A Brit abroad

Night and day hawks

This year, both Common and Lesser Nighthawks are frequenting Meiss Road in Sacramento, providing a rare opportunity to compare these similar species. Sami, Karen, Joan and I drove up last night, and were treated to pretty good flight views of Common and fantastic looks at a pair of Lessers. The male Lesser was particularly obliging as he sat on a fence post in broad daylight!

For comparison, a perched Common Nighthawk photographed last weekend can be seen here.

After running into John Sterling, we listened for Western Screech-Owl and watched the planets (Jupiter's moons and Saturn's rings were clearly visible through the scope) before heading home. It's too darn hot here - when I got back at 11pm the temperature inside the house was 85F!

The Cooper's Hawks at Joan's house have finally fledged, so I headed over this morning to see if I could photograph them. Seems like 8am is too late in the day, and I was only able to spot one fledgling, which spent most of its time dozing. I think an adult came in to feed one of the hidden young, which caused this bird to perk up temporarily.

Swallows at the Wetlands

This evening Joan and I went looking for shorebirds at the City of Davis Wetlands. In spite of some prime-looking muddy edges, we didn't see a single migrant shorebird. Instead, the highlight of the trip was the annual post-breeding congregation of many swallows. Amongst the hundreds of Tree and Cliff Swallows were at least 30 Bank Swallows, of which several were juveniles - great news for this scarce and threatened California breeder. Most of the birds were sitting and preening on the power lines, enabling me to fire off a few shots.

Out of luck!

Well, it was about time! Marcel and I drove to the extreme NE corner of California in the hope of hearing the reported Yellow Rail (an extremely rare bird in the state). We listened unsuccessfully for just over two hours, left the site at 10pm and arrived back in Davis at 4am! Fortunately, the birding en route was very pleasant, and we had stunning views of some higher-elevation species.

First stop was Burney Falls, in search of Black Swift. After about 20 minutes, we observed one seemingly flying through the waterfall to its nest site. Over the next hour we had stunning views of several birds as they circled the pool to gain height, before disappearing into the stratosphere. We were equally impressed by the falls themselves, which must rank among the most scenic in California.

Our route to the Surprise Valley took us via the the Warner Mountains, where we had some excellent birding around the Patterson Meadow and campground. White-headed and Black-backed Woodpeckers showed very well, but this stunning Red-breasted Sapsucker stole the show.

Other cooperative birds at this site included many Dusky Flycatchers...

... and a singing male Cassin's Finch.

As we dropped onto the drier east slope, we were surprised to see this Common Nighthawk flying over, and even more surprised when it landed on a rock in front of us!

The sedge meadow from which the Yellow Rail had been reported was about as far north and east as it is possible to get within California. Over the two-hour period spent listening for this bird, we were treated to a great aerial display by several Common Nighthawks (they whizzed past within inches of us, perhaps attracted by our attending swarm of mosquitoes). Judging by the extent of the yellow in the wings, the Red-winged Blackbirds here appeared to be of the nominate race (as opposed to the Bicolored which breeds in the Central Valley).

We also had great looks at a pair of Vesper Sparrows.

Driving back through the sagebrush, we encountered a number of nocturnal mammals, by far the most abundant of which was the Kangaroo-Rat. We had a job trying to avoid them as they sprung out kamikaze-like into the road - here's one that didn't quite make it...

Lucky streak part 2

After yesterday's excitement, I was just settling back into work when the email arrived - 2 LEAST TERNS at the City of Davis Wetlands - the second county record! In record time I met up with Roger Adamson, and along with Jon King, we relocated the birds in less than an hour, as well as year-ticking an early (or late?) Wilson's Phalarope. Since distance and heat shimmer made photography practically impossible, I returned to the site later that evening with Joan (who had driven 3 hours from Santa Cruz to see the birds). The birds were still quite distant, but this shot is at least enough to document the record.

It was fun to see 3 tern species in the same scope view in Yolo County!

