This Saturday, March 18th, at 3pm Santa Barbara Audubon Society will
host a field trip to the UCSB Carpinteria Salt Marsh under the
leadership of Mark Holmgren. We will meet at the Nature Information
Board at the end of Estero Way in Carpinteria.

Steve Ferry for
Jack Sanford
Carpinteria

We enticed into view with screech and pygmy owl whistles a
RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER in the main picnic area of Nojoqui Falls Park
around 4 pm on Tuesday 14 March 2006. Other birds included Nuttall's
and Acorn woodpeckers, Scrub-jay, Western bluebird, American robin,
Purple finches (males singing), Lesser goldfinches, Yellow-rumped and
Orange-crowned warblers, Ruby-crowned kinglets, Spotted towhees, an
adult and young Red-shoulered hawks, crows, starlings, several each
Golden- and White-crowned sparrows, a few Bewick's wrens, a couple of
Hermit thrushes, White-breasted nuthatches, and singing Oregon juncos
(no odd juncos seen).

Previously around noon, we went down 154 to Solvang, stopping at the
Vista Point overlooking the Cachuma Dam: singing Hutton's vireo in
oaks to NE, a foraging pair of Western bluebirds perching on signs in
the parking area, a couple of Western scrub-jays, Golden- and
White-crowned sparrows, a couple of moles running around, all near
parking area, while on the water a lone Double-crested cormorant
perched near the dam, as many coots swam about near shore, a duck
flew past (likely Scaup), and a lone Scaup (female, too far to
determine which species) were all that graced the full reservoir at
that end. An OSPREY called out of sight to west of parking area,
but we did not detect it flying anywhere. At the east end while
driving past, we saw 2 WHITE PELICANS and a GOLDEN EAGLE, but no
other water birds ID'd. Many Turkey vultures, a few Red-tails and a
couple of Kestrels soaring or perched along the highway. The
impending and spitting rain "flurry", that started just as we parked
to check out the dam, drove us from the overlook before being able to
see or hear other birds.

Return trip through Alisal Ranch Road was uneventful with no unusual
birds, but a few Yellow-billed Magpies walked along side of road and
on golf course green -- this is the closest location to City of SB to
view that species REGULARLY.

Jim and Lark
Santa Barbara CA

S.B. Birders--

This morning there were two BALTIMORE ORIOLES along Carpinteria
Creek. Both were seen together in the willows on the east side of the
creek below 6th street. The plumage of these birds is worth noting:
The first bird, which I'm calling a first-year male molting to
alternate plumage, had an almost completely black head, but was
mottled orange/black at the nape and sides of the face - definitely
in transition. The chest and undertail coverts were deep orange, and
the belly region was paler, with some gray tones. There were two
distinct wingbars, the upper slightly broader than the lower. I'm
unsure about the age and sex of the second bird, which was either
another young male not quite as far along as the first, or a adult
female. It appeared similar to the first, but was less bright, and it
had more extensive mottling to the face and head. It was basically a
duller, more "messy" version of the first. Like the first one though,
it had two distinct white wingbars, and a paler gray region below the
chest.

Yesterday, Daniel Gant and I had ten Blue-winged Teal at the
Carpinteria Salt Marsh from Ash Ave. We also visited Rincon Creek at
Bates Road, where we had an adult Sharp-shinned Hawk fly over. When
we first approached the bridge, we looked down and saw a very healthy
looking female Coyote (that had obviously been nursing recently) that
very slowly walked up the creek into Ventura County. The row of pines
near the intersection of Hwy 192 and 150 was quiet except for a
Townsend's Warbler, but it's a spot worth mentioning, as Daniel and I
found a Brown Creeper and two Red-breasted Nuthatches there on 3/7.

Peter Gaede
Carpinteria

As per Mark's comment, I misstated reality about YELLOW-BILLED MAGPIE
"closest" location to City of Santa Barbara...I perhaps should have
said "where we [Lark and I] regularly see them"... Others have
different data which is "more correct" in light of my original
statement. Of course, I would rather "see them" regularly, than
merely hear them and only occasionally see them... ;-)

Jim Greaves

At 10:43 AM -0800 3/15/06, Mark Holmgren wrote:
>Okay, Jim, I'll take you up on this one.  I think regular sightings of
>Yellow-billed Magpie are had from Armour Ranch Rd within 3/4 mile N of
>hwy 154.  You certainly hear them every time, then eventually see one.
>I think this is closer to the City of Santa Barbara.

