Birdingonthe.Net Recent Postings from Kern County > Home > Mail > Alerts Updated on Tuesday, March 9 at 10:40 AM ET The most recently received Mail is at the top.	Stellers Sea Eagle,©BirdQuest

09 Mar Eastern Phoebe east of Bakersfield 3/8/10 (photos) ["Ken and Brenda Kyle" ] 09 Mar Kern River Valley: 8 Mar 10 [Bob Barnes ] 09 Mar eBird Gaps: Week of 8-14 Mar 10 [Bob Barnes ] 08 Mar Red-breasted Merganser - Isabella Reservoir [Alison Sheehey ] 07 Mar Tufted Duck - Isabella Resevoir [Bob Barnes ] 6 Mar Re: Galileo sale price ["Steve & Priscilla Summers" ] 06 Mar Re: Galileo Update ["howe395" ] 06 Mar Swainson's Hawks ["kernkel" ] 6 Mar Re: Galileo Update [] 06 Mar Galileo Update ["kernkel" ] 05 Mar Long-billed Curlews at Lake Ming area 3/5/10 ["Ken and Brenda Kyle" ] 04 Mar Mountain Quail, Williamson's Sapsucker [Bob Barnes ] 02 Mar eBird Gaps: "Week" of 1-7 Mar 10 [Bob Barnes ] 02 Mar RFI Ohio Birders ["magrheum" ] 02 Mar Discussion of eBird Gaps Postings [Bob Barnes ] 02 Mar Reports are due ["kernkel" ] 1 Mar Mountain Plovers [] 28 Feb Eurasian Wigeon ["kernkel" ] 26 Feb Re:1000 snow geese and one black goose [] 22 Feb Cackling Goose and Greater White-fronted Goose in Bakersfield 2/22/10 ["Ken and Brenda Kyle" ] 22 Feb Re: ebird discussion [] 22 Feb Re: ebird discussion [Alison Sheehey ] 22 Feb ebird discussion ["Michael" ] 21 Feb RE: More eBird ["John Wilson" ] 21 Feb More eBird [] 21 Feb Re: eBird, eGaps, eYikes! [Barb Walls ] 21 Feb drama ["JC" ] 21 Feb eBird, eGaps, eYikes! ["kwpenland" ] 20 Feb Re ebird postings and egaps [Jennifer Rycenga ] 21 Feb Re ebird postings and egaps ["wflydecker" ] 20 Feb Re: another post on Bob Barnes' egap reports [] 20 Feb another post on Bob Barnes' egap reports ["Bob and Susan Steele" ] 20 Feb Re: eBird Gaps: Week of 22-28 Feb 10 ["kwpenland" ] 20 Feb Townsend's Warbler 2/19/10 in Hart Park ["Ken and Brenda Kyle" ] 18 Feb eBird Gaps: Week of 22-28 Feb 10 [Bob Barnes ] 18 Feb Cassin's Kingbird east of Lake Ming 2/17/10 ["Ken and Brenda Kyle" ] 17 Feb 16 Feb 10 Kern River Valley [Bob Barnes ] 15 Feb Mountain Plovers 2/15 [Maggie Smith ] 15 Feb Scodie Park ["madielsea" ] 15 Feb A Sheehey's Male Williamson's Sapsucker [Bob Barnes ] 14 Feb eBird Gaps: "Week" of 15-21 Feb 10 [Bob Barnes ] 13 Feb Eurasian Wigeon Pair - Kern NWR [Bob Barnes ] 12 Feb Scodie Park (Onyx, Kern Co.) YB Sapsucker Continues [Bob Barnes ] 08 Feb eBird Gaps: "Week" of 8-14 Feb 10 [Bob Barnes ] 07 Feb Horned Grebe continues at Lake Ming 2/7/10 ["Ken and Brenda Kyle" ] 07 Feb Bald Eagle, Hooded Mergs ["Michael" ] 05 Feb FOS Western Kingbirds; Brown Thrasher Continues [Bob Barnes ] 04 Feb 4 Feb 10 South Fork Kern River Valley [Bob Barnes ] 04 Feb 4 Feb 10 South Fork Kern River Valley [Bob Barnes ] 04 Feb galileo ["dguthrie012000" ] 04 Feb 3 Feb 10 Kern River Valley [Bob Barnes ] 01 Feb 31 Jan 10: Inyo Birders' Kern River Valley Field Trip [Bob Barnes ] 01 Feb eBird Gaps: "Week" of 1-7 Feb 10 [Bob Barnes ] 31 Jan Vermilion Flycatcher continues near Kern River Bike Trail ["wflydecker" ] 30 Jan KRV-Sa, 30 Jan 10: YB Saps-2, Mtn. Bluebirds-196 [Bob Barnes ] 29 Jan Re: Le Conte's Thrasher Singing Season [] 29 Jan Le Conte's Thrasher Singing Season [Bob Barnes ] 28 Jan Horned Grebe, Hooded Mergs ["Michael" ] 27 Jan 27 Jan 10 Kern River Valley & Greenhorn Mtns. [Bob Barnes ] 26 Jan Bald Eagle, Lake Ming ["Michael" ] 26 Jan Point Reyes Birding & Nature Festival -- April 23-26, 2010 -- Registration Open ["will_w04" ] 26 Jan Horned Grebe at Lake Ming east of Bakersfield 1/25/10 ["Ken and Brenda Kyle" ] 24 Jan NEW! Ad. Male YB Sapsucker: 1/24/10-Canebrake ER [Bob Barnes ] 23 Jan Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Continues [Bob Barnes ] 22 Jan California Burrowing Owl Consortium Meeting [Bob Barnes ] 21 Jan eBird Gaps: "Week" of 22-31 Jan [Bob Barnes ] 21 Jan 8 Hooded Mergansers ["Michael" ] 20 Jan Long-eared Owls, Isabella Birds, Am. Dippers [Bob Barnes ] 19 Jan eBird Report - Kern NWR , 1/14/10 [Bob Barnes ] 19 Jan Kern River County Park (Hart Park & Lake Ming) [Bob Barnes ] 19 Jan Productive spot just off CA Hwy. 58 in Bakersfield [Bob Barnes ] 15 Jan Photos-Brown Thrasher continues at A.W. Noon Park in Kern County ["Ken and Brenda Kyle" ] 13 Jan Vermillion Flycatcher at Kern NWR 1/12/10 ["Tony Kurz" ] 11 Jan Kern eBird Update [Bob Barnes ] 11 Jan Onyx's Scodie Park YB Sap Continues [Bob Barnes ] 11 Jan Yellow-bellied Sapsucker at Scodie Park in Onyx [Alison Sheehey ] Subject: Eastern Phoebe east of Bakersfield 3/8/10 (photos) From: "Ken and Brenda Kyle" <kbgoldennugget2 AT aol.com> Date: Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:36:04 -0000 Late yesterday afternoon, Monday, 3/8/10, we observed a bird that we believe is an Eastern Phoebe. We have placed two photos of this bird into the kerncobirding photo section in the album labeled 01Birds. We observed this bird lowering it's tail downward. It did not flip it's tail upward. We did not observe an eyering. The bill was black. In the photos the primary projection is not long. It showed a strong contrast between the white throat and the head. The tail was brown when observing the bird thru the binoculars. This bird was flying out to get insects. In the past, we have not had the opportunity to study this bird. After consulting several field guides, we believe this bird to be an Eastern Phoebe. You may wish to look at the photos we posted before coming to see this bird. This bird was seen on Pioneer Drive east of Bakersfied across from a private ranch. We used a lot of caution not to alarm the owners of the ranch property. . It is a Kern County road, but it is not paved. It rained last night in Bakersfield,therefore, the dirt road may be muddy today. These are the directions to the location where we saw this bird. First, we traveled east on Highway 178 to Comanche Drive. We turned south on Comanche Drive and turned west at the intersection of Comanche Drive and Breckenridge Road.We drove approximately .6(tenths)of a mile west on Breckenridge Road. At .6 of a mile,we watched for a small sign that read Pioneer Drive.The sign is located next to a dirt road. We drove onto the Pioneer Drive dirt road. We drove approximately 1 mile on Pioneer Drive until we came to a ranch house on the north side of Pioneer Drive. The area across from the ranch house is where this bird was seen. Ken and Brenda Kyle Bakersfield Subject: Kern River Valley: 8 Mar 10 From: Bob Barnes <bbarnes AT lightspeed.net> Date: Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:20:30 -0800 Hi, Thank you to Alison Sheehey for posting yesterday's RED-BREASTED MERGANSER observation. Also in the Kern River Valley on Monday morning and California City early Monday afternoon: Canebrake Ecological Reserve and Barlow Rd. - See eBird reports following the following... Ross's Goose - Resident bird(s) on the three par golf course next to the lake in Central Park, California City... Tundra Swan - Resident bird on the three par golf course next to the lake in Central Park, California City... Common Merganser - Only one (female) found on Isabella Reservoir after up to 4500-5000 during January and much of February... Mountain Quail - Several calling in the vicinity of Bert's Park (CA Hwy 178 milepost 74.00) and Canebrake Ecological Reserve (entrance at CA Hwy 178 mile 66.7)... Eared Grebe - None found from three vantage points of Isabella Reservoir (Kissack Cove, Nuui Cunni/French Gulch, North Fork) vs. 3000+ in January... Western/Clark's Grebes - 500-1000 remain ... equal to or slightly surpassing last year's summering population... Williamson's Sapsucker - First fund by Alison Sheehey, a male continuing at 2 acre Scodie Park (Kern County Parks & Rec)) in Onyx... Townsend's Solitaire - Alongside Rancheria Rd., 300m-400m south of Greenhorn Summit... American Dipper - Slippery Rock Launch site on the Kern River across from/below the entrance to Main Dam Campground. Location: South Fork Valley--Canebrake Ecological Reserve Observation date: 3/8/10 Notes: 6:05am-7:45am. 40.2F-47F. 67% humidity at start. Number of species: 41 * Mallard 77 Foraging in currently grazed cattle pasture. * Green-winged Teal 2 * Wild Turkey 2 * Mountain Quail 2 Calling fro hillsides across CA Hwy 178 from entrance to Public Access Trail. * California Quail 9 * Red-shouldered Hawk 1 * Red-tailed Hawk 1 * American Kestrel 2 Perched together on telephone pole... * Virginia Rail 4 * Sora 1 * Mourning Dove 1 * Great Horned Owl 1 Flushed two times from along Public Access Trail... * Nuttall's Woodpecker 4 * Northern Flicker 2 * Black Phoebe 2 * Say's Phoebe 1 * Western Scrub-Jay 2 * Common Raven 4 * Tree Swallow 1 Foraging over pond... * Oak Titmouse 5 * White-breasted Nuthatch 1 * Cactus Wren 1 In Joshua tree woodland adjacent to parking area... * Rock Wren 5 * Bewick's Wren 5 * Marsh Wren 1 * Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2 * Western Bluebird 1 * Hermit Thrush 1 * Wrentit 1 * European Starling 12 * Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 2 * Spotted Towhee 1 * California Towhee 4 * Rufous-crowned Sparrow 1 On hillside across from Public Access Trail entrance. On rocks just above 40 mph curve sign alongside CA Hwy 178. * Savannah Sparrow 1 * Song Sparrow 10 * White-crowned Sparrow 14 * Red-winged Blackbird 10 * Tricolored Blackbird 30 * Brewer's Blackbird 30 * blackbird sp. 250 * House Finch 5 This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org/california/) Location: Lake Isabella--Barlow Rd. and Ponderosa Rd. Observation date: 3/8/10 Notes: 8:57am-9:17am. Highlight: seasonal pond full from by winter rain. Number of species: 16 * Cinnamon Teal 2 On pond below Auxiliary Dam... * Common Goldeneye 1 At Borel Canal... * Great Blue Heron 1 At edge of pond at base of Auxiliary Dam... * Mourning Dove 3 At pond area... * Anna's Hummingbird 1 At pond area... * Black Phoebe 2 At pond area... * Common Raven 1 * Tree Swallow 1 Foraging over pond... * Northern Rough-winged Swallow 20 Foraging over pond and perching in adjacent trees... * Cliff Swallow 2 Foraging over pond... * Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1 In trees at edge of pond... * White-crowned Sparrow 2 In shrubbery near pond... * Red-winged Blackbird 1 In tree at edge of pond... * Brewer's Blackbird 2 At pond... * American Goldfinch 3 In tree at edge of pond... * House Sparrow 1 In tree at edge of pond... Farm barn within 400m. This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org/california/) Bob Barnes, Ridgecrest, Kern County, California Cell Phone #: 760-382-1260 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: eBird Gaps: Week of 8-14 Mar 10 From: Bob Barnes <bbarnes AT lightspeed.net> Date: Tue, 09 Mar 2010 05:35:42 -0800 Hi, The following species have never been reported to eBird for the second week in March in any year: * Greater White-fronted Goose * Blue-winged Teal * Ring-necked Pheasant * loons of any species * Horned Grebe * American Bittern * California Condor * Bald Eagle * Northern Goshawk * Long-billed Curlew * Dunlin * Band-tailed Pigeon * Spotted Dove * Common Ground-Dove * Western Screech-Owl * Northern Pygmy-Owl * Spotted Owl * Northern Saw-whet Owl * Lewis's Woodpecker * White-headed Woodpecker * Pileated Woodpecker * Vermilion Flycatcher * Cassin's Kingbird * Hutton's Vireo (or any other vireos except Plumbeous) * Pinyon Jay * Clark's Nutcracker * Yellow-billed Magpie * Barn Swallow * Pygmy Nuthatch * Brown Creeper * Golden-crowned Kinglet * Cedar Waxwing * Black-throated Gray Warbler * Townsend's Warbler * Cassin's Finch * Red Crossbill * Pine Siskin Continued Happy & Productive Birding, Bob Barnes, Ridgecrest, Kern County, California [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Red-breasted Merganser - Isabella Reservoir From: Alison Sheehey <natureali AT gmail.com> Date: Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:23:00 -0800 Hi All, As turnabout is fair play, this is a report for Bob Barnes who called me from the field. While searching for county birds for his ebird quest and a quick search for the reported Tufted Duck (which hasn't been located), Bob found a female Red-breasted Merganser around 10 a.m. Monday, March 8. The bird was seen swimming westerly toward the center of the reservoir near the northwestern shore of the former location of North Fork Marina (by Tillie Creek Campground). Good birding, Ali Sheehey Weldon, CA Subject: Tufted Duck - Isabella Resevoir From: Bob Barnes <bbarnes AT lightspeed.net> Date: Sun, 07 Mar 2010 10:10:23 -0800 Hi, Apologies of lack of a more timely post. Read on and you will understand why. A Scandinavian tour group of 15+ birders from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden reported having observed a TUFTED DUCK on Isabella Reservoir in the Kern River Valley this past Friday, March 5th. The observation came to light to a birder/musician at the Kern River Brewery in Kernville on Friday night. That birder just told Alison Sheehey who, in turn, just called me. Unfortunately, the exact location of the observation was not discovered. There is no epicenter from which to start looking and Isabella is a rather large reservoir.. Better late than never ... or something like that ... or worse! Bob Barnes, Ridgecrest, Kern County, California Subject: Re: Galileo sale price From: "Steve & Priscilla Summers" <summers AT ocsnet.net> Date: Sat, 6 Mar 2010 07:50:06 -0800 Here's a website detailing the offer of sale of the Silver Saddle Ranch and Club as of Dec. 15, 2009. http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=210094142469 &comments&ref=mf Scroll to the very bottom for the price, $16.75 million . Steve Summers Porterville [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Re: Galileo Update From: "howe395" <howe395 AT yahoo.com> Date: Sat, 06 Mar 2010 10:00:41 -0000 Perhaps a bit premature for an obituary, but considering we are entering month five without any water to the facility, the high asking price for the park/surrounding real estate (north of $30 million in late Oct), and the current state of the economy, I'm inclined to be pessimistic. During the approximately 25 years of its existence as a birding destination, 330 species (and four convincing hypotheticals) were recorded in the park. I would surmise that, with the exception of Furnace Creek, Galileo has the highest site list for a discrete desert location away from the Salton Sea. And as was pointed out on another listserve, those 330 species contained some pretty amazing records. Sheer magic, for those of us lucky enough to enjoy the place and its avian rewards, profound regrets at its closure. Andrew Howe howe395 AT yahoo.com Riverside, CA Subject: Swainson's Hawks From: "kernkel" <kkheindel AT gmail.com> Date: Sat, 06 Mar 2010 05:49:38 -0000 This afternoon (5 March 10) there were more than 30 Swainson's Hawks in the alfalfa fields and surrounding orchards at Wildwood and Dresser Ave. this is roughly between Wasco and the Kern Refuge. Kelli Levinson Bakersfield Subject: Re: Galileo Update From: yakimapark AT aol.com Date: Sat, 6 Mar 2010 00:48:55 EST Kelli- do you know what the asking price is? Maybe we can find some grants to make it a "working" preserve?? Marcia H. Wolfe MH Wolfe and Associates Environmental Consulting, Inc. POB 10254 Bakersfield, CA 93389 Phone 661-837-1169 Fax 661-837-8467 Cell 805-839-4142 mwolfe AT mhwolfeassoc.