There were a number of duck species on the spit, including Redhead, Blue-winged Teal, Lesser Scaup and Bufflehead. Among them was this intriguing bird. It matched Lesser Scaup in mantle colour and size, but had a large, deep yellow eye and rusty tinge to the head (reminiscent of female Goldeneye), as well as a very distinct ring around the neck. The best we could come up with was hybrid Ring-necked Duck x Lesser Scaup - any feedback on this bird welcome!

Other highlights included single Red-necked Phalarope, Long-billed Curlew, Clark's and Eared Grebes, and a rather large Gopher Snake.

Lucky streak part 1

Those of you who have been following my exploits this year will know I've had more than my fair share of luck this year (e.g. finding myself in the same canyon as the 9th US record of Slate-throated Redstart last month). It seems that it hasn't run out yet! After a 4am start and much walking, I was debating whether to spend my last 3 hours in Humboldt County curled up on a couch. However, since the weather had improved I thought I'd walk down to the Arcata Marsh to see what I could see. On arrival my English accent was immediately recognized by local birder Rob Fowler (we sat at the same table at last night's conference banquet). He yelled at me to come over, as a friend of his had just found a singing YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO, a rare and difficult-to-see species in California and a lifer for me! The bird gave me the runaround for about 45 minutes (poor old Rob had to run halfway round the marsh to come and fetch me), but eventually gave excellent views right next to the footpath.

In addition we detected a Willow Flycatcher (rare breeder in Humboldt Co.) and confirmed what my be the first nesting record of Yellow Warbler for the Marsh. This Black-crowned Night Heron was very confiding.

Another surprise was a mass of Garter Snakes around the parking lot (I almost trod on a tangle of 6 of them).

The markings are typical for Common Garter Snake, although it appears to have 8 (rather than 7) upper labial scales - any herpetologists care to comment?

Rob kindly agreed to drive me up the hill back to campus, and we even had time for a cheeky pint before I caught the plane back to Davis. All in all a great end to my time in Humboldt County!

Humboldt County birding

Last week saw me jetting up to Humboldt State University for a Natural Resource Modelling conference, which happily coincided with the Cooper Ornithological Society annual meeting. Between the 5am field trips and flitting between the two conferences, it was a pretty exhausting week! I arrived in brilliant sunshine, and was immediately impressed with the redwood-lined campus.

The air was filled with the songs of Varied and Swainson's Thrush, Wilson's and Orange-crowned Warblers, while Violet-Green Swallows sailed overhead. Nice! A reasonable number of Red Crossbills were on campus (the first I've seen in CA) and I got reasonable, but distant, views of this singing male.

Later in the evening I headed to Moonstone Beach with two UCDavis-ites (a tidepooler and a boulderer). My attempt to capture the rugged, wild nature of the coastline in a photograph was foiled by some plonker who decided to drive his big ol' truck on the beach!

There was a nice selection of birds around - Common Murres were constantly whizzing back and forth to their nest sites, and a lone Common Loon sat on the sea. This Double-crested Cormorant was feeding at close range in the channel...

... and was observed to swallow an impossibly large fish!

And then the weather changed. Following an offshore earthquake and a tsunami warning(!), we had three days of solid rain. The highlight of a morning trip to Humboldt Bay was wonderful views of this immature Common Loon, which called frequently.

Arcata Marsh was generally rather quiet, partly due to the time of year and partly due to the weather. However, we were treated to fantastic, eye-level looks at Vaux's Swift, Violet-Green Swallow and perched Purple Martins.

This bird had some blue feathers in the scapulars and the top of its head - does this make it an immature male?

This newt (Rough-skinned, I think, because of its pale eye) seemed unperturbed by the downpour)

With the two conferences I had two chances to explore the wonderful Prairie Creek Redwoods. I had seen old-growth redwoods before, but not over such a large area.

The trees weren't the only giants of the forest - some of the Banana Slugs were a fair size too!

Bird highlights on my first visit included Hairy and Pileated Woodpecker and a baby Varied Thrush, but mammals stole the show. Based on range, I guess this is a Shadow Chipmunk.

The Black-tailed Deer were sporting full antlers...

... as were the impressive Roosevelt Elk.

