This morning (Sun 9/1) at 1100 there was an alternate plumaged adult
TUFTED PUFFEN feeding off the Mendocino Headlands.  The bird was in the
water just north of the parking lot for Goat Rock (in line with the
Cabrillo Lighthouse).  The bird dove frequently during the 30 minutes I
watched it but on a couple of occasions stayed on the surface for
several minutes.

Only other bird of note this morning were three SNOWY PLOVERS at Virgin
Creek Beach.  They must have arrived recently as there were none there
last weekend.

- Matthew Matthiessen

Today at the Kelsey Creek outlet in Clear Lake State Park there was a Wilson's
Phalarope and a Common Moorhen (actually found by two out of county birders
before my arrival). Also there was an American Bittern, a Spotted Sandpiper, and
two active and well seen Sora's.
                                                                                           
Jerry White


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

Tue, 3 Sep 2002 -- This morning I had a WILLOW FLYCATCHER along lower Pine
Avenue in Potter Valley.

Sunday 01 Sept. 2002, Spent Saturday Night and Sunday morning at Spruce
Grove.  Present were a pair of White-headed Woodpeckers coming in to roost
in a large snag, 1 Lewis's Woodpecker (a total surprise), 1 Red-breasted
Sapsucker, 1 Pileated Woodpecker, numerous Red-breasted Nuthatches,
Dark-eyed Juncos and Mountain Chickadees.  2 im. Lincoln's Sparrows.  One
large flock of about thirty warblers consisted of Townsend's, Hermit,
Black-throated Gray, Orange-crowned, and a lone Yellow Warbler.  One adult
Northern Goshawk was seen just south of where the Spruce Grove road leaves
M1 Road.  Missing were any evidence of Flammulated Owls, Hammond's
Flycatchers, or Dusky Flycatchers.  A family group of 4-5 Townsend's
Solitaires were at Hull Mountain.   Two adult Golden Eagles soaring on the
south side (Lake County) of Hull Mountain.

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

This evening at about 7PM at the Kelsey Creek mudflats in Clear Lake State Park
I saw a juvenile Least Bittern.
There was also an American Bittern and 2 Short-billed Dowitchers.
                                                                                                          
Jerry White


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

There were 4 Black Turnstones at the Kelsey Creek outlet in Clear
Lake State Park this evening. Brian Woodward and I watched the
turnstones for about half an hour until just before 6pm. During most
of the observation they were feeding in windrows of uprooted aquatic
plants and filamentous green algae at the northern edge of the
sandbar. They flushed once but quickly returned and allowed close
approach.
              Dave Woodward

In the vicinity of the Rodman Slough bridge this morning there were at least 3
Vaux's Swifts.
At the Kelsey Creek outlet there was a juvenile Western Gull, a Common Moorhen,
a Baird's Sandpiper
and a flyover Lewis's Woodpecker.                      Jerry White


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

This is a late report of one of the most spectacular trips in twentyseven
years and nearly 1500 boat trips organized by Shearwater Journeys. The
highlights included: STREAKED SHEARWATER, YELLOW-BILLED LOON, XANTUS'
MURRELET, SHORT-TAILED SHEARWATER, and TUFTED PUFFIN. By all accounts it was
one of the top ten pelagic trips that we have ever done.

Shearwater Journeys had just completed six of the first fall boat trips
along the central California coast. Each one was quite spectacular (see
other reports), and the air was just buzzing with anticipation and
aggitation, especially among the leaders. Two nights prior to this trip, I
mentioned to a friend of mine that I could just feel sparks, like
electricity vibrating amongst the leaders! We were jazzed. We were juiced up
for this sold-out trip. The leaders were: Jim Danzenbaker, Jon Dunn, Tristan
McKee, Peter Pyle, Mike San Miguel, Brian Sullivan, and Debra Shearwater
(one leader for every five passengers!). The participants were just as
interesting. They hailed from 14 different states, and many were "regular"
Shearwater Journeys" patrons for over twentyfive years.

I arrived in Fort Bragg just prior to sunset the night before the trip. I
made a short walk to Glass Beach where I spotted 2 TUFTED PUFFINS flying by.
I was met by Jon Dunn, Mike San Miguel, and Guy McCaskie who were also
headed to the beach. Immediately, Jon Dunn zeroed in on a passing MANX
SHEARWATER (second Mendo county record). After excellent views through the
scope, he then pointed out an ARCTIC TERN feeding amongst the COMMON TERNS.
Good spot! This just added to our anticipation of the next days' trip.

