California Sierras to Seacoast
Sept. 23-Oct. 1, 2007 - Bird/Species Trip List
Greg Smith, guide, with 7 participants

Red-throated Loon – Swimming at Goat Rock north of Bodega Bay
Common Loon – Small flock at the entrance to Bodega Bay Harbor
Pied-billed Grebe – Numerous individuals in both salt- and freshwater
Eared Grebe – A single individual in basic plumage swimming at north Mono Lake
Western Grebe – Flock offshore at Limantour and then at Bodega Bay
Clark's Grebe – Swimming with WEGR in Bodega Bay for side-by-side comparison
American White Pelican – Group foraging as a unit in Bodega Bay
Brown Pelican – Ubiquitous on coastal rocks and floating over waves
Double-crested Cormorant – Limantour Pond and numerous flying “V”s
Brandt's Cormorant – On the rocks at PR Lightstation
Pelagic Cormorant – On rocks at PR Lightstation with Brandt’s for comparison
American Bittern – Great view of a single individual in the open at Limantour
Great Blue Heron – Any freshwater pond had this heron
Great Egret – Numerous birds foraging in Tomales Bay during low tides
Cattle Egret – Nice-sized flocks at SAC NWR and in adjacent fields
Green Heron – A loner at Limantour Pond
Black-crowned Night-Heron – One adult and two immatures at Delevan NWR
White-faced Ibis – A loner at Delevan feeding in the shallows. Large flying flocks
Gr White-fronted Goose – The common goose at the NWR.
Canada Goose – Large flock at Davis Arboretum. Seen at the NWR’s
Wood Duck – Gorgeous male and a female at 5 Brooks pond PR
Mallard – Everywhere & not in eclipse, what a good looking duck
Northern Pintail – The most numerous duck at the wildlife refuges.
Cinnamon Teal – Male & numerous females @ Mono Lake
Blue-winged Teal – Gray-faced female at Mono Lake
Northern Shoveler – Males in eclipse plumage at the NWR
Gadwall – Found in ponds at Point Reyes and at all the NWR
Eurasian Wigeon – Reddish female at the Limantour Pond
American Wigeon – Stunning male at the SAC NWR
Ring-necked Duck – Three males briskly swimming away from us at Delevan NWR
Surf Scoter – Bodega Bay regulars
Common Merganser – Trukee River Bridge had a female diving the abutments
Red-breasted Merganser – Flyover on the south shore of Lake Tahoe
Ruddy Duck – Large rafts on Mono Lake along the north shore
Turkey Vulture –Everywhere & always soaring.
Osprey – An individual with fish in tow was seen over Lake Tahoe
White-tailed Kite – Numerous hovering wherever there were fallow fields
Northern Harrier – Common on Point Reyes and across he Central Valley
Sharp-shinned Hawk – Seen at Point Reyes scattering a flock of sparrows
Cooper's Hawk – The long-necked Accipiter was seen at Point Reyes Lightstation
Northern Goshawk – An immature in the mountains south of Lake Tahoe
Red-shouldered Hawk – The “screamer” in the field behind Point Reyes Lodge
Red-tailed Hawk – Ubiquitous in every habitat
Ferruginous Hawk – One individual made a close-in pass at the PR Lightstation
American Kestrel – Best views were three individuals riding the thermals at PR LS
Merlin – A well perched bird at Mono Lake was a follow-up to Great Horned-Owl
Prairie Falcon – Seen rocketing over Crowley Lake
Peregrine Falcon – Another raptor for the lightstation
Sooty Grouse – Barbara spotted two of life birds-for-all above Echo Lake
California Quail – The easiest were at the PRNS Visitor Center
Ring-necked Pheasant – Males and females were common at the SAC NWR
Virginia Rail – Heard birds only until one crossed the Tule Elk road
Sora – Heard at the Olema Marsh
Common Moorhen – A couple of birds made themselves obvious at Delevan NWR
American Coot – Anywhere there was freshwater there were Coots
Black-bellied Plover – A nice flock on the beach at Bodega Bay
W. Snowy Plover – A small flock of birds on Limantour Spit
Semipalmated Plover – Always scurrying over the mudflats at Bodega Bay
Killdeer – Grassy fields at Point Reyes seemed to be the favored habitat
Black Oystercatcher – Sharp looking birds on the rocks just north of Bodega
American Avocet – Common at Mono Lake filter feeding
Greater Yellowlegs – The ponds out on Point Reyes played host to individuals
Willet – Bodega Bay mudflats gave us views of this mud-colored bird
