A Brit abroad

A windy morning

In spite of being warned against it, I decided to bird around North Davis in strong winds this morning. Migrant-wise it was pretty dead, with just single Wilson's and Audubon's Warblers seen, but the trip was salvaged by a smart male Blue Grosbeak (my first for the county). For those of you that care about lists, here are my 'vital statistics':
US list: 368
US year list: 316
California year list: 250
Yolo year list: 178
Bike list: 132
If the migrants keep coming, the Yolo list could reach 200 next month!

Sparrows, snakes and flycatchers

This morning Mary Schiedt very kindly agreed to lead a Yolo Audubon group onto a normally private area of the Yolo Bypass Wetlands to look for Grasshopper Sparrows (for UK birders, something like a cross between a Corn Bunting and a Grasshopper Warbler in terms of looks, habits and song). Sure enough several males were singing, although they were often obscured by the long grass, making photography difficult. Mary also pointed out many of the stunning wildflowers growing in the vernal pools here. Other birds of note included an obliging Burrowing Owl, several migrant Whimbrel and my first Yolo Caspian Terns on the drive out.

Joan Humphrey (another regular birding buddy) spotted a Gopher Snake sunning itself in the road. After assurances that it wasn't venomous, we decided to move the snake to the slightly safer location of the grass verge. Was fantastic to get such a great view of this reptile!

Joan and I stopped off at Grasslands regional park, and quickly bumped into my life Olive-sided Flycatcher. Also here was a Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo and a Wilson's Warbler or two. Back in Davis, a fruiting mulberry tree was drawing many Cedar Waxwings and a female Western Tanager (another lifer). All in all not a bad morning!

Willowbank ditch

Following the advice of local birding guru Steve Hampton, I birded along Willowbank Ditch in South Davis this morning, formerly a stretch of Putah Creek with tall trees and dense understorey. There was a good selection of migrants present, including a single Townsend's and numerous Wilson's Warblers (I'm now seeing more of these than Yellow-rumps), 2 Pacific-slope Flycatchers and a singing Warbling Vireo. Will no doubt return there soon, this time armed with mosquito repellent!

Sightseeing and sharks?

Had a fantastic day's sightseeing with the parents in Marin County, taking in chic Sausalito, the Golden Gate Bridge, Marin Headlands, Stinson Beach and Muir Woods. Amazingly, Mum spotted this interesting creature feeding near the surface under the Golden Gate Bridge. My guess is that it's some sort of shark/dogfish - can anyone shed any light?

Not much in the way of birds today, though you have to admire the view from this Scrub Jay's territory:

Birding round my parents

Having recovered from last week's celebrations, have been kept occupied by the arrival of my parents (it's their first visit to California). Unfortunately they chose to arrive in the thick of spring migration, and are not birders themselves, so am having to make do with snatches of birding interspersed with sightseeing. This morning I got up at the crack of dawn to do my usual route through the arboretum to Putah Creek Riparian Reserve. I spotted a single Wilson's Warbler in the arboretum, while the Mallard flock contained a drake Gadwall (wild bird gone feral?) and an out-of-place Peahen!

The picnic area contained good numbers of White- and Golden-crowned (see photo) Sparrows, plus a single Lincoln's Sparrow, but I couldn't relocate last week's White-throated. Another Wilson's Warbler was present here. Managed to get some ok-ish shots of Ash-throated Flycatcher and Yellow-billed Magpie here too:

I met up with my parents about 9:30, and we drove along Putah Creek to Monticello Dam. White-throated Swifts, Cliff Swallows and Turkey Vultures were everywhere, and somewhere below the dam a Canyon Wren sang. Unfortunately I was unable to determine whether the wren was on the right side of the county boundary to tick on my Yolo list!

We drove via Lake Berryessa to Napa, and back via Lake Solano. It was rather hot by this stage, so birding activity was pretty low - a few Turkeys and California Quails were the best I could muster. Tomorrow we're heading for Marin County for more sightseeing - not sure if I'll see any birds but the scenery should be fantastic....

The morning after the night before....

Here are a few pictures from my birthday celebrations last night, at Sophia's Thai Kitchen (well worth a look if you're ever in Davis). Thanks to everyone who came for making it such a great event! Don't know whether I'm just getting old, but it was one hell of a struggle to crawl out of bed this morning - I guess they just make the gin stronger over here!