We departed from Noyo Harbor, Fort Bragg at 7 am. Some fog and light seas
greeted us once we passed the numerous PIGEON GUILLEMOTS along the
breakwater. About six miles offshore, we encountered two shrimpers pulling
their nets with thousands of birds following them. This was exciting enough,
as one always hopes for that rare seabird to somehow materialize out of this
giant, swirling mix of wings and feet. But, alas, after spending about one
and a half hours with these birds, I sensed the urge among the passengers to
move on. On to what? I was happy learning about shrimp boats and how they
fish. I was happy watching the nets winding around the spools. True, we were
only finding about 2000 gulls, 50 BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSSES, 150 PINK-FOOTED
SHEARWATERS, and only 1 BULLER'S SHEARWATER in this mass of birds. Oddly, no
jaegers were with them. Oh, but those birders long for the offshore.

So, off we went. Twenty-some miles to Noyo Canyon. And, yes, this is where
we found jaegers, SOUTH POLAR SKUAS, SABINE'S GULLS, knock-out views of 4
XANTUS' MURRELETS, 1 TUFTED PUFFIN, more BULLER'S SHEARWATERS, 1
SHORT-TAILED SHEARWATER, outstanding views and photo ops of 1 FLESH-FOOTED
SHEARWATER, and more. Now, we were all pleased. For me, it was the first
time that I have ever heard a Flesh-footed Shearwater vocalize! It sounded
just like a Pink-foot. The seas had picked up a little. So, the skipper and
I decided to head back to the shrimpers, and then to check along the inner
coast for MARBLED MURRELETS, hoping for LONG-BILLED MURRELET. I keep
pointing out that we are never going to find the Long-billed Murrelets
because we do not spend enough time birding from the boat close to shore. As
I said, our hopes were quite high. In addition, we were into the noon hour.
This is a special time on pelagic trips. We have found a huge proportion of
rare seabirds after the noon hour! When everyone is feeling dozy, we down
our coffee and come alive!

Back at the shrimp boats, I finally sat down at the stern for the first time
during the trip. After one or two moments, someone said, "Manx Shearwater."
Well, I thought I guess I'll have to get up to look at this bird. I saw a
large, white shearwater flying with a Pink-footed Shearwater. Unknown to me,
Jon Dunn had already spotted the rare STREAKED SHEARWATER  on the bow and
was calling it out to everyone up there! Somehow, it got translated to Manx
at the stern. Well, that's how boat communication can go. But, not for long.
Although I didn't hear Jon, I was soon shouting STREAKED SHEARWATER, too. It
was 2:13 pm. No worries, the shearwater flew around us for 45 minutes, being
chased by Pink-foots, and allowing for excellent views, photographs, and
even for some folks to get bored enough to sit down and stop looking! There
are fewer than 10 records of Streaked Shearwater for all of North America,
nearly all having occurred in California (mostly Monterey Bay). In Japan, it
is a nearshore species.

Finally, we wandered near shore to hunt among the MARBLED MURRELETS. Jon
Dunn turned up another goodie‹a YELLOW-BILLED LOON! It was off of Juan
Creek, and was apparently seen from shore later by birders. A great many
folks ended and celebrated the day, no doubt, happily checking off their
lists. It was a truly magical day. The electricity that sparked us will be
with us all season. It may well be the best pelagic trip of the year on the
California coast!

This is the fourth year that Shearwater Journeys has organized trips from
Fort Bragg. Every year has produced a mega-rarity seabird. 2002: STREAKED
SHEARWATER, YELLOW-BILLED LOON; 2001: DARK-RUMPED PETREL; 2000: DARK-RUMPED
PETREL, MARKHAM'S STORM-PETREL 1999: WHITE-CAPPED (SHY) ALBATROSS.
Certainly, we will have a nice selection of trips from this area which can
be combined with other trips in 2003. Watch our web site. The entire species
list for the August 17, 2002 trip follows. Every species listed was seen
well by every passenger.

The Streaked Shearwater details are: first sighted at 2:13 by Jon Dunn at
3938.799/12353.802, about 6 miles west of Westport, sea surface temperature:
56.1 F, depth: 420 feet, heading south. Last sighted: 2:55 pm at
3938.569/12354.355.

