Hi Birders

You are cordially invited  to attend Los Angeles Audubon Society's
monthly meeting this coming Wednesday, December 9, 2009 at 7:30pm.
The address is Plummer Park, 7377 Santa Monica Blvd., Rm 6 of the
Community Center, West Hollywood, CA 90046.  Refreshments will be
served at the bookstore after the meeting.

Please join us this night as our local, gull expert, Larry Allen,
gives a presentation at our December monthly meeting. Larry has led
identification workshops for the chapter and fieldtrips studying our
gull species:

What Gull is That? Speciation among the Larids

When the next edition of your favorite North American field guide is
published, you will note that the scientific names of many Gull (and
other) species will have changed: Bonaparte's Gull will be
Chroicocephalus philadelphia and Laughing Gull will be Leucophaeus
atricilla for example. And, if your field guide follows AOU order,
Swallow-tailed Gull will be the first picture in the gull section

Larry will discuss the reasons for these changes and touch on the
history of gull systematics. We will explore some of the problems
imposed by hybridization and the comparatively recent evolutionary
radiation of many gull species. Larry will also provide
identification tips to help in discriminating among the many members
of this interesting and complex group.

***

We are looking for volunteers to help out with our Lancaster
Christmas Bird Count, Saturday, December 19, 2009.  Please contact us
if you'd like to participate in this area where habitat can still be
found supporting resident LeConte's Thrasher and wintering Mountain
Plover, and raptors.

See you Wednesday night!

Mary Freeman
Glendale, CA
Programs Chair and Fieldtrip Leader for LAAS
Co-compiler of the Lancaster CBC





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Thanks to a contribution from Bob Briggs, a photo of a SNOW BUNTING on
Mission Peak, Alameda County taken on Thanksgiving day can be viewed at the
WFO web site:

http://www.westernfieldornithologists.org/

The bird was at about 2200 feet elevation and about half a kilometer
northwest of the summit.

Enjoy!

--
Joseph Morlan, Pacifica, CA        jmorlan (at) ccsf.edu
SF Birding Classes start Feb.9     http://fog.ccsf.edu/jmorlan/
California Bird Records Committee  http://www.californiabirds.org/
Western Field Ornithologists       http://www.westernfieldornithologists.org/

Hi all,

The Black Vulture continued in Santa Paula this morning, December 2. It was
perched in an oak tree in front of 1147 Say Road at 8:00 when I arrived (being
viewed by other birders), and eventually flew to the utility pole 100 feet to
the east and was there when I left at 8:50.

Tom Benson
San Bernardino, CA


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A Dusky-capped Flycatcher has returned for its 3rd winter at La Mirada Creek
Park in LA Co.

Location:
http://www.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=100476891711902373577.000\
\
44726211cc9fefc9c9&ll=33.916721,-118.007546&spn=0.003165,0.004823&z=18

-Jonathan Rowley
Whittier, CA

Dear North American Birds contributors,

The fall season has come to a close.  Please submit your noteworthy
bird records from the Northern California Region for the period 1
August – 30 November to the appropriate Subregional Editors (SREs) by
10 December.

SREs diligently keep track of records within their counties.  By
sending your records to the SREs, you are contributing to their
county files as well as to North American Birds.  If you wish to send
records to the Regional Editors, we welcome them.  But please send
records to the SREs as well.  If you have a noteworthy record from a
county without an SRE, please send it to the Regional Editors.

SUBREGIONAL EDITORS

Alameda (ALA)
Bob Richmond
24650 Amador St. #15
Hayward, CA 94544
brichmond94544@...

Alpine (ALP), Calaveras (CLV), Modoc (MOD), & Yolo (YOL)
John Sterling
29 Palm Ave.
Woodland, CA 95695
jsterling@...

Amador (AMA) & El Dorado (ED)
Tim Steurer
4042 Bancroft Dr.
El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
tsteurer@...

Butte (BUT), Colusa (COL), Glenn (GLE), Tehama (TEH), & Yuba (YUB)
Bruce Deuel
18730 Live Oak Rd.
Red Bluff, CA 96080
bdeuel@...

Contra Costa (CC)
Steve Glover
5108 Shelly Ray Rd.
Keller, TX 76244
countylines@...

