15 August 2005 - Monday - This afternoon there was a lone juvenile Solitary
Sandpiper (as opposed to a solitary lonely sandpiper) on a private pond
near the UC Hopland Research & Extension Center.

There were also 6 Western Sandpipers and many Killdeer along the shore of
this pond .... which is of local note:   when sandpiper sp. show up in the
inland Hopland area it means that migration is in full swing for
shorebirds.    If you have a chance to bird the coastal shore, Lake
Mendocino, or the Ukiah Sewage Treatment Plant soon you might have a chance
of finding good shorebirds!   Good Birding.    Bob Keiffer

Robert J. Keiffer
Principal Supt. of Agriculture
UC Hopland Research & Extension Center
4070 University Road
Hopland, CA  95449
(707) 744-1424   FAX (707) 744-1040
HREC website:   http://danrrec.ucdavis.edu/hopland/home_page.html

"It is not the critic who counts... not the one who points out how the
strong person stumbles... or where the doer of deeds could have done
better. The credit belongs to the person who is actually in the arena."
Theodore Roosevelt

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Luke Cole and I were at Virgin Creek about 11:30 AM today . We did not find the
Stilt Sandpiper.

However a group of us (15 or more birders) just off  the Shearwater boat trip
did have great looks at the bird on Sunday at about 5:00 PM; thanks to Roger
Foote who met us at the dock with the news.

Congratulations to Roger on his discovery and special thanks to him, to George
Chaniot and Toby Tobkin for their phone calls
and all their efforts to notify the local birders of this excellent county bird.

Today Luke Cole and I birded the coast from Juan Creek to Ft. Bragg. By 1:00 PM
we had about 85 species. We found nothing exceptional but of interest were; a
Marbled Murrelet and Purple Martins at Juan Creek, a large flyover flock of
Marbled Godwits (I believe Luke counted 27 birds) and a Lark Sparrow at the
Westport Headlands. We ran across 3 or so good sized  flocks of mixed passerines
which included migrant Wilson's Warblers, Yellow Warblers, a few Orange-crowned
Warblers, Western Wood-Pewees and a Cassin's Vireo or two. Not a lot of
diversity yet.

Luke continued south on Hiway 1 trying to reach 100 in Mendocino County for the
day. I went inland to the Ukiah Treatment Ponds where I found 3 Baird's
Sandpipers and a Wilson's Snipe.               JRW



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Seen at the USTP today, 8/16 between 11:15am and noon were 3 Black-
legged Stilts, 5 Wilson's Phalaropes, 1 Lesser Yellowlegs, a couple
of Dowitchers, a hunting Cooper's hawk and several Baird's Sandpipers.

Vishnu

Tuesday, August 16: Toby reports that she saw two Stilt Sandpipers at 11:00 this
morning. The birds were found at MacKerricher Park, just north of Fort Bragg, in
the Lake Cleone overflow. Drive past the lake, pass under the trestle, and the
birds are in the small stream that flows to the bay. This is the location where
the first county record was found. Toby reported that one of the birds was a
juvenile (perhaps the one seen Sunday at Virgin Creek). The other was buffier,
probably an adult.

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

I am a novice bird watcher and would like to purchase a good book for bird
identification.  Any suggestions?

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

A friend just sent me a book titled How To Be A (Bad)
Birdwatcher by Simon Barnes. It is a slim volume but
absolutely delightful in it's approach to
observing/being with nature and I heartily recommend it.

Janet Rosen
http://www.zanshinart.com
"Common people like you and me
will be builders for eternity
Each is given a bag of tools,
a faceless mask, and a book of rules"--the Heptones



__________________________________
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Wed, 17 Aug 2005 -- Today Toby reports one STILT SANDPIPER continuing at
the Lake Cleone overflow

At 18:56 2005 08 16, David Jensen wrote:
>Tuesday, August 16: Toby reports that she saw two Stilt Sandpipers at
>11:00 this morning. The birds were found at MacKerricher Park, just north
>of Fort Bragg, in the Lake Cleone overflow. Drive past the lake, pass
>under the trestle, and the birds are in the small stream that flows to the
>bay. This is the location where the first county record was found. Toby
>reported that one of the birds was a juvenile (perhaps the one seen Sunday
>at Virgin Creek). The other was buffier, probably an adult

This evening at 7:15PM, Geoff and I saw and heard a flock of what we
believe to be Caspian Terns heading southeast over our place off Old
River Road, three miles south of Talmage.  They were flying way up
there in a loose flock of about fifty birds, visible only as
glittery specks to the unassisted eye.  The big white birds with
black wingtips were croaking distinctively.

