Two New Additions and a Productive Fall

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all! As the year is coming to a close I have two new additions to my list to report. I think that the best part of retirement so far is the ability drop what I am doing when a rare bird shows up and take off to try and see it. That happened twice this month, both times within the city limits of Richmond. First, a small group of Nelson's Sparrows was found along the Bay shoreline at a place called Meeker Slough. I had not been to this part of Richmond before and it was really quite nice. A multi-use trail runs through the area and on down the Eastbay shoreline and the neighborhood was very attractive with lots of people out and about using the trail. Previous observations had provided a general idea of the location and after about 30 minutes of canvassing the area I found a pair of them working through the vegetation along the shoreline. A small sparrow of the Central Plains with some orange coloration in the face, they mostly winter on the Gulf Coast, however there is a small population that winters in the Bay Area. I guess it's not just people who come to California in the winter for the weather.

Nelson's Sparrow

A few days later came word of another lost wanderer, a Slaty-backed Gull. This gull is primarily an Asian species that makes regular appearances in Western Alaska. This one just chose the wrong Pacific Coast to follow in it's wanderings. I definitely owe this sighting to first, the birder who found it and second to the group of birders who had picked it out of the group of thousands of other gulls on the water just off the Bay Trail as it goes around the landfill/transfer station in northwest Richmond. To get to the spot where these gulls were you had to park near the transfer station office and then walk the Bay Trail around the landfill for a little over a mile. As I came around the corner and saw the thousands of gulls on the water I thought to myself that I was never going to find this one bird. But then on the other side of the inlet I saw a group of 6 birders and they looked like they were focusing on one area. When I reached them they were very helpful in showing me the bird and then we all took some time checking it's field marks and getting pictures. They then left for the walk back leaving me to get a few more pictures and in that time two other birders arrived and I was able to pass along the favor of pointing out the bird. One thing that I so much enjoy about birders and the birding community is the willingness to help one another that pervades any chase or chance meeting in the field. Rarely have I encountered individuals whose egos, competitiveness, or condescension have spoiled the atmosphere of the enjoyment of these magnificent creatures.

Somewhere in this flock is one Slaty-backed Gull

Slaty-backed Gull

With just over a week to go the possibility remains that I may yet add another species before the year is out. This is after all, the season of Christmas bird counts and they often turn up rarities. However, we are due to be hit with an atmospheric river this coming week which will probably dampen any efforts to get out and bird, but you never know. All told, this fall I added 8 species to my life list for a total of 551. They were Baird's Sandpiper, Northern Waterthrush, Long-tailed Jaeger, Eurasian Skylark, Willow Warbler, White Wagtail, Nelson's Sparrow, and Slaty-backed Gull. My best season for new birds in many years. I highly recommend retirement!

Happy Holidays to you and yours!