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Recent Postings from
Mendo Birds

Updated on Thursday, October 18 at 04:56 PM ET
The most recently received Mail is at the top.

On Saturday 10/13 amongst the American widgeons an Pudding Creek, I 
saw one in plumage that my nat. geo. guide described as "eclipse."  
Bright color in the bill, rusty sides, but no white mohawk.  I hadn't 
noticed those before...are they common?

Please pass this along to your friends!


Mysteries of Migration:
Slideshow and Lecture by Ron Levalley

    by Kate Marianchild

Bird migration has mystified humans since we acquired a sense of 
wonder. Birds disappeared in the fall and arrived in the spring, and no 
one had any idea where they had been in the meantime. Ancient people 
would have been astonished to know that the beautiful flyers that came 
and went twice a year were more familiar with distant and exotic lands 
than they were. As humans began traveling long distances across the 
world by ship and by air we gained knowledge of the destinations of 
migrant birds, and over the last several decades we have learned that 
birds navigate by the sun, the stars, magnetic fields, and smells. But 
no one has ever known exactly what happens during migration: do the 
birds stop to eat or drink? if they eat, what do they eat? do they 
sleep? do they fly a straight course or meander? how high do they fly? 
The mystery has always been compounded by the fact that many birds 
migrate exclusively at night.

Well, exciting new developments are on the wing. With the use of tiny 
transmitters and satellites scientists can now sit in front of computer 
screens and watch migrating birds all around the world as they eat, 
sleep, and veer off course to feed on islands in the middle of the 
ocean. Ron LeValley, an eminent biologist, ornithologist, and 
photographer, will deliver a slideshow lecture on this fascinating 
subject on Thursday, October 18, at the Ukiah Civic Center at 7 p.m. 
LeValley�s talk will focus on seabirds that migrate extraordinarily 
long distances and the challenges facing small-population migrants. 
This Peregrine Audubon Society event is free to the public but 
donations will be gratefully accepted.

It is a common and comfortable myth that migrating juvenile birds are 
led to their wintering grounds by their parents. In fact it is only 
among geese, cranes, and some other fresh-water waterfowl that such 
parental shepherding occurs. One of the birds that LeValley will talk 
about is the Bristle-thighed Curlew, a long-legged shorebird that nests 
in a small area of western Alaska called Beringia. The adult females of 
the species desert their chicks as soon as the chicks can fly, at four 
weeks old, and fly to a food rich area in the Yukon where they fatten 
up for their upcoming migration. The males soon take off as well, 
leaving the chicks to frantically feed and practice flying on their 
own. In late August and early September the adults begin their 
migration, the endpoint of which is sometimes 5,000 miles away on 
remote islands in the South Pacific. They make the flight non-stop, as 
they lack waterproof plumage and therefore cannot rest on the water. 
The juveniles leave a few weeks later and fly the same distance without 
adults to guide them, relying on genetically programmed cues. No one 
knows exactly how either the adults or juveniles find their tiny island 
destinations in the vast Pacific, but most arrive safely.

Another bird we will learn about is the Laysan Albatross, a seabird 
that nests on the northwest Hawaiian islands and flies several thousand 
miles to the coasts of California and Alaska to collect oil-rich squid 
and other fish for its chicks. LeValley will also bring us up to date 
on avian migration records. The Arctic Tern, which migrates 22,000 
miles round trip from the Arctic Circle to Antarctica, may now be 
challenged for its title as the longest-distance migrant in the world.

Ron LeValley is founder and senior biologist of Mad River Biologists in 
McKinleyville. He is the California coordinator for the Pacific Coast 
Joint Venture, a public/private partnership funded by the North 
American Wetlands Conservation Act to promote conservation. LeValley 
lectures all over the western United States at Audubon meetings, bird 
festivals, and ornithological conferences, where he is frequently the 
keynote speaker. He is also a founding member of the Mendocino Coast 
Photographer Guild and Galley in Fort Bragg, where he displays his 
nature and wildlife photographs. His passion for the natural world is 
rivaled only by his desire to share that passion.

The Ukiah Civic Center is at 300 Seminary Avenue. From 101 take Perkins 
west to State Street (3rd light). Go left on State Street and turn 
right on Seminary. Take Seminary to the end. To join Peregrine Audubon 
Society and receive a newsletter with articles and announcements about 
programs and field trips, please send $15 to PAS, P.O. Box 311, Ukiah, 
CA 95482.




