583 - Lesser Black-backed Gull

Over the course of the last three winters I have gone looking for Lesser Black-backed Gulls (LBBG) around the Bay Area on a number of occasions. Until recently these birds were a true North American rarity, however now it is common for several of them to appear each winter amongst the large gull flocks on the bays and shorelines of Northern California. Their North American winter range is primarily east of the Mississippi River with almost all of this species abandoning North America entirely for the breading season.

Typically I watch the daily ebird rarity report for sightings of this species and then head out and sift through the thousands of gulls in the flock where they are found. Two days ago a report appeared of a LBBG in a restored tidal marsh on the northern edge of San Pablo Bay. Thanks to the sharp eyes of Gene Hunn and his timely report, I felt I had a chance of finally seeing this elusive gull. The location of this sighting is interesting for another reason. Slowly but surely, tidal marshlands in the Northbay are being restored after having been diked and drained over 100 years ago. The area in the image below that is circled in red is an example of this restoration and is where the LBBG was to be found. Looking at the image you can see that the area just to the east of the circled area is "reclaimed" land and is still being farmed probably for hay. A good comparison of a more natural state vs. one of human engineering. As sea levels rise these tidal marsh areas will become more and more important in mitigating that problem. The restoration of these once "reclaimed" marshlands is also extraordinarily important to the long-term survival of the bird species that depend on them during migration.

It was only about a 30 minute drive from my house to get to Reclamation Rd. and the parking lot for the Sonoma Baylands Trail. The tide was falling when I arrived and much of the marsh was showing exposed mud with channels of draining water. It was only about a 1/4 mile walk along the western levee before I spotted a likely candidate out along one of the channels. After carefully scoping a larger dark-backed gull working on a fish carcass there was little doubt that I had found my quarry. With the heat haze and the distance my pictures were poor at best but several field marks confirmed the sighting. Yellowish legs, size, a much darker back than other gulls, smudgy head and neck collar, and the orangish spot on the bill. All of this told me that this was a Lesser Black-backed Gull, bird number 583 on my North American Life List. Now that I have been able to list one I'm sure that I will get some closer looks in the future and I will look forward to that. My experience with this bird ended on a somewhat exciting note as well. As I was breaking down my scope and getting ready for the walk back to the truck there was a commotion out on the mudflat. A juvenile Bald Eagle had swooped down on the gull and stole the fish carcass from it! It was a brief encounter and the Eagle was soon flying away with his prize leaving what I can only describe as a somewhat bemused gull. Thanks to one of the deans of north bay birding, Gene Hunn for finding this bird.

The better of many poor images

Owling in Early January

In Early January I got a hot tip from watching the ebird reports of a Saw-Whet Owl near Sacramento.  There is a levee road just southwest of Sacramento called Babel Slough Rd. that is apparently a good place to find owls. A Sacramento area birder had been out on this road and had a pretty cool encounter with a Saw-Whet and Jeff and I thought we might give it a try the following night. (Here is the ebird report of that birder's sighting with pictures).

We met up at the Park-n-Ride in Cordellia and made our way to Babel Slough Rd. It was a really cool night out with some cloud and a pretty bright moon and it made for a very pleasant stroll along the road as we listened for the Saw-Whet call. Unfortunately, we listened in vain giving credence to the idea that the bird seen the previous evening was on the move and no longer around. We had plenty of hooting Great Horned Owls and screeching Barn Owls and saw several of both. All in all a great way to usher in the new year.

First Rarity of the Fall Season

Local San Francisco birder Dominick Mosur got quite the surprise last week when he was birding a local patch near Stern Grove called Pine Lake. A bird never before seen in California popped up and said hello. The Slate-throated Redstart is a small warbler of Central and South America and only occasionally makes an appearance in the US, usually in southeast Arizona. This of course has caused a firestorm of interest in the birding world with people coming from all over the country to see it.

