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CALIFORNIA and ARIZONA MBWEEKS SUMMARIES
January 11-18 & January 19-26, 2014
Whether you were on one or both of these winter birding vacations, I suspect you felt the same way I did on the day to return home – I didn't want to go. Not only was it hard to leave behind all those great birds and places in California and Arizona, but the return to the reality of Minnesota's weather was hardly an inviting prospect. True, it was much drier than normal where we were, especially in CA where temperatures in the 80s on a few days made for some slow birding. But we can hardly complain when it reached the 70s on most days, our "coldest" day had a high in the low 60s, and there was only a day or two on the windy side. Indeed, consider that the temperatures in Minnesota were – and still are – around 100 degrees colder on many days once the winds are factored in!
No matter what the weather here or there, of course, the birding was our highest priority, and overall it did not disappoint. In all during the two weeks, we found a grand total of 244 species, just 6 shy of this MBW's best composite total, and this included no fewer than 115 birds not normally seen in Minnesota. While the CA week "only" came up with 180 species, perhaps due to the excessively dry and warm weather (we usually reach 190+), the week in AZ totaled no fewer than 170 species (around 10 more than our average). This difference of only 10 species between the CA and AZ portions was especially interesting: normally this difference has been around 30 or so.
With so many birds found on our lists, it's hard to know where to start with the highlights. On the CA MBWeek, what stands out most in my mind were the 2 Eurasian Wigeons we saw in San Diego, the closer-to-shore-than-usual Black-vented Shearwaters at La Jolla, the Blue-footed Boobies at Lake Skinner (only my second sighting ever), finding tattlers and turnstones and Surfbirds on the rocks, the return of the Thick-billed Kingbird to San Diego, California Gnatcatchers at San Elijo Lagoon, Tricolored Blackbirds again at Lindo Lake, and of course my only lifer – the Nutmeg Mannikins by Tecolote Nature Center.
Our main highlights in AZ mostly included coming up with so many staked-out rarities – birds which are not to be expected every year: the flock of Lawrence's Goldfinch rewarding our hike along Rillito Creek, that Greater Pewee in Tucson's Evergreen Cemetery, the Sinaloa Wren eventually emerging into view in Huachuca Canyon, cooperative Ruddy Ground-Doves at Whitewater Draw, an uncharacteristically "tame" Elegant Trogon at Patagonia Lake, Florida Canyon's pair of close and cooperative Rufous-capped Warblers, and the mostly-heard and elusive Black-capped Gnatcatchers in Montosa Canyon. And don't forget the lovebirds (both human and Rosy-faced) at Phoenix's Granada Park.
Also of note during our two weeks were those owls (especially the Barn Owl at Sonny Bono NWR and the responsive Whiskered Screech-Owl in Miller Canyon), 5 species of hummingbird (with Anna's almost everywhere), 13 woodpecker species (highlighted by Lewis's, White-headed, and Williamson's Sapsucker in CA; Arizona Woodpeckers and Gilded Flickers in AZ), no fewer than 6 thrasher species (with 5 of these at the famed Baseline Rd flats, along with a more cooperative Crissal at Estrella Park), and an impressive 25 sparrow species (with perhaps Rufous-winged, Brewer's, Sagebrush, Bell's, and Golden-crowned at the top of the list).
(There will always be some should-have-seen "misses" on any trip, but there were relatively few on these MBWs. About our only real disappointments were the lack of California Quail, White-tailed Kite, Mountain Plover at both Salton Sea and Santa Cruz Flats, some sought-after gulls at Salton Sea, Mountain Bluebird, and wintering orioles in San Diego.)
Besides the nice weather and impressive lists of birds, there was also some nice scenery to remember: along the California coast, the vista from Cabrillo National Monument, the San Jacinto Mountains, Boyce-Thompson Arboretum, and the canyons of the Huachuca and Santa Rita Mountains. I was also pleased by the generally smooth logistics involved with both MBWs, and the lack of any traffic problems in San Diego and Phoenix. (In addition, it was gratifying not to encounter any problems in the field despite my inability to get an elusive permit from the unresponsive forest service in AZ.) Finally, special recognition goes to Sue who came up with no fewer than 114 lifers (!) over the two weeks, and to Bernice who managed to see all 6 of her targeted lifers in AZ.
ITINERARIES
California MBWeek:
January 11 - Early afternoon arrival at SAN, Robb Field and north jetty along San Diego River (dinner at Point Loma Seafood; first of 3 nights at Vagabond Inn Airport Marina).
January 12 - La Jolla, San Elijo Lagoon, Fairbanks Ranch, and Lindo Lake (dinner at Miguel's, with my nephew Paul).