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I got a much better view of this bird yesterday.  It is a parakeet 
with a bright green, almost chartreuse, back, yellow tipped tail and 
yellow wings with black speckles and black spots on its face and neck.
Its cere is brownish, so perhaps it is a female.
I can't see any leg bands, but apparently the practice is much less 
common than it used to be.
Several reponses I got predicted a very short life expectancy, but it 
is a month or more since first sighting.

--- In Mendobirds AT yahoogroups.com, "Jim Armstrong"  wrote:
>
> For the second time in two weeks, I have a small, uniformly bright 
> yellow parrot (or large yellow parakeet) in my yard in SE Potter 
> Valley.  It was here briefly on George and Chuck's Big Day, but 
> refused to be seen when they came by.
> While I assume it is an escapee from a home or collection, it is far 
> from tame, flushing from my seed feeder area with wild-bird speed 
when 
> I go out.
> I haven't noticed any call or song.
> Any one know where it might belong?
>

Sorry everyone. I meant to send that question to George privately!

Kate

Hi George,

Have I ever thanked you for moderating this list? Well, thank you!

I will be in Ecuador for 3 weeks and would like to have my Mendobirds 
emails suspended during that time. Is that possible?

Oct. 24-November 18.

Thanks,

Kate

13 October 2007 - Saturday - I just wanted to mention that I had a 
Common Poorwill on my dirt-road driveway here in Hopland.  This bird 
was in the same spot on the road as COPO have been observed at in 
years past (same bird?).   Mid-October to early November seems to be 
the time period that this species migrates south and passes through 
our county.  The bird was seen on the road just at dusk ...and was 
later foraging nearby.    Good birding - Bob Keiffer

Robert J. Keiffer
Principal Supt. of Agriculture
UC Hopland Research & Extension Center
4070 University Road
Hopland, CA  95449
   FAX 
HREC website:   http://danrrec.ucdavis.edu/hopland/home_page.html

"It is not the critic who counts... not the one who points out how 
the strong person stumbles... or where the doer of deeds could have 
done better. The credit belongs to the person who is actually in the 
arena." Theodore Roosevelt 

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A Canvasback, at least 8 White-winged Scoters, a couple of
  Black Scoters and a Pacific Golden Plover were at various areas
  of MacKerricher SP today.  I could not find very many small,
  colorful passerines, except Townsend's and Yellow-rumped
  Warblers.  Yesterday, I looked from Juan Creek to Lake Cleone.
  This morning the Canvasback had arrived at Lk Cleone.  The
  scoters in many, large flocks flew south past Laguna Point.
  I tried to find a Rock Sandpiper but had no luck.
   
  The Pacific Golden Plover was called in to me by Becky and
  Win Bowen.  They saw it in the dry sand north of Ward Ave.
   
  Karen Havlena
  North of Fort Bragg

       
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Play Monopoly Here and Now (it's updated for today's economy) at Yahoo! Games.

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This afternoon was beautiful after the storm moved on. 

At Lake Cleone I observed a male and female Greater Scaup, a male and 
female Lesser Scaup, a few Pied-billed Grebes, dozens of American 
Coots, some Mallards, a Double-crested Cormorant and dozens of Western 
Gulls.

Along the Lake Cleone trail there was a Winter Wren, two Stellars Jays 
and an immature White-crowned Sparrow.

At the Laguna Point headlands there were about two dozen Heerman's 
Gulls, a few Black Oystercatchers, one Brown Pelican, several Pelagic 
Cormorants and two Willets.

And there was a Western Grebe in a tidal area next to the Haul Road.

Fred Andrews

Four, beautiful, male Harlequin Ducks stood side by side
  on a rock just off Glass Beach in Fort Bragg this morning.
  It was quite breezy, so virtually all litttle birds stayed in
  the low willows.
  Glass Beach is at the west end of Elm St.  After walking
  out to the beach, the ducks were just to the north on a
  rock with some whitewash on it.  They were very close 
  to shore.
   
  Karen Havlena
  Near Fort Bragg  

       
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The Big River Stewards spotted a pergrine falcon at Station 1 (Big 
River Beach parking lot)and again at station 4 (the Quarry)during the 
first survey of the West Haul Road this Fall.
 
