Forwarding for Madeline Bauer.  I’m guessing that this is the Orange County
bird (Hidden Valley is on the Santa Ana River), but I guess we will find out
tomorrow.



Jon Green

Riverside County, CA



-----Original Message-----
Barbara Iyer and I saw a Roseate Spoonbill with the White-faced Ibis
at Hidden Valley this afternoon. It was feeding in the ponds with the
roosting White-faced Ibis. The ibis are spooky and fly up and around
every so often which is how we first saw the spoonbill. We're pretty
sure that it did not fly in with the ibis. This appears to be a first
year bird ... mostly white upper parts, pinkish underwings, dark feet
(visible in flight) and wingtips (vaguely dark). The bird is a bit
larger than the ibis, but has the general shape (long legs and long
decurved bill) except for the "spoon" at the end of the bill. When we
could see it feeding, it was slowly sweeping its bill side to side in
the water. We did not get a photo ... it was dusk and neither of us
had a camera. The spoonbill and the ibis were in (what's left of) the
ponds at the east end of Hidden Valley wildlife area.

Birders are not allowed to go down to the ponds. Viewing of the ponds
is restricted to the bluff south of the ponds. Park in parking lot 2
(east of the Nature Center). Hidden Valley Wildlife area is on
Arlington, which is accessed from Van Buren (go west) or from 6th
Street to California (north) in Norco.

There was also a Peregrine Falcon in a tree northeast of the remains
of the second pond. (The ponds are drying up since the dike broke
(that is the dike that channels reclaimed treated water from the
Riverside sewage treatment plant.)

Good birding,
Madeline
Mira Loma


No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.17.1/1183 - Release Date: 12/13/2007
9:15 AM



No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.17.1/1183 - Release Date: 12/13/2007
9:15 AM



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

Barbara Iyer and I saw a Roseate Spoonbill with the White-faced Ibis
at Hidden Valley this afternoon. It was feeding in the ponds with the
roosting White-faced Ibis. The ibis are spooky and fly up and around
every so often which is how we first saw the spoonbill. We're pretty
sure that it did not fly in with the ibis. This appears to be a first
year bird ... mostly white upper parts, pinkish underwings, dark feet
(visible in flight) and wingtips (vaguely dark). The bird is a bit
larger than the ibis, but has the general shape (long legs and long
decurved bill) except for the "spoon" at the end of the bill. When we
could see it feeding, it was slowly sweeping its bill side to side in
the water.  We did not get a photo ... it was dusk and neither of us
had a camera.

The spoonbill and the ibis were in (what's left of) the ponds at the
east end of Hidden Valley wildlife area.  Birders are not allowed to
go down to the ponds. Viewing of the ponds is restricted to the bluff
south of the ponds. Park in parking lot 2 (east of the Nature
Center). Hidden Valley Wildlife area is on Arlington, which is
accessed from Van Buren (go west) or from 6th Street to California
(north) in Norco.

Madeline Bauer
Mira Loma
Riverside County

The first year ROSEATE SPOONBILL was in the pond below the bluffs this
morning. however at 6:48 a.m. it lifted off with a large flock of White-
faced Ibis and flew west. It looks like the bird roosts here and
forages down river during the day. I'll recheck this afternoon. Note:
Felicia Lee reported to Ebird the presence of a spoonbill here on Dec
8, so apparently this bird has been around for a while.
Cheers...Howard King

Those of you that use eBird, please forward this to the proper person.
  I joined eBird last night to try to understand a confusing situation.

Are there one or two Spoonbills on the Santa Ana River in southern
California?  According to a timeline presented by a poster on Calbirds
on December 14th, there are two but this post retracts the basis for
that information, which can be traced to a potential problem with eBird.

A Roseate Spoonbill was reported in Orange County from Wed. December
5th through Wed. afternoon December 12th, 2007.  It was seen in a 5
mile stretch of the Santa Ana River, but mostly centered around the
Tustin Ave overpass area.   After the 13th, no reports of a Roseate
Spoonbill in Orange County have been received by the Orange County RBA
or posted on OrangeCountyBirding or shown on eBird.

On Thursday afternoon, December 13th, 2007, a Roseate Spoonbill of the
same age, was seen at the Hidden Valley Reserve, western Riverside
County.  This is on the Santa Ana River, about 21 miles (in a straight
line) from the Tustin Ave, Orange County location.

On Friday, the 14th, the Spoonbill was again seen in the morning at
Hidden Valley, and has been shown from there on "eBird Sightings"
until at least the 16th.

A post on Calbirds on the 14th, obviously referencing the Hidden
Valley bird which the poster saw that morning, indicated that "It
looks like the bird roosts here " and that "Note: Felicia Lee reported
to Ebird the presence of a spoonbill here on Dec 8, so apparently this
bird has been around for a while."  If this is accurate, then there
were two immature Roseate Spoonbills on the Santa Ana River during the
same time period last week.

Felicia is not on Calbirds, and has asked me to clarify her eBird
information.  She saw the Spoonbill on the 8th in Orange County,
California, not in Riverside County.  In fact, she has a blog that
detailed the sighting:
  http://yellowrump.blogspot.com/2007/12/persistence-pays-and-so-does-sloth.html

