Dear member,
                Hi there, my partner and I, from the U.K, will be
touring Southern California at the end of May into June. Although not
primarily a birding trip we will be trying to see as many species as
possible and would like some advice on birding the San Diego area.
After all the desert species it would be nice to add a few coastal
ones as well, and would welcome suggestions for 1 or 2 easily
accesable sites offering gulls, terns and waders(shorebirds)etc in the
San Diego area or along highway 5 towards L.A. Also we would both
dearly love to see Vermilion flycatcher en-route, are there any sites
that offer a good chance, we shall be visiting Death valley, Mojave,
Joshua tree, Palm springs and the Salton sea.

                 Many thanks & good birding,
                 Ashley Gooding
                 Ipswich
                 England.

If you are going to look for the Common Black Hawk out of Sebastopol be sure
to have plenty (and I mean plenty) of "bug repellent spray" that repels
ticks.  Today, my wife and I went in search of the Common Black Hawk (of
course we did not see it, nor the Bald Eagles reported in the area), but
between us we have found well over a hundred ticks on our clothing and
bodies.  I know this may sound like an exaggeration to most of you, if not
all of you, but I and my wife can count to at least a hundred and beyond.
In fact on the way home (we live within 20 miles of the location) we stopped
and pulled off of our clothing and the seat of our vehicle at least a dozen
more ticks, and after we got home we found two dozen ticks.  I alone, while
there found had over sixty ticks on my clothing that I found before leaving
the area.  After we got home we found together a dozen and half ticks before
showering, and yet another tick after showering.  Even if you feel that I am
not telling the truth, be aware that area is heavy with ticks and be
prepared for them, and when you get home check your clothing (especially the
seams) for ticks.  Wear light clothing, both pants and jersey, so you can
detect the ticks.  As far as I know these ticks are not the types that carry
Lime Disease, but who in the world wants to share their blood with a tick.



We did not see the Common Black Hawk today.  The walk did produce a few
Black-headed Grosbeaks, a couple of Ash-throated Flycatchers, and a couple
of Common Yellow-throat Warblers, not to mention several Western Tiger
Swallowtail Butterflies.



Ron Storey

Petaluma, CA



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

We are having an unprecedented number of sightings of HORNED PUFFINS in
the Monterey Bay this year. The first occured on Feb. 21 at the Pajaro
River mouth. The second HOPU was on on a Santa Cruz county beach on Feb.
28.

Number three was reported in the Monterey Harbor on March 23 and
reported again a week later.

May 9 a fourth HOPU was found at Seacliff State Beach in Santa Cruz
county. The  bird beached itself and was taken to a rehabilitation center.

These winter/spring records are very unusual. There are only two
non-summer records of live HOPU in Monterey County prior to this year
(see Roberson, Monterey Birds 2002)  There are a total 4 records for
dead, non summer beach cast specimens.

Most records have occured June-Sept. It will be interesting to see how
many show up this summer.

Lots of drama in the bay over the last few weeks. Killer Whales have
been frequently observed predating on Seals, Sea Lions and Gray Whales.

Yesterday there were 14 observed eating an Elephant Seal. Friday 5 were
seen preying on a Harbor Seal. On the 5th, 15 were seen in transit. 24
were seen on the 25th and 26th of April attacking a Gray Whale calf. On
the 27th of April Nancy Black got the action on videotape and which can
be viewed at:
http://www.nbc4.tv/news/9045575/detail.html

There were also sightings on April 28th and 30th.

Of course we will be in pursuit of seabirds but won't turn down the
opportunity to see Killer Whales in action. Richard Ternullo reports
that FORK-TAILED  and ASHY STORM-PETRELS are being seen as of yesterday.
Maybe we'll find yet another HORNED PUFFIN.

Have popcorn, anchovies and chummers ready to go. Don Roberson, Dan
Singer, Todd Easterla and Tim Amaral will be spotting.

$85 per person. Go on 3 and the fourth is free! 831 375-4658
http://www.montereyseabirds.com

Roger Wolfe for Monterey Seabirds
Soquel Canyon, CA

Hi, all!

Did a loop around the Clark Lake area, picking up two LECONTE'S THRASHERS  at
Old Springs Road and a third west of Peg Leg Road, which was a first for that
  route for me!  Clark Lake was rather quiet except for gnatcatchers and
Verdins (all the Phains are gone!!).  I learned what a Round-tailed Ground
Squirrel sounds like, as there were several along Henderson Canyon Road peeping
away!  There were tons of White-winged and Mourning Doves along Di Giorgio 
Road,
along with mating Lark Sparrows.  Coyote Canyon was pretty quiet as  well,
but I wanted to check out the section of Henderson Canyon Road west of Di
Giorgio as Sue Smith had reported that Vermilion Flycatcher at the golf  course.
About a half mile after making the turn was a big row of trees on  the left,
where a pair of BROWN-CRESTED FLYCATCHERS were making a fuss; whether  it's the
same pair as the one at the Roadrunner Club I'm not sure, as I had a  silent
Myiarchus at the entrance to said RR Club that, while it didn't have a  honker
of a bill, was very yellow underneath (the ones along Henderson Canyon
weren't as big-billed as other BCs I've seen, but they were vocalizing like 
crazy,
so there was no doubt as to their ID).  I obtained very poor  pictures of the
RR Club bird which I'll post on the SDBirds website (under  Miscellaneous) so
the Myiarchus experts out there can put in their two cents'  worth!  (I'll
post it to the Calbirds site under Flycatchers as  well...)

Couldn't find a Vermilion at De Anza CC, but it was a great place to cruise
around, with a Gambel's Quail tearing across the road and several fairly
cooperative Roadrunners (including one being bombed by a Mockingbird)!   Headed
over to RR Club after that where a pair of Red-shouldered Hawks squealed
overhead, and picked up the required Common Ground and Eurasian Collared Doves 
for
the route.