Cheryl Watson
Ukiah, CA

16 AUG 2005:
2   Br.ad.   Semipalmated Plover     Borax Lake, Clk. Pk.
2   Juv.     Baird's Sandpiper           "          "
1   Juv.     Sanderling                  "          "
1   Juv.     Pectoral Sandpiper          "          "
6   W./      Red-necked Phalarope        "          "
     Molt. Juv.


18 AUG 2005:
2  Adult     Least Bittern           Long Tule Pt., Kvl.
    (Thanks to Greg Giusti's initial report via Jerry White)

By McIntosh, Bryan J.

Thursday, August 18, 2005  Toby reports the STILT SANDPIPER was at the Lake
Cleone Overflow again this morning.



Charlene McAllister
P.O. Box 332
Little River, CA 95456
707-937-4463
charmac@...





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Thursday, August 18, 2005.  A bit of advice for any who might come to see the
Stilt Sandpiper this weekend (since it seems to be sticking around). Arrive at
MacKerricher Park's Laguna Point parking lot as early as possible. 7:00 or 8:00
is a good time. The bird is easy to find and view in the small stream that runs
from the west side of the haul road to the beach BEFORE the kids and dogs start
wading through. If you arrive after the visitors hit the beach, the bird may be
difficult (impossible) to find. Good birding!

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Hello,
We took our first drive up Etsel Ridge Road Thursday.  We got off to a
late start, so we missed a few target species. . . but, we will return!
We only encountered four other vehicles the entire time (so, mid-week
trips are good, if you can take the time).
Highlights included watching a family of 4 MOUNTAIN QUAIL as they
crossed the road.  This was 10:50 AM, 4.7 miles up M1 from the Eel
River Campground, still outside the National Forest.
We also saw a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE, 28.5 miles from the Eel R.
Cpgd.  The road got quite rocky there, so we headed back north.
Also, in a spruce grove near Grizzly Flat, we saw HAMMOND'S
FLYCATCHER, lots of MOUNTAIN CHICKADEES, NASHVILLE &
HERMIT WARBLERS, and many Red-breasted Nuthatches and
Dark-eyed Juncos.
Thanks to Toby, Art and George for their help.
                                          ---- Karen & Jim Havlena
                                               Fort Bragg


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

Toby Tobkin just reported the Stilt Sandpiper continuing at Lake Cleone on
the beach side of the haul road.

It was also present when I stopped by last night around 6:30 pm. I was also
fortunate to see the Stilt Sandpiper in Eureka at the Palco Marsh yesterday
around noon, so I may be the first to see (and photograph) Stilt Sandpipers
in both Humboldt and Mendocino in the same day! Is that my fifteen minutes
of fame?

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

For a free natural history "Occasional Picture of the Day" in your e-mail,
contact Ron@...

-----Original Message-----
From: Mendobirds@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Mendobirds@yahoogroups.com] On
Behalf Of chaniot@...
Sent: Sunday, August 14, 2005 11:11 AM
To: Mendobirds
Subject: [Mendobirds] Stilt Sandpiper

Sun, 14 Aug 2005 -- 11:00  Roger Foote and Dorothy Tobkin just phoned me
from Virgin Creek beach where they were looking at a STILT SANDPIPER. It
was wading in Virgin Creek where it crosses the beach. Second county
record?

George Chaniot





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Thu, 18 Aug 2005 -- This week (15-18 Aug) I worked on steelhead
reproduction surveys in the Eel River between Van Arsdale Dam and Dos Rios.
Most of the stretch between Van Arsdale Dam and Outlet Creek is seldom
birded because access is through private property. Birding was incidental
to other activities, and there were no surprises, but it was interesting to
note that AMERICAN DIPPERS were present at every location I visited: 3/4 mi
below Van Arsdale, Thomas Creek, 3/4 mile below the Hearst bridge, Covelo
Road mp 11.14. Also at milepost 11.14 on the Covelo Road there was a CANYON
WREN in a pile of boulders on the far bank (Sorry, I forgot to mention
that, Roger.)

George Chaniot
Potter Valley ,MEN, CA

Wood Duck
Common Merganser
California Quail
Turkey Vulture
Golden Eagle
Red-shouldered Hawk
American Kestrel
Mourning Dove
Black Phoebe
Acorn Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Violet-green Swallow
Steller's Jay
Western Scrub-Jay
Common Raven
American Dipper
Canyon Wren
Western Tanager
Song Sparrow
Spotted Towhee
California Towhee
Lesser Goldfinch

Large numbers of dabbling ducks appear to be new
arrivals. Here are some birds seen this morning.

