SBT COUNTY: 19 SEPT 2007

September 19, 2007

Hello, Birders,

A wee touch of winter arrived this morning! Clouds, chilly wind, and light rain were quite a surprise, as low pressure system from Canada edged down the coast. I grabbed a cup of coffee, and headed to Paicines Reservoir about 20 miles south of Hollister. The highlight was a continuing ORCHARD ORIOLE, female-type, which was first found on September 12th by David Wimpfheimer. This is the first SAN BENITO(SBT) COUNTY record of Orchard Oriole. I saw it just as I was about to leave the pullout, up on the hill, in the vineyard feeding on the juicy, ripe grapes, no doubt!

Other birds at Paicines Reservoir today included:BALD EAGLE- 3 (same as previous reports: 1 ad female, 1 first plumage
ad, 1 HY) PIED-BILLED GREBE-2 GREAT BLUE HERON-2 GREAT WHITE EGRET-2 MALLARD-50 NORTHERN SHOVELER-6 NORTHERN PINTAIL-6 AMERICAN COOT-40 GREATER YELLOWLEGS-4 LEAST SANDPIPER-3 KILLDEER-18 AMERICAN KESTREL-1 RAVEN-2 LESSER GOLDFINCH-4 SONG SPARROW-1 ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER-1 BLACK PHOEBE-2 WESTERN BLUEBIRD-18 WESTERN WOODPEEWEE-1 CASSIN’S KINGBIRD-1 BEWICK’S WREN-1 BREWER’S BLACKBIRD-40 RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD-50 HOUSE FINCH-10

I did not see the Common Tern (4th county record) found by ClayKempf, or the Stilt Sandpiper (third county record) found by Scott &Linda Terrill.

Heading south on Highway 25, I turned on LA GLORIA ROAD. High winds seemed to keep the birds down. At the summit, near Mile Marker 7.37,I found 50+ LAWRENCE’S GOLDFINCHES. On September 12th, I found 360Lawrence’s Goldfinches on this road, many of them at the summit. Roiling fog from the Salinas Valley, rain, and the wind probably kept them down. Best way to see the goldfinches is to stay inside of thecar, using it as a blind. I saw a total of 150 Lawrence’s Goldfinches today. Other birds on Gloria Road included:

WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW-1 First of the fall (FOF) in San Benito County for me. FOX SPARROW-1 (FOF) WILSON’S WARBLER-3 LESSER GOLDFINCH-4 CALIFORNIA TOWHEE-2 CALIFORNIA THRASHER-12 CALIFORNIA QUAIL-6 WESTERN BLUEBIRD-46 OAK TITMOUSE-6 WESTERN SCRUB JAY-8 HOUSE FINCH-4 DARK-EYED JUNCO-140 RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET-1 (FOF) YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER-1 (FOF) TOWNSEND’S WARBLER-1 WRENTIT-2 SONG SPARROW-1 WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH-1 BLACK PHOEBE-2 RAVEN-4 BUSHTIT-18 WILD TURKEY-6 (one with only one leg, and it hops) MOURNING DOVE-62 CHIPPING SPARROW-1 ad, 2 HY YELLOW-BILLED MAGPIE-54, near the summit SAY’S PHOEBE-1 BELL’S SAGE SPARROW-2 SPOTTED TOWHEE-2 BEWICK’S WREN-3 RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD-100 BREWER’S BLACKBIRD-80 RED-TAILED HAWK-1

I made a very brief stop at VISTA PARK HILL in downtown Hollister after picking up my mail. About 30 hummingbirds are still feeding inthe bottlebrush. At least 2 “RUFOUS” were present, along with manyANNA’S HUMMINGBIRDS.

Debra Shearwater
debi@shearwaterjourneys.com