January 13 - Tijuana Slough & vicinity, 7th Street mudflats, 2222 Leon St, Birds & Butterflies Sanctuary, Dairy Lake, Thick-b Kingbird stake-out, Sweetwater River, and Lake Murray (dinner at The Pearl / Pizza Nova / Pt Loma Seafood).
January 14 - Tecolote Nature Center, north jetty, Seacoast Blvd cormorant rock, Cabrillo National Monument, and drive to Hemet via Pamo Road and Lake Skinner (dinner at Mimi's; first of 2 nights at Hemet Quality Inn).
January 15 - San Jacinto Mountains, including McCall Park, Humber Park, Idyllwild Nature Center & County Park, Hurkey Creek Campground, and Ramona Trailhead (dinner at Sweet Baby Jane's).
January 16 - Anza-Borrego State Park, including Borrego Springs visitors center, Roadrunner Club, the "basin", and "sculpture garden"; drive to El Centro via Mecca, VanderVeer Road, and Salton Sea Recreation Area visitors center (dinner at Chili's; first of 2 nights at El Centro Fairfield Inn).
January 17 - Salton Sea & vicinity, including Finney Lake, Calipatria Prison fields, Sinclair Road & vicinity, Sonny Bono NWR headquarters & Rock Hill Trail, Red Hill Marina, and levee road from Obsidean Butte to Young Road (dinner at Johnny Carino's).
January 18 - Morning at New River and Fig Lagoon; drive to Phoenix via Old Highway 80 and Baseline & Salome Roads thrasher flats (dinner at Mucho Gusto; final night at La Quinta Sky Harbor Airport).
Arizona MBWeek:
January 19 - Afternoon at Gilbert Water Ranch, Granada Park, and Tempe Town Lake (dinner at Thai Basil / Oregano's; first of 2 nights at La Quinta Sky Harbor Airport).
January 20 - Return to Old Highway 80 and Baseline & Salome Roads area, Estrella Mountains and South Regional Parks, and Tempe Town Lake (dinner at Thai Elephant).
January 21 - Boyce-Thompson Arboretum, Oak Flats Campground, and drive to Casa Grande (dinner at Bedillon's; night at Casa Grande Comfort Inn).
January 22 - Santa Cruz Flats, Dan Felix Park, Rillito Creek, Evergreen Cemetery, and drive to Sierra Vista (dinner at La Casita / Olive Garden; first of 2 nights at Sierra Vista Days Inn).
January 23 - Huachuca Canyon, Whitewater Draw & vicinity, and Miller Canyon owling (dinner at Mesquite Tree).
January 24 - Sierra Vista sewage ponds, San Pedro House, Paton's feeders, and Patagonia Lake State Park (dinner at Steak Out; drive to Tucson for first of 2 nights at La Quinta Airport).
January 25 - Florida Canyon, Madera Canyon, Amado sewage ponds, and Montosa Canyon (dinner at Claim Jumper).
January 26 - Morning return to Florida & Montosa Canyons; afternoon flights home.
BIRD LIST (composite total = 244 species)
- CA = seen only on California MBW, January 11-18 (180 species, incl 5 AZ-only birds on Jan 18)
- AZ = seen only on Arizona MBW, January 19-26 (170 species)
- species not annotated CA or AZ were seen on both MBWs
- boldfaced species = "non-Minnesota" birds (i.e., those absent, accidental, or casual in MN)
- CAPITALIZED SPECIES = rarities not to be expected every year
Greater White-fronted Goose CA
Snow Goose
Ross's Goose
Brant CA - best at Robb Field
Canada Goose
Wood Duck CA
Gadwall
EURASIAN WIGEON CA - twice in San Diego
American Wigeon
Mallard - incl "Mexican" Ducks in AZ
Blue-winged Teal
Cinnamon Teal
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Canvasback AZ
Redhead AZ
Ring-necked Duck
Lesser Scaup
Surf Scoter CA
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser AZ
Red-breasted Merganser CA
Ruddy Duck
Gambel's Quail - especially around the Days Inn pool
Wild Turkey AZ
Red-throated Loon CA
Common Loon CA
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe AZ
Eared Grebe
Western Grebe
Clark's Grebe CA
Black-vented Shearwater CA - relatively close at La Jolla
BLUE-FOOTED BOOBY CA - 2 stake-outs at Lake Skinner
Brandt's Cormorant CA - closest at La Jolla
Neotropic Cormorant AZ - best at Gilbert Water Ranch
Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant CA - best at San Diego's "cormorant rock"
American White Pelican CA
Brown Pelican CA
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron CA
Cattle Egret
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron CA - hiding in a pine near Tijuana Slough
White-faced Ibis CA
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Bald Eagle AZ - relatively rare here
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk CA
Red-tailed Hawk
Ferruginous Hawk - mostly seen in AZ
Golden Eagle AZ - brief fly-bys at Florida Canyon
Clapper Rail CA - especially Tijuana Slough
Virginia Rail AZ - mostly heard-only