My second trip to the redwoods was more bird-oriented, and led by fellow Brit Rob Hewitt of LBJ enterprises. The horror of waking up at 4am was offset by the experience of watching the dawn flyout of Marbled Murrelets whizzing overhead while their calls echoed around the forest. The low light wasn't conducive to photography, and I only managed shots of a singing Swainson's Thrush...

... and a soggy-looking Steller's Jay.

We birded our way back south to Arcata, stopping off for Black-capped Chickadees at the Orick Dump (state bird for me and lifer for Costa Rican Alejandro). The weather brightened sufficiently that many birds came to dry out, including this American Goldfinch.

I also got my best ever views of Band-tailed Pigeons, which bizarrely chose to sit in low trees in the sand dunes!

We finished the trip with a walk on Clam Beach in an unsuccessful search for Snowy Plovers.

I thought my Humboldt birding experience had ended, but the excitement was only just beginning...

Not a lot: local birding; photo link

Am paying for all the extravagant birding I've done over the last month, and am working like mad to have something to present at a conference in NW California next week. Managed an early morning trip out with Sami LaRocca in search of some Central Valley Big Year target birds. We managed Bank and Violet-Green Swallows, plus Mountain Quail and a rather spectacular view from the top of the Arbuckle Grade. In the absence of any pics of my own, I include a link to Marcel Holyoak's brand new bird photo page - there are many shots of the birds we saw in AZ (only better than mine). The Slate-throated Redstart (RIP) shots are amazing!

AZ cleanup day 5 - Tucson

Having really cleaned up, we decided to have a lie-in (6am!) and to bird the nearby Santa Catalina Mountains. An unsuccessful search of Black-chinned Sparrow habitat around Molino Basin produced a few birds of note, including Crissal Thrasher, Mexican Jay,

Black-tailed Gnatcatcher,

and a soaring Zone-tailed Hawk.

Today's cool bird on a nest was Cactus Wren.

Coming in...

... and out!

Heading up to higher elevation was refreshingly cool, and we saw a few montane species not previously encountered (Audubon's Warbler, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Band-tailed Pigeon). This singing male Virginia's Warbler couldn't have been any more showy!

At the summit, Yellow-eyed Juncos were singing...

... and this Cordilleran Flycatcher sat around for long enough to be photographed.

After a much-needed smoothie and sandwich, we spent our last hour of birding at the Sweetwater Wetlands. Shortly after entering, we were treated to stunning, close-up views of this Bobcat and prey, which sauntered into the path in front of us.

Between this and the resident Harris's Hawks, this Ground Squirrel had good reason to be nervous!

Our run of good birding luck wasn't over yet. A bird flying into a tree-top caught my attention, and I was stunned when it turned out to be a pristine male Rose-breasted Grosbeak, a vagrant to Arizona from further east and my 24th life bird of the trip! A walk around the ponds added a few waterbirds to our trip, the best of which was the long-staying but elusive Least Grebe.

Over the long weekend we notched up a respectable 155 species, including a superb array of rare and localised species. My ABA area list shot up to 537 - must get round to birding the east coast sometime!

AZ cleanup day 4 - Chiricahuas to Aravaipa Canyon

Given the phenomenal success of the last few days, we found ourselves at something of a loose end. We decided to walk up to the scenic lookout from Barfoot Peak.

There was an enormous ladybird roost here, covering most of the plant stems and stone walls.

Star birds of the walk were a singing Red-faced Warbler...

... and this (Mexican race) Northern Pygmy-Owl.

In this photo the owl is staring down at an approaching Hairy Woodpecker, which subsequently scared it off!

Some Texas birders we met at the Bendire's Thrasher were kind enough to direct us to an Olive Warbler nest across the road from our campsite, where we were treated to memorable views of the well-grown chicks.

Feed me!

Mother arrives with sustenance.

With little else left to see in the Chiricahuas, we decided to drive north of Tucson in search of Mississippi Kite along the San Pedro River. We took a back road to Mammoth, encountering a Roadrunner or two and some impressive stands of Saguaro.

Between Mammoth and Winkelman we enjoyed great views of soaring Gray and Zone-tailed Hawks, but hit the nest jackpot yet again in Dudleyville, where Marcel spotted this incubating Mississippi Kite.

