The Rancho, Rarities, Radii and Rebo

Christ on a cross! Should I just quit while I'm ahead? Put BB&B to sleep forever? The 5MR post has quickly shot up to the third most popular post we've ever had...and in case you've forgotten, that is ten years of blogging, close to 1,000 posts! What have I been doing with my life?! The only more popular posts are LIFE IS PAIN (thanks to Reddit) and RISE OF THE STORM WIGEON (thanks to birders and hunters).

Well, I'm not sure how to follow that up, so I suppose I can just cover some recent birding, which I've practically stopped doing somehow...blogging about it, that is.

March vagues. Well, somehow suddenly spring is here. It's been a real slow winter for yours truly as far as vague runts go, but the previous winter featured a Ross's Gull, so I can live with that. While great for wildflowers and so-so for spring migrants, this month is a mediocre (and I'm being generous with that adjective) time in the state for seeing chronic rarities. There have been a handful of notable exceptions in the state recently though...but I'm sure as shit not going to chase the goddamn Gyrfalcon again, which was well photographed this month and is quite possibly still here. As usual, Humboldt/Del Norte sucked in another winter MEGA in the form of a Black-tailed Gull, which (this year) is too far for me to see. A more-or-less-confirmed Steller's Eider has been seen by several observers in Humboldt County, which would fulfill a prophecy made by a certain visionary birder back in November. I would be exceptionally gripped off if other birders were having much luck refinding it, but high surf, bad weather and a lack of an elevated viewpoint is preventing that from happening...but I could really use seeing a megaeider right about now.

Closer to home instead of Nome, I dipped on a Slaty-backed Gull over the weekend here in Santa Clara County, which is very typical for me and that species - in general, February and March seems like a great time to find them in the state though. It's only the second in the county, but with all the gulls that winter here and the relatively few observers around who could identify one, I suspect they are here with some regularity. The bizarre, long-staying Garganey may have finally left its duck pond (mostly a Mallard pond) down south, as it has not been seen for a week.

Inexplicably, this year has been heavy on Bald Eagles for me so far, despite putting in no effort to see them (very nice, I like) - I've seen three from my yard alone! This one was next to my house at the Los Capitancillos Ponds.

This Anna's Hummingbird had the brilliant idea of building a nest right next to my hummingbird feeders...talk about convenience! She was able to incubate eggs while protecting her feeders at the same time. I suspect the chicks got eaten though :/

Rancho de Bastardos. The yard birding is pleasant as usual, but it has been a long time since a new bird has been added to the yard list. The most recent highlight was a California Towhee with a white head that bounded through the yard. The yard list sits at 120 species (newest addition was Red-breasted Merganser in January), with 87 recorded so far this year...that is tied for #1 in all of California, by the way. With spring migration in effect, I'm hoping it won't be long before we get something new...Orange-crowned Warbler, Bullock's Oriole, Allen's or Rufous Hummingbird would be nice.

March is a good time for scouring your 5MR. This White-tailed Kite was along the Los Alamitos Creek Trail, a part of my radius that I plan on giving more attention to this year.

The 5MR. What's funny (in a sad way) is that I've seen and heard about a ton of other 5MRs in the last week or so as this thing has blown up, and it turns out mine is one of the worst of them all in terms of potential for species diversity and rarities. No matter, I will keep on toiling! Incredibly, my last new 5MR bird (Rufous Hummingbird) was also a county bird....fuck yeah.

Winter rarities. As I said earlier, I've given up on catching the blog up on all the birding I've done...but it's not like it's been a completely dull winter, despite the lack of lifers and state birds. Here's some of the rarities I've met up with from the past few months.

I was hoping that this Barrow's Goldeneye (surrounded by Commons) would return to Shoreline Lake this winter, and the dude obliged. Nice county bird, and typically a species I only see a handful of times each year anyways.

After seeing the goldeneye, I bumped into this "Common" Teal in Charleston Slough, which I had totally forgotten was present. Sweet. We Nearcticans think of them as just another subspecies (or two, can't forget nimia), but the IOC treats them as a separate species. Will the AOS ever be persuaded to embrace this vision of distinct tealness?

Vesper Sparrows are really hard to come by in the bay area; they just don't venture to the coast very often. This obliging and confiding stub-tailed bastard at La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve (San Mateo County) was the first I've seen locally.

I went to San Luis National Wildlife Refuge for the first time this winter; it was mellow, not as birdy as Merced, but this Swamp Sparrow at a random part of the auto tour route was a nice find. It is only the 8th eBirded record for Merced County, though I'm sure with the amount of good habitat out there they occur on the reg.

This Vermilion Flycatcher wintering in Coyote Valley is the first Santa Clara County record, and was a great way to kick off local birding in 2017. This species has become considerably more regular in much of the state since when I started birding in the mid-90's, even factoring in the increase in observers.