Complete bird list:

    Mallard                                Anas platyrhynchos
Red-shouldered  Hawk                    Buteo lineatus
Red-tailed  Hawk                        Buteo jamaicensis
Gambel's  Quail                         Callipepla gambelii
Eurasian  Collared-Dove                 Streptopelia decaocto
Mourning  Dove                          Zenaida macroura
White-winged  Dove                      Zenaida asiatica
Greater  Roadrunner                     Geococcyx californianus
Anna's  Hummingbird                     Calypte anna
Costa's  Hummingbird                    Calypte costae
Black  Phoebe                           Sayornis nigricans
Say's  Phoebe                           Sayornis saya
Ash-throated  Flycatcher                Myiarchus cinerascens
Brown-crested  Flycatcher               Myiarchus tyrannulus
Western  Kingbird                       Tyrannus verticalis
Horned  Lark                            Eremophila alpestris
Barn  Swallow                           Hirundo rustica
Cactus  Wren                            Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus
Rock  Wren                              Salpinctes obsoletus
Bewick's  Wren                          Thryomanes bewickii
Northern  Mockingbird                   Mimus polyglottos
Le Conte's  Thrasher                    Toxostoma lecontei
Black-tailed  Gnatcatcher               Polioptila melanura
Verdin                                 Auriparus flaviceps
Loggerhead  Shrike                      Lanius ludovicianus
Common  Raven                           Corvus corax
European  Starling                      Sturnus vulgaris
House  Sparrow                          Passer domesticus
House  Finch                            Carpodacus mexicanus
Lesser  Goldfinch                       Carduelis psaltria
Yellow  Warbler                         Dendroica petechia
Western  Tanager                        Piranga ludoviciana
Lark  Sparrow                           Chondestes grammacus
Black-throated  Sparrow                 Amphispiza bilineata
Song  Sparrow                           Melospiza melodia
Black-headed  Grosbeak                  Pheucticus melanocephalus
Red-winged  Blackbird                   Agelaius phoeniceus
Brewer's  Blackbird                     Euphagus cyanocephalus
Great-tailed  Grackle                   Quiscalus mexicanus
Hooded  Oriole                          Icterus cucullatus

40 SPECIES

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



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

I've been hearing Swainson's thrushes calling for several weeks now but have yet
to hear one sing.  Are they singing anywhere?  What's going on?

Ken Burton
McKinleyville

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

This is actually normal behavior for Swainson's Thrush, though rather unusual
behavior for songbirds in general. This phenomena may be more pronounced in the
more northern reaches of its range, but I notice it every year here in San Mateo
County, for example. The first evidence of their return is invariably call
notes, of which there are several, and one or two weeks may elapse (and possibly
more?) before birds begin singing. The Birds of North America species account
has an informative section on vocalizations.

Dan Singer
Pacifica

----- Original Message -----
   From: Ken Burton
   To: calbirds
   Sent: Tuesday, May 16, 2006 7:43 AM
   Subject: [CALBIRDS] Swainson's Thrush song


   I've been hearing Swainson's thrushes calling for several weeks now but have
yet to hear one sing.  Are they singing anywhere?  What's going on?

   Ken Burton
   McKinleyville

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



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

Hi, Dan.  Rusty Scauf said more or less the same thing.  I never noticed such a
long lag time in Marin, but maybe it's different up here in Humboldt.  It may be
a different subspecies according to my reference materials.

Ken
   ----- Original Message -----
   From: Dan Singer
   To: calbirds
   Sent: Tuesday, May 16, 2006 8:57 AM
   Subject: Re: [CALBIRDS] Swainson's Thrush song


   This is actually normal behavior for Swainson's Thrush, though rather unusual
behavior for songbirds in general. This phenomena may be more pronounced in the
more northern reaches of its range, but I notice it every year here in San Mateo
County, for example. The first evidence of their return is invariably call
notes, of which there are several, and one or two weeks may elapse (and possibly
more?) before birds begin singing. The Birds of North America species account
has an informative section on vocalizations.

   Dan Singer
   Pacifica

   ----- Original Message -----
     From: Ken Burton
     To: calbirds
     Sent: Tuesday, May 16, 2006 7:43 AM
     Subject: [CALBIRDS] Swainson's Thrush song


     I've been hearing Swainson's thrushes calling for several weeks now but have
yet to hear one sing.  Are they singing anywhere?  What's going on?

     Ken Burton
     McKinleyville

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



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

My experience over 14 springs in Humboldt is also that song is not generally
heard for at least a week or so after Swainson's Thrushes arrive.  I wonder if
many of the earlier birds are more northerly-breeding migrants, just not singing
yet until they are farther north, with the local summer population filling in
later..?  Gosh does anyone know?

I heard the first arrival at Prairie Creek Park 19 Apr this year, the earliest I
have recorded an arrival in 33 yrs of notes in WA/OR/n.w. CA.  I thought, I'll
bet I don't hear another for at least a week, and it was actually not until the
first of May that I heard the next one.

An estimated 150 Marbled Murrelets yesterday on flat seas opposite Freshwater
Lagoon was quite a spectacle (DFx, Jim Tietz+).  Jim saw one group of 8, a
concentration not often noted in May.

David Fix
Arcata

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

In my experience, the delay in vocalizing with already late-arriving
Swainson's thrushes is more characteristic of western than eastern populations. 
And
I don't know any thrushes -- or any other neotropical summerers -- with such
a striking pattern of delay. Male black-headed grosbeaks, for instance, arrive
  one morning and begin pretty much full song the next. Most of our warblers
sing  as they filter north, at least once they're in the States.

The Swainson's pattern plays out in reverse as they prepare (early) to  leave
for the south: several weeks before they actually take flight one evening,
they begin their night-migration call in the early morning hours.

There is no more striking example than this species that the neotropicals
are not "our" birds at all, but simply brief summer visitors.


Bill Noble

San Anselmo


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

A large flock (likely a thousand or more) of Tricolored Blackbirds
descended recently upon a small marsh in the Prado Basin, Riverside
County. An adjacent cowbird trap had no blackbirds in it on Sunday,
but I had to release 111 Trikes from it on Monday. On Tuesday, it had
36 birds in it, of which 3 had bands (932-23518; 932-23607; 932-
23720). I've since reported the band numbers and blocked-off the top
of the trap. My assumption is that the birds are from the San Jacinto
Wildlife Area, but I haven't heard back from there. As this would be
a perfect opportunity for additional banding, someone with access to
official permission (ie USFWS) and permits should get in contact with
me.