AUGUST 17, 2002 FORT BRAGG PELAGIC TRIP BY SHEARWATER JOURNEYS
YELLOW-BILLED LOON-1, SY
BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS-75-85
SOOTY SHEARWATER-65
SHORT-TAILED SHEARWATER-1
PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER-350
BULLER'S SHEARWATER-18-20
FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER-1
NORTHERN FULMAR-1
POMARINE JAEGER-8
PARASITIC/POMARINE JAEGER-2
PARASITIC JAEGER-1
LONG-TAILED JAEGER-35
SOUTH POLAR SKUA-5
GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL-1 (in the harbor)
WESTERN GULL-1000
CALIFORNIA GULL-1500
HEERMANN'S GULL-4
RING-BILLED GULL-2, juveniles
SABINE'S GULL-20 (2 juveniles)
ARCTIC/COMMON TERN-4
COMMON TERN-2
COMMON MURRE-400
PIGEON GUILLEMOT-70
RHINOCEROS AUKLET-40
CASSIN'S AUKLET-8
XANTUS' MURRELET (scrippsi)-4
MARBLED MURRELT-10
TUFTED PUFFIN-1 adult
RED-NECKED PHALAROPE-75
RED PHALAROPE-5
LEAST SANDPIPER-4
WESTERN SANDPIPER-20
LESSER YELLOWLEGS-1
NORTHERN PINTAIL-100
NORTHERN SHOVELER-4
MINKE WHALE-1
PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPIN-12-15
HARBOR PORPOISE-3
STELLER'S SEA LION-1
CALIFORNIA SEA LION-+

---
http://www.shearwaterjourneys.com
Debi Shearwater <debiluv@...>
Shearwater Journeys
P.O. Box 190
Hollister, CA 95024
831-637-8527

Mon, 9 Sep 2002 -- Allan Grass reports that two Bald Eagles have been
hanging around  Van Arsdale Dam on the Eel River daily for the last four
months. They are eating "eels" and an occasional Wood Duck. There are
reportedly two nests this year near Lake Pilsbury, and these birds may come
from there.

Fri, 6 Sep 2002 -- I spent most of the morning birding around the north end
of Lake Mendocino and went back and to the south marina with Chuck Vaughn
on Saturday. The lake level has fallen to 720 feet, and, for those who
haven't been there recently, there is quite a bit of mud appearing at the
Russian River inlet and near Coyote Dam and the south marina. At the inlet
the mud is firm, and you can walk quite a ways out on it. There are a few
shorebirds and ducks arriving now, and these areas bear watching in the
next several weeks. You can view the inlet in the best light by driving
down the inlet road, parking near the port-a-pottys, hopping the rail, and
walking out to the west. Some Caspian Terns have been sitting on the mud,
along with several wigeon, pintail, and teal among the mallards. A female
Hooded Merganser has been around several weeks going through eclipse molt -
rather unusual for the period.

George Chaniot, Potter Valley, CA

Pied-billed Grebe                   2
Western Grebe                   80
Clark's Grebe                       4
Great Blue Heron                  5
Great Egret                         3
Snowy Egret                        1
Canada Goose                    68     quite a few for this date
Green-winged Teal                 1
Mallard                            120
Northern Pintail                     1
American Wigeon                   1
Hooded Merganser                1
Common Merganser             54
Turkey Vulture                    15
Red-tailed Hawk                    1
Wild Turkey                        18
California Quail                      2
American Coot                    80     south end only
Semipalmated Plover              1
Killdeer                               25
Spotted Sandpiper                 1
Western Sandpiper               16      30 on the 7th
Least Sandpiper                    4      10 on the 7th
dowitcher sp                         1
California Gull                         6
Caspian Tern                         2     5 on the 7th
Mourning Dove                       2
Vaux's Swift                          2

Belted Kingfisher                     4
Acorn Woodpecker                 5
Nuttall's Woodpecker              1
Pileated Woodpecker               1
Violet-green Swallow              15
W. Scrub-Jay                          4
American Crow                     50
Common Raven                       2
Oak Titmouse                         1
Bushtit                                  1
California Towhee                    2
Song Sparrow                        2
Brewer's Blackbird                   2
Lesser Goldfinch                      5

Thu, 12 Sep 2002 -- At about noon today Dorothy Tobkin found a MAGNOLIA
WARBLER at Glass Beach in Fort Bragg. She first saw it in the brush near
where the main paths divide and then later in the lone cypress at the west
end of the willows. It was calling a lot and responded to pishing. There
also were 4 HARLEQUIN DUCKS at Glass Beach and an early female Greater
Scaup at Lake Cleone.