For the past four years experienced surveyors from the Mendocino 
Coast Audubon Society have joined with volunteers from the Mendocino 
Land Trust's Big River Stewards program to conduct Fall Bird surveys 
at various locations on Big River.

An Eared Grebe(possibly new to the surveys), was also observed near 
the mouth of Big River, as were a pair of Harlequin Ducks. Volunteers 
also observed a juvenile Sea Lion hauled out on the Beach and Harbor 
Seals at Station 2 (Haul Road Gate.)

Further upriver, strong winds made surveys challenging but Brown 
Creepers were heard at both Stations 7 and 8 (about 2 miles up the 
haul road)and a Brandt's Cormorant was observed at Station 9 (New 
Boom).

Other birds heard or seen included Northern Flickers, Acorn and Downy 
Woodpeckers, Ruby Crowned Kinglets, Belted Kingfishers, Great Blue 
Herons and the "usual suspects."

Greetings Mendobirders-  I visited the Ukiah Sewage Treatment Plant this 
morning and saw 3 CACKLING GEESE on the south pond.  None of them had 
white-collars so I assume they were probably not "Aleutians".  Despite the 
large expanse of muddy puddles on the draining middle pond, the only 
shorebirds besides some LEASTS were 2 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS.  Two PEREGRINE 
FALCONS , an adult and an immature, made several noisy and half-hearted 
strafes over the ducks on the south pond.  A much more stealthy MERLIN was 
also working the area.  There were several hundred swallows out there, but 
all I could find were VIOLET-GREENS.  This afternoon I have had a late 
WESTERN TANAGER eating what remains of my zinfandel grapes at home.  On 
10/3 a "V" of about 110 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE flew over the HREC 
office area headed SSE.  They were definitely not going to Clear Lake.

Chuck




*********************************
Chuck and Barbara Vaughn
Ukiah, CA  95482

cevaughn AT pacific.net 

While birding with the group from Albion on Saturday afternoon, Sept. 29,
in the campground at Manchester Beach State Park I found a Black-capped
Chickadee in a flock of Chestnut-backed Chickadees.   Views of the birds
were short as they moved through the pines and cypress trees.   But the
one Black-capped Chickadee gave a striking view as it worked over a group
of exposed cones on a bare cypress branch for half a minute before moving
behind the greenery.   I hope someone else can find this bird again.
Larry Siemens
Redding, CA

Mendocino Coast Audubon Society

Program Meeting for Monday, October 15, 2007

7:00 Pm College of the Redwoods Room 111

 

Mendocino Audubon Society

Speaker: Matthew Matthiessen presents Birds of Cameroon

 

For further information, contact charmac AT mcn.org, call  or check the
web site at http://mendocinocoastaudubon.org
 

 

Charlene McAllister
P.O. Box 332
Little River, CA 95456


 



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Birders,

Gjon Hazard and I birded northern Mendocino County on 10-1-07.

We started the day at Usal Campground/mouth of Usal Creek.  We had more
migrant landbirds here than anywhere else today; the other coastal patches
we checked were had very few birds.  The highlight for me was the Swamp
Sparrow out in the low veg near the mouth.  There were also 3 Willow
Flycatchers about.  We had a few warblers (including a MacGillvray's
Warbler), vireos, and Pacific-slope Flycatchers.

Later in the morning, about 200 feet up Usal Road from Highway 1, there was
a termite hatch going on that was being attended by a flock of warblers
(Yellow, Townsend's, Black-throated Grey, Wilson's), Warbling Vireos,
kinglets, etc.  The highlight was a Chestnut-sided Warbler.  The scene
reminded us of something you'd see in the tropics with antbirds and army
ants, and was really fun to watch up close since the birds ignored us in
their feeding frenzy.

Also, there was a single Pectoral Sandpiper at the mouth of Virgin Creek.

BTW-we birded Del Norte County on 10-2-07 with Alan Barron, and there were
exceedingly few landbird migrants there too.  We had only one Yellow
Warbler (at Klamath River Boat Ramp) in a full day of birding the chickadee
flocks!  We did have a total of 5 Western Tanagers at Endert's Beach Road
and Elk Creek Park.

John E. Hunter
Arcata, CA

I saw my first double-crested cormorant of the fall, a juvenile, 
yesterday above the Russian River in Potter Valley. It's funny how 
in the spring they're so plentiful that I get a little bored with them, 
but I missed having big birds in the trees all summer.

