California (birding) trip: part 4 of 4, Moss Landing + Monterey area

We set off from Yosemite National Park in the morning. The last birds there were Steller's Jays, Brewer's Blackbirds and a lone Brown-Headed Cowbird. It was a long journey through agricultural fields. The drive was quite good for raptors with Swainson's Hawk, Red-Tailed Hawk, Bald Eagle, Turkey Vulture, White-Tailed Kite, American Kestrel and Northern Harrier all being seen from the car window (these were spread across 4-5 hours). There was one new bird for the trip seen on the car journey, a Tree Swallow. We arrived at the Monterey Dunes, Moss Landing early evening. We went for a walk into Moss Landing where we saw a Common Tern and a flock of Pintail. 

Pintail

On the 28th I got up early and walked to the beach (about 30m away from the accommodation). I was greeted by masses of Sanderling, Willet and Marbled Godwit, scattered in amongst them were Long-Billed Curlews and Western Sandpipers. Les then joined me and a spot of seawatching produced two Great-Northern Divers (Common Loons) and a handful of Surf Scoter. We then set off to spend the day in Monterey. On the way there I spotted a Pied-Billed Grebe in a ditch by the road. Once at Monterey we started at the aquarium. It was amazing to see all the fish (including Tuna) on display. We also went on a guided tour behind the scenes on what the aquarium was doing to help Sea Otters. The aquarium also had rescued birds including three Buffleheads and a variety of waders (these were either abandoned or rescued). From the aquarium we also saw a Spotted Sandpiper and a Black Oystercatcher on the rocks. Whilst eating lunch a Peregrine flew overhead, not what I had expected. After the aquarium we walked around Monterey itself. Amazingly from the town we watched a pod of Risso's Dolphins, as well as these we also found a Botta's Pocket Gopher by the road in it's burrow. That evening I did a little seawatching, much to my amazement there was a constant stream of Sooty Shearwaters as the sun was setting way out on the horizon. Then after about half an hour they had all disappeared.

Spotted Sandpiper

Mixed Waders

The 29th was the day of the first whale-watching boat. However before this I got up early again to see waders on the beach, I saw all of yesterdays as well as two Grey Plovers (Black-Bellied Plovers) (flew south) and a few Snowy Plovers on the beach. There was also, to my surprise, a Black-Necked Grebe (Eared Grebe) just beyond the surf. A Black Scoter then flew north. Not a bad start to the day! When we got to the jetty (in Moss Landing) we saw a Least Sandpiper and a couple of Black Turnstone. The boat arrived, captained by Kate, and we got into it (a six person rib so just enough to fit the 6 of us in). We set out, we saw lots of Steller's Sea Lions (even miles out in the open ocean) and also an Elephant Seal, which often favour deep water. We kept going out. Suddenly Adam shouted shark! He was right beneath the boat there were two Blue Sharks! We hadn't expected to see these. We started seeing Humpback blows in the distance, so we pushed on, going further out we started to see flocks of Red-Necked and Grey Phalaropes as well as a flock of small waders which were probably Sanderling. Once we got to the point where land was fading away behind us we seemed to enter a world of Sooty Shearwaters! There were thousands and thousands of them sat on the sea and flying past. In amongst them were quite a few Pink Footed Shearwaters and three Black-Vented Shearwaters (Black-Vented Shearwaters used to be a rare winter visitor, but over the last few years they have become more common). We then started to see quite a few Humpback Whales which were absolutely amazing, they even breached for us! Then something nobody expected happened. 10+ miles offshore a tiny Townsend's Warbler landed on the boat. It stayed with us for quite a while eating the Kelp Flies which were on the boat from the harbour. The bird then sat and posed for photographs whilst digesting it's food, it even landed on my mum's arm! Then, after having eaten a sufficient number of flies it took off and headed south over the ocean. This just shows the amazing ability of birds to travel huge distances across very dangerous waters. As well as the Townsend's Warbler there were quite a few Barn Swallows migrating over the ocean and even (unbelievably) the odd Dragonfly. The boat then went towards some more Humpbacks and a large whale-watching boat that had none other than fellow Filey birder and ringer Pete Dunn on it, doing a tour for nature trek. He then went on to take some pictures of us whilst everyone else was looking at the whales. The only two things that we hadn't seen were Blue Whales and Albatrosses, Kate took the boat out further and stayed out longer but our luck was out. However I can't complain the experience was amazing, and we still had half a day left! Coming back into the harbour we saw two Hudsonian Whimbrels overhead and a Western Grebe on the water. Mum and Adam then returned to the accommodation but Les, Shirley, dad and I went to Elkhorn Slough. This is a large wetlands area. Pete had recommended that we went to the dairy where the owner lets people park near his cattle enclosures. The smell was very strong but attracted to the cows were thousands of (Eurasian) Starling, Red-Winged Blackbirds (both normal and bicoloured) and a few Tricoloured Blackbirds. As well as these there were (Oregon) Dark-Eyed Juncos and American Red Squirrels. We walked towards the water. We straight away saw Killdeer and Semipalmated Plover as well as Forster's Tern overhead. There was also quite a good mix of wildfowl which were unfortunately in eclipse: two Cinnamon Teal, a few Green-Winged Teal, a Ruddy Duck, a Shoveler, a Blue-Winged Teal, hundreds of Mallards and a couple of flocks of Pintail flew south. Waders (as well as the plovers already mentioned) didn't disappoint: a Solitary Sandpiper, lots of Least Sandpipers, a Western Sandpiper and a Black-Necked Stilt were the best. As we walked between the pools there were also good numbers of passerines: Nashville Warbler was probably the highlight but there were also lots of House Finches, American Goldfinches and a Common Yellowthroat. Dad saw a bird that was later identified as a Marsh Wren but I missed it unfortunately. The last bird three birds of the day were three fantastic lifers with a Cliff Swallow, a Western Kingbird and a Clark's Grebe. This truly was one of the best birding days of my life!