Of concern at Prado this year is the relative paucity of 'least'
Bell's Vireos. They arrived in the basin extraordinarily late, and
currently show no signs of coming close to last years total of 600
males. In fact, as only about 275 birds have been found to date, 400-
450 is the most reasonable guess for the final tally. It is my
understanding that other watersheds in southern California may be
experiencing similar declines.

On a lighter note, there's something going on with Common Poorwills
this spring. As there was only one previous hypothetical record for
the Prado Basin, we didn't expect to see four this spring, with most
of the birds being found by Dharm Pellegrini.

Jim Pike
Huntington Beach

Hi, all!

I have a page for the Silver Strand area up on my web site now; the direct
link (if I can fool the server into not breaking it up) is:

<<_http://miriameaglemon.com/San%20Diego%20Bird%20Pages/Sites/Silver%20Strand.
htm_
(http://miriameaglemon.com/San%20Diego%20Bird%20Pages/Sites/Silver%20Strand.htm)
>>

or as usual you can try the main page below and go in the back  door...  I
also have some new pictures scattered throughout the Photo  Gallery page.

Enjoy!  Take care,

MB

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




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

In a message dated 5/20/2006 5:09:32 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,
MiriamEagl@... writes:

<<_http://miriameaglemon.com/San%20Diego%20Bird%20Pages/Sites/Silver%20Strand.
htm_
(http://miriameaglemon.com/San%20Diego%20Bird%20Pages/Sites/Silver%20Strand.ht
m)  >>



Looks like it still gets broken up; guess the best thing to do is copy
what's in between the parens...

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




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

Calbirders,

I'm putting this post through in edited form. Further details of the Oregon bird
are available on the OBOL archives and at www.birdingonthe.net. Although
nominally off topic, the last time Bristle-thighed Curlews showed up in Oregon,
there were also sightings near Crescent City and on Point Reyes. The relevance
to Calbirds is that we should check all Whimbrels here in this state very
carefully.

That said, this thread is officially closed as the subject bird is out of state.
If you find BTCU here in California, however, post your finding as soon as
possible.

Steve Sosensky, Moderator
Toluca Lake

--------------

Hi All

Below is a posting from OBOL (Oregon birds) for those who may want to chase this
bird. I know this message will not be archived due to it's non CA subject
matter, but I'm sure that there are people out there who might not find out
about this any other way, so my forwarding was worth it! Good luck!

Lori Conrad
Hermosa Beach, CA

Subject: RBA: BRISTLE-THIGHED CURLEW: Sunset Beach, Clatsop Co.!!!!!!!
From: "David C. Bailey" <baileydc AT pdx.edu>
Date: Mon, 22 May 2006 14:40:00 -0700

Monday 22 May 2006
Sunset Beach, exacty1.1 mile north of the auto entrance at Sunset Beach
13:50-14:05 and still there when I left to alert.

...

David


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

All,

As some of you may know, there are now two Bald Eagle nests on Santa
Cruz Island, producing the first chicks on the northern Channel Is
since 1949.  One nest is actually on the ground.  Both nests have a
chick.  You can watch the adults feeding the chick in the tree nest at:

http://chil.vcoe.org/eagle_cam.htm

Steve Hampton
Davis, CA

Hi there,
                 Many thanks to all those that replied to my request
for info on birding in the San Diego area. We are off to L.A. on
friday and are looking forward to this trip. It would be great to meet
up with some fellow birders but we are on a tight schedule. If you see
two unknown birders around Death valley, Mojave, Joshua tree,
Morrengo, or Salton sea make yourself known it would nice to have a
chat.

                         Good birding,
                        Ashley Gooding,
                        Ipswich,
                        England.

Birders,

I just learned the sad news that Paul DeBenedictis died May 3, 2006.  I
knew him as a colleague, coauthor and occasional birding companion.  Many
years ago, it was my great privilege to show him his lifer Spotted Owl.

I remember his wonderful contributions to "Birding" magazine where he
founded the "Gleanings from the Technical Literature" column. He was
brilliant, thoughtful, and set the highest standards for those he mentored.

An obituary is at:

<http://www.legacy.com/contracostatimes/DeathNotices.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonID\
=17819311>

--
Joseph Morlan, Pacifica, CA 94044   jmorlan (at) ccsf.edu
Fall Birding Classes start Sept 6   http://fog.ccsf.edu/~jmorlan/
California Bird Records Committee   http://www.wfo-cbrc.org/cbrc/

San Jacinto, CA, May 23, 2006 - Audubon California and the San Bernardino
Valley Audubon Society announced today that they had reached an agreement
with a farmer in Riverside County to help protect southern California's
largest colony of rare Tri-colored Blackbirds.



Audubon will pay a San Jacinto area dairy an undisclosed amount to delay the
harvest of 13 acres of wheat where the blackbirds have set up a dense
nesting colony.  In return, the landowner has voluntarily agreed to not
harvest until June 12.  The one-month delay in harvesting will provide
enough time for the young blackbirds to mature and leave the nest. While the
one month delay is a benefit for the birds, it is an economic hardship for
the farmer which is why a market solution was needed.  The nutritional value
of the wheat, and hence its market value is lost when the harvest is delayed
to this extent.



"Audubon is grateful that the agricultural community is working with us to
craft a solution that works both for the birds and the farmers," said Graham
Chisholm, Audubon California's Director of Conservation.  "The Tri-colored
Blackbird has evolved in California over the past 3 million years, and this
agreement, combined with other conservation measures will make sure it has a
healthy future."



The estimated global population of Tri-colored Blackbirds is approximately
250,000-300,000 birds with 99% of these birds occurring in California.  The
southern California portion of the population, which is geographically and
may be genetically distinct from the Central Valley population, has dwindled
to perhaps as few as 12,000 birds.