Here is an article from the SF Chronicle about the sighting.

I noticed the postings about this bird last week and thinking that it wouldn't stick around did not chase it. However, after several days of sightings I felt I had to give it a try so foregoing my usual Sunday morning bike ride I headed for southwest San Francisco.

I arrived at 7:45 and happened to run into Dominick as he was leaving. He was kind enough to give us directions to the spot where a few minutes later I joined a group of about 20 birders surrounding a willow thicket at the southeast end of Pine Lake. Over the course of my two hours at the spot I had two brief but good looks at the bird. Some of the other birders with large camera rigs were able to get good photos but I was not.

An excellent start to the fall season. Makes you wonder what else is out there!

Slate-throated Redstart (from Bird of the World)

Forest Bathing and a Pair of Flammulated Owls

Cherry Lake

Last week I was supposed to be backpacking in Yosemite but a minor foot injury prevented my participation. I did however, help out with the transportation for the crew going to the mountains so I found myself with an opportunity to explore the region between Yosemite National Park and the Sonora area along Hwy 108. After dropping the intrepid hikers off in Tuolumne Meadows I continued west on Hwy 120 until just after leaving the park took the Evergreen Rd. to Camp Mather just below Hetch Hetchy. From here a road runs west to intersect with Cherry Lake Rd and my access to the Cherry Lake area. The main reason for camping in this area was a place called Jawbone Pass, an intersection of forest roads where over the years there have been reports of Flammulated Owls. 

Flammulated Owl (from All About Birds)

These small owls are highly nocturnal, staying in cavities or high in the trees deep in the foliage during the day and foraging in the woods at night. Thus, they are extremely difficult to see but not so difficult to hear. My plan was to camp at the pass and listen for them in the night and maybe if they were close enough, actually see one.

Jawbone Pass

It was late in the evening when I arrived at the pass, I got something to eat and did a bit of a walk-around spotting Golden-crowned Kinglets, Juncos, Hairy Woodpecker, and a stunningly bright Western Tanager. Then I set up my chair in the middle of the clearing, draped a mosquito net over me and listened for about an hour as it got dark. It was really quite something just sitting there taking in all the sounds of the forest around me. I heard many interesting things but no owls. But the night is long and I would awaken several times in the night (oh the joys of growing older) and be able to listen for them again. Sure enough, at about 2 am. I began to hear a distant pair of Flams calling back and forth. They were not anywhere close to me and may have been as far away as 1/4 mile. They are known to be very good ventriloquists and can project their sound over a fair distance thus making them even more difficult to find. So I was content with just hearing them and I could add a new species to my list and hope that some day in the future I will actually be able to see one.

Butterbredt, Owens Valley and Sierra Valley - A Migration Bonanza

Upper Butterbredt Canyon

During the second week of May I made my annual pilgrimage to the Mojave Desert. I was fortunate to be joined this year by my good friend Michael Morris who came down from Eureka for the trip. Although we ended up doing a lot of driving we did have an amazing trip seeing 164 species over our 4 days.

        See our complete bird list                                                See our photos from this trip

After leaving Napa we headed straight for Kern County and the Kern National Wildlife Refuge where we started our trip list, a list that would grow to 94 species by the end of the day. After a few hours of birding the tour route at the refuge and picking up what we would normally expect to see there, we headed east through Bakersfield and on into the Kern River canyon. Our plan was to travel along the river up the canyon to Lake Isabella then in Weldon take Kelso Valley Rd. and then Butterbredt Canyon Rd. over the pass and down to Butterbredt Spring. As we drove over Butterbredt Pass and then down to the spring we added a lot of species that were using the migration corridor of Butterbredt Canyon. We camped at the spring that night and woke up to wave after wave of migrants coming up the canyon. In all my years of coming to Butterbredt, this was by far the most impressive bird display I have ever seen here. While we didn't see any rarities, it was the sheer number of migrants that was notable. Warblers in the spring and down the canyon and other passerines in the grove of Trees of Heaven just to the north of the spring. Nature is amazing!