Snowy Plover

Blue Shark

Townsend's Warbler

Humpback Whale

Townsend's Warbler

Pink-Footed Shearwater

Sooty Shearwater

Clark's Grebe

It was the 30th and we didn't really have any plans as such. We decided to just walk along the beach and see what was about locally. Down on the beach, with Long-Billed Curlews, was a Hudsonian Whimbrel. It was incredibly confiding! What I hadn't expected (with us being so close to the sea) was a party of California Quail. In the dunes there was also a House Wren. We walked along the beach and watched Bottlenose Dolphins and a Sea Otter just behind the breaking waves (thus showing how it gets deep very quickly). Whilst watching these an Arctic Skua flew south close in and an Osprey flew north (further out) Part of the afternoon I spent in the pool, but this didn't mean no birds. California Towhees, Bushtits, White-Crowned Sparrows and Anna's Hummingbirds were all in the vicinity of the pool. That evening we went on a guided canoe tour in Elkhorn Slough focussing on bio-luminescence in plankton. As we left the harbour to get into the slough curios Harbour Seals approached us and slapped the water. We got into the slough and talked about the plant life as it was getting dark. Even after it had got dark Elegant Terns were still flying in a large flock overhead, I could just make out there ghostly silhouettes. Once it was dark enough we were free to move our hands through the water. The bio-luminescence was phenomenal, it was like sparks were moving through the water like tiny fireworks around your hand. On return the odd Great Egret was alarmed by us and bolted away grunting in the darkness. Once back in the harbour a Black-Crowned Night Heron watched us clumsily get out of the boats. Back at the house we planned what exactly we were going to do the next day. We were originally going to drive down Big Sur but the fires there meant we couldn't. We contacted Pete to see if we could fit on the boat he was on and we could!

Hudsonian Whimbrel 

House Wren (in the fog)

It was the last full day and we were scheduled a boat trip. We greeted Pete, bought our tickets and got on. On leaving the harbour there was a Surfbird on the rock armour in amongst the Sea Lions. We told Pete about our experience with the Townsend's Warbler and he said it then came onto their boat! As we went out we got straight onto a pod of Risso's Dolphins. We then went through the Sooty Shearwaters also seeing some Pink-Footed but no Black-Vented. We again also saw both Phalaropes and lots of Guillemots (Common Murres) mainly fathers and chicks. Then on the horizon, whilst watching Humpbacks, I saw a huge bird. I couldn't believe my eyes I had found an Albatross, it was a magnificent Black-Footed Albatross, which for me was the best bird of the trip. It glided effortlessly across the hull of the boat. People started seeing some slightly larger blows on the horizon, we headed that way. They were enormous Blue Whales. Although they weren't as 'showy' as Humpbacks their sheer size was a sight to behold and, just to top things off, sat with them were four Black-Footed Albatrosses! On return we found a group of Humpbacks, they were lunge feeding. The sea was red with krill and the Gulls and Shearwaters were going mad for it. As we headed in from this already highly successful trip a Rhinoceros Auklet flew past the boat. After this we spent the afternoon in Carmel. Here we saw Red-Breasted Nuthatch and a flock of Yellow-Rumped Warblers as well as a colony of Brown Pelicans. Not a bad last day!