We finished off the day in scenic Aravaipa Canyon, where we ran into a pair of Common Black-Hawks apparently building (you've guessed it) a nest.

AZ cleanup day 3 - Beatty's to the Chiricahuas

This morning we returned to Tom Beatty's feeders in Miller Canyon, for yet more amazing hummingbirds. Star of the show was this beautiful male White-eared Hummingbird.

This Magnificent x Berylline hybrid was also a most interesting bird. It sat around the hummingbird feeders for pretty much all of the time we were there, often too close to digiscope!

Other nice hummers included male Broad-tailed...

... and male Blue-throated.

Hepatic Tanager, Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher and Yellow-eyed Junco were all noted in the vicinity.

Our next stop was Carr Canyon, primarily in search of three lifers that I missed on last year's visit (Greater Pewee, Red-faced Warbler, Virginia's Warbler). We had just got out of the car to bird the lowest parking area, when a kind birder pulled up and calmly asked if we knew about the SLATE-THROATED REDSTART at the top of the canyon!!! Marcel's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets - this was a seriously rare bird (only the 9th US record) and a US lifer for him. His past life as a rally car driver came in handy as we raced up to the summit in record time. On walk down to where the bird was, I picked up my lifer Greater Pewee.

We arrived at the site and several kind birders got us on to the redstart. It showed incredibly well over the next hour or so, frequently fanning its broad tail and occasionally calling. Unfortunately it never stayed still for long, and this was the best shot I could manage through the scope (Marcel got some excellent shots with his SLR - am hoping to procure one to post here).

As if this wasn't enough, we made a clean sweep of the other special AZ warblers here (Painted Redstart, Olive, Red-faced, Virginia's and Grace's Warblers).

In the afternoon, we drove south along the Mexican border to approach the Chiricahuas from the east. My one and only visit to New Mexico was to bird Rodeo dump in search of Bendire's Thrasher! We only found a young rattlesnake at this site...

... but caught up with the thrasher a couple of miles to the north on Gin Road.

You'd think we'd have used up all our luck stumbling upon the Slate-throated Redstart, but the birds kept coming - on the road to Portal, we had crappy but conclusive views of two flying Montezuma Quail we flushed from the roadside! We set up camp at 9000ft and spent the rest of the evening birding Pinery Canyon Road. In the fading light we came across two Mexican Chickadees, a species only found in this mountain range in the US.

After dinner we drove the road in search of Whip-poor-will. We started hearing the birds just before dark. Being a life bird for me, I was keen to see one, so we played a Whip-poor-will tape in the hope that one would fly over the car. After just a couple of calls a bird flew onto a branch about 10m away from us. I turned on my spotlight expecting Whip-poor-will, so imagine my surprise when I saw a beautiful Flammulated Owl staring back at me! The bird obligingly stayed put for long enough for me to get a digiscoped photo.

Further up the road we also came across a perched Whip-poor-will - a delightful end to an incredible day's birding.

AZ cleanup day 2 - Ruby Road to Sierra Vista

This morning we birded our way along Ruby Road west towards Buenos Aires NWR. One particular spot was alive with the song of Yellow-breasted Chat, Botteri's and Black-throated Sparrow, and this male Varied Bunting (which unfortunately always remained backlit whenever I tried to photograph him).

Several Costa's Hummingbirds were also working the area.

Further up the road we had excellent close-up views of a perched Gray Hawk.

There was much bird activity around the visitor centre of Buenos Aires NWR. This Hooded Oriole was building his nest in the picnic area...

... while Say's Phoebe chicks had already fledged.

We drove the tour loop in search of quail, and came across this fine calling Scaled Quail.

Many Yuccas were flowering through the reserve.

We finally came across our prime quarry - a Masked Bobwhite - in a rather suspect location: we flushed a male from outside of a cage containing several captive-reared birds. The warden said that sometimes 'wild' bobwhites are attracted there by the prospect of an easy meal and perhaps by the hope of mating with one of the caged birds. Nearby hundreds of butterflies were attracted to mineral deposits on the road surface, including this smart Swallowtail sp (ID anyone?)