It is estimated that this Tri-colored Blackbird colony holds at least 4,000
adults, and that each nest in the colony will produce an average of 1.5
chicks.  While in most years the Tri-colored Blackbirds nest in restored
wetlands on California's San Jacinto Wildlife Area (WA), this year the
blackbirds set up their colony nearby in a wheat field three miles from the
wildlife area.



Recognizing the risk to southern California's largest remaining Tri-colored
Blackbird breeding colony, Tom Paulek of the California Department of Fish
and Game, Area Manager of the San Jacinto WA, alerted Audubon to the need to
negotiate an agreement with the dairy farmer to delay the harvest in a
portion of the farmer's wheat field.



"I was fearful that we were going to lose this year's entire reproductive
effort and was much relieved when Audubon came to the rescue," said Tom
Paulek, California Department of Fish and Game Area Manager.



Tri-colored Blackbirds have declined dramatically in the past century as
native habitat has been lost in California.  With the loss of wetlands and
surrounding feeding habitats,  Tri-colored Blackbirds often nest in
agricultural fields, making them vulnerable to nest failure when the fields
are harvested before the young birds fledge.  Public and private land
managers are working to manage habitat for Tri-colored Blackbirds in order
to encourage the birds to nest in wetlands and other secure habitats as
opposed to agricultural fields.



Dr. Robert Meese, a Tri-colored Blackbird researcher from U.C. Davis, noted
the importance of this buyout for the conservation of the blackbirds in
southern California by stating that "it is essential to conserve the largest
remaining breeding colony in southern California, as the young birds
produced here will help to sustain the species in the San Jacinto area in
the future."



The 19,000-acre San Jacinto Wildlife Area, managed by the State of
California's Department of Fish and Game, and surrounding agricultural lands
are home to the largest remaining southern California population of
Tri-colored Blackbirds.  With rare exception, the birds have historically
nested on the San Jacinto Wildlife Area.



Audubon will work with Paulek and Dr. Meese to monitor the colony, estimate
its reproductive success, and more precisely estimate the number of birds
that bred here.



The area around the San Jacinto WA is undergoing rapid conversion from
agricultural use to residential development in one of California's fastest
growing counties.



Dori Myers, President of the San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society, said,
"This purchase is a stop-gap measure. We have to preserve the open space
around the San Jacinto Wildlife Area and similar open space elsewhere in
California or this bird is doomed."



Audubon is part of a statewide working group, including public agencies,
farmer and rancher organizations, conservation organizations, researchers
from UC Davis and others to develop a comprehensive strategy to protect
Tri-colored Blackbirds.



  "Audubon was pleased to be able to help save the most important Tri-colored
Blackbird colony in southern California," said Chisholm.".  Audubon
recognizes that the bird's future in California will require agriculture,
public agencies and private conservation organizations working together, and
we are committed to doing our part."


Garry George
Los Angeles, California
  <mailto:garrygeorge@...> garrygeorge@...





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

Hi, all!

Updated the Birding Website with  a page for Banner Grade; I've got one more
trick to try to outsmart the servers  (we'll see if it doubles the link this
time...)

http://miriameaglemon.com/San%20Diego%20Bird%20Pages/Sites/Banner%20Grade.htm

If  you still have problems, go in the back door...

Mary Beth Stowe
San  Diego, CA
MiriamEagl@...
www.miriameaglemon.com

Hello Birders,
   I'd like to share(somewhat belatedly) a couple of condor experiences that I
had in Big Sur this past Monday the 22nd and the 23rd that I just can't stop
thinking about.

   Long have I refrained from making any effort to see released, zoo-bred condors
with tags and radio antennas attached. I started birding casually in 1974 as a
young teen in No.Cal. before moving to Atlantic Canada in '86 where I became
more serious- hence it became a nagging regret that I never made the effort to
see a truly wild condor when I had the chance. I had blown it!  So even after
having moved back over 10 years ago, I still didn't want to see the condors
(especially when they were behaving like feral pigeons looking for handouts).
Well, times have changed, the condors have been acting more wild lately, i. e.
nesting, finding a whale carcass on their own etc.
   I decided it was time to see a free-flying Gymnogyps californianus while I
still have a chance, but preferably not at Pinnacles, where they currently seem
to be too predictable and managed. It had to be Big Sur.

   So I took my non-birding teenage daughter and her friend camping this weekend
thru Tuesday. Other than getting drenched on Sunday, our activities consisted
primarily in day hikes and beachcombing. Monday we hiked the moderately
strenuous but spectacular Ewoldsen Trail at Julia Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park.
At the top of the ridge
   I had my first condor sighting which lasted only about six seconds before the
bird dissapeared behind the ridge. It was the way I wanted to see one: no
man-made accouterments visible either on the bird or anywhere around me, even
highway one, 1800 feet below me and to the west was out of sight Only the ocean,
the mountans and the sky with a huge dark silhouette, with massively long and
broad wings held flat with the the wingtips upswept, the long primary
"fingers"very distinctive sailed over the ridge toward the sun. A vision of
ancient California, a phenomenal bird at a quintessential Big Sur scene (some
say this trail is the most scenic dayhike in Big Sur) Even though or rather
because the bird never reappeared, I was ecstatic! I would never see a number
tag on that bird. That's the way I wanted to remember my first condor. The only
bummer: the girls ran about a quarter mile ahead and missed this spectatcle.

   Next day: on the way home we decided to stop at the secluded and swank Post
Ranch Inn ($1,000 per night!) perched 700 feet above the Pacific. We hoped to
see the Inn's restaurant Sierra Mar famed for its views and architecture and
maybe even get in for a coffee(could not afford a lunch there) I left the bins
in the truck this time, why I don't know. As we climbed the stairs from the
reception area to the top of the hill just before entering the restaurant, and
40 feet above our heads a huge adult condor sails over,heading south, the naked
eye view was perfect, awe-inspiring. I ran back down to get the binocs. I would
get several more "crippling" views as the British say (once while having a
double cappucino at the window table) of a total of two adult birds (#71& 81)
over the next hour  or so. The other restaurant patrons also took notice, these
birds demand attention! The bartender told me lately he sees them twice a day! 
My daughter and friend were impressed. It was a
  great a thrill, but it all seemed to civilized. I would reccomend a hike on the
Ewoldsen Trail ( condors are sighted there frequently) to the ridge and wait all
day if you have to.

