Monterey Bay Birds for Tuesday, January 15, 2002

Messages are displayed in the order they were received.  Subject  From  Time   Re: Paicines Resevoir - Retraction   Jeana    8:19am   Monterey pelagic 01/12/02   Les Chibana    10:20am   Paicines flycatcher - Update   Jeana    12:05pm   Monterey Bay Area Birdbox for Tuesday January 15, 2002   Bill Hill   9:21pm

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Subject: Re: Paicines Resevoir - Retraction
From: Jeana <jeanadlt(AT)cruzers.com>
Date: 15 Jan 2002 8:19am

After several inquiries, I think we should retract the tentative ID of Dusky
Flycatcher at Paicines Resevoir last
weekend.  Someone, I think perhaps Todd, once said..."What is your absolute
first impression of the bird?"
Honestly, M. Kenner said, "That looks like a Kingbird,"  then the consensus was
that , yes it did, but that it was
too small. This of a flitting bird behaving like a flycatcher that promptly
disappeared.  Frankly,  in retrospect,
it could have been an Eastern Phoebe, which does make winter appearances in our
area.  Perhaps, if someone is near
the resevoir  soon, another, more accurate ID might ensue?  Apologies, Jeana
DLT

Jeana wrote:

> Six intrepid "varsity birders" spent two days birding these areas and
> highlights follow:  Day One -  Paicines: White Pelicans,  Canvasbacks,
> Ruddy Ducks, Buffleheads, Am. Widgeons, Tundra Swans, Common Mergansers,
> Nuttall's WP, Dusky Flycatcher, Kestrel and a Bald Eagle stealing prey
> from a Harrier, then eating it on a telephone pole crosstree closely
> watched by two Crows. Panoche Valley: Ravens, White-Crowned Sparrows,
> Western Meadowlarks, Say's Phoebe, many Yellow-billed Magpies, pair of
> Western Bluebirds, Roadrunner, American Goldfinches, Killdeer,
> Red-shouldered Hawk, Cal. Quail (flock of 30 or more!), Oak Titmouse,
> Oregon Juncos, Grasshopper, Song and Savannah Sparrows,  Loggerhead
> Shrike, too foggy in their habitat area to see any Burrowing Owls.  At
> night near Los Banos: two Barn Owls, one hunting, the other peering out
> of a delapidated, abandoned building on Henry Miller Road.  Day Two -
> Gadwall Wildlife Area: many Red-Tailed Hawks, Kestrel, Green-winged
> Teals, Harriers, Pintails, Ring-billed Gull, Shoverlers, American
> Pipits, 11 White-faced Ibis, another Bald Eagle perched in a tree, more
> Magpies, Greater-White-fronted Geese and small flock of Sandhill Cranes
> gleaning in a field. Los Banos Wildlife Refuge: (avoiding the hunters,
> who will be there through January) WT Kite, Loggerhead Shrike,
> Shovelers, White Pelicans, Snow Geese, Redhead, Green-winged Teal,
> Scaups, Ring-necked Ducks, two Great-horned Owls, Flicker, Gadwalls.
> San Luis: 5 Tule Elk (huge racks!), Coyote, more Ibis, 2 Common Moorhens
> amongst all the Coots, Tundra Swans (or, remotely, Trumpeters - they
> were far away and it was difficult to see their facial patches). Merced
> Refuge: more Great-horned Owls, Cinnamon Teals, many more Ibis,
> Dowitchers in great numbers, Ross and Snow Geese in the thousands
> (someone coined the phrase "giga-gaggle"), Osprey, and to cap the day -
> threeoung coyotes spooking the thousands of Geese and Cranes, sending
> them all into the sunset!  J. de la Torre, L. Jordan, M. Martinez, C.
> Rodgers, E. Matthews, M. Kenner
>
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Subject: Monterey pelagic 01/12/02
From: Les Chibana <les(AT)auc.com>
Date: 15 Jan 2002 10:20am

I went on a 7 hour pelagic trip on Monterey Bay with Cheesemans Ecology 
Safaris on Sat., 01/12/02. In general, bird quantities were low but we
had some good sightings. Marine mammal sightings were great for Gray
Whales and Common Dolphins, but non-existent for other species.

Best bird of the day was a TUFTED PUFFIN that circled the boat before
landing about 30 yards away. We saw a number of PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER,
but only one or two SOOTY. Also seen, one NORTHERN FULMAR, one POMARINE
JAEGER, several BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE, THAYER'S GULL, and a couple of
CASSIN'S AUKLET. RHINOCEROS AUKLET were abundant, seemingly outnumbering
COMMON MURRE. 

We started by hanging out with a large pod of COMMON DOLPHIN, must have
numbered around 500 or more. We came across several pods of 3-5 GRAY 
WHALEs. One pod moved along very slowly and offered great views. We also
came across a mother and calf. Doug Cheeseman felt that the mother had
calved very recently, within a couple of days or as recent as a few hours
previous!

We could not locate an unseasonal Humpback that had been present, nor any
albatross.

It was sunny, albeit cold, and the seas were mild.

Les Chibana
Palo Alto

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Subject: Paicines flycatcher - Update
From: Jeana <jeanadlt(AT)cruzers.com>
Date: 15 Jan 2002 12:05pm

Both Debi Shearwater and Steve Allison, who bird Paicines, say there are
Cassin's Kingbirds that hang out there.  Considering the always illusory
factor of size (Thanks, Todd), this seems like an excellent conjecture
for our mystery flycatcher.  Mark Paxton is planning to "go see" and for
any others, the bird was foraging in the low dark dry weeds on the near
shore as one faces the water from the small dirt parking area right off
the road just past the store.  Cheers and thanks to all, Jeana et al.

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Subject: Monterey Bay Area Birdbox for Tuesday January 15, 2002
From: "Bill Hill" <billhill(AT)redshift.com>
Date: 15 Jan 2002 9:21pm

This report is a transcript of the new messages on the Monterey Bay Area
Birdbox.  The Birdbox is brought to you by the Monterey Peninsula Audubon
Society and can be reached at 831 626-6605.

Birds in this report:

White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck

Monterey:

The Scoter flock off of the Monterey Beach Hotel contained 12 WHITE-WINGED
SCOTER, 1 adult male BLACK SCOTER and an adult male  LONG-TAILED DUCK today.
[report by an English birder, sorry missed the name]

 The Monterey Peninsula Audubon Society has a web site at
http://montereyaudubon.org/ . The site has announcements about field trips
and meetings and other great info for birders.

another non-profit site with much information about local birding is Don
Roberson's "Creagrus" web site at http://montereybay.com/creagrus  Go to his
"Monterey County" page for a portal to local birding sites, or try the
"links" page to reach various pelagic boat trip operators and providers of
local birding services on Elkhorn Slough and elsewhere.

Pleas report your sightings to the Birdbox at 831-626-6605  not to our email
addresses.  If you have questions about this transcript or need information
on birding the Monterey area, feel free to email me at billhill(AT)redshift.com

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