Thu, 12 Sep 2002 -- Jerry White looked for the Magnolia Warbler just
reported, but he did not find it, He found a Ring-necked Pheasant nearby
instead. Hie did find a CLAY-COLORED SPARROW west of Highway 1 at mile
marker 69.3, which is just south of Ten Mile River. Also at Ten Mile were a
PECTORAL SANDPIPER and an early Ruby-crowned Kinglet.
         Check the Arcata Birdbox for a report of a possible WOOD SANDPIPER
in Del Norte Co.

Fri, 13 Sep 2002 -- Today Jerry White reports a SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER at
the mouth of the Garcia River and an AMERICAN AVOCET at Hunter's Lagoon
near Manchester.

Fri, Sept 13, 2002-  This evening at 5 Jerry White saw a Bank Swallow with
several Barn Swallows at Casper Pond.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Chuck and Barbara Vaughn
1550 Deerwood Drive
Ukiah, CA  95482

Greetings,
Spent this morning (Sat 9/14) birding the south coast.  Best bird of the
day was the continuing AMERICAN AVOCET that Jerry White found yesterday
at Hunter's Lagoon.  Today the bird was working the north shore shallows
at the west end of the lagoon.

Other birds of local note were two immature BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS
on the Garcia River at the end of Miner Hole Rd, five MARBLED GODWITS on
the beach just north of the Garcia Rivermouth, and a PEREGRINE FALCON
having a grand time harrassing a raven over the Garcia Flats.

Good Birding.
Matthew Matthiessen


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

This morning at 8:30 AM I found an adult Black-throated Sparrow. The bird was
near the Westport Solid Waste & Recycling Center. Take the road at mile marker
(Hiway 1) 77.71 just north of  Westport. As of this morning there was a fire
truck sitting in front of a locked gate. I saw the sparrow with a flock of
White-crowned Sparrows in the roadway just to the east (just past) the gate.

Also of interest was a Rock Wren at a Vista Point at mile marker 74.09 south of
Westport. The bird was in the rock lined drainage channel on the southwest side
of the parking area.

At about 7:00 AM Toby Tobkin again saw the Magnolia Warbler in the Cypress tree
near the beach at Glass Beach.

                                                                                        
Jerry White


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

On Saturday the 14th at about 5 PM I found a juvenile Little Blue Heron at
Rodman Slough. The bird was with a group of about 10 Snowy Egrets at the now
exposed mud and sand island  that is up the slough from the Rodman Slough
Bridge. This area attracts a number of species including gulls, pelicans,
shorebirds, ducks, and egrets. The pulloff to view this area is about 7/10ths of
a mile from the bridge on Nice-Lucerne Cutoff road.

Much searching by Dave Woodward and myself since Saturday has so far been
unsuccessful. We have been seeing Marbled Godwits (a rare fall migrant for the
county) on occasion at this location.

                                                                                          
Jerry White




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

Mendo birders,
On Sept 15 and 16 Gjon Hazard, John Luther, and myself birded coastal
Mendocino County. We have nothing to report on the 15th. On the 16th, we
had an immature Black-crowned Night-Heron along the Garcia River near Miner
Hole Road and a single American Avocet at Hunter's Lagoon. At the mouth of
Alder Creek there was a single Pectoral Sandpiper. After John Luther
departed for home, we saw a Rock Wren in the rocks on the beach at the
mouth of DeHaven Creek. At the Westport Fire Station/Sewage Ponds there
was an American Redstart (yellowstart) and a Pectoral Sandpiper. On
private lands at the mouth of Cottonneva Creek we found an eclipse Eurasian
Wigeon.
John E. Hunter


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

Wed, 18 Sep 2002 -- I birded for several hours this morning around the
north end of Lake Mendocino. The lake level continues to fall, now at about
718'. The area bounded by the Mesa, Deer Camp, and the North Marina will
soon be completely dry except for the channel. There are some shorebirding
opportunities on all this mud. This morning there was a MARBLED GODWIT and
two SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS visible from the north boat ramp - both fairly
unusual at this location. Also there was an immature BALD EAGLE sitting on
the mud in Hunter's Cove. The first scaup of the winter are arriving.