This is what must have happened.  When Felicia submitted her checklist
of birds seen on 8th December, eBird showed her a number of ways to
enter the data.  Felicia picked "Birding Hotspots."  If you pick this
option, you are asked to first enter the State you are in, and can
accept the default country of the United States.  NO COUNTY IS ASKED
FOR.  After you enter the State and (default) Country, eBird then
gives a list of "hotspots" for the state.... most of them probably
defined by the users.  THERE ARE NO LINKS FROM THE HOTSPOT NAMES TO A
LOCATION MAP.  One "hotspot" is called, "Santa Ana River Upper -IBA"
and that's what Felicia picked.  For a person in Orange County, the
area of the Santa Ana River in the northeastern part of the county IS
the Upper Santa Ana River.  It took a while to figure out where the
hotspot she choose actually is, by pretending I was going to define a
new hotspot, then with the map of present hotspots shown, I clicked on
each of those in the Santa Ana River area (which crosses 3 Counties),
at high zoom, and found that "Santa Ana River Upper -IBA" plots on the
east side of Hidden Valley Preserve in Riverside County.   Rarities on
eBirds, if marked on the submitted checklist, appear in a separate
list (tied to Google), but are only retained for 7 days, so it's not
possible now to see what appeared under her name as a rare sighting,
or the accompanying map link (which would show Hidden Valley), which
is probably how the Dec 14th Calbirds poster found out about Felicia's
presumed Riverside County Spoonbill sighting.

In any case, there is no present information that Riverside County's
Hidden Valley Spoonbill was present at Hidden Valley from December 8th
until December 13th.  Felicia Lee did not see the Spoonbill in
Riverside County.  If this is a second Roseate Spoonbill, it will have
to be argued from other points of fact.

Joel Weintraub
Dana Point, CA
(for Felicia Lee)

Rereading my previous post, and my email, there was an Orange County
sighting of the Spoonbill on the morning of December 13th (Thursday)
from 6:45 am to about 7:10 am or so before the bird flew.

Joel Weintraub
Dana Point, CA

I am going to be in Palm Springs and Newport Beach for one week each,
starting December 29th, in just a couple weeks. I would highly appreciate
any information you could give on any of the following species:

Black-vented Shearwater
Pacific Golden-Plover
Spotted Dove
Ruddy Ground-Dove- I assume Calipatria is still good?
Williamson's Sapsucker
Red-naped Sapsucker
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Yellow-billed Magpie- How far north do I have to go?
American Dipper- Any in the mountains around Palm Springs?
Sage Thrasher
Le Conte's Thrasher
Cassin's Finch.

Thanks again for any help that you can provide!

Good birding,
Ian Davies
Medford, MA
goshawk227@...
www.pbase.com/daviesphoto

Hello Shasta Birders & Cal Birders & especially Christmas Counters,

Below are the totals for the Fall River Mills Christmas Count

We average 115 species and had 119 species this year thanks to a lot of
hard work by numerous dedicated folk/counters!

I have the count information listed below in Word & also in WordPerfect
format if anyone would like that.  Sorry about the tabs, etc. but
nothing can be done about that in an email.

Bob & Carol Yutzy,  Shasta,  CA


         Fall River Mills Christmas Bird Count - 2007 totals
************************************************************************
  Pied-billed Grebe 210          range=36-257
Eared Grebe 53                    range=0-381
Western Grebe 6            range=0-27
Double-crested Cormorant 9        range=0-8
Great Blue Heron 53            range=10-49
Great Egret 38            range=2-81
Black-crowned Night Heron 65    range=0-107
White-fronted Goose 6        range=0-745
Snow Goose 15            range=0-157
Ross's Goose 2            range=0-3
Canada Goose 3603            range=335-4378
Cackling Goose 233            range=2-168        New High
Tundra Swan 7            range=2-1322
Gadwall 943                range=6-2225
Eurasian Wigeon 2            range=0-6
American Wigeon 1597        range=15-4022
Mallard 3665                range=11-4974
Northern Shoveler 343        range=0-214        New High
Northern Pintail 15            range=1-397
Green-winged Teal 60        range=0-237
Canvasback 426            range=0-159         New high
Redhead 25                range=0-105
Ring-necked Duck 1080        range=20-1194
Greater Scaup 11            range=0-11
Lesser Scaup 1996            range=36-4268
Bufflehead 792            range=1-1406
Common Goldeneye 303        range=5-279
Barrow's Goldeneye 6        range=0-28
Hooded Merganser 110        range=0-68            New high
Common Merganser 116        range=16-368
Ruddy Duck 5836            range=21-4225        New high
Bald Eagle 23                range=5-39
Northern Harrier 59            range=16-148
Cooper's Hawk 3            range=0-6
Red-shouldered Hawk 6        range=0-13
Red-tailed Hawk 246            range=28-399
     Harlan's race 1        range=0-1 (3x)
Ferruginous Hawk 6            range=1-20
Rough-legged Hawk 109        range=14-127
Golden Eagle 3            range=0-7
American Kestrel 21            range=4-35
Merlin 2                range=0-5
Peregrine Falcon 1            range=0-3
Prairie Falcon 13            range=2-12
California Quail 447            range=130-973
Virginia Rail 5            range=0-9
American Coot 5297            range=801-13037
Killdeer 4                range=0-55
Greater Yellowlegs 24        range=0-55
Least Sandpiper 45            range=0-44            New High
Long-billed Dowitcher 16        range=0-70 (7x)
Wilson's Snipe 7            range=0-13
Ring-billed Gull 20            range=0-103
     Gull Species 2
Rock Pigeon 68            range=0-99
Mourning Dove 42            range=0-188
Barn Owl 3                range=0-19
Great Horned Owl 12            range=0-27
Short-eared Owl 3            range=0-10 (8x)
Belted Kingfisher 15            range=6-21
Lewis's Woodpecker 3        range=0-137
Acorn Woodpecker 101        range=11-177
Red-breasted Sapsucker 4        range=0-20
Nuttall's Woodpecker 10        range=4-25
Downy Woodpecker 7        range=1-9
Hairy Woodpecker 4            range=0-15
Northern Red-shaft Flicker 68    range=27-161
Black Phoebe 8            range=0-19
Loggerhead Shrike 2            range=0-4
Northern Shrike 2            range=0-10
Steller's Jay 40            range=16-170
Western Scrub-Jay 81        range=28-175
Black-billed Magpie 38        range=0-27            New High
American Crow 64            range=0-40            New High
Common Raven 116            range=21-289
Horned lark 12             range=0-1356
Mountain Chickadee 28        range=12-243
Oak Titmouse 19            range=0-33
Bushtit 78                range=0-293
Red-breasted Nuthatch 4        range=1-80
White-breasted Nuthatch 15        range=10-96
Pygmy Nuthatch 42            range=0-135
Rock Wren 1                range=0-3 (9x)
Canyon Wren 1            range=0-5 (14x)
Bewick's Wren 6            range=0-28
Winter Wren 1            range=0-6
Marsh Wren 33            range=2-34
Golden-crowned Kinglet 20        range=3-310
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 6        range=2-37
Mountain Bluebird 1            range=0-17 (9x)
Townsend's Solitaire 34        range=10-74
American Robin 2388            range=66-2353
European Starling 1389        range=171-4652
American Pipit 1            range=0-240 (13x)
Cedar Waxwing 89            range=0-673
Yellow-rumped Aud Warbler 1    range=0-55
Spotted Towhee 11            range=0-214
Savannah Sparrow 92            range=0-222
Fox Sparrow 3            range=0-28
Song Sparrow 185            range=17-201
White-throated Sparrow 230        range=1-1178
Golden-crowned Sparrow 189    range=16-219
Dark-eyed Junco 518            range=227-1893
     Slate form 1            range=0-32
Red-winged Blackbird 246        range=2-10228
Tricolored Blackbird 41        range=0-4075
Western Meadowlark 193        range=23-665
Yellow-headed Blackbird 1        range=0-23 (13x)
Brewer's Blackbird 4129        range=729-6347
Brown-headed Cowbird 3        range=0-203
House Finch 63            range=3-379
Lesser Goldfinch 262            range=30-997
American Goldfinch 10        range=0-390
House Sparrow 171            range=35-402
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Species seen five or less times:

American Bittern 2            range=1, 1, 1 (4x)
Dunlin 24                range=3, 12, 3, 1 (5x)
California Gull 2            range=1, 1, 1, 5 (5x)
Eurasian Collared Dove 29        range=25 (2x)
Western Screech Owl 1        range=1, 1, 1 (4x)
Say's Phoebe 3            range=1, 1, (3x)
American Tree Sparrow 2        range=1, 1, 1 (4x)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
First Time On Count :
Saw-whet Owl 1
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

119 total species   seen by 25 counters    average count total = 115 species

Seen during the count period but not on the count day:
White-tailed Kite 1
Herring Gull 1
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^\
^^^^

Total Hours by foot     25.5
Total Hours by Car    54.5
Total Hours Owling    1.5
Total All Party Hours    81.5

Total Miles by foot    19
Total Miles by car     36.5
Total Miles Owling    25
Total All Party Miles    407

         !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    Thanks To All
  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As Ken Able pointed out - White-crowned Sparrows not White-throated.  Sorry!

Bob Yutzy

Bob & Carol Yutzy wrote:
> Hello Shasta Birders & Cal Birders & especially Christmas Counters,
>
> Below are the totals for the Fall River Mills Christmas Count
>
> We average 115 species and had 119 species this year thanks to a lot of
> hard work by numerous dedicated folk/counters!
>
> I have the count information listed below in Word & also in WordPerfect
> format if anyone would like that.  Sorry about the tabs, etc. but
> nothing can be done about that in an email.
>
> Bob & Carol Yutzy,  Shasta,  CA
>
>
>         Fall River Mills Christmas Bird Count - 2007 totals
> ************************************************************************
>  Pied-billed Grebe 210          range=36-257
> Eared Grebe 53                    range=0-381
> Western Grebe 6            range=0-27
> Double-crested Cormorant 9        range=0-8
> Great Blue Heron 53            range=10-49
> Great Egret 38            range=2-81
> Black-crowned Night Heron 65    range=0-107
> White-fronted Goose 6        range=0-745
> Snow Goose 15            range=0-157
> Ross's Goose 2            range=0-3
> Canada Goose 3603            range=335-4378
> Cackling Goose 233            range=2-168        New High
> Tundra Swan 7            range=2-1322
> Gadwall 943                range=6-2225
> Eurasian Wigeon 2            range=0-6
> American Wigeon 1597        range=15-4022
> Mallard 3665                range=11-4974
> Northern Shoveler 343        range=0-214        New High
> Northern Pintail 15            range=1-397
> Green-winged Teal 60        range=0-237
> Canvasback 426            range=0-159         New high
> Redhead 25                range=0-105
> Ring-necked Duck 1080        range=20-1194
> Greater Scaup 11            range=0-11
> Lesser Scaup 1996            range=36-4268
> Bufflehead 792            range=1-1406
> Common Goldeneye 303        range=5-279
> Barrow's Goldeneye 6        range=0-28
> Hooded Merganser 110        range=0-68            New high
> Common Merganser 116        range=16-368
> Ruddy Duck 5836            range=21-4225        New high
> Bald Eagle 23                range=5-39
> Northern Harrier 59            range=16-148
> Cooper's Hawk 3            range=0-6
> Red-shouldered Hawk 6        range=0-13
> Red-tailed Hawk 246            range=28-399
>     Harlan's race 1        range=0-1 (3x)
> Ferruginous Hawk 6            range=1-20
> Rough-legged Hawk 109        range=14-127
> Golden Eagle 3            range=0-7
> American Kestrel 21            range=4-35
> Merlin 2                range=0-5
> Peregrine Falcon 1            range=0-3
> Prairie Falcon 13            range=2-12
> California Quail 447            range=130-973
> Virginia Rail 5            range=0-9
> American Coot 5297            range=801-13037
> Killdeer 4                range=0-55
> Greater Yellowlegs 24        range=0-55
> Least Sandpiper 45            range=0-44            New High
> Long-billed Dowitcher 16        range=0-70 (7x)
> Wilson's Snipe 7            range=0-13
> Ring-billed Gull 20            range=0-103
>     Gull Species 2
> Rock Pigeon 68            range=0-99
> Mourning Dove 42            range=0-188
> Barn Owl 3                range=0-19
> Great Horned Owl 12            range=0-27
> Short-eared Owl 3            range=0-10 (8x)
> Belted Kingfisher 15            range=6-21
> Lewis's Woodpecker 3        range=0-137
> Acorn Woodpecker 101        range=11-177
> Red-breasted Sapsucker 4        range=0-20
> Nuttall's Woodpecker 10        range=4-25
> Downy Woodpecker 7        range=1-9
> Hairy Woodpecker 4            range=0-15
> Northern Red-shaft Flicker 68    range=27-161
> Black Phoebe 8            range=0-19