Following this, we drove east to Kino Springs, where we rapidly detected a Gray Hawk nest. Three Black-bellied Whistling Ducks (a lifer) obligingly flew over. Other interesting birds at this location included Brown-crested Flycatcher, Cassin's Kingbird,....

singing Cardinal...

... and my first Gilded Flicker (a female). Note the brown on the crown extending onto the nape, the lack of a moustachial stripe and spotting tending towards barring on the vent.

After sitting out another rain squall we visited the famous Patagonia Roadside Rest. As soon as the rain stopped, this Thick-billed Kingbird flew out into the open.

Note the Kiskadee-like yellow stripe along the centre of the crown.

Our last stop of the day was at Beatty's in Miller Canyon to watch the early evening hummingbird show. At the lower feeders we noted several hummingbird species, including my lifer Blue-throated and many Magnificent.

It was only after reviewing my photographs that I realised that this was a female Lucifer Hummingbird!

Arizona cleanup day 1: Madera Canyon to California Gulch

I seem to be on a lucky streak at the moment! Just returned from an outstanding trip to SE Arizona with Marcel Holyoak, where we saw ALL of our target birds, plus a couple of surprises! I managed to get 24 life birds, far exceeding my expectations.

5am saw us heading to the base of Madera Canyon, where we quickly came across my first lifer - a singing Botteri's Sparrow.

There were also many smart Black-throated Sparrows in the area.

We then made a bee-line for Madera Kubo in search of Flame-colored Tanager. The birds didn't disappoint, and gave amazing views as they came down to feed on fruit.

We were lucky enough to locate the nest and watched the female come in several times to feed the chicks.

Hepatic Tanager (another lifer) was also nesting nearby.

A pair of Sulphur-bellied Flycatchers was showing extremely well at this location, often quarrelling with Dusky-capped Flycatchers.

This Yellow-eyed Junco often had a chick in tow.

Our luck with nesting birds continued - this was the first of two Plumbeous Vireo nests we came across today.

Further up the canyon we came across another cooperative Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher...

... and had good views of a Mourning Cloak (aka Camberwell Beauty) sunning itself.

The highlight of the hike was this calling male Elegant Trogon, which seemed completely oblivious to our presence!

In the afternoon we put our rental car through its paces by taking it on the bumpy track to California Gulch. Given that temperatures had hit the 110s in the week before we arrived, we were pleasantly surprised when it remained relatively cool all day. We were, however, completely unprepared for the thunderstorm and torrential rain which was to follow! In spite of the weather, we were successful in finding our three target birds for this spot - Varied Bunting, Five-striped Sparrow, and a Buff-collared Nightjar (we only heard the latter - he was presumably sheltering from the downpour). The rain and gloomy grey skies were not conducive to digiscoping, though I did manage a record shot of a Five-striped Sparrow.

Camping that night was made more interesting by a soggy tent and the appearance of a Black Widow Spider!

Late May miscellany

Well-satisfied with Saturday's Cassin's Sparrow, and with a trip to SE Arizona planned for Memorial Day weekend, birding has taken a back-seat this week. On Sunday I joined a bunch of grad students on a boating trip to Lake Berryessa, where I got to try my hand at wakeboarding. As you can see, I'm a natural!

Birds around the lake included several Western and a few Clark's Grebes, and Osprey. I had great views of this mother Common Merganser and her ten(!) chicks alongside the boat.

Rayhouse Road (the only access to extensive chaparral in Yolo County) finally opened this week, so Joan and I went to see what we could see. Nothing unusual to speak of, but good to catch up with the speciality birds (Mountain Quail, Sage and Rufous-crowned Sparrows, Laz Bunting, Cal Thrasher). We were delighted to find fresh-looking Black Bear tracks along the road.

We checked the barn at the base of Rayhouse for the regular Canyon Wren (the male likes to sing from inside the empty barn, since the acoustic amplifies his already powerful voice).

However, we were pleasantly surprised to find three recently-fledged chicks in the barn. This brave individual ventured outside, perhaps for the first time in its life.