I also got a pretty nice and very lucky photo of a flock of wood 
ducks flying over me that I've added to my Potter Valley album.

Elaine Lindelef
Potter Valley

After searching the entire Virgin Creek area in MacKerricher SP
  in Fort Bragg, I could find neither Ruff nor Buff.  I included looking
  at the bluff area south of the creek mouth, the pond at the SW 
  corner of the Baxman Gravel property, and the beach as far 
  north as I could go.  Also at Virgin Creek beach:
  There was a Cackling Goose with a narrow, white neckband,
  probably an Aleutian and 14 godwits of the Marbled variety.
  A female Black Scoter played in the surf with other scoters.
   
  Jim Havlena saw 4 Harlequin Ducks flying north very close to
  shore at Seaside beach, north of Ten Mile River.
   
  Karen Havlena
  North of Fort Bragg

       
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Greetings Mendobirders-  This morning there was a VESPER SPARROW in 
an open pasture above the office area at the UC Hopland R&E 
Center.  The COMMON MOORHEN continued on the southern sag pond at noon.

Chuck




***********************************
Chuck and Barbara Vaughn
Ukiah, CA  95482

cevaughn AT pacific.net 

Floyd Hayes wrote:
>  during the Albion
> Birding Weekend. 

The WHAT?  I hadn't heard of that... How does one hear of such things in 
advance?

Tim in Albion

On Saturday the 29th I stumbled across a juvenile
female RUFF at Virgin Creek. It was well observed and
photographed by a group of birders during the Albion
Birding Weekend. We followed it from 9:00-10:00 am as
it moved from the mouth of the creek southward along
the rocks, where it foraged with Black Turnstones and
Surfbirds in the surf. I just uploaded two photographs
at:

http://www.geocities.com/floyd_hayes/ruff

We searched for it unsuccessfully on Sunday afternoon,
but met a couple of birders who mentioned that one had
been seen over the weekend at Pudding Creek. If so,
I'd be interested in knowing the details (none posted
on Mendobirds).

On Friday the 28th a juvenile BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER
was seen just north of the mouth of Virgin Creek by
Stan Snyder and several other birders. Stan, a very
experienced birder familiar with both Ruff and
Buff-breasted Sandpiper, also saw the Ruff on Saturday
and says it was a totally different bird than the
Buff-breasted Sandpiper they saw on Friday.

Other shorebirds seen at Virgin Creek during the
weekend included a juvenile PECTORAL SANDPIPER and a
juvenile LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER.

Floyd Hayes
Hidden Valley Lake, CA


 
____________________________________________________________________________________ 

Catch up on fall's hot new shows on Yahoo! TV. Watch previews, get listings, 
and more! 

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For the second time in two weeks, I have a small, uniformly bright 
yellow parrot (or large yellow parakeet) in my yard in SE Potter 
Valley.  It was here briefly on George and Chuck's Big Day, but 
refused to be seen when they came by.
While I assume it is an escapee from a home or collection, it is far 
from tame, flushing from my seed feeder area with wild-bird speed when 
I go out.
I haven't noticed any call or song.
Any one know where it might belong?

I forgot to mention that two of the pictures of the blackbird are 
posted to the photos section. 

Richard Hubacek

My wife came back from shopping today and said she saw a strange bird 
in the Fort Bragg Safeway's parking lot. She had her camera with her 
and chased it around the lot taking it's picture. It turned out to be 
a female Brewers Blackbird with partially white feathers. I've haven't 
seen many birds with "abnormal coloration" and thought it interesting 
in light of the most recent issue of ABA's "Birding" magazine.


Richard Hubacek 

A flock of fifty to sixty greater white-fronted geese was seen at 1:20 PM 
9/28/07 over 

Mendocino Town at the south end of Howard Street flying northwest. Jack Booth 

Hello Mendobirders,

I took a trip yesterday through Covelo, via 162,  to the middle fork of 
the Eel. Notable birds were a Virginia Rail along Outlet Creek and a 
Canyon Wren on the Eel, 3-4 miles upstream from the Eel River Work 
Station.

Kate

a white winged dove has been visiting me daily in little river

loisanne63 AT mac.com

I saw 4 American Wigeons at Virgin Creek today at 1:00 p.m.