After an incredible morning at Butterbredt we began our journey up the Owens Valley. As we made our way north we checked out Sage Flat, the Owens River and then headed east on Hwy. 168 to climb our way up into the White Mountains. We were able to go all the way up to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest visitor's center at Schulman Grove although it was not yet open for the season. We added a few high mountain birds to our list here and then retreated back down to 9,000 ft. and the Grandview campground for the night.

Sierra Crest from the White Mtns.

The next day saw us returning to the Owens Valley where we made several more stops in the morning before turning back towards the White Mountains to drive into Silver Canyon. This four-wheel drive road climbs all the way up to the plateau at the top but it is very steep and rough in places. We only went a little ways up this canyon, far enough to add a few more species to our list, namely Chuckars which gave us great looks along the road.

From here we continued north to Benton Hot Springs and then using Benton Crossing Road and Owens River Rd. made our way back to Hwy. 395 so we could drive the June Lakes Loop. By late afternoon we found ourselves at Mono Lake County Park which is usually pretty birdy. However, we found that as we had moved north the numbers of migrant species we were seeing really began to decline. It was clear that the waves of migrants we were seeing down in the Mojave had not gotten this far north. We did however add a number of resident species to our list as we moved north. 

Our plan that night was to camp at a Forest Service campground just in Nevada along Desert Creek. However, the combination of a navigation error and a very rough road forced us to change our plan and that night we ended up camping along the West Walker River on Hwy 108. We continued to add birds to our trip list the next morning around the campground and then at the Two Rivers Preserve just down the road. From here we decided to finish our trip by driving north through Reno and then visit Sierra Valley before crossing back over the Sierra at Yuba Pass. 

Michael along the West Walker River.

On our way north we detoured just outside the town of Walker and drove a forest road up to the headwaters of Mill Creek. This took us up a beautiful little valley that was dotted with Beaver ponds. I'd not been up this road before and it was well worth the trip. We found our Clark's Nutcracker and White-headed Woodpecker along this route.

Later that day we arrived in Sierra Valley. This large and wet valley sits just on the east side of the Sierra crest and has always impressed me as yet another example of the diversity of the natural wonders California offers us. Here we picked up our last two birds of the trip, Sandhill Cranes and a Willet. Then it was over the pass and down to Downieville for a dinner stop and on back to Napa.

I had a great time traveling and birding with Michael again, although next time I think I will try and cut down on the number of miles we drive in the pursuit of our feathered friends.

An Eclipse, Some National Parks, and a Few New Birds on the Side

I have never had the experience of witnessing a total eclipse of the sun but I have encountered a number of people over the years that have had that chance. To a person they have all told me that such an event can be a life changing experience. So when our friends Roger and Loreen Ruegg suggested heading out to Texas for this spring's eclipse, we jumped at the chance. Danette and I also took advantage of this opportunity to add four more national parks to our list of those we have visited together and along the way I even managed to add four more life birds to my North American list. It was a long drive but totally worth it!

After stopping in Bakersfield to see Danette's mom we headed out into the desert for our first National Park along our route - Joshua Tree. After our drive we stopped at Big Morongo Preserve where we hiked a ways down the canyon that connects the Mojave Desert above with the Colorado Desert below. A thoroughly enjoyable hike that turned up some early spring birds and helped to get our legs warmed up for more hikes along the way. We then headed into the park and drove the loop that connects the west entrance to the north entrance taking a side trip to Keys Viewpoint. While I had visited Joshua Tree many times, this was Danette's first visit. She thought it spectacular and commented that although the Joshua Tree's were very cool, it was the geology that really defined the park. We were up early the next morning to drive through the park from north to south and enjoy the sunrise on the way. Then it was on to I-10 and a long drive to our next overnight stop, Portal, Az. and the Chiricahua Mountains.

