September 14, 2005
Babel birding
After a productive morning's birding with Joan at Babel Slough (Yellow-breasted Chat and the earliest county record of Hermit Thrush being the highlights), I decided to join the Yolo Audubon field trip to the same location the next day. Turned out to be a good idea, as we spotted a ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK, the third county record and an adult male as that! Unfortunately the bird gave flight views only, and in spite of searching for it for pretty much the rest of the day, there was no further sign.
On the upside, the place was teeming with good birds for most of the day - we saw almost all of the regular fall migrants, and a bit more besides including several Vaux's Swifts, a Yellow-breasted Chat which finally gave itself up for the camera,
and Cassin's Vireo.
Good to see West Nile hasn't decimated the local Yellow-billed Magpie population!
Other birds which posed nicely during the day include Pacific-slope Flycatcher...
...Red-shouldered Hawk...
... and Western Tanager.