 

Black-Footed Albatross

Blue Whale 

Humpback Whale

Pink-Footed Shearwater 

We had to leave mid-morning. As I walked through the dunes for the last time I was hopeful, this paid off. A pair of Anna's Hummingbirds were sat in the tree but the very last bird of the entire trip was a Bewick's Wren. This ensured that I had had at least one lifer every single day!

Anna's Hummingbird

This truly was one of my best trips ever and I highly recommend it to anyone especially birders. It is a place I definitely would love to go to again in the future.

By the end of the holiday the mammal list was as follows- California Sea Lion, Harbour Seal, Harbour Porpoise, Rat, Grey Squirrel, California Ground Squirrel, Bush Tailed Woodrat, Yellow Pine Chipmunk, Douglas's Squirrel, River Otter, Elephant Seal, Thule Elk, White-Tailed Deer, American Red Squirrel, Mexican Free-Tailed Bat, Sea Otter, Little Brown Bat, California Myotis (Bat), Botta's Pocket Gopher, Risso's Dolphin, Humpback Whale, Bottlenose Dolphin and Blue Whale.

By the end of the holiday the bird list looked like this -  

 Feral Pigeon                              Great Blue Heron                             Pelagic Cormorant                        

House Sparrow                          Collared Dove                                  Black Turnstone

Raven                                        Starling                                             House Finch

Western Gull                             Willet                                                Snowy Egret

Brown Pelican                          Pigeon Guillemot                              Barn Swallow

Surf Scoter                                Caspian Tern                                     Marbled Godwit

Brewer's Blackbird                   Heerman's Gull                                 Elegant Tern

American Crow                        Black-Crowned Night-Heron             Long-Billed Curlew

Great Egret                               Purple Finch                                     Semipalmated Plover

Double-Crested Cormorant     Anna's Hummingbird                        Turkey Vulture

American Goldfinch                 Killdeer                                              Cooper's Hawk 

Canada Goose                         Red-Tailed Hawk                             White-Faced Ibis

Lesser Goldfinch                     California Gull                                   Brown-Headed Cowbird

Bald Eagle                              American Kestrel                               Acorn Woodpecker

Red-Shouldered Hawk           Vaux's Swift                                       Oak Titmouse

American Robin                     Wild Turkey                                        Pacific-Slope Flycatcher

Hairy Woodpecker                 Steller's Jay                                        Western Scrub-Jay

Belted Kingfisher                    California Towhee                              Western Wood-Pewee

Wilson's Warbler                    Olive-Sided Flycatcher                      Northern Flicker

Mourning Dove                      Northern Mockingbird                        Northern Rough-Winged Swallow 

Western Bluebird                   Red-Winged Blackbird                       American White Pelican 

Sharp-Shinned Hawk            Greater Yellowlegs                             American Avocet

Loggerhead Shrike                Black-Necked Stilt                             Western Sandpiper 

Dunlin                                    American Coot                                   Canvasback

Least Sandpiper                    Northern Harrier                                 White-Tailed Kite 

Bushtit                                   Yellow Warbler                                   Golden Eagle

Lesser Yellowlegs                  Short-Billed Dowitcher                      Baird's Sandpiper

California Quail                     Brown Creeper                                   Spotted Towhee 

Pacific Diver                          Western Grebe                                   Townsend's Warbler

Rock Wren                            Arctic Skua                                          Ring-Billed Gull

Swainson's Hawk                 Forster's Tern                                      Dark-Eyed Junco

White-Throated Swift            Yellow-Rumped Warbler                     Mountain Chickadee 

Western Tanager                   Red-Breasted Nuthatch                     Tree Swallow

Pintail                                   Common Tern                                     Great-Northern Diver

Pied-Billed Grebe                 Spotted Sandpiper                             Peregrine Falcon

Sooty Shearwater                Snowy Plover                                     Grey Plover 

Black Scoter                        Grey Phalarope                                  Black-Necked Grebe 

Red-Necked Phalarope       Black-Vented Shearwater                  (Hudsonian) Whimbrel

Pink-Footed Shearwater     Western Kingbird                                (Dark Eyed Junco - Oregon ssp.)