Drunk, moi?

Birthday birds

Today I reached the grand old age of 26. Highlights of the day so far are receiving parcels from Canada and the UK, including yummy British chocolate (much better than Hershey's). I also had a brief trip out to the Yolo Bypass with Caz (fellow Brit in my research group) and her partner Z. There was much less water than on my previous visit, and a complete change of shorebird species: Long-billed Dowitchers and Dunlin were gone, replaced by smart summer-plumaged Western Sandpipers. There were a few more Marbled Godwits, 7 or so Greater Yellowlegs, a single Lesser Yellowlegs and many Least Sandpipers in addition to the resident Avocets and Killdeer. It was even windier than my last visit, which was not conducive to good photography. Here are the few half-decent shots I managed (click on thumbnails for larger images), showing Least Sandpiper, Lesser Yellowlegs and Western Sandpiper respectively:

Putah Creek, 20th April

This morning I repeated last week's cycle through the UCD Arboretum to Putah Creek Riparian Reserve. Not much of note in the arboretum, but photographed a smart summer-plumaged Double-crested Cormorant (if only they looked like this when they turned up in Britain) and a White-crowned Sparrow.

A rather unexpected find in the picnic ground was a White-throated Sparrow keeping company with a Golden-crowned - I wonder if this is the same bird that was seen in early March? House Wrens and Ash-throated Flycatchers were again very vocal, as was a single Oak Titmouse. I bumped into two Black-headed Grosbeaks - an adult and 1st summer - another life bird! 13 flyover White Pelicans were a bike tick (yes, I'm sad enough to keep a bike list), while this Chipping Sparrow was a new county bird for me.

3 warbler species were seen (Yellow-rumped, Orange-crowned and Common Yellowthroat), while Swainson's Hawk and Western Kingbird were abundant. All in all not a bad start to the day!

Loonacy! Part 2

A little more about an excellent day's birding around Monterey Bay. We enjoyed excellent views of the Elkhorn Slough Yellow-billed Loon feeding, preening and napping from Kirby Park (see previous entry for many photos of this bird). Also at this location was a Merlin devouring an unidentified shorebird, several Forster's Terns and my first California Caspian Terns.

Next stop was the Moonglow dairy, a migrant trap located next to a cattle ranch. There was little migrant activity here, though we had nice views of Anna's and Allen's Hummingbirds, and not-so-nice views of Turkey Vultures devouring a dead cow!

We then drove to Santa Cruz to chase up a report of a Rock Sandpiper at the high tide Black Turnstone roost on West Cliff Drive. We failed to locate the bird (though it was seen about 90 minutes before we arrived - ouch!), but did see a single Wandering Tattler and a few Black Oystercatchers. A few more stops along the coast west to Natural Bridges beach were surprisingly fruitful. Several Pacific Loons were coming into summer plumage, and amongst the more numerous Pigeon Guillemots we were treated to a pair of Marbled Murrelets and a single Ancient Murrelet close inshore (both new birds for me). Mammal-watching was good too, with a few Gray Whales seen at close range and a party of Sea Otters anchored in the kelp.

Our last stop of the day was Neary Lagoon, to look for Black-and-White and Palm Warblers which had been seen in the last few days. Some searching turned up a couple of Orange-crowned and many Audubon's Warblers, but not the desired duo. However, this was more than compensated for by the wonderful views we obtained of a Pied-billed Grebe nest and Wood Duck family. Here are a few shots of mother and chick Pied-billed Grebe - amazingly, she was hiding 6 chicks about her person!

Loonacy! Part one

Another day, another mad birding dash.... Today Marcel and I drove to Elkhorn Slough in the Monterey Bay area to see a Yellow-billed Loon (a long sought-after life bird for me). The bird showed superbly between 10 and 11am from Kirby Park. Will post an account of all the other interesting birds (and mammals) we saw later, but for now, here's a selection of photos of this fantastic creature for you to enjoy (click on thumbnails for larger images).

A touristy day in SF (no birding!)