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

Humboldt (HUM)
Rob Fowler
2277 Heather Ln., Apt. D
Arcata, CA 95521
migratoriusfwlr@...

Kings (KIN)
Jeff Seay
7815 N. Palm Ave., Ste. 310
Fresno, CA 93711
jseay@...

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

Lassen (LAS)
Ken Able
Bob’s Creek Ranch
535-000 Little Valley Rd.
McArthur, CA 96056
kenable@...

Madera (MAD)
Jeff N. Davis
7815 N. Palm Ave., Ste, 310
Fresno, CA 93711
jdavis@...

Marin (MRN)
Ryan Terrill
1619 El Dorado St.
Santa Cruz, CA 95062
enicurus@...

Mariposa (MRP)
David Vander Pluym
1683 Buena Vista St.
Ventura, CA 93001
scre@...

Mendocino (MEN)
Bob Keiffer
P.O. Box 354
Hopland, CA 95449
rjkeiffer@...

Merced (MER) & San Benito (SBT)
Kent Van Vuren
26 Vista Dr.
Salinas, CA 93907
vanvurenk@...

Mono (MNO)
Kristie Nelson
P.O. Box 402
Lee Vining, CA 93541
storm_petrel@...

Monterey (MTY)
Don Roberson
282 Grove Acre
Pacific Grove, CA 93950
creagrus@...

Napa (NAP)
Murray Burner
210 Monte Vista
Napa, CA 94558
vireocity@...

Nevada (NEV)
Rudy Darling
12143 Big Blue Rd.
Nevada City, CA 95959
rdarling@...

Placer (PLA)
Ed Pandolfino
5530 Del Rose Crt.
Carmichael, CA 95608
erpfromca@...

Plumas (PLU) & Sierra (SIE)
Colin Dillingham
400 First St.
Quincy, CA 95971
cdillingham@...

Sacramento (SAC)
Chris Conard
2405 Rio Bravo Cir.
Sacramento, CA 95826
conardc@...

San Francisco (SF)
Mainland: Mark Eaton
1524 36th Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94122
mweaton@...

San Francisco (SF)
Farallones: Jim Tietz
P.O. Box 373
Shaver Lake, CA 93664
jimtietz@...

San Joaquin (SJ)
Frances Oliver
1817 Songbird Pl.
Lodi, CA 95240
hummer52@...

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

Santa Clara (SCL)
William G. Bousman
321 Arlington Way
Menlo Park, CA 94025
barlowi@...

Santa Cruz (SCZ)
David Suddjian and Steve Gerow
801 Monterey Ave.
Capitola, CA 95010
dsuddjian@...
stephengerow@...

Shasta (SHA)
Bob Yutzy
P.O. Box 990237
Redding, CA 96099
boby@...

Siskiyou (SIS)
Ray Ekstrom
2209 Delphic Rd.
Montague, CA 96064

Solano (SOL)
Robin Leong
336 Benson Ave.
Vallejo, CA 94590
robin_leong@...

Sonoma (SON)
Ruth Rudesill
P.O. Box 371
Kenwood, CA 95452
ruthier@...

Stanislaus (STA)
Harold Reeve
birder@...

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

Tulare (TUL)
Steven Summers
2553 W. Michelle Ln.
Porterville, CA 93257
summers@...

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

REGIONAL EDITORS

Mike Rogers
(waterfowl through quail and herons through shorebirds)
499 Novato Ave.
Sunnyvale, CA 94086
m.m.rogers@...

Steve Rottenborn
(loons through frigatebirds and larids through alcids)
983 University Ave., Bldg. D
Los Gatos, CA 95032
srottenborn@...

Jeff Davis
(doves through thrushes/Wrentit)
7815 N. Palm Ave., Ste. 310
Fresno, CA 93711
jdavis@...

Ed Pandolfino
(thrashers through finches)
5530 Delrose Crt.
Carmichael, CA 95608
erpfromca@...

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 send reports in our database format: species, date(s)
[including year], locale separated by a space from county
abbreviation, number of birds, and observers, and then, on a second
line, any comments.  Please separate these sections by a
"tab" (except just a space between locale and county abbreviation).
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 thanks to all contributors and Subregional Editors who make
these reports possible!

