Green Birding (and Nature) in Central California: Looking for Spring Migrants

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Looking for Spring Migrants

My daughter was visiting for the weekend, so I took two morning bike rides on Saturday and Sunday, April 24 and 25. That way I could be back home not too long after she got up from bed. Whale Rock Reservoir and Cerro Alto Campground are two good spots in the spring and early summer. They are also far enough away from the coast for a good variety of breeders and close enough for relatively short bike rides from where I live (about 30 miles round trip for each).

On Saturday, on the way to Whale Rock I stopped near Morro Bay Sate Park and had a singing Olive-sided Flycatcher (BIGBY # 238) at its annual spot in eucalyptus trees near the Ranger residence along State Park Road. I didn't even have to get off my bike to here "Drink three beers!" Whale Rock had great birding along Cottontail Road, which parallels the main creek that feeds into the reservoir. On the down slope side, the thick riparian habitat had a variety of singers, including Black-headed Grosbeak, Bullock's Oriole, Yellow-breasted Chat (BIGBY # 239), Wilson's Warbler, etc. On the drier pastureland uphill side of the road Blue Grosbeaks, Rufous-crowned Sparrows and Lazuli Buntings sang. The views of the lake are great from here as well. I stopped on the way home to watch Cliff Swallows getting mouth fulls of mud from a wet spot near the road, for their nest building.

On Sunday I rode up to Cerro Alto Campground - located in a canyon about eight miles from the coast. I had a great variety of singing species all along the road and up onto the trail from the back of the campground, but nothing new for the year. I did manage a photo of the local Merriam's Chipmunk, which is quite shy. On the way home I took a short detour on Turri Road, into a ranching area near the coast. A low wet spot here surprisingly had a Green Heron (BIGBY # 240).

I will not have a Bird ID Challenge for a couple of weeks as I am taking off on a nine day, 500+ mile solo bicycle ride to the South Fork of the Kern River, the Greenhorn Mountains, and the Mojave Desert. I depart early Tuesday, April 27.

3 comments:

biobabblerApril 27, 2010 at 8:23 AM
Wow, nice birds, and I'm impressed re: your 500+ mile bike ride. Phew! How exciting. Might a book come from that and/or similar adventures?
ReplyDelete
Replies
Jim RoyerApril 27, 2010 at 8:22 PM
Thanks for the kind comments. I hope everything goes smoothly on my trip and I have nothing unusual to write about except the birds! I am 70 miles out and no new birds, but tomorrow may be better. I should find many new ones for the year on the weekend - around the Kern River area. I will try to post this weekend.
ReplyDelete
Replies
Jim RoyerMay 3, 2010 at 4:19 PM
I have not been able to upload a new post to my blog from my cell phone. I am 7 days into my ten day bike trip and have seen 25 new BIGBY species with my favorites being Scott's Oriole, Goshawk, and Piliated Woodpecker. Will post when I return. My year total is now 265 species. I hope for 3 to 5 more on the way home.
ReplyDelete
Replies

Add comment

Green Birds All Years, 2010 Green Big Year

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Total Green Birding Species List, SLO County =

Non-introduced Bird Species, SLO County =

Introduced/reintroduced Species, SLO County = 6

Green Bird Species Found While Walking in SLO County =

2010 Total Non-Introduced Bird Species = 312
2010 Total Introduced/reintroduced Bird Species = 6
2010 Total Bird Species, SLO County = 302

2010 Bird Species from Kern County = 16

Grand Total Green Birds 2010 = 318
2010 Total Green Bird Species Seen on Walks = 201
2010 Total miles bicycled = 3634
2010 Total miles walked = 348
Flat bike tires in 2010: 4
MAP OF THE BIGBY BIRD SPOTS VISITED: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=108312835821867293173.00047d055791b1769416e&z=10 (Species List Below)

The Purpose of My Blog

I have created this blog to document my attempt to bird in as environmentally friendly fashion as possible, and to encourage others to do so. In 2008 I did a Big Green Big Year - BIGBY (268 species) and I decided to try and break 300 species in 2010. I walked, biked, ran, and kayaked from home (in coastal California) without using any gas, and at the same time recorded (and tried to photograph) the birds I saw. Most of this blog documents that incredibly fun, and at times very challenging, green big year. I ended up with a green big year total of 318 species in 2010 (see the list below). Since 2010 others have done much more impressive green big years! I have continued to do green birding. I have participated and organized green birding events such as the local Elfin Forest Big Sit and have promoted green birding by leading bicycle birding trips at the Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival. Lately, I have continued with green birding from my home and have entered my checklists on eBird (see the article of March 28, 2015).

