Mendocino Birds

[Mendobirds] Common Murres

Thu, 24 May 2012 22:28:56 -0500

The COMMON MURRES are finally setting up and nesting on Bird Rock off Mendocino Headlands State Park west of Mendocino (the northern pull out just before the road turns east). I haven't been checking lately and there they were. About 150 birds. They are on the far western rocks this

[Mendobirds] Ouzel News

Tue, 22 May 2012 14:58:43 -0500

Tue, 22 May 2012 -- This morning at the Old Bridge on Potter Valley Road there were no juvenile dippers to be seen, but there was an adult sitting inside the nest and rearranging nesting material as if incubating. Is this the begining of a second brood?

[Mendobirds] Spring Pelagics Mendocino County

Tue, 22 May 2012 12:27:18 -0500

Based on the notes I have kept and the general knowledge I have of other pelagic trips done over the years there have been (an estimated) 20 to 25 Spring trips out of Noyo first beginning in 1985. Most all of those have been in May except for

[Mendobirds] Re: Jaegers Also Seen on 5/20 Pelagic Trip

Mon, 21 May 2012 14:31:16 -0500

All,
One last bird to mention is the FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER that was seen by some observers.

It was another great spring trip off of Fort Bragg and so fun to lead the trip with Ron LeValley and the great Todd Easterla!

Thanks and see all you Mendobirders real soon, hopefully!

Rob Fowler
McKinleyville, CA

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[Mendobirds] Western bluebird owns our garden

Mon, 21 May 2012 12:43:03 -0500

There are western bluebirds in the open areas near the junction of Black
Hawk and Williams Ranch Rd, but this is the first year we have had one
decide to own our ridge top garden. This gorgeous fellow is so loud he
outshouts the warblers, the tanager, the mountain quail, and the

[Mendobirds] continuing Ibis and yellow-headed blackbird

Mon, 21 May 2012 11:50:17 -0500

20 May 2012 - After the successful pelagic trip, Rob Fowler, Dave Bengston, Matthew Matthiessen, Ryan Keiffer, and I went to see the continuing White-faced Ibis at Lake Cleone. As you have probably figured out from other posts, this is a superb photo opportunity as the ibis will

[Mendobirds] PAS presents Tues 05/22: Matthew Matthiessen on Birding Brazil

Mon, 21 May 2012 11:06:31 -0500

Tuesday, May 22, 2012 at 7PM in the Ukiah City Council Chambers

The incomparable Matthew Matthiessen will bring his beautiful photographs and talented story telling to Peregrine Audubon when he guides us through Brazilian ecosystems from pantanal (the world's largest tropical wetlands) to rainforest.

Each year Matthew travels to locations around the

[Mendobirds] Jaegers Also Seen on 5/20 Pelagic Trip

Sun, 20 May 2012 19:58:58 -0500

Sun, 20 May, 2012 -- I forgot to mention the LONG-TAILED JAEGER
and PARASITIC JAEGER seen on the trip.

If other birds of importance to Mendobirds readers has been forgotten,
please report them. Thank you.

Karen Havlena
Fort Bragg, MEN, Ca

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Re: [Mendobirds] White-faced Ibis - Lk Cleone

Sun, 20 May 2012 02:54:32 -0500

Here are some photos of the Ibis from this afternoon - same spot as described below - thanks for posting about this bird!

Shout out to the 2 ladies who were helping me ID some bird calls as well ;-)

Sarah C. Wagner, MPT
Rehabilitation Services Department Manager
Pilates Instructor

________________________________
From: Karen <(email address

Re: [Mendobirds] Spring Male LLS

Sat, 19 May 2012 20:43:12 -0500

OK, Jospeh Morlan has corrected me.... there was so much white on this bird (the back of the neck) and the way it was acting - plus it seemed so much larger, but the yellow lores are so distinctive that yes, it appears to be a Savannah Sparrow. My bad....

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Re: [Mendobirds] Spring Male LLS

Sat, 19 May 2012 15:43:07 -0500

I am beginning to second-guess my initial ID: IF it is a male Lapland Longspur, it's a first year - there is white on the back of the neck and the head looks a lot like a Savannah Sparrow.

What does everyone else think? My photos stink, btw, but here they

[Mendobirds] Spring Male LLS

Sat, 19 May 2012 14:58:32 -0500

The Spring male Lapland Longspur continues at Virgin Creek, just south of the mouth of the creek along the headland trails near the 'dip' there, where a smallish creek, dotted with California Yellow-eyed Grasses, head down to the ocean. This is just north of the rocks where the Harbor Seals

[Mendobirds] White-faced Ibis - Lk Cleone

Sat, 19 May 2012 14:29:30 -0500

May 19, 2012 - A White-faced Ibis is at Lake Cleone right next to the parking lot, found by Dorothy Tobkin, and also seen by Rob Doster, Art Morley and myself.