> Loggerhead Shrike 2            range=0-4
> Northern Shrike 2            range=0-10
> Steller's Jay 40            range=16-170
> Western Scrub-Jay 81        range=28-175
> Black-billed Magpie 38        range=0-27            New High
> American Crow 64            range=0-40            New High
> Common Raven 116            range=21-289
> Horned lark 12             range=0-1356
> Mountain Chickadee 28        range=12-243
> Oak Titmouse 19            range=0-33
> Bushtit 78                range=0-293
> Red-breasted Nuthatch 4        range=1-80
> White-breasted Nuthatch 15        range=10-96
> Pygmy Nuthatch 42            range=0-135
> Rock Wren 1                range=0-3 (9x)
> Canyon Wren 1            range=0-5 (14x)
> Bewick's Wren 6            range=0-28
> Winter Wren 1            range=0-6
> Marsh Wren 33            range=2-34
> Golden-crowned Kinglet 20        range=3-310
> Ruby-crowned Kinglet 6        range=2-37
> Mountain Bluebird 1            range=0-17 (9x)
> Townsend's Solitaire 34        range=10-74
> American Robin 2388            range=66-2353
> European Starling 1389        range=171-4652
> American Pipit 1            range=0-240 (13x)
> Cedar Waxwing 89            range=0-673
> Yellow-rumped Aud Warbler 1    range=0-55
> Spotted Towhee 11            range=0-214
> Savannah Sparrow 92            range=0-222
> Fox Sparrow 3            range=0-28
> Song Sparrow 185            range=17-201
> White-throated Sparrow 230        range=1-1178
> Golden-crowned Sparrow 189    range=16-219
> Dark-eyed Junco 518            range=227-1893
>     Slate form 1            range=0-32
> Red-winged Blackbird 246        range=2-10228
> Tricolored Blackbird 41        range=0-4075
> Western Meadowlark 193        range=23-665
> Yellow-headed Blackbird 1        range=0-23 (13x)
> Brewer's Blackbird 4129        range=729-6347
> Brown-headed Cowbird 3        range=0-203
> House Finch 63            range=3-379
> Lesser Goldfinch 262            range=30-997
> American Goldfinch 10        range=0-390
> House Sparrow 171            range=35-402
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>
> Species seen five or less times:
>
> American Bittern 2            range=1, 1, 1 (4x)
> Dunlin 24                range=3, 12, 3, 1 (5x)
> California Gull 2            range=1, 1, 1, 5 (5x)
> Eurasian Collared Dove 29        range=25 (2x)
> Western Screech Owl 1        range=1, 1, 1 (4x)
> Say's Phoebe 3            range=1, 1, (3x)
> American Tree Sparrow 2        range=1, 1, 1 (4x)
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> First Time On Count :
> Saw-whet Owl 1
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>
> 119 total species   seen by 25 counters    average count total = 115 species
>
> Seen during the count period but not on the count day:
> White-tailed Kite 1
> Herring Gull 1
>
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^\
^^^^
>
> Total Hours by foot     25.5
> Total Hours by Car    54.5
> Total Hours Owling    1.5
> Total All Party Hours    81.5
>
> Total Miles by foot    19
> Total Miles by car     36.5
> Total Miles Owling    25
> Total All Party Miles    407
>
>         !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    Thanks To All
>  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>

As California seems to get most of the dark-morph Ross's Geese, I was
hoping that some of you that are might see a few of these birds would
look at some photos of a bird I found in TN. My only experience with
this bird was one at the Salton Sea a couple of years ago.

I posted 5 shots on my Pbase site, starting here:

http://www.pbase.com/mctodd/image/90426578

The shots are a little distant.

This bird was part of flock of about 3000 Snow Geese, about a 50/50
split white to dark. Good numbers of Ross's were in the group as
well. We are seeing more and more Ross's all the time here in the
Mississippi River Valley, and though people are looking for them, to
knowledge this is the 1st promising bird from TN.

The bird struck me initially by how black it was, along with the neat
white face encased in black. Structurally, I couldn't tell any
difference in this bird and classic Ross's when side-by-side in
either size or bill characters. This bird had a straight border to
the bill, lacked any grin patch, and had the bluish base to the bill.
The head was nicely rounded. The coverts and tertials contrasted
strikingly white against the blackish body, but don't always show
that bright in some of the photos for some reason.

So far the opinion is it looks pretty good for a dark Ross's, but I
was wondering if it would be considered such on their home grounds.
Photos are very scarce, though it looks to be a dead-ringer match to
the one posted in the Calbirds photo under Waterfowl back in 2003.

Thanks for any and all comments.