The Chiricahuas are one of my favorite places on the planet and I've always wanted Danette to see them. We arranged it so we could stay in Portal and then have the following morning to hike along the South Fork of Cave Creek. The creek was running pretty high and it kept us from being able to go very far up the canyon but the morning was beautiful and the walk very enjoyable. Once again early spring birds were present but the more spectacular birds of the area had not yet arrived for the season. We briefly connected with Roger and Loreen here, they hiked in the canyon in the evening and then were off very early the next morning for the long drive to Austin. It would take us two more days to get there. Springtime is a good time to be driving in this part of the world, we found west Texas to be pretty green and we really appreciated all the flowers along the edges of the roads we were driving.

Our time in Austin was mostly focused on the eclipse but we did have a chance to walk around and take in a pretty cool city. I slipped away early on one of our mornings there to Balcones National Wildlife Refuge and managed to add the Golden-cheeked Warbler to my list. Then on my way back into town found the large group of Monk Parakeets that were nesting on the power polls downtown.

With the Rueggs in Austin

Our last day in Austin was all about the eclipse. We headed out early to meet Roger and Loreen about an hour west of town where they were camped. It was cloudy the entire morning and we were really concerned that we may not get to see the spectacle. However, as the event began the clouds worked a bit in our favor to act as an atmospheric filter. Then as it neared totality the clouds seemed to vanish. The period of totality was surreal. We all looked at one another with pure wonder on our faces. I'm so glad we were able to experience this specticle, well worth the journey to Texas.

Big Bend National Park

We left Austin early the next morning and headed for Big Bend National Park. We spent the afternoon driving through the park on the recommended auto tour route and were very impressed by both the mountains and the Rio Grande Valley below and south of them. I will have to return some day in the future with the bird nerds so we can get the Colima Warbler whose only nesting location in the U.S. is high up in the mountain region of the park.

We spent the next morning at Davis Mountains State Park near Alpine, TX. Danette did a short hike while I staked out the bird feeder station as I had been told that this was the easiest place to see Montezuma Quail in the entire universe. They of course knew I was coming and so stayed away but I did get nice looks at another new bird, the Black-crested Titmouse.

Black-crested Titmouse

Our final two new national parks came on the following day. Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe Mountains National Parks. We met up with Roger and Loreen for our tour of the caves and they were, in a word, spectacular. Witnessing the flyout of the Cave Swallows gave me my final new bird of the trip. These caves were a true highlight of our trip. Thankfully, Danette's pictures came out really well so we have some good memories of our time underground. After a nice picnic at the Bird Springs unit of the park we headed south for an afternoon hike in Guadalupe Mtns. 

Carlsbad Caverns National Park

We then took a scenic route through the center of New Mexico and on into Arizona driving through Petrified Forest National Park which we had visited previously before hitting the interstate for our return to California. We stopped for a night at a fun little inn in Williams called "The Red Garter", drove to Bakersfield the next day and then home to Napa.

We really had a fun time on this trip. Thanks to our friends Roger and Loreen for the idea and having us along. If you ever get the chance to see a full eclipse, do it!

Link to our photos from this journey.

Rolling the Dice in Las Vegas and an Ovenbird in Sacramento

I've only visited Las Vegas on two occasions, the first on our way to and from Zion National Park where we only saw it from the freeway passing through and the second, last weekend on a bird chase. I would imagine that once-upon-time when it was just an oasis in the desert it was a charming place, but today it has grown into quite a large sprawling metropolis taking 20+ minutes to drive across on the freeway at 70 mph. What usually attracts people to Las Vegas is the Strip and all that goes with it. For me I find that the least attractive part. However, like all places in the desert where there is also water it can be a good place for birds and the ones I came for were the Rufous-backed Robin, Yellow-footed Gull, and the Lesser Black-backed Gull. Danette accompanied me to Bakersfield, so often my jumping off point for trips into the desert, where she would visit her mom while I went on to LV. Starting out early from Bakersfield it was just over a 4 hour drive to get to 'Sin City' so I was in place for the birds by 9 am.