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

All species I saw or heard on 2010 Green Big Year were in San Luis Obispo County except for those with a "K" which were only in Kern County - seen on a ten day bike ride from home and back. The date first recorded in 2010 is noted (w=on walk from home in 2010). W = all species I have seen or heard walking from home any year. G = all species I have recorded on green trips from home any time:

Greater White-fronted Goose (w) - 1/4, W

Snow Goose (w) - 3/12, W

Ross' Goose (w) - 1/4, W

Canada Goose (w) - 1/4, W

Cackling Goose (w) - 1/4, W

Brant 11w (w) - 1/1, W

Wood Duck - 3/21

Gadwall - 1/4

Eurasian Wigeon (w) - 1/1, W

American Wigeon (w) - 1/1, W

Mallard (w) - 1/1, W

Blue-winged Teal (w) - 1/1,W

Cinnamon Teal (w) - 1/1, W

Northern Shoveler (w) - 1/1, W

Northern Pintail (w) - 1/1, W

Green-winged Teal (w) - 1/1, W

Canvasback (w) - 3/1, W

Redhead - 5/5 K

Ring-necked Duck - 2/28

Greater Scaup (w) - 1/1, W

Lesser Scaup (w) - 1/1, W

Harlequin Duck - 3/13

Surf Scoter (w) - 1/1, W

White-winged Scoter - 1/1, W

Black Scoter - 1/30

Long-tailed Duck - 1/23

Bufflehead (w) - 1/1, W

Common Goldeneye (w) - 1/11, W

Hooded Merganser - 1/11

Common Merganser - 2/20

Red-breasted Merganser (w) - 1/1, W

Ruddy Duck (w) - 1/1, W

Mountain Quail - 4/3

California Quail (w) - 1/1, W

Chukar - 4/30 K

Wild Turkey (w) - 1/14, W

Red-throated Loon - 1/1, W

Pacific Loon - 1/1, W

Common Loon (w) - 1/1, W

Pied-billed Grebe (w) - 1/1, W

Horned Grebe (w) - 1/1, W

Eared Grebe (w) - 1/1, W

Western Grebe (w) - 1/1

Clark's Grebe (w) - 1/1, W

Northern Fulmar (w) - 11/21, W

Pink-footed Shearwater - 4/21

Sooty Shearwater 11w - 4/21, W

Black-vented Shearwater - 1/1, W

American White Pelican (w) - 1/1, W

Brown Pelican (w) - 1/1, W

Double-crested Cormorant (w) - 1/1, W

Brandt's Cormorant (w) - 1/1, W

Pelagic Cormorant - 1/1, W

American Bittern - 12/31

Great Blue Heron (w) - 1/1, W

Great Egret (w) - 1/1, W

Snowy Egret (w) - 1/1, W

Green Heron - 4/24, W

Black-crowned Night Heron (w) - 1/1, W

White-faced Ibis (w) - 5/5, W

Turkey Vulture (w) - 1/1, W

Osprey (w) - 1/1, W

White-tailed Kite (w) - 1/27, W

Bald Eagle - 2/28, W

Northern Harrier (w) - 1/3, W

Sharp-shinned Hawk 11w (w) - 1/27

Cooper's Hawk 11w (w) - 1/4

Northern Goshawk - 5/3 K

Red-shouldered Hawk 11w (w) - 1/1

Swainson's Hawk - 4/28 K

Red-tailed Hawk 11w (w) - 1/1

Ferruginous Hawk - 2/13

Golden Eagle 11w - 1/30

American Kestrel 11w (w) - 1/1

Merlin 11w (w) - 1/4

Prairie Falcon - 2/14

Peregrine Falcon 11w (w) - 1/1

Virginia Rail 11w (w) - 2/28

Sora 11w (w) - 1/7

Common Moorhen - 5/5

American Coot 11w (w) - 1/1

Black-bellied Plover 11w (w) - 1/1

American Golden Plover (w) - 10/18

Snowy Plover 11w (w) - 2/28

Semipalmated Plover 11w (w) - 1/2

Killdeer 11w (w) - 1/1

Mountain Plover - 10/10

Black Oystercatcher 11w - 1/1

Black-necked Stilt (w) - 5/5

American Avocet 11w (w) - 1/1

Greater Yellowlegs 11w (w) - 1/1

Lesser Yellowlegs 11w- 1/2

Solitary Sandpiper - 4/18

Willet 11w (w) - 1/1

Wandering Tattler -7/26

Spotted Sandpiper 11w (w) - 1/1

Whimbrel 11w (w) - 1/1

Long-billed Curlew 11w (w) - 1/1

Marbled Godwit 11w (w) - 1/1

Bar-tailed Godwit (w) - 8/29

Ruddy Turnstone (w) - 8/22

Black Turnstone 11w (w) - 1/1