Mike Todd
McKenzie, TN
birder1@...
www.pbase.com/mctodd

[my apologies if you receive this more than once; please feel free to
cross-post to relevant listserves as appropriate]



Help Survey Mountain Plovers and Long-billed Curlews (and Eurasian
Dotterels??) in the Imperial Valley!



On the weekend of 2-3 February 2008 we will once again be surveying
appropriate habitat in the Imperial Valley for Mountain Plovers and
Long-billed Curlews.  Previous surveys have confirmed that this is the
single most important wintering locality for Mountain Plovers; recent
alarming population declines add to the urgency of getting current
information on the winter status of this species in the Region.
Long-billed Curlews are also a species of conservation concern, and this
survey will follow the first systematic surveys of curlews in the
Imperial Valley that we conducted in January and September 2007.  As for
Eurasian Dotterels and other goodies - well, we make no promises, but a
dotterel was found during Mountain Plover surveys in January 2001.



We need volunteers to cover survey areas on Saturday and Sunday.  A
survey area will take about half a day to cover, so you can survey half
a day and bird at your leisure the other half or spend a whole day doing
two survey routes.  If you're especially enthusiastic, you can get in
four survey routes over the weekend!  We realize this is "Super Bowl"
weekend, but you can be home by late afternoon to watch the game after
doing a Survey Sunday morning!



This is entirely a volunteer effort.  You will need to provide your own
transportation to the Imperial Valley and during the survey, as well as
your food and lodging.  Interested persons should contact Kathy Molina:
kmolina@... or by phone at (213)-763-3368.  We need to know in
advance how many parties will be counting and how many survey areas each
party can cover over the course of the weekend.  Once you have arranged
to cover one or more sectors, you will receive the maps and datasheets
by e-mail.



Surveyors need not have any special qualifications or previous
experience apart from the ability to identify the target species, to
count reasonably accurately, and to fill out simple survey forms
(including descriptions of fields/substrates where plovers and curlews
are found).  A spotting scope is essential.



Kimball



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]

The spectacular birding circle includes the Valley of the Moon,
Petaluma, Sonoma and Napa Wetlands, two estuaries and two mountain
ranges. Birders are most welcomed! "Citizen Science" at its best!

For additional information and sign up visit www.sonomabirding.org
or phone 707-939-8007.

Ranked 41st in the U.S. CBC's with 167 species counted last year.
Come Celebrate New Years weekend with us in Wine Country!

Tom Rusert
Sonoma,CA
Compiler

Hi all,

Not that I am an expert on blue Ross's Goose but I am pretty sure that you have
TWO blue Ross's Geese in those photos!  One is clearly an adult blue Ross's but
the one to the left of it in the first and last pics is an immature blue Ross's!
But alas, I retain weatherman's rights on bird identification.....I could be
wrong!

-----Original Message-----
>From: birding11 <birder1@...>
>Sent: Dec 18, 2007 7:56 AM
>To: CALBIRDS@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: [CALBIRDS] Dark-morph Ross's Goose
>
>As California seems to get most of the dark-morph Ross's Geese, I was
>hoping that some of you that are might see a few of these birds would
>look at some photos of a bird I found in TN. My only experience with
>this bird was one at the Salton Sea a couple of years ago.
>
>I posted 5 shots on my Pbase site, starting here:
>
>http://www.pbase.com/mctodd/image/90426578
>
>The shots are a little distant.
>
>This bird was part of flock of about 3000 Snow Geese, about a 50/50
>split white to dark. Good numbers of Ross's were in the group as
>well. We are seeing more and more Ross's all the time here in the
>Mississippi River Valley, and though people are looking for them, to
>knowledge this is the 1st promising bird from TN.
>
>The bird struck me initially by how black it was, along with the neat
>white face encased in black. Structurally, I couldn't tell any
>difference in this bird and classic Ross's when side-by-side in
>either size or bill characters. This bird had a straight border to
>the bill, lacked any grin patch, and had the bluish base to the bill.
>The head was nicely rounded. The coverts and tertials contrasted
>strikingly white against the blackish body, but don't always show
>that bright in some of the photos for some reason.
>
>So far the opinion is it looks pretty good for a dark Ross's, but I
>was wondering if it would be considered such on their home grounds.
>Photos are very scarce, though it looks to be a dead-ringer match to
>the one posted in the Calbirds photo under Waterfowl back in 2003.
>
>Thanks for any and all comments.
>
>Mike Todd
>McKenzie, TN
>birder1@...
>www.pbase.com/mctodd
>
>


    (!__!)
    (0V0)      HAPPY BIRDING
   {}~~{}        BOB MILLER
  =='''='''==

Southwest Birders
108 West I Street
Brawley, CA. 92227
Imperial County
760-455-1413
http://www.southwestbirders.com
bob.miller@...

Mike,

The adult in all four shots is indeed an adult dark-morph Ross's Goose.  Two
dark-morph Ross's Geese, an adult and an immature, were with the white geese at
the south end of the Salton Sea through the winter of 2004-2005 (North American
Birds 59:323) with a photograph of the adult published (North American Birds
59:324).  As you correctly noted, these birds are the same size and shape as the
white Ross's Geese.  They are noticeably blacker than the dark-morph Snow Geese,
with the white on the head and neck restricted to the face.  Because these birds
are blacker than the dark-morph Snow Geese, the white on the tertials is more
obvious than that on the dark-morph Snow Geese.  All (about half-a-dozen) of the
dark-morph Ross's Geese that I have seen have had white under-parts, which I
believe is normal.

I believe the goose immediately ahead of the adult dark-morph Ross's Goose in
the first shot is the immature present - the face on this bird was not the clean
white as on the adult.