Vicky, a good friend of mine trapped in rain-lashed England, put in a request for some non-birding photos on my blog, so this one's for you! I spent Friday evening and most of Saturday in the wonderful city of San Francisco, for a brief but enjoyable reunion with Antonia, a friend from my undergrad days. In spite of getting up at 1am Pacific time and a 6-hour flight, she was game for climbing the Coit Tower to get panoramic views of the city:

We also had a look at the Sealions at Pier 39, who seemed content to lie around, soaking up the afternoon rays.

That evening we ate fantastic Italian food, drank gin and reminisced about the good old days...

Next day I had a brief, unsuccessful look for Swamp Sparrow in Golden Gate Park, but did see these turtles apparently engaging in a conga!

I also climbed a ridiculously high hill to get another great view across the city - it was actually clear enough to make out Point Reyes in the distance.

To friends/family who are contemplating making the long trip over, I hope this whets your appetite!

Putah Creek birds

This morning I decided to burn off last night's indulgence (dark chocolate toblerone fondue - yum!) by biking out to the Putah Creek Riparian Reserve, south of Davis. I stopped off in the arboretum en route to check out the heronry, and in the same spot I had Wilson's Warbler a few days back was a fine Townsend's Warbler.

I parked my bike at the entrance to the picnic ground and walked west as far as the road bridge. Having somehow eluded me so far, I was pleased to add House Wren to my Yolo list - I counted 3 singing males along this stretch of the creek. Good numbers of Cliff, Tree and N Rough-winged Swallows were hawking over the creek. Amongst the many Audubon's and Myrtle Warblers was another Townsend's. It was a good day for gamebirds with both California Quail and 2 Wild Turkeys seen along the track (was nice to get the latter as a county bird, having previously seen them on the wrong side of the creek in Solano Co.).

Ash-throated flycatchers were very much in evidence - I saw at least three birds, including this fine singing male.

A pair of Western Bluebirds were also very obliging:

This Downy Woodpecker wasn't too chuffed to see me, and flew off seconds after this photo was taken.

Waders and Pelicans

Yesterday I headed out with birding partner-in-crime Marcel to the Vic Fazio Wildlife Area, an extensive wetland reserve in Yolo Co. (for those of you in the UK, the place is very similar to the Ouse Washes - large numbers of swans and other wildfowl on the winter floods, drying out almost entirely in the summer). There were many signs of breeding activity: many Yellow-headed Blackbirds have returned to the area, 2 pairs of Blue-winged Teal were present and American Bittern called from the reeds. There were a good number of White Pelicans in the area (c. 80), and I managed to grab a couple of nice shots through the car window as they flew by.

Shorebird migration also seems to be hotting up. Amongst the many breeding-plumaged Long-billed Dowitchers, Least Sandpipers and Dunlin were a single Whimbrel, Marbled Godwit and a couple of Lesser Yellowlegs. The following shot was the only salvageable photo of the dowitchers, taken through bins in strong wind!

SoCal/AZ trip day 6: the long ride home

After yesterday's hummer-fest, we headed back west, stopping off for a delicious meal in a middle eastern restaurant in Tucson, complete with a very accomplished belly-dancer! We stayed overnight in Phoenix, and had an early-morning unsuccessful stab at Black-bellied Whistling Duck. Our next port of call was thrasher country around Buckeye. Walking up a couple of gulches yielded a single Sage Thrasher amongst many Mockingbirds, plus a few migrants including Bullock's Oriole and Ash-throated Flycatcher. An unexpected life bird here was Zone-tailed Hawk.

We left this area around 930am to begin the 12-hour drive back to Davis. Not much in the way of birds, but again some attractive desert scenery. With 200 species and 70 ABA life birds in the bag, this was certainly a Spring Break to remember! Thanks to Marcel for good company, and for doing all the driving!

SoCal/AZ trip day 5: the Huachucas

Today was spent birding in and around the Huachuca Mountains. The grasslands at the foot of the mountains produced Lark and Vesper Sparrows for the trip list. On the drive up to Sawmill Canyon, one birdy spot finally yielded Painted Redstart, a Dusky Flycatcher and frustratingly brief views of an Olive Warbler. From 'the cabin', we walked the trail up to Sawmill Spring. Long stretches of the walk were birdless, but interspersed with patches of high bird activity.
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Ooh, just added Swainson's Hawk to the office list!
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Back to the Huachucas. There seemed to be several pairs of Buff-breasted Flycatchers along the trail, often showing very well, but too mobile for me to digiscope. Yellow-eyed Juncos and Painted Redstarts were frequently encountered, and we came across a pair of freshly arrived Grace's Warblers. One tree-trunk held a Brown Creeper, White-breasted Nuthatch and an Arizona Woodpecker!