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 -- I've had a PINE SISKIN around my thistle feeders this
afternoon after a virtual absence for two years.  This is the earliest
record by a week for inland Mendocino (1 Oct 1998), and the earliest I've
had them before in Potter Valley is 11 Oct.  If they follow their pattern
of ups and downs, this winter should be a big siskin winter.  Is anyone
else seeing them yet?

George Chaniot
Potter Valley, MEN, CA

Greetings Mendobirders-  At noon today I saw a hatch-year Blackpoll 
Warbler in the wooded adjacent to the sag ponds at HREC.  This is a 
first for the Center.  The Common Moorhen continues.

Chuck




***********************************
Chuck and Barbara Vaughn
Ukiah, CA  95482

cevaughn AT pacific.net 

Hi --- The MCAS pelagic trip on 9/23/07 went very well.  The 
  highlights were:  4 Flesh-footed Shearwater, 1 S Polar Skua,
  20+ N Fulmar, 10+ Buller's Shearwater, 22+ Black-footed 
  Albatross, 3 Pomarine Jaeger, 2 Parasitic Jaejer, and several
  Humpbacked Whales.  
   
  The South Polar Skua was spotted by Richard Hubacek.
   
  Pelagic trips are risky; there was "the one that got away" 
  seen by Chuck Vaughn.  It started to come in, then turned-
  tail and quickly flew away.
   
  Karen Havlena
  Fort Bragg Area

       
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There was a flock of Cedar Waxwings in downtown Ukiah Thursday (9/20).  
I got a good look at them and could clearly see the yellow wax on the 
tail tips of some of the birds. I think I hear them again today (Friday 
morning), but I couldn't see them clearly enough for a positive ID.

Also, I've realized it's been quite a while since I've seen Chestnut-
backed Chickadees at my feeders.  I really miss them, and it's starting 
to creep me out.  They used to be year-round visitors, and we still get 
titmice, nuthatches, goldfinches, etc. all year along with bigger birds 
(Acorn woodpeckers, Steller's Jay's, Towhees, Ravens).  Have they all 
been up in the mountains for the summer or is something more sinister 
going on?
Maureen

21 September 2007 - The 31st report of the California Bird Records 
Committee (CBRC) was just published in the Western Birds Vol.38, No. 
3.  The CBRC ACCEPTED the following observation records that were 
submitted for this time period.  Note: The CBRC only reviews species 
that are on the "California Bird List denoted as Review Species" 
(these are mainly rare vagrants or rarely observed pelagic species to 
California).

Mottled Petrel - single bird at 37.92 N. 125.50 W., 103 n. miles sw 
of Pt. Arena MEN. 4 November 2005 observers RP,TS; record # 

Stejneger's Petrel - The NOAA oceanographic cruise (research vessel) 
recorded one at 39.25 N. 125.83 W., 92 n.miles sw of Punta Gorda, 
MEN/HUM on 18 October 2005,
         observers Peter Pyle, record # 

Eastern Yellow Wagtail - one first fall bird seen along the beach 
(Virgin Creek Beach) at MacKerricher State Park, Fort Bragg MEN, 
16-17 September 2005.  This bird was first discovered by "Toby" 
Tobkin (mistakenly not reported as such in the report) and seen by 
many other observers.  Record # .

One species observation was NOT ACCEPTED by the CBRC during this 
period... it is:

Solander's Petrel - A Pterodroma photographed at 40.02 N, 128.01 W., 
173 miles west of Cape Mendocino, HUM on 9 August 2005.  This was 
first reported to me by the observer, P.Pyle as being in Mendocino 
County waters ...but it appears that the closest point of land was in 
fact Humboldt County waters.  P. Pyle photographed the bird, but the 
majority of CBRC members voted to not accept it because current 
knowledge on the species identification is limited and the photos 
were to distant to confirm identification.  In the photo, the bird 
appeared broad-winged and thick-set in the field and showed extensive 
white on the face extending over the bill... characteristics favoring 
Solander's over Murphy's Petrel or other dark Pterodroma species 
found in the Pacific. Solander's Petrel remains unconfirmed for North 
America however 12-18 of them were seen and photographed within 180 
n. miles of Alaskan waters in 2006 and others have been suspected 
sightings within N.A. waters.

