May Wrap-up: Bi-coastal Birding

The height of migration and a trip to California produced the most species for a month this year. 21 life birds out in California and 1 here in Prospect Park. 

While we were in California we missed the absolute height of migration in Brooklyn. I was following the finds in Prospect Park on Twitter while we were in Point Reyes and it was a little frustrating when the termites "hatched out" and the warblers came to gobble them up. Being in California accounts for some of the lacunae on the list--no redstarts, no black-throated greens, no magnolias. Yet. They still can be found, it just won't be as easy as it was this month for those on the right coast. And I still haven't seen any Least Sandpipers (that I know of), though I'm sure during the summer there will be plenty. As often happens, despite 194 species for the month, it isn't the birds I've seen so much as the birds I haven't that sticks in my mind.
Counties birded:
California: Marin, Sacramento, San Franciso, San Joaquin
New Jersey: Atlantic, Ocean
New York: Kings, Queens

Species	First Sighting
Brant	Brooklyn Bridge Park--Pier Four
Canada Goose	Prospect Park
Mute Swan	Prospect Park
Wood Duck	Heritage Oak
Gadwall	Brooklyn Bridge Park--Pier One
American Wigeon	Tomales Bay trail
American Black Duck	JBWR--West Pond
Mallard	Prospect Park
Cinnamon Teal	Shollenberger Pk & Ellis Crk
Northern Shoveler	Shollenberger Pk & Ellis Crk
Greater Scaup	Bodega Bay
Lesser Scaup	Bolinas Lagoon
Surf Scoter	Bodega Head
Common Merganser	Tomales Bay
Red-breasted Merganser	Elephant Seal Overlook
Ruddy Duck	Prospect Park
CALIFORNIA QUAIL	Limantour Rd & Beach
Wild Turkey	Outside of Marshall
PACIFIC LOON	Bodega Bay
Common Loon	Bodega Bay
Pied-billed Grebe	Bodega Bay
Horned Grebe	Bodega Bay
Western Grebe	Bodega Bay
CLARK'S GREBE	Bodega Bay
BRANDT'S CORMORANT	Bodega Head
Double-crested Cormorant	Prospect Park
PELAGIC CORMORANT	Bodega Head
American White Pelican	Oyster Farm
Brown Pelican	Bodega Head
Great Blue Heron	Prospect Park
Great Egret	Prospect Park
Snowy Egret	Tomales Bay trail
Green Heron	Prospect Park
Black-crowned Night-Heron	Prospect Park
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron	JBWR--West Pond
Glossy Ibis	JBWR--West Pond
Turkey Vulture	Point Reyes seashore lodge
Osprey	Limantour Rd & Beach
Northern Harrier	Shollenberger Pk & Ellis Crk
Cooper's Hawk	Corona Heights Park
Red-shouldered Hawk	Point Reyes seashore lodge
Red-tailed Hawk	Prospect Park
Peregrine Falcon	Brigantine
Clapper Rail	Brigantine
Virginia Rail	Bear Valley Rd
American Coot	Prospect Park
Black-bellied Plover	JBWR--West Pond
Semipalmated Plover	JBWR--West Pond
Killdeer	Heritage Oak
American Oystercatcher	JBWR--West Pond
BLACK OYSTERCATCHER	Bodega Head
Black-necked Stilt	Shollenberger Pk & Ellis Crk
American Avocet	Shollenberger Pk & Ellis Crk
Spotted Sandpiper	Prospect Park
Greater Yellowlegs	Bodega Bay
Willet	Shollenberger Pk & Ellis Crk
Lesser Yellowlegs	Bodega Bay
Whimbrel	Limantour Rd & Beach
Ruddy Turnstone	JBWR--West Pond
Sanderling	Pt. Reyes--Abbotts Lagoon
Semipalmated Sandpiper	JBWR--West Pond
Western Sandpiper	Pt. Reyes--Abbotts Lagoon
Dunlin	Pt. Reyes--Abbotts Lagoon
Short-billed Dowitcher	Brigantine
Long-billed Dowitcher	Shollenberger Pk & Ellis Crk
Laughing Gull	Prospect Park
Ring-billed Gull	Brooklyn Bridge Park--Pier Four
WESTERN GULL	Tomales Bay
CALIFORNIA GULL	Bodega Head
Herring Gull	Prospect Park
Great Black-backed Gull	Brooklyn Bridge Park--Pier Four
Least Tern	Marine Park--Southwest
Gull-billed Tern	Brigantine
Caspian Tern	Bodega Bay
Common Tern	JBWR--West Pond
Forster's Tern	JBWR--West Pond
Black Skimmer	Brigantine
Common Murre	Sea Lion Overlook-
PIGEON GUILLEMOT	Bodega Head
Rock Pigeon	Prospect Park
Band-tailed Pigeon	Point Reyes seashore lodge
Eurasian Collared-Dove	Point Reyes seashore lodge
Mourning Dove	Prospect Park
Monk Parakeet	Marine Park--Southwest