NORTHERN SHOVELER: 25 at Clearlake Wastewater
Treatment Plant; 6 at Borax Lake; 5 at Hidden Valley
Lake Wastewater Treatment Plant.

GREEN-WINGED TEAL: 1 at Clearlake Wastewater Treatment
Plant; 3 at Borax Lake; 1 at Hidden Valley Lake
Wastewater Treatment Plant.

CINNAMON/BLUE-WINGED TEAL: 13 at Borax Lake; 1 at
Hidden Valley Lake Wastewater Treatment Plant.

GADWALL: 5 at Clearlake Wastewater Treatment Plant; 10
at Borax Lake.

BUFFLEHEAD: female at Clearlake Wastewater Treatment
Plant (couldn't find female at Borax Lake, or the male
Lesser Scaup)

SOLITARY SANDPIPER: 1 at Borax Lake.

BAIRD'S SANDPIPER: 1 juvenile at Borax Lake.

SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER: 5 juveniles at Borax Lake.

RED-NECKED PHALAROPE: 1

Floyd Hayes
Hidden Valley Lake, Lake County

Oops! It was a Spotted Sandpiper rather than a
Solitary Sandpiper, the Red-necked Phalarope was at
Lake Borax, and looking at my photos I see that the
Cinnamon/Blue-winged Teal are definitely Cinnamon
Teal.

Floyd

Sun, 21 Aug 2005 -- At about 12:30 today Chuck Vaughn and I refound the
STILT SANDPIPER at Virgin Creek just west of the bridge.  We had checked
the outflow creek of Lake Cleone at about 9:00 and 12:00 without seeing
one. To all appearances it was the same bird seen last Sunday.  While we
were watching it, it began calling and then flew off to the south and
disappeared around the rocky point. I don't know if this was a definitive
departure, or whether the same bird moves around from place to place.
         On the beach at Virgin Creek was a BAIRD'S SANDPIPER in very fresh
juvenile plumage, a RUDDY TURNSTONE, and 13 HARLEQUIN DUCKS on a flat rock
just offshore - great close-up views of eclipse plumages.
         At the Ten Mile River mouth we saw 2 MARBLED GODWITS, and then when
we walked the beach to near Inglenook Fen we saw another group flying. In
the willows beneath the Ten Mile bridge there was a WILLOW FLYCATCHER,
Yellow, Orange-crowned, and Wilson's Warblers, and a Hutton's Vireo.

George Chaniot
Potter Valley, MEN, CA

This morning on the north side of the Ten Mile River Bridge, I saw a
YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT just west of Camp 2 Ten Mile Rd, in the
same vacinity as previous reports of chat(s) since mid-May.  Also, the
pines at the NW side of the bridge held a WARBLING VIREO, plus
Wilson's, Orange-crowned, and Yellow Warblers.

At Seaside Beach, between the Ten Mile rivermouth and Seaside Creek,
my husband Jim saw a WANDERING TATTLER still in alternate plumage
and two MARBLED GODWITS.

Good birding --- Karen Havlena
                        north of Fort Bragg


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24 AUG 2005:
1   Juv.     Short-billed Dowitcher     Rob. Lk., Nice
6            Long-billed Dowitcher          "      "
1            Lesser Yellowlegs              "      "
1            Greater Yellowlegs             "      "
1   Juv.     Semipalmated Sandpiper         "      "

25 AUG 2005:
3            American Avocet            Private Pond N. of abv.
2            Red-necked Phalarope               "


By McIntosh, Bryan J.  (Thanks to Dave Woodward for last 2 abv.)

Fri, 26 Aug 2005 -- Lake Mendocino is still pretty much in its summer
aspect, but a few birds are starting to move in. Today there were two EARED
GREBES in the middle of the north end still in breeding plumage. At Pomo A
there was one adult BLACK-NECKED STILT on the shoreline. The last report
from USTP was of three stilts; could this be the fourth bird gone forth to
the lake? This is a new bird on my provisional list of Lake Mendocino birds
<http://www.pacificsites.com/~chaniot/LM_listv1.html>
      Summer loons are uncommon on inland waters, but I saw one on July 25,
possibly a Pacific Loon, two Common Loons near the dam on Aug 12, and today
a COMMON LOON near Miti campground.
      There was also a single CASPIAN TERN flying near the dam.( Jim
Armstrong reports a flock of about 25 Caspian Terns on Aug 24 flying over a
house he is roofing in Potter Valley. I saw a similar flock when I was
roofing my house in Potter Valley on Aug 25, 2001. These flocks of Caspians
flying overland are turning out to be confined to a  narrow time slot in
August.)
         I heard PILEATED WOODPECKERS at three locations around the lake
today. I am also seeing them in my neighborhood flying into vineyards where
I suspect they are indulging their appetite for grapes.