Spotted Sandpiper – The rocky coast north of Bodega was home for the bobber
Whimbrel – Mixed in with flocks of rocky shorebirds north of Bodega
Long-billed Curlew – On sandy beaches at Limantour Spit
Marbled Godwit – Mixing with the other mudflat inhabitants at Bodega Bay
Ruddy Turnstone – An individual puddle bathing behind the crashing surf
Black Turnstone – The “common” rocky shorebird north of Bodega
Surfbird – A small flock feeding below us north of Bodega
Red Knot – One individual with a mixed flock of shorebirds at Bodega Bay
Sanderling – Chasing the waves at Bodega Bay…constantly
Western Sandpiper – A confused bird was cavorting with the Sanderlings
Least Sandpiper – Common at Mono Lake and on Coastal mudflats
Dunlin – One individual at Bodega bay
Short-billed Dowitcher – Lots of dowitchers seen, but only id’ed by call
Long-billed Dowitcher – As with the SBDO at Bodega Bay
Common Snipe – An individual darting away from us in
Red-necked Phalarope – The first pond on the first day had lots of spinners
Heermann's Gull – Where there were BRPE, there were the attendant gulls
Ring-billed Gull – Our first was at Bodega Bay loafing on the beach
California Gull – The gull at Mono Lake, all plumages
Herring Gull – One individual on Tomales Bay
Western Gull – The resident coastal gull at Point Reyes, all plumages
Glaucous-winged Gull – A few second and third year birds at Bodega Bay
Elegant Tern – Adult birds with a few grown young loafing at Limantour
Forster's Tern – Three birds flying and diving at Crowley Lake
Common Murre – Two different birds resting on the water out at the lightstation
Rock Pigeon – Our first of many were at the historical dairy ranches on the Point
Band-tailed Pigeon – Flocks in the Douglas firs around Tomales Bay
Eurasian Collared-Dove – They seem to be showing up everywhere, east & west
Mourning Dove – Falls flock of this bullet were found in the valley and on the coast
Barn Owl – An after dinner drive turned up this bird behind the PR Lodge
Great Horned Owl – Same drive found this cooperative individual out on the Point
White-throated Swift – Seen flying over the van descending from Monitor Pass
Anna's Hummingbird – Common hummer on the coast. Males were still displaying
Rufous Hummingbird – A few late migrants on the coast, all immatures/females
Belted Kingfisher – Regular visitor along the tributaries to Tomales Bay
Acorn Woodpecker – Flycatching at the Bear Valley Visitor Center
Nuttall's Woodpecker – Heard only on the road to Limantour
Downy Woodpecker – Olema Marsh and Mono Lake had resident birds
Hairy Woodpecker – Great looks at a female south of Lake Tahoe
Red-naped Sapsucker –A gorgeous adult male working in a willow at Mono Lake
Black-backed Woodpecker – Two Males at a burn site north of Lake Tahoe
Northern Flicker – A frequent flyer in small migrating groups on the coast
Western Wood-Pewee – It seemed like most exposed tree top had a one
Willow Flycatcher – Single bird making calls from a telephone line on the Point
Pacific-slope Flycatcher – Same location as the WIFL, but not making any calls
Black Phoebe – The common flycatcher near water on the coast
Say's Phoebe – Some on the coast, but most were over at the Eastern Sierra
Loggerhead Shrike – We had to decide, look at the Merlin or look at the shrike
Bank Swallow – Foraging with a flock of Barn Swallows at Mammoth
Violet-green Swallow – Foraging over water at the NWR
Tree Swallow – The most numerous swallow both inland and on the coast
Cliff Swallow – A few individuals were foraging over the PR Lightstation
Barn Swallow – A large flock roosting on a fence at Crowley Lake
Steller's Jay – Seemed like every stop with a picnic table had a pair
Western Scrub-Jay – Common along the coast with resident pairs everywhere
Clark's Nutcracker – Seen perched atop a ponderosa on our hike around Tahoe
Black-billed Magpie – Seen only on the east side of the Sierra
Yellow-billed Magpie – This CA endemic was seen harvesting tomatoes in Davis
American Crow – Taking advantage of the walnut harvest on the coast
Common Raven – Found across the state riding thermals in large flocks
Mountain Chickadee – The Tahoe hike provided birds within 20 feet