Last December, when I posted a recap of the fall season of rarities in Santa
Barbara County, I never intended to make it a regular thing to post these
quarterly reviews, even when some suggested it would be a good idea. But
almost from the beginning it looked as though this winter might be as
interesting as last fall. And even though the best bird of the entire
quarter, the now famous Baikal Teal at the Mission Hills sewage treatment
plant outside of Lompoc, came near the beginning, we had a steady stream of
exciting birds throughout the winter. So, once again, here are the
highlights of this past season of birding in Santa Barbara County.

We never really had a chance to rest after last fall. Even before I sat down
to my computer to describe all the great birds of the previous quarter, on 1
December, Kyle Braunger had made a visit to the Goleta sewage treatment
plant and found a Fulvous Whistling-Duck in one of the ponds. When Wes Fritz
and I first heard about this bird, which flew away not long after Kyle
arrived at the plant that day, we both figured it was an escapee. In fact,
we didn't even post it (Sorry!). But four days later, the bird was there
again, at the edge of the reeds when Kyle made another visit on the 5th. As
all of us who saw the bird that day could easily see, the bird had no bands
and was just as wary as any of the other ducks in the area. Subsequent
information about unbanded birds being seen in Arizona (including one as
close as the Colorado River) and Los Angeles County have convinced most (but
not all) of us that this bird is wild.

Staying with the duck theme, on a La Purisima Audubon trip to the Mission
Hills sewage treatment plant on 10 December, Wes Fritz, Dustin Alcala, Paul
Keller, and some others were shocked to find a Baikal Teal with the usual
shovelers, Buffleheads, teal, and other ducks. This was the first chaseable
Baikal Teal for California, and even a state bird for Guy McCaskie,
reportedly his 600th. Birders came from all over the state to see this bird,
which disappeared abruptly around Christmas and then was seen once more, by
a single birder, the rest of the winter. Before we discovered that the bird
could be seen well from the hillside above the plant, Wes persuaded the
plant caretaker to stay around late the first day to let birders in to have
a look. I believe the caretaker was pleased he had stayed that day when late
arriving birders, wide smiles on their faces, showed up to view the bird and
gratefully began shoving $20 bills into his hand.

Adding to all the waterfowl excitement was the "Eurasian" Green-winged Teal
in Goleta, back for at least its fourth consecutive winter. This bird
actually may have been here each winter since 1999-2000, but of course, it's
nowhere near tops in longevity among our local rarities. This year, the good
old Goleta Zone-tailed Hawk showed up for its 13th straight winter.

Winter is the time for Christmas counts, and this year, some interesting
birds turned up during our county's CBCs. On the Lompoc CBC, on 18 December,
the best bird was probably a Lesser Nighthawk that flew over Ocean Park
early in the morning, seen by Wes Fritz and Ken Hollinga. This was the first
confirmed winter record for the county. Wes was later busy in the days
leading up to the Santa Barbara count, when he found a female Painted
Bunting in Goleta. But this bird and many others never showed on count day
on 31 December. Hindered by heavy rain that day, we ended up with an amazing
14 count period birds (birds seen in the days just before or after the
count, but not on he day itself), although we still managed a very
respectable 200 species for the count itself. Probably the best bird found
on count day was a Dusky-capped Flycatcher that Curtis Marantz discovered on
Atascadero Creek in Goleta.  Robb Hamilton also did pretty well by finding
the county's SECOND confirmed winter Lesser Nighthawk, less than two weeks
after the Ocean Park bird. This bird and a Northern Saw-Whet Owl in the
Santa Ynez Mtns were both new species for the Santa Barbara count.

Another interesting find on count day was a Franklin's Gull that Dustin
Alcala found at Coal Oil Point. This bird quietly started the next theme in
this winter's birding--the gull theme. The top find in this area came on 18
January, when Wes Fritz found a Lesser Black-backed Gull at Goleta Beach,
which will be another first county record, assuming the CBRC accepts it.
Sadly for the rest of us, the bird flew away before Wes could call any of
us, or even get a photo. To show us again that it is the local roadside rest
of travelling gulls, Goleta Beach produced a short-staying immature Laughing
Gull less than two weeks later, on 31 January. This bird was a county bird
for me and for Joan Lentz, to give you an idea of how rare this species is
in Santa Barbara County. A few other people got down in time to see this
gull, but when Rebecca Coulter, Oscar Johnson, and Krista Fahy arrived two
or three hours after the gull was first seen, it was gone. But in its place,
in exactly the same location, was a different Laughing Gull, an adult or
near adult. Paul Keller saw this bird shortly thereafter, but there have
been no Laughing Gull sightings there since.