Sora - heard-only
Common Gallinule CA
American Coot
Sandhill Crane AZ - thousands at Whitewater Draw
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
Black-bellied Plover CA
Snowy Plover CA - Robb Field
Semipalmated Plover CA
Killdeer
Spotted Sandpiper CA
Wandering Tattler CA - best at La Jolla
Greater Yellowlegs
Willet CA
Lesser Yellowlegs AZ
Whimbrel CA
Long-billed Curlew CA
Marbled Godwit CA
Ruddy Turnstone CA
Black Turnstone CA
Surfbird CA - San Diego River's north jetty
Stilt Sandpiper CA
Sanderling CA
Dunlin CA
Least Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper CA
Short-billed Dowitcher CA
Long-billed Dowitcher
Parasitic Jaeger CA - leader-only at La Jolla
Bonaparte's Gull CA
Heermann's Gull - unusual AZ stake-out at Amado
Ring-billed Gull
Western Gull CA
California Gull CA
Herring Gull CA
Caspian Tern CA
Royal Tern CA
Rock Pigeon
Band-tailed Pigeon CA - more than usual in Idyllwild area
Eurasian Collared-Dove
White-winged Dove
Mourning Dove
Inca Dove AZ
Common Ground-Dove
RUDDY GROUND-DOVE AZ - 2 at Whitewater Draw
Greater Roadrunner
Barn Owl CA - roosting in a Sonny Bono NWR palm
Whiskered Screech-Owl AZ - very cooperative in Miller Canyon
Great Horned Owl AZ
Burrowing Owl
White-throated Swift AZ - Boyce-Thompson Arboretum
Broad-billed Hummingbird AZ - ditto
MAGNIFICENT HUMMINGBIRD AZ - 3 at Madera Kubo B & B
Anna's Hummingbird - ubiquitous
Costa's Hummingbird CA - Borrego Springs
Allen's Hummingbird CA - San Elijo Lagoon
ELEGANT TROGON AZ - amazingly cooperative at Patagonia Lake State Park
Belted Kingfisher
LEWIS'S WOODPECKER CA - stake-outs on Pamo Rd N of Ramona
Acorn Woodpecker
Gila Woodpecker AZ
WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKER CA - Idyllwild County Park female
Red-naped Sapsucker AZ
Red-breasted Sapsucker CA - best at McCall Park
Ladder-backed Woodpecker - leader-only in CA
Nuttall's Woodpecker CA
Hairy Woodpecker CA
Arizona Woodpecker AZ - best at Huachuca Canyon
White-headed Woodpecker CA - McCall Park
Northern Flicker
Gilded Flicker AZ - especially South Mountain Park
American Kestrel
Merlin CA - only in Arizona
Prairie Falcon - best at Estrella Regional Park in AZ
Rosy-faced Lovebird AZ - Granada Park!
GREATER PEWEE AZ - unusual stake-out in Tucson
Hammond's Flycatcher AZ
Gray Flycatcher AZ
Black Phoebe
Say's Phoebe
Vermilion Flycatcher - only in Arizona on CA MBW
Ash-throated Flycatcher AZ - Patagonia Lake
Cassin's Kingbird CA
THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD CA - wintering again in San Diego
Loggerhead Shrike
Plumbeous Vireo AZ - only at Dan Felix Park in Tucson
Hutton's Vireo AZ - several kinglet look-alikes
Steller's Jay CA
Western Scrub-Jay CA
Mexican Jay AZ
American Crow
Chihuahuan Raven AZ - Sierra Vista & vicinity
Common Raven
Horned Lark
Tree Swallow AZ
N. Rough-winged Swallow AZ
Mountain Chickadee
Bridled Titmouse AZ
Oak Titmouse CA
Juniper Titmouse AZ - Oak Flat Campground
Verdin
Bushtit CA
White-breasted Nuthatch
Pygmy Nuthatch CA - San Jacinto Mts
Brown Creeper
Rock Wren - best in Bisbee in AZ
Canyon Wren
House Wren AZ
Marsh Wren
Bewick's Wren
Cactus Wren
SINALOA WREN AZ - after 4+ hours in Huachuca Canyon
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
California Gnatcatcher CA - San Elijo Lagoon
Black-tailed Gnatcatcher
BLACK-CAPPED GNATCATCHER AZ - heard by all (except me?) & seen by some in Montosa Canyon
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Wrentit CA - most visible at Tecolote Nature Center
Western Bluebird
Townsend's Solitaire AZ
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Curve-billed Thrasher AZ
Bendire's Thrasher - only in Arizona on CA MBW; quite vocal/visible at Baseline Rd thrasher flats
California Thrasher CA
Le Conte's Thrasher - only in Arizona on CA MBW; Baseline Rd thrasher flats
Crissal Thrasher - only seen by a few on CA MBW; best at Estrella Regional Park in AZ
Sage Thrasher AZ - Baseline Rd thrasher flats
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
American Pipit
Cedar Waxwing CA
Phainopepla
Orange-crowned Warbler
Common Yellowthroat CA
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Gray Warbler AZ - especially Patagonia Lake
Townsend's Warbler - best at Lake Skinner in CA
RUFOUS-CAPPED WARBLER AZ - very cooperative at Florida Canyon
Painted Redstart AZ - especially Madera Kubo
Green-tailed Towhee AZ - best at San Pedro House & Paton's feeders
Spotted Towhee
Rufous-crowned Sparrow AZ - Huachuca Canyon
Canyon Towhee AZ - why so few?
