
Of erpfromca@...
Sent: Tuesday, May 10, 2005 11:43 AM
To: CALBIRDS@yahoogroups.com; central_valley_birds@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [CALBIRDS] Hooded Mergansers breeding in Central Valley

In May of 2003 Cliff Hawley saw and videotaped a female Hooded Merganser
with chicks on the Sun City Lincoln Hills property just east of Lincoln in
Placer County. I submitted this record to NA Birds at the time, but Cliff
was
unable to download the video so it had no associated documentation. In the
last
few days I learned that a Lincoln Hills resident had seen evidence of
breeding
HOMEs in the same area this April. Jack Ferrante  just sent me excellent
photos of the female with chicks taken on April 17-18 this year.

I have not yet done a full literature review, but am unaware of any
documented Central Valley breeding records for this species (and only a
handful  of CA
records). If anyone out there has info on this, please contact me  offline.

Also, since I would like to confirm that these are indeed wild birds, I'd
appreciate folks' thoughts on that. I understand that Hoodies are NOT easy
to
raise in captivity and these birds appeared to be wild by behavior and lack
of
physical signs of captivity (no bands, no indication of flight feather
clipping).


Ed Pandolfino


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




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Hi Folks,
An acquaitance recently mentioned Fort Piute, San Bernardino County.  I got the
impression that he felt that Fort Piute had even better promise for vagrants
than Butterbredt Spring, Kern County, but that it was just too-the-heck far away
from civilaztion to warrant the effort.
I'd like to hear peoples' input, experiences, and driving suggestions.  Please
feel free to respond to the whole list, not just me (if you wish).
Tom

Hi, all!

Did a run up San Felipe Grade and then down 79 through Cuyamaca today,
almost running down some displaying WILD TURKEYS just out of Julian (picture is 
up
on the website; go to the Species pages and look under Wild Turkey); best
bird was a mewing GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE on S2, just south of mile marker 6 on the
west side.  Three GREAT-TAILED GRACKLES were new for the road for me (south
of the San Felipe Wilderness parking area), and if anyone's looking for
TRICOLORED BLACKBIRDS, it looks like there's a small colony of them in a tiny
marshy area just south of mile marker 2 on S2, south also of the "washout" where
all the "safety horses" are (anyone know what those things are really
called??).  Look for the gate on the east side of the road with a "No 
Trespassing"
sign on it, and the little marsh is right in line with that about  halfway out.

The other quasi-rarity was a pair of PINE SISKINS at Cuyamaca Lake, across
the street from the burned out Lakeland Resort, along the fenceline.  Also
heard PURPLE MARTINS at this spot.  And I was VERY happy to see that  Stonewall
Mine is again open!

And if you can get up to see the flowers, do it!!  There's a  SPECTACULAR
display right now just south of the intersection of highway 79 and  Sunrise
Highway!  Talk about beauty out of the ashes!

Bird list:

   Pied-billed  Grebe                      Podilymbus podiceps
Great  Egret                            Ardea alba
Canada  Goose                           Branta canadensis
Mallard                                Anas platyrhynchos
Turkey  Vulture                         Cathartes aura
Osprey                                 Pandion haliaetus
Red-tailed  Hawk                        Buteo jamaicensis
American  Kestrel                       Falco sparverius
Wild  Turkey                            Meleagris gallopavo
Mountain  Quail                         Oreortyx pictus
California  Quail                       Callipepla californica
American  Coot                          Fulica americana
Caspian  Tern                           Sterna caspia
Mourning  Dove                          Zenaida macroura
White-winged  Dove                      Zenaida asiatica
Anna's  Hummingbird                     Calypte anna
Acorn  Woodpecker                       Melanerpes formicivorus
Ladder-backed  Woodpecker               Picoides scalaris
Nuttall's  Woodpecker                   Picoides nuttallii
Black  Phoebe                           Sayornis nigricans
Ash-throated  Flycatcher                Myiarchus cinerascens
Western  Kingbird                       Tyrannus verticalis
Horned  Lark                            Eremophila alpestris
Purple  Martin                          Progne subis
Violet-green  Swallow                   Tachycineta thalassina
Cactus  Wren                            Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus
Bewick's  Wren                          Thryomanes bewickii
House  Wren                             Troglodytes aedon
Northern  Mockingbird                   Mimus polyglottos
California  Thrasher                    Toxostoma redivivum
Western  Bluebird                       Sialia mexicana
American  Robin                         Turdus migratorius
Wrentit                                Chamaea fasciata
Black-tailed  Gnatcatcher               Polioptila melanura
Bushtit                                Psaltriparus minimus
Mountain  Chickadee                     Poecile gambeli
Oak  Titmouse                           Baeolophus inornatus
Verdin                                 Auriparus flaviceps
Loggerhead  Shrike                      Lanius ludovicianus
Steller's  Jay                          Cyanocitta stelleri
Western  Scrub-Jay                      Aphelocoma californica
American  Crow                          Corvus brachyrhynchos
Common  Raven                           Corvus corax
European  Starling                      Sturnus vulgaris
Bell's  Vireo                           Vireo bellii
House  Finch                            Carpodacus mexicanus
Pine  Siskin                            Carduelis pinus
Lesser  Goldfinch                       Carduelis psaltria
Lawrence's  Goldfinch                   Carduelis lawrencei
Yellow  Warbler                         Dendroica petechia
Common  Yellowthroat                    Geothlypis trichas
Yellow-breasted  Chat                   Icteria virens
Western  Tanager                        Piranga ludoviciana
Green-tailed  Towhee                    Pipilo chlorurus
Spotted  Towhee                         Pipilo maculatus
California  Towhee                      Pipilo crissalis
Black-chinned  Sparrow                  Spizella atrogularis
Lark  Sparrow                           Chondestes grammacus
Black-throated  Sparrow                 Amphispiza bilineata
Song  Sparrow                           Melospiza melodia
Black-headed  Grosbeak                  Pheucticus melanocephalus
Blue  Grosbeak                          Passerina caerulea
Lazuli  Bunting                         Passerina amoena
Red-winged  Blackbird                   Agelaius phoeniceus
Tricolored  Blackbird                   Agelaius tricolor
Western  Meadowlark                     Sturnella neglecta
Brewer's  Blackbird                     Euphagus cyanocephalus
Great-tailed  Grackle                   Quiscalus mexicanus
Brown-headed  Cowbird                   Molothrus ater
Bullock's  Oriole                       Icterus bullockii
Scott's  Oriole                         Icterus parisorum