You don't really think of winter as a time for warblers, but of course, one
or two nice ones will show up some years. But aside from a Northern
Waterthrush that Hugh Ranson found at the Santa Barbara Zoo on the CBC, no
very exciting warblers showed up for the first couple of months of this
winter. But the last five weeks made up for that. The first rare warbler to
show up during the latter part of the winter was a Lucy's that Peter Gaede
found at Carp Creek in late January. Another Lucy's showed up at Tecolotito
Creek in Goleta in February. This was nice, but nothing to get your heart
racing, especially after this species had been so plentiful in the fall. But
things got pretty exciting when Jamie Chavez found a Grace's Warbler at
Waller Park in Santa Maria. This was the first chaseable one in the county
since the parade of Grace's records on the south coast in the 1980s and
early 1990s. And a bird that was almost as good was one that a couple of us
got to see one day soon after the Grace's appeared. While we were looking
for the Grace's, a skulky Pine Warbler suddenly showed itself in small pine
tree. Later the same day, Jamie Chavez found a Palm Warbler while looking
for the Pine.

While Waller Park was the center of the continuing resurgence of Santa Maria
as a birding hotspot this quarter, River Oaks Park competed for this honor.
The Eastern Phoebe found by Mark Brown in the fall stayed around all winter.
And in January, Mark found one of the best birds of the fall there, when he
located a Baird's Sandpiper, previously unheard of in the county in
midwinter, foraging along the banks of the main pond. In February, about the
time of the Waller warbler madness, Mark also photographed an interesting
looking blackbird at River Oaks that might've been a Common Grackle.

Some other birds around the county also stirred lots of interest over the
course of the winter. A Hammond's Flycatcher found by David Kisner in late
January was responsible for many people birding in Bohnett Park in Santa
Barbara for the first time. Another Palm Warbler provided a nice diversion
for people at Bohnett when they weren't seeing the Hammond's. And a Brown
Thrasher, found at El Capitan State Beach by Dan Fontaine a few days before
Christmas, had birders pulling their hair out trying to get looks at this
skulker. And while the sheer quantity of rarites never approached what we
had last fall, the quality of the ten or fifteen best sightings may have
actually have surpassed it. This was just another great season of birding.

So now spring migration is well underway. What happens this time of year,
while very exciting in its own way, is a little more predictable than what
goes on in fall and winter. But birds are on the move, so you never really
know what might happen. So let's get out there so we'll be there when it
does.

Dave Compton
Santa Barbara

Saw a sapsucker in the large pepper tree just south of the tennis
courts on Kellog Ave in Goleta this morning.  Ran home and got my
binaculars and got a fair look at a red nape but could not see the
back.  Elaine and I will keep a close watch on this pepper tree for
the next few days.
Bill Uomini
Goleta

Everyone,

In typing out my recap of the winter quarter, I omitted some obvious
candidates for inclusion in my report. First of all, I can't believe I left
out the Crested Caracara reported by John Storrer near Pt Conception. Also,
Ken Hollinga reminded me that the Long-eared and Northern Saw-Whet Owls that
he, Wes Fritz, and Oscar Johnson found on the Santa Maria CBC on Vandenberg
were the first of these species for that count.

Incidentally, some of the top listers in the county don't have Long-eared
Owl. And some have gone a long time without saw-whet, so both are pretty
good birds. There is only one accepted record of Crested Caracara in Santa
Barbara County.

Dave Compton
Santa Barbara

I haven't had time for posting for a while, so here is a brief summary of
what's been around on the UCSB campus over the past couple of weeks.

Best birds:  A SORA and a WILSON's SNIPE found yesterday in the vegetation
of the large vernal pool on the east side (Lagoon side) of the Manzanita
Housing bluffs.  Very much at home in this area were also a pair of
Mallards and a Snowy Egret as well as singing and displaying Red-winged
Blackbirds.  This is the same area where I had a singing Marsh Wren a
couple of weeks ago.  Restoration can be a wonderful thing!