California Towhee CA
Abert's Towhee
Rufous-winged Sparrow AZ - en route to Florida Canyon
Cassin's Sparrow AZ - heard-only/leader-only
Chipping Sparrow AZ
Brewer's Sparrow AZ - best near Whitewater Draw
Black-chinned Sparrow AZ - Huachuca Canyon
Vesper Sparrow AZ
Lark Sparrow AZ
Black-throated Sparrow
Sagebrush Sparrow - only in Arizona on CA MBW; Baseline Rd thrasher spot
Bell's Sparrow CA - Borrego Springs
Lark Bunting AZ - Whitewater Draw
Savannah Sparrow
Fox Sparrow CA - with Golden-crowneds at Cabrillo
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow CA - Cabrillo Nat'l Monument
Dark-eyed Junco
Yellow-eyed Junco AZ - Madera Kubo B & B
Hepatic Tanager AZ - especially Madera Kubo
Northern Cardinal AZ
Pyrrhuloxia AZ
Lazuli Bunting AZ - Paton's feeders
Red-winged Blackbird
Tricolored Blackbird CA - again at Lindo Lake
Western Meadowlark
Yellow-headed Blackbird AZ
Brewer's Blackbird
Great-tailed Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
House Finch
Pine Siskin AZ
Lesser Goldfinch
LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCH AZ - Rillito Creek in Tucson
House Sparrow
Nutmeg Mannikin CA - near the "railway sleepers" at Tecolote Nature Center!
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WINTER CALIFORNIA & ARIZONA MBWEEKS PHOTO GALLERY
~
Also see the photo galleries on the
S California I and SE Arizona I MBWeeks pages
The summaries of the 2017 Arizona, 2016 California, and 2014
California-Arizona MBWeeks follow; note that several species
were only seen in CA or AZ but not both.
Also see the PHOTO GALLERY from these and other
CA and AZ MBWeeks and following the summaries.
__________
SOUTHEAST ARIZONA MBWEEK SUMMARY
January 14 - 22, 2017
One would think that reports of staked-out rarities at the time of a tour would be welcome news. Curiously, though, such is not necessarily the case. If there are too many of them, the time spent searching for them can cut into the time needed to look for other things. While it was fantastic for us to relocate the Nutting's Flycatcher at California Gulch (a lifer for all, including Jeff and me!), this side trip took up most of Day 5. Exciting as well was finally seeing the Rose-throated Becard along the de Anza Trail on Day 8, though most of the day before was spent coming up empty looking for both the becard a staked-out Rufous-backed Robin on this trail. And our first vigil at the alleged Rufous-backed house was rewarded by a Ruddy Ground-Dove on Day 4, although we spent too many hours then and on Day 8 waiting in vain for that robin to emerge into view from its back-yard hiding place.
But don't get me wrong here – for us to connect on these three rarities was quite a feat, especially considering that they were so elusive (almost as difficult as those robins), and many other birders were never able to find them! Still, it would have been nice to have more time to look for other birds missing from our list – things like geese, cranes, thrashers, and sparrows at Whitewater Draw and vicinity; tyrannulets, bushtits, Rufous-capped Warbler, Painted Redstart, and others at Madera and Florida canyons; and we could have used more time trying to improve the looks we had of Elegant Trogon (at The Gulch) and Black-capped Gnatcatcher (at Patagonia Lake).