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Galileo Update From: "kernkel" <kkheindel AT gmail.com> Date: Sat, 06 Mar 2010 05:26:51 -0000 KERNCOBIRDNG Subscribers: Unfortunate news from remaining staff at Silver Saddle Ranch & Club at the desert oasis of Galileo Hill in the Mojave Desert of eastern Kern County: * Galileo Hill/Silver Saddle is closed period (to both non-members and members). * Galileo Hill/Silver Saddle is for sale. * No offers on Galileo Hill/Silver Saddle from potential buyers have been made to date. * Therefore, the ultimate future regarding birders and Galileo Hill is yet to be determined and birders are asked not to visit the site in the meantime. Since Galileo Hill is written up in ABA's A Birders Guide to Southern California, feel free to forward this message to those whom you think should know to help avoid visits by those who might not otherwise be advised of the closure. Kelli Levinson Bakersfield Subject: Long-billed Curlews at Lake Ming area 3/5/10 From: "Ken and Brenda Kyle" <kbgoldennugget2 AT aol.com> Date: Fri, 05 Mar 2010 22:35:58 -0000 Today, Friday, 3/5/10,at 1:45PM we saw 150+ Long-billed Curlews resting on the grassy knoll just south of Lake Ming. Last year, 3/11/09, we saw a large flock of Long-billed Curlews and a few Whimbrels in this same location. Ken and Brenda Kyle Bakersfield Subject: Mountain Quail, Williamson's Sapsucker From: Bob Barnes <bbarnes AT lightspeed.net> Date: Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:46:31 -0800 Hi, At least three MOUNTAIN QUAIL were actively calling 6am-6:15am yesterday morning from the edges of the bowl found directly across CA Hwy 178 from the entrance to the Canebrake Ecological Reserve. The male WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKER, first found by Alison Sheehey, continued at Scodie Park in Onyx. COMPLETE CER list... Location: South Fork Valley--Canebrake Ecological Reserve Observation date: 3/3/10 Notes: 6am-8:10am, We, 3 March 2010. 36F-50F, 93%!-64% humidity. NOTE: Pacific tree frogs have started calling/singing also. Number of species: 45 * Mallard 90 Highest count of the winter at this location. Foraging in cattle occupied pasture flanking the Public Access Trail. Put to flight by my advancing presence. Count made during repeated "Mallard-style" circling flyovers. * Cinnamon Teal 4 Two pairs flushed from pond. * Green-winged Teal 4 Two pairs flushed from pond. * Wild Turkey 2 6:42am. * Mountain Quail 3 First detected birds of "spring." At least three were calling consistently, almost continuously, from 6am-6:15am. * California Quail 11 * Red-shouldered Hawk 1 * Red-tailed Hawk 1 * American Kestrel 1 * Virginia Rail 6 First time this vocal in several visits. * Mourning Dove 1 * Greater Roadrunner 1 * Great Horned Owl 1 * Nuttall's Woodpecker 4 * Hairy Woodpecker 1 * Northern Flicker 4 * Black Phoebe 1 * Say's Phoebe 1 * Western Scrub-Jay 4 * Common Raven 4 * Tree Swallow 2 * Oak Titmouse 4 * Bushtit 4 * White-breasted Nuthatch 1 * Cactus Wren 1 In Joshua tree woodland flanking two sides of the Reserve's parking area. * Rock Wren 3 * Canyon Wren 1 * Bewick's Wren 7 * Marsh Wren 1 * Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2 * Western Bluebird 2 * Wrentit 1 * European Starling 37 * Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 3 * Spotted Towhee 4 * California Towhee 4 * Rufous-crowned Sparrow 1 Across from Canebrake ER entrance on hillside with large juniper between the rock painted white with golden SC letters on it and the 40 mph curve sign on CA Hwy 178. * Savannah Sparrow 1 * Song Sparrow 8 * White-crowned Sparrow 96 * Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) 6 * Red-winged Blackbird 6 * Tricolored Blackbird 50 Numbers appear to be increasing as nesting season approaches. * Western Meadowlark 1 * Brewer's Blackbird 4 * blackbird sp. 300 * House Finch 4 This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: eBird Gaps: "Week" of 1-7 Mar 10 From: Bob Barnes <bbarnes AT lightspeed.net> Date: Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:43:32 -0800 Hi, The following species have never been reported to eBird for the first week in March in any year: * Greater White-fronted Goose * Cackling Goose * Tundra Swan * Blue-winged Teal * Common Goldeneye * Ring-necked Pheasant * Wild Turkey * Mountain Quail * loons of any species * Horned Grebe * Northern Goshawk * Prairie Falcon * Sora * Sandhill Crane * Mountain Plover * American Avocet * Spotted Sandpiper * Long-billed Curlew * Western Sandpiper * Wilson's Snipe * Herring Gull * Caspian Tern * Spotted Dove * Common Ground-Dove * Barn Owl * Western Screech-Owl * Northern Pygmy-Owl * Burrowing Owl * Spotted Owl * Northern Saw-whet Owl * Costa's Hummingbird * Rufous Hummingbird * Williamson's Sapsucker * Yellow-bellied Sapsucker * Red-naped Sapsucker * Downy Woodpecker * White-headed Woodpecker * Pileated Woodpecker * Vermilion Flycatcher * Cassin's Kingbird * Hutton's Vireo (or any other vireos except Plumbeous) * Pinyon Jay * Clark's Nutcracker * Yellow-billed Magpie * Pygmy Nuthatch * American Dipper * Golden-crowned Kinglet * Blue-gray Gnatcatcher * Townsend's Solitaire * Wrentit * Black-throated Gray Warbler * Townsend's Warbler * Rufous-crowned Sparrow * Brewer's Sparrow * Sage Sparrow * Yellow-headed Blackbird * Brown-headed Cowbird * Red Crossbill Continued Happy & Productive Birding, Bob Barnes, Ridgecrest, Kern County, California [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: RFI Ohio Birders From: "magrheum" <gordo92151 AT bex.net> Date: Tue, 02 Mar 2010 04:15:38 -0000 My wife and I are from Ohio and we will be birding in Santa Barbara, Kern and San Diego counties in the middle of March for 9 days. I have Brad Schrams "Birders Guide to Southern California". I would appreciate any help in finding some of our target birds which include the following Mountain Quail Tricolored Blackbird Lawrence's Goldinch Band Tailed Pigeon Crissal Thrasher LeContes Thrasher Thick billed Fox Sparrow Hooded Oriole Scotts Oriole California Condor Any help would be greatly appreciated. Please respond to email address Thank you in advance Mike Gordon Sylvania,Ohio Subject: Discussion of eBird Gaps Postings From: Bob Barnes <bbarnes AT lightspeed.net> Date: Tue, 02 Mar 2010 11:18:02 -0800 Hi, Thanks to Katy Penland for sparking a discussion of eBird gaps postings. And, thank you to those of you who contributed to the follow-up discussion. Agree or disagree, following is my rationale for the postings: * Sightings of birds rare to Kern County or better for those interested in rare birds * Sightings of birds which might be of interest to California county birders/listers * Lists of birds for those interested in Status & Distribution * List of birds for out-of-state birders or those who live outside any species range * Highlights at the top of email for those not interested in the lists which follow * Postings attractive to as wide an audience as possible * Postings with the hope, but not necessarily expectation, that others will post to kerncobirding as well ... to the degree that my postings are more proportionally balanced in number in the context of others * Postings of eBird gaps to those who already use eBird or who might wish to do so sometime in the future * Knowledge that if eBird gaps postings (or any other postings from any others) are not of interest, the DELETE button may be (and probably is! :) selectively used. Based on the above types of postings the following has taken place... * Several birders from out-of-state have decided to include Kern County in California birding visits based on being made aware of the what, when, and where of species of interest to them which may be of less interest to local birders (e.g.: White-headed Woodpecker, Hermit Warbler, Tricolored Blackbird) * Some California county birders/listers have followed-up directly or indirectly * One person related that while they do not currently use eBird, they are now writing down the what, why, and when of their sightings with accompanying increased awareness of bird status and distribution * More in depth knowledge of more birding locations is being passed on to kerncobirding subscribers. * Some eBirders, including me, are posting to eBird more conscientiously and consistently * Some people who have investigated eBird and decided it is currently NOT for them are nevertheless passing on information for possible follow-up by those of us who do use eBird BOTTOM LINE: The goal is to provide what, when, and where information to birders of all levels of expertise from any geographic region. Inclusive to the greatest degree allowable/possible. Exclusive to the least degree allowable/possible. Continued Happy & Productive Birding, Bob Barnes, Ridgecrest, Kern County, California [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Reports are due From: "kernkel" <kkheindel AT gmail.com> Date: Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:33:07 -0000 The Winter Season (1 December 09 – 28 Feb 10) has ended, and it is time to compile a report detailing the significant sightings that took place in Kern County. Please forward to me all reports of interest including unusual species, late/early migrant dates, out of season records, high numbers, notable absences etc…. Please include written descriptions, photographs, recordings, sketches, etc. to support your report and add to the value of your finds. Reports that are posted online and do not include supportive details are not included. It is very helpful when reports are submitted in taxonomic order and include supporting details and/or links to where this information may be found online. It will be greatly appreciated if I could receive your reports by March 10th. Thanks for your help. Kelli H. Levinson KKHeindel AT ... Subject: Mountain Plovers From: TEdell AT aol.com Date: Mon, 1 Mar 2010 00:57:30 EST Maggie Smith and I saw 23 MOUNTAIN PLOVERS today in western Kern County. These birds continued along Bitterwater Valley Road about one and one-half mile from Hwy 46. The plovers were 200-300 yards east of the road in a greening grassland. The GPS coordinates for the location are 35.60306, -119.93830. Tom Edell Cayucos, CA [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Eurasian Wigeon From: "kernkel" <kkheindel AT gmail.com> Date: Sun, 28 Feb 2010 00:34:36 -0000 This morning there was a male Eurasian Wigeon at the Bakersfield Wastewater Treatment Plant. It was on the west side of Mt. Vernon in the middle of three furthest west ponds. Kelli Levinson Subject: Re:1000 snow geese and one black goose From: yakimapark AT aol.com Date: Fri, 26 Feb 2010 18:50:03 EST Ok guys- I was in Ridgecrest today and saw a bunch of snow geese flyover- about 75. So we "followed" them as they were skimming over the rooftops of homes landing somewhere out of sight. Turns out they landed to graze with about 1000 snow geese on an irrigated field (looked like it was secondary waste water treatment irrigation) at the end of "Upjohn" (on dirt trail). Anyway, in all that melee of geese ( it was really cool!!), there was one black body. Spying in on it with my glasses, it turned out to be a goose. It had a black neck and the entire side of its face was white- not just a streak or line like on the white fronted goose, but the entire side of its face. There was nothing in two of my books I had with me that looked like it. Then I found the barnacle goose, emperor goose and blue goose after I got back to the office. The pics of the blue goose in the book didn't look like it, but a google pic search showed one that looked pretty darn close- making it look like it was probably a blue goose = snow goose. But.... was wondering if there is anyone out there over by Ridgecrest who could take a look. This was about 1 PM today. Seems like there is a lot of possible variation in the snow goose. Thanks- Marcia Wolfe [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Cackling Goose and Greater White-fronted Goose in Bakersfield 2/22/10 From: "Ken and Brenda Kyle" <kbgoldennugget2 AT aol.com> Date: Mon, 22 Feb 2010 21:33:08 -0000 Today, Monday, 2/22/10, we saw one Greater White-fronted Goose and one Cackling Goose feeding in a field with six Canada Geese. We saw them at the corner of N.Silect Avenue and Arrow Street. This is not the same Greater White-fronted Goose that has been seen at Hart Park. Ken and Brenda Kyle Bakersfield Subject: Re: ebird discussion From: yakimapark AT aol.com Date: Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:58:50 EST I agree with you Michael (and we are glad you love the list serve), and I join Ali in commending you for all your moderator work! I recently returned from New Mexico and I had a difficult time finding anything online about the birds there. This list serve is a wonderful source of information and communication. And we also all appreciate the constant effort Bob, and everyone else who posts here, puts into communicating what he and others have observed as well. We are so lucky!! Its one of the reasons we are one of the "birdiest" counties- as in conjunction with the wide variety of habitats present, many are taking the time to observe and document, and verify. To top it off, that is all part of what helps to make good science, and good birding!! Marcia H. Wolfe MH Wolfe and Associates Environmental Consulting, Inc. POB 10254 Bakersfield, CA 93389 Phone 661-837-1169 Fax 661-837-8467 Cell 805-839-4142 mwolfe AT mhwolfeassoc.