   That nagging regret is mostly gone, I was transported back in time. I don't
care if the sighting was not ABA countable, the Condor has an honorable and very
memorable place on my list.

   David Diller
   Martinez







---------------------------------
Ring'em or ping'em. Make  PC-to-phone calls as low as 1˘/min with Yahoo!
Messenger with Voice.

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

Just got a call from Ed Pandolfino....there is a first-year Mississippi Kite at
Furnace Creek Ranch this morning along with a pair of Bobolinks.....otherwise
they saw very few migrants there.

John

John Sterling

26 Palm Ave
Woodland, CA 95695

530-668-1985 (home)
530-908-3836 (cell)
ani@...


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

Hi, all!

I've added some data for May to  the Tijuana Slough page; Gull-billed Tern
was new for the page (there were a  handful flying around, one with food).  The
flowers were spectacular; I've  added some pictures of that to the page as
well!  There were some lingering  California Gulls there at the mouth, and
several stilts and a single avocet in  the little pond north of the river and
south
of the canal near the McCoy  Trail.  (Can anyone talk them into building a
bridge there??? :-) )   Horned Larks were all over.  Here's the  link:

http://miriameaglemon.com/San%20Diego%20Bird%20Pages/Sites/Tijuana%20Slough%20
NWR.htm

I'm  also slowly working on getting the checklists in line with the main By
Species  page, which is arranged according to Sibley's book; the discrepancy
was due to  variances in the Clements list over the years, which is what I used
to make my  initial spreadsheets.

Enjoy!

Mary Beth Stowe
San Diego,  CA
MiriamEagl@...
www.miriameaglemon.com

FYI.  I encourage you submit 2001-2002 data and/or start new surveys.





RESIDENT BIRD COUNTS REVIVED.  Bird Populations, now an entirely electronic
journal published by The Institute for Bird Populations, will be publishing
the Breeding Bird Census and Winter Bird Population Study; these counts have
been ongoing since in 1937 and 1948, respectively, and have been published
by various organizations and societies over their long history (see history
in J. Field Ornithol. Supplement 1989).  While the counts have not been
published since 1996, many researchers have continued to collect and submit
these data to the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology.  To revive the
publication, Bird Populations will start by publishing only the Breeding
Bird Census from 2001 and 2002 - a time series consistent with other studies
in the upcoming issue.  We invite you to submit any outstanding reports from
those years to Jim Lowe, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker
Woods Rd., Ithaca, NY 14850; due by 1 July 2006.  Data forms and
instructions can be obtained by emailing Tom Gardali, PRBO Conservation
Science (tgardali@...).  Thank you very much.  Editors Tom Gardali and
Jim Lowe.





New mailing address:

Thomas Gardali

PRBO Conservation Science

Palomarin Field Station

Mesa Road

P.O. Box 1157

Bolinas, CA 94924

(415) 868-0655 x381

(415) 868-9363 fax

  <http://www.prbo.org/> www.prbo.org



PRBO's new headquarters:

PRBO Conservation Science
3820 Cypress Dr., #11
Petaluma, CA 94954
(707) 781-2555





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

County Coordinators/Contributors:

The Spring Migration Season (1 March through 31 May) is ended, and we
solicit reports for inclusion in the Southern Pacific Coast Region of NORTH
AMERICAN BIRDS.  Reports should be arranged with species in the taxonomic
order followed by the American Ornithologists Union (Check-List of North
American Birds 1998) and the American Birding Association (6th edition of
the ABA Checklist, 2002).  Reports of species included on the California
Bird Records Committee (CBRC) review list (Field List of California Birds
2002, obtainable through Western Field Ornithologists at 1359 Solano Drive,
Pacifica, CA  94044  www.wfo.cbrc.org) must be accompanied by documentation
(written description, photographs, etc.).  Similar documentation should also
accompany reports of species unusual for the location or season.  Full
names, with all initials, should be used in the reports (this reduces the
potential for different observers having the same initials, and makes it
simpler to acknowledge contributors).

Reports should be sent to the appropriate County Coordinators (listed below)
or directly to Guy McCaskie.  Reports for this season must be received prior
to 21 June 2004.  NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS can not exist without your input.

Elizabeth Copper (San Diego County)
227 "F" Avenue
Coronado, CA  92118
ecopper@...

David Compton (Santa Barbara County)
PO Box 24152
Santa Barbara, CA  93121
davcompton@...

Tom M. Edell (San Luis Obispo County)
46  8th Street
Cayucos, CA  93430
tedell@...

Kimball L. Garrett (Los Angeles County)
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
900 Exposition Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90007
kgarrett@...

John F. Green (Riverside County)
3120 Mount Vernon Ave.
Riverside, CA  92507-3140
bewickwren@...

Tom and Jo Heindel (Inyo County)
PO Box 400
Big Pine, CA  93513
tjheindel@...

Alexander E. Koonce (San Bernardino County)
1357 Paige Lane
Redlands, CA  92373-6878
sandy_koonce@...

Guy McCaskie (Imperial County)
954 Grove Avenue
Imperial Beach, CA  91932
guymcc@...

Walter Wehtje (Ventura County)
2286 Barbara Drive
Camarillo, CA  93012
walter.wehtje@...

Douglas R. Willick (Orange County)
2730 E. Whidby Lane
Anaheim, CA  92806
d_willick@...

John C. Wilson (Kern County)
1425 Alta Vista Drive
Bakersfield, CA  93305
jcwilson@...

We thank you in advance for your time and effort.

Guy McCaskie and Kimball L. Garrett.



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

Hi, all!