Another Note:

In the same Western Birds Vol. 38, No.3 publication is a great 
article on the "Identification at sea of Hawaiian and Galapagos 
Petrels by Force,Webb, & Howell.  These two populations of 
"Dark-rumped Petrels" have recently been elevated to species rank by 
the American Ornithologists' Union (AOU).  Single "Dark-rumped 
Petrel" birds have been seen on three occasions in MEN waters.  One 
of these birds is portrayed in two photographs in the article, and is 
considered to be a Hawaiian Petrel as discussed in the article.

For more information you can refer to:  www.wfo-cbrc.org

Good Birding.  Bob Keiffer

Robert J. Keiffer
Principal Supt. of Agriculture
UC Hopland Research & Extension Center
4070 University Road
Hopland, CA  95449
   FAX 
HREC website:   http://danrrec.ucdavis.edu/hopland/home_page.html

"It is not the critic who counts... not the one who points out how 
the strong person stumbles... or where the doer of deeds could have 
done better. The credit belongs to the person who is actually in the 
arena." Theodore Roosevelt 

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Thurs., Sept. 20, 2007 About 11am this morning there was a second 
winter Heermann's Gull at the outlet of Kelsey Creek in Clear Lake 
State Park. The gull was swimming just beyond the long, thin gravel 
bar that is on the west bank of Kelsey Creek right at the outlet into 
Clear Lake. There was also one Marbled Godwit standing on the gravel 
bar. Watch out for the aerial yellowjacket nest that is on a leaned 
over willow trunk along the trail that leads out to the outlet of 
Kelsey Creek.
Dave Woodward
Lakeport 

This morning, a Pacific Golden Plover and 4 juv Baird's Sandpipers
  were on Ten Mile beach, along with 5 Marbled Godwits scattered
  from Fen Creek mouth north to Seaside Beach.  The PGPL was
  fairly close to the Ward Ave ramp with 2 Black-bellied Plovers.
  The Baird's were all by Inglenook Creek mouth.
  Also, there was a Say's Phoebe in our backyard at noon.
   
  Karen Havlena
  North of Fort Bragg
  Ten Mile Area

       
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Yesterday about noon we saw a small Alcid in the cove off the end of 
Main Street in Mendocino, not far from the near end of the sea cave.  It 
appeared to be a Marbled Murrelet in transitional plumage.  Wish I'd had 
the camera, it was quite close in and might have made a decent photo.

Also watched a Peregrine Falcon standing on top of the westernmost 
island off the northwest tip of the Headlands.  It made a couple of 
short flights but returned empty-taloned.

Cheers,
Tim in Albion

I tried to put my photo of the Black-headed Grosbeak into a folder 
entitled Anchor Bay Sightings but I must've done something wront. You 
can find it in the Redwood Valley rd folder. I'm new at this as you can 
see.  Jeanne

Hi All. A female Black-headed Grosbeak showed up at my feeder last week 
here in Anchor Bay. She "posed" for me and I have posted the picture. 
She was joined by a male the following day. Exciting!
Jeanne Jackson

Karen's post reminded me of a chance meeting with Rich
Stallcup at Point Reyes a few years ago.

I asked him if he'd "seen anything good" that day. 
His reply was, "It's all been good.  We just see some
of it more regularly than others!"

Randy Little
Milpitas, CA

  

 
Randy Little
Milpitas, CA



 
____________________________________________________________________________________ 

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But I *like* Marbled Godwits!
   
 Got some shots of some the other day at Pudding Creek Beach, eating worms. If 
anyone would like to see them, please e mail me privately. 

  
Feather

Karen Havlena  wrote:
          Hi --- I forgot to mention the 4 Marbled Godwits that I have been
studying for days at the mouth of Ten Mile River. Not one of them
will turn into something better.

Karen Havlena
North of Fort Bragg, Cal

---------------------------------
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Hi ---   I forgot to mention the 4 Marbled Godwits that I have been
  studying for days at the mouth of Ten Mile River.  Not one of them
  will turn into something better.
   
  Karen Havlena
  North of Fort Bragg, Cal

       
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Thursday, 13 Sept, there were 2 juv Baird's Sandpipers and a
  juv Red Knot on Ten Mile Beach, with the Baird's near Fen Ck
  and the Red Knot close to the Ward Ave ramp in MacKerricher
  SP.
   