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Re: ebird discussion From: Alison Sheehey <natureali AT gmail.com> Date: Mon, 22 Feb 2010 08:42:36 -0800 Michael wrote: > > > I love this listserv and am proud to be its moderator. > Michael, I want to thank you for your generosity in creating this listserve and for your love of birding and those new to the experience. I am always amazed at how generous you are with your time for those who are looking for a birding/owling leader. I do not understand those who find their needs so pressing as to want to stop the flow of information that this list has so generously offered. Bob's prodding has finally made me realize Ebird is not solely personal but for the benefit of all. I am not going to search Ebird every week to find gaps and really appreciate the time Bob spends researching what should be on the list. Maybe with his amazing work, Kern will stop being not just a gap in Ebird but the big gap in most books on status and distribution. Thanks again for taking on the task of moderator. You are very much appreciated. Ali Sheehey Weldon, CA [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: ebird discussion From: "Michael" <macbirder1 AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 22 Feb 2010 07:14:01 -0000 There are two considerations in this discussion: in my mind, the most important ting is to remain civil no matter WHAT your stand or belief. As long as we have members who are from a considerable distance, we will continue to post our specialty and west-coast birds. I use the SE Arizona listserv for my travels there and the Texas listerv for birding in that area. (Florida, too, by the way.) Bob is s superb birder, friend, and contributer and I thank him for his continued dedication to kerncobirding. I love this listserv and am proud to be its moderator. Michael McQuerrey moderator, kerncobirding Subject: RE: More eBird From: "John Wilson" <jcwilson AT lightspeed.net> Date: Sun, 21 Feb 2010 19:40:02 -0800 Hi All, With the moderator's indulgence, I'll add my "two cents". I have always thought the purpose of this list-server, and all other bird list-servers is not just to report "rare" bird sightings, but any and all bird sightings that any member feels is pertinent. Clearly "pertinent" bird sightings are often in the eyes of the beholder but since this list-serve isn't exactly overwhelming my in-box, I would encourage the continued posting by any member about any sighting. If I don't care to read the content I have a delete key handy. As far as the "e-bird gaps" issue, I have always looked at them as much as a Request for Information sort of post and not necessarily the posting of bird sightings that never were. Happy and Productive Birding, John Wilson [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: More eBird From: Kernbirder AT aol.com Date: Sun, 21 Feb 2010 18:24:19 EST Katy Penland Pine Mountain, CA wrote: I was merely asking why he's posting info that's not germane to this list's purpose. Unless the list's purpose has changed?.............what has this to do with the purpose of the kerncobirding list? Good questions. I was told the purpose of the list was to report "rare bird" sightings. That sounds good, but with some of the better birders in the area and some that frequently bird Kern County, seldom, if ever, post anything. It would appear this form of communication among Kern birders could be better utilized to appeal to a broader audience. I hope the purpose of the list has or can be changed, and not only be used to report the rare sightings, but also what has not been seen but should have, first of spring sightings, unusual quanities, or anything that might be of interest to all birders, etc. There are so few postings it doesn't take much effort to delete what you don't want to read. I enjoy the SLO birding list that is very active and informative. They went through this same discussion several year ago with quite a bit of controversy and difference of opinion. I believe the consensus was to encourage birding, especially to the new birder, and to report anything that may be of interest regardless of rarity or level of ability. I concur with Susan Steele, Bill Lydecker & Marcia H. Wolfe's comments. I hope Bob continues with his postings. More than once they have motivated me to go out and look for a certain bird I know that should be where I bird, but hasn't be reported to eBird. Sometimes I'm successful, sometimes not, but at least it gets me out and updates eBird's data if I am.. Sorry for the late post, but my Internet connection has been acting up. Gordon Black Bakersfield [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Re: eBird, eGaps, eYikes! From: Barb Walls <_jestergirl AT yahoo.com> Date: Sun, 21 Feb 2010 14:25:41 -0800 (PST) I am grateful to any information all of you post. I learn as I read. When I looked over the eBird lists, I was amazed that even I had spotted some of those birds during the weeks listed. I think on a list like this people do need to post informational messages. It may be annoying to some of you UberBirders, but there's a group of people who are interested and want to learn more. If you don't have patience for the up-and-coming group of birders, all your expertise and technical insight will disappear after you're gone.  Up in Squirrel Valley at Lake Isabella, I saw my first Western Meadowlark of the year. I also saw 4 Acorn Woodpeckers (there's a colony near Raccoon and Grey Fox Dr.) Also seen:spotted toweesdark eyed juncosoak titmiceCalifornia thrasherEurasian Collared DoveCalifornia quailAnna's hummingbirdCalifornia scrub jay Barb Walls [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: drama From: "JC" <scanubod AT sbcglobal.net> Date: Sun, 21 Feb 2010 15:11:03 -0000 Katy, as an "out of towner" I am amazed at the drama that people cause on bird sites. People always seem to want to attack other people that are out looking for birds or supply bird information. You seem like a perfect example. I am leaving here "scratching my head". Jeff C. Vta. Subject: eBird, eGaps, eYikes! From: "kwpenland" <kwpenland AT yahoo.com> Date: Sun, 21 Feb 2010 08:16:37 -0000 Sorry, folks, I didn't mean to step on anyone's toes. First, though, I want to clarify that I was not taking a shot at Bob. I was merely asking why he's posting info that's not germane to this list's purpose. Unless the list's purpose has changed? However, with all due respect, the four responses so far are actually making the case for my post in the first place. Susan says she uses Bob's posts to compare, e.g., "this year's first sighting date [of swallows] with previous years." Then why not go to eBird to get this info to begin with? She continues by saying that knowing about eBird gaps is "furthering our understanding of status and distribution of Kern County birds." It only can further our understanding if people post to eBird so that those data are available. But that is not the purpose of the kerncobirding list, to nag people into posting to eBird. Marcia's point is well-taken about piquing beginners' interests in starting to use eBird for themselves. But again, what has this to do with the purpose of the kerncobirding list? It also isn't a matter of deleting what we don't want to read; it's to stop duplicating info that's already available elsewhere. Bill, ditto my comment about kerncobirding's purpose. Jennifer, as you're an out-of-towner, I don't understand how you can help fill in eBird gaps for Kern County unless you were already here in those weeks. How could Bob's posts give you "some special goals to look for to address those gaps"? That really left me scratching my head. At any rate, again my apologies for stepping on people's toes, especially if you thought I was stepping on Bob's. With as many lists and posts as the birding community generates – and in California there is a lot of cross-posting that occurs – I just wish we would use the `net a little smarter and cut down on bandwidth where it isn't necessary. A good start would be making use of features already in place here on YahooGroups – how about Bob putting his "eBird gaps" reports in "Files" and the list mod/owner/parent adding eBird to the "Links" folder? Katy Penland Pine Mountain, CA Subject: Re ebird postings and egaps From: Jennifer Rycenga <gyrrlfalcon AT earthlink.net> Date: Sat, 20 Feb 2010 20:17:46 -0800 As an out-of-towner (and admitted eBird supporter), I very much appreciate Bob's postings, which enable me to both anticipate what might be around on any trip to Kern, but also give me some special goals to look for, to address the gaps. Jennifer Rycenga Half Moon Bay, CA visit http://birding.sequoia-audubon.org/ The San Mateo County Birding Guide Subject: Re ebird postings and egaps From: "wflydecker" <wlydecker AT bak.rr.com> Date: Sun, 21 Feb 2010 03:56:55 -0000 I find Bob Barnes' checklist and egap postings useful and I encourage other people in Kern County to post observations to ebird. Bill Lydecker Bakersfield, CA Subject: Re: another post on Bob Barnes' egap reports From: yakimapark AT aol.com Date: Sat, 20 Feb 2010 22:06:53 EST I too find Bob's postings interesting. It has piqued me to keep looking around even during times I may not ordinarily be checking on birds and I concur with Susan relative to seasonal distribution gaps- and even perhaps over a long period of time, changes in appearance/timing relative to global warming. And maybe the notes would pique a beginner to start making their own records. If the notes are bothersome to some, the title is in the email and knowing the subject, they simply can be deleted without opening. Marcia H. Wolfe [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: another post on Bob Barnes' egap reports From: "Bob and Susan Steele" <steele7 AT verizon.net> Date: Sat, 20 Feb 2010 18:30:56 -0800 First, let me start by saying this isn't a post on the merits/lack there of of ebird. It is simply commentary on how I use Bob Barnes weekly ebird gap posts. I find Bob's posts interesting from a status and distribution point of view. It is a window into the changing of the seasons. An example would be the weeks when Bob has posted ebird gaps for February swallow reports. This is the month when most of the swallows make their first tentative appearances. For me, the first yearly appearance of a species is something fun to look forward to and I compare this year's first sighting date with previous years. Bob's use of the weekly ebird gaps to try and fill some of the voids, is furthering our understanding of status and distribution of Kern County birds. I support his efforts by letting him know if I've seen any of the "missing" species and I anticipate his many detailed Kern bird posts. Susan Steele Inyokern, CA [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Re: eBird Gaps: Week of 22-28 Feb 10 From: "kwpenland" <kwpenland AT yahoo.com> Date: Sat, 20 Feb 2010 21:56:32 -0000 Sorry to be a wet blanket, but enough with the "eBird gaps" reports, already. :-) I think by now, Bob, we're all familiar with the virtues of eBird. Your weekly nagging about "gaps" in its database as well as posting auto-generated, days-old reports (which we can go to eBird to get if we're so inclined) are becoming, well, um, just a tad on the annoying side, IMHO. Could we keep kerncobirding to rare or unusual bird sightings and dispense with flogging the merits or deficiencies of eBird (or any other reporting mechanism)? Much appreciated! Katy Penland Pine Mountain, CA --- In kerncobirding AT yahoogroups.com, Bob Barnes wrote: > > Hi, > > Sending out three days early due to out-of-Kern Co. vacation 19 Feb-Mar 1... > * Species never reported to eBird for the last week in February > in any year... > * Species not report yet for any of February 2010 to date... > * Species still remaining never reported for third week in > February in any year... > > The following species have never been reported to eBird for the last > week in February in any year: > * Tundra Swan > * Wood Duck > * Blue-winged Teal > * Hooded Merganser > * Chukar > * Wild Turkey > * Mountain Quail > * loons of any species > * Cattle Egret > * California Condor > * Osprey > * Northern Goshawk > * Golden Eagle > * Merlin > * Peregrine Falcon > * Sora > * Mountain Plover > * Spotted Sandpiper > * Herring Gull > * Spotted Dove > * Barn Owl > * Western Screech-Owl > * Northern Pygmy-Owl > * Spotted Owl > * Northern Saw-whet Owl > * Rufous Hummingbird > * Lewis's Woodpecker > * Williamson's Sapsucker > * Yellow-bellied Sapsucker > * Hairy Woodpecker > * White-headed Woodpecker > * Pileated Woodpecker > * Vermilion Flycatcher > * Cassin's Kingbird > * Hutton's Vireo (or any other vireos except Plumbeous) > * Steller's Jay > * Pinyon Jay > * Clark's Nutcracker > * Yellow-billed Magpie > * Pygmy Nuthatch > * Cactus Wren > * Canyon Wren > * House Wren > * American Dipper > * Golden-crowned Kinglet > * Blue-gray Gnatcatcher > * Townsend's Solitaire > * Wrentit > * Sage Thrasher > * Black-throated Gray Warbler > * Rufous-crowned Sparrow > * Chipping Sparrow > * Brewer's Sparrow > * Yellow-headed Blackbird > * Cassin's Finch > * Red Crossbill > > The following species have not yet been reported for February 2010: > * Blue-winged Teal > * Ring-necked Pheasant > * Mountain Quail > * loons of any species > * Horned Grebe > * American Bittern > * Cattle Egret > * Northern Goshawk > * Rough-legged Hawk > * Sandhill Crane > * Long-billed Curlew > * Western Sandpiper > * Dunlin > * Herring Gull > * terns of any species > * Common Ground-Dove > * Barn Owl > * Western Screech-Owl > * Northern Pygmy-Owl > * Spotted Owl > * Northern Saw-whet Owl > * Rufous Hummingbird > * White-headed Woodpecker > * Pileated Woodpecker > * Cassin's Kingbird > * Hutton's Vireo > * Pinyon Jay > * Clark's Nutcracker > * Yellow-billed Magpie > * Violet-green Swallow > * Northern Rough-winged Swallow > * Cliff Swallow > * Barn Swallow > * Pygmy Nuthatch > * Brown Creeper > * House Wren > * Winter Wren > * Golden-crowned Kinglet > * Townsend's Warbler > * Chipping Sparrow > * Brewer's Sparrow > * Yellow-headed Blackbird > * Cassin's Finch > * Red Crossbill > > Species still remaining for third week in February in any year with > 19-21 Feb 10 for still looking: > * Cackling Goose > * Wild Turkey > * loons of any species > * Cattle Egret > * California Condor > * Northern Goshawk > * Caspian Tern > * Common Ground-Dove > * Western Screech-Owl > * Northern Pygmy-Owl > * Spotted Owl > * Northern Saw-whet Owl > * Lewis's Woodpecker > * Pileated Woodpecker > * Cassin's Kingbird > * Hutton's Vireo > * Pinyon Jay > * Clark's Nutcracker > * Yellow-billed Magpie > * Violet-green Swallow > * Northern Rough-winged Swallow > * Black-throated Gray Warbler > * Chipping Sparrow > * Yellow-headed Blackbird > > Continued Happy & Productive Birding, > > Bob Barnes, Ridgecrest, Kern County, California > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > Subject: Townsend's Warbler 2/19/10 in Hart Park From: "Ken and Brenda Kyle" <kbgoldennugget2 AT aol.com> Date: Sat, 20 Feb 2010 01:04:27 -0000 Today, Friday, 2/19/10, we saw a male Townsend's Warbler across from the shooting range in Hart Park. It was seen near the restroom. Ken and Brenda Kyle Bakersfield Subject: eBird Gaps: Week of 22-28 Feb 10 From: Bob Barnes <bbarnes AT lightspeed.net> Date: Thu, 18 Feb 2010 13:47:37 -0800 Hi, Sending out three days early due to out-of-Kern Co. vacation 19 Feb-Mar 1... * Species never reported to eBird for the last week in February in any year... * Species not report yet for any of February 2010 to date... * Species still remaining never reported for third week in February in any year... The following species have never been reported to eBird for the last week in February in any year: * Tundra Swan * Wood Duck * Blue-winged Teal * Hooded Merganser * Chukar * Wild Turkey * Mountain Quail * loons of any species * Cattle Egret * California Condor * Osprey * Northern Goshawk * Golden Eagle * Merlin * Peregrine Falcon * Sora * Mountain Plover * Spotted Sandpiper * Herring Gull * Spotted Dove * Barn Owl * Western Screech-Owl * Northern Pygmy-Owl * Spotted Owl * Northern Saw-whet Owl * Rufous Hummingbird * Lewis's Woodpecker * Williamson's Sapsucker * Yellow-bellied Sapsucker * Hairy Woodpecker * White-headed Woodpecker * Pileated Woodpecker * Vermilion Flycatcher * Cassin's Kingbird * Hutton's Vireo (or any other vireos except Plumbeous) * Steller's Jay * Pinyon Jay * Clark's Nutcracker * Yellow-billed Magpie * Pygmy Nuthatch * Cactus Wren * Canyon Wren * House Wren * American Dipper * Golden-crowned Kinglet * Blue-gray Gnatcatcher * Townsend's Solitaire * Wrentit * Sage Thrasher * Black-throated Gray Warbler * Rufous-crowned Sparrow * Chipping Sparrow * Brewer's Sparrow * Yellow-headed Blackbird * Cassin's Finch * Red Crossbill The following species have not yet been reported for February 2010: * Blue-winged Teal * Ring-necked Pheasant * Mountain Quail * loons of any species * Horned Grebe * American Bittern * Cattle Egret * Northern Goshawk * Rough-legged Hawk * Sandhill Crane * Long-billed Curlew * Western Sandpiper * Dunlin * Herring Gull * terns of any species * Common Ground-Dove * Barn Owl * Western Screech-Owl * Northern Pygmy-Owl * Spotted Owl * Northern Saw-whet Owl * Rufous Hummingbird * White-headed Woodpecker * Pileated Woodpecker * Cassin's Kingbird * Hutton's Vireo * Pinyon Jay * Clark's Nutcracker * Yellow-billed Magpie * Violet-green Swallow * Northern Rough-winged Swallow * Cliff Swallow * Barn Swallow * Pygmy Nuthatch * Brown Creeper * House Wren * Winter Wren * Golden-crowned Kinglet * Townsend's Warbler * Chipping Sparrow * Brewer's Sparrow * Yellow-headed Blackbird * Cassin's Finch * Red Crossbill Species still remaining for third week in February in any year with 19-21 Feb 10 for still looking: * Cackling Goose * Wild Turkey * loons of any species * Cattle Egret * California Condor * Northern Goshawk * Caspian Tern * Common Ground-Dove * Western Screech-Owl * Northern Pygmy-Owl * Spotted Owl * Northern Saw-whet Owl * Lewis's Woodpecker * Pileated Woodpecker * Cassin's Kingbird * Hutton's Vireo * Pinyon Jay * Clark's Nutcracker * Yellow-billed Magpie * Violet-green Swallow * Northern Rough-winged Swallow * Black-throated Gray Warbler * Chipping Sparrow * Yellow-headed Blackbird Continued Happy & Productive Birding, Bob Barnes, Ridgecrest, Kern County, California [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Cassin's Kingbird east of Lake Ming 2/17/10 From: "Ken and Brenda Kyle" <kbgoldennugget2 AT aol.com> Date: Thu, 18 Feb 2010 01:36:38 -0000 Today, Wednesday, 2/17/10, we saw a Cassin's Kingbird on the fence just east of Lake Ming. Ken and Brenda Kyle Bakersfield Subject: 16 Feb 10 Kern River Valley From: Bob Barnes <bbarnes AT lightspeed.net> Date: Wed, 17 Feb 2010 07:41:21 -0800 Hi, Tu, 16 Feb 10 Ken River Valley Highights. Canebrake Ecological Reserve: Tree Swallow (fist of spring for Kern River Valley ... first observed by Alison Sheehey at same location on 15 Feb 10), Tricolored Blackbird - 50, Lawrence's Goldfinch - 4 (1female, 3 males) on barbed wire fence along Public Access Trail (catchy name isn't it?:) at rock house. Isabella Reservoir: Common Merganser - 1 male (For first tie this winter could not find large flock ... up to 5000 individuals) Kelso Creek Rd.: Chukar 1, Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1 Kelso Valley Rd.: Cactus Wren 1, Mountain Bluebird - 14 two small flocks), American Pipit - 370 (one large flock) Scodie Park, Onyx: Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1, Red-breasted Sapsucker 2 Tillie Creek Campground, Wofford Heights: Band-tailed Pigeon 1, Red-naped Sapsucker 1, Townsend's Solitaire 1 Day's List: Gadwall American Wigeon Mallard Green-winged Teal Common Goldeneye Common Merganser Chukar California Quail Eared Grebe Western Grebe Clark's Grebe American White Pelican Double-crested Cormorant Great Blue Heron Osprey Red-shouldered Hawk Red-tailed Hawk American Kestrel Merlin American Coot Ring-billed Gull California Gull Band-tailed Pigeon Eurasian Collared-Dove Mourning Dove Anna's Hummingbird Acorn Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-naped Sapsucker Red-breasted Sapsucker Ladder-backed Woodpecker Nuttall's Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker Northern Flicker Black Phoebe Say's Phoebe Loggerhead Shrike Western Scrub-Jay Common Raven Horned Lark Tree Swallow Mountain Chickadee Oak Titmouse Bushtit White-breasted Nuthatch Cactus Wren Rock Wren Bewick's Wren Marsh Wren Ruby-crowned Kinglet Western Bluebird Mountain Bluebird Townsend's Solitaire Hermit Thrush American Robin Wrentit Northern Mockingbird European Starling American Pipit Phainopepla Yellow-rumped Warbler Spotted Towhee California Towhee Rufous-crowned Sparrow Lark Sparrow Song Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Red-winged Blackbird Tricolored Blackbird Western Meadowlark Brewer's Blackbird Purple Finch House Finch Pine Siskin Lesser Goldfinch Lawrence's Goldfinch American Goldfinch House Sparrow Continued Happy & Productive Birding, Bob Barnes, Ridgecrest, Kern Co., CA Subject: Mountain Plovers 2/15 From: Maggie Smith <milleniummaggs AT charter.net> Date: Mon, 15 Feb 2010 19:49:07 -0800 Doug Stinson and I had about 30 MOUNTAIN PLOVERS along Bitterwater Valley Road. We first saw them flying and then had scope looks. They were about 2 miles from Hwy 46. I have GPS coordinates if anyone wants them. Maggie Smith Arroyo Grande, CA [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Scodie Park From: "madielsea" <Madielsea AT aol.com> Date: Mon, 15 Feb 2010 23:04:43 -0000 Sun. 2/14, 10am....sighted the Yellow-belly Sapsucker and the female Williamson's Sapsucker at Scodie Park. Subject: A Sheehey's Male Williamson's Sapsucker From: Bob Barnes <bbarnes AT lightspeed.net> Date: Mon, 15 Feb 2010 13:44:24 -0800 Hi, A posting for Alison Sheehey who is currently on the road for Presidents' Day birding/bird photographing... Alison Sheehey just called to report observations made a few minutes ago (Mo, 15 Feb 10) at Scodie Park, Onyx, in the South Fork (Kern River) Valley, Southern Sierra Nevada including: * WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKER 1 (a male - the first to be reported from there this winter ... no female found this visit) * YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER 1 (continuing) * RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER 2 Alison further reports that yesterday (Su, 14 Feb 10) Scodie Park hosted the continuing YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER and the continuing female WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKER. For Alison Sheehey, Bob Barnes, Ridgecrest, Kern County, CA [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: eBird Gaps: "Week" of 15-21 Feb 10 From: Bob Barnes <bbarnes AT lightspeed.net> Date: Sun, 14 Feb 2010 17:00:44 -0800 Hi, The following species have never been reported to eBird for the third week in February in any year: * Cackling Goose * Tundra Swan * Wild Turkey * loons of any species * Cattle Egret * California Condor * Northern Goshawk * Peregrine Falcon * Caspian Tern * Common Ground-Dove * Western Screech-Owl * Northern Pygmy-Owl * Spotted Owl * Northern Saw-whet Owl * White-throated Swift * Costa's Hummingbird * Lewis's Woodpecker * Yellow-bellied Sapsucker * Red-naped Sapsucker * Ladder-backed Woodpecker * Downy Woodpecker * Hairy Woodpecker * Pileated Woodpecker * Cassin's Kingbird * Hutton's Vireo (or any other vireos) * Pinyon Jay * Clark's Nutcracker * Yellow-billed Magpie * Violet-green Swallow * Northern Rough-winged Swallow * Red-breasted Nuthatch * Cactus Wren * Varied Thrush * Wrentit * Black-throated Gray Warbler * Chipping Sparrow * Brewer's Sparrow * Vesper Sparrow * Yellow-headed Blackbird * Lawrence's Goldfinch Continued Happy & Productive Birding, Bob Barnes, Ridgecrest, Kern County, California [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Eurasian Wigeon Pair - Kern NWR From: Bob Barnes <bbarnes AT lightspeed.net> Date: Sat, 13 Feb 2010 19:59:53 -0800 Sa, 13 Feb 10 EURASIAN WIGEON pair at Kern National Wildlife Refuge - At end of Garces Highway, 19 mi. west of CA Hwy 99 in Delano (see description and location in eBird report below). 400 WHITE-FACED IBIS and 48 GREAT EGRET in irrigated field on north side of Garces Highway (west from Delano) 0.25 mi. east of CA Hwy 43. GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE and HOODED MERGANSER male continued at Hart Park ( unit of Kern River County Park) in Bakersfield. CANADA GEESE are now paired up and scattered about in the park by twos .... same at Lake Ming. 50-100+ MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS along CA Hwy 155 20-22 mi. east of Delano in grass-covered hills east CA Hwy 65. Kern Water Authority pond located just southwest of intersection of CA Hwy 58 and Oswell in Bakersfield hosted 56 CINNAMON TEAL and 67 BLACK-NECKED STILT. eBird reports for today follow below for those interested ... starting with Kern NWR report... Location: Kern NWR Observation date: 2/13/10 Notes: 9:30am-1pm. Clear, warm (high 50s/low 60s), windless day. Excellent habitat along virtually all of 6.5 mile long Auto Tour Route ... spent 3.5 hours (or 210 minutes) driving the Auto Tour Route very slowly using binocular throughout and getting out to scope frequently ... Estimated coverage of 9 of 18 "Units" of the 10,000-acre Kern National Wildlife Refuge: 75% of Unit 3, 75% of Unit 2, 20% of Unit 1, 60% of Unit 2A, 10% of Unit 5A, 25% of Unit 5B, 10% of Unit 6A, 15% of Unit 6C, and 30% of Unit 6B. Perhaps 20% of the entire refuge was covered. Thus, the true number of birds present on the entire refuge was surely significantly higher. Number of species: 49 * Gadwall 1000 This count was based mostly on one-by-one counts of individuals. Some which burst up from the water were counted quickly and rounded off. * Eurasian Wigeon 2 SW corner of Unit 3 (first unit south from HQ). Or, at start of last straightaway on one way part of Auto Tour Route. Adult male with reddish-orange head with buffy yellow (quite yellow in excellent light) vertical forecrown stripe. Gray back and gray sides. As the sun was directly in back of me, this bird jumped out at me among the 20 or so American Wigeon in the same area. It was paired up with a female which in comparison with the female American Wigeons present also stood out as being different as its head had a reddish-brown wash to it .... consistent with a female Eurasian Wigeon. * American Wigeon 140 All counted one-by-one. * Mallard 13 * Cinnamon Teal 85 One-by-one count... * Northern Shoveler 1200 Virtually all were counted one-by-one. * Northern Pintail 40 * Green-winged Teal 230 One-by-one count... * Canvasback 2 * Redhead 8 * Ring-necked Duck 29 * Lesser Scaup 9 * Bufflehead 37 * Ruddy Duck 560 One-by-one count... * Pied-billed Grebe 29 * Eared Grebe 19 * Clark's Grebe 1 * Double-crested Cormorant 1 * Snowy Egret 6 * White-tailed Kite 1 * Northern Harrier 6 * Red-shouldered Hawk 1 * Red-tailed Hawk 19 * Virginia Rail 4 * Sora 4 * American Coot 3700 Virtually all counted one-by-one. * Killdeer 19 * Black-necked Stilt 14 * Greater Yellowlegs 3 * Long-billed Dowitcher 15 * gull sp. 1 * Greater Roadrunner 1 * Northern Flicker 2 * Black Phoebe 17 * Say's Phoebe 1 * Loggerhead Shrike 4 * American Crow 7 * Common Raven 3 * Horned Lark 2 * Marsh Wren 101 One-by-one count. Excellent habitat along virtually all of 6.5 mile long Auto Tour Route ... spent 3.5 hours (or 210 minutes) driving the Auto Tour Route very slowly and getting out to scope frequently ... Very vocal all along route... * Ruby-crowned Kinglet 3 * Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 33 One-by-one count... * Common Yellowthroat 7 * Savannah Sparrow 1 * Song Sparrow 61 One-by-one count... * White-crowned Sparrow 60 * Golden-crowned Sparrow 2 * Red-winged Blackbird 75 * Western Meadowlark 10 * House Finch 10 Location: Kern Sanitation Authority Observation date: 2/13/10 Notes: 6:30am-6:50am. Number of species: 12 * Gadwall 16 * Mallard 15 * Cinnamon Teal 56 * Northern Shoveler 10 * Ring-necked Duck 10 * Bufflehead 8 * Ruddy Duck 15 * Great Egret 1 * Snowy Egret 1 * American Coot 40 * Black-necked Stilt 67 * Black Phoebe 1 Location: Lake Ming Observation date: 2/13/10 Notes: 7:20am-7:43am. Number of species: 24 * Canada Goose 4 * Mallard 3 * Common Merganser 10 * Pied-billed Grebe 1 * Double-crested Cormorant 11 * Great Egret 2 * Snowy Egret 1 * Turkey Vulture 1 * American Kestrel 1 * American Coot 30 * Killdeer 2 * Mourning Dove 10 * Belted Kingfisher 1 * Say's Phoebe 1 * Western Scrub-Jay 1 * European Starling 1 * Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 1 * Lark Sparrow 50 * Dark-eyed Junco 10 * Western Meadowlark 2 * Brewer's Blackbird 10 * Great-tailed Grackle 6 * House Finch 10 * House Sparrow 2 Location: Hart Park (Kern Co.) Observation date: 2/13/10 Notes: 7:47am-8:04am. Number of species: 25 * Greater White-fronted Goose 1 Continuing... * Canada Goose 8 4 scattered pairs on lawns around park. * Wood Duck 16 * Gadwall 4 * Mallard 20 * Hooded Merganser 1 With Wood Ducks. * Ruddy Duck 4 * Pied-billed Grebe 2 * Double-crested Cormorant 4 * Great Blue Heron 2 * Great Egret 2 * Black-crowned Night-Heron 1 * Red-shouldered Hawk 2 * American Kestrel 1 * American Coot 75 * Rose-ringed Parakeet 6 At least one adult male. * Belted Kingfisher 1 * Western Scrub-Jay 2 * American Crow 2 * Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1 * European Starling 20 * Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 1 * Red-winged Blackbird 2 * Brewer's Blackbird 30 * House Finch 5 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Scodie Park (Onyx, Kern Co.) YB Sapsucker Continues From: Bob Barnes <bbarnes AT lightspeed.net> Date: Fri, 12 Feb 2010 10:00:34 -0800 Hi, A lingering (just short of an hour) visit to Scodie Park, Onyx, in the South Fork (Kern River) Valley late yesterday afternoon (11 Feb 10) finally resulted in the observation of the continuing Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. A continuing Mountain Chickadee added more spice to the visit to Scodie Park. A flock of over 100 Mountain Bluebirds were still present on Kelso Valley Rd. ... 