After stopping to look at some interesting cave paintings, we set off on our third canyon walk in two days, looking for the famous Mexican Spotted Owls of Scheelite Canyon. Sure enough, a pair was present in the lower roosting area. The owls gave excellent views, though trying to set up a tripod to digiscope them was nigh-on impossible! In the end I managed a reasonable shot through my bins. Other birds seen here included a fly-by Golden Eagle and a smart Canyon Wren singing and foraging along the canyon (surely the prettiest of the US wrens).

Our last port of call was the Ash Canyon B&B, where we had a well-earned sit-down to watch hummingbirds fuelling up for the night at Mary Jo's feeders. We notched up an impressive 8 species here: Magnificent, Broad-billed, Broad-tailed, Anna's, Costa's, Rufous and two new trip (and life) birds in the form of Lucifer and Calliope Hummingbirds. Other birds coming to feeders during our visit included Scott's Oriole, Mexican Jay and Arizona Woodpecker. Thanks to Mary Jo for her hospitality - we may be back again this summer if the Plain-capped Starthroat shows up!

SoCal/AZ trip day 4: patience is a virtue (when staking out gnatcatchers)

27th March 2004

After another no-show by Montezuma Quail, we headed down towards the Mexican border to bird Patagonia Lake (in fact, we got rather closer to the border than we intended, as our road map of this area was somewhat less than accurate). On the outskirts of the town of Continental, Marcel spotted a Thrasher, which turned out to be a Curve-billed. This proved to be a productive stop, yielding my life Black-throated Sparrows and Pyrrhuloxia.

After several wrong turns, we finally arrived at Patagonia. Scrutiny of the cormorants on the lake revealed that the majority were Neotropic. The following rather poor photo illustrates the difference in size, bill shape and ground colour between Double-crested and Neotropic. In the field, the white border to the gular was also visible. The lake also added Canvasback, Spotted Sandpiper, Violet-Green Swallow and Wilson's Snipe to the trip list.

The rest of the morning was spent in the vicinity of "Nutting's Wash" in search of a pair of Black-capped Gnatcatchers. A couple we met the previous day had had fantastic views of these birds nest-building. I initially thought these birds would be easy to locate, but seeing the glum faces of birders who had been searching since first light did not fill me with hope! The wash held a fair number of birds, including numerous singing Lucy's Warblers, Gray and Bell's Vireos and a noisy pair of Northern Beardless-Tyrannulets (great name!). Raptor-watching was productive, with pleasing views of soaring Gray Hawk followed almost immediately by a Prairie Falcon! Again, the heat of the day slowed the birding activity, and along with a charming birding couple from Vancouver, we decided to sit and wait for the Gnatcatchers in their favoured area. Time ticked by, and no sign of the birds (a pair of Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers caused some false excitement earlier in the day). I got bored and sloped off to attempt to photograph a Vermilion Flycatcher. I then heard the nasal call of a gnatcatcher, and sure enough, the male Black-capped Gnatcatcher appeared, followed shortly by the female! We managed to get a couple more birders onto the birds, although unfortunately not the guy who had been there since first light...

With the gnatcatchers safely in the bag, we decided to head over to the Paton's place. En route we saw our only Black Vulture, making this a 3-vulture
trip! A number of Chihuahuan Ravens were present around Patagonia town. Paton's yard was teeming with birds (and birders) - Violet-crowned Hummingbird, White-winged Dove and Lazuli Bunting were all lifers for me. I also managed some pretty good shots of Black-chinned and Costa's Hummingbirds here. Many thanks to Marion Paton for her hospitality.