RED-MASKED PARAKEET	Corona Heights Park
Great Horned Owl	Heritage Oak
Chimney Swift	Prospect Park
VAUX'S SWIFT	Point Reyes seashore lodge
Black-chinned Hummingbird	Heritage Oak
Anna's Hummingbird	Earthquake trail
Rufous Hummingbird	Heritage Oak
ALLEN'S HUMMINGBIRD	Kule Loklo
Acorn Woodpecker	Earthquake trail
Red-bellied Woodpecker	Prospect Park
NUTTALL'S WOODPECKER	Heritage Oak
Downy Woodpecker	Prospect Park
Northern Flicker	Olema Pasture
OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER	Bolinas Lagoon
Western Wood-Pewee	Heritage Oak
Eastern Wood-Pewee	Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Willow Flycatcher	JBWR--West Pond
Pacific-slope Flycatcher	Earthquake trail
BLACK PHOEBE	Point Reyes seashore lodge
Ash-throated Flycatcher	Heritage Oak
Western Kingbird	Heritage Oak
Eastern Kingbird	Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Blue-headed Vireo	Prospect Park
Warbling Vireo	Prospect Park
Red-eyed Vireo	Prospect Park
Steller's Jay	Point Reyes seashore lodge
Blue Jay	Prospect Park
WESTERN SCRUB-JAY	Point Reyes seashore lodge
American Crow	Prospect Park
Fish Crow	Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Common Raven	Point Reyes seashore lodge
Northern Rough-winged Swallow	Prospect Park
Purple Martin	Brigantine
Tree Swallow	Prospect Park
Violet-green Swallow	Earthquake trail
Bank Swallow	Limantour Rd & Beach
Barn Swallow	Prospect Park
Cliff Swallow	Point Reyes admin bldg
Carolina Chickadee	Brigantine
Black-capped Chickadee	Prospect Park
CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE	Earthquake trail
OAK TITMOUSE	Olema Pasture
Tufted Titmouse	Prospect Park
Bushtit	Campbell Cove
Red-breasted Nuthatch	Prospect Park
White-breasted Nuthatch	Prospect Park
Brown Creeper	Prospect Park
Rock Wren	Pt. Reyes--Abbotts Lagoon
Carolina Wren	Prospect Park
Bewick's Wren	Campbell Cove
House Wren	Prospect Park
Marsh Wren	Shollenberger Pk & Ellis Crk
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher	Prospect Park
Ruby-crowned Kinglet	Prospect Park
WRENTIT	Tomales Bay
Western Bluebird	Tomales Bay trail
Swainson's Thrush	Earthquake trail
Wood Thrush	Prospect Park
American Robin	Prospect Park
Gray Catbird	Prospect Park
Northern Mockingbird	Corona Heights Park
Brown Thrasher	JBWR--West Pond
CALIFORNIA THRASHER	Bear Valley Rd
European Starling	Prospect Park
Cedar Waxwing	Forked River Rest Stop
Nashville Warbler	Prospect Park
Northern Parula	Prospect Park
Yellow Warbler	Prospect Park
Chestnut-sided Warbler	Prospect Park
Yellow-rumped Warbler	Prospect Park
Townsend's Warbler	Heritage Oak
Hermit Warbler	Heritage Oak
Blackburnian Warbler	Prospect Park
Pine Warbler	Prospect Park
Prairie Warbler	Prospect Park
Palm Warbler	Prospect Park
Blackpoll Warbler	Prospect Park
Black-and-white Warbler	Prospect Park
Northern Waterthrush	Prospect Park
MOURNING WARBLER	Prospect Park
Common Yellowthroat	Prospect Park
Hooded Warbler	Prospect Park
Wilson's Warbler	Point Reyes seashore lodge
Spotted Towhee	Earthquake trail
Eastern Towhee	Prospect Park
CALIFORNIA TOWHEE	Earthquake trail
Chipping Sparrow	Prospect Park
Savannah Sparrow	Prospect Park
Seaside Sparrow	Brigantine
Song Sparrow	Prospect Park
White-throated Sparrow	Prospect Park
White-crowned Sparrow	Bodega Bay
Dark-eyed Junco	Brooklyn Bridge Park--Pier One
Scarlet Tanager	Prospect Park
Northern Cardinal	Prospect Park
Black-headed Grosbeak	Point Reyes admin bldg
Red-winged Blackbird	Prospect Park
Brewer's Blackbird	Point Reyes seashore lodge
Common Grackle	Prospect Park
Boat-tailed Grackle	JBWR--West Pond
Great-tailed Grackle	Point Reyes seashore lodge
Brown-headed Cowbird	Prospect Park
Orchard Oriole	Marine Park--Southwest
Hooded Oriole	Heritage Oak
Bullock's Oriole	Heritage Oak
Baltimore Oriole	Prospect Park
House Finch	Campbell Cove
Lesser Goldfinch	Heritage Oak
American Goldfinch	Prospect Park
House Sparrow	Prospect Park