4+ miles south of CA Hwy 178. Red-naped Sapsucker and a "ton" of Phainopeplas were still present at Tillie Creek Campground. Other Kern River Valley and Southern Sierra Nevada, Kern County, observations made yesterday between 2500' and 6200' elevation follow. Feel free to contact me off list if you are interested in specific locations for any of the following: * Gadwall * American Wigeon * Mallard * Green-winged Teal * Common Goldeneye * Common Merganser * Chukar * Wild Turkey * California Quail * Eared Grebe * Western Grebe * Clark's Grebe * American White Pelican * Double-crested Cormorant * Great Blue Heron * Osprey * Bald Eagle * Sharp-shinned Hawk * Red-shouldered Hawk * Red-tailed Hawk * Ferruginous Hawk * American Kestrel * Prairie Falcon * Virginia Rail * American Coot * Ring-billed Gull * California Gull * Eurasian Collared-Dove * Mourning Dove * Anna's Hummingbird * Acorn Woodpecker * Yellow-bellied Sapsucker * Red-naped Sapsucker * Ladder-backed Woodpecker * Nuttall's Woodpecker * Downy Woodpecker * Hairy Woodpecker * Northern Flicker * Black Phoebe * Say's Phoebe * Loggerhead Shrike * Steller's Jay * Western Scrub-Jay * Common Raven * Horned Lark * Mountain Chickadee * Oak Titmouse * Bushtit * Red-breasted Nuthatch * White-breasted Nuthatch * Cactus Wren * Rock Wen * Canyon Wren * Bewick's Wren * Marsh Wren * Ruby-crowned Kinglet * Western Bluebird * Mountain Bluebird * Townsend's Solitaire * Hermit Thrush * American Robin * Northern Mockingbird * European Staling * American Pipit * Phainopepla * Yellow-rumped (Audubon's) Warbler * Spotted Towhee * California Towhee * Rufous-crowned Sparrow * Lark Sparrow * Song Sparrow * White-crowned Sparrow * Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon and Slate-colored) * Red-winged Blackbird * Tricolored Blackbird * Western Meadowlark * Brewer's Blackbird * Purple Finch * House Finch * American Goldfinch * House Sparrow Continued Happy & Productive Birding, Bob Barnes, Ridgecrest, Kern County, California [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: eBird Gaps: "Week" of 8-14 Feb 10 From: Bob Barnes <bbarnes AT lightspeed.net> Date: Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:05:21 -0800 Hi, The following species have never been reported to eBird for the second week in February in any year for Ken County: * Cackling Goose * Common Goldeneye * Chukar * Wild Turkey * Mountain Quail * loons of any species * Horned Grebe * Cattle Egret * California Condor * Bald Eagle * Northern Goshawk * Peregrine Falcon * Sandhill Crane * Mountain Plover * Spotted Sandpiper * Long-billed Curlew * Dunlin * Caspian Tern * Spotted Dove * Common Ground-Dove * Western Screech-Owl * Great Horned Owl * Northern Pygmy-Owl * Burrowing Owl * Spotted Owl * Northern Saw-whet Owl * Costa's Hummingbird * Lewis's Woodpecker * Williamson's Sapsucker * Yellow-bellied Sapsucker * Red-naped Sapsucker * Ladder-backed Woodpecker * Pileated Woodpecker * Vermilion Flycatcher * Cassin's Kingbird * Hutton's Vireo (or any other vireos) * Pinyon Jay * Clark's Nutcracker * Yellow-billed Magpie * Barn Swallow * Red-breasted Nuthatch * Canyon Wren * Townsend's Solitaire * Wrentit * Sage Thrasher * Black-throated Gray Warbler * Townsend's Warbler * Rufous-crowned Sparrow * Chipping Sparrow * Brewer's Sparrow * Vesper Sparrow * Cassin's Finch * Red Crossbill * Lawrence's Goldfinch Continued Happy & Productive Birding, Bob Barnes, Ridgecrest, Kern County, California [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Horned Grebe continues at Lake Ming 2/7/10 From: "Ken and Brenda Kyle" <kbgoldennugget2 AT aol.com> Date: Sun, 07 Feb 2010 23:01:36 -0000 The Horned Grebe continues at Lake Ming. This afternoon at 2:00PM we saw the Horned Grebe at the east end of the boat launch area. Also, an Osprey was circling over the lake this afternoon. Ken and Brenda Kyle Bakersfield Subject: Bald Eagle, Hooded Mergs From: "Michael" <macbirder1 AT yahoo.com> Date: Sun, 07 Feb 2010 05:15:20 -0000 The BALD EAGLE was back at it's roost on the back side of Lake Ming, this morning. And the flock of HOODED MERGANSERS in the pond behind my home on the Rio Bravo Golf Course, has grown to 19. Michael McQuerrey Bakersfield, California Subject: FOS Western Kingbirds; Brown Thrasher Continues From: Bob Barnes <bbarnes AT lightspeed.net> Date: Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:06:56 -0800 Hi: WESTERN KINGBIRD: John Schmitt reports that late morning yesterday (Th, 4 Feb 10) he observed two Western Kingbirds "flying about, fussing with each other, and calling" around the Alta One Credit Union property off the southeast side of Lake Isabella Blvd. in the community of Lake Isabella. A check of Kern County records entered on eBird shows the earliest Kern County records for Western Kingbird in the first week of March. Matt Heindel's Birds of Eastern Kern County (Dec. 2000) shows the earliest Kern County deserts record as March 12th (with "first arrival closer to 20 March"). Therefore, John's observation appears to be one month earlier than prior record early date(s). BROWN THRASHER A check of eBird this morning reveals that Jim Abernathy, Jim Hardesty, and Richard Norton observed the continuing Brown Thrasher at A. W. Noone County Park northeast of Taft on We, 3 Feb 10. It appears that if one is still interested, but has not persued this bird, that it may still be present. Bob Barnes, Ridgecrest, Kern County, CA Subject: 4 Feb 10 South Fork Kern River Valley From: Bob Barnes <bbarnes AT lightspeed.net> Date: Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:59:48 -0800 4 Feb 10 - South Fork Kern River Valley, Kern County... Chimney Peak National Back Country Byway: Mountain Bluebird 11 (0.5 mi. fr. CA Hwy 178) Sage Thrasher 2 (1 mi. fr. Hwy 178), Black-throated Sparrow 2 (1 mi. fr. Hwy 178),... Kelso Creek Rd.: Chukar 1 (observed on top of rock on top of ridge between Short Canyon and Cholla Canyon), Common Raven 313 (on ground in ag. fields). Kelso Valley Rd.: Chukar 4 (at 4 separate locations), Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1 & Cactus Wren 1 (10.5 mi.-11 mi. s. of CA Hwy 178), Mountain Bluebird 207 (201 in one flock 4 mi. s. of CA Hwy 178; 6 in 2nd flock 6 mi. s.) Scodie Park (2 acres) in Onyx: Acorn Woodpecker 4, WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKER 1 (female), Red-breasted Sapsucker 2, Nuttall's Woodpecker 1, Northern Flicker 1,... Canebrake Ecological Reserve: Ferruginous Hawk 1 light morph, Merlin 1, Virginia Rail 2, Canyon Wren 1, Tricolored Blackbird 5+,... En Route: Prairie Falcon, Canyon Wren, Rufous-crowned Sparrow,... Complete List: Mallard, Chukar, California Quail, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Ferruginous Hawk, American Kestrel, Merlin, Prairie Falcon, Virginia Rail, American Coot, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Anna's Hummingbird, Acorn Woodpecker, Williamson's Sapsucker, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Nuttall's Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Black Phoebe, Loggerhead Shrike, Western Scrub-Jay, Common Raven, Oak Titmouse, Bushtit, White-breasted Nuthatch, Cactus Wren, Rock Wren, Canyon Wren, Bewick's Wren, Marsh Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Western Bluebird, Mountain Bluebird, Hermit Thrush, American Robin, Wrentit, Northern Mockingbird, Sage Thrasher, California Thrasher, European Starling, Phainopepla, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Spotted Towhee, California Towhee, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, Black-throated Sparrow, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Red-winged Blackbird, Tricolored Blackbird, Western Meadowlark, Brewer's Blackbird, House Finch, House Sparrow,... Continued Happy & Productive Birding, Bob Barnes, Ridgecrest, Kern County, CA [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: 4 Feb 10 South Fork Kern River Valley From: Bob Barnes <bbarnes AT lightspeed.net> Date: Thu, 04 Feb 2010 18:38:50 -0800 4 Feb 10 - South Fork Kern River Valley, Kern County... Chimney Peak National Back Country Byway: Mountain Bluebird 11 (0.5 mi. fr. CA Hwy 178) Sage Thrasher 2 (1 mi. fr. Hwy 178), Black-throated Sparrow 2 (1 mi. fr. Hwy 178),... Kelso Creek Rd.: Chukar 1 (observed on top of rock on top of ridge between Short Canyon and Cholla Canyon), Common Raven 313 (on ground in ag. fields). Kelso Valley Rd.: Chukar 4 (at 4 separate locations), Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1 & Cactus Wren 1 (10.5 mi.-11 mi. s. of CA Hwy 178), Mountain Bluebird 207 (201 in one flock 4 mi. s. of CA Hwy 178; 6 in 2nd flock 6 mi. s.) Scodie Park (2 acres) in Onyx: Acorn Woodpecker 4, WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKER 1 (female), Red-breasted Sapsucker 2, Nuttall's Woodpecker 1, Northern Flicker 1,... Canebrake Ecological Reserve: Ferruginous Hawk 1 light morph, Merlin 1, Virginia Rail 2, Canyon Wren 1, Tricolored Blackbird 5+,... En Route: Prairie Falcon, Canyon Wren, Rufous-crowned Sparrow,... Complete List: Mallard, Chukar, California Quail, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Ferruginous Hawk, American Kestrel, Merlin, Prairie Falcon, Virginia Rail, American Coot, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Anna's Hummingbird, Acorn Woodpecker, Williamson's Sapsucker, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Nuttall's Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Black Phoebe, Loggerhead Shrike, Western Scrub-Jay, Common Raven, Oak Titmouse, Bushtit, White-breasted Nuthatch, Cactus Wren, Rock Wren, Canyon Wren, Bewick's Wren, Marsh Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Western Bluebird, Mountain Bluebird, Hermit Thrush, American Robin, Wrentit, Northern Mockingbird, Sage Thrasher, California Thrasher, European Starling, Phainopepla, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Spotted Towhee, California Towhee, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, Black-throated Sparrow, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Red-winged Blackbird, Tricolored Blackbird, Western Meadowlark, Brewer's Blackbird, House Finch, House Sparrow,... Continued Happy & Productive Birding, Bob Barnes, Ridgecrest, Kern County, CA [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: galileo From: "dguthrie012000" <dguthrie AT jsd.claremont.edu> Date: Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:17:16 -0000 can some one inform me about the status of galileo? - is it totally closed = no tresspassing signs, or can one still visit and walk among the dead plants? dan guthrie Subject: 3 Feb 10 Kern River Valley From: Bob Barnes <bbarnes AT lightspeed.net> Date: Thu, 04 Feb 2010 05:34:50 -0800 3 Feb 10 - Kern River Valley... Isabella Reservoir-Kissack Cove, Mountain Mesa: American White-Pelican 67, Osprey 1,... Isabella Reservoir-North Fork, Wofford Heights: Osprey 1, Bald Eagle 1 (adult),... Isabella Reservoir-Nuui Cunni Cultural Center at French Gulch (Main Dam area): Common Merganser 4000+, Western/Clark's Grebe 1000,... Lake Isabella-Barlow Rd.: Common Goldeneye 2;... Slippery Rock Launch Site (Kern River across/downstream from Main Dam Campground entrance): Canyon Wren 1, American Dipper 1,... Tillie Creek Campground, Wofford Heights: Band-tailed Pigeon 30, Red-naped Sapsucker 1, TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE 4 (all calling during same time period in vicinity of campsite 16 - additional observer: John Schmitt),... 7am-8:10am, Live Oak Campground (across CA Hwy. 155 from Tillie Creek Campground) complete list: California Quail 6 Cooper's Hawk 1 Red-tailed Hawk 1 Eurasian Collared-Dove 2 Mourning Dove 7 Anna's Hummingbird 1 Acorn Woodpecker 18 sapsucker spp. 1 Not a Williamson's female or male. Nuttall's Woodpecker 1 Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) 1 Black Phoebe 1 Western Scrub-Jay 20 Common Raven 1 Oak Titmouse 18 White-breasted Nuthatch 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 3 Western Bluebird 15 Hermit Thrush 1 American Robin 1 Northern Mockingbird 4 European Starling 8 Phainopepla 18 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 2 Spotted Towhee 22 California Towhee 11 White-crowned Sparrow 40 Golden-crowned Sparrow 1 Dark-eyed Junco 4 Purple Finch (Western) 2 House Finch 7 House Sparrow 2 Bob Barnes, Ridgecrest, Kern County, CA [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: 31 Jan 10: Inyo Birders' Kern River Valley Field Trip From: Bob Barnes <bbarnes AT lightspeed.net> Date: Mon, 01 Feb 2010 07:36:32 -0800 Hi, Susan Steele from Inyokern led a Su, 31 Jan 10 field trip to the Kern River Valley for a group of five birders from Inyo County ... Kathy Duvall, Claus Englehardt, Connie Englehardt, Nancy Overholtz, Ron Overholtz. They were joined by Alison Sheehey from Weldon and Bob Barnes from Ridgecrest. HIGHLIGHTS: Canebrake Ecological Reserve - Virginia Rail (heard only), Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (continuing adult male in gray pine at end of Public Access Trail ... scope views), Oak Titmouse, Rock Wren, Canyon Wren ("killer" scope views), Western Bluebird, Wrentit (heard only), Rufous-crowned Sparrow ("killer" scope views), Lark Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Tricolored Blackbird,... Scodie Park - Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (continuing juvenile male), Red-breasted Sapsucker, American Robin,... Kelso Valley Road - Merlin, Loggerhead Shrike, Mountain Bluebird, Lark Sparrow.... Slippery Rock Launch Site - Spotted Sandpiper, American Dipper,... Tillie Creek Campground - Band-tailed Pigeon, Acorn Woodpecker, Red-naped Sapsucker, Nuttall's Woodpecker, Oak Titmouse, California Thrasher, Phainopepla, Purple Finch,... Isabella Reservoir's North arm - American White Pelican, Osprey, Bald Eagle (adult), feeders attracting Pine Siskin/Lesser Goldfinch/American Goldfinch,... Isabella Reservoir Main Dam area as viewed from below Nuui Cunni Cultural Center at French Gulch - Common Merganser, Eared Grebe, Western Grebe, Clark's Grebe, American White Pelican, Merlin, .. Isabella Reservoir Auxiliary Dam area - Common Goldeneye Isabella Reservoir's Kissack Cove - Osprey, Peregrine Falcon, American White Pelican (67), Herring Gull en route - Bald Eagle (adult), Ferruginous Hawk, Prairie Falcon,... Day's List (NOTE: My written notes and memory may have missed some species; especially those observed by others during the day.): * Gadwall * American Wigeon * Mallard * Green-winged Teal * Common Goldeneye * Common Merganser * California Quail * Pied-billed Grebe * Eared Grebe * Western Grebe * Clark's Grebe * American White Pelican * Double-crested Cormorant * Great Blue Heron * Osprey * Bald Eagle * Red-shouldered Hawk * Red-tailed Hawk * Ferruginous Hawk * American Kestrel * Merlin * Peregrine Falcon * Prairie Falcon * Virginia Rail * American Coot * Killdeer * Spotted Sandpiper * Least Sandpiper * Ring-billed Gull * California Gull * Herring Gull * Band-tailed Pigeon * Mourning Dove * Anna's Hummingbird * Acorn Woodpecker * Yellow-bellied Sapsucker * Red-naped Sapsucker * Red-breasted Sapsucker * Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Alison Sheehey only) * Nuttall's Woodpecker * Downy Woodpecker * Hairy Woodpecker * Northern Flicker * Black Phoebe * Say's Phoebe * Loggerhead Shrike * Western Scrub-Jay * Common Raven * Horned Lark * Oak Titmouse * White-breasted Nuthatch * Cactus Wren * Rock Wren * Canyon Wren * Bewick's Wren * American Dipper * Ruby-crowned Kinglet * Western Bluebird * Mountain Bluebird * Hermit Thrush * American Robin * Wrentit * Northern Mockingbird * California Thrasher * European Starling * American Pipit * Phainopepla * Yellow-rumped Warbler * Spotted Towhee * California Towhee * Rufous-crowned Sparrow * Lark Sparrow * Savannah Sparrow * Song Sparrow * White-crowned Sparrow * Golden-crowned Sparrow * Dark-eyed Junco * Red-winged Blackbird * Tricolored Blackbird * Western Meadowlark * Brewer's Blackbird * Purple Finch * House Finch * Pine Siskin * Lesser Goldfinch * American Goldfinch * House Sparrow Bob Barnes, Ridgecrest, Kern County, California [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: eBird Gaps: "Week" of 1-7 Feb 10 From: Bob Barnes <bbarnes AT lightspeed.net> Date: Mon, 01 Feb 2010 06:30:46 -0800 Hi, The following species have never been reported to eBird for the first week in February in any year: * Tundra Swan * Blue-winged Teal * Common Goldeneye * Chukar * Ring-necked Pheasant * Wild Turkey * Mountain Quail * Horned Grebe * American Bittern * California Condor * Northern Goshawk * Peregrine Falcon * Sandhill Crane * Mountain Plover * Spotted Sandpiper * Western Sandpiper * Dunlin * Herring Gull * Band-tailed Pigeon * Spotted Dove * Common Ground-Dove * Western Screech-Owl * Northern Pygmy-Owl * Spotted Owl * Northern Saw-whet Owl * White-throated Swift * Lewis's Woodpecker * Williamson's Sapsucker * Red-naped Sapsucker * Ladder-backed Woodpecker * Pileated Woodpecker * Vermilion Flycatcher * Cassin's Kingbird * Hutton's Vireo (or any other vireos) * Pinyon Jay * Clark's Nutcracker * Yellow-billed Magpie * swallows other than Tree and Barn * Red-breasted Nuthatch * Cactus Wren * Canyon Wren * American Dipper * Townsend's Solitaire * Wrentit * Cedar Waxwing * Black-throated Gray Warbler * Townsend's Warbler * Rufous-crowned Sparrow * Brewer's Sparrow * Vesper Sparrow * Fox Sparrow * Red Crossbill * Lawrence's Goldfinch Continued