Hummingbirds:  Lots of Selasphorus hummingbirds zinging through the
eucalyptus trees, unfortunately too high and fast to get an identification.

Swallows:  Large flock of Violet-Green over Area K last week (60+),
outnumbering the other species (Tree, Rough-winged, Cliff, and Barn).

Ducks:  A nice assortment of ducks and other waterfowl still can be found
in Area K of the Goleta Slough.  Patrick's handsome Eared Grebe was still
present last week; haven't seen it this week.

Winter Birds:  Cedar Waxwings feeding on the fruit of the many Laurel Figs
on campus; White-crowned and Golden-crowned sparrows still feeding on lawns
next to brushy areas.  Yellow-rumps are molting into alternate plumage and
singing.  Robins are also singing their heads off.

Sea Watch:  A Gray Whale in close to Campus Point last week at noon; a
flock of eight Brant heading west this week at noon.  Time to start
watching for offshore migrants.

Nesting:  Spotted newly-fledged Bushtits being fed yesterday.

Florence Sanchez

Santa Barbara Audubon Society presents


Birding Odyssey of Ecuador
Roy Poucher


The program takes place Wednesday, March 22, 2006 at Farrand Hall,
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History.  Doors open at 7 PM, program
begins at 7:30 PM.


Roy Poucher will transport you on a birding odyssey from the high
Andes of Ecuador (20,000'+) down to the steamy lowland (500') jungles
of the Amazon.  These extremes in elevation, being at the equator
(for year-round maximum sunlight), make Ecuador a unique-in-the-world
adventure of unsurpassed bio-diversity.

You will feel like you are sitting in a dugout canoe with Roy as he
searches for birds while paddling on Amazon rainforest streams with
native Indian guides.  The photographs of the spectacular birds in a
fireworks display of different colors and shapes will amaze you.
Walking next to Roy on the high steep slopes of Yanacocha you will
see a mind-boggling variety of hummingbirds.

These are just a few of the special treats that Roy has in store for
you on this journey.

Roy Poucher has been a Sea and Sage Audubon trip leader and field
trip assistant in their introductory birding classes for 14 years.
He has led repeated multi-day trips to the Eastern Sierra, Santa
Barbara, Yosemite, Arizona and Texas.  His birding Big Years (1996 in
CA; 1998 in the ABA Area) were major accomplishments (472 and 677
species respectively).  In 2003 he designed and led spring warbler
trips to the Upper Texas Coast and to the Great Lakes. In 2005 he did
the same for shorebird trips to Texas (April) and the East Coast
(August).  His bird tour company, Bird Odysseys, has recently taken
groups to Costa Rica, Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands.  Trips to
Africa and Costa Rica are in the planning stage.




Steve Ferry
Santa Barbara Audubon Society
Goleta

- RBA
* California
* Santa Barbara
* March 17, 2006
* CASB0603.17
- Birds mentioned

Cackling Goose
Ross's Goose
Fulvous Whistling-Duck
Blue-winged Teal
Common Goldeneye
American White Pelican
Bald Eagle
Cassin's Vireo
Palm Warbler
Lucy's Warbler
Pine Warbler
Grace's Warbler
Baltimore Oriole

- Transcript
This is the Santa Barbara Audubon Society's rare bird report being recorded
on Friday, March 17 at 11 a.m. If you have a rare bird sighting to report,
call Karen Bridgers at 964-1316. For those of you who are getting the
transcript on the Internet, the rare bird alert number for Santa Barbara is
(805) 964-8240.

A GRACE'S WARBLER found in Waller Park in Santa Maria was still present on
Friday the 10th, in the short pines near Area 3. Enter Waller Park from
South Broadway at Waller Lane, and drive into the center of the park beyond
the first restroom. Area 3 is on the left before the second restroom, which
is under construction. Also in the park that week were a PINE and a PALM
WARBLER.  A ROSS'S GOOSE and a CACKLING GOOSE are in the front pond.