View to the west from Corn Creek

Just to the northwest of Las Vegas is one of the largest national wildlife refuges in the lower 48, Desert NWR. Just off of highway 95 you can find the refuge headquarters at the Corn Creek Field Station. The field station is located along Corn Creek and it's well developed trails and paths make it an excellent location for attracting birds. For several years I have checked the e-bird hotspot page for this location and there are always good birds showing up here. Among them is the Rufous-backed Robin. This robin, common in the western part of Mexico is a rare visitor to the American Southwest. Reports were consistent as to its presence so I was reasonbly confident of getting this bird. Because it was a Saturday there were a number of other birders present and they were helpful in pointing out the places where it was frequently seen. After walking the paths and trails for about 20 minutes the Robin made his appearance in an orchard of pomegranate trees and I was able to get good looks and take some photos. Had I not been after the gulls I would have taken more time here as it really was a cool place.

Rufous-backed Robin

Rufous-backed Robin

The gulls I was after had been reported with some frequency this winter on a branch of Lake Mead that lies within easy reach of LV. Most of sightings had occurred early in the day but I wanted to increase my chances and maybe get lucky so I went after them Saturday afternoon figuring that if I missed them then I would have a better chance Sunday morning. The ebird hotspot is at the 33 Hole Overlook and to get down to the water and close enough for good viewing conditions it's about a 1.5 mile walk down a draw and a bit of a bushwack at the end. When I got down to the water the gull raft was well out and too far away for IDing these birds but I was able to get into what I thought would be the best position for seeing them the following morning. This spot overlooked the point at which the water, flowing down the drainage was just entering the lake. It was full of waterfowl and very shallow at that point making it a great location for wading birds and gulls alike to roost. Returning back up the draw I had a few interesting birds such as Abert's Towhee and Rock Wren then made my way back to the city to turn in early.

Sunrise over Lake Mead

Up well before dawn the next morning, getting coffee at Starbucks, Las Vegas seemingly just as busy at that hour as any other. I parked at the 33 Hole Overlook at 6:30 and made my way down to my observation point from the previous afternoon. I was somewhat dismayed to discover only 4 gulls mixed in with the large flock of waterfowl and thought myself wise to have brought a chair with me as it was looking like I would have a long morning of waiting. Soon however, gulls began flying in in small groups and by 7:10 I had a nice sized flock to pick through. Pretty quickly I thought that I had found the Lesser Black-backed Gull so I photographed it and concentrated on finding the Yellow-footed Gull. Later, in looking at my pictures it became pretty clear that what I thought was the Lesser Black-backed was not this bird. I really didn't know what it was so I sent the images off to John Sterling and he sent them on to Todd Easterla (both experts at Gull ids) and Todd concluded that it was just "a screwed up California Gull". I found a number of gulls that I thought might be the Yellow-footed but were not quite right and then there he was, obvious. Clean white head, yellow legs, darker back, and a yellow iris. I thought he was quite striking.  This gull is a resident of The Gulf of California and only rarely can be seen within the lower 48. Most often in the Imperial Valley and Salton Sea of extreme Southern California. This chase was good practice for iding gulls. One thing I learned about identifying both of these species was how important the eye color is. This, of course, makes field identification challenging as you need to be close enough to be able to see the details of the eye. Well I figured that that was a good morning, two new birds by 7:30 (only one actually as the photos would later show) and that was enough of Las Vegas for me. I got on the road and headed for Bakersfield. Since I had a little time on my hands I did take a scenic detour through Mojave National Monument driving a route that left I-15 just after the state line and going to Kelso and then on to Baker and back on I-15.  This loop takes you through a large swath of the Joshua Tree forest that is found in this part of the monument. Even though it was quite early in the year for good birding here, I did have many Cactus Wrens, a Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Brewer's Sparrows, and a nice Black-throated Sparrow.