Happy & Productive Birding, Bob Barnes, Ridgecrest, Kern County, California [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Vermilion Flycatcher continues near Kern River Bike Trail From: "wflydecker" <wlydecker AT bak.rr.com> Date: Sun, 31 Jan 2010 03:44:45 -0000 Male Vermilion Flycatcher continues near Kern River Bike Trail at canal 1/4 mile east of Hwy 43 (Enos Lane), 2-3 miles north of I-5. Kern Audubon Society field trip of fourteen today observed the bird. To reach location, walk east from Bike Trail Parking Lot located just north of the Kern River on the east side of Hwy 43. Walk about 1/4 mile on bike trail crossing the Kern River (usually dry). Approach a canal on your right. Where the canal goes under the bike trail, look with binocular and/or scope east down the canal for Black Phoebe, Common Moorhen, raptors in trees, Green Heron, and other birds. Access along the south bank to the canal is ok on the pavement up to the post where there is a sign saying no-trespassing. If the Vermilion Flycathcher is present, you may see it perched on bushes, trees or flitting about. If you don't see the Vermilion Flycatcher, look down the canal using your optical gear and check out trees and other spots. Enjoy looking at the warblers, kinglets, sparrows, and other birds. The Vermilion Flycatcher moves around and it might show up. Be patient. I have posted pictures of male Vermilion Flycatchers in the album Vermilion Flycatchers on this website. Vermilion Flycatcher may be a resident of the area but I have not observed any female birds or more that one male bird. I have observed a male Vermilion Flycatcher in each winter 2007-10 along the Kern Bike trail. Last June, a male Vermilion Flycatcher was present for some time at Tule Elk Preserve. Happy birding, Bill Lydecker Subject: KRV-Sa, 30 Jan 10: YB Saps-2, Mtn. Bluebirds-196 From: Bob Barnes <bbarnes AT lightspeed.net> Date: Sat, 30 Jan 2010 15:54:40 -0800 Hi, YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER (adult male): The adult male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker continued in the lone gray pine at the end of the Canebrake Ecological Reserve's Public Access Trail found off the north side of CA Hwy. 178 c. 5 miles east of the community of Onyx in the South Fork Valley.. YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER (juvenile): The juvenile Yellow-bellied Sapsucker continued in the northeast portion of Scodie Park in the community of Onyx in the South Fork Valley. 196 MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS: A single flock of 196 Mountain Bluebirds was counted on both sides of Kelso Valley Rd. +/- 4.0 miles south of CA Hwy. 178 in Weldon; and 0.25-0.5 miles south of the obvious cattle guard (road narrows at well-marked cattle guard). This is an area of very short grass just before reaching the Joshua tree covered hillside straight ahead south on Kelso Valley Rd. A stunning observation as 180+ of the individuals counted were electric blue/sky blue adult males revealed in bright sunshine. Detailed eBird Lists: Location: South Fork Valley--Canebrake Ecological Reserve Observation date: 1/30/10 Notes: 7:10am-8:30am. 30F-36F. Number of species: 31 * Mallard 57 * Wild Turkey 2 * California Quail 1 * Red-shouldered Hawk 1 * Red-tailed Hawk 1 * YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER 1 Continuing in gray pine at end of Public Access Trail... * Nuttall's Woodpecker 5 * Downy Woodpecker 2 * Black Phoebe 1 * Western Scrub-Jay 2 * Common Raven 4 * Oak Titmouse 8 * Bushtit 7 * White-breasted Nuthatch 1 * Rock Wren 1 * Bewick's Wren 3 * Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1 * Western Bluebird 14 * Hermit Thrush 1 * American Robin 1 * European Starling 6 * Spotted Towhee 2 * California Towhee 2 * Song Sparrow 7 * White-crowned Sparrow 157 * Golden-crowned Sparrow 2 * Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) 6 * Red-winged Blackbird 28 * Tricolored Blackbird 10 * Western Meadowlark 7 * blackbird sp. 250 * House Finch 20 Location: South Fork Valley--Scodie Park Observation date: 1/30/10 Notes: 8:34am-8:41am. Number of species: 5 * Mourning Dove 5 * YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER 1 Continuing juvenile in deciduous and pine trees in northeast corner of park... * Common Raven 21 * Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) 20 * House Sparrow 3 Location: Kelso Creek Rd. Observation date: 1/30/10 Notes: 8:48am-9:03am. Number of species: 3 * Common Raven 154 * Cactus Wren 3 * Black-throated Sparrow 2 Location: Kelso Valley Rd.--0.25-7.5 mi. S of Hwy 178 Observation date: 1/30/10 Notes: 9:04am-9:12am. Number of species: 3 * Common Raven 7 * MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD 196 C. 4.25 mi. s. of CA Hwy 178; 0.25-0.5 mi s. of cattle guard... * Lark Sparrow 1 Location: Kelso Valley Rd--Tunnel Spring Observation date: 1/30/10 Notes: 9:37am-9:48am. Number of species: 7 * Nuttall's Woodpecker 1 * Western Scrub-Jay 4 * Oak Titmouse 1 * Rock Wren 1 * Bewick's Wren 2 * California Towhee 3 * Golden-crowned Sparrow 10 Location: Kelso Valley Rd--Kelso Creek Sanctuary Observation date: 1/30/10 Notes: 9:53am-10:15am. Number of species: 9 * Western Scrub-Jay 1 * Common Raven 1 * Oak Titmouse 2 * White-breasted Nuthatch 1 * Bewick's Wren 4 * American Robin 1 * European Starling 1 * California Towhee 2 * White-crowned Sparrow 26 Location: Kelso Valley Rd--Frog Spring Observation date: 1/30/10 Notes: 10:18am-10:33am. Number of species: 7 * Nuttall's Woodpecker 1 * Northern Flicker 1 * Bewick's Wren 1 * Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1 * California Thrasher 1 * Song Sparrow 1 * White-crowned Sparrow 10 Location: Kelso Creek--IBA Observation date: 1/30/10 Notes: 10:39am. Number of species: 1 * Greater Roadrunner 1 Along edge and running across Kelso Valley Rd. 0.6 mi. s. of Snow Rd. and +/-10 miles s. of CA Hwy. 178. Location: South Fork Valley--Paul's Place Observation date: 1/30/10 Notes: 11:23am-11:24am. Number of species: 1 * Hairy Woodpecker 1 In isolated shrub between road and pasture. Bob Barnes, Ridgecrest, Kern Co., CA [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Re: Le Conte's Thrasher Singing Season From: yakimapark AT aol.com Date: Fri, 29 Jan 2010 18:54:58 EST For those without time to get over to the desert, LeConte's thrashers also may be found along the lower alluvial fans on the east facing slopes of Buena Vista Hills, south of McKittrick. One I encountered there was quite brazen, like he was showing off. But was not singing. And I also commonly see them on BLM land in a similar geographic position west of Maricopa. good birding! Marcia H. Wolfe MH Wolfe and Associates Environmental Consulting, Inc. POB 10254 Bakersfield, CA 93389 Phone 661-837-1169 Fax 661-837-8467 Cell 805-839-4142 mwolfe AT mhwolfeassoc.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Le Conte's Thrasher Singing Season From: Bob Barnes <bbarnes AT lightspeed.net> Date: Fri, 29 Jan 2010 10:47:23 -0800 Hi, A Le Conte's Thrasher vociferously singing at the Middlemiss property in Inyokern 6:45am-7:50am this morning is a reminder that this species singing season is well underway. For those Kern birders/birders to Kern working on lists (life, state, county, year, etc.) or wanting to observe singing/breeding season behavior, the next several weeks promise to be prime time. In addition to the known Kern Le Conte's Thrasher areas at the Middlemiss property and outside Maricopa, the slope just west of Hwy. 14 in Mojave has "crawled" individuals of this species at this time of year ... with 5-15 individuals observed in 1-2 hours during early mornings. Take Oak Creek Road (overpass over Hwy. 14 in the middle of town) west uphill to the Joshua tree woodland just beyond the Los Angeles Aqueduct crossing. Turn right onto one of two essentially paralleling dirt roads just west of the aqueduct. Between Oak Creek Rd. on the south to the first settlement of several houses (and, if necessary, a mile or two beyond) to the north is an especially good area to observe this species. Once one gets the feel for the habitat characterization of this area, the chances of finding Le Conte's Thrasher all along the east facing slopes (just below the foothill zone) in Kern County from the Los Angeles County line to the Inyo County line will all but surely increase dramatically. The Middlemiss property is still my favorite because it hosts several other species ... see this morning's list below ... in close proximity to each other ... due to the presence of hummingbird and seed feeders, plus extensive landscaping creating an oasis effect. Location: Inyokern--Middlemiss Observation date: 1/29/10 Notes: 6:45am-7:50am. Number of species: 13 * California Quail 125 (Hard to count - more individuals thought to be present) * Eurasian Collared-Dove 2 * Anna's Hummingbird 2 * Common Raven 1 * Verdin 2 * American Robin 1 * Le Conte's Thrasher 1 * Spotted Towhee 1 * White-crowned Sparrow 100 (More individuals thought to be present) * House Finch 10 (Hard to count - more individuals thought to be present) * Lesser Goldfinch 6 * American Goldfinch 26 * House Sparrow 50 (Hard to count - more individuals thought to be present) This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org/california/) Bob Barnes, Ridgecrest, Kern Co., CA [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Horned Grebe, Hooded Mergs From: "Michael" <macbirder1 AT yahoo.com> Date: Thu, 28 Jan 2010 21:49:37 -0000 Birders: The Kyle's HORNED GREBE was in almost the same position as reported by the Kyle's: near the marina and boat-launch ramp on the west side of Lake Ming. It spends lots of time under water. There are now 12 HOODED MERGANSERS in the pond behind my home on the Rio Bravo golf course. Michael McQuerrey Bakersfield, California Subject: 27 Jan 10 Kern River Valley & Greenhorn Mtns. From: Bob Barnes <bbarnes AT lightspeed.net> Date: Wed, 27 Jan 2010 19:00:03 -0800 27 Jan 10 Kern River Valley: 9:53am-10:05am, Scodie Park, Onyx - Acorn Woodpecker 1, YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER (juvenile) 1, Red-breasted Sapsucker 1, Nuttall's Woodpecker 1, plus eight other species... 10:55am-11:27am, North Fork Isabella Reservoir, Wofford Heights - Common Merganser 500, Double-crested Cormorant 481, Osprey 1, Bald Eagle 1, plus six other species... 11:30am-11:44am, Tillie Creek Campground, Wofford Heights - California Quail 5, Band-tailed Pigeon 41, Acorn Woodpecker 2, Northern (Red-shafted) Flicker 1, Western Scrub-Jay 1, Oak Titmouse 6, Phainopepla 2, plus seven other species... 12:20pm-12:40pm, Greenhorn Summit - White-headed Woodpecker 1, Common Raven 1, Steller's Jay 1, Mountain Chickadee 8, Red-breasted Nuthatch 4, White-breasted Nuthatch 1, Golden-crowned Kinglet 1, Townsend's Solitaire 2 1:11pm-1:12pm, CA Hwy 155 Wofford Heights - Lewis's Woodpecker 1, Acorn Woodpecker 4, Western Scrub-Jay 1, Oak Titmouse 3, California Towhee 1 Bob Barnes, Ridgecrest, Kern Co., CA Subject: Bald Eagle, Lake Ming From: "Michael" <macbirder1 AT yahoo.com> Date: Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:32:25 -0000 Birders: There was a BALD EAGLE at Lake Ming, this morning. It's the first I've seen in several years, out there. Michael McQuerrey Bakersfield, CA Subject: Point Reyes Birding & Nature Festival -- April 23-26, 2010 -- Registration Open From: "will_w04" <will_w04 AT yahoo.com> Date: Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:21:33 -0000 The first Point Reyes Birding and Nature Festival (April 23-26, 2010) is now open for registration! Some of California's preeminent birders will be leading trips, including Rich Stallcup, Steve Howell, Keith Hansen, Jules Evens, David Wimpfheimer, and Lisa Hug. There will be walks, boat trips, classes, demonstrations, and a pelagic trip to Cordell Bank. To register online, go to www.pointreyesbirdingfestival.org and sign-up for the walks, events, lectures, and classes that you find most exciting. Some of these trips will be fully subscribed very quickly and registering early is advised. Enrollment will be limited. The Festival is sponsored by the Environmental Action Committee of West Marin in cooperation with PRBO Conservation Science, Marin Audubon Society, Madrone Audubon Society, American Birding Association, Point Reyes National Seashore and many other groups. If you have any questions about the Festival, send an email to prbnfestival at gmail.com (use AT symbol) or call the Festival Headquarters at 415-663-9312. You can help make the Festival successful by forwarding this message to your birding and other friends with an interest in nature and the outdoors -- and you can help publicize the Festival by putting a link to it on your website or Facebook page. If there are websites you think the Festival should contact to establish a link, please send an email to prbnfestival at gmail.com (use AT symbol) Also, if you find any problems with the website, please let the sponsors know at once by sending an email to prbnfestival at gmail.com (use AT symbol). Hope to see you at the Festival! Will Wilson Corte Madera Subject: Horned Grebe at Lake Ming east of Bakersfield 1/25/10 From: "Ken and Brenda Kyle" <kbgoldennugget2 AT aol.com> Date: Tue, 26 Jan 2010 00:12:29 -0000 Today, Monday, 1/25/10, we saw a Horned Grebe. The Horned Grebe was seen at Lake Ming at 3:20PM at the west end boat launch area. This evening we will place a couple of photos of the Horned Grebe into the kerncobirding photo section in the album labeled 01 Birds. Ken and Brenda Kyle Bakersfield Subject: NEW! Ad. Male YB Sapsucker: 1/24/10-Canebrake ER From: Bob Barnes <bbarnes AT lightspeed.net> Date: Sun, 24 Jan 2010 14:31:19 -0800 24 Jan 2010 HIGHLIGHT: ADULT MALE YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER in a gray pine at the end of the one mile long Public Access Trail on the California Department of Fish & Game's Canebrake Ecological Reserve at the east end of the South Fork Kern River Valley (see notes below in species list), northern Kern County/southern Sierra Nevada. This location is about seven miles east of the JUVENILE YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER first found by Alison Sheehey on 9 Jan 2010 and continuing though at least 23 Jan 2010 in the pine trees at Scodie Park; a small (2 acre) Kern County park in the community of Onyx. Location: South Fork Valley--Canebrake Ecological Reserve Elevation: 2950' at Yellow-bellied Sapsucker observation site Observation time/date: 6:40am-8:205am, 1/24/10 Temperature at Start-Finish: 26F-35F Observer: Bob Barnes, Ridgecrest, Kern Co., CA Number of species: 33 Highlight: Adult male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (see notes below) * Mallard 10 * Wild Turkey 1 * California Quail 10 * Great Blue Heron 1 * Red-shouldered Hawk 1 * Red-tailed Hawk 2 * YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER 1 NOTES: LOCATION - The Canebrake ER Public Access Trail is one mile long. It parallels an east to west peninsular hillside with a filled-in-with-dirt flume running along it c. 50' above the valley floor during the last 1000'+ of the trail. At the trail's end is a single, isolated, large gray pine next to the flume. A sapsucker call was head from the end of the trail. It was soon pin-pointed as being in the