Hello Tweets,

My mother and I ventured to the central California coast over the
President's Day weekend(Feb.16th-19th)in search of the GREATER SANDPLOVER,
which we successfully observed and photographed on two seperate days during
our visit to this wonderful birding location, as we also visited many other
birding locations to and from our destination, and in the general Pt.Reyes
area. The weather was quite variable, after leaving the recent snowfall in
the Tacoma area on the morning of the 16th, which turned to rain into
California, then improving conditions. Heavy rain to moderate showers
persisted, after 11am on the 17th in the Pt.Reyes area, then remained off
and on through the 19th, with partial clearing at times, with isolated fog
at times, and moderate wind, then improving conditions on our way home
through Oregon to Tacoma. We encountered 163 species, and 1,860 miles of
driving, during our visit, with many highlights to follow, and ran into
several birders, mostly from California, but a few out of state birders, as
we were at the Greater Sandplover location at Stinson Beach, as we watched
this first NA record for a total of three hours in a two day period from
10:30am-12:30pm,as the bird foraged, preened, and roosted with other nearby
shorebirds at outgoing low tide at Bolinas Lagoon at Stinson Beach(a
normally private community), a well known birding location, just south of
Pt.Reyes. Other highlights during our stay at Bolinas Lagoon, and a 45
minute drive to Chimney Rocks, near the Pt.Reyes Lighthouse, at the Outer
Pt.Reyes area included:

EURASIAN WIGEON
5 at Bolinas Lagoon

TUFTED DUCK
1 male at Bolinas Lagoon

Long-tailed Duck(Oldsquaw)
5 at the Outer Pt.Reyes area

KING EIDER
1 immature male at the Fishing Docks, at the Outer Pt.Reyes area

Osprey
1 at Bolinas Lagoon

Red-shouldered Hawk
2 near the Pt.Reyes Visitor Center along Bear Valley Rd.

Semipalmated Plover
3 at the Outer Pt.Reyes area

LESSER YELLOWLEGS
3 at Bolinas Lagoon

Forster's Tern
28 at Bolinas Lagoon

ALLEN'S HUMMINGBIRD
1 male along Hwy.1, south of Stinson Beach(spring arrival)

CAPE MAY WARBLER
1 winter male at Stinson Beach

Palm Warbler
1 at Stinson Beach

Common Yellowthroat
1 at Bolinas Lagoon on the 18th

White-throated Sparrow
1 tan-striped bird at Stinson Beach

Throughout the remainder of our trip we birded many other areas including
the Sacramento NWR, south of Willows, the Battle Creek Wildlife Area,near
Anderson, and minor other stops made along the I-5 corridor in California,
despite nearly 2 days of driving alone. We encountered many typical winter
northern California species and specialties, but many photography
oppurtunities were obtained to us, allowing a notable species list that
included the following highlights:(unlike WA, many of the listed species are
noted year round at many of the listed locations)

Ross' Goose
22 at the Sacramento NWR(with 190 Snow Geese, with 1 blue-morph Snow
Goose)on the 18th

Cinnamon Teal
24 at the Sacramento NWR on the 18th

White-tailed Kite
2 along Hwy.37, west of Vallejo on the 17 and 18th
3 at the Sacramento NWR on the 18th

Red-shouldered Hawk
9 total at 4 locations

NORTHERN GOSHAWK
1 along I-5, north of Yreka on the 19th

Ferruginous Hawk
1 at Battle Creek WA on the 19th

Golden Eagle
2 at the Yreka Rest Stop

Peregrine Falcon
1 at Bolinas Lagoon on the 17th
1 at Sacramento NWR on the 18th

Prairie Falcon
1 at Sacramento NWR on the 18th

CLAPPER RAIL
1 found dead along Hwy.37, west of Vallejo

Common Moorhen
4 at Sacramento NWR on the 18th

Forster's Tern
15 along Hwy.37, west of Vallejo

Acorn Woodpecker
2 at Redding on the 16th
12 at Battle Creek WA on the 19th

Nuttall's Woodpecker
2 at Redding on the 16th and 19th
3 at Sacramento NWR on the 18th
4 at Battle Creek WA on the 19th

Black Phoebe
3 at Bolinas Lagoon-Stinson Beach area on the 17th and 18th
5 along Hwy.80, east of Vacaville
22 at Sacramento NWR on the 18th

Say's Phoebe
1 at Stinson Beach on the 17th and 18th

Yellow-billed Magpie
2 at Red Bluff on the 16th
3 at Willows on the 18th
2 along Hwy.80 and 505 interchange on the 18th
18 at Sacramento NWR on the 18th
8 at Battle Creek WA on the 19th

Black-billed Magpie
1 along I-5, north of Yreke(unusual location, as this species tends to be
noted further east of I-5, whereas the Yellow-billed is the dominant species
noted, south of Redding)

Wrentit
32+ along Hwy.1, from Homestead Valley to Pt.Reyes area

Plain Titmouse
5 at Battle Creek WA on the 19th
2 at Redding on the 19th
1 at the Yreka Rest Stop along the Klamath River on the 19th

HOUSE WREN
1 along Hwy.1, south of Stinson Beach on the 18th(early spring arrival)

Am.Pipit
5 at Sacramento NWR on the 18th

NORTHERN SHRIKE
1 near Williams,(as the more common resident Loggerhead Shrike was noted at
several locations, with 3 at Sacramento NWR on the 18th)

Common Yellowthroat
1 at Novato on the 18th

California Towhee
1 along Hwy.1, south of Stinson Beach on the 18th

Tricolored Blackbird
Widespread, being most abundant in huge colonies at Sacramento NWR, with
over 9,000 birds noted before dusk on the 18th

Lesser Goldfinch
2 at Battle Creek WA on the 19th
16 at the Yreka Rest Stop on the 19th


Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
GODWIT at worldnet.att.net