Surfbird - 1/1

Red Knot 11w - 1/3

Sanderling 11w (w) - 1/1

Semipalmated Sandpiper (w) - 7/24

Western Sandpiper 11w (w) - 1/1

Least Sandpiper 11w (w) - 1/1

Baird's Sandpiper 11w (w) - 8/29

Pectoral Sandpiper 11w - 7/20

Dunlin 11w (w) - 1/3

Stilt Sandpiper - 7/9

Short-billed Dowitcher 11w (w) - 1/1

Long-billed Dowitcher 11w (w) - 1/1

Wilson's Snipe (w) - 1/4

Wilson's Phalarope - 5/17

Red-necked Phalarope (w) - 5/22

Red Phalarope - 8/1

Bonaparte's Gull (w) - 1/11

Heerman's Gull (w) - 1/1

Mew Gull (w) - 1/1

Ring-billed Gull (w) - 1/1

California Gull (w) - 1/1

Herring Gull (w) - 1/23

Thayer's Gull -1/1

Western Gull (w) -1/1

Glaucous-winged Gull (w) - 1/1

Glaucous Gull - 3/7

Sabine's Gull - 10/31

Ivory Gull - 11/6

Caspian Tern (w) - 1/1

Royal Tern (w) - 1/1

Elegant Tern (w) - 5/22

Common Tern (w) - 8/23

Forster's Tern (w) - 1/1

Least Tern - 7/24

Black Skimmer - 2/7

Parasitic Jaeger - 10/10

Common Murre - 1/1

Pigeon Guillemot - 1/1

Marbled Murrelet - 1/30

Xantus's Murrelet - 5/2

Ancient Murrelet - 10/31

Cassin's Auklet - 11/21

Rhinoceros Auklet - 1/17

Rock Pigeon (w) - 1/1

Band-tailed Pigeon (w) - 2/13

Eurasian Collared-Dove (w) - 1/1

White-winged Dove (w) - 8/26

Mourning Dove (w) - 1/1

Greater Roadrunner - 3/26

Barn Owl (w) - 1/1

Western Screech Owl - 3/4

Great Horned Owl (w) - 1/1

Northern Pygmy Owl - 2/20

Burrowing Owl - 2/1

Long-eared Owl - 12/12

Short-eared Owl - 1/16

Northern Saw-whet Owl - 3/4

Common Poorwill - 3/16

Black Swift (w) - 5/24

White-throated Swift (w) - 2/13

Vaux's Swift (w) - 4/11

Black-chinned Hummingbird (w) - 4/18

Anna's Hummingbird (w) - 1/1

Costa's Hummingbird - 4/30

Rufous Hummingbird (w) - 3/5

Allen's Hummingbird (w) - 1/17

Belted Kingfisher (w) - 1/1

Lewis's Woodpecker - 3/21

Acorn Woodpecker - 1/7

White-headed Woodpecker - 5/3 K

Red-naped Sapsucker - 10/11

Red-breasted Sapsucker - 1/14

Ladder-backed Woodpecker - 4/30 K

Nuttall's Woodpecker (w) - 1/1

Downy Woodpecker (w) - 1/1

Hairy Woodpecker (w) - 1/1

Northern Flicker (w) - 1/1

Pileated Woodpecker - 5/3 K

Olive-sided Flycatcher - 4/24

Western Wood-Pewee (w) - 4/16

Willow Flycatcher (w) - 4/30

Hammond's Flycatcher - 4/30 K

Gray Flycatcher - 4/30 K

Dusky Flycatcher - 4/30 K

Pacific-slope Flycatcher (w) - 3/21

Black Phoebe (w) - 1/1

Say's Phoebe (w) - 1/1

Ash-throated Flycatcher - (w) 4/16

Brown-crested Flycatcher - 4/30 K

Tropical Kingbird - 9/27

Cassin's Kingbird (w) - 1/7

Western Kingbird 11w (w) - 3/21

Loggerhead Shrike 11w (w) - 1/1

Bell's Vireo 11w

Plumbeous Vireo - 4/30

Cassin's Vireo (w) - 4/16

Hutton's Vireo (w) - 1/11

Warbling Vireo (w) - 3/21

Steller's Jay - 1/7

Western Scrub-Jay (w) - 1/1

Yellow-billed Magpie - 2/13

American Crow (w) - 1/1

Common Raven - 2/13

Horned Lark - 1/3

Purple Martin - 3/21

Tree Swallow (w) - 1/4

Violet-green Swallow (w) - 1/9

N. Rough-winged Swallow (w) - 3/1

Cliff Swallow (w) - 3/1

Barn Swallow (w) - 3/1

Mountain Chickadee - 5/3 K

Chestnut-backed Chickadee (w) - 1/1

Oak Titmouse (w) - 1/1

Bushtit (w) - 1/1

Red-breasted Nuthatch (w) - 5/3

White-breasted Nuthatch (w) - 2/13

Pygmy Nuthatch - 1/30

Brown Creeper (w) - 1/23

Cactus Wren - 4/30

Rock Wren - 2/7

Canyon Wren - 1/23

Bewick's Wren (w) - 1/1

House Wren (w) - 1/2

Pacific Wren - 10/16