gray pine. When the bird was located in the pre-sunrise light tapping on the side of the larger vertical branches of the gray pine this bird was determined to be a Red-naped Sapsucker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, or a hybrid. After the sun hit the gray pine and a vantage point on top of the dirt-filled flume was secured, numerous excellent views were made looking southwest/west into/up 30-40' in the gray pine tree for the next 20-25 minutes. FIELD MARKS NOTED: large, vertical, white wing patch; solid red throat with bold black line bordering/framing the red throat; solid red crown patch on head; hind crown and back of neck black and white with not even a trace of red in the nape ... a very clean bird; a bold, bright, wide eyebrow-stripe; a bold black line running back through the eye from the base of the bill to the upper neck; a bold, wide, white stripe between the black eye-line and black frame of the red throat and bordering said frame; two rows of buffy (not white, not off-white)horizontal ragged "stripes" running essentially the vertical length of the back; a narrow vertical break separating the two buffy rows on the back; no hint of juvenvile brownish plumage anywhere in the head and neck region (This was a very clean black, white, and red bird from the neck up.); brownish markings ("spotting") on the hind end of the flanks. The preceding observed field marks led to the conclusion that this particular individual sapsucker was an adult male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Observer: Bob Barnes, Ridgecrest, Kern Co., CA * Nuttall's Woodpecker 4 * Northern Flicker 2 * Black Phoebe 3 * Say's Phoebe 1 * Western Scrub-Jay 1 * Common Raven 3 * Oak Titmouse 4 * Rock Wren 1 * Canyon Wren 1 * Bewick's Wren 3 * Marsh Wren 1 * Ruby-crowned Kinglet 5 * Western Bluebird 14 * Hermit Thrush 2 * Wrentit 1 * European Starling 4 * Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 1 * Spotted Towhee 1 * California Towhee 4 * Lark Sparrow 1 * Song Sparrow 6 * Lincoln's Sparrow 1 * White-crowned Sparrow 67 * Red-winged Blackbird 35 * Tricolored Blackbird 15 * blackbird sp. 350 * House Finch 30 The base of the above report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org/california/) Bob Barnes, Ridgecrest, Kern County, California [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Continues From: Bob Barnes <bbarnes AT lightspeed.net> Date: Sat, 23 Jan 2010 20:31:30 -0800 Hi, HIGHLIGHTS of today's Sa, 23 Jan 10 birding in the Kern River Valley (with complete lists following at the end for those interested): The juvenile YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER first discovered by Alison Sheehey 1/9/10 was still present in Scodie Park in Onyx this morning. Also present was a RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER and MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE (rare at this location even though not unexpected). At Tillie Creek Campground in Wofford Heights, one of the three RED-NAPED SAPSUCKERS discovered an being tacked by John Schmitt was observed along with personal records of 48 PHAINOPEPLAS and 68 PURPLE FINCHES. A DARK-EYED (PINK-SIDED) JUNCO found earlier in the morning by John Schmitt was relocated in the vicinity of the playground area. None of the 3 TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRES John heard and saw earlier in the morning in the vicinity of the handicapped designated camp sites were heard or observed during my following visit. The arm of Isabella Reservoir back up by the Main Dam as viewed from just below the Forest Service office between the two dams (as accessed by either Barlow Road or Ponderosa Road) provided relatively close-up looks of 2334 COMMON MERGANSERS, 2000 EARED GREBES (estimate as many were packed together in groups of what appeared to be 50-300 individuals each), and 1267 WESTERN GREBES and CLARK'S GREBES (with plenty of both during the count). Ten minutes later on the South Fork arm of Isabella Reservoir as viewed from South Fork Recreation Area were 704 COMMON MERGANSERS, 1831 WESTERN GREBES and CLARK'S GREBES, and 171 DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS. Fifty AMERICAN WHITE-PELICANS were on a mud bar/sandbar off Isabella Reservoir's Kissack Cove. The cove also hosted 2 OSPREYS and several hundred gulls with all nearby gulls being CALIFORNIA GULLS or RING-BILLED GULLS. A quick, five minute check was made of Scodie Park in Onyx again in the afternoon on the way back to Ridgecrest from the Kern River Valley. The hope was to observe one of the two WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKERS (which have been wintering in Onyx and often seen in the park) to complete a one day sapsucker sweep. The sweep was denied this day. The following reports were generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org/california/) Location: South Fork Valley--Scodie Park Observation date: 7am-7:25am, 1/23/10 Number of species: 13 * American Kestrel 1 * Mourning Dove 37 * Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1 Continuing ... red on throat appeared to be more saturated this visit. * Red-breasted Sapsucker 1 * Common Raven 6 * Mountain Chickadee 1 This species is rare at this location. But, it is not unexpected. * Oak Titmouse 1 * Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1 * American Robin 1 * Northern Mockingbird 2 * European Starling 1 * Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 2 * House Sparrow 10 Location: South Fork Kern River Valley--IBA Observation date: 1/23/10 Notes: 7:35am-7:36am. Number of species: 1 * Prairie Falcon 1 Perched on top of telephone pole along south side of CA Hwy 178 just west of Fay Ranch Rd. Location: Lake Isabella--Barlow Rd. and Ponderosa Rd. Observation date: 1/23/10 Notes: 8am-8:05am. 38F. Ducks on water surface in Borel Canal. Number of species: 3 * Bufflehead 9 * Common Goldeneye 7 * Common Raven 8 Location: Keyesville--Slippery Rock Launch Site Observation date: 1/23/10 Notes: 8:11am-8:18am. Number of species: 3 * Black Phoebe 1 * American Dipper 1 * Dark-eyed Junco 10 Location: Lake Isabella--Main Dam Overlook Observation date: 1/23/10 Notes: 8:21am-8:26am. 39F. Number of species: 7 * Common Merganser 2000 * Eared Grebe 2000 * Western/Clark's Grebe 1000 * American White Pelican 40 * Double-crested Cormorant 10 * American Coot 10 * Bewick's Wren 1 * Western Bluebird 2 Location: Wofford Heights--Tillie Creek Campground Observation date: 1/23/10 Notes: 8:35am-11am. 40F-48F. Number of species: 32 * California Quail 86 * Turkey Vulture 1 * Cooper's Hawk 1 * Red-tailed Hawk 1 * Mourning Dove 2 * Anna's Hummingbird 1 * Acorn Woodpecker 11 * Red-naped Sapsucker 1 * Nuttall's Woodpecker 2 * Black Phoebe 2 * Western Scrub-Jay 46 * Common Raven 9 * Oak Titmouse 19 * Bewick's Wren 1 * Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2 * Western Bluebird 26 * Hermit Thrush 2 * American Robin 4 * Northern Mockingbird 6 * European Starling 7 * Phainopepla 48 * Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 2 * Spotted Towhee 8 * California Towhee 6 * Lark Sparrow 3 * White-crowned Sparrow 43 * Golden-crowned Sparrow 3 * Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) 16 * Purple Finch (Western) 68 * House Finch 40 * American Goldfinch 3 * House Sparrow 2 Location: Lake Isabella--Barlow Rd. and Ponderosa Rd. Observation date: 1/23/10 Notes: 11:50am-12:40pm. Number of species: 7 * Common Merganser 2334 * Eared Grebe 2000 * Western Grebe 50 * Clark's Grebe 50 * Western/Clark's Grebe 1167 * Double-crested Cormorant 5 * Great Blue Heron 1 * American Coot 50 Location: Lake Isabella--South Fork Recreation Area Observation date: 1/23/10 Notes: 12:50pm-1:30pm Number of species: 4 * Common Merganser 704 * Western/Clark's Grebe 1831 * Double-crested Cormorant 171 * Great Blue Heron 3 Location: Lake Isabella--Kissack Cove Observation date: 1/23/10 Notes: 2:30pm-3pm. Number of species: 16 * Gadwall 92 * American Wigeon 17 * Cinnamon Teal 2 * Northern Shoveler 1 * Green-winged Teal 34 * Common Goldeneye 2 * American White Pelican 50 * Double-crested Cormorant 30 * Osprey 2 * Red-tailed Hawk 1 * American Coot 480 * Least Sandpiper 40 * Ring-billed Gull 20 * California Gull 100 * gull sp. 500 * Common Raven 70 * Horned Lark 200 Location: South Fork Valley--Scodie Park Observation date: 1/23/10 Notes: 3:20pm-3:25pm. Number of species: 2 * Western Bluebird 6 * Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 1 Continued Happy & Productive Birding, Bob Barnes, Ridgecrest, Kern County, California [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: California Burrowing Owl Consortium Meeting From: Bob Barnes <bbarnes AT lightspeed.net> Date: Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:20:20 -0800 Hi, At first glance, the 11:30am, 1pm, and 2pm presentations scheduled for this meeting appear to have the most relevance in terms of the future occurrence of Burrowing Owls in Kern County. Bob Barnes, Ridgecrest, Kern County, CA CALIFORNIA BUROWING OWL CONSORTIUM MEETING - Sponsored by the Alameda Creak Alliance and Ohlone Audubon Society (Alameda County) DATE: February 6, 2010 TIME: 9AM Doors, 10AM ­ 2:30PM Speaker Presentations LOCATION: Martinelli Event Center, 3585 Greenville Rd., Livermore, CA 94550 SPEAKERS & TOPICS: * 10AM - Dee Vieira ­ City of Antioch Prewett Family Water Park Burrowing Owl Habitat * 10:30 AM - David Cook ­ SCVAS: Dicing ordinance monitoring and enforcement, Mt View advocacy * Shani Kleinhaus ­SCVAS ­ Burrowing Owl advocacy: Shoreline at Mountain View * 11 AM - Troy Rahmig ­ Habitat Conservation Planning Meeting Future Habitat Needs * 11:30 AM- Douglas A. Bell, Ph.D ­ K. Shawn Smallwood, Lee Neher and Douglas A. Bell, Map-based repowering and reorganization of a wind farm to minimize burrowing owl fatalities. * Noon Lunch break * 1 PM - William Boarman Ph.D ­ Updating California Conservation Strategy for Burrowing Owls * 1:30 PM ­ Jack Barclay and Sandra Menzel ­Owl status at Camp Parks, Dublinand Polygynous Nesting in 2009 * 2:00 PM ­ Bob Wilkerson ­ Results from the 2006-2007 California Breeding Burrowing Owl Survey * 2:30 PM ­ Jeff Miller ­ Center for Biological Diversity ­ Petitioning for State Listing of Burrowing Owl * 2:45 ­ Scott Artis ­ City of Antioch: Development Plans and Owl Evictions * 3:00 ­ Program ends, please remain to network with the speakers and other advocate’s COST: $30 walk in, $25 in advance. Fee includes coffee, tea and breakfast pastries served from 9AM to 10AM and a buffet lunch. To register in advance mail a check to: Alameda Creek Alliance c/o Rich Cimino 1281 Ridgewood Rd. Pleasanton, Cal. 94566. NOTE: No refunds after Jan 29th. DIRECTIONS: * Conveniently located off of HWY 580 East. * Exit North Greenville Rd. * Make a left off the exit. * Turn right onto Greenville and go up about 2.5 miles. * Center is on the right just after you pass the winery’s laboratory. * Wrought iron gates and large palm trees mark the entrance. Richard Cimino rscimino AT earthlink.net Birding is fun and educational + it gets us out and away from the TV remote! [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: eBird Gaps: "Week" of 22-31 Jan From: Bob Barnes <bbarnes AT lightspeed.net> Date: Thu, 21 Jan 2010 15:43:13 -0800 Hi, It is now snowing in Ridgecrest ... huge flakes for an hour or so with no sign of let up. I haven't been able to get over Walker Pass to the Kern River Valley since Sunday evening. Let it snow! Birding on sunny days forecast for Saturday through Monday will be conducted in surroundings which promise to be winter wonderlands. Once Kern birding is widely available I would like to provide the following to have in mind... The following species have never been reported to eBird for the fourth "week" in January in any year: * Ross's Goose * Cackling Goose * Tundra Swan * Canvasback * Ring-necked Duck * Chukar * Ring-necked Pheasant * Wild Turkey * Mountain Quail * Clark's Grebe * California Condor * Merlin * Sandhill Crane * Western Sandpiper * Dunlin * Herring Gull * Caspian Tern * Band-tailed Pigeon * Spotted Dove * Common Ground-Dove * Western Screech-Owl * Northern Pygmy-Owl * Spotted Owl * Northern Saw-whet Owl * White-throated Swift * Lewis's Woodpecker * Williamson's Sapsucker * Red-naped Sapsucker * Red-breasted Sapsucker * Ladder-backed Woodpecker * Downy Woodpecker * Pileated Woodpecker * Cassin's Kingbird * Hutton's Vireo (or any other vireos) * Pinyon Jay * Clark's Nutcracker * Yellow-billed Magpie * American Crow * swallows other than Tree Swallow * Brown Creeper * Cactus Wren * Canyon Wren * Golden-crowned Kinglet * Blue-gray Gnatcatcher * Townsend's Solitaire * Hermit Thrush * Cedar Waxwing * Phainopepla * Black-throated Gray Warbler * Townsend's Warbler * Rufous-crowned Sparrow * Lawrence's Goldfinch Also, the following have not been reported to eBird for any week this January 2010 to date: * Ring-necked Pheasant * Mountain Quail * Green Heron * Northern Goshawk * Mountain Plover * American Avocet * Wilson's Snipe * Caspian Tern * Band-tailed Pigeon * Spotted Dove * Barn Owl * Northern Pygmy-Owl * Burrowing Owl * Spotted Owl * Northern Saw-whet Owl * Pileated Woodpecker * vireos other than Hutton's Vireo * Steller's Jay * Pinyon Jay * Clark's Nutcracker * Yellow-billed Magpie * swallows besides Tree * House Wren * Winter Wren * Townsend's Solitaire * Black-throated Gray Warbler * Townsend's Warbler * Chipping Sparrow * Yellow-headed Blackbird * Red Crossbill * Cassin's Finch Continued Happy & Productive Birding, Bob Barnes, Ridgecrest, Kern County, California [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: 8 Hooded Mergansers From: "Michael" <macbirder1 AT yahoo.com> Date: Thu, 21 Jan 2010 02:03:40 -0000 Birders: This week, we have had 8 HOODED MERGANSERS (3 male and 5 female) in the pond behind our home on the 12th fairway of the Rio Bravo Golf Course. A CASSIN'S KINGBIRD has been very sporadic on the golf course, including a brief foray to my back fence, yesterday. There was another in the upper picnic area, west of Lake Ming. All of these areas are northeast of Bakersfield proper. Michael McQuerrey Bakersfield, California Subject: Long-eared Owls, Isabella Birds, Am. Dippers From: Bob Barnes <bbarnes AT lightspeed.net> Date: Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:42:08 -0800 Hi, LONG-EARED OWL - In what has been an otherwise unremarkable winter for Long-eared Owls, at least three individuals of this species continued at Desert Memorial Park (AKA Ridgecrest Cemetery) at the east edge of Ridgecrest this morning. Welcome rain and snow has rendered the Kern River Valley inaccessible from Ridgecrest via non-snow tired, non-chained Toyota Corolla the past few days. However, a morning visit last Thursday morning, January 14th revealed the continued presence of... * an OSPREY, a BALD EAGLE, and a PEREGRINE FALCON each perched on the snag of their choice in the North Fork arm of Isabella Reservoir... * 4000-5000 COMMON MERGANSERS, 3000-4000 EARED GREBES, +/- 1000 WESTERN GREBES and CLARK'S GREBES, and 400-500 DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS on Isabella Reservoir... * AMERICAN DIPPER at both Bakersfield BLM's Slippery Rock Launch site (across from the entrance to Main Dam Campground below right Isabella Reservoir) and Sequoia National Forest's