We decided to end the day in French Joe Canyon looking for Rufous-capped Warbler. A note of caution: to visit this site a high-clearance 4-wheel drive is essential. The dirt 'track' is probably the worst road I have ever driven on! On arriving at the campground, we met another birder who had had no luck in finding the warblers, but had seen a few other birds including Painted Redstart (which we still needed at this point). He told us that it had taken him the best part of an hour to reach the spring, but that the walk was suprisingly easy. We set off up the canyon bed, and miraculously failed to notice the canyon branching off to the right. Instead we climbed through a barbed wire fence to follow a much narrower, steeper canyon. After an hour of sweating, scrambling and being ripped to shreds by cacti without any sign of bird activity, we decided to give up. It was only on the way down that we noticed the error of our ways! The excursion was saved from being a complete disaster by sightings of a single Scott's Oriole, Pyrrhuloxia and my life Crissal Thrasher.

SoCal/AZ trip day 3: Madera Canyon and Sweetwater

26th March 2004

If you're thinking of doing a birding trip in SE Arizona, I thoroughly recommend staying at the Santa Rita Lodge. The lodgings are very comfortable, set in wonderful mountain scenery, with excellent birding on your doorstep. A early morning drive along the canyon road failed to produce Montezuma Quail, but we did spot a male Wild Turkey standing on a bird table! We spent the morning wandering trails below the lodge. This produced sightings of Rufous-crowned, Rufous-winged, Lincoln's, Chipping and White-crowned Sparrows, Lucy's, Black-throated Gray and Nashville Warblers, Dusky, Hammond's and Ash-throated Flycatchers, Northern Cardinal, singing Bell's and Hutton's Vireos, and Canyon Towhee. Bridled Titmouse and Mexican Jay were abundant.

As the day got hotter and the birding got quieter, we decided to spend lunchtime around the hummingbird feeders at the lodge. The hummers put on a great show, and we logged 5 species (Broad-billed, Broad-tailed, Magnificent, Black-chinned and Rufous). I managed an ok shot of Mexican Jay here, but had more success photographing hummers from the rear window of our room. A brief stroll back down the canyon yielded two woodpecker ticks in the form of Red-naped Sapsucker and Arizona Woodpecker.

Since the birding in the canyon had really slowed down, we decided to dash over to the Sweetwater Wetlands in Tucson to look for the Least Grebe that had been hanging out there. While looking for the entrance to the reserve, we spotted a fine Harris's Hawk on top of a lamp-post (the only sighting of the trip). The wetlands themselves failed to produce the grebe, but were otherwise extremely birdy. Excellent close views of many wintering/passage ducks were possible here, with other new trip birds including Yellow Warbler, Yellow-headed Blackbird and Peregrine. A Gila Woodpecker was nesting in the saguaros in the parking lot.

By the time we got back to Madera Canyon, the light was fading (we forgot that Arizona was in a different time zone to CA - whoops!), so we awaited the appearance of Elf Owls from the telegraph poles around Santa Rita Lodge. Sure enough, the first owl appeared while it was still reasonably light. After a spot of dinner, we headed out with flashlights and had good views of Whiskered Screech Owl by the roadside. A great way to end the day!

SoCal/AZ trip day 2 - desert and the Salton Sea

25th March 2004

We spent a fairly restless night at Black Rock Campground in the north of Joshua Tree National Park, listening to Coyotes and a Great Horned Owl. I got up at first light (about 5am) and was immediately surrounded by life birds, including several Cactus Wrens, Gambel's Quails, Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, and a fine pair of Scott's Orioles. Within the first hour of daylight, a flock of c. 15 Pinyon Jays foraged through the campground and promptly disappeared. Marcel had previously seen Pinyon Jay at first light on a previous visit, so maybe this is the first stop on a feeding circuit for this elusive species.

Next stop was the Big Morongo reserve, where we quickly picked up Abert's Towhee and a
Plumbeous Vireo (scarce migrant here) in the vicinity of the parking lot. 3 Hooded Orioles were hanging around the palms, presumably prospecting nest sites. The marshy area yielded good views of Virginia Rail, Hutton's Vireo and Common Yellowthroat, while frustratingly brief views were obtained of Costa's Hummingbird and Lawrence's Goldfinch. The adjacent Covington Park is well worth a visit, and afforded fine views of Vermilion Flycatcher, Cassin's Kingbird, Phainopepla, California Thrasher and Lawrence's Goldfinch. An out-of-place Mountain Chickadee was also present.