George Chaniot
Potter Valley, MEN, CA

Pied-billed Grebe                       3
Western Grebe +sp               220
Clark's Grebe                           1
Great Blue Heron                      3
Great Egret                              5
Canada Goose                          7
Green-winged Teal                     5
Mallard                                240
Northern Pintail                         2
Ring-necked Duck                      1
Greater Scaup                        23
Lesser Scaup                           2
Hooded Merganser                   1 f
Common Merganser                  5
Turkey Vulture                         6
BALD EAGLE                            1 imm
Red-shouldered Hawk                1
Wild Turkey                            15
American Coot                         2
SEMIPALMATED PLOVER             2
Killdeer                                  35
Spotted Sandpiper                   2
MARBLED GODWIT                    1
Western Sandpiper                 26
Least Sandpiper                      8
California Gull                         15
Belted Kingfisher                      1
Acorn Woodpecker                  5
Northern Flicker                       1
Pileated Woodpecker                 1
Black Phoebe                            1
Violet-green Swallow              100
Barn Swallow                           2
Steller's Jay                             1
Western Scrub-Jay                    3
American Crow                      130
White-breasted Nuthatch            1
American Pipit                          6
California Towhee                      2
Brewer's Blackbird                    8
House Finch                             2
Lesser Goldfinch                       5

From a friend. Maybe this will help us? Too bad we cannot use some of
these tricks on our outdoor aviaries. . .how about hanging Bounce sheets
all around them?

Feather





War on West Nile




OK, mosquitos...prepare to be repelled!!!!!


Use Bounce Fabric Softener Sheets...Best thing ever used in
Louisiana..just wipe on & go...Great for Babies
<http://www.debsfunpages.com/ananimals/mosquito_md_wht.gif>
<http://www.debsfunpages.com/ananimals/skeeter_fly_md_wht.gif>
<http://www.debsfunpages.com/ananimals/mosquito_md_wht.gif>
Bob, a fisherman, takes one vitaimin B-1 tablet a day
April through October . He said it works. He was right.
The odor the tablet gives out through your skin
(YOU can not smell it) repels mosquitos,black flies,
no seeum's, and knat's. It does not work on stinging insects.
Hasn't had a mosquito bit in 33 years. Try it.
Every one he has talked into trying it works on them.
Vitimin B-1( Thiamine Hydrochloride 100 mg.)
<http://www.debsfunpages.com/ananimals/mosquito_md_wht.gif>
<http://www.debsfunpages.com/ananimals/skeeter_fly_md_wht.gif>
<http://www.debsfunpages.com/ananimals/mosquito_md_wht.gif>
Kenn said NPR reports that if you eat bananas,
the mosquitos like you, something about the banana oil
as your body processes it. (Maybe they need the potassium too- lol)
Stop eating bananas for the summer and the mosquitos
will be much less interested.
<http://www.debsfunpages.com/ananimals/mosquito_md_wht.gif>
<http://www.debsfunpages.com/ananimals/skeeter_fly_md_wht.gif>
<http://www.debsfunpages.com/ananimals/mosquito_md_wht.gif>
This is going to floor you, but one of the best
insect repellents someone found (who is in the woods
every day), is Vick's Vaporub.
<http://www.debsfunpages.com/ananimals/mosquito_md_wht.gif>
<http://www.debsfunpages.com/ananimals/skeeter_fly_md_wht.gif>
<http://www.debsfunpages.com/ananimals/mosquito_md_wht.gif>
Plant marigolds around the yard, the flowers give off
a smell that bugs do not like,
so plant some in that garden also to help ward
off bugs without using insecticides.
<http://www.debsfunpages.com/ananimals/mosquito_md_wht.gif>
<http://www.debsfunpages.com/ananimals/skeeter_fly_md_wht.gif>
<http://www.debsfunpages.com/ananimals/mosquito_md_wht.gif>
"Tough guy" Marines who spend a great deal of time
"camping out" say that the very best mosquito
repellant you can use is
Avon Skin-So-Soft bath oil mixed about
half and half with alcohol.
<http://www.debsfunpages.com/ananimals/mosquito_md_wht.gif>
<http://www.debsfunpages.com/ananimals/skeeter_fly_md_wht.gif>
<http://www.debsfunpages.com/ananimals/mosquito_md_wht.gif>
mix your own:
20 drops Eucalyptus oil
20 drops Cedarwood oil
10 drops Tea Tree oil
10 drops Geranium oil
2 oz. carrier oil ( such as Jojoba )
Mix together in a 4 oz. container. Apply to skin as
needed avoiding the eye area. Keep out of reach
of children. Test on a small area of skin for sensitivities .
Experiment with different percentages of essential oil
<http://www.debsfunpages.com/ananimals/mosquito_md_wht.gif>
<http://www.debsfunpages.com/ananimals/skeeter_fly_md_wht.gif>
<http://www.debsfunpages.com/ananimals/mosquito_md_wht.gif>
from Sharon:
One of the best natural insect repellants that I've discovered
is made from the clear real vanilla (not the grocery store
vanilla extract which is mostly alcohol). This is the pure
vanilla that is sold in Mexico. It's cheap there if you know
of someone that lives there or in the US close to the border.
If not, health food stores usually carry it or can order it
for you. I use it half vanilla and half water and find
that it works great for mosquitoes and ticks,
don't know about other insects.
when all else fails--get a frog
<http://www.debsfunpages.com/ananimals/frog_feast_md_wht.gif>
<http://www.debsfunpages.com/ananimals/frogkiss2.gif>
<http://www.debsfunpages.com/ananimals/frog_feast_md_wht.gif>

