Delonegha Day Use Area (at the CA Hwy 178 bridge over the Kern River between Lake Isabella and Bakersfield). Continued Happy & Productive Birding, Bob Barnes, Ridgecrest, Kern Co., CA [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: eBird Report - Kern NWR , 1/14/10 From: Bob Barnes <bbarnes AT lightspeed.net> Date: Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:57:11 -0800 The following report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org) Location: Kern NWR Observation date: 1/14/10 Notes: 11:30am-1:30pm. 55F-58F. Number of species: 47 * Gadwall 300+ * American Wigeon 75+ * Mallard 20+ * Cinnamon Teal 100+ All along auto tour route. Thought to be wintering population supplemented by migrants from the south. Fifty-six Cinnamon Teal counted at the Kern Sanitation Management Authority Wastewater Treatment Plant pond earlier this same day supports the preceding thought. * Northern Shoveler 1500+ * Northern Pintail 200+ * Green-winged Teal 100+ * Canvasback 10 * Redhead 80+ * Ring-necked Duck 1 * Lesser Scaup 6 * Bufflehead 30+ * Ruddy Duck 200+ * Pied-billed Grebe 1 * Eared Grebe 5 * White-faced Ibis 5 * White-tailed Kite 2 * Northern Harrier 12 * Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 * Cooper's Hawk 1 * Red-tailed Hawk 12 * Virginia Rail 3 * Sora 4 * Common Moorhen 4 * American Coot 800+ * Killdeer 1 * Black-necked Stilt 30+ * Greater Yellowlegs 1 * Long-billed Dowitcher 90 * California Gull 2 * Greater Roadrunner 1 * Downy Woodpecker 1 * Northern Flicker 2 * Black Phoebe 8 * Loggerhead Shrike 7 * American Crow 3 * Marsh Wren 20 * Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2 * Northern Mockingbird 1 * Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 8 * Common Yellowthroat 2 * Song Sparrow 9 * White-crowned Sparrow 110 * Golden-crowned Sparrow 2 * Red-winged Blackbird 70 * Western Meadowlark 4 * House Finch 10 Bob Barnes, Ridgecrest, Kern Co., CA [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Kern River County Park (Hart Park & Lake Ming) From: Bob Barnes <bbarnes AT lightspeed.net> Date: Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:46:46 -0800 Location: Kern River County Park (Hart Park & Lake Ming) Observation date: 8:20am-9:45am, 1/14/10 Temperature Range: 43F-46F Observer: Bob Barnes Number of species: 45 Greater White-fronted Goose 1 Canada Goose (Large) 17 Wood Duck 11 American Wigeon 6 Mallard 22 Common Merganser 17 Hooded Merganser 1 Ruddy Duck 3 Pied-billed Grebe 5 Western Grebe 2 Double-crested Cormorant 16 Great Blue Heron 3 Great Egret 1 Snowy Egret 1 Black-crowned Night-Heron 5 Turkey Vulture 9 Red-shouldered Hawk 4 American Kestrel 3 American Coot 488 Killdeer 2 California Gull 1 Mourning Dove 2 Rose-ringed Parakeet 3 Belted Kingfisher 2 Acorn Woodpecker 1 Nuttall's Woodpecker 1 Northern Flicker 1 Black Phoebe 7 Say's Phoebe 1 Western Scrub-Jay 5 American Crow 3 White-breasted Nuthatch 2 American Robin 2 Western Bluebird 1 Northern Mockingbird 1 European Starling 60 Orange-crowned Warbler 1 Yellow-rumped (Audubon's) Warbler 8 Lark Sparrow 1 White-crowned Sparrow 36 Dark-eyed Junco 21 Brewer's Blackbird 61 Great-tailed Grackle 2 House Finch 31 House Sparrow 7 Location: Hart Park (Kern Co.) Observation date: 1/17/10 Notes: 3:10pm-3:45pm observations made from inside car during a light rain. Number of species: 26 * Greater White-fronted Goose 1 * Canada Goose 17 * Wood Duck 8 * Mallard 20 * Hooded Merganser 1 * Pied-billed Grebe 2 * Double-crested Cormorant 9 * Great Blue Heron 2 * Great Egret 2 * Black-crowned Night-Heron 2 * American Kestrel 3 * American Coot 250 * Rose-ringed Parakeet 75 Flocks of 25, 35, 6, and 7 individuals flying downriver. Two individuals remained perched in a sycamore tree next to main lake during entire observation period. * Belted Kingfisher 2 * Acorn Woodpecker 1 * Nuttall's Woodpecker 1 * Northern Flicker 2 * Black Phoebe 8 * Western Scrub-Jay 1 * American Crow 1 * Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1 * European Starling 17 * Phainopepla 1 * White-crowned Sparrow 10 * Brewer's Blackbird 26 * Great-tailed Grackle 6 This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Productive spot just off CA Hwy. 58 in Bakersfield From: Bob Barnes <bbarnes AT lightspeed.net> Date: Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:28:31 -0800 Hi, A nice spot to check during comings and goings along CA Hwy 58 or while in Bakersfield is the Kern Sanitation Management Authority Wastewater Treatment Plant pond just west off Oswell Ave. and just south of CA Hwy 58. Take the Oswell exit off Hwy. 58, go south to right on the frontage road west a few hundred meters/yards to a nice, cement landing vantage point just before the "No Trespassing" entrance to the plant. The cement landing is at the northeast corner of the pond ... which is in a pit below ground level. A scope is helpful to have for better viewing of birds at the far (west) end of the pond. Even so, this pond is relatively small and "birdable" in a few to several minutes as shown by the 30 minute and 5 minute visits results following here... The following reports (1/14/10 and 1/17/10) were generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org) Location: Kern Sanitation Management Authority Wastewater Treatment Plant pond Observation date: 1/14/10 Notes: 10am-10:30am. Satellite Kern Sanitation Management Authority Wastewater Treatment Plant pond just west off Oswell Ave. and just south of CA Hwy 58. Number of species: 14 Gadwall 56 American Wigeon 4 Mallard 39 Cinnamon Teal 56 Northern Shoveler 22 Ring-necked Duck 12 Bufflehead 2 Ruddy Duck 6 Snowy Egret 1 Cattle Egret 4 American Coot 25 Black-necked Stilt 128 Least Sandpiper 2 Long-billed Dowitcher 57 Observation date: 1/17/10 Notes: 4:05pm-4:10pm. Kern Sanitation Authority Wastewater Treatment Plant unit accessed from using frontage road west from Oswell Ave. an bordering the south side of CA Hwy 178. A a relatively quick, five minute scan of pond due to light rain. Number of species: 12 Gadwall 30 Mallard 10 Cinnamon Teal 10 Northern Shoveler 4 Bufflehead 2 Ruddy Duck 2 Cattle Egret 2 American Coot 20 Killdeer 1 Black-necked Stilt 30 Long-billed Dowitcher 20 Mourning Dove 50 Bob Barnes, Ridgecrest, Kern Co., CA [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Photos-Brown Thrasher continues at A.W. Noon Park in Kern County From: "Ken and Brenda Kyle" <kbgoldennugget2 AT aol.com> Date: Fri, 15 Jan 2010 03:18:23 -0000 Today,Thursday,1/14/10, we saw the Brown Thrasher that has previously been reported by other birders on kerncobirding. This Brown Thrasher continues in the juniper looking cypress as reported by other birders. We have placed three photos of this Brown Thrasher into the kerncobiding photo section in the album labeled 01 Birds. We have also placed the same three photos into the CALBIRDS photo section in the album labeled Birds. We saw this Brown Thrasher at 9:00am and again at 1:45pm. It continues in the juniper looking cypress at the A.W. Noon Park that leads to the Buena Vista Golf Course. The Buena Vista Golf Course is on Golf Course Road, west of the Buena Vista Aquatic Recreation Area and east of the hamlet of Dustin Acres. Look for the juniper looking cypress bushes on the left side of the entrance road that leads to the golf course. These bushes are near the slope of a saltbush covered hillside. Do not enter the golf course parking lot. At 9:30 this morning we stood across the road from the juniper looking cypress, and the Brown Thrasher came out from under the bush onto the grass. We were able to observe it through our scope. At 1:45pm we were sitting at a bench across from the bushes, and the Brown Thrasher came out from under the bush. Ken and Brenda Kyle Bakersfield Subject: Vermillion Flycatcher at Kern NWR 1/12/10 From: "Tony Kurz" <tonyk_71220 AT hotmail.com> Date: Wed, 13 Jan 2010 07:50:49 -0000 The VERMILLION FLYCATCHER is back at the Kern NWR. The bird was first seen on the day of the New Year by Steve Laymond. The flycatcher is along the tour route, the southern end of the route. It hangs around near the second parking lot in like Unit 5. Go by the vistor center and pick up a map of the refuge. The flycatcher is either a juvenile male or adult female hard to tell at the distance I saw the bird. I also had a Male BLUE-WINGED TEAL on the Northern end of the route. Tony Kurz Springville Tulare County Subject: Kern eBird Update From: Bob Barnes <bbarnes AT lightspeed.net> Date: Mon, 11 Jan 2010 19:48:37 -0800 Hi, For those of you into eBird, the following species have never been entered into eBird for the second week of January (8-14) in any year. There are still three days to find and entered them to fill in the blanks: Wood Duck Redhead Hooded Merganser Chukar Wild Turkey Cattle Egret Peregrine Falcon Black-necked Stilt Wilson's Snipe Band-tailed Pigeon White-throated Swift Lewis's Woodpecker Pinyon Jay Clark's Nutcracker Cactus Wren House Wren Orange-crowned Warbler Common Yellowthroat Chipping Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Tricolored Blackbird... Getting the jump on the third week in January the following species have never been entered as being observed January 15-21 in any year. Seven days to find the following to fill in some eBird blanks: Ross's Goose Tundra Swan Common Goldeneye Hooded Merganser Wild Turkey Mountain Quail Bald Eagle Mountain Plover Long-billed Curlew Dunlin Band-tailed Pigeon Western Screech-Owl Northern Pygmy Owl Spotted Owl Northern Saw-whet Owl Lewis's Woodpecker Williamson's Sapsucker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-naped Sapsucker Ladder-backed Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker White-headed Woodpecker Steller's Jay Pinyon Jay Clark's Nutcracker Mountain Chickadee Verdin Red-breasted Nuthatch Pygmy Nuthatch Brown Creeper Bewick's Wren American Dipper Mountain Bluebird Townsend's Solitaire Wrentit Sage Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Rufous-crowned Sparrow Black-throated Sparrow Fox Sparrow Brown-headed Cowbird Purple Finch Cassin's Finch... Continued Happy & Productive eBirding, Bob Barnes, Ridgecrest, Kern County, California Subject: Onyx's Scodie Park YB Sap Continues From: Bob Barnes <bbarnes AT lightspeed.net> Date: Mon, 11 Jan 2010 19:29:51 -0800 Hi, The juvenile YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER first found by Alison Sheehey on Saturday at Scodie Park in the community of Onyx and observed by her again Sunday was still present during a 9am-9:10am visit this morning. Good fortune was in the air as this YBSA was the first bird seen in the park during this visit as it flew into a pine tree in the open at less than twenty feet away and worked its way up the trunk and out of site. Just a minute or two later it flew below the first branches of another pine tree at a similar distance, offering another in-the-open observation before hitching up the tree into the foliage cover. The throat of this bird appears to be filled in with red at this point in its life. Other birding notes from the day ... * LE CONTE'S THRASHER was missed at the Middlemiss property in Inyokern ... perhaps it was too early in the morning. * TRICOLORED BLACKBIRD was missed at the Canebrake Ecological Reserve, although a cooperative, perched FERRUGINOUS HAWK. * Forty-five AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS, an OSPREY, and a first cycle HERRING GULL continued at Isabella Reservoir's Kissack Cove. * Five COMMON GOLDENEYES and seventeen BUFFLEHEAD were in the Borel Canal below Isabella Reservoir's Auxiliary Dam while 153 COMMON RAVENS foraged in the freshly plowed agricultural field across Barlow Rd. * An AMERICAN DIPPER continued to use the gentle rapids found below BLM's Slippery Rock Launch site across CA Hwy. 155 from the entrance to Main Dam Campground. * Several thousand COMMON MERGANSERS continued to swirl the still water of Isabella Reservoir just off the south shore of Rocky Point while a lesser thousands of EARED GREBES did the same in the reservoir arm in front of Main Dam. * RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROW was missed this day at two close to each other locations 0.7 miles up Sawmill Rd. from CA Hwy. 178. * The Greenhorn Mountains were fairly quiet this day with a lingering, eye-level GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET being the highlight. * Eighteen MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS continued in the vicinity of Kelso Valley Rd. area described by Alison Sheehey in her email to kerncobirding earlier today ... at the cattle guard c. 4 miles south of CA Hwy. 178 in Weldon. Continued Happy & Productive Birding, Bob Barnes, Ridgecrest, Kern County, California [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Yellow-bellied Sapsucker at Scodie Park in Onyx From: Alison Sheehey <natureali AT gmail.com> Date: Mon, 11 Jan 2010 09:57:08 -0800 Hi All, Birded around the Kern Valley yesterday in a quest to see all the woodpecker species I could after seeing a juvenile Yellow-bellied Sapsucker in Scodie Park on Saturday. Although I dipped on Ladder-backed and Pileated (not for lack of trying mind you), I ended up with 11 species of woodpecker for the day. At Scodie Park in Onyx, in addition to the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, there are two female Williamson's Sapsuckers, and three Red-breasted Sapsuckers. A female Nuttall's Woodpecker is also foraging on the Aleppo Pines and Cypress in the park. I heard a Northern Flicker and then saw one flying across the road as I left Onyx. 5 species Took a trip on the Kelso Creek/Kelso Valley Road loop and tried for Ladder-backed Woodpecker, no luck, but did see a nice flock of Mountain Bluebirds on the farm field that has been totally grazed to nothing along Kelso Valley Road. 0 species 5 species for the day. I went to the Kern River Preserve headquarters and saw one male Hairy Woodpecker and heard another, saw a male and female Downy Woodpecker, heard another Northern Flicker and Nuttall's Woodpecker. 4 species 7 for the day. Headed to Tillie Creek Campground to get species 8 & 9. Immediately heard then saw Acorn Woodpeckers. Went to a campsite in the closed area of the campground and found a Red-naped Sapsucker guarding a well drilled Blue Oak. Tillie Creek is overrun with Phainopepla right now. A nice size flock of Purple Finch are working the pines on the northeast edge of the campground. Heard Red-breasted Sapsucker, Nuttall's Woodpecker and Northern Flicker. 5 species 9 for the day. There is one Lewis's Woodpecker wintering along Tillie Creek near Countrywood Drive. It is at a very dangerous curve in the road and I haven't found an easy way to access the area, but I did see it and the Acorn Woodpecker that was chasing it. 2 species 10 for the day. Up to the Greenhorns and a drive along Rancheria Road. Nothing but several loud people enjoying the snow and some snow boarders that were driving way too fast for the road under any condition. Heard only one Mountain Chickadee that responded to pishing. Disappointed I headed back down into the valley very slowly along Hwy 155. As I left the conifer forest off to the northeast I heard a White-headed Woodpecker calling as the sun set. Yes, 11th species for the day!!! A happy tappy day to the end. Ali Sheehey Weldon, CA