Tricoloured Blackbird           Clark's Grebe                                     Green-Winged Teal

Common Yellowthroat         Cliff Swallow                                       Solitary Sandpiper 

Shoveler                             Nashville Warbler                                Cinnamon Teal

Ruddy Duck                        Blue-Winged Teal                                Mallard

House Wren                        Black-Footed Albatross                      Surfbird

Rhinoceros Auklet              Bewick's Wren

California (birding) trip: Part 3, Yosemite, days 7-9

Day 7 (24th August)

The 24th was spent mainly travelling from Glen Ellen to Yosemite National Park. The journey took around 4 hours, however this wasn't all bad as we drove through some excellent habitats. As we were getting in the cars to leave the bungalow in Glen Ellen, Anna's Hummingbirds were zapping around the canopy of the trees, there were also some Northern Rough-Winged Swallows sat on the wire. We set off, the first habitat we went through were huge fields full of grasses and cattle. We also drove through the biggest windfarm in the world (just north of San Francisco), a sight to behold. In this area were lots of Turkey Vultures. When driving over the Sacramento river a Ring-Billed Gull flew by. Once driving back through the fields we picked up a group of Hawks. These were Swainson's Hawks on passage, a great lifer. Then just a few minutes later, whilst driving over a small river a Forster's Tern flew by, another lifer. We carried on driving and stopped at a small place called Copperopolis, where strangely the town square (by the highway) is quite away from the residential area. Here the only bird we saw was a Hummingbird species but we didn't manage to get a good look at it. The next stop off was just before Yosemite itself at the Stanislaus National Forest Vista (viewpoint): Rim of the World. Unfortunately this area had fallen victim to fire and many of the trees were burnt. We stopped here taking in the view for a few minutes, a Golden Eagle gracefully soared up effortlessly out of the valley on a thermal. We then carried on into Yosemite. Many Ravens flew overhead. Once in Yosemite it was still a half hour drive before we got to the house. We stopped off at an amazing viewpoint that overlooked Yosemite Valley and Half-Dome Mountain. We finally arrived at the house late afternoon so couldn't manage too much birding before dark. There were however lots of Steller's Jays.

Stanislaus National Forest Vista

View to Half-Dome

Day 8 (25th August)

On day 8 of the trip we set out to go for a long walk through Yosemite. We got to the very busy Yosemite Village where we saw two Dark-Eyed Juncos of the Slaty-Backed variety. We got onto the park and ride style bus system and headed for Happy Isles where the walk we wished to go on started. We set off on the Vernal Fall loop. The walk there was extremely hard work because although we were thousands of feet up it was still very hot. On the way towards the falls Les and I picked out some Swifts. On close inspection they had white scattered about them. These were White-Throated Swifts on the move. Over the course of the day we saw quite a few very high flying parties of them. Other than the occasional Raven and Steller's Jay the area was incredibly birdless although there were plenty of California Ground Squirrels. The views were spectacular though so there was nothing to complain about! Later that evening we all went on two guided walks, a bear walk and a bat walk. Unfortunately we didn't see any bears but we did hear loads of bats using detectors (the tour guide's and Les and Shirley's detectors).

Steller's Jay

Day 9 (26th August)

On the 26th we went to Glacier Points. On the way there we stopped off at the side of the road to look into a meadow in the hope of seeing birds but also Black Bears. There were no Bears but there were lots of birds. The flock mainly comprised of Yellow-Rumped Warblers of various ages. However in amongst them was a few Mountain Chickadees, (Slate-Coloured) Dark-Eyed Juncos, a Yellow Warbler and a Western Tanager. This was a fantastic little flock to stumble upon. We then went up to the Glacier Point viewpoint where a Red-Breasted Nuthatch and a White-Throated Swift flew over. The views were absolutely amazing and you could clearly see how the area had been carved out by Glaciers. We all decided to go and have lunch on a nearby trail which is less walked than most of the others. There was evidence of Black Bears all around us (footprints, scratches, broken into logs, etc) but we still didn't manage to find a Black Bear. We did however see a Brown Creeper and a Northern Flicker as well as an American Red Squirrel which dropped nuts onto the path around us, we also saw Yellow Pine Chipmunks. Yosemite is a grand place that I would highly recommend to anyone.