Guy McCaskie
954 Grove Avenue
Imperial Beach, CA  91932
619-423-7524

   ----- Original Message -----
   From: birding11
   To: CALBIRDS@yahoogroups.com
   Sent: Tuesday, December 18, 2007 7:56 AM
   Subject: [CALBIRDS] Dark-morph Ross's Goose


   As California seems to get most of the dark-morph Ross's Geese, I was
   hoping that some of you that are might see a few of these birds would
   look at some photos of a bird I found in TN. My only experience with
   this bird was one at the Salton Sea a couple of years ago.

   I posted 5 shots on my Pbase site, starting here:

   http://www.pbase.com/mctodd/image/90426578

   The shots are a little distant.

   This bird was part of flock of about 3000 Snow Geese, about a 50/50
   split white to dark. Good numbers of Ross's were in the group as
   well. We are seeing more and more Ross's all the time here in the
   Mississippi River Valley, and though people are looking for them, to
   knowledge this is the 1st promising bird from TN.

   The bird struck me initially by how black it was, along with the neat
   white face encased in black. Structurally, I couldn't tell any
   difference in this bird and classic Ross's when side-by-side in
   either size or bill characters. This bird had a straight border to
   the bill, lacked any grin patch, and had the bluish base to the bill.
   The head was nicely rounded. The coverts and tertials contrasted
   strikingly white against the blackish body, but don't always show
   that bright in some of the photos for some reason.

   So far the opinion is it looks pretty good for a dark Ross's, but I
   was wondering if it would be considered such on their home grounds.
   Photos are very scarce, though it looks to be a dead-ringer match to
   the one posted in the Calbirds photo under Waterfowl back in 2003.

   Thanks for any and all comments.

   Mike Todd
   McKenzie, TN
   birder1@...
   www.pbase.com/mctodd





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

Joel et al.

It's true that we've had some serious problems with our hotspots in eBird.
We are working to correct this by providing better tools for people to
select existing hotspots, especially the "Find it on a map" option, which
shows all existing hotspots and personal locations and allows one to choose
any for data entry.  We intend the get rid of the option of selecting
hotspots from a list (with no map) for the very reason you outline--in some
cases the names are too ambiguous to be useful without seeing the locations
on a map.  In any case, we are painfully aware of the issue and are working
on comprehensive solutions to make this more useful.

Sorry about the confusion on the Roseate Spoonbill locations!

Happy Holidays!

Thanks

Brian

--
===========
Brian L. Sullivan
Pacific Grove, CA

eBird/AKN Project Leader
www.ebird.org
www.avianknowledge.net

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]

Birders

Thanks to Joel's email I was able to get some leverage on making these
development changes.  The eBird Hotspots are now only available through
selection from a map, which should eliminate confusion on selecting a
location. Moreover, the map now has COUNTY as a parameter for narrowing down
your search right off the bat.  Thanks Joel!

Brian

--
===========
Brian L. Sullivan
Pacific Grove, CA

eBird/AKN Project Leader
www.ebird.org
www.avianknowledge.net

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]

For those of you who like big years, the website below explains how a number of
birders will be attempting a 2008 big year without using any gas - on foot or by
self-propelled transportation (e.g. bike).? Some will scoff, but I am already
planning how I am going to maximize my species for the year without using my
car.? I think San Luis Obispo County will be hard to beat, so I understand if
others don't want to join in.

Jim Royer
Los Osos, CA


On 12/17/07, Richard Gregson <sparroworks@...> wrote:
>
> A small number of birders are, in a spirit of friendly rivalry with no
> prizes to be won, attempting a "Bigby" in 2008 ... will you join us?? We
> won't save the planet, but we could have fun and get fit.
>
> Rather than explain it all here, you can see what it's all about at
> http://www.sparroworks.ca/bigby.html
>
> Richard Gregson
> Montreal
>

________________________________________________________________________
More new features than ever.  Check out the new AOL Mail ! -
http://webmail.aol.com


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

This is a great idea.  Yolo Audubon has long sponsored an Environmental Big Day
category for its Big Day Bird-a-thon.  I'm proud to hold the record of 117
species (for Yolo County), mostly by bike covering Davis to the Yolo Bypass.  A
Big Year would yield you a lot more exercise!



Steve Hampton
________________
Resource Economist
Office of Spill Prevention and Response
California Dept of Fish and Game
PO Box 944209
Sacramento, CA 94244-2090
-----------------------------------
(916) 323-4724 phone
(916) 324-8829 fax

>>> <jcadroyer@...> 12/20/2007 12:25 PM >>>
For those of you who like big years, the website below explains how a number of
birders will be attempting a 2008 big year without using any gas - on foot or by
self-propelled transportation (e.g. bike).? Some will scoff, but I am already
planning how I am going to maximize my species for the year without using my
car.? I think San Luis Obispo County will be hard to beat, so I understand if
others don't want to join in.

Jim Royer
Los Osos, CA


On 12/17/07, Richard Gregson <sparroworks@...> wrote:
>
> A small number of birders are, in a spirit of friendly rivalry with no
> prizes to be won, attempting a "Bigby" in 2008 ... will you join us?? We
> won't save the planet, but we could have fun and get fit.
>
> Rather than explain it all here, you can see what it's all about at
> http://www.sparroworks.ca/bigby.html
>
> Richard Gregson
> Montreal
>

________________________________________________________________________
More new features than ever.  Check out the new AOL Mail ! -
http://webmail.aol.com


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



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

Champ, do you care to reveal what day of the year you set this record?

  __________________________________________________

    SYLVIA WRIGHT
        Public information officer
        for environmental science & policy

News Service
University of California, Davis

Office  (530) 752-7704
Cell     (530) 219-8849
E-mail: swright@...
Office location: 334 Mrak Hall
News home page: http://www.news.ucdavis.edu
Services for faculty and staff: http://www.news.ucdavis.edu/services
  __________________________________________________

Please consider the environment before printing this email. Thanks. ©­




From: Steve Hampton <shampton@...>
Date: Thu, 20 Dec 2007 12:47:48 -0800
To: <CALBIRDS@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: Re: [CALBIRDS] Green Big Year





This is a great idea.  Yolo Audubon has long sponsored an Environmental Big
Day category for its Big Day Bird-a-thon.  I'm proud to hold the record of
117 species (for Yolo County), mostly by bike covering Davis to the Yolo
Bypass.  A Big Year would yield you a lot more exercise!