George Chaniot
Potter Valley, MEN, CA

Mendocino Coast Audubon Pelagic Trip

Sunday, September 25, 2005

8:00 a.m. to 3 p.m.

$85.00 per person



The Mendocino Coast Audubon invites you to take a one day sea voyage out of
Noyo Harbor aboard the Lady Irma.  Traveling off shore offers the
opportunity to see whales, dolphins and sea birds.  Blue Whales are often
seen in September.  New birders and non-birders, as well as experienced
birders will enjoy the variety of bird and mammal life that can be seen off
the Mendocino Coast.  Boarding at 7:30 a.m., we'll travel over the Noyo
Canyon, returning around 3 p.m.



To reserve your spot now, send check to



MCAS Pelagic Trip

14233 Hanson Circle

Mendocino, CA  95460



For further information call 707-964-6362

Or email:  wwade@...



Charlene McAllister
P.O. Box 332
Little River, CA 95456
707-937-4463
charmac@...





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

Friday - 26 August 2005 - Once again a trip aboard the Trek II ventured out
of Noyo Harbor on a Shearwaters Journeys trip. We left the harbor at 7:00
AM.   The ocean was flat calm all day with water temps being cold ranging
from 51.6 to 52.7 degrees.    I am just going to report the highlights,
which may differ from the final numbers tallied by Debi Shearaters' trip
leaders.     Birds were within view all day with some of the deep water
pelagic species, like Black-footed Albatross showing up within 3-4 miles of
shore.   The highlight of the trip was a concentration of Ashy Storm
Petrels, including a raft of 60-80 birds on the water.   Total numbers I
believe were estimated at 170 - 200 Ashy Storm Petrels ...the largest
concentration ever recorded for Mendocino County.  The other highlight was
a VERY EARLY 1st-year Mew Gull ... normally a winter resident species.

Pacific Loon - 1 (at the harbor)
Black-footed Albatross 50 - 100 or more
Northern Fulmar 5-8
Pink-footed  Shearwater  40-60
Sooty Shearwater  200-500
Buller's Shearwater  10-15
Ashy Storm Petrel   170-200
Brown Pelican 8-10 (one at 14 miles off shore)
Brandt's Cormorant
Whimbrel        3
Marbled Godwit  11
Sanderling 1
Western Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Red-necked Phalarope 80-120
Parasitic Jaeger  1
Long-tailed Jaeger  4-6
Mew Gull  1 (very early arrival)
California gulls
Western Gulls
Sabine's Gull  20-30
Common Tern   8-20
Arctic Tern 1-2
Common Murre
Cassin's auklet
Rhinoceros Auklet

Passerines included:

Yellow Warbler  2
Warbling Vireo  1
Townsend's Warbler  1
Brown-headed Cowbird  1-2
Wilson's Warbler  1 (eaten by a gull)
Western Wood Pewee
Western-type Flycatcher (Pacific-slope)  1


Mammals included:

Elephant Seal  1
Northern fur Seal  2
California Sea Lion
Harbor Seal
Blue Whale (12-20)
Humpback Whale  3
Pacific White-sided Dolphins  100+
Northern Right-Whale Dolphin  100+

I probably missed a few on this list and I am sure that the numbers will be
adjusted on the official tally .... but at least you have the idea of what
we saw.
There is another trip out on the water right now and another on Sunday.

Bob Keiffer.


Robert J. Keiffer
Principal Supt. of Agriculture
UC Hopland Research & Extension Center
4070 University Road
Hopland, CA  95449
(707) 744-1424   FAX (707) 744-1040
HREC website:   http://danrrec.ucdavis.edu/hopland/home_page.html

"It is not the critic who counts... not the one who points out how the
strong person stumbles... or where the doer of deeds could have done
better. The credit belongs to the person who is actually in the arena."
Theodore Roosevelt

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

Today I did a little birding near home.  There was a nice, female
MacGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER in the willows below the pines just
northwest of the Ten Mile R. bridge.
A  PEREGRINE FALCON landed briefly on a telephone pole near
the bridge as I slowly crossed.  It was a rich brown and tan
in color.  Five MARBLED GODWITS were west of the bridge near
the river mouth.
Working its way through the neighborhood at Ocean Meadows
Circle, was a SAY'S PHOEBE.