Yosemite Valley 

Mountain Chickadee

Yellow-Rumped Warbler

Meadow

On the 9th the mammal trip list looked like this - California Sea Lion, Harbour Seal, Harbour Porpoise, Rat, Grey Squirrel, California Ground Squirrel, Elephant Seal, Thule Elk, White-Tailed Deer, River Otter, Douglas's Ground Squirrel, Bush Tailed Woodrat, Yellow Pine Chipmunk

On the 9th day the trip (bird) list looked like this-

Feral Pigeon                              Great Blue Heron                              Pelagic Cormorant                        

House Sparrow                          Collared Dove                                  Black Turnstone

Raven                                        Starling                                             House Finch

Western Gull                             Willet                                                Snowy Egret

Brown Pelican                          Pigeon Guillemot                              Barn Swallow

Surf Scoter                                Caspian Tern                                     Marbled Godwit

Brewer's Blackbird                   Heerman's Gull                                 Elegant Tern

American Crow                        Black-Crowned Night-Heron             Long-Billed Curlew

Great Egret                               Purple Finch                                     Semipalmated Plover

Double-Crested Cormorant     Anna's Hummingbird                        Turkey Vulture

American Goldfinch                 Killdeer                                              Cooper's Hawk 

Canada Goose                         Red-Tailed Hawk                             White-Faced Ibis

Lesser Goldfinch                     California Gull                                   Brown-Headed Cowbird

Bald Eagle                              American Kestrel                               Acorn Woodpecker

Red-Shouldered Hawk           Vaux's Swift                                       Oak Titmouse

American Robin                     Wild Turkey                                        Pacific-Slope Flycatcher

Hairy Woodpecker                 Steller's Jay                                        Western Scrub-Jay

Belted Kingfisher                    California Towhee                              Western Wood-Pewee

Wilson's Warbler                    Olive-Sided Flycatcher                      Northern Flicker

Mourning Dove                      Northern Mockingbird                        Northern Rough-Winged Swallow 

Western Bluebird                   Red-Winged Blackbird                       American White Pelican 

Sharp-Shinned Hawk            Greater Yellowlegs                             American Avocet

Loggerhead Shrike                Black-Necked Stilt                             Western Sandpiper 

Dunlin                                    American Coot                                   Canvasback

Least Sandpiper                    Northern Harrier                                 White-Tailed Kite 

Bushtit                                   Yellow Warbler                                   Golden Eagle

Lesser Yellowlegs                  Short-Billed Dowitcher                      Baird's Sandpiper

California Quail                     Brown Creeper                                   Spotted Towhee 

Pacific Diver                          Western Grebe                                   Townsend's Warbler

Rock Wren                            Arctic Skua                                          Ring-Billed Gull

Swainson's Hawk                 Forster's Tern                                      Dark-Eyed Junco

White-Throated Swift            Yellow-Rumped Warbler                     Mountain Chickadee 

Western Tanager                   Red-Breasted Nuthatch                     

California (birding) trip: Part 2, days 4-6

Day 4 (21st August)

On our 4th day in California we drove to the next place we were staying which was a bungalow in a town called Glen Ellen in Sonoma County. On the drive there one of the first birds seen was an American Kestrel. Other highlights seen on the journey were Vaux's Swift, Bald Eagle, Cooper's Hawk, House Finch, Red-Shouldered Hawk and Acorn Woodpecker. Once in Glen Ellen we had some time to kill whilst waiting to check in to the bungalow (owned by the Jack London Lodge). We went to Glen Ellen's fantastic market store, whilst eating lunch outside the market we saw some more great birds; Oak Titmouse, American Robin, Steller's Jay and Chestnut-Backed Chickadee alongside Acorn Woodpeckers. The desk clerk took our bags and because we still had a while before the house was ready and she recommended that we went to Armstrong woods, a large forest complete with giant Redwood Trees. On the way there we saw some Wild Turkeys in a field. Armstrong woods were spectacular and any birds in the canopy would have been tiny specs due to the sheer height of the trees. The birds were often few and far between until we found water. This is because of the drought that is currently affecting California. Throughout the woods there were many family parties of Pacific-Slope Flycatchers and White-Tailed Deer. We then went on to see Hairy Woodpecker and plenty more Steller's Jay. Other mammals seen were Grey Squirrels, a Rat (and some road-killed Skunks).

