California bird list: 16 to 26 April ’08
Hello All (Birders)
herewith my Cali birds since arriving until yesterday. Birding has been done in a rather seriously unserious fashion, as you’ll see by the patchy list & low total, but there are some fun ones in there. Bold species name indicates that I’ve snapped a photo of the sp. and ‘ph?’ means I can’t remember if I did. Names are according to Sibley’s latest field guides to E and W North America. My Excel list formatting did not come through; info is a) number (my total) b) species name c) state abbreviation d) date 1st seen in state e) place 1st seen in state f) random notes.
I’d doubtless have a few tens more spp. if I’d actually managed to hook up w a local birder – so far it’s been just me in relax mode, my ropey New World knowledge and the increasingly frustrating Sibley guides (they appear at first glance to be super-complete, but actually leave a lot of vital info & drawings out).
Random record photos, mostly crap quality, will follow as soon as I’ve figured out how to optimise them for the blog.
- Red-throated Loon CA 22-Apr-08 Pacific Grove Intermediate plumage
- Pacific Loon CA 22-Apr-08 Pacific Grove
- Common Loon CA 19-Apr-08 Brighton Bch, Santa Cruz
- Eared Grebe CA 22-Apr-08 Pacific Grove
- Pied-billed Grebe ph? CA 17-Apr-08 Neary Lagoon, Santa Cruz
- Western Grebe CA 19-Apr-08 Brighton Bch, Santa Cruz ID: Extent of white on face, bill colour
- Clark’s Grebe CA 19-Apr-08 Brighton Bch, Santa Cruz ID: Extent of white on face, bill colour
- Brown Pelican CA 17-Apr-08 Pleasure Pt, Santa Cruz
- Brandt’s Cormorant CA 17-Apr-08 Pleasure Pt, Santa Cruz White filaments not shown Sibley
- Pelagic Cormorant CA 19-Apr-08 Santa Cruz NB: Red face while breeding!
- Great Egret ph? CA 16-Apr-08 San Francisco
- Green Heron ph? CA 17-Apr-08 Neary Lagoon Catching fish
- Canada Goose CA 22-Apr-08 Pacific Grove
- Mallard ph? CA 16-Apr-08 near San Francisco
- Surf Scoter CA 17-Apr-08 Santa Cruz
- Common Merganser CA 26-Apr-08 Andrew Molera St Pk
- Red-breasted Merganser CA 22-Apr-08 Pacific Grove
- Turkey Vulture CA 24-Apr-08 Big Sur area
- Cooper’s Hawk CA 20-Apr-08 Pogonip, Santa Cruz
- Red-shouldered Hawk CA 22-Apr-08 Asilomar
- Red-tailed Hawk ph? CA 26-Apr-08 Big Sur area Typical adult
- California Quail CA 26-Apr-08 Andrew Molera St Pk
- American Coot ph? CA 17-Apr-08 Santa Cruz
- Black-bell. Plover CA 19-Apr-08 Brighton Bch, Santa Cruz Juv & Adt Br
- Killdeer CA 23-Apr-08 Asilomar
- (American) Black Oystercatcher CA 22-Apr-08 Pacific Grove
- Spott. Sandpiper ph? CA 17-Apr-08 Pleasure Pt, Santa Cruz
- Whimbrel CA 21-Apr-08 Asilomar
- Marbled Godwit CA 21-Apr-08 Asilomar
- Black Turnstone CA 21-Apr-08 Asilomar
- Sanderling CA 19-Apr-08 Brighton Bch, Santa Cruz
- Least Sandpiper CA 26-Apr-08 Andrew Molera St Pk
- mystery Phalarope CA 20-Apr-08 Santa Cruz
- Western Gull CA 17-Apr-08 Santa Cruz
- Caspian Tern CA 22-Apr-08 Pacific Grove
- Pigeon Guillemot CA 20-Apr-08 Santa Cruz
- Feral Pigeon CA 16-Apr-08 San Francisco
- Mourning Dove CA 17-Apr-08 Santa Cruz
- White-throated Swift CA 20-Apr-08 Pogonip, Santa Cruz
- Anna’s Hummingbird CA 17-Apr-08 Neary Lag., Santa Cruz
- Allen’s Hummingbird CA 26-Apr-08 Andrew Molera St Pk Orange-rumped adt male
- Acorn Woodpecker CA 17-Apr-08 Santa Cruz
- Hairy Woodpecker CA 22-Apr-08 Asilomar
- Pacific-slope Flycatcher CA 26-Apr-08 Andrew Molera St Pk
- Black Phoebe CA 17-Apr-08 Santa Cruz
- Steller’s Jay CA 18-Apr-08 Soquel
- West. Scrub-Jay ph? CA 17-Apr-08 Santa Cruz
- American Crow CA 16-Apr-08 San Francisco
- Tree Swallow CA 21-Apr-08 Pacific Grove
- Violet-green Swallow CA 22-Apr-08 Pacific Grove
- N. Rough-w. Swallow CA 22-Apr-08 Pacific Grove
- Barn Swallow CA 17-Apr-08 Santa Cruz
- Cliff Swallow CA 17-Apr-08 Neary Lag., Santa Cruz
- Purple Martin CA 21-Apr-08 Asilomar
- Oak Titmouse CA 17-Apr-08 Santa Cruz
- Chestnut-backed Chickadee CA 17-Apr-08 Santa Cruz CA central-coast form
- Bushtit CA 17-Apr-08 Santa Cruz
- Marsh Wren CA 17-Apr-08 Neary Lag., Santa Cruz
- Bewick’s Wren CA 20-Apr-08 Pogonip, Santa Cruz
- House Wren CA 24-Apr-08 Esalen
- American Robin CA 17-Apr-08 Santa Cruz w nesting material
- N. Mockingbird CA 17-Apr-08 Neary Lag., Santa Cruz
- Cedar Waxwing CA 17-Apr-08 Santa Cruz
- European Starling CA 16-Apr-08 San Francisco
- Black-Throated Gray Warbler CA 17-Apr-08 Neary Lagoon, Santa Cruz
- Wilson’s Warbler CA 20-Apr-08 Pogonip, Santa Cruz
- Black-hd. Grosbeak CA 18-Apr-08 Soquel
- California Towhee CA 17-Apr-08 Santa Cruz
- Spotted Towhee CA 17-Apr-08 Santa Cruz
- Song Sparrow CA 17-Apr-08 Santa Cruz CA coastal form
- Dark-eyed Junco CA 18-Apr-08 Soquel Oregon form
- White-crowned Sparrow CA 17-Apr-08 Santa Cruz
- Golden-crowned Sparrow CA 17-Apr-08 Santa Cruz
- Red-wing Blackbird CA 18-Apr-08 Soquel bicoloured form
- Brewer’s Blackbird CA 17-Apr-08 Santa Cruz
- House Finch CA 16-Apr-08 San Jose yellow form also seen later
- Purple Finch CA 26-Apr-08 Andrew Molera St Pk
- Lsr. Goldfinch CA 18-Apr-08 Soquel
- House Sparrow CA 17-Apr-08 Santa Cruz much bigger than S African birds
Cheers!
Adam
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