The FULVOUS WHISTLING-DUCK was still at the Goleta Sewage Plant on Monday
the 13th. The plant is closed on weekends. Be sure to park by the office off
to your right and do not park by the ponds or work sheds. Please walk into
the office and sign in. Walk east down to the ponds and look for the bird
from the asphalt on the west side of the ponds. Do not walk on the berms.

On Tecolotito Creek, the LUCY'S WARBLER and the CASSIN'S VIREO were still
present on Saturday the 11th, behind the office building at 70 Castillian.

In Carpinteria, two BALTIMORE ORIOLES were along Carpinteria Creek below 6th
Street on Wednesday. On Tuesday, a BLUE-WINGED TEAL was at the Carpinteria
Salt Marsh off Ash Avenue.

Highlights from the Cachuma Lake boat trips last week included 5 WHITE
PELICANS, 2 COMMON GOLDENEYE, and 1 immature BALD EAGLE.

That is all the bird news for now, but, again, if you have a rare sighting
to report, call Karen Bridgers at 964-1316. Good birding in Santa Barbara
County.

- End transcript

Elaine and I got a good look at a red-naped supsucker at 7:30 this
morning.  It was in the large pepper tree near the street just south
of the tennis courts on Kellogg Ave in Goleta.  We got good looks at
the nape and the back.

Bill Uomini
Goleta

Betsy and I saw the following in Carpinteria.



Harbor Seal rookery: 1 Black Oystercatcher, 6 Surfbirds, 1 Black Turnstone



Carpinteria Creek: 1 imm Baltimore Oriole in the willows on the east side of
the creek just below 6th Street



Guy Tingos

Santa Barbara, CA



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

I did a quick check of Santa Maria's Waller Park in Area #3 this morning and I
found the GRACE'S WARBLER in the same general vicinity as previously reported
which is around the picnic tables in the shorter pines. No sign of the Palm or
Pine Warblers in the brief time I was there. A female Allen's Hummingbird was
seen feeding a recently fledged young also in Area #3.

Bird often,
.....................................
Jamie M. Chavez
Santa Maria, CA USA

<")
  (   \
   / |``


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

Lawrence's goldfinch at thistle sock in our backyard today (Sat.) 5:00
p.m. - Sue Smith

Spring 2006 Searcher Pelagic Trip

Good news!! This trip is a go. Secondly, there are still a few open
spots available........

Please join us for a 5-day pelagic trip out of San Diego on April 26-
30.  During the previous three years we've had good looks on every
trip of such difficult west coast specialties as Laysan Albatross,
Black Storm-petrel, Red-billed Tropicbird, and Xantus' Murrelet.
We've found multiple Murphy's Petrels on three of our four trips.
We've had a few Cook's Petrels during the spring, although our
September trip is more reliable for that species.

Other expected species include Black-footed Albatross, Northern
Fulmar, Pink-footed Shearwater, Sooty Shearwater, Short-tailed
Shearwater, Black-vented Shearwater, Leach's Storm-Petrel, Ashy Storm-
Petrel, Red-necked Phalarope, Red Phalarope, Pomarine Jaeger,
Parasitic Jaeger, Long-tailed Jaeger, Sabine's Gull, Black-legged
Kittiwake, Arctic Tern, Common Murre, Xantus' Murrelet (scrippsi),
Cassin's Auklet, and Rhinoceros Auklet.  We've also found Manx
Shearwater and Flesh-footed Shearwater during these trips.

We bird offshore at the extreme southwestern corner of the ABA area.
We visit the California Channel Islands, Point Conception, Rodriquez
Dome, San Juan Seamount, Cortez Bank and deep water beyond the
continental shelf.  On our last day, we often edge into Mexican
waters, so this is an opportunity to add to your Mexico list.

We've had impressive numbers of whales on these tours, including
sperm, mesoplodon, ziphius, humpback, blue, and fin.  We've also seen
Orca, bottlenose, long-beaked common, short-beaked common, northern
right-whale, Risso's, Pacific white-sided dolphins and Dall's
porpoises.  Other marine mammals include California Sea-lion,
Guadalupe fur seal, northern fur seal, northern elephant seal, and
harbor seal.

Using the 95-foot live-aboard "Searcher," we limit our trips to 29
passengers and 4 leaders. The boat provides 2-3 person cabins,
showers and three excellent meals a day.  Our leaders for this trip
are Walter Wehtje, Todd McGrath, David Compton and a special mystery
leader to be announced next week.  Todd McGrath has several hundred
days experience leading pelagic trips on the Pacific and Atlantic
coasts, Walter Wehtje has led pelagic trips in Southern California
for more than 10 years, and David Compton is a very experienced
birder from Santa Barbara, and a member of the California Bird
Records Committee.