  Large rafts of Surf Scoters have shown up between Ward Ave
  and Ten Mile River mouth.  I tried to find other scoter species
  with my scope but could not pick out any different birds.
   
  I noticed a single Merlin flying south over Seaside Beach, too.
   
  Karen Havlena
  North of Fort Bragg, California

       
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Thursday, September 13, 2007.
I had two relatively minor sightings today that are worth noting. A Common Tern 
was feeding in the Navarro River just west of the Highway 1 bridge. 

A pair of Merlin put on a wonderful show the hour before sunset above the Noyo 
Rive beach. A male and a female (the color and size differences easily noted) 
chased each other, with each alternatively taking the role of aggressor. They 
also literally flew circles around a few pitiful Ravens that got in their way. 
Red-necked Phalarope continue to be plentiful along the coast and in the lower 
reaches of rivers. 


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September 11, 2007 - This is just for curiosity's sake ...yesterday, 
here at UC-Hopland REC I observed a mature Golden Eagle swooped down 
in front of my vehicle and nab a mature Red-shouldered Hawk as it 
left it's perch on a large oak limb.  Both birds continued to the 
ground with the Red-shouldered screaming.  The eagle left, maybe due 
to the presence of the vehicle, and the hawk lowered itself into the 
grass.   I thought that the hawk was probably dying but upon 
inspection it seemed rather alert & perky.  I left it in an open box 
hoping that it might recover and fly away ...but it perished.  It is 
now destined to be a museum study-skin specimen here at HREC.  Good 
birding - Bob Keiffer.

Robert J. Keiffer
Principal Supt. of Agriculture
UC Hopland Research & Extension Center
4070 University Road
Hopland, CA  95449
   FAX 
HREC website:   http://danrrec.ucdavis.edu/hopland/home_page.html

"It is not the critic who counts... not the one who points out how 
the strong person stumbles... or where the doer of deeds could have 
done better. The credit belongs to the person who is actually in the 
arena." Theodore Roosevelt 

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The Mendocino Land Trust's Big River Stewards program and the 
Mendocino Coast chapter of the Audubon Society are pleased to 
announce a free Bird Survey Training on Saturday, September 22nd from 
9am to 1pm at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens Community Room.

This free workshop will focus on identifying birds by sight and sound 
and will be lead by veteran birder and educator David Jensen of the 
Mendocino Coast Audubon Society.

The goal of the workshop is to prepare volunteers for the annual Fall 
Big River Bird Surveys during which volunteers survey for the bird 
species present at 30 point-count stations throughout the new park. 
This year, we'll also survey twice another 10 stations along the 
mainstem of Big River on the Conservation Fund property upstream from 
the new parklands.

To attend the workshop, or participate in the bird surveys, please 
RSVP to Big River Stewards coordinator Matt Coleman at  or by 
email at mcoleman AT mendocinolandtrust.org. 

This morning at Pudding Creek's northern part of the beach (behind the hotels) 
I saw a plover that I cannot id. 

   
 It was overall very dark with white under the tail on the belly, but the 
breast and belly were mainly very dark, white eye stripe and a bit of white 
around the bill, but had black primaries. 

   
 Was this a molting Black-bellied? I got some photos, but they didn't turn out. 
IF one of them did, I will post a link to it later. 

   
  Feather


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Sunday, September 9, 2007.
I know the following is technically off-topic for this listserv, but I just 
read on Laura Erickson's blog http://lauraerickson.blogspot.com/ that Alex the 
Parrot has died. Those of you who are familiar with this amazing bird will 
probably agree that the world seems a bit emptier tonight. 


Occasionally there are people or events, or in this case a parrot, that are so 
memorable or have such an impact that they change the way in which we view the 
world and our place in it. Alex the Parrot was one of those giants. I was 
raised on a dairy farm and learned at an early age that all animals are rightly 
subject to Man, who is unique among all creatures by merit of our superior 
intellect. And I am quite comfortable living in a world surrounded by "dumb 
animals." 


Unfortunately, the work of folks like Irene Pepperberg and the demonstrations 
of true intelligence and compassion by animals like Alex have turned my 
comfortable world on its head from time to time. And I guess that's good. I 
prefer to understand as much as I can about the world that surrounds me, and 
about my place in it, even if it means being put in my place by a talking 
parrot. 