Marsh Wren (w) - 1/1

American Dipper - 4/29 K

Golden-crowned Kinglet - 1/2

Ruby-crowned Kinglet (w) - 1/1

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (w) - 1/1

Western Bluebird (w) - 1/3

Mountain Bluebird - 1/3

Townsend's Solitaire - 3/5

Swainson's Thrush (w) - 4/3

Hermit Thrush (w) - 1/1

American Robin (w) - 1/3

Varied Thrush - 5/23

Wrentit (w) - 1/1

Northern Mockingbird (w) - 1/1

Sage Thrasher - 1/10

California Thrasher (w) - 1/1

LeConte's Thrasher - 12/11

European Starling (w) - 1/1

American Pipit (w) - 1/1

Cedar Waxwing (w) - 1/1

Phainopepla - 2/15

Tennessee Warbler - 10/1

Orange-crowned Warbler (w) - 1/1

Nashville Warbler (w) - 2/17

Yellow Warbler (w) - 4/1

Chestnut-sided Warbler (w) - 8/22

Magnolia Warbler (w) - 9/29

Yellow-rumped Warbler (w) - 1/1

Black-throated Gray Warbler (w) - 4/16

Townsend's Warbler (w) - 1/1

Hermit Warbler (w) - 4/16

Blackburnian Warbler - 9/11

Prairie Warbler - W

Yellow-throated Warbler (w) - 10/1

Palm Warbler - 10/16

Bay-breasted Warbler - 11/7

Black-and-white Warbler (w) - 2/12

American Redstart (w) - 7/1

Northern Waterthrush (w) - 9/12

MacGillivray's Warbler (w) - 4/16

Common Yellowthroat (w) - 1/1

Wilson's Warbler (w) - 3/14

Canada Warbler (w) - 10/11

Yellow-breasted Chat (w) - 4/24

Green-tailed Towhee - 5/3 K

Spotted Towhee (w) - 11

California Towhee (w) - 1/1

Rufous-crowned Sparrow - 1/9

Chipping Sparrow - 5/3

Clay-colored Sparrow - 9/27

Brewer's Sparrow - 4/28

Black-chinned Sparrow - 5/15

Vesper Sparrow - 2/14

Lark Sparrow 11w - 1/27

Black-throated Sparrow - 4/28

Sage Sparrow 11w - 2/14

Savannah Sparrow 11w (w) - 1/1

(Large-billed Savannah Sparrow - not counted) - 1/30

Grasshopper Sparrow 11w - 3/7

Nelson's Sparrow - 2/7

Fox Sparrow (w) - 1/1

Song Sparrow (w) - 1/1

Lincoln's Sparrow (w) - 1/1

Swamp Sparrow (w) - 12/13

White-throated Sparrow 11w - 2/7

White-crowned Sparrow (w) - 1/1

Golden-crowned Sparrow (w) - 1/1

Dark-eyed Junco (w) - 1/1

Summer Tanager (w) - 1/7

Western Tanager (w) - 4/16

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (w) - 5/19

Black-headed Grosbeak (w) - 4/3

Blue Grosbeak (w) - 4/18

Lazuli Bunting (w) - 4/16

Indigo Bunting - 9/27

Red-winged Blackbird (w) - 1/1

Tricolored Blackbird - 1/7

Western Meadowlark (w) -1/1

Yellow-headed Blackbird - 5/1

Brewer's Blackbird (w) - 1/1

Great-tailed Grackle (w) - 2/28

Brown-headed Cowbird (w) - 1/1

Orchard Oriole (w) - 10/1

Hooded Oriole (w) - 3/18

Bullock's Oriole (w) -2/17

Baltimore Oriole - W

Scott's Oriole - 4/30 K

Purple Finch (w) - 1/30

Cassin's Finch - 5/3 K

House Finch (w) - 1/1

Pine Siskin (w) - 5/1

Lesser Goldfinch (w) - 1/1

Lawrence's Goldfinch (w) - 4/28

American Goldfinch (w) - 1/1

House Sparrow (w) - 1/1

Green Birding (and Nature) in Central California

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Looking for Spring Migrants

3 comments:

Green Birds All Years, 2010 Green Big Year

Search This Blog

Blog Archive

Featured Wildflower, Los Osos

"Green Birding" Defined:

The Purpose of My Blog

Local Bird Event Dates Coming Up

Featured Insect, Coon Creek Trail, Montana de Oro Sate Park, 3/31/15

Walking Bigby

Green and other Birding Links

Local Fungus, 4/14/15

Followers

Fat Birder Ranking

Local Mammal

UNDER CONSTRUCTION