We will travel north from San Diego and arrive in the Santa Barbara
Channel the following morning. After spending a day in the Santa
Barbara Channel, we overnight at Point Conception, and head out
towards deep water the following morning.   We travel to Rodriguez
Seamount, San Juan Seamount, and points along and past the
continental shelf. The exact itinerary will vary based on the
leaders' and captain's judgments about bird abundance and weather
conditions.

Additional information and trip lists are at
http://www.bajawhale.com/birdingtrips.html.

Date of 2006 trips: April 26-30, September 4-8
Cost: $850 (includes all food and beverages, excludes crew gratuity).

For more information on this and future trips, feel free to contact
me directly, or:

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

Good Afternoon Birders,

We've had mostly rainy, cold, and windy weather this week. Here are the
Highlights from the lake:

Immature Bald Eagle 3/12

Golden Eagle 3/18

5 Northern Rough-winged Swallows  3/19

1 Cliff Swallow 3/19

1 Cinnamon Teal 3/19

2 Wood Ducks 3/19

Nesting Pair of Red-tailed Hawks

At least 5 active Great Blue Heron nests




Full list of birds observed during lake trips, walks, and around the
Nature Center:...............................................

Common Loon, Gavia immer

Pied-billed Grebe, Podilymbus podiceps

Western Grebe, Aechmophorus occidentalis

Clark's Grebe, Aechmophorus clarkii

American White Pelican, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos

Double-crested Cormorant, Phalacrocorax auritus

Great Blue Heron, Ardea herodias

Great Egret, Ardea alba

Wood Duck, Aix sponsa

Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos

Gadwall, Anas strepera

Cinnamon Teal, Anas cyanoptera

Lesser Scaup, Aythya affinis

Common Goldeneye, Bucephala clangula

Bufflehead, Bucephhala albeola

Common Merganser, Mergus merganser



Turkey Vulture, Cathartes aura

Red-tailed Hawk, Buteo jamaicensis

Golden Eagle, Aquila chrysaetos

Bald Eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Osprey, Pandion haliaetus

American Kestrel, Falco sparverius



California Quail, Callipepla californica

American Coot, Fulica americana

Spotted Sandpiper, Actitis macularia

California Gull, Larus californicus

Herring Gull, Larus argentatus



Mourning Dove, Zenaida macroura

Band-tailed Pigeon, Columba fasciata

Anna's Hummingbird, Calypte anna

Belted Kingfisher, Ceryle alcyon

Acorn Woodpecker, Melanerpes formicivorus

Black Phoebe, Sayornis nigricans

Western Scrub-Jay, Aphelocoma californica

American Crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos

Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Stelgidopteryx serripennis

Violet-green Swallow, Tachycineta thalassina

Tree Swallow, Tachycineta bicolor

Cliff Swallow, Petrochelidon pyrrhonota

Oak Titmouse, Baeolophus inornatus

Bushtit, Psaltriparus minimus

White-breasted Nuthatch, Sitta carolinensis

Western Bluebird, Sialia mexicana

European Starling, Sturnus vulgaris

Yellow-rumped Warbler, Dendroica  coronata

Spotted Towhee, Pipilo maculatus

California Towhee, Pipilo crissalis

White-crowned Sparrow, Zonotrichia leucophrys

Brown-headed Cowbird, Molothrus ater

Red-winged Blackbird, Agelaius phoeniceus

Great-tailed Grackle, Quiscalus mexicanus

House Finch, Carpodacus mexicanus

Lesser Goldfinch, Carduelis psaltria

House Sparrow, Passer domesticus

  Happy Birding,

Halli

Halli Pedersen
Assistant Naturalist
Cachuma Lake
(805) 688-4515



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

Several people have asked about this, and I apologize for any
cross-posting -- I really shouldn't have to apologize since I can't
help it of others subscribe to more than one birding list that I also
use ;-) -- I have NO financial interest, other than money spent, in
success or failure of products mentioned below.