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

On Wed. 9/18 I visited the Rio Linda Academy just outside of Healdsburg to
view the Vaux's Swifts as, in their thousands, they swirled through the
evening skies and then at dusk descended into a large brick chimney to roost
for the night. It is an incredible sight that anyone with even a smidgeon of
interest in the natural world would be thrilled at seeing. This is an annual
event occuring over a couple of weeks in mid September so the time to visit
is NOW.
I arrived at 6:30pm with hundred of Swifts circling above the Academy. That
was nice but the numbers increased dramatically in the next 1/2 hour and
from 7:00 until they entered the chimney at 7:30pm the number of birds and
the aeronautics were awesome.
Vishnu

To get there coming from the north on Hwy 101:
Probably the best route is to continue past the first two Healdsburg exits,
cross the Russian River and take the next (Old Redwood Hwy) exit. Go left
crossing to the east side of the freeway and proceed back northeast on
Healdsburg Ave. Continue north east until you reach Bailhache Drive.
There is also a sign for Rio Linda Academy at that
intersection. Turn right onto Bailhache and drive east , along the south-
eastern bank of the Russian River to the Academy, about 3 1/2 miles. Upon
entering the campus (a Seventh Day Adventist High School) keep to the left
and drive behind the classroom and dorm buildings. You will then have the
Gymnasium and large athletic field on your left. Just past the athletic
field is a red brick maintainence building with a large brick chimney - not
tall but wide.
You can park across from the maintainence bldg.
The Academy is very gracious in allowing the public to view
this wonderful spectacle, and they only ask that visitors be on their good
behavior.

I was very surprised to spot 2 large flocks of geese
(Canada?) migrating South last evening (9/20) at dusk
on a very warm evening.  I have never seen so many
birds, (around 200 total) heading South when it is
still officially Summer.  It is usually mid-October
when I see them passing overhead here NW of Willits.

__________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
New DSL Internet Access from SBC & Yahoo!
http://sbc.yahoo.com

A return visit to view the Vaux's Swifts on the Rio Linda campus on Mon.
evening 9/23 while satisfying (perhaps 800 birds) did not produce the sky
darkening thousands of last week. If you have been contemplating a trip to
see the evening roost it may be better now to mark your calendars for Sept.
15, 2003.    Vishnu

Saturday 21 Sept 2002,   Last Saturday's pelagic birding trip, coordinated
by the Mendo Coast Audubon Chapter,  was another unique excursion onto
ocean waters.  Overall the water was rather calm compared to many past
trips... swells from 2-6 feet with very little in the way of wind waves.
The trip started out with clear skies with a fog bank out about 1-2 miles
offshore.   There was quite a bunch of shearwaters, including 6
Black-vented Shearwaters, working the waters just outside the fog
bank.   Once we entered the fog everything slowed down rapidly.   Even a
visit to a shrimp-troller pulling its nets resulted in few
birds.   Following the Noyo Trench out to about 18 miles we were in
continuous high dense fog with fairly good visibility... just very few
birds.   We even chummed once out about 8 miles with NO response.... zero
birds showed up.

These results are based upon my and Chuck Vaughn's estimates and may differ
from the "official" count as tallied by the leaders (which undoubtedly will
be more accurate than this version).

We also had California Sea Lions, Dall's porpoises, Pacific White-sided
Dolphins, and Northern Right Whale Dolphins.  Several Blue sharks were seen.