Besides more time, we could have also used better weather on some days. Witness the 40-degree temperatures and steady rain as we tried to watch the feeders at Madera Canyon on Day 7, and it was again around 40 the next day at Florida Canyon as this time we faced snow/sleet showers, strong winds, and a swollen creek that precluded any access beyond the parking lot. And there were no thrashers to be heard on our two visits to those desert flats west of Phoenix as it was too cool and overcast for anything to sing.
Our final species total managed to reach an even 150 – as expected, given our retraints of time and weather, this was below our average for this trip (previous MBWeek totals here in winter have ranged between 158 and 170). Still, we had a long list of special and memorable birds in addition to those five rarities highlighted above. In all, we found 67 "non-Minnesota" birds, with probably the best of these including the Violet-crowned Hummingbird at Paton's, the flock of 22 Mountain Plovers right near the road and the Ferruginous Hawks at the Santa Cruz flats, both Whiskered and Western screech-owls on the same morning near Sierra Vista, a good variety of woodpeckers (especially Acorn, Red-naped Sapsucker, Arizona, and Gilded Flicker), Rosy-faced Lovebirds in Phoenix (Jeff's other lifer), both Hutton's and Plumbeous vireos, the five wren species at Boyce-Thompson, no fewer than three Crissal Thrashers, handsome Black-throated Gray Warblers, Canyon Towhees perched on our minivans' mirrors, an abundance of Abert's Towhees at Gilbert Water Ranch, side-by-side Sagebrush and Bell's sparrows at the thrasher flats, a striking Yellow-eyed Junco in the rain at Madera, and much more.
Itinerary
January 14: Arrival at PHX; late afternoon option to Kiwanis Park; dinner at Joe's Crab Shack and first of 2 nights in Tempe.
January 15: Thrasher flats @Salome Hwy & Baseline Rd, Estrella Mountain Park, Encanto Park, and Scottsdale Ranch Park; dinner at Claim Jumper.
January 16: Gilbert Water Ranch, Boyce-Thompson Arboretum, and Oak Flat campground; dinner at Red Estilo Mex and night in Casa Grande.
January 17: Santa Cruz flats (especially Evergreen Turf Farm and Baumgartner & Wheeler house), El Rio Open Space, and Reid Park; dinner at Cattletown and night in Tucson.
January 18: California Gulch (via Arivaca Rd, Ruby Rd, and Warsaw Canyon Rd), Paton's feeders in Patagonia; dinner at Steak Out and night in Sierra Vista.
January 19: Pre-dawn owling in Miller Canyon, San Pedro House, Sierra Vista WTP, return to Paton's feeders, Patagonia Lake State Park, and Amado sewage ponds; dinner at Cow Palace and first of 2 nights in Tucson.
January 20: Tumacacori part of de Anza Trail, Tubac portion of de Anza Trail, and Madera Canyon; late lunch/early dinner at Cow Palace.
January 21: Return to de Anza Trail @Clark Crossing Rd area, Florida Canyon, Saguaro Nat'l Park West, Mile Wide Rd, and return to Baumgartner & Wheeler; dinner at Carlito's and final night in Tempe.
January 22: Morning option to Salome Hwy & Baseline Rd, and return flights home from PHX.
Bird List
• boldface type = "non-Minnesota" birds (i.e., those absent, Accidental, or Casual in MN)
Canada Goose
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Mallard
Cinnamon Teal (dozens at Patagonia Lake S.P.)
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Canvasback
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Lesser Scaup
Bufflehead
Common Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Gambel's Quail
Wild Turkey
Pied-billed Grebe
Eared Grebe
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Inca Dove
Common Ground-Dove
Ruddy Ground-Dove (a great consolation prize on Day 4!)
White-winged Dove
Mourning Dove
Greater Roadrunner
Magnificent Hummingbird (briefly in the rain at Madera)
Anna's Hummingbird (ubiquitous)
Violet-crowned Hummingbird (a juvenile at Paton's)
Virginia Rail
Sora
American Coot
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
Killdeer
Mountain Plover (close views at the turf farm)
Long-billed Curlew (along Baseline Rd on Day 9)
Least Sandpiper
Long-billed Dowitcher
Wilson's Snipe
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Neotropic Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Harris's Hawk (near Florence Jct)
Red-tailed Hawk
Ferruginous Hawk
Western Screech-Owl (roosting at San Pedro House)
Whiskered Screech-Owl (almost too easy to see at Miller Canyon)
Great Horned Owl
Burrowing Owl (along Jackrabbit Tr on Day 2)
Elegant Trogon (briefly at The Gulch; also heard at Patgonia Lake)
Belted Kingfisher
Acorn Woodpecker
Gila Woodpecker
Red-naped Sapsucker (Paton's)
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Arizona Woodpecker (also in the rain at Madera)
Northern Flicker
Gilded Flicker (Mile Wide Rd on Day 8; also briefly in Scottsdale)
Crested Caracara
American Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Prairie Falcon
Rosy-faced Lovebird (Encanto Park)
Hammond's/Dusky Flycatcher (needed better looks)
Gray Flycatcher (easy to ID when tail-dipping)
Black Phoebe
Eastern Phoebe
Say's Phoebe
Vermilion Flycatcher
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Nutting's Flycatcher (at The Gulch!)