Acorn Woodpecker

Day 5 (22nd August)

On the 22nd we awoke to the sound of Western Scrub Jays. These were a beautiful bird and very much like the Florida Scrub Jay which I have seen in the past. Dad and I then walked through the garden and down to the river (about 100m away). There were lots of birds around the area. The first (and loudest) was a pair of Belted Kingfishers. We stood still and the birds came out do drink and wash. There were 2 California Towhees, a few Pacific-Slope Flycatchers along with Chestnut-Backed Chickadees, Steller's Jays, a Song Sparrow, a Black Phoebe, a Wilson's Warbler, a Western Wood-Pewee, An Olive-Sided Flycatcher, A few Acorn Woodpeckers, a Northern Flicker, some high flying Turkey Vultures and American Crows and a pair of Mourning Doves. It was already turning out to be a highly productive day! Les and Shirley (family friends) were going to talk with a ranger about the management and regeneration of the San Pablo Bay Wildlife Refuge. My brother wasn't to keen on the idea as he is not as into birds as the rest of us, mum and dad decided to stay with him. I had a choice, I chose to go with Les and Shirley because it meant going to a bird-rich wetland whilst hearing about a very interesting project. On the way there we stopped at the Viansa Winery. This winery usually has a large wetland but, because of the drought a lot of it had dried up. There was still a small pool which didn't disappoint. On (and around) the pool itself were Canada Geese and Mallards. On the mud were some Killdeer and a Greater Yellowlegs. There were also plenty of Red-Winged Blackbirds (bicolour form) in the general area, there were also some California Ground-Squirrel. Then, in amongst a flock of House Finches we saw a Western Bluebird. We then looked up only to see a very large flock of American White Pelicans moving south, they found a thermal and rose in height until they drifted away into disappearance. Then some Vaux's Swifts and a Sharp-Shinned Hawk flew through. Once in San Pablo bay we drove towards the visitor centre. On the way there in the scrub was a Loggerhead Shrike. We noticed lots of Brewer's Blackbirds in the fields. In amongst them we picked out a Killdeer, then another, and another. As we started looking there were lots of Killdeer all across the field although they were very camouflage against the dry ploughed soil. The ranger, named Don, then took us on a kind of tour around the area telling us what it was they were doing in the area and explaining the importance of these coastal marshes and how over the next hundred or so years they planned to expand them. This was called the San Pablo Bay reclamation project. Whilst driving between the visitor centre/office the highway went straight through some fantastic habitat. We saw American Avocets, Willet, Black-Necked Stilts, Western Sandpipers, Caspian Terns, the occasional Dunlin, an Osprey, an American Kestrel, some California Gulls, a few Canvasbacks and some American Coots. We then reached the stop off where we saw all of the previously mentioned (except American Kestrel) and Sanderling, Least Sandpiper, 2 Baird's Sandpiper and American White Pelicans. The numbers of Sandpipers (mainly Western) was incredible and a fantastic sight. They were surprisingly confiding and were not bothered by the highway or our presence whatsoever. We then continued to Skagg's Island (which isn't actually an island) this used to be marshland but was turned into a Navy listening base. Then when the military left wildlife took over. The area once full of waders was now full of raptors, this was because of the booming Vole population. We saw about a dozen White-Tailed Kites, lots of Northern Harriers, a Golden Eagle and lots of Red-Tailed Hawks. In the plants when we got out of the car was a flock of Bushtits with a Yellow Warbler in amongst them. Don then found us a flock of Wild Turkeys. On the way back to the highway we stopped off at a small pool where there were both Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs. At the same time two Short-Billed Dowitchers flew overhead.

Olive-Sided Flycatcher

Mixed Waders mainly Western Sandpipers

Western Scrub Jay

California Towhees

Day 6 (23rd August)

On day 6 we got up quite early as we were heading to Point Reyes Banding (ringing) Station and then onto Point Reyes itself. Whilst eating breakfast my dad saw out of the window a bird he had always wanted to see, California Quail. It was a small family party consisting of a male and a few females and juveniles. The male particularly was a fantastic bird. We then set off towards Point Reyes. On the journey we saw quite a few Northern Rough-Winged Swallows as well as an American Kestrel. Unfortunately we were caught in a traffic jam and arrived a little late. The site was having quite a quiet morning though so we didn't miss much. It was a pleasure to watch them band (ring) a Brown Creeper, a Wilson's Warbler, a couple of Pacific-Slope Flycatchers and a few Chestnut-Backed Chickadees. Around the net lanes there was also a Spotted Towhee present. We then drove to Point Reyes headland. We first went to the Chimney Rock trail and we saw quite a few Northern Elephant Seals which were amazing but unfortunately quite distant. Off the viewpoint there were also quite a few Pacific Divers (Pacific Loons) and Western Grebes as well as a River Otter and an Osprey. On the outer headland we saw lots of Song Sparrows, lots of White-Crowned Sparrows, a Rock Wren, an Arctic Skua (Parasitic Jaeger), a Townsend's Warbler and a Yellow Warbler. Both of the Warblers were on passage as some of the Sparrows may have been. Les and I also had fleeting glimpses of a different warbler but never saw it again. On the headland there were also lots of White-Tailed Deer and a few Thule Elk.