Lake Cleone is on Mill Creek Drive north of the main entrance to MacKerricher State Park.

For Dorothy Tobkin

Karen

[Mendobirds] Photo: Double-crested cormorant on nest

Fri, 18 May 2012 23:58:36 -0500

Thanks to Rich Hubacek for finding the first known Double-crested Cormorant nesting rookery in the area, I have been trying to get a photograph of one on the nest. These nests are extremely well hidden and hard to see. After spending a lot of time watching, I was able to

[Mendobirds] Green Heron at MCBG

Thu, 17 May 2012 01:00:01 -0500

Wednesday, 16 May 2012 - On the regular third-Wednesday birdwalk at the
Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, we had 60 species, one short of the
record for this walk (set last month). Not bad for a 2-mile walk. Best
bird was the Green Heron sitting near the top of

[Mendobirds] Big hawk nest in Potter Valley

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:38:46 -0500

Hey PV birders - there is a hawk's nest on Gibson near Hawn Creek in a stand of oaks. I think it's a redtail nest, but haven't been able to get a good view of the bird to identify. I would love it if someone more experienced could

[Mendobirds] It is a springin'

Mon, 14 May 2012 23:09:15 -0500

This is what I we have been seeing from both the deck of Liquid Fusion
Kayaking and the old launch ramp at Dolphin Isle Marina:
Pair of Green Herons
Two different male Osprey hunting
Great Egret
Transient Cormorants of both Pelagic and Double Crested
Numerous Juvenile Ravens messing about
Phalropes
Spotted Sand Pipers singing and messing about
Belted

[Mendobirds] UWTP Grackles and Avocets

Mon, 14 May 2012 14:58:02 -0500

Monday May 14, 2012

Steve Stump spotted a pair of GREAT-TAILED GRACKLES near the middle pond at the Ukiah Wastewater Treatment Plant this morning. I arrived within half-hour of his call (~9:45) but the birds had either taken off or were hiding. Geoff continued the search until 11:30 with

[Mendobirds] Mothers Day indeed

Sun, 13 May 2012 21:33:27 -0500

Coming back into Ukiah w/ mom today, we stopped in Calpella to see the osprey nest. What a gift for mom: we arrived just as one of the parents was circling the area with a fish in its talons, and watched it fend off a crow before circling in, landing,

[Mendobirds] Forster's Tern & Blue-winged Teal - Lk Cleone

Sun, 13 May 2012 18:45:11 -0500

13 May, 2012 -- Dorothy Tobkin called that Lake Cleone was
a busy place today. There were a FORSTER'S TERN, a pair of
BLUE-WINGED TEAL, an obvious GREEN HERON, a male LESSER SCAUP,
a RED PHALAROPE and two RED-NECKED PHALAROPES all in alternate
plumage.

Even though I could not get there until mid-afternoon, I was
able

[Mendobirds] 5/13 UWTP White-faced Ibis

Sun, 13 May 2012 11:13:01 -0500

Greetings Mendobirders- Steve Stump found 15 White-faced Ibis at the UWTP
early this morning. By 745, they had all left the ponds. I saw 3 fly out
to the north, and Steve said an earlier group flew out to the south.

Chuck and Steve

--
Chuck and Barbara Vaughn
Ukiah, CA

[Mendobirds] Nests of MacGillivray's Warblers

Sun, 13 May 2012 11:02:09 -0500

Dave and others on the Eel River field trip wondered
whether MacGillivray's Warblers are ground nesters.
No, is the answer I found in a couple of old bird books.

MacGillivray's nests are usually 1 to 4 feet off the
ground and are fairly loose cups of grasses held in dense
patches of shrubs like

[Mendobirds] Potter Valley & Eel River

Sun, 13 May 2012 00:19:47 -0500

Sat, 12 May 2012 -- The Peregrine Audubon field trip today visited the Old
Bridge on Potter Valley Road, the Eel River canyon from Pioneer Crossing
Bridge to Trout Creek Campground, Pine Avenue, and Burris Lane. Highlights
were a family of four fledgling AMERICAN DIPPERS, a half dozen sightings
each of MacGILLIVRAY's WARBLER

[Mendobirds] More Phalaropes

Sat, 12 May 2012 21:48:30 -0500

What gives us intermediate birders trouble is when two similar species occur similtaneously in the same spot. I was watching a Red-necked Phalarope on Lake Cleone in MacKerricher park yesterday (May 11) when it disappeared into the reeds and what should come out but what looked like a Red Phalarope!