And just like that, winter is singing its swan song and spring will be in full effect before you can say "five mile radius". I look forward to the year birds....and county birds! I didn't get out a ton in Santa Clara last spring, for reasons too boring to state here, but this year is different.

Of course, spring birding is really going to be kicked up a notch when I get out to Texas to lead a trip for MAX REBO BIRDING TOURS (no one finds Ortolans like Ortolans!), where every day will cough up all manner of avian rewards. I will be gagging on neotropical migrants. It will be truly gluttonous birding, even with slow days at the migrant traps. And while I mention it, a space just opened up on the trip...don't miss this opportunity!

Contact MAX REBO BIRDING TOURS for details.

Imperial Bellow, Old World Bellow, Imitation Rail Mellow

Of course, it wasn't always all about yardbirding for Seagull Steve. Believe it or not, he used to venture forth to look at birds outside of the friendly confines of his yard all the time. On this occasion, he walked by a flock of Snowy Plovers, a local and beloved species. Pilarcitos Creek Mouth, Half Moon Bay, CA.

Some color band combinations are easier to read than others. Spending time with the soothing plover flock here is always a nice consolation when walking back to your car after dipping on rare gulls, at least for Seagull Steve.

When Seagull Steve is birding here, it is typically a lowly, disgusting, gull-oriented endeavor. Here is a Herring Gull with Pillar Point in the background, which makes this image slightly less lowly and disgusting. Steve excels at not seeing rare gulls here; usually Slaty-backed, though Kelp also comes to mind.

Seagull Steve has to keep posting Thayer's Gulls while he still can! This might become an Iceland Gull next month.

After mild success at Pilarcitos, Seagull Steve ventured north to once again see the Emperor Goose wintering on the golf course at Sharp Park in Pacifica. The Emperor was still crippling and still seemed to be doing typical goose things, but not for long. "Rise, my friend," he bellowed to his dark and powerful protege, a nearby Common Raven.

Answering The Emperor's bellow, a Common Raven flew in to attack a nearby Canada Goose, much to The Emperor's delight. "Everything is proceeding as I have foreseen," said The Emperor, cackling with glee. "Your work here is finished, my friend. Go out to the municipal pier and await my orders."

However, not everything was going according to The Emperor's plan...the solemn leader of the Canada Goose Alliance told the other geese, "The Emperor has made a critical error and the time for our attack has come." With the raven distracted, the geese turned on The Emperor, sending him reeling.

And much like when Vader betrayed The Emperor in Return of the Jedi, the imposing Common Raven then joined the fray, taking wing to put an end to The Emperor once and for all.

The Emperor was unwise to lower his defenses.

But this is not Return of The Jedi, and The Emperor escaped unscathed. "Young fool...only now, at the end, do you understand." Fuck you Common Raven, and fuck you Canada Goose.

While it is appropriate to nurse grudges against the giant resident CANGs, there is no place for such feelings when CACGs are involved. Seagull Steve crushed this enthusiastically loafing Cackling Goose at Miller-Knox Regional Shoreline, in Richmond, CA.

This is also a dependable location for Eurasian Wigeons in winter. Female Eurasian Wigeons (right, with the head that does not contrast with the upperparts) are one of those birds those birds that can hide right in plain sight, if there are enough American Wigeon around. And if you are scanning through wigeon in bad light, you can forget about finding one of these (though it is a great time to string one!). It's just something you have to accept. Seagull Steve has accepted it, and he is the Global Birder Ranking System's #7 birder in the country. You would be wise to do the same.

Seagull Steve would not want to be on the receiving end of this mighty Old World bellow!

Bald Eagles are pretty sick. Seagull Steve had a pair of adults fly over at Benicia State Recreation Area, in Benicia, CA. Why was he there? For Black Rails, obvi. He heard three of them, and there are few things more comforting than the sounds of Black Rails...but one even more comforting sound does come to mind: a Northern Mockingbird imitating a Black Rail! Incredible! Yes, he heard a mockingbird imitating a Black Rail that morning. Unbelievable.

And no, I don't write in the third person now, I'm just filling in for Seagull today. He may or may have not overdosed on something last, shhhhhhhhh. - Felonious Jive

A Full Tour In The Bag...Self-Inflicted Birdgasm...Thanks Nikon!

Birds on the Channel Islands were pretty screwed during the height of the DDT years. Peregrine Falcons have since made a strong comeback on Santa Cruz Island, and are not an unusual sight if you are walking the clifftops.