Sincerely,

Jeff Davis, Ed Pandolfino, Steve Rottenborn, and Mike Rogers

Northern California Regional Editors

(North American Birds is a quarterly journal of ornithological record
published by the American Birding Association.  For details see
http://www.aba.org/nab/.)






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A Wood Stork has been reported and photographed this afternoon at San Joaquin
Wildlife Sanctuary, Pond D.

That's in Orange County, City of Irvine.

Joel Weintraub
Dana Point, CA
(Orange Co RBA Compiler)

Thousands of votes have been cast for Audubon California's 2009 Bird of the
Year, and yet the top two birds are separated by just two percentage points.
Only one week remains to cast votes.

Audubon California seeks to recognize a California bird species of conservation
interest that made a significant impact in 2009. All members of the public are
encouraged to cast their votes online on Audubon California's website at
www.ca.audubon.org<http://www.ca.audubon.org/> through Dec. 7. You can vote as
many times as you like.

You can vote for any bird, but the Audubon California Board of Directors has
nominated six species in particular: California Condor, Brown Pelican, Peregrine
Falcon, Acorn Woodpecker, Yellow-billed Magpie, and Western Snowy Plover.

Garrison Frost
Audubon California
Emeryville, CA
gfrost@...<mailto:gfrost%40audubon.org>

Visit Audubon California on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Audubon-California/51110454538



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Folks,

Sorry for the late report, but I thought some might be interested in a
report on "Al," the Laysan Albatross at Point Arena Cove in Mendocino
County.  Kimya Lambert and I saw him fly in around 3:30 pm on Friday,
11/27/09.  Both legs appeared to be working well (photos from the winter of
06/07 showed an apparent broken leg).
Photos here:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/conardc/

Also of modest note was the continuing American Dipper on 11/28 along Putah
Creek in Solano County where Hwy 128 crosses the creek just below Lake
Berryessa's Monticello Dam.

Chris Conard
Sacramento


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A Black Vulture is being seen in Ventura County.  Details are at:

http://www.sialia.com/s/calists.pl?rm=one_list;id=77

A photo has been posted at:

http://www.westernfieldornithologists.org/

Click through for larger images.

Enjoy!

--
Joseph Morlan, Pacifica, CA        jmorlan (at) ccsf.edu
SF Birding Classes start Feb.9     http://fog.ccsf.edu/jmorlan/
California Bird Records Committee  http://www.californiabirds.org/
Western Field Ornithologists       http://www.westernfieldornithologists.org/

Can anyone please help me find a site to call to report a Tagged Pelican, I've
exhausted my research.
TIA.

Alan Dunn,
Mission Hills.

Hi there CalBirders,
Here is a chance to ring in the New Year by building up your Napa County
list! Napa-Solano Audubon Society took over the Angwin CBC, but has not
changed its traditional date of doing it, the first day of the new year.
Please contact Laurie Hoppe at (707) 963-2073 if you are interested.

Best birding,
Robin Leong for Laurie
Vallejo, CA



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I have been contacted by Kevin Spencer in charge of the Jan. 2nd, 2010 CBC
around Tule Lake area. Thanks.
Jan W.
Long Beach

County Coordinators/Contributors:

The Fall Season (1 August through 30 November) has ended, and we
solicit reports for inclusion in the Southern California 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 supplements) 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
2005, obtainable through Western Field Ornithologists at 1359 Solano Drive,
Pacifica, CA  94044   <http://www.wfo.cbrc.org> 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 15 December 2008.  NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS can not exist without your input.

David Compton (Santa Barbara County)
736 Cieneguitas,  # F
Santa Barbara, CA  93110
  <mailto:davcompton@...> davcompton@...

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

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

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

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

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

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

Oscar Johnson (Ventura County)
P.O. Box 21903
Santa Barbara, CA  93121
  <mailto:henicorhina@...> henicorhina@...

Douglas R. Willick (Orange County)
236 S Batavia St #E
Orange CA 92868
Doug.Willick@ <mailto:Doug.Willick@...> tcb.aecom.com



Kelli Heindel-Levinson (Kern County)

kellilevi@...


We thank you in advance for your time and effort to contribute to NAB.