Black-footed Albatross 12-20;   Northern Fulmar 0;      Sooty Shearwater
50-75;
Pink-footed Shearwater 50+;     Black-vented Shearwater 6;      Buller's
Shearwater 15-20;
Brown Pelican 25-30;    Double-crested cormorant  present;      Brandt's
Cormorant present;
Pelagic cormorant present; Red-necked/Red Phalaropes  12+;  Red-necked
Phalarope 25;
Red Phalarope 1;        South Polar Skua 1-3 (one very dark
individual);        Long-tailed jaeger 50+;
Parasitic Jaeger 1;     Pomarine Jaeger 1-2;    California gull 1 ad.;
Glaucous-winged/Western hybrid 1; Western gull 100+; Sabine's Gull 8-10;
Common Murre 75-100;  Pigeon Guillemot 0;
Xantus's Murrelet 2;    Cassin's Auklet 12;     Rhinoceros Auklet
60-75;  Tufted Puffin 1 flightless adult due to wing molt;  Belted Kingfisher 1

I believe all previous Black-vented Shearwater sightings in MEN have been
from shore.

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

Birders,

On the return from Hawk Hill, Marin, this past weekend we stopped in at the Main
Boat Ramp on Lake Mendocino.  In drying pools to the south by the dam were
several Killdeer, a Black-bellied Plover and a distant Pectoral Sandpiper.

Not much else around, but I would like to ask a favor if people know good, birdy
quick on and off the Hwy birding spots along 101 in Mendocino.  I go up and down
so many times and how often can I check the Ukiah sewage ponds or Lake
Mendocino.  I have started to check Reynold's Highway out of Willets and that's
about it.  Are there any other spots?

Yours Rob


Rob Hewitt (Director)
LBJ Enterprises
Eureka, CA
(707) 442-0339 wk  (707) 260 0632  fax   (707) 845 3189 cell
www.birdjobs.com
lbjent@...

Godwit Days Festival Steering Committee
www.godwitdays.com -  April 18-20, 2003
Keynote speaker Kenn Kaufman


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

Mendocino County Birders:

Friday afternoon I stopped off at the Lake Mendocino Boat Ramp at the north
side of the reservoir which Rob describes below.  The Pectoral Sandpiper Rob
reports was there then as well along with an inland Marbled Godwit but no
Black-bellied Plover.  I am not sure if Rob and I are talking about the same
location as this boat ramp is on the north side of the reservoir at the
in-flow of the creek.

A check of the Ukiah Sewage ponds yielded nothing exciting beyond a flock of
American Coots.

--
Mike Feighner, Livermore, CA, Alameda County


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Robert Hewitt [mailto:lbjent@...]
> Sent: Tuesday, September 24, 2002 8:15 PM
> To: Mendobirds@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [Mendobirds] Pectoral Sandpiper, Lake Mendocino
>
>
> Birders,
>
> On the return from Hawk Hill, Marin, this past weekend we stopped
> in at the Main Boat Ramp on Lake Mendocino.  In drying pools to
> the south by the dam were several Killdeer, a Black-bellied
> Plover and a distant Pectoral Sandpiper.
>
> Not much else around, but I would like to ask a favor if people
> know good, birdy quick on and off the Hwy birding spots along 101
> in Mendocino.  I go up and down so many times and how often can I
> check the Ukiah sewage ponds or Lake Mendocino.  I have started
> to check Reynold's Highway out of Willets and that's about it.
> Are there any other spots?
>
> Yours Rob
>
>
> Rob Hewitt (Director)
> LBJ Enterprises
> Eureka, CA
> (707) 442-0339 wk  (707) 260 0632  fax   (707) 845 3189 cell
> www.birdjobs.com
> lbjent@...
>
> Godwit Days Festival Steering Committee
> www.godwitdays.com -  April 18-20, 2003
> Keynote speaker Kenn Kaufman
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> Mendobirds-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>

Thu, 26 Sep 2002 -- I saw about 5 LEWIS'S WOODPECKERS  this morning at the
end of Burris Lane in Potter Valley, a spot where they occur with some
regularity in winter. Also of interest were a SAY'S PHOEBE, a late
BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER, and a LINCOLN'S SPARROW.  4 Ring-necked Ducks were
on the pond and a Cooper's Hawk, hot on the hunt, actually landed on the
water twice. What was it going after?