Well birders, I am back from the island after a successful first full-length tour of two weeks. The National Park Service boat we were scheduled to return on got cancelled due to high surf, but we made it back on an Island Packers boat instead....the ocean yesterday was essentially bullshit, I haven't been in seas like that since cruising down the Aleutian chain on the Tiglax a few years ago. When you are on a huge catamaran and still are going under swells that rise up over your head, that's when you know it's ok not to be birding....or so I thought until one of the boat crew (a birder) informed me of the Sabine's Gull he saw fly by. Goddammit! Would have been a year bird....

One of the biggest species of interest on Santa Cruz Island is Bald Eagle. Completely wiped out on the island by DDT, it was the loss of the resident Balds that was largely responsible for letting the Golden Eagles move in, which in turn is what practically wiped out the (still endangered) Island Fox population. That is some classic web of life shit right there. With the help of a reintroduction program, Bald Eagles are back and breeding on Santa Cruz, and without Golden Eagles the foxes are flourishing as well.

Western Gulls, unlike most of us, are not so happy about the eagles' return. The dislike is mutual.

The big birding news from my last island tour was a self-found American Oystercatcher that conveniently hangs out at one of our survey sites. While doing a foraging survey of seabirds, I was shocked to look down at the rocks below me and see this STATE BIRD waging war on a mussel bed. I may or may not have violently shat myself at this point. Although not a review species, American and Black Oystercatchers really like getting kinky with each other in this part of the world, so (in my opinion) hybrids considerably outnumber pure/ostensibly pure American Oystercatchers in southern California and its offshore islands. Sure enough, when I went back to resurvey the site last weekend, the American was joined by not one but two definitive hybrids, giving comparative looks that brought a whole new meaning to the word "birdgasm". How embarrassing...with established introduced birds, American Oystercatcher is #498 for California. I am so close to quinientos glory, I can taste it.

I love the panoramas my iPhone gets...and there is no shortage of breathtaking views on the island. This is one of our work sites. 

Rock Wrens are very common on the island, but I am still used to seeing them in mountains, not on vertical cliffs above the ocean.

This is one of the (few) things in life where being the Number 7 birder in the nation does not get you anywhere...butterfly ID. With help from Luke Tiller, I think we got it down to White Checkered-Skipper.

Finally, I recently had a little accident with my primary lens and camera (those of you uninterested in cameras and photography can stop reading now). At first I thought I was psyching myself out, and maybe I was just imagining all these mild imperfections in my photos, but after a few outings I realized my lens  (Nikon 80-400mm f4.5-5.6) was no longer performing like it used to and that something needed to be done...many images were very soft and had lens flare, shitty phenomena that this lens is famous for not having problems with at all. Enter Nikon's service department. Using nothing but their website to coordinate, I sent in my lens for repair, expecting a horrific cost and for it to be out for servicing for weeks. Lo and behold they had my lens back in one week! Impressive, to say the least. They essentially gutted the lens and replaced a plethora of parts, and although I haven't taken it birding yet, a few test shots taken in my folks' backyard show the results of their work...it's like new. And the cost? Let's just say that instead of a repair cost that would be equivalent to buying another used lens, it was a very reasonable price. Not exactly cheap, but for a man of my meager means, totally acceptable.

Song Sparrows on Santa Cruz Island are intermediate between the local mainland subspecies (heermanni) and graminea, of Santa Rosa and San Miguel Islands. Many passerines have subspecies endemic to the the Channel Islands; some birds have subspecies endemic to single islands (i.e. Catalina Hutton's Vireo, San Clemente Loggerhead Shrike, etc.). 

The Rhino. This is what we drive around out there. It's pretty great.

And that is the news of the day. I also got a new battery for my laptop, and my computer has thus been awoken from the barren wasteland of the electronically deceased. Although I will have a heavy workload the next few months, shit should now be firing on all cylinders enough to keep up some precious blog output. See you soon, nerds.

PS all photos today taken with a borrowed lens from my dad, and an iPhone. Not too shabby eh?

Island Scrub-Jays making out. Gross.

With Talons Locked

Snow Geese can be found in abundance throughout much of the country, but they still make for good pictures.

Welcome to another glorious and life-changing edition of Bourbon, Bastards and Birds. Today we bring you some scenes from Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge, a Shangri-La for waterfowl, raptors and other marsh denizens.

After going to see the Falcated Duck a few weeks ago, the next logical step was doing a loop around the Sacramento refuge. The usual tens of thousands of birds were out doing their thing...mulling, milling, wallowing...letting it all hang out. The definite highlight was the Bald Eagle airshow (see below), but there were plenty of other birds to gawk at.

Massive congregations of diminutive Ross' Geese winter at the refuge. Or perhaps they are diminutive masses?

 The refuge is thick with Northern Harriers.

A lot of Bald Eagles were out, striking fear into the hearts of ducks, geese, terrorists, communists, etc.