I use 2 PANASONIC digital voice recorders, and highly recommend them
for ease of use, low price [relatively], and relative reliability.
They are models RR-QR100 and RR-QR-240. KEEP THEM DRY, and make sure
batteries don't leak, and they should work for minimum of 5 years.
You can still get model RR-QR240 via this link:

http://www.bestpriceaudiovideo.com -- type in "RR-QR240" in upper
right search box and it will come up [description of features can be
found via a Google search].

If you can get it, the "largest" PANASONIC XR-320 might serve needs,
but is has the same limitations mentioned in online reviews I have
read. It WAS top of the line, formerly retailing around $330 US
dollars, but now out of production. I have NO experience with it.

I have successfully used for more than 5 years, and continue to use,
2 of the cheaper models to entice birds in for photos as well as in
work while surveying for particular species for projects or
government agencies. The cheaper ones I bought at Staples in Santa
Barbara California, but I'm sure if anyone has them in stock, they
could be bought anywhere -- retailed then from 50-100 US dollars.

Limited by "either-or" playing the entire song to get to a part by
going back to start of each song, they allow dividing files, so you
CAN isolate onto its own "track" a song bout from within a larger
file [which might have lots of gaps or other clutter noises between
songs]; first load the longer file onto the player via its mic slot
[takes standard 1/8-inch [3.5 mm] mic jack (say from Peterson or
other CD)], then during playback you can divide, and even move
between folders [follow instructions in book]...

The ONE feature I really like about these models is that ALL movement
from file to file within a folder AND play back is done with a wheel
controlled by one's thumb, which can spin through the files in the
folder faster than the stupid 4-pointed button used in "today's
models"... Rather than having to hunt and peck and push buttons while
holding other buttons, this allows you to keep focused on the birds
while playing back, and you can play the song, then rotate one click
back to play it again, repeating as necessary. AND, the internal mic
is pretty good for birds as far out as 20-30 feet [6-10 meters] in
case you want to use it for later ID of mystery birds. You can also
use an external microphone via standard 1/8-inch [3.5 mm] mic jack,
which allows for amplified recording of more distant creatures. After
obtaining such recordings, one can load them into computer via the
earphone jack.

Jim Greaves

I forgot to mention the built-in flat speaker: it is the BEST of
those on ANY of the small players I've use [I do tend to be cheap].
It can compete with amps and externals I've seen other people use
[aside from mega-blasters hunters or obsessive biologists might use]
-- The RR-QR240 does NOT need an amplifier IF the original recording
is done at as high a volume as possible -- even using the speakers on
a laptop and holding the RR-QR240 between them about a foot above --
keeping in mind you don't want the result to be so scratchy and out
of range by too high a volume -- EXPERIMENT, after all, we pretend to
be scientific at times with what we do :-)

Jim Greaves

Betsy and I had a nice combination of birds, flowers, and snow at Figueroa
Mountain this morning.  Birds included:

Vesper Sparrow (4), Fox Sparrow (3), Mountain Quail (3), Golden-crowned
Kinglets (4), many Red-breasted Nuthatches and singing Brown Creepers.



Guy Tingos

Santa Barbara, CA



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

I mentioned in a post last spring that I found nesting Black-crowned Night
Herons in Waller Park in Santa Maria in a willow tree in the front pond island.
Today I noticed two nests in the same tree and four Black-crowned Night Herons
standing in and around the twiggy nests. It looks like nest building is underway
again. I thought this was a little significant at the time since Lehman
describes few north county records, and today's sighting continues a possible
trend.

.....................................
Jamie M. Chavez
Santa Maria, CA USA

<")
  (   \
   / |``


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

Mary & I found an apparent intergrade FOX SPARROW at the Botanical Gardens (in
the flower field behind the admissions booth) at mid-morning today. This single
bird, hanging out with some Golden-crowneds, had a normal-size grey bill,
distinctive eye-rings, subtle white pencil eye brows, no wing bars but breast
markings similar to the markings of the subspecies schistacea. The
Hartmans...East Valley Road

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

In the San Jose creek area of Goleta, Allen's and Rufous Hummingbirds
have been much in evidence in the past week. For comparison pics see:

http://roger.chem.ucsb.edu/PhotoonSite/ImageG/Allen%27s-vs-RufousW.jpg

Roger Millikan

This young lady better not be around during the open season next fall.