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This morning and yesterday at Pudding Creek there was a single Common Tern, 
in the vicinity of the tressel.

Also: Yesterday at Virgin Creek Beach there was a Buff-breasted and a 
Baird's Sandpiper. The Buff-breasted was near the north end of the beach.

Red-necked Phalaropes continue in numbers at Virgin Creek and other lagoons 
and beaches near Fort Bragg.

     Art Morley

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There was a juv. Short-billed Dowitcher at the Kelsey Creek Outlet this 
morning. Jerry W. 


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I was just in Oregon and saw and heard many RBNU's, and then heard them 
in CA on the way home along Hwy 3 and Hwy 36.


On Sep 6, 2007, at 1:48 PM, Karen Havlena wrote:

> This morning, I heard a very, vocal Red-breasted Nuthatch in some
>  conifers alongside Ten Mile River. A post on another listserv 
> mentioned
>  that many RBNU have been seen in the Northeast US and may be a
>  sign of a good flight year. We will have to wait and see.
>
>  Karen Havlena
>  North of Fort Bragg
>
>  ---------------------------------
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> story.
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>
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>
>  
>     

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This evening at about 7:30 - 7:35 PM, I saw Jerry's Short-eared Owl 
  at milepost 72.32 on Hwy 1.  This is the old townsite of Newport.  I 
  thought I was a little early arriving at 7:20, but a high marine layer
  began to come in.  I parked at the gate at milepost 72.21. Many 
  times I've thought that this is a great spot for Short-eared Owl.  
  The sun was obscured by the partial marine layer, so the lighting 
  was just right.  Just about 7:35, I saw the owl fly low from the slope
  on the east side of the highway.  It flew across the road, rose higher,
  then swooped straight down into the high grass in the field.  It landed
  close to the road.  I walked up to mm 72.32.  Shortly, it flew north,
  staying low and went over the small rise.  The terrain slopes down
  again. 
  I walked back to the car.  Another car stopped on the road between
  the two mileposts.  I started to go up to talk to them, but they moved
  forward, stopping and driving until they went over the rise.  Their 
  timing would have been good, if the marine layer had not come in.
  Hopefully, they will try again.
   
  I really like watching Short-eared Owls hunt.  Either Jim or myself
  were always assigned to get one for the Morro Bay CBC.  We were
  successful all but once or twice.  
   
  Karen Havlena
  North of Ten Mile River
   

       
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Greetings Mendobirders- Today at noon there was an adult COMMON MOORHEN on 
the more southern of the 2 sag ponds near the HREC office area.  I suspect 
this is one of the 2 birds which spent the period from Oct 23, 2006 through 
April 20, 2007 on the same pond.  In the area were 2 SAY'S PHOEBES, the 
first I have seen this fall.

Chuck




*********************************
Chuck and Barbara Vaughn
Ukiah, CA  95482

cevaughn AT pacific.net 

The best birds of the day were not at Usal but on the trip out there this 
morning. I watched a Short-eared Owl hunting (it was successful) for about 5 
minutes starting at 6:35 AM on Highway 1. This was in the grasslands near 
milemarkers 72.21and 72.32. Then on the Usal Road about a mile from Hwy 1 there 
was an adult male Northern Goshawk. 

At Usal after about 2 1/2 hours of birding I was able to find a first fall 
Chestnut-sided Warbler. This bird was with a mixed flock about 2/10ths of a 
mile up the dry creek bed from the bridge. Earlier I observed another 
successful owl hunt as a Northern Pygmy-Owl grabbed an unidentified prey item. 
There were moderate numbers of western migrants; Willow Flycatchers, 1 
Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Western Tanagers, Lincoln Sparrows, Western 
Wood-Pewee's, 2 Black-headed Grosbeaks Warbling Vireos, & Wilson's, Yellow, 
Black-throated Gray, Common Yellowthroats, and Townsends warblers. Jerry W. 


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This morning, I heard a very, vocal Red-breasted Nuthatch in some
  conifers alongside Ten Mile River.  A post on another listserv mentioned
  that many RBNU have been seen in the Northeast US and may be a 
  sign of a good flight year.  We will have to wait and see.
   
  Karen Havlena
  North of Fort Bragg

       
---------------------------------
Moody friends. Drama queens. Your life? Nope! - their life, your story.
 Play Sims Stories at Yahoo! Games. 

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