[Mendobirds] Lawrence's Goldfinch in Fort Bragg

Sat, 12 May 2012 21:04:56 -0500

Ok. Last message re this bird. I have added a couple of photos of this Law Goldfinch to my smugmug site (radamson.smugmug.com). Good birding. Roger

RHA

[Mendobirds] Lawrence's Goldfinch

Sat, 12 May 2012 20:02:47 -0500

Finally!! The Lawrence's Golfinch returned to be seen at 6:02 pm today.
Roger Adamson

RHA

[Mendobirds] Great-Tailed Grackle at the Ukiah WWTP

Sat, 12 May 2012 16:57:17 -0500

Approximately 0830 this am, I there was a Great-Tailed Grackle flying from the Russian River to the Sludge Lagoon. It was there for approximately 3 minutes. As I snuck in to get a better look, the Red- Winged Black Birds chased "them" off. There was actually another one that I

[Mendobirds] Lawrence's Goldfinch in FB

Sat, 12 May 2012 14:21:42 -0500

I neglected to specify that the Lawrence's Goldfinch seen yesterday in Fort Bragg was a fully breeding plumage male--unmistakeable, gorgeous bird. Roger Adamson

[Mendobirds] Lawrence's Goldfinch in Fort Bragg

Sat, 12 May 2012 11:13:39 -0500

I had a Lawrence's Goldfinch at my seed feeders in FB (corner of Alder & McKinley) late yesterday. I haven't seen it yet today. It was traveling with a group of American Goldfinch--they have returned, but I don't see their guest. First time I have

[Mendobirds] phalaropes

Fri, 11 May 2012 10:58:54 -0500

I think I see about 20 phalaropes
on the Caspar pond(just off hwy 1 on Fern Creek Rd)
Fri, 7am, May 11.

[Mendobirds] tubes and bird death traps

Thu, 10 May 2012 20:29:12 -0500

10 May 2012 - I don't usually carry on with "message" type messages, but I think that this is extremely important to all concerned about birds. And ...this is a follow-up of Kate's recent message and other messages about tub e-type death traps. Ever since

[Mendobirds] Hollow post story, time to act

Thu, 10 May 2012 18:39:59 -0500

Yesterday evening (5/9/12) my friend Michael and I hiked some of the Valley View trail. On the way down in the dark I stopped at a hollow steel post. As I told him about the problem of birds dying in open-top hollow fence posts when they investigate them as potential

[Mendobirds] Cormorant Monitoring Meeting May 16th

Thu, 10 May 2012 18:21:51 -0500

Hi all,

It's getting to be that time of year again - actually on Pt. Cabrillo is
already is that time of year! Susan Tubbesing has been watching a chick for
over a week! That may be the earliest chick known in California history!!

I have Numbered Nest Site Photographs at the

[Mendobirds] Four Baby Gallinules (Moorhens) at the College

Thu, 10 May 2012 15:13:46 -0500

Today, Chuck Vaughn and I visited Mendocino College to see the Common Gallinules. We saw only one adult. I returned about an hour later and found both adults with 4 fledglings! This was about 11 am. At first I found just 2 babies with one adult

[Mendobirds] More Red Phalaropes & Others - Seaside Beach MEN

Thu, 10 May 2012 11:39:29 -0500

Thur, 10 May, 2012 -- Four RED PHALAROPES, six RED-NECKED PHALAROPES,
a MARBLED GODWIT and thirteen WHIMBRELS were at Seaside Beach at the north
end on the beach and near the creek mouth. The phalaropes were in various stages of
gray to mottled to solid red plumage.

At the Tem Mile River bridge, four

[Mendobirds] Lake County Greater Roadrunner

Thu, 10 May 2012 10:26:30 -0500

A GREATER ROADRUNNER was seen by Susanne Scholz and Darlene Hecomovich on Bartlett Springs Road in the Mendocino National Forest near the turnoff to High Valley Road at about 8:30 AM on Tuesday May 8th.The High Valley Road turnoff is several miles up Bartlett Springs Road from Highway 20.

[Mendobirds] Red Phalarope - Virgin Ck, Fort Bragg MEN

Wed, 09 May 2012 17:35:36 -0500

Wed, 9 May 2012 -- Dorothy Tobkin spotted a male RED PHALAROPE
in several places at Virgin Creek. First it was walking on the
beach, slightly odd behavior. Then, it flew to the creek. But
then, it flew up the creek on the east side of the Haul Rd bridge.
She lost sight of

[Mendobirds] 5/8 UWTP Black-necked Stilts

Tue, 08 May 2012 16:28:11 -0500

Greetings Mendobirders- Steve Stump called to report 2 Black-necked
Stilts have spent the day at the Ukiah Wastewater Treatment Plant. This
afternoon they have been feeding on the emergent mud island on the sludge
pond, easily seen from the north side of the pond.