Rose-throated Becard (de Anza Trail!)
Loggerhead Shrike
Hutton's Vireo
Plumbeous Vireo
Mexican Jay
Chihuahuan Raven (especially in Sierra Vista)
Common Raven
Horned Lark
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Bridled Titmouse
Verdin
White-breasted Nuthatch
Rock Wren
Canyon Wren
House Wren
Marsh Wren
Bewick's Wren
Cactus Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Black-tailed Gnatcatcher
Black-capped Gnatcatcher (2 less-than-cooperative birds at Patgonia Lake)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Western Bluebird
Hermit Thrush
Curve-billed Thrasher
Crissal Thrasher (a total of 3)
Sage Thrasher (1 near the turf farm)
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Phainopepla (finally on Day 8)
House Sparrow
American Pipit
House Finch
Lesser Goldfinch
Orange-crowned Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Gray Warbler (de Anza Trail)
Green-tailed Towhee
Spotted Towhee
Canyon Towhee
Abert's Towhee (almost abundant at Gilbert Water Ranch)
Rufous-winged Sparrow (in the snow/sleet at Florida Canyon)
Chipping Sparrow
Brewer's Sparrow (briefly by a few on Day 2)
Lark Sparrow
Black-throated Sparrow
Sagebrush Sparrow
Bell's Sparrow (with Sagebrush Sparrows on Day 2)
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco (incl Pink-sided, Oregon, and Gray-headed forms)
Yellow-eyed Junco (also in the rain at Madera)
Hepatic Tanager (male seen by a few on the de Anza Trail)
Northern Cardinal
Pyrrhuloxia
Lazuli Bunting (Paton's)
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark (the "Lillian's" subspecies)
Western Meadowlark
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Brewer's Blackbird
Great-tailed Grackle
Bronzed Cowbird (Amado sewage ponds)
* * *
Ruddy Ground-Dove (AZ 2011)
Eurasian Wigeon (CA 2014)
Mountain Plover (Jeff Stephenson photo, AZ 2017)
Ridgway's Rails (CA 2014)
Surfbird (CA 2014)
Yellow-footed Gull (CA 2010)
Elegant Trogon (AZ 2014)
Brandt's Cormorants (CA 2013)
Gilded Flicker (AZ 2014)
Rosy-faced Lovebird (AZ 2012)
Nutting's Flycatcher (Lynn Glesne photo, AZ 2017)
Rose-throated Becard (Jay Vancura photo, AZ 2017)
Bridled Titmouse (Vija Kelly photo, AZ 2012)
Wrentit (CA 2011)
Western Bluebird (Jeff Stephenson photo, AZ 2017)
Rufous-backed Robin (Vija Kelly photo, AZ 2012)
Le Conte’s Thrasher (AZ 2011)
Scaly-breasted Munia (CA 2014)
Black-throated Gray Warbler (Lynn Glesne photo, AZ 2017)
Green-tailed Towhee (Jeff Stephenson photo, AZ 2017)
Bell's Sparrow (Jay Vancura photo, AZ 2017)
Bendire's Thrasher (AZ 2014)
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MBWEEK SUMMARY
January 16 - 24, 2016
Despite our various ailments – Bernice’s bad back, Suzanne’s bum leg, my injured hand, and even Pete’s defective tripod head – we managed to come up with a most successful California trip. Of course, it was easy enough to forget our aches and pains with such pleasant weather while we were there, as the highs ranged between the mid-60s and low 70s each day. And consider all those birds we came up with as we had our highest species number ever for this MBWeek: a grand total of 204 officially, plus 2 “non-countable” parrots, Around 80 of these were non-Minnesota birds (i.e., absent, accidental, or casual in the state), and everyone (except me) had at least one lifer or two – more typically a dozen or two.