California, There We Went

125 species with 21 life birds during our California trip, spent mostly in Marin County with a couple of forays into Sonoma County and briefer visits to San Francisco, Sacramento, and San Joaquin Counties. (The full list is below.)

We started birding almost immediately upon arriving at the Point Reyes Seashore Lodge. Their grounds are just outside the national seashore area and were full of birds in the late afternoon. WESTERN SCRUB JAY was the first lifer we found there, just sitting in a tree over the parking lot. Parking lots were good birding areas that day--eating dinner on the deck of the restaurant next door we saw Brewer's Blackbird and Great-tailed Grackle picking up whatever food they could glean there and from the diners. Birds were constantly flying overhead, Turkey Vultures, swallows, a Red-shouldered Hawk, and best of all, high up, I was able to pick out at least one VAUX'S SWIFT.

The next day we got started on our serious birding. We had arranged for Daniel Edelstein to act as our guide for a day and we were specifically looking for BLACK OYSTERCATCHER. Daniel didn't think that would be much of a challenge.

First, to get us started before a long drive, he took us to the Bear Valley Visitor's Center, only a few minutes from our lodge. We weren't there five minutes when we spotted a CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE. We walked the short Earthquake Trail, so named because part of it follows the San Andreas Fault, and somewhere along there we were able to pick up CALIFORNIA TOWHEE.

Then it was off to Bodega Bay.  Highway 1 runs up the shore of Tomales Bay and we made one stop just to see what was in the water. While scoping the water a WESTERN GULL flew overhead and a WRENTIT sang.

We stopped in Bodega Bay and scoped it out finding among the Western Grebes our first CLARK'S GREBE. Then it was up a long twisting road (there are a lot of those around Point Reyes) to Bodega Head. Lifers were coming fast and furious. Daniel pointed down to some rocks far below the cliffs we were standing on and there they were--Black Oystercatchers--our first big nose birds in California. 
We counted 9, some of them courting. Meanwhile, swimming in the bay were PIGEON GUILLEMOTS, sitting on the rocks were dozens of BRANDT'S CORMORANTS, and flying below us, allowing us good looks at their diagnostic white patches, were PELAGIC CORMORANTS. At some point a CALIFORNIA GULL flew past us and then a flock of pterodactyls (more probably Brown Pelicans) slowly beat their way north.

It was a good thing we got the oystercatchers out of the way early, because we didn't see any more the rest of the trip. Pays to have a guide.

Our guide, Daniel Edelstein

Let's stipulate from hereon in, that the scenery is spectacular.

Me, in a typical pose, shouldering the scope

LZ & SZ at Bodega Head
Photo: Daniel Edelstein

The next day we drove to Limantour Beach, part of the national seashore. It was a windy day (though not nearly as windy as it got later in the vacation) and there we encountered a very friendly White-crowned Sparrow.

"I don't think I can reach the pedals on this model."

Daniel had told us that the white-crowns we'd find on the point were a sub-species (Nutall's) that were resident year-round, not migrating like other sparrows. What I came to realize is that virtually all the familiar birds we saw on the trip were actually sub-species of the ones we knew from the east--the Song Sparrow is darker and has a different song, the House Finch is redder, the flicker is red-shafted, the junco is the Oregon sub-species, the House Wren is so different that it may be split off into a separate species, and so on. The robins seemed to be the same, but I don't really know. 