The drive down the west side of the Salton Sea was pretty barren and birdless save for an impressive soaring flock of American White Pelicans. We stopped at the Wister Unit, a vegetated patch with fresh water which often hosts unusual wintering passerines and migrants. Notable birds seen here included Black-tailed Gnatcatchers, Lesser Nighthawk, American Redstart, Northern Waterthrush, Wilson's Warbler and Bullock's Oriole. Heading south, the landscape became more arable, and impressive numbers of Cattle Egrets, Great-tailed Grackle and a single Burrowing Owl were seen. We successfully twitched a Roseate Spoonbill at the south end of the Salton Sea, along with a supporting cast of Gull-billed Tern and various waterfowl including a pair of Blue-winged Teal.

Our last birding stop of the day was Ramsey/Finney Lakes, where we failed to find an Anhinga, but added White-faced Ibis and Common Ground Dove to the trip list. We spent the rest of the day driving to our destination in Arizona (Santa Rita Lodge, Madera Canyon) through some rather nice desert scenery, and witnessed a fantastic sunset.

SoCal/AZ trip day 1: Condor!

To celebrate Spring Break, Marcel Holyoak and I embarked on a manic 6-day, 2500-mile birding trip to Southern California and SE Arizona. We saw approx. 200 species, of which 70 were new US birds for me.

24th March 2004
The loooong drive down I5 from Davis to Joshua Tree was punctuated only by a brief but highly successful stop for California Condor in the San Gabriel Mountains, LA Co. Within minutes of arriving we witnessed a near-adult bird fly in, land in a parking spot and proceed to digest a black refuse sack! We obtained stunning views by remaining in our vehicle: the following photos were taken by me with shaking hands through the windshield. The third shot was my first attempt at digibinning!

Excellent directions to this reliable site are available here:

Birds of Davis

Here are some birds commonly seen around Davis:

Acorn Woodpecker

American Kestrel

Northern Mockingbird

Nuttall's Woodpecker

Pied-billed Grebe

Western Scrub-Jay

Yellow-billed Magpie

Mud, glorious mud

Last week I had my first experience of fieldwork up in Willapa Bay, WA. The field sites are only exposed at low tides, and many of them can only be reached by airboat and wading through thick mud! Amateur that I am, I quickly got stuck and had to be dug out (see before and after shots below). Birding was pretty good, with plenty of Bald Eagles, Caspian Terns and hybrid gulls to keep me amused. I've posted a shot below of a bird which resembles Glaucous, but most likely is an aberrant/hybrid Glaucous-winged. Comments welcomed!

Mystery Hawkmoth in Athens

I recently flew over to Athens, GA, to meet up with some old friends. Not really a birding trip, but was good to see eastern birds such as Cardinals, Blue Jays, Carolina Wren and Brown Thrasher which are absent in California. I spotted this rather attractive hawkmoth (akin in size and behaviour to the European Hummingbird Hawkmoth) - can anyone tell me what it is?

Herons of the arboretum

One of the joys of living in Davis is having a variety of good birding habitats on the doorstep. I'm particularly fond of the heron rookery in the UCD Arboretum. Many of the herons are in pristine breeding plumage and actively displaying/nest-building at present. I spent an hour digiscoping around the rookery this morning. As well as herons, I had good views of Red-shouldered Hawks, Nuttall's Woodpeckers and a mixed flock of Audubon's and Myrtle Warblers which held my first Yolo record of Wilson's Warbler. I've posted below a selection of the better photos (click on thumbnails). I seem to be having the opposite problem to many UK digiscopers: the weather here is too bright and sunny, resulting in hopelessly overexposed shots!

Hello!

Welcome to my blog! A little about me: my name's Richard, and I spent the first 25 years of my life birding fairly manically around the UK. In January 2004, I moved to Davis, California to start a research position, and soon found myself birding even more manically than before! Last month I invested in a Nikon Coolpix 4300, which I use with a Leica 66mm APO spotting scope. I envisage using this blog to relate my birding escapades in the US, and to post any half-decent pictures of birds I manage to take. For starters, here's a photo of me enjoying views of my life Heerman's Gull in San Francisco - not a bad view!