This one thinks the patio and lawn chairs are for her. Mowgli, the cat
thinks she's just a bit too much.

Anyone else near the foothills have the wild gobblers in their area
this year?

http://www.dosgatos.com/birds/digi/032006turkey.htm

We visited Waller Park in Santa Maria last Saturday afternoon.  There were
enormous numbers of birds there, in spite of the cold and wind.  Although we
were not able to find any of the rarities recently reported there, we did find a
couple of slate-colored dark-eyed juncos on the grass field just southwest of
the "Y" in Goodwin Road. Many thanks to Joan Lentz for help in identifying the
bird from our photos.



Also, there was much Mallard breeding behavior in the front ponds, quite unlike
what is described in the Audubon field guide. It would be quite disturbing if
that was all you were expecting.



Ken and Kathy Pfeiffer

Santa Barbara


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

Today, March 21st around 6:00 am both White-throated Sparrows were on the
southside of Lompoc. The best place to see them is in the blackberry
bushes in the southeast corner of the Old LaPurisima Mission Park on the
Southside of Lompoc off  S. G  St.

They've been here but I wasn't, spent 2 weeks birding in Florida.


Paul Rosso
Lompoc
Cell: 805-588-4320

The Pine Warbler was seen by John Luther early this morning at Waller Park.  The
Grace's Warbler was seen off and on through noon.  Both birds were in Area 3.

Guy Tingos
Santa Barbara, CA

A no question male Hooded Oriole came to our Hummingbird Feeder at 1:15
pm today March 23rd.
We are on the southside of Lompoc.

BTW, if anyone wants to see the continuing White-throated Sparrows this
weekend give me a call we have a good viewing spot.


Paul Rosso
Lompoc
Cell: 805-588-4320

There was a Franklin's Gull with a very black head and very thick white
broken eye-ring on the beach just east of Campus Point, UCSB, at
lunchtime today.  I tried to make it into the Laughing Gull seen briefly
several weeks ago, but there was too much white in the wingtips.

Patrick McNulty
Santa Barbara

If you love children, and would receive pleasure from teaching them about
the birds around us, please feel free to join us on the following dates:



Saturday April 8, 9-11AM

Location: Lake Los Carneros, Goleta
First of three family birding walks sponsored by the City of Goleta.



Thursday and Friday, April 13 and 14, 9-11:30AM

Location: Lake Los Carneros

Walk around the lake with 40 first-graders (split into two groups) from
McKinley elementary school.



Tuesday and Wednesday, May 2 and 3, 12:30-2:15PM

Location:  Lake Los Carneros

Walk around the lake with 40 and 20 second-graders from Cleveland elementary
school.



Email or call me privately if you'd like to walk with us.



Gabriele Drozdowski

Eyes In The Sky

Santa Barbara Audubon Society

  <mailto:Eyes-in-the-sky@...> Eyes-in-the-sky@...

805-898-0347

  <http://www.rain.org/~audubon/sbaseducation.html>
http://www.rain.org/~audubon/sbaseducation.html





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

Dear folks,

I must have been right behind Patrick on my walk today--I was in the middle
of posting my sighting when his message came through.  I saw the same bird
about 12:30 p.m.  Unfortunately, two students playing on the beach
disturbed the gull (giving me an opportunity to observe the wing pattern in
flight and thus confirm my i.d. made when it was on the ground) and it was
heading for Goleta BEach when last seen.  A very handsome specimen.

Florence Sanchez


--On Thursday, March 23, 2006 1:18 PM -0800 Patrick McNulty
<mcnulty@...> wrote:

>
> There was a Franklin's Gull with a very black head and very thick white
> broken eye-ring on the beach just east of Campus Point, UCSB, at
> lunchtime today.  I tried to make it into the Laughing Gull seen briefly
> several weeks ago, but there was too much white in the wingtips.
>
> Patrick McNulty
> Santa Barbara
>
>
> For everything birding in Santa Barbara County: www.sbcobirding.com
> .
>
>
>
>
> SPONSORED LINKS
> Santa barbara county Hermit thrush Channel islands
> Alaska outdoors Birding binoculars Birding tour
>
>
>
> __________________________________________________
> YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS
>
>   *  Visit your group "sbcobirding" on the web.
>
>   *  To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
>  sbcobirding-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
>   *  Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.
>
>
>
> __________________________________________________