White-crowned Sparrow in more typical habitat

Since no vacation is complete without a trip to a waste-water treatment facility, the next day we drove north to Petaluma in Sonoma County and visited Shollenberger Park and the Ellis Creek Water Recycling Facility 

The notable birds there were the first Cinnamon Teal we'd seen in years, a Marsh Wren we could actually see instead of just hearing, and 2 species I had forgotten we might see--Black-necked Stilt and American Avocet. Usually, to get these beauties we have to go down to Delaware in mid-summer and deal with the heat and bugs. Shari was happy to see them in a more pleasant (albeit windy) climate. 

On Sunday we drove down to San Francisco to visit some old friends of Shari's, but left some time for birding before we met them. I had done some research on eBird and determined that the best place to find RED-MASKED PARAKEETS was Corona Heights Park, in a section of the city that I'd never been to. It turned out that heights was the operative word, with some glorious views of the city. As soon as we parked the car a bird screamed over our heads and was gone--parakeet. Then four more zipped by so fast that to call them green blurs would be an exaggeration. We really wanted to see these birds, so we hung around the park, picking up the usual birds (plus a Cooper's Hawk) until after about an hour we heard the birds again, this time a big flock and saw them flying around on the streets below the park, going from tree to tree. We were both very happy when we could clearly see their red masks. I counted about 20 birds in the flock, though there could easily have been more. They seemed just as clownish as our Monk Parakeets, but not as exotic in San Francisco as the monks seem here. 

Monday we finally went to see the famous Point Reyes Lighthouse. The wind was ferocious. I had been there 30 or so years ago, but only shards of memory remained. There are 302 steps down to the lighthouse. I would think you'd want the lighthouse on the highest promontory, so I'm not clear on the advantages of building a lighthouse in just about the most inaccessible point you can find, but that's what they did. Walking down to (and up from) the light is the equivalent of walking the stairs in a 30 story building. Shari got 2/3 of the way down. I did a 100 steps and only because I wanted to get a better look at the thousand or so Common Murres roosting on a rock far below. 

Murres

May 10 we drove to Sacramento to visit another friend of Shari's. She and her husband took us to the Heritage Oak Winery near Lodi (as in, "O Lord, stuck in old Lodi, again"), where we met a guide they know who took us around the property. The owner of the winery is very bird friendly. He has hummingbird feeders and thistle feeders on the patio, an owl box on a tree, and bluebird and swallow boxes at the ends of the rows of grape vines. It was here that we were able to finally get our NUTTAL'S WOODPECKER, along with a number of flycatchers. Also, at the feeders, we had Hooded and Bullock's Oriole, and  Rufous and Black-chinned Hummingbirds. A special treat was the Great Horned Owl using an old red-tail's nest that David showed us. 

Black-chinned Hummingbird

Bob, Larry, and David (our guide) setting out to find birds at Hertiage Oak

Later, we stopped at the Cosumnes River Preserve in Sacramento County, a beautiful area that I wished we had more time to explore. Driving along one road we came up 18 American White Pelicans, just sitting around, doing nothing.

The days kept getting windier, but we were determined to get to the beach and bird more there. In the mornings, it seems, the weather is relatively calm, so we visited Abbots Lagoon one day and there we found some late shorebirds--Dunlins, Western Sandpipers, and Sanderlings, along with grackles and the very beautiful bi-colored Red-winged Blackbirds--another sub-species we don't have in the east. Their epaulets were fluorescent red and were happy to show them. 

The last lifer we had was at Bolinas Lagoon in south Marin. There, as we birded the lagoon from turnouts on Highway 1, we distinctly heard the call of the OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER in 2 locations. 

Our last day we went back to Limantour Beach in the morning before the winds picked up and there we found a couple of Bank Swallows on the beach, lots of Sandlerlings, 45 Whimbrels in flight, and our 2nd Pacific Loon. 

On our last morning at the lodge I heard a call and followed it down to the creek, but I didn't have my binoculars. On a branch I saw what looked like a flycatcher and ran up the hill to dig out a pair of already packed binoculars. Fortunately the bird stayed around and Shari & I both got to see a Pacific-slope Flycatcher instead of just hearing them in the woods. That was a fine and satisfying way to end the trip. 

Other photos:

CALIFORNIA QUAIL. Sometimes a life bird, if it is common, like the scrub jay, can go to a "junk" bird very quickly. California Quail weren't hard to find--a pair liked to feed under a tree a few feet from our deck--but I never got tired of seeing them. I rarely use this word, but I found them adorable. 

Yet more pictures of me carrying the scope. Cows are supposedly docile. But some of these animals were bulls.  We asked a runner on this trail if the cattle were safe and he replied, "More or less." 

And finally...

Point Reyes Station, CA

All photos by Shari Zirlin except where noted.