I added a page for the Bow  Willow area today; when out getting pictures I
had a couple of migrant WILLOW  FLYCATCHERS fitz-bewing, which was the
highlight.  The direct link  is:

http://miriameaglemon.com/San%20Diego%20Bird%20Pages/Sites/Bow%20Willow.htm

Enjoy!   MB

Mary Beth Stowe
San Diego,  CA
MiriamEagl@...
www.miriameaglemon.com

At Furnace Creek on Saturday there was a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher between
the golf course and the airport and an immature Zone-tailed Hawk hunting the
golf course.  No kite of any kind seen.  ˝ mile up creek from Scotty’s
Castle it was nice to hear a couple of Yellow-breasted Chats and Bell’s
Vireo’s singing.



Mike Tyner

Paso Robles



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

June 1, 2006

Dear North American Birds Contributors,

The spring season has already come to a close so
please send your noteworthy records from the Middle
Pacific Coast Region for the period 1 Mar- 31 May to
the appropriate Subregional Editors (see below) or to
the Regional Editors by 10 June.

Please pay special attention to the format example
given at the end of this message. Reports that are
formatted properly make our job far easier. In
particular, it is important to note that there is a
single tab between species, date, etc.

PLEASE use Subregional Editors for the counties that
have them.  These SREs painstakingly keep track of
records within their counties and are in most cases
THE source of information on the birds of their
counties.  By sending your records to the SREs, you
are helping to contribute to their county files as
well as to North American Birds.  If you wish to send
copies to the Regional Editors, we welcome them, but
please send records through the SREs as well.  If you
have a noteworthy winter sighting from a county
without a Subregional Editor, please send records to
the Regional Editors below.

Records of loons-frigatebirds and larids-alcids go to
Scott Terrill at:

                  H.T. Harvey & Associates
                  3150 Almaden Expwy., Suite 145
                  San Jose, CA 95118
   	      sterrill@...


Records of herons to shorebirds go to Mike Rogers at:
499 Novato Ave.
Sunnyvale, CA 94086
m.m.rogers@...



Records of doves through thrushes/Wrentit (in the new
AOU order, that includes vireos and shrikes) go to
Steve Glover at:
                  6526 Conestoga Lane
                  Dublin, CA 94568

                 countylines@...



Records of thrashers to finches go to Luke Cole at:
	      561 Hill Street
      San Francisco, CA  94114
      luke@...



SUBREGIONAL EDITORS

Alameda
Bob Richmond
24650 Amador St. #15
Hayward, CA 94544
Brichmond94544@...

Alpine, Calaveras & Modoc
John Sterling
29 Palm Ave.
Woodland, CA 95695
  ani@...

Amador & El Dorado
Tim Steurer
4042 Bancroft Dr.
El Dorado Hills, CA 95762-6933
tsteurer@...

Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Sutter, Tehama, Yuba
Bruce Deuel
18730 Live Oak Road
Red Bluff, CA 96080
bdeuel@...

Contra Costa
Steve Glover
6526 Conestoga Lane
Dublin CA 94568
countylines@...

Del Norte
Alan D. Barron
1093 Hwy 101 N. #18
Crescent City, CA 95531
flockfinder@...

Fresno
Gary W. Potter
2183 Walton Ave
Sanger, CA 93657
gwpott@...

Humboldt
David Fix and Jude Claire Power
P.O. Box 4331
Arcata, CA 95518
dfxjcp@...

Kings
Luke Cole
561 Hill Street
San Francisco, CA  94114
luke@...

Lake
Jerry R. White
P.O. Box 113
Kelseyville, CA 95451
grwhite@...

Lassen
Tim Manolis
808 El Encino Way
Sacramento, CA 95864
ylightfoot@...

Madera
Jeff Davis
30705 Pennyroyal Lane
Prather, CA 93651
jndavis@...

Mariposa
David Vander Pluym
1683 Buena Vista St.
Ventura, CA 93001
SCRE@...
Mendocino
Bob Keiffer
P. O. Box 354
Hopland CA 95449
rjkeiffer@...

Merced and San Benito
Kent Van Vuren
26 Vista Dr.
Salinas, CA 93907
vanvurenk@...

Mono
Kristie Nelson
P.O. Box 402
Lee Vining, CA 93541
storm_petrel@...
Monterey
Don Roberson
282 Grove Acre
Pacific Grove CA 93950
831-373-2566fax
creagrus@...

Napa
Murray Berner
210 Monte Vista
Napa, CA 94558
(707) 224-5897
vireocity@...

Nevada
Brian Williams
8200 Turner Dr.
Granite Bay, CA 95746
bwcal@...

Placer
Ed Pandolfino
5530 Del Rose Court
Carmichael, CA  95608
erpfromca@...

Plumas & Sierra
John "Mac" McCormick
2351 Filbert St.
Apt. #102
San Francisco, CA 94123
macmc94123@...

Sacramento and Yolo
Chris Conard
2405 Rio Bravo Circle
Sacramento, CA  95826
chris.conard@...

San Francisco (mainland)
The City: Mark Eaton
1524 36th Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94122
mweaton@...

San Joaquin
David G. Yee
11707 N. Alpine Rd.
Lodi, CA 95240
davidyee@...

San Mateo
Peter J. Metropulos
2940 Turk Blvd.
San Francisco, CA 94118
pjmetrop@...

Santa Clara
William G. Bousman
321 Arlington Way
Menlo Park CA 94025
barlowi@...

Santa Cruz
David Suddjian
801 Monterey Ave.
Capitola, CA 95010
DSUDDJIAN@...

Shasta
Bob Yutzy
P. O. Box 990237
Redding CA 96099
boby@...

Siskiyou
Ray Ekstrom
2209 Delphic Rd.
Montague, CA 96064

Solano
Robin Leong
336 Benson Ave.
Vallejo, CA 94590-3027
robin_leong@...

Sonoma
Ruth Rudesill
P.O. Box 371
Kenwood, CA 95452
rar@...

Stanislaus
Jim Gain
3300 Cardinal Flower Ave.
Modesto, CA 95355
phalarope@...

Trinity
John E. Hunter
P.O. Box 4483
Arcata, CA 95518
jhunter323@...

Tuolumne
Steven Umland
15818 Parkridge Ave.
Sonora, CA 95370
sumland@...


We currently have no regional editors for Marin and
Tulare Counties.  Records from these counties should
be sent directly to the Regional Editors.