Guy McCaskie
954 Grove Avenue
Imperial Beach, CA  91932

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



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I would like to help with Modoc and/or Klammath NWR CBC but have been unable to
find dates or contacts.  Can someone help please.
Jan. W.
Long Beach

Cal Birders~
The 63rd Benicia CBC will be held on Monday Dec 14, 2009. Last year we
had 89,005 birds and lead the nation in Virginia rails with 84 and
co-lead the nation in Black Rails with 3. If you can please donate your
birding skills for a day in exchange for food. Please e-mail me if you
are interested.
Best birding,
Robin Leong
Benicia CBC compiler



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I'm new to the area and work about 18 miles north of Bridgeport in the Eastern
Sierra Nevadas.  I was hiking in the Toiyabe Nat'l Forest this morning and
noticed a Zonotrichia sp. sparrow that looked like a Golden-crowned.  I'm not
real familiar with the species, and the range maps I have show them wintering
west of the Sierra Nevadas.  Has their winter range changed?  Any help, ideas,
or information is greatly appreciated.

Doug Lister
Gardnerville, NV
lister_doug@...

Greetings

November 15, 2009 was very fine day on the Condor Express from Santa Barbara. 
The trip report, GPS trip-track, species trip list and photos of the
Flesh-footed and Buller's Shearwaters  are now posted at www.SoCalBirding.com

We regret the delay in filing this report.  Todd McGrath has been flat on his
back with a very painful neck followed shortly by swine flu then compounded by
Pneumonia. We are pleased report that he will live because his sense of humor
has returned, evidenced by the fact that he says his neck feels better, "Which
is good, as it gives me added flexibility to puke."

Nov 15, 2009 Trip report:
http://www.socalbirding.com/tripreports/santabarbaranov152009.html

Tentative dates for many of the 2010 pelagic trips out of SoCal (San Diego,
Santa Barbara, Oxnard, San Pedro, Oceanside, Dana Point) are now posted on
www.SoCalBirding.com for your planning and viewing pleasure.  Here is the link: 
http://www.socalbirding.com/upcomingtrips.html

W. Terry Hunefeld, Encinitas
Life is short.  Seabird often.
In memory of Luke Cole
"Come on out with us to see what's out there."

Southern California Seabirding Trips
by: Buena Vista Audubon Society
http://www.SoCalBirding.com
Los Coronados Islands & Nine Mile Bank
all the way to the edge of the Continental Shelf

The female RUSTY BLACKBIRD was still at the Lanphere Road dairy just
west of Seidel Road in the Arcata Bottoms this morning.

Ken Burton & Cindy Moyer
Arcata

Wow Bob, is that the Steve Arlow from good old Southend-on-Sea in Essex
(UK)? Has he emigrated to southern California or has he just struck lucky
whilst  seeking out wintering Ross's Snow Geese and that salubrious-looking
Yellow-footed Gull whilst enjoying a late autumn holiday?

A fabulous record and no doubt one for the photographers to make the most
of. I haven't seen any since I was last in Monterey Bay. Incredibly, we once
had  one in Britain in an auk colony which returned for two successive
years. Alcid  movements are well and truly remarkable.

Oh how I miss California !


Lee G R Evans
British Birding Association
UK400 Club,  Rare Birds Magazine, Ornithological Consultant and
Conservationist
Discussion  Forum/Email Group: _http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UK400Club/_
(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UK400Club/)
Rare  Bird Alert:
_http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RareBirdAlertforBritainandIreland_UK400ClubBBA/_
(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RareBirdAlertforBritainandIreland_UK400ClubBBA/)
Email  Address: LGREUK400@...
Website Address: _www.uk400clubonline.co.uk_
(http://www.uk400clubonline.co.uk/)
Related  Blog Sites: _http://uk400clubrarebirdalert.blogspot.com/_
(http://uk400clubrarebirdalert.blogspot.com/) _
http://rarebirdsinthewesternpalearctic.blogspot.com/ 
http://birdingamersham.blogspot.com/_
(http://birdingamersham.blogspot.com/) _ 
http://birdingtringreservoirs.blogspot.com/_
(http://birdingtringreservoirs.blogspot.com/)
_http://calvertbirding.blogspot.com/_ (http://calvertbirding.blogspot.com/)
_http://hertfordshirebirding.blogspot.com/_
(http://hertfordshirebirding.blogspot.com/)
_http://buckinghamshirebirding.blogspot.com/_
(http://buckinghamshirebirding.blogspot.com/)
_http://birdreportexchange.blogspot.com/_
(http://birdreportexchange.blogspot.com/)