71 SPECIES

Mary Beth  Stowe
San Diego, CA
MiriamEagl@...
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com)




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

Thanks, Miriam, for sharing your report on the Tricolored Blackbirds.  As
you (and everyone else on the lists) may recall from past postings, the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, among others, is sponsoring surveys for
TRBL nesting colonies.  Although I am not coordinating this effort (see
<http://www.tricoloredsurvey.com/home.aspx> for project details), I am
participating in the survey and my area includes the Warner Ranch-Santa
Ysabel region, so your info is well received.  I would be happy to hear
about any other recent or past colonies in that greater north-central San
Diego county area that you or anyone else on the list may know about.
Thanks to all who provide info.

Cheers,
-Gj

====================================
  Gjon C. Hazard
  Sr. Fish and Wildlife Biologist
  Carlsbad Fish and Wildlife Office
  6010 Hidden Valley Road
  Carlsbad, CA 92009 USA
  Voice: 760/431-9440x287
  FAX: 760/431-9624
  E-mail: Gjon_Hazard@...
  http://carlsbad.fws.gov/
====================================

Here is the agenda and directions for next Saturday's Tricolored
Blackbird training workshop at Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge.
Please let me know if you plan to attend or have any questions.

Leo Edson
Sacramento


Tricolored Blackbird Survey Training Workshop

Saturday May 21, 2005
Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters
AGENDA

This workshop is intended to provide information and training that
will be useful for those planning to participate in the statewide
Tricolored Blackbird survey scheduled for June 3-5.  All participants
are encouraged to attend.  Directions to Sacramento NWR are included
below.  Bring a bag lunch and something to drink. Please RSVP to Leo
Edson (edsonl@...) if you plan on attending.

9:30 Donuts, coffee, check-in

10:00 Welcome to the Sacramento NWR Complex
The Tricolor Survey and importance to conservation – Mike Green
2005 Survey: coordinators, maps, data entry, and other news – Leo
Edson

10:45 Tricolor biology, survey techniques, and cautions – Bill
Hamilton

11:30 – 12:30  Lunch – Bring your own to the mtg.

12:30 In the field
We will car pool to a local colony, practice
estimating the size of the colony, measuring its
dimensions, and recording information.  A
great time to get tips from the pros.

3:00 Adjourn

Sacramento NWR Headquarters
752 County Rd. 99 W
Willows, CA 95988
Phone: (530) 934-2801

Refuge headquarters are about 90 miles north of
Sacramento and adjacent to I-5.
Northbound:  Exit at Road 68.  Turn left on hwy 99W;
the entrance is  approximately 1.6 miles.
Southbound:  Exit at County Road 57.  Turn
east over the overpass to Highway 99W. Drive
approximately 4.5 miles south to the Refuge entrance.