The Reporting Deadlines are:
                   	 Spring      Summer      Fall
Winter

Season ends         May 31      July 31     Nov 30
Feb 28

Observer reports to Subregional Editors (SREs)
                  	 June 10     Aug 10      Dec 10
Mar 10

Observer reports to Regional Editors (if not sent to
SRE)
                   	 June 10     Aug 10      Dec 10
Mar 10

SRE reports to Regional Editors
                   	 June 20     Aug 20      Dec 20
Mar 20

Regional Editors final text to ABA office
                   	 July 10     Sep 10       Jan 10
   Apr 10

PLEASE meet your deadlines so that we can meet our
deadlines!


Please send reports in our preferred order: species,
date(s) [including year], locale, co. abbrev., number
of birds, and observer, and then, on a second line,
any comments.  Please separate these sections by a
"tab" (except just a space between locale and county
abbreviation) on electronic versions submitted.
Again, here's an example of the correct format:

Grace's Warbler 12/13/98-2/20/99   Jacks Peak MTY   1
RFT, mob
    A second record for the Region (the first was
6/26/91 at Deer Spring, Glass Mt. MNO) which wintered
with a large flock of Townsend's & Hermit warblers at
the very top of Jacks Peak in Jacks Peak Regional
Park. Details by Tintle and others are enclosed.


Many observers and Subregional Editors have been
submitting their reports electronically, either on a
diskette or by e-mail.  PLEASE submit electronic
reports if possible.  We are trying to maintain an
electronic database of at least recent records, and we
hope to be able to have all old data entered
eventually so that the entire database will be easily
accessible to anyone who wants it.  Electronic
submission of records in the format described above
makes it much easier for us maintain this electronic
database.

We've heard questions about, comments on, and
criticism of our regional reports from several
observers and SREs.  We really appreciate this
feedback, as it helps us to better represent what is
going on in the Region as a whole.  Please help us
correct any factual errors we make, and don't hesitate
to let us know what you think of the reports.

Many thanks to all the contributors and Subregional
Editors who make these reports possible!

Sincerely,


Luke Cole, Mike Rogers, Scott Terrill, and Steve
Glover

(Middle Pacific Coast Regional Editors)

I just posted a photo to CALBIRDS (in the Raptors Album) that Daryl Coldren
took of the Mississippi Kite we (Daryl, Cliff Hawley and I)  found at  Furnace
Creek Ranch on May 26 (note that the time on the photo is one hour  earlier
than the actual time).

We think this bird is a sub-adult, possibly female based on the following,
but I would appreciate input from others:

- If you zoom in on the left side of the breast (the BIRD'S left  side) you
can just make out a few juvenile (brown and white) breast  feathers (obvious in
the field)

- the tail does not appear to be all dark as one would expect in an adult
(though there is no clear evidence of barring from the looks we got)

- the slight contrast between the head and body color seems to suggest a
female

We did not see the bird in flight nor any part of the underwings.

The speculation above is based on my reading of Brian Wheeler's, Raptors of
Western North America, but I would love to be educated by others knowledgeable
  about the species.


We found this bird just as we were finishing a pretty uneventful walk  around
the golf course. It was perched nearly right over the car! As if that  wasn't
enough, as we watched the bird, a pair of Bobolinks flew overhead at  treetop
level with the male in full song!


Ed Pandolfino




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

Birders

I invite you to take a look at eBird (www.ebird.org).  This online
collaborative project between the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Audubon has
recently been updated, and now provides birders with free access to this
extraordinary online checklist program and database.  We already have a
great group of people working on and using eBird in California, but we need
your help too!

eBird is not only a warehouse of observational data, it's an online tool
that allows you to record, retrieve, and archive your data, all while making
your efforts available to scientists interested in using these data for bird
conservation.  New features include a more comprehensive listing capability
found on the "My eBird" page, which includes automated listing capabilities
down to the county level in each state.  It's simple, you enter your
observations into the database, and eBird keeps all your lists for you.  Coming
soon (late summer) will be the ability to bulk upload data from your
personal databases and from AviSys directly to eBird.

Geographic coverage is also expanding.  We now cover all of the US, Canadaand
Mexico, and eBird has recently been launched in Puerto Rico, the Dominican
Republic and Haiti.  Plans are in the works for collaborations in the near
future with Cuba, Colombia, Costa Rica and Panama, as well as several other
islands in the Caribbean.  The goal is to implement eBird across the whole
of the Western Hemisphere eventually, allowing bird monitoring at scales
heretofore unimaginable, and allowing birders to keep comprehensive lists on
the site.

eBird is backed up by a group of regional experts who have created filters
to control data quality.  As these regions become more refined, and new
filters are created, the database will be even more clean and precise.  At
minimum we have one filter working in each state/province, but in many
states, like California, we are currently working on county-based filters.
Flagged records are then vetted by local experts (contact me for more info).

We now have the ability to provide online data downloads of eBird raw data
the NAB regional coordinators in Excel format.  This will give them simple
access to the data gathered in your region in electronic form, and allow
them to pull out interesting observations for NAB and other regional
journals.

As more people participate in eBird the value of the data set will increase
exponentially.  This May we recorded over 500,000 bird observations, and
gathered over 30,000 checklists—a massive amount of data.  I invite you to
browse the web site, explore the data output available in your area through
the "View and explore data" pages, and please enter your own observations
into the system.  If you get out birding this weekend just record the birds
you see at each location, log in to www.ebird.org, and join the bird
conservation revolution!

Brian Sullivan
Monterey, CA

--
Brian L. Sullivan
eBird Project Leader
<www.ebird.org>

Photographic Editor,
Birds of North America Online
<http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/BNA/>
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
159 Sapsucker Woods Rd.
Ithaca, NY 14850

Photographic Editor,
North American Birds
American Birding Association
<www.americanbirding.org>

bls42@...
609-694-3280
-------------------------------


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

2006 September Long Range Pelagic
"Going Out Deep in Southern California" is now a reality, and has
been for the last four years aboard the 95' Searcher, based in San
Diego. Our forth fall multi-day pelagic birding trip will be leaving
San Diego, California on Monday 4 September at noon, and returning on
Friday the 8th at around 8:00am. These fall trips have been, by far,
the most popular Searcher trips, and has easily filled for the last 3
years. This year is no exception, with many onboard even before this
announcement was even posted.