Chaffinch  House
8 Sandycroft Road
Little  Chalfont
Amersham
Buckinghamshire
England
HP6 6QL

Telephones:  01494 763010 and 01494 581157
Mobile/Text Alerts: 07881 906629

(Lee  Evans Enterprises incorporate documentation of rare bird occurrences
in Britain  & Ireland and elsewhere in the Western Palearctic and in North
America; Rare  Bird Information and Rare Bird Alerts; Rare Birds Magazine and
other related  publications; Bird Tours for  Birders)



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

Hi all,

I ran up to the Salton Sea and saw the Ancient Murrelet, found by Steve Arlow,
(still at the location given in my previous post below) from 1:00pm till 2:10pm
when I left.  I was able to get a few lousy digiscope shots of it when I first
arrived as it was about 100 yards north of the corner of the sea wall.  It was
preening out at that distance and very loosely associating with the Ruddy Duck
flock for about ten minutes then it slowly moved closer to shore.  It got close
enough to shore on the east side of the inlet that I could no longer see it so I
moved out onto the rocks to view down the shoreline.  It surprised me as it was
actively feeding on and chasing Tilapia minnows within a few feet of the shore
and right below me!  Had to pull the adapter of my camera and got a few shots of
it rather close. It spent most of the rest of the hour actively feeding right at
the base of the rock sea wall from about 20 feet west of the inlet to a few
hundred feet east of the inlet.  Naomi from the NWR refuge showed up with a good
camera and probably has some very fine pictures of this bird.  You could
actually see it flying under water and the minnows scattering before it!  It was
a few hundred feet east of the inlet and the corner of Lack Road when I left.


-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Miller
Sent: Nov 18, 2009 2:40 PM
To: inlandcountybirds@yahoogroups.com, SDBIRDS@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [SDBIRDS] Ancient Murrelet at Salton Sea





Hi all,

Just got a call (11:35am) from Eric Duerkop at the Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR. A
Steve A.(unknown last name) posted on their sightings list this morning an
Ancient Murrelet on the Salton Sea. Eric went out and confirms that there is one
Ancient Murrelet just off of the sea wall at the north dead end of Lack Road,
where the sea wall turns east, which is just south of Obsidian Butte and north
of the intersection with Lindsey Road on the SE side of the Salton Sea. Funny
thing is that, to my understanding, Ancient Murrelet are the only Alcids ever
recorded at the Salton Sea and rarely at that!



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

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

today ancient murrelet at obsideian butte with ruddy ducks by small outfall

Steve Arlow
Website - www.birdersplayground.co.uk

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The Lesser Black-backed Gull at the Kent Ave. pond in Kings Co. is now
California's first specimen for this species. I was the only one there when
it died at 11:47a on 17 Nov. With the help of John Lockhart we retrieved the
bird around 2:30p. I have put some photos of the bird in the CALBIRDS
Gulls-Terns folder.

Steve Summers
Porterville, CA

Alan,

In San Luis Obispo County there are a couple of records of territorial
and/or nest-building Heermann's Gulls along the bluff off Shell Beach. I
don't believe the few attempts there have actually produced young, but
the gulls went through the motions nonetheless. Pressures from Western
Gulls and roosting Brown Pelicans may have something to due with those
unsuccessful nesting attempts. I photographed one of the birds on
territory in June as it tended to the nest site, but I don't remember if
any eggs were actually seen that particular year.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/almiyi/169059513/

Jamie Chavez
Santa Maria, CA
http://www.sbcobirding.com

SiriusGuy@... wrote:
> Don Roberson's Monterey Birds discusses a small breeding  colony of
> Heerman's Gull in the Monterey area, continuation as of 2002 somewhat 
precarious
> due to competition with Canadian Goose in the same habitat.
>
> What is the current status of HEGU for nesting/breeding in that county, or
> recently elsewhere in the state?  I know that primarily they breed/nest in
> Mexico. Thanks.
>
> Alan Birnbaum
> Fresno Ca
>
>
>

I am not able to see the photos (not sure why), but I would agree about
salvaging the specimen.



I am not aware of field characteristics that separate this age Lesser
Black-backed Gull (Heuglin's Gull) from the expected race of Lesser
Black-backed Gull.  I believe that this could be solved by a specimen.