Steve Stump

--
Chuck and Barbara Vaughn
Ukiah, CA

[Mendobirds] new additions to MEN checklsit

Mon, 07 May 2012 18:27:25 -0500

7 May 2012 - Recently two new species observations have undergone review and have been "ACCEPTED" for Mendocino County.

1) The Northern Wheatear, present from 205 October 2012 near Anchor Bay MEN was reviewed by the California Bird Records Committee and was ACCEPTED as a

[Mendobirds] Red Phalarope

Mon, 07 May 2012 00:25:48 -0500

There is a single male Red Phalarope in the Upper Blue lake on Blue Lakes-Lake county. It was swimming around the boat docks next to Pine Acres resort feeding. It has a broken wing so it looks like it may be stuck here for a while. Steve Stump

[Mendobirds] Cinnamon Teal - Reclamation Rd in Lake

Sun, 06 May 2012 23:32:22 -0500

I birded Rodman Slough and Reclamation Rd in Lake County today and saw a lot of great birds. At the south end of Reclamation Rd looking south into the rice fields, I saw a pair of Cinnamon Teal with a pair of Wood Ducks. That's a nice combination.

[Mendobirds] Spring Male Lapland Longspur

Sun, 06 May 2012 22:30:47 -0500

Sun, 6 May, 2012 -- Dorothy Tobkin called late this afternoon to
say that she saw a spring male LAPLAND LONGSPUR at Virgin Ck Beach.
The bird was on the rocks that separate the south from the north
portions of the beach. It did NOT stay and flew off (presumably
to the north).

[Mendobirds] Wandering Tattlers

Sun, 06 May 2012 15:43:44 -0500

Today at 1:00 pm we saw two Wandering Tattlers under the south side of the pier in Point Arena. Pictures will follow.

Great birding!
Beth and Jeff

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[Mendobirds] 5/6: UWTP American White Pelicans

Sun, 06 May 2012 12:34:10 -0500

Greetings Mendobirders- This morning Cheryl Watson, George Gibbs, and I
saw 2 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS on the south pond at the Ukiah Wastewater
Treatment Plant. Unfortunately, they flew off shortly after we arrived.
Also of local interest was a female CANVASBACK on the middle pond. This
is the latest county

[Mendobirds] Inland Shorebird Event, 3 May ?

Fri, 04 May 2012 10:11:07 -0500

Fri, 4 May 2012 -- I wasn't going to report this, but in light of the 65
Whimbrels and 1000+ Red-necked Phalaropes at UWTP yesterday, I've decided to
do so.
Yesterday (3 May) about noon, as I was walking to the mailbox at my
home in Potter Valley, I

[Mendobirds] Red-necked Phalaropes and Forter's Terns at Ukiah Water Treatment Plant (UWTP)

Thu, 03 May 2012 15:25:21 -0500

This morning, one of the workers (Steve Stumpf) reported about 15 terns at the UWTP and 1000+ RN Phalaropes, so I went down to see. By the time I got there, 4 of the Forster's Terns were still there and well over 1000 RN Phalaropes. I saw

[Mendobirds] Red Knot at Virgin Creek

Thu, 03 May 2012 12:09:20 -0500

Thur., May 3, 2012 - Toby Tobkin called yesterday to report a male RED KNOT in full breeding plumage at Virgin Creek Beach. She also confirmed the 4 HARLEQUIN DUCKs I had seen Tuesday were still in residence.
Sorry for the late post.

For Toby Tobkin

Carolyn Kinet
Inglenook

[Mendobirds] Herons on the Noyo

Thu, 03 May 2012 01:58:25 -0500

Wed May 2, 2012--This afternoon at 1:15PM I found myself at the Dolphin RV Park & Marina not far from Liquid Fusion Kayaking where the Noyo takes a 90 degree turn. Right at that turn I first noticed the ever present GREAT BLUE HERON. Then a SNOWY EGRET flew into

[Mendobirds] Snow goose joins flock in Potter Valley

Tue, 01 May 2012 22:21:47 -0500

The White Fronted Goose is still with the Canada flock at White Dog Ranch in PV and they have recently been joined by a Snow Goose. It was far enough away that the photo Angie took isn't too clear. Usually best seen in the morning.

[Mendobirds] Harlequin Ducks at Virgin Creek

Tue, 01 May 2012 15:43:56 -0500

Tues., May 1, 2012 - This morning while birding at Virgin Creek I saw two male and two female HARLEQUIN DUCKS. They were located on the north side of the main beach where the rocks protrude into the ocean. A pair of BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS were nearby.