Steve Hampton
________________
Resource Economist
Office of Spill Prevention and Response
California Dept of Fish and Game
PO Box 944209
Sacramento, CA 94244-2090
-----------------------------------
(916) 323-4724 phone
(916) 324-8829 fax

>>> <jcadroyer@... <mailto:jcadroyer%40aol.com> > 12/20/2007 12:25 PM >>>
For those of you who like big years, the website below explains how a number
of birders will be attempting a 2008 big year without using any gas - on
foot or by self-propelled transportation (e.g. bike).? Some will scoff, but
I am already planning how I am going to maximize my species for the year
without using my car.? I think San Luis Obispo County will be hard to beat,
so I understand if others don't want to join in.

Jim Royer
Los Osos, CA

On 12/17/07, Richard Gregson <sparroworks@...
<mailto:sparroworks%40gmail.com> > wrote:
>
> A small number of birders are, in a spirit of friendly rivalry with no
> prizes to be won, attempting a "Bigby" in 2008 ... will you join us?? We
> won't save the planet, but we could have fun and get fit.
>
> Rather than explain it all here, you can see what it's all about at
> http://www.sparroworks.ca/bigby.html
>
> Richard Gregson
> Montreal
>

__________________________________________________________
More new features than ever.  Check out the new AOL Mail ! -
http://webmail.aol.com

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

Unsubscribe: mailto:CALBIRDS-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
<mailto:CALBIRDS-unsubscribe%40yahoogroups.com>
Website: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CALBIRDS
Listowners: mailto:CALBIRDS-owner@yahoogroups.com
<mailto:CALBIRDS-owner%40yahoogroups.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
<mailto:CALBIRDS-nomail%40yahoogroups.com>
Resume email delivery: mailto:CALBIRDS-normal@yahoogroups.com
<mailto:CALBIRDS-normal%40yahoogroups.com>

Yahoo! Groups Links






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

Some images from today

Neo's
http://sdbirds.basiclink.com/neotropic_cormorant.htm

a nice Red-tailed Hawk addition
http://sdbirds.basiclink.com/red.htm


Douglas Aguillard
San Diego, CA
doug@...
Black Water Nature Photography
http://sdbirds.basiclink.com

"Come to the Darkside--we have cookies!"




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

A very good evening birders, and very Happy Holidays. For all birders from
Ventura County to Orange County to the north, to San Bernidino and Riverside
Counties to the west. The
   Southern California Bird Box is up and running again. So get on it while it
lasts.


   Happy Holidays
   John Small
   Torrance,CA


---------------------------------
Looking for last minute shopping deals?  Find them fast with Yahoo! Search.

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

From us to all of you:

http://mysite.verizon.net/ressec1b/Owls.html

Jim and Lark

I am posting the following for Sara Stock.

Lowell Young
Mariposa, CA


Greetings All,

The Wildlife Management Branch is interested in receiving YOUR
wildlife observations to keep the Yosemite Wildlife Observation
Database a vital and up-to-date source of Wildlife knowledge in our
park.  Its legacy dates to the earliest entry in the year 1900 (a
porcupine sighted on Northside  Drive on April 2) and includes
entries from well-known historical figures the likes of Joseph
Grinnell, Carl Sharsmith; and many current and past  park employees
you would recognize.  There are currently over 10,000  entries.  We
are in the process of updating this database, but we need your help.
Many of you have contributed to these data through the years in
Yosemite - don't stop now.  And, if you haven't yet, contribute your
observations and you, too, can have a place in the park's wildlife
history:

Imagine...Species: California condor; Date:  July 4th, 2015;
Location:  soaring at the top of El Capitan: Observer:{your name here}

Each observation requires:

Species
Date (note if estimated or actual)
Location (please be as specific as you can)
Observer (name and contact information)
Other relevant details (optional field; includes "pair, nest, #
individuals detected, etc.)

We accept your observations in ANY form, e.g., excel spreadsheets or
photocopies of scribbled notebook pages.  Preferably, wildlife
observations would be any that would be deemed "interesting or
unusual", if in question, you may as well include it because on some
level, everything is interesting!  Please send to
sarah_stock@...; and any hard-copies to:

Sarah Stock, 5083 Foresta Rd., P.O. Box 700, El Portal, CA 95318.

Also, if you know of data that is already accessible to us (via
scientific report you or another researcher has already submitted;
website or birding/other list serves) that we may or may not be aware
of; or someone who keeps a wildlife journal who may not receive this
e-mail and who
does not work in the park, please let us know.  Or if you've
contributed observations in the past but are not sure they are in the
database, please inquire and we'll look it up for you.  Thank you for
helping us with this project!  Our goal is to have an up-to-date
functioning database that we can keep current on a regular basis.  If
you don't have any observations to contribute now, that's ok. In the
future, when you see something interesting in the park, send us a
quick e-mail with the relevant information (species, date, location,
and observer).

Happy Holidays,

Wildlife Management Branch
Resources Management and Science Division

******************************************
Sarah Stock, Wildlife Biologist
Division of Resources Management and Science
Yosemite National Park
5083 Foresta Road, P.O. Box 700
El Portal, California 95318
Tel: 209-379-1435
Fax: 209-379-1131
E-mail: sarah_stock@...

I will be in Morro Bay for 3 days starting the 26th. any info on bird watching
in that area
would be much appreciated.