Jim Holmes



   _____

From: CALBIRDS@yahoogroups.com [mailto:CALBIRDS@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf
Of woodshots
Sent: Tuesday, November 17, 2009 1:22 PM
To: CALBIRDS@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [CALBIRDS] Re: Lesser Black-backed age





Steve Hampton's sharp eyes caused me to go back through the photos and I
added two to the gulls file that clearly show the pale base to the lower
mandible and an ivory bill tip. I don't have any better shots showing gray
in the back, but just from the bill alone it's clearly not a first winter
bird. The eye looks dark in all photos and you can barely make out pale
edges on the primary tips in some photos so I wonder if it's an advanced
first summer/second winter bird that's not very far along in feather molt.
Would it's health, or lack of it, contribute to a tardy molt and dark eyes
as well? Hopefully someone can preserve the bird and it won't go to waste.
Gary Woods-Fresno





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

Steve Hampton's sharp eyes caused me to go back through the photos and I added
two to the gulls file that clearly show the pale base to the lower mandible and
an ivory bill tip. I don't have any better shots showing gray in the back, but
just from the bill alone it's clearly not a first winter bird. The eye looks
dark in all photos and you can barely make out pale edges on the primary tips in
some photos so I wonder if it's an advanced first summer/second winter bird
that's not very far along in feather molt. Would it's health, or lack of it,
contribute to a tardy molt and dark eyes as well? Hopefully someone can preserve
the bird and it won't go to waste. Gary Woods-Fresno

I just received a phone call from Steve Summers.   The Kings County Lesser
Black-backed Gull died a few minutes ago.



John Sterling

VVVVVVVVVV



26 Palm Ave

Woodland, CA  95695

cell 530 908-3836

jsterling@...







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

Isn't this second winter?  I think I see "adult gray" in the back.



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

>>> "woodshots" <woodshots@...> 11/16/2009 7:16 PM >>>
On my way back from seeing my lifer Nelson's Sparrow this morning at Morro Bay I
decided to check out the ponds at Jersey and Kent along Hwy 41 in Kings county
and I found a gull in the south pond that I believe is a first winter Lesser
Black-backed Gull. When I left at 4:40 it was still there but Mark Stacey
couldn't locate it as it was getting dark this evening so hopefully it will be
back. There had been 75 Bonapartes Gulls in the ponds as well that Mark didn't
notice so maybe all the gulls are roosting somewhere else. I put 3 photos of the
bird in the gulls photo folder here. Good luck if you go looking for it! Gary
Woods-Fresno



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Yahoo! Groups Links

Don Roberson's Monterey Birds discusses a small breeding  colony of
Heerman's Gull in the Monterey area, continuation as of 2002 somewhat 
precarious
due to competition with Canadian Goose in the same habitat.

What is the current status of HEGU for nesting/breeding in that county, or
recently elsewhere in the state?  I know that primarily they breed/nest in
Mexico. Thanks.

Alan Birnbaum
Fresno Ca


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

On my way back from seeing my lifer Nelson's Sparrow this morning at Morro Bay I
decided to check out the ponds at Jersey and Kent along Hwy 41 in Kings county
and I found a gull in the south pond that I believe is a first winter Lesser
Black-backed Gull. When I left at 4:40 it was still there but Mark Stacey
couldn't locate it as it was getting dark this evening so hopefully it will be
back. There had been 75 Bonapartes Gulls in the ponds as well that Mark didn't
notice so maybe all the gulls are roosting somewhere else. I put 3 photos of the
bird in the gulls photo folder here. Good luck if you go looking for it! Gary
Woods-Fresno

Not since April has there been a confirmed sighting of a GREATER ROADRUNNER in
Tulare County - at least on eBird. Wednesday a beautiful male species was
sighted along Rocky Hill Road near Yokohl Valley Road. Birding guide Gary
Lindquist led groups from the Tulare/Kings County Audubon and the (Wednesday
Walk) Fresno Audubon Society through Yokohl Valley.  Other noted species were:
ROCK WREN, CANYON WREN, BARN OWL, GREAT-HORNED OWL, and both PRAIRIE and
PEREGRINE FALCONS.

"Watch the Birdie."
Jill Rucker
Fresno, CA