Chestnut-backed Chickadee – Had to be on the coast for this riparian resident
Bushtit – Flocks and flocks across the state
Red-breasted Nuthatch – Great looks at these hangers - on at PR Lightstation
White-breasted Nuthatch – Martis Reservoir gave us 15’ looks at this bird
Pygmy Nuthatch – Always the first to respond to pishing in the Sierra
Brown Creeper – Tahoe hike showed up this is a heads-up bird
Rock Wren – One individual was seen on the rocks above the PR Lightstation
Bewick's Wren – If we didn’t recognize the call, we found this one singing away
House Wren – Pished out of the scrub at Olema Marsh
Winter Wren – A single bird giving its double chip call at 5-Brooks
Marsh Wren – Seen at the NWR wherever there was tules or cattails
Ruby-crowned Kinglet – Was it a RCKI or a HUVI? Invariably a RCKI
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher – Great looks at two individuals at the PR Lightstation
Western Bluebird – Seen foraging with their friends the Yellow-rumpeds
Mountain Bluebird – Outstanding scope views north of Crowley Lake
Townsend's Solitaire A single individual in the Tahoe area
Swainson's Thrush – Calling regularly behind the PR Lodge
Hermit Thrush – We saw this Swainson’s-with-a-rusty-tail in coastal understory
American Robin – Flocks taking in the morning sun from treetops was the easiest
Wrentit – This skulker made brief appearances at 5-Brooks
Northern Mockingbird – Found in the sagebrush flats with taller perches
Cedar Waxwing – Flocks in the Sierra were uncommon
California Thrasher – A single individual at the Auburn – Foresthill bridge
Sage Thrasher – Where else, the sagebrush flats on the east side of the Sierra
European Starling – Always available for viewing, anywhere
Warbling Vireo – Eye-level looks out at the PR Lightstation
Orange-crowned Warbler – The most numerous western migrant on the coast
Yellow Warbler – A few tardy migrants out on the Point
Yellow-rumped Warbler – Both Myrtle and Audubon were seen, everywhere
Townsend's Warbler –The males were stunning, but the females were at eye-level
Common Yellowthroat – Mostly females, but we got good looks at
Wilson's Warbler – A few individuals along the coast
Western Tanager – Sitting boldly where no other bird would go on the Point
Black-headed Grosbeak – A female came down to pishing south of Tahoe
Spotted Towhee – Common in dense understory across the state
California Towhee – If we heard scratching in the leaves, a pish would bring it out
Sage Sparrow – Individual birds on the road into Bodie
Clay-colored Sparrow – We saw at least six of these from the Point to Mono
Chipping Sparrow – Very uncommon on the coast, but regular everywhere else
Savannah Sparrow – These pink-legged fence perchers were mostly to the east
Fox Sparrow – Across the state in dense understory
Song Sparrow – Wherever there was water and brush there were SOSP
Lincoln's Sparrow – A resident in the Sierra near wetlands
Lark Sparrow – Great looks at these dazzling strip-headed fence monitors
White-throated Sparrow – Had a tan-striped individual out at the Point
Golden-crowned Sparrow – Coastal oak woodlands always had a flock
White-crowned Sparrow Absolutely everywhere
Dark-eyed Junco – On the coast &in the Sierra, but not out in the sagebrush
Red-winged Blackbird – Water + tules + grain fields = RWBB
Tricolored Blackbird – A large flock of over 300 birds were haunting the Point
Western Meadowlark – Stunning looks at the “V”-breasted prairie yodelers
Yellow-headed Blackbird – A single bird at the gas station in Bridgeport
Brewer's Blackbird – Seemed to favor foraging along streamsides in the Sierra
Brown-headed Cowbird – In the mixed blackbird flocks on the coast & the NWR
Cassin's Finch – Feeding along side the road at Mono Lake park
House Finch – Seen everywhere we stopped
Red Crossbill – Heard calling in the Sierra as they flew over
Pine Siskin – Foraging at the Mono Lake Community Park
Lesser Goldfinch – Using the thistle feeder at the PR Lodge
American Goldfinch – Flock feeding on the thistle at Olema Marsh
House Sparrow – Hanging out at the Subway taking advantage of tourist vehicles

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