Anna's Hummingbird

California Quail

Yellow Warbler

After days 4-6 the trip list stood at 

with- California Sea Lion, Harbour Seal, Harbour Porpoise, California Ground-Squirrel, White-Tailed Deer, Elephant Seal, River Otter and Thule Elk

Feral Pigeon                              Great Blue Heron                              Pelagic Cormorant                        

House Sparrow                          Collared Dove                                  Black Turnstone

Raven                                        Starling                                             House Finch

Western Gull                             Willet                                                Snowy Egret

Brown Pelican                          Pigeon Guillemot                              Barn Swallow

Surf Scoter                                Caspian Tern                                     Marbled Godwit

Brewer's Blackbird                   Heerman's Gull                                 Elegant Tern

American Crow                        Black-Crowned Night-Heron             Long-Billed Curlew

Great Egret                               Purple Finch                                     Semipalmated Plover

Double-Crested Cormorant     Anna's Hummingbird                        Turkey Vulture

American Goldfinch                 Killdeer                                              Cooper's Hawk 

Canada Goose                         Red-Tailed Hawk                             White-Faced Ibis

Lesser Goldfinch                     California Gull                                   Brown-Headed Cowbird

Bald Eagle                              American Kestrel                               Acorn Woodpecker

Red-Shouldered Hawk           Vaux's Swift                                       Oak Titmouse

American Robin                     Wild Turkey                                        Pacific-Slope Flycatcher

Hairy Woodpecker                 Steller's Jay                                        Western Scrub-Jay

Belted Kingfisher                    California Towhee                              Western Wood-Pewee

Wilson's Warbler                    Olive-Sided Flycatcher                      Northern Flicker

Mourning Dove                      Northern Mockingbird                        Northern Rough-Winged Swallow 

Western Bluebird                   Red-Winged Blackbird                       American White Pelican 

Sharp-Shinned Hawk            Greater Yellowlegs                             American Avocet

Loggerhead Shrike                Black-Necked Stilt                             Western Sandpiper 

Dunlin                                    American Coot                                   Canvasback

Least Sandpiper                    Northern Harrier                                 White-Tailed Kite 

Bushtit                                   Yellow Warbler                                   Golden Eagle

Lesser Yellowlegs                  Short-Billed Dowitcher                      Baird's Sandpiper

California Quail                     Brown Creeper                                   Spotted Towhee 

Pacific Diver                         Western Grebe                                   Townsend's Warbler

Rock Wren                           Arctic Skua

California (birding) trip: Part 1, San Fransisco, days 1-3

Day 1 (18th August)

We landed at San Fransisco mid afternoon and we (mum, dad, brother and two birding family friends) were very tired as our body clocks thought it was around 10-11pm. Whilst still in the plane (but on the ground) I did see a couple of gulls and a Heron species but didn't manage to ID them. We got in a small shuttle bus which would take us to our accommodation, a very nice self catered apartment overlooking the bay and Alcatraz Island. From the minibus the first birds as expected were Feral Pigeons and House Sparrows but we did spot a Raven soaring towards the golden hills behind the west side of the city. We were staying in the Fisherman's warf area which meant that there were lots of birds since there was water, harbours and lots of food dropped by people. We got to the flat and instantly saw Brown Pelicans and Western Gulls as well as a distant Surf Scoter and flocks of Brewer's Blackbirds. It was getting on early evening and as it got dark a Great Egret and some American Crows went to roost. This wasn't a bad first afternoon.

Western Gull

Day 2 (19th August)