Of course, the Streak-backed Oriole in Yuma was the most significant rarity we saw, but there were numerous other highlights. Some of my favorites: the concentration of 450 Black-vented Shearwaters swimming offshore in La Jolla as 2 Brown Boobies roosted on a nearby cliff, with one of these especially photogenic….that handsome dark-morph Ferruginous Hawk sharing a hillside with a Golden Eagle at San Jacinto Wildlife Area….a Black Oystercatcher and Surfbird on the same jetty at the mouth of the San Diego River ….the Mountain Plovers spotted in the distance along with many dozens of closer Long-billed Curlews in the fields by the Salton Sea….our successful day in the San Jacinto Mountains, with both Williamson’s and Red-breasted sapsuckers plus a White-headed Woodpecker….my tips from Brennan and Paul leading us to the pair of California Gnatcatchers by the Malcolm X Library and the Scaly-breasted Munia mania by the Fashion Valley Mall….our studies of both “Sage” Sparrow species near Borrego Springs and at Obsidean Butte….and the hordes of Lawrence’s Goldfinches waiting for us at the ballfields back in Imperial Beach.
Itinerary
January 16 – Arrival & meet in San Diego around noon; Tecolote Nature Center and Marsden House; first of 3 nights in San Diego, first of 3 dinners at Junk House.
January 17 – Navarro Canyon, Lake Murray, Malcolm X Library gnatcatchers, Chula Vista Bayfront Park, Otay Valley Rd greenbelt, Dairy Mart Pond, Tijuana Slough visitors center, and Imperial Beach Sports Park.
January 18 – La Jolla, Rimini Road in Del Mar, San Diegito River mouth, San Elijo Lagoon visitors center, back roads to Fairbanks Ranch, Lindo Lake, and Shelter Island.
January 19 – Munia search along San Diego River by post office and Town & Country Hotel, Robb Field/Dog Park/south jetty, Peace Rock cormorants, Shelter Island, and Marsden House; travel to Hemet via Mountain View Park in Escondido and Live Oak Park in Fallbrook; first of 2 nights in Hemet, dinner at Sweet Baby Jane’s.
January 20 – McCall Park, Idyllwild Nature Center, Idyllwild Co Park, and Hurkey Cr campground in San Jacinto Mts; Bridge Street, San Jacinto Wildlife Area, and Dunlap Street; split up for dinner.
January 21 – Travel to El Centro via Borrego Springs area (visitors center, alleged thrasher sites by the WTP, Old Springs Road, and Rockhouse Road), and Poe & Vendel Roads at south end of Salton Sea; first of 2 nights in El Centro, dinner at Kennedy’s.
January 22 – Salton Sea & vicinity: New River at Carter Road, sea wall access points via Lack Road, Obsidean Butte, Sonny Bono NWR visitors center & Rock Hill Trail; plover search along Kalin Road & vicinity, and Willard Road feeders in Brawley; dinner at Johnny Carino’s / Famous Dave’s.
January 23 – Riverside Park and West Wetlands Park in Yuma; return to San Diego via Fig Lagoon, Sunset Avenue ballfields, and Sweetwater River; final night in Chula Vista, dinner at Black Angus / La Quinta.
January 24 – Those with afternoon flights home to Chula Vista Bayfront Park, 7th Street mudflats, Tijuana Slough visitors center, and Cabrillo National Monument.
Bird List (boldface species = a subjective list of sought-after specialties, rarities, and other
highlights)
Greater White-fronted Goose (Lindo Lake)
Snow Goose
Ross's Goose
Brant (best Sunday morning at 7th Street)
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Gadwall
Eurasian Wigeon (in fading light after a long walk on our last afternoon)
American Wigeon
Mallard
Blue-winged Teal
Cinnamon Teal
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Canvasback
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Lesser Scaup
Surf Scoter
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
California Quail (McCall Park)
Gambel's Quail
Ring-necked Pheasant (heard-only)
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
Eared Grebe
Western Grebe
Clark's Grebe (Fig Lagoon; also at 7th Street Sunday morning)
Black-vented Shearwater (450 counted by 10s at La Jolla)
Brown Booby (2 roosting with cormorants at La Jolla)
Brandt's Cormorant (some displaying their electric-blue throat pouches)
Neotropic Cormorant (Fig Lagoon)
Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant (4 at Peace Rock along Sunset Cliffs Blvd)
American White Pelican
Brown Pelican
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Reddish Egret (stake-out at Chula Vista Bayfront Park)
Cattle Egret
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (still roosting in those pines in Imperial Beach)
White-faced Ibis
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
White-tailed Kite (especially cooperative near Fairbanks Ranch)