From: Ruby_Newton@...
Date: Thu May 12 18:56:28 CDT 2005
To: thomas.miko@...
Subject: Piute Canyon

Dear Thomas,?Last Labor Day Weekend a wildfire ripped through the canyon burning
the trees and other vegetation.? It was man caused.?Piute Canyon has been closed
by park managers to allow plants the opportunity to quickly reestablish in the
burned section of the stream.?The canyon area along the stream has been fenced
off, but Fort Piute remains open and accessible.?Park managers plan to reopen
the area in the fall.?We received much more than average precip this
winter/spring though, so there are many areas that are still seeping and have
water sources that you might come to find birds.
Ruby
Baker?Info?Center
760-733-4040

There are a few spaces still available for tomorrow's Monterey Seabirds
outing. We will make an effort to relocate the YELLOW-BILLED LOON  that
has been present all week off Otter Point. Killer Whales have been seen
6 out of the last 7 days so there is an excellent chance of seeing them
as well. Cost is $80 per person. 831-375-4658
http://www.montereyseabirds.com

Cheers,
Roger Wolfe for Monterey Seabirds
Soquel Canyon, CA

Rusty Scalf and I led a group to Point Lobos today to observe the nesting
Brandt's Cormorants at Bird Rock.  While standing there a group of gulls
wheeled overhead, and an alternate plumaged Franklin's gull was in the mix.
It circled over the group twice and was well seen.



As an aside, there were many fewer cormorants than in previous years at
Point Lobos.  The ranger told us that it was because the water temperature
was higher than normal, probably making fishing poor.  I wonder if this is
also reflected in the seabird colonies on the Farallones this year.



Bob Lewis

Berkeley, CA

RLewis0727@...





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

At 05:58 PM 5/15/05, Robert Lewis wrote:
>Rusty Scalf and I led a group to Point Lobos today to observe the nesting
>Brandt's Cormorants at Bird Rock.  While standing there a group of gulls
>wheeled overhead, and an alternate plumaged Franklin's gull was in the mix.
>It circled over the group twice and was well seen.
>
>As an aside, there were many fewer cormorants than in previous years at
>Point Lobos.  The ranger told us that it was because the water temperature
>was higher than normal, probably making fishing poor.  I wonder if this is
>also reflected in the seabird colonies on the Farallones this year.

I'm not the one to comment on this, for certain, but on the Monterey Bay
Seabirds trip today we admired the amazing quantity of nesting Brandt's
Cormorants on the Coast Guard pier at Monterey.  Don Roberson estimated
320+ nests and noted that these birds have only nested here in the last few
years and the number of nests have been increasing noticeably.  Perhaps
some of the Pt. Lobos birds have been moving to Monterey.  [I also thought
this was a cooler water year--I must have got that wrong.]

Bill Bousman
Menlo Park

I entered Sierra Valley from the northeast using HY70/HY49.
It was dusk near 7:30PM, Saturday evening.
Within three miles from the intesection of 70/49, on the right were
two SHORT EARED OWLS working a grass field near the fence line( no
road marker available ). Again approxmately two mile further west on
49 were two more SHORT EARED OWLS working a different field.
I pulled off onto a wide spot mixed with sage. B-4 I could get out
of the car a POOR-WILL flushed up. The POOR-WILL circled my spot got
a little elvation and flew east low following the fence line.
I used the Sierra Motel (530-994-3751) in SierraVille on Hy89/HY49.
This side of the valley is very wet,the evening was pleasant and the
sound of willowing Snipe went on pass 9PM.
Up early and to Yuba Pass. The Yuba Pass camp ground is under a
sheet of snow firmly packed by snowmobiles as well as the Forest
Service roads across HY49. There was a contingent of snowmobliers
camping on the parking lot. It was windy and cold.
Birding was good walking west both sides of the roads.
Hairy Woodpecker male/female
White Headed Woodpecker male
Williason's Sapsucker male/female
BLACK BACKED WOODPECKER female
Brown Creeper
Wilson,Yellow rumped,Yellow, MacGillivray's warblers.
WesternWood Pewee (1), Evening Grosbeak (1),Cassin Finches.
Back down HY 49 @ the Vista Pullout were Western Tanager (1)and a
PINE GROSBEAK (1).
Sierra Valley itself is flooded: there is high groundwater
everywhere.
I did the normal routine of searching the maze of county roads
searching for Black Terns.
NO black Terns were found.
All the birds we normally expect to find in the valley were found.
Sand Hill Cranes near the Marble Bridge with Ibis,YellowHeaded Black
Birds.
Rich Cimino
Pleasanton,Cal

Birders:



The California Bird Records Committee has added Slaty-backed Gull (Larus
schistisagus) to its official California state bird list, based on the
well-documented occurrence of this species at Half Moon Bay, San Mateo
Co., in January and February of 2005.  In AOU check-list sequence this
species comes between Lesser Black-backed Gull and Yellow-footed Gull.
This addition brings the official state list to 630 species.



Kimball Garrett

California Bird Records Committee



Kimball L. Garrett

Ornithology Collections Manager

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

900 Exposition Blvd.

Los Angeles CA 90007

(213) 763-3368

(213) 746-2999 FAX

kgarrett@...





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