George Chaniot
Potter Valley, MEN, CA

Between 5:45 and 7:00pm this evening (Fri 9/27) in the area just south of
the south boat ramp at Lake Mendocino swimming and feeding in a small
offshore pool surrounded by exposed mud flats was a winter plumaged
RED-NECKED PHALAROPE. On the adjacent flats was a PECTORAL SANDPIPER
(possibly the same bird reported earlier in this week). A single COMMON
SNIPE  and a flock of 20 winter plumaged DOWITCHER sp (I think short billed)
were likewise feeding there.
Vishnu

Sat, 28 Sep 2002 -- At about noon, Bob Keiffer, Chuck Vaughn, and I found 3
AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS  sitting on the mud off of the north boat ramp at
Lake(bed) Mendocino. These pelicans rarely make the border crossing from
Lake to Mendocino County, but as Lake Mendocino continues to fall, and the
fish become more concentrated, I suspect that the lake will become
increasingly attractive to them and some other waterbirds. At Coyote Dam we
saw a BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER (perhaps the same one reported last weekend) and
spotted (by scope) an AMERICAN AVOCET on the east shore between Miti spit
and Perry Creek Cove. We also found LEWIS'S WOODPECKERS again on Burris
Lane in Potter Valley, this time in a large, dead oak well north of the
pond.
         These observations were made during the PRBO fall Big Day by the
team representing Mendocino County. We began the day at 04:30 in Hopland
and ended on the boardwalk at Lake Cleone at sunset.  The birding began a
little slowly after sunrise in the high chaparral at HREC as a heavy fog
layer developed. From above it looked like it might fill the whole valley,
but as we descended it cleared, and we slowly made up missed species. The
Ukiah Sewage Treatment Plant ponds were not very productive this year, but
Lake Mendocino made up for that with a good variety of ducks and
waterbirds. The coast was rather slow in the afternoon, but each area
visited produced a few species not seen elsewhere during the day. We
finished with 149 species, a new  record for Mendocino for the fall event.
A full list is included below.

George Chaniot, Potter Valley, MEN, CA

Pacific Loon, Common Loon, Pied-billed Grebe, Eared Grebe, Western Grebe,
Clark's Grebe, American White Pelican, Brown Pelican, Double-crested
Cormorant, Brandt's Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Great
Egret, Green Heron, Turkey Vulture, Canada Goose, Wood Duck, Green-winged
Teal, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Blue-winged Teal, Cinnamon Teal, Northern
Shoveller, Ring-necked Duck, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Harlequin Duck,
Surf Scoter, Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Osprey,
White-tailed Kite, Northern Harrier, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper's Hawk,
Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Ferruginous Hawk, Golden Eagle,
American Kestrel, Wild Turkey, California Quail, Mountain Quail, Virginia
Rail, Sora, American Coot, Black-bellied Plover, Snowy Plover, Semipalmated
Plover, Killdeer, Black Oystercatcher, American Avocet, Greater Yellowlegs,
Willet, Wandering Tatler, Spotted Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Black Turnstone,
Surfbird, Sanderling, Western Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Pectoral
Sandpiper, Dunlin, Long-billed Dowitcher, Wilson's Snipe, Red-necked
Phalarope, Heermann's Gull, California Gull, Western Gull, Glaucous-winged
Gull, Common Tern, Common Murre, Cassin's Auklet, Rock Dove, Band-tailed
Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Barn Owl, Western Screech Owl, Great Horned Owl,
Common Poorwill, Vaux's Swift, Anna's Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher,
Lewis's Woodpecker, Acorn Woodpecker, Nuttall's Woodpecker, Downy
Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Western Wood-Pewee,
Willow Flycatcher, Black Phoebe, Say's Phoebe, Hutton's Vireo, Steller's
Jay, Western Scrub-Jay, American Crow, Common Raven, Violet-green/Tree
Swallow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Barn Swallow, Chestnut-backed
Chickadee, Oak Titmouse, Bushtit, White-breasted Nuthatch, Pygmy Nuthatch,
Brown Creeper, Bewick's Wren, Winter Wren, Marsh Wren, Golden-crowned
Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Western Bluebird, American Robin, Wrentit,
Northern Mockingbird, California Thrasher, European Starling, American
Pipit, Cedar Waxwing, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Yellow-rumped
Warbler, Townsend's Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Spotted Towhee,
California Towhee, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Lark Sparrow,
Sage Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Lincoln's
Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco,
Red-winged Blackbird, Western Meadowlark, Brewer's Blackbird, Brown-headed
Cowbird, Purple Finch, House Finch, Lesser Goldfinch, American Goldfinch,
House Sparrow

This morning at Rodman Slough, Darlene Hecomovich and Jeanette Knight found an
Emperor Goose. The bird has since been seen by myself and several other people.
Look for the wide pullout about 7/10's of a mile from the Rodman Slough Bridge
(up the slough) on the Nice-Lucerne Cutoff Road. The bird was swimming and
feeding near the  mud and gravel bar.   After the bird swam out of sight  at 
this location I found I could view it with a scope from the pullout on the
northeast end of the bridge.

                                                                                
Jerry White


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