Yellow-footed Gull

Yellow-footed Gull

While it's true that I missed the Lesser Black-backed Gull I would say that my Las Vegas trip was a success. Two new life birds, a couple of very cool birding spots, and of course a chance to be in the desert all combined to make it worth the effort. 

Mojave National Monument

Ovenbird in Sacramento

Just prior to leaving for Las Vegas, reports of an Ovenbird in the Sacramento drew my attention and I hoped it would stay around long enough for me to see it upon my return. In fact, this bird seems to be settled in for the winter but it hasn't been the most cooperative bird for seeing. It seems to have chosen  William Land Park and the WPA Rock Garden there as it's winter residence. Almost all of the reports are from the dense cover along the northeastern edge of the rock garden. Ovenbirds are skulky and secretive by nature and this bird is no exception. Many people have waited long hours for just the briefest look at this fellow. I was fortunate in that I only had to wait about a half hour for my look.  And yes, it was a brief one, long enough for a positive ID but not long enough to try and get a photo. I spent another hour trying for a better look but he never reappeared. Perhaps I will have more time with this species in April when we go to Texas for the eclipse.  That's 577 and counting now. Maybe #600 this year is possible!

Two Rare Gulls in Santa Cruz County

For most of my adult life I have used the National Geographic Field Guide of North American Birds as my primary field Guide. It's fine artwork, well written descriptions, excellent range maps and overall easy to use organizational structure make this guide the gold standard for me. I mention this because when I went to Aptos to search for the two rare gulls seen at the mouth of Aptos Creek, I had the pleasure of meeting Jon Dunn the author of the National Geographic Guide.

I had just arrived at the creek mouth and was perched up on a mound of sand created by the late December storms when I heard a voice behind me ask, "Is this the place for the Gulls? After giving a positive response I came down off my mound and he stuck out his hand and said, "Hi, I'm Jon Dunn." After introducing myself I asked, "You mean the Jon Dunn, author of the National Geographic Guide?" After answering we had a conversation about how much I enjoyed and used his book these last 35 years and we began to look through the small flock of gulls at the mouth of the creek. I had only just gotten there and hadn't really looked through them yet and I told Jon I was not a very good gull person. He immediately picked out the Laughing Gull and gave me a couple of key field marks and we enjoyed good looks but after a few more minutes of careful scanning we couldn't turn up the bird I had come for - the Black-headed Gull.

Since ebird reports had the bird moving between Hidden Beach to the east and the Aptos Creek mouth I told Jon that I would walk the beach in between to search for it. We exchanged phone numbers so I could text him if I found the bird and I shouldered my scope and started walking.

After a 5 mile walk examining all the gulls, picking up a nice blister, and getting a bit peeved at the dog owners who let their dogs chase off the birds, I returned to the creek mouth hoping that the BHGU would show up. Sure enough it wasn't but a few moments and there it was. I sent off a text message to Jon so he could come back to see it and got comfortable in my chair to watch and take pictures. After about 45 minutes the gull began to move east down the beach stopping at intervals to join the Sanderlings in the surf. I kept it in view for as long as I could until, once again the dogs intervened and it flew down the beach and out of sight. Not five minutes later Jon arrived. This happens so often in birding! He and his companions decided to move down to a further parking lot to try and catch the gull there. He later sent me a text letting me know that they found the Black-headed Gull and he could add it to his Santa Cruz County list. So a successful day for all!

I really enjoyed meeting Jon, he is one of the friendliest birders I have encountered out there in the field. He is also generous in his knowledge and happy to share it in a way that doesn't display the least hint of condescension. I hope to bump into him again some day and this time to have my field guide with me so he can sign it!

 

Laughing Gull

Laughing Gull

Black-headed Gull

Black-headed Gull

View more images of these gulls at this link