At the Salton Sea in SE California Ramer LAke to be precise there is an Anhinga that is providing a fine chase bird to add for many California State Listers, myself included. What was sweet was the calling Black Rail (Stockton) on the way back also new for CA. Obviously didn't see it. This bird is one of the last regularly breeding species one can get over here.
Then just when I got home a migrant Blue-gray Gnatcatcher was in my back yard, a casual species itself on the coast here in Humboldt County. We just had our local bird festival Godwit Days and I hope to introduce fellow European birders to the fun of California Birding, festivals, rareities, big days and so on.
Anyway this is my first quick input on something I hope to work on in the future.
yours,
Rob Hewitt, Eureka CA, USA.
I've been fortunate enough to visit the Salton Sea, briefly, once -- on Christmas Eve 1994. And although it's in the desert, I think the birding gods were a little ticked off at me that day -- the clouds closed in, came down, and made it impossible to see much of anything (although I was able to pick up a couple of lifers that day: Ross's Goose, Western Grebe, California Quail and American Avocet). The weather was so awful that day, it was even drizzling by the time we got to Palm Springs!
That said, it's a place I'd love to visit again -- I love to visit any part of California again!! There are so many place I'd like to visit: Yosemite, Sequoia, Death Valley, Lassen, Bolsa Chica, the Salton Sea, etc.etc. -- and all of them have birds!!
Hope we'll have more reports from you on what you're seeing. Even we Americans who stand little chance of getting to the left coast will thoroughly enjoy them!
Beverly,
Thanks for your reply, I was wondering if there would be a response. Odd that I posted about birding the Salton Sea, when I actually reside in the far opposite end of the State, but I wanted to put that one down under any rare birds as the Anhinga is getting quite a few California twitchers.
Rare birds for me last week would be 2 Laysan Albatross off the Mendocino Coast (Fort Bragg) and a Laughing Gull (immature), very rare for Mendocino County and my first for the Pacific Ocean May 4th, 2003. The Audubon Society had put on a Pelagic trip which is how most California Birders see their seabirds. In recent weeks several other deep water Pelagic trips have caused excitement in California Waters recording Murphy's Petrel and Red-tailed Tropicbird. Monterey Bay reported a Hawaiian (Dark-rumped) Petrel. Within the state there is a good movement of Solitary Sandpiper, a Sissor-tailed Flycatcher was in Marin, and Monterey County established itself as the birdiest county in the US with 245 species recorded by many observers within the county boundaries between 12 noon this past Saturday and 12 noon Sunday (24hrs).
It seems like there a lots of great birds around, even at our own Banding station we banded a White-throated Sparrow, May 3rd, quite late for the Humboldt coast , but still indicative of the migration period.
California Birding is quite lively and most keep connected through the various internet listserves, a key one is www.calbirds@yahoogroups.com there are others, but this covers the bases.
Let's see what else turns up,
Yours Rob Hewitt