Birding Northern California in September

Hi- just got back with a bucket full of photos - full report to follow

Flew to San Francisco  and drove to Carmel -  hotel grounds had Nuttall's woodpecker, Chestnut backed chickadee, House Finch, Huttons Vireo, Wilsons warbler,  Townsends warbloer, Western Wood Pewee, California Towhee and red shouldered Hawk.

we covered;

 

Andrew Molera state park;

Wren Tit, Bush Tit, Black Phoebe, Oak Titmouse, Dark eyed ( oregon) junco,

Asilomar state beach- Willet, Surfbird, Knot, Hudsonian Whimbrel, Black Turnstone, Brandt's cormorant, Black Oystercatcher, Heerman's Baywatch Gull.

 

Monterery Pelagic

Pink footed shearwater- 50, Sooty Shearwater-200, Black vented shearwater 40, Debbie Shearwater- 1 and only. Rhinosceros auklet, Cassins Auklet, Pigeon Guillemot, Black footed Albatross 3, Arctic Skua 5, Pom Skua 3, South Polar Skua 1, Sabines Gull- 10, Black Storm Petrel 1, Red necked Phalarope 40,

 

Elkhorn Slough

A lot like a big American Titchwell- Peregrine 1, 150 Red necked Phalaropes, Pintail, Pied Billed Grebe 3, Spotted sandpiper, Western Bluebird, Western Sandpiper 15 ,Least sandpiper 200, White Pelican 40, Black necked stilt 3 Moss Landing- Belted Kingfisher, Double crested Cormorant 5, Snowy Plover 8, Sanderling 1, least sandpiper 00's, Semipalmated plover 5, -

Then drove to Glendale to cover some lakes for list padding and brought in our secret weapon- added my old friend Jon Dunn to the team for a few days. Western and Clarks Grebes, Ring necked duck, Lesser Goldfinch and Western Meadowlark;

 

Yosemite west side - Buck meadows and edge of the park- Pacific Wren, Canyon Wren, White throted swift, Purple Finch, Western Wood Pewee, Western Screech Owl Phainopepla, Western Bluebird, Vaux's swift- trip list hit 125.

Moccasin area

Real birding around valleys checking migrant trap looking for overshooting eastern birds among other things. Lawrences Goldfinch, Bell's Sparrow, Rose breasted Grosbeak, Western Tanager, Red Breasted Sapsucker, Lincoln's sparrow, Lark Sparrow, Moved into Yosemite- Crane flat and found Pileated WP, Hermit Warbler, Black Throated Grey warbler, Clarks Nutcracker, and Mountain Bluebird.

Mammoth area

Mono Lake / Owens river including the Minarets mountain overlook( coooold!) Sooty Grouse, Cassins Finch, Type3 Xbill, Williamsons sapsucker, Grey Flycatcher, Pygmy Nuthatch, Violet Green swallow, Fox Sparrow Then down to Mono Lake for Great Horned Owl .

 

then drove to ;

Point Reyes National Park for Migrant hunting- had White tailed Kite, peregrine and Northern Harrier before breakfast on a local marsh then Black throated grey warbler, Pacific slope flycatcher, Yellow warbler. At the Point Reyes Lighthouse, Draked bay and Fishdocks areas had, American Redstart, Hermit Thrush, Rock Wren, Pacific Diver,Red necked Grebe, Surf Scoter, Willow Flycatcher, Golden Crowned Sparrow, Philadelphia Vireo and Blackpolls. Total list was about 203.

 

 

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