Karen Havlena
north of Fort Bragg


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

Mendobirders --

A few sightings in & around Fort Bragg (Mendocino County) on
Saturday & Sunday, August 27 & 28, 2005:

Late Saturday afternoon, we stopped at the mouth of Virgin Creek.  A
juv. BAIRD'S SANDPIPER and an alternate adult LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER
were among the many SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERs, WESTERN SANDPIPERs, few
SEMIPALMATED PLOVERs and large flock of WESTERN & CALIFORNIA GULLS
(plus a few RING-BILLED GULLS.)

Early Sunday morning 2 REDHEADs were on Lake Cleone.  A juv. YELLOW-
BREASTED CHAT was at the far north end of the Noyo Harbor parking
lot (near Sharon's By-the-Sea.)  The bird was in the trees & bushes
at the base of the very steep and heavily-vegetated hillside below
the Harbor Light Lodge.

Cindy

<><><><><><><><><><><><><<><><><><>
Cindy Lieurance
San Francisco CA
cindy at petrels dot com
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
"I'd be more willing to entertain the idea [of intelligent
design] if I thought the designer were somebody like
Santiago Calatrava or Ralph Lauren."     - Jack Dineen

The following birds were recorded on the coast the last week or so.

There was a flyover Long-billed Curlew at Alder Creek Beach on 8/23.
That same day there were 10 species of shorebirds at the Garcia River estuary;
including 2 Ruddy Turnstones,2 Marbled Godwits and 8 Baird's Sandpipers.

On 8/24 there was a flyover Black-crowned Night-Heron at the Garcia River bridge
on Highway 1 at dawn. At Lake Cleone late afternoon there were 2 Redheads
(female type).

Today 8/28 near Juan Creek seen from Highway 1 there was an Elegant Tern and 2
Marbled Murrelets. An American Redstart (yellowstart-female ) was in a large
mixed flock at Wages Creek on Highway 1. I recorded 3 Willow Flycatchers  on the
day.
A female or 1st winter male Yellow-headed Blackbird was on the roof line of a
house in Ft. Bragg at 601 Stewart St. (cross street:Fir).
There is a bird feeding area (visible from Fir Street) in the yard at this
residence.   JRW


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Birds seen on 28 August:

REDHEAD: two (males?) at Borax Lake.
AMERICAN WIGEON: two males at Borax Lake.
NORTHERN PINTAIL: about 110 at Borax Lake.
BUFFLEHEAD: one female at Borax Lake.
CINNAMON TEAL: 17 at Borax Lake.
WILLOW FLYCATCHER: one at Redbud Park; one at Anderson
Marsh.

Belatedly, a male RING-NECKED DUCK was at Borax Lake
on 22 August, and another was in Pope Valley, in Napa
County just south of Lake County, on 18 August.

Floyd Hayes
Hidden Valley Lake, Lake County

27 AUG 2005:

2   Juv.   Willet     Rob. Lk., Nice


By McIntosh, Bryan J.

Today, I went looking for shorebirds in Lake Co. I spent the entire time birding
between Borax Lake and Robinson Lake. Birding was very good!

Borax Lake:
2 Gr. Yellowlegs
1 Bairds SP (juv)
1 Pectoral SP
1 SP Plover (juv)
1 SP Sandpiper (juv)
lots of Western & Least's SP
Killdeer
Green Heron

Robinson's Lake
1 Gr Yellowlegs
1 Lesser Yellowlegs
1 LB Dowitcher
1 dowitcher sp
1 Marble Godwit
1 Baird's SP
lots of Western's & Least's
4 Caspian Tern's
Killdeer
Green Heron

A Willow FC was found along Rodman Slough.

Good Birding!
Frances
Lodi, CA

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31 AUG 2005:
1  Juv.     Short-billed Dowitcher   Rob. Lk., Nice
1  W. pl.   Marbled Godwit               "      "
1  Juv.     Solitary Sandpiper           "      "
3  W. pl.   American Avocet          Private pond N. of abv.

By McIntosh, Bryan J.

Wed, 31 Aug 2005 -- Well, I'm the third person to report from Robinson Lake
today, although I was probably  the first one there (7:00-8:20). At that
time there were seven species of ducks including a female(type) BLUE-WINGED
TEAL. There was also a definite SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, an unidentified
dowitcher, and a half dozen WILSON'S SNIPE.

George Chaniot
Potter Valley, MEN, CA