And then they decided to do pull a National Geographic stunt...

Cool right?! At this point I broke into tears and wept openly as other birders passed by and pointed and laughed . 

Brittany is modeling a Zeiss scope, Bogen tripod, Leica binoculars and Nikon DSLR with Nikkor lens. Wicked.

Cinnamon Teal are one of the many waterfowl species that exist that are more interesting looking than Mottled Ducks. The downside is that everyone misidentifies females as Blue-winged Teal. Pretty much every birder has done this at some point, with the obvious exception of myself (Number 7 here, hello).

Turkey Vulture. What can we say about Turkey Vultures? They lack voice boxes and their chicks look like this. Adorbz.

The Human Birdwatcher Project Presents: Birding By Yourself - A Lonely And Embarrassing Habit.

Ospreys are everywhere in Florida. They are confident birds, and make good eye contact (unlike many birdwatchers).

Back in the fall of 2009, I was working for Bat Conservation International in western Pennsylvania. When that project wrapped up, I thought "Well....I've heard a lot about Florida. It's where people go to die. And there are birds there that I must see. This is the closest I've been there, so....ROAD TRIP."

And so I birded my way down the eastern seaboard, being chased by Nor'easters the entire way down to Georgia. The birding was good when it was not raining (Brown-headed Nuthatches made for good company), but there were times in which I wish I had company...except for that one very embarrassing incident in Virginia City, which I will not divulge the details of.

Since a lot of bird bloggers are posting from Florida these days, and I want to get back there, that's what we will deal with today...but only by taking a serious look at people's social birding habits. That's right...the Human Birdwatcher Project has returned to action.

Florida Scrub-Jay was a lifer. It's all about the endemics. Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

In much of the country, a White Ibis is a fantastically rare bird. In Florida, they are parking lot birds.

I go birding by myself a lot. I'll admit it. There are distinct advantages and disadvantages to this. The advantages are this:

1) Complete freedom. You can go wherever you want, whenever you want, and stay as long as you want.

2) Birders, as a rule, generally suffer from various glaring personality flaws. You do not have to worry about getting annoyed with anyone but yourself.

3) It's a lot easier to photograph birds when you are rolling Han Solo.

4) There is a time and place for solitude. For me, that time and place needs to happen relatively often.

Royal Tern. Fort Clinch State Park.

You gotta love the native forest and "prairie". At this spot I found a massive flock of Eastern Bluebird, Pine Warbler, Bachman's Sparrow (!!!) and...

Red-cockaded Woodpecker. Sweet sweet victory. Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area.

Now, there are also some distinct disadvantages:

1) Birdwatching is, intrinsically, an extremely nerdy pastime. This is easier to deal with in large groups, although the effect is usually magnified.

2) Pishing around a bunch of nonbirders makes you very conscious of how ridiculous you must look. If I was a nonbirder watching somebody spitting and sputtering at a large shrub, I would think they were batshit crazy.

3) You often have a lot more motivation to Keep Going to find that good bird if you around other birders.

4) Extra eyes and ears are crucial to finding More Birds. And the more birds, the better. Obvi.

5) You can do a lot of learning and/or teaching about birds with other people with you. Both of these are good things.

6) Birders are huge gossips. You cannot gossip by yourself. Well, you can, but that's usually called "Schizophrenia".

7) Obviously, doing something fun with like-minded people is a big part of what makes human culture tick. We are social creatures. Simple.

This young Bald Eagle was being mobbed by an Osprey in Everglades National Park. An aside: as some of you know, google has now somewhat integrated Picasa, Blogger and Google+ with each other. As a result, for some reason I get a lot of people I don't know commenting on my bird photos. Most of them are from other countries, and they leave pretty hilarious compliments. The comment I received for this photo was "Huauuuuuuuuuu!". I love it.

Florida birding is weird. You have to get used to the fact that there are alligators everywhere. In most places I have lived, there are not giant, dangerous reptiles in every wetland you go to, and so the presence of these ancient beasts is....strange. I liked having them around, but I guess people can get pretty scared by them. I suppose I can understand...

And there you have it. Clearly, birding by yourself excessively could have massive and horrible consequences. A lot of people are into this mode of birding, but now they must ask....at what cost?

Personally, I know a lot of you who bird on the lonesome often. You may even prefer it. This does not mean you are doomed. But I can point to a lot of birders who are known to have almost exclusively birded alone for many years, and these are clearly not the people you want to become.

Caution is warranted.

White Ibis, Great Egret, Roseate Spoonbill and a Willet. Wading birds are one of the things that make Florida famous to birders. With the exception of White-faced Ibis, they have every wading bird you can find in the United States. I am fiending to go back and get some award-winning Roseate Spoonbill and Reddish Egret shots. Someday....even if its by myself.