I (like everyone else) woke well before first light (again due to jetlag) which was in a sense good as from the flat we saw Great-Blue Herons and Double-Crested Cormorants fly from there roosts sights into and around the bay along with endless streams of Brown Pelicans. Also seen in the early hours were (Eurasian) Starlings and (Eurasian) Collared Doves, both now very common species after their introduction. A bit of seawatching into the bay also produced a Willet, some Pigeon Guillemots and a few Caspian Terns, but still no lifers. After breakfast the majority of the group wished to see the city whereas Les (family friend) and I wished to go birding along the seafront so we did just that. We arranged to meet the others back at the apartment that afternoon. The first bird of the walk was a fantastic Heerman's Gull, this was a bird that I really wanted to see. We carried on walking west along the seafront towards the Golden-Gate Bridge and saw some rather unexpected birds such as Black-Crowned Night-Heron, Purple Finch and my best ever views of Surf Scoter. One thing we noticed as we got into a rather more wooded area were lots of Hummingbirds mobbing Red-Tailed Hawks and zapping around. One briefly landed and we got a look at it, these were Anna's Hummingbird, a beautiful little bird. Whilst watching them a woman asked if we were birders, we replied yes and she told us about a place called Crissy Fields were there was a small marsh, a reminiscent of the huge marshes that used to be at the site before the city. We thanked her and decided to head that way. We went through lots of docks (with sea defences) which rewarded us with a Pelagic Cormorant and some Black Turnstones. We arrived at the small (tidal) marsh and were struck by how strange it was that in the middle of a very loud urban area next to a highway was this little piece of tranquility at the height of urban birding. We entered the tiny reserve and, surely enough, on the central island were many birds. There were Marbled Godwits, Elegant Tern, Caspian Tern, Long-Billed Curlew, Willet, Snowy Egret, California Gull, Western Gull, Semipalmated Plover and close-by one the shore were a few Killdeer and a Great Egret. This was most definitely didn't expect to have all of these waders in San Fransisco itself. We then walked around Crissy Field Marsh onto Crissy Field where there was a flock of American Goldfinch and Lesser Goldfinch. It was now around noon and we decided to head back east along towards pier 39 where we knew there were California Sea Lions. On the way there we saw a Cooper's Hawk and a large high flying flock of White-Faced Ibis. We noticed that bizarrely there were relatively few House Sparrows, this was presumably due to the competition of the numerous Brewer's Blackbirds and Brown-Headed Cowbirds which filled their niche. We managed to see the Sea Lions from pier 41, this was better as although they were slightly further away the pier was far less crowded (the view is fine as there is no pier 40). To top the day off an immature Bald Eagle flew high over.

California Sea Lions

California Gull

Killdeer

Elegant Terns, Caspian Tern and Western Gulls

Heerman's Gull

Surf Scoter (female)

Surf Scoter (male)

Day 3 (20th August)

One of the things that my brother really wanted to do was visit Alcatraz Island and (disused) prison. The rest of us weren't that fussed, but if we had known the birdlife on the Island we would have wanted to go there as much if not more than him. We got on the ferry and saw straight away Pigeon Guillemots, California Sea Lions and Brandt's Cormorants. Whilst cruising towards the island we saw more of these as well as lots of Elegant Terns and also Harbour Seal and Harbour Porpoise. Whilst docking on Alcatraz we noticed some little birds flitting around on the rocks. Once on the Island we got a closer look, they were Black Phoebes. These Phoebes were also accompanied by a Wandering Tattler. We all continued up towards the main prison building to do the audio tour. The tour was absolutely fantastic and I highly recommend it as it took you around and told you things you otherwise wouldn't have known. After the tour we walked down slightly towards the small cliffs. We were greeted by a colony of Brandt's Cormorant and Western Gulls. There were also Song Sparrows (Pacific (California) ssp.) and Anna's Hummingbirds. I would definitely go again and I believe that slightly later in Autumn or in Spring the Island would be good for migrants.

Pigeon Guillemot

Brandt's Cormorants

Black Phoebe (juv)

Wandering Tattler

Anna's Hummingbird

Brown Pelicans, Alcatraz

After the first three days the trip list stood at 40 birds and 3 mammals

with- California Sea Lion, Harbour Seal, Harbour Porpoise and-

Feral Pigeon                              Great Blue Heron                              Pelagic Cormorant                        

House Sparrow                          Collared Dove                                  Black Turnstone

Raven                                        Starling                                             House Finch

Western Gull                             Willet                                                Snowy Egret

Brown Pelican                          Pigeon Guillemot                              Barn Swallow

Surf Scoter                                Caspian Tern                                     Marbled Godwit

Brewer's Blackbird                   Heerman's Gull                                 Elegant Tern

American Crow                        Black-Crowned Night-Heron           Long-Billed Curlew

Great Egret                               Purple Finch                                     Semipalmated Plover

Double-Crested Cormorant     Anna's Hummingbird                        Turkey Vulture

American Goldfinch                Killdeer                                             Cooper's Hawk

Canada Goose                         Red-Tailed Hawk                              White-Faced Ibis

Lesser Goldfinch                     California Gull                                  Brown-Headed Cowbird

Bald Eagle