Was down in Monterey for the ABA regional conference. Here's a quick
summary of programs and field trips. Overall it was a pleasant conference.
I forgot that most people who go to these are from out of state so the
field trips are geared to make sure that everybody has their targetted
birds, which if you have already birded the area can be pretty boring.
("Ok, is there anybody else who hasn't seen the Chestnut backed Chickadee?")

Tuesday was the boat trip with Debby Shearwater. The night before at the
program she had told us that the Black footed Albatrosses should be gone by
September and that it never rains in Monterey in September. The albatrosses
were around the whole day and it did rain pretty hard for about a half
hour. Typical California. We left by about 8am and got back in at 4:30.
Fairly flat ocean but you couldn't tell that to those folks hanging on the
stern. Lots of activity in the Bay. Sooty, Buller's, Pink-footed and Wedge
tailed Shearwaters all over the place. I have never seen so many Bullers.
All three species of Jaegers came around often. A South Polar Skua flew in
and sat down next to the boat. Black Storm Petrels, Wilson's Storm Petrels,
Least Storm-Petrel, Ashy Storm-Petrels were fairly constant. I still cannot
differentiate Ashy-Storm Petrels from Black but its getting closer.

There was at least one pod of Orcas and a few Humpback Whales with
Long-beaked Common Dolphins.

Thursday we went out to the Pinnacles National Park. Highlight for me were
Lawrence's Goldfinches. Too much time spent working on birds like
California Thrashers, California Towhees and Nuttall's Woodpeckers.

We were going to go down the Carmel River Mouth to pick up migrating
warblers but there was too much water in the bed so we werent able to go.
Went over to another area and spent a lot of time on Wrentits.

Programs were diverse. Arnold Small talked about the last 50 years of
california ornithology. Peter Alden was an evening program and is a pretty
crazy guy. I think he managed to offend most everybody at some point. But
still some interesting material. I now have an autographed copy of the
Peter Alden/Dennis Paulson Audubon Guide to the Northwest. Someday I'll get
it autographed by the "other" author. Alden showed some slides of Roger
Tory Peterson's studio including a painting he had been working on before
he died. He talked about gathering various experts and doing big days that
include all the species (plant, animal, fungi) and trying to get over a
1000 species in a day. Luis Baptista gave his talk about bird dialects.
Always a pleasure to hear.

Its sad being in Monterey since so many of the Monterey Pine trees are
dying because of the Pine Bark Beetle. The trees look pretty bedraggled.

Jim Rosso
Issaquah/Bellingham
425-392-8440
Jim Rosso
Issaquah, Washington
425-392-8440
jrosso at mediaseek.com