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Ferruginous Hawk (incl a beautiful dark-morph at San Jacinto Wildlife Area)
Golden Eagle (also at San Jacinto Wildlife Area)
Ridgway’s Rail (best at Chula Vista and San Elijo Lagoon)
Sora
Common Gallinule
American Coot
Sandhill Crane
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
Black Oystercatcher (a nice surprise seen from Dog Park)
Black-bellied Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
Mountain Plover (6 or so distantly near Kalin Rd)
Spotted Sandpiper
Wandering Tattler (La Jolla)
Greater Yellowlegs
Willet
Lesser Yellowlegs
Whimbrel
Long-billed Curlew (impressive numbers near Salton Sea)
Marbled Godwit
Ruddy Turnstone
Black Turnstone (best at La Jolla)
Surfbird (also seen from Dog Park on the jetty)
Stilt Sandpiper
Sanderling
Dunlin
Least Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Long-billed Dowitcher
jaeger, sp. (mostly leader-only at La Jolla)
Laughing Gull (also staked-out at Chula Vista)
Heermann's Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Western Gull
California Gull
Herring Gull
Thayer's Gull (first-winter bird along the Salton Sea seawall)
Glaucous-winged Gull
Caspian Tern
Forster's Tern
Royal Tern
Black Skimmer
Rock Pigeon
Band-tailed Pigeon (especially at Live Oak Park)
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Common Ground-Dove
White-winged Dove
Mourning Dove
Greater Roadrunner
Burrowing Owl (we couldn’t stop taking photos)
Anna's Hummingbird
Costa's Hummingbird (still reliable at 467 Willard)
Allen's Hummingbird (easier to find than usual)
Belted Kingfisher
Acorn Woodpecker
Gila Woodpecker
Williamson's Sapsucker (female at Hurkey Creek; also seen here in 2013)
Red-breasted Sapsucker (Idyllwild Co Park)
Ladder-backed Woodpecker (mostly leader-only in Yuma)
Nuttall's Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
White-headed Woodpecker (again at Idyllwild Nature Center)
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon (finally at Cabrillo Sunday morning)
Prairie Falcon (Mountain View Park)
(Yellow-headed Parrot / not “countable” at Imperial Beach Sports Park)
(Lilac-crowned Parrot / Lindo Lake; also “non-countable”)
Black Phoebe
Say's Phoebe
Vermilion Flycatcher (with the Lawrence’s Goldfinches)
Cassin's Kingbird
Thick-billed Kingbird (back again in Chula Vista)
Loggerhead Shrike
Steller's Jay
Western Scrub-Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Horned Lark
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Mountain Chickadee
Oak Titmouse (especially at Live Oak Park)
Verdin
Bushtit
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Pygmy Nuthatch (lots in the San Jacinto Mts)
Rock Wren
Marsh Wren (the Western form - soon to be split?)
Bewick's Wren (also at Cabrillo Sunday morning, finally)
Cactus Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
California Gnatcatcher (thanks to a tip from Brennan Mulrooney)
Black-tailed Gnatcatcher
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Wrentit (best at Tecolote)
Western Bluebird
Mountain Bluebird (San Jacinto Wildlife Area)
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
California Thrasher (best at Tecolote and Cabrillo)
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
American Pipit
Cedar Waxwing
Phainopepla (especially around Borrego Springs)
Orange-crowned Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Townsend's Warbler
Hermit Warbler (stake-out in Del Mar)
Green-tailed Towhee (2 at Tijuana Slough Sunday morning)
Spotted Towhee
California Towhee (widespread)
Abert's Towhee (Salton Sea & vicinity)
Chipping Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
Black-throated Sparrow
Sagebrush Sparrow (all seemed to be Sagebrush around Borrego Springs)
Bell's Sparrow (nicely teed up for some at Obsidean Butte)
Savannah Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Summer Tanager (in the Hermit Warbler area)
Red-winged Blackbird
Tricolored Blackbird (especially at Lindo Lake)
Western Meadowlark
Brewer's Blackbird
Great-tailed Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Streak-backed Oriole (certainly worth the side trip to Yuma)
House Finch
Purple Finch
Lesser Goldfinch
Lawrence's Goldfinch (probably the most I’ve ever seen at one time)
House Sparrow
Scaly-breasted Munia (thanks to a tip from Paul Lehman)
Anna's Hummingbird (CA 2014)
Allen's Hummingbird (CA 2011)
Brown Booby (CA 2016)
Blue-footed Booby (CA 2014)
Barn Owl (CA 2014)
Williamson's Sapsucker (Jeff Stephenson photo, CA 2016)
California Thrasher (CA 2011)
Rufous-capped Warbler (AZ 2014)
Red-throated Pipit (CA 2010)
Streak-backed Oriole (Laura Erickson photo in Yuma AZ, on CA 2016)