Paul Lima
Long Beach, CA

Looking for overwinter locations of Bald Eagles in CA.  Specifically large
concentrations?

????

Thank you for any assistance you can provide.

Bill S.  Concord CA

Try Lake San Antonio in south central Monterey County.
  They even have a boat to get you out to see them.

Lowell Young
Mariposa, CA
Elev. = 3,250'


      
________________________________________________________________________________\
____
Looking for last minute shopping deals?
Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. 
http://tools.search.yahoo.com/newsearch/category.php?category=shopping

Hi Birders -

Today's Monterey Peninsula Christmas Bird Count was supposed to be
another unlucky rainy event.  Fortunately for most, the rain never
came.  My feelings go out to you, Tim Amaral.  As usual, there were
hits and misses, but what really surprised me as we went down the list
was not missing any regular ducks on the checklist.  I can't remember
the count ever getting every one of those ducks.  Perhaps that is why
we saw an above average number or species for this year's count,
182*.  (*still waiting on details for a Western Tanager.  It is sounds
good, then 183.).  Average is around 175 species, give or take a few.

The best bird of the count was not the rare warbler, oriole or seabird
that one may think.  To many, Mountain Bluebirds (found by Dave
Werner) seem somewhat typical.  But on the Monterey Peninsula they are
extremely rare.  Two were seen in the Pinyon Peak area near Rancho San
Carlos (up Robinson Canyon Road).  This is a new area recently opened
up to us, and therefore we may be seeing a few new additions to our
list in future years.

Some of the highlights are listed below.

Manx Shearwater - one seen from the boat and most likely the same one
seen from shore by Rob Fowler.

Blue-winged Teal - one flew right by Craig Hohenberger at the Carmel
River lagoon just as he exited his car.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - two birds: one at the base of Robinson
Canyon found by Kim Kuska may be a hybrid.  It showed juvenile plumage
as young Yellow-bellied does in the winter, but showed red on the
crown and throat as Red-naped would in the winter.  The other bird was
definitely a juvenile bird at Caledonia Park in Pacific Grove found by
Steve Rovell.

Red Knot - very rare for rocky shore habitats of the Monterey
Peninsula.  But that's where Al DeMartini found this one, just north
of Asilomar Beach on the rocky shore.

Western Tanager - this one needs details.  The finders (Dick and Linda
Beidleman) weren't at the compilation dinner to back up their
sighting.  We need to wait for a description.  It was somewhere in the
Garland Ranch region of Carmel Valley.

Long-tailed Duck - near the barge near Wharf 2 (Fisherman's Wharf) in
Monterey - found by Brian Weed.

Harlequin Duck - I can't remember who found it and exactly where it
was, but it was probably near Fisherman's Wharf or the Coast Guard
jetty.

Prairie Falcon - another tough to get bird.  The peninsula area just
doesn't have much open grassland.  This one was found by Dave Werner
in the same general area as the Mountain Bluebirds, one of the only
areas with extensive open grasslands.

Long-eared Owl - At least one heard on several occasions from two
vantage points over an hour apart in Robinson Canyon.  Steve Rovell,
Rob Fowler and Jim Sandor heard this guy/girl.

Black and White Warbler - I think this was found by Rick Fournier, but
it may have been Bob and Bernadette Ramer.  It was at Laguna Grande
Park in Seaside.  It is believed (by me, at least) to be the same bird
that has been present since fall.

Wilson's Warbler - Craig Hohenberger and Bill Hill saw this bird along
the Carmel River.

Nashville Warbler - two different individuals found by Rob Fowler near
Caledonia Park.  There may have been another, but I don't remember
that well after waking up at 3:30 am for owling.

Burrowing Owl - a stakeout that apparently has been coming back year
after year to the same location at Asilomar Conference Grounds.  The
rangers there just didn't tell us about it until this year.  Steve
Rovell, Rob Fowler, Al DeMartini, Dave Kiehl and Penny Kiehl all saw
this bird.

There were some interesting mammals seen on today's count.  They
included bobcat, coyote, mountain lion and elephant seal.

Steve Rovell
Marina, CA





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

Greetings all,

Thank you for the many "eagle locations".  I'll be
heading up to Kalmath NWR on New Years day.  My
greatest concern is the weather (driving, and
photographically).  Any local knowledge, tips, hotel
recommendation, hot spots etc... would be greatly
appreciated.

Happy New Year

Bill& Connie Sullivan

Concord, CA

This note has been cross-posted:
Just got a call from Groveland CBC coordinator, Bill Zachman, that a
male Smew was seen on a pond on Priest-Coulterville Road, at the
Mariposa-Tuolumne county lines, just inside Tuolumne County. The pond
is on the west side of the road located in a llama farm. The Smew was
with a couple Hooded Mergansers. Before the three spotters left the
Smew had flown. The persons who spotted the Smew are Larry Resetar,
Dan Maxwell and Dale Morejon.
--John Turner, Lake Don Pedro, Tuolumne County, CA

Post from other list group:

Just got a call from Groveland CBC coordinator, Bill Zachman, that a
male Smew was seen on a pond on Priest-Coulterville Road, at the
Mariposa-Tuolumne county lines, just inside Tuolumne County. The pond
is on the west side of the road located in a llama farm. The Smew was
with a couple Hooded Mergansers. Before the three spotters left the
Smew had flown. The persons who spotted the Smew are Larry Resetar,
Dan Maxwell and Dale Morejon. ---John Turner

Jamie Mullin
Groveland, CA

Sat at pond on Priest-Coulterville Rd from 7:30 to 8:45 this morning
(Sun the 30th) to view the Smew. Alas, the only denizens consisted of
4 Coots. I hope someone else finds it!

Steven Umland
Sonora, CA, Tuolumne Co.