Early September is when water temperatures peak in Southern
California, bringing up tuna and dorado from Baja California along
with accompanying birds. Our target species for this trip include
Cook's Petrel, Least Storm Petrel, Red-billed Tropicbird, Red-tailed
Tropicbird, Xantus' Murrelet (hypoleucus form), and Craveri's
Murrelet.  We'll have three nights when we can lay out fish oil
slicks, if we are on sea anchor, several hours before dawn to attract
birds. We'll also be on the lookout for sharp temperature breaks and
upwelling where birds tend to congregate.

The fall of 2005 was a very strange year with very warm water
extending much further north than should be expected for that time of
year. Along with this warm water were recorded 13 confirmed Cook's
well seen by all aboard. Keep in mind, that even if this warm water
event repeats, there is still no guarantee that Cook's are going to
be sighted on this trip.

Although the primary focus will be on finding birds, a variety of
marine mammals and marine life may also be encountered.  Species
observed on past trips included Blue Whale, Fin Whale, Humpback
Whale, Sperm Whale, Baird's Beaked Whale, Orca, Short-beaked Common
Dolphin, Long-beaked Common Dolphin, Risso's Dolphin, Pacific White-
sided Dolphin, Northern Right-whale Dolphin, Risso's Dolphin,
Northern Elephant Seal, Harbor Seal, California Sea Lion, Guadalupe
Fur Seal, giant Humbolt Squid, Bluefin Tuna and Albacore. With the
amount of time we will have at sea, every effort will be made to give
everyone a total marine experience that will be remembered for a very
long time.

The cost is $850, which includes all food, snacks, beverages, but
excludes any crew gratuity. The Searcher is a comfortable live-aboard
vessel equipped with excellent sleeping accommodations, hot showers,
and a full galley, which would be more than glad to accommodate any
special dietary requirement.

I would invite you to visit the Baja Whale Offshore Birding Trips web
site and look at the previous September trip reports, species lists,
trip maps, and customer comments. Tentative leaders will be Todd
McGrath, Don DesJardin, and another guest leader/s to be announced.

If you have additional questions or need more detailed information,
please contact me directly.

Contact & Reservation Information:

Searcher Natural History Tours
2838 Garrison Street
San Diego, California 92106 USA
Phone: (619) 226-2403
Fax: (619) 226-1332
http://www.bajawhale.com/birdingtrips.html

I'm forwarding this announcement for Jay.  Hope to see you all in Colorado!

Cheers,
-Gjon Hazard

WFO Director

---


Western Field Ornithologists (WFO) is now accepting abstracts for the
scientific paper sessions at this year’s meeting, to be held in Boulder,
Colorado, 21 to 24 September 2006.

See the formal Call for Papers pasted in below (which can also be
downloaded from the WFO website, http://www.wfo-cbrc.org/).

WFO meetings are THE forum where professional ornithologists, amateur field
ornithologists, and active birders mingle, learn from one another, and help
advance our collective knowledge and appreciation of the avifauna of
western North America.

This year’s WFO meeting will feature the usual terrific lineup of field
trips, workshops, scientific paper sessions, and expert panels … plus great
camaraderie, beautiful scenery, and superb birding.  If you haven’t
attended a WFO meeting before, I urge you to give it a try!

Look for full conference information soon on the WFO website
(http://www.wfo-cbrc.org/).  In the meantime, anyone interested in
presenting research results in our paper sessions, see the information
below, and be in touch with me soon.

I look forward to seeing you in Boulder,

Jay Withgott, WFO Board
Portland, OR
withgott@...

---

Call for Papers
Western Field Ornithologists -- 31st Annual Meeting

21 to 24 September 2006
Boulder Colorado


Abstracts are now being accepted for presentations at the 31st annual
meeting of Western Field Ornithologists, to be held 21 to 24 September 2006
in Boulder, Colorado.

Oral presentations should reflect original research or summarize existing
unpublished information, and should be presented in a manner that will be
of interest to professional and serious amateur field ornithologists.
Papers presented at other conferences will be considered, provided that the
material has not already been published in full manuscript form.

Talks relating to the following themes are solicited:

•          Status, distribution, migration, and population dynamics of
birds
•          Systematics and biogeography of birds
•          Ecology, behavior, and evolution of birds
•          New information on avian field identification problems
•          Science-based conservation and management of birds
•          Techniques for field study of birds, including censusing,
monitoring, and other methods. Results of studies applying such techniques.

Research described should apply to birds of the WFO region:  western North
America (from Alaska through Mexico, and the Great Plains to the Pacific
coast) and the eastern Pacific Ocean.

All talks should identify study objectives, describe methods and data
analysis, present results, discuss the significance of the research, and
propose future research directions.

We expect to allot 15 minutes per oral presentation, including 3 minutes
for questions and discussion.  Dialogue between presenters and audience is
a hallmark of WFO meetings.

An abstract of your presentation should be submitted electronically to Jay
Withgott <withgott@...>.  All queries and submissions must be via
e-mail.  All abstracts must be received by 30 June 2005 and should be
submitted in exactly the following format:

â—Ź YOUR LAST NAME, YOUR FIRST NAME, CO-AUTHOR NAMES. Your affiliation and/or
sponsoring organization(s), complete mailing address, e-mail address. Title
of your talk. Brief (300-word maximum) summary of the objectives, methods,
results, significance, and generality of your study.

We look forward to seeing you in Boulder!

---


====================================
  Gjon C. Hazard
  Sr. Fish and Wildlife Biologist
  Carlsbad Fish and Wildlife Office
  6010 Hidden Valley Road
  Carlsbad, CA 92011 USA
  Voice: 760/431-9440x287
  FAX: 760/918-0638
  E-mail: Gjon_Hazard@...
  http://carlsbad.fws.gov/
====================================
A post from Gjon Hazard, not an official post of the USFWS.