Pacific-slope Flycatcher and friends...

While out running errands today, I took an hour or so off and ran up into Steven's Creek park, just to get out for a bit... it's been over a week since the sapsucker's been seen, so it's pretty clear it's moved on, but I arrived just about the time today's Big Day team was leaving, and ran into Bill and Mary scouting for their big day next weekend.

There was a small clump of birders on the road up to the campground that were scouring the oak canopies (including Al Eisner, Ron W). They reported Townsend's and Black-chinned grey warbler, as well as a calling (probable but unseen) Cassin's Vireo, an enthusiastic but hiding Black-headed grosbeak, and western tanagers. About that time, of course, the leaf blowers up the hill kicked in.... Also reported was a hairy woodpecker nest, in a snag along the entrance road from steven's creek; look for the 15' tall stump just after you turn in towards the picnic area.

The others wandered off to check out the woodpecker nest and get away from the leaf blowers. I stuck around because I wanted to practice searching the canopy and trees. After a bit the blowers quit and the birds started again, but instead of a black-chinned grey warbler, I found song sparrows and spotted towhees and American Robin (which means I still have some work to do before I I challenge Al's abilities. Al, you can relax....)

The vireo kept calling and I kept at it, and about 30 minutes after Al left, a bird finally popped down onto a branch and gave me 15 seconds of good looks (and photo ops), and then popped out again. I never saw the warblers, but as I was leaving, I did get some quick but decent looks at a Western Tanager, too. I thought it was the Cassin's, but when I showed the photos to some of the senior birders, it turns out to be a Pacific-slope Flycatcher, which looks a lot like a Cassin's (smaller, different color beak). So it was hanging out as well, but not making any noise, waiting to trip me up. But we ended up getting it right...

On the way back, I stopped at the boat launch at the dam. Farirly quiet, but there were two Osprey hunting the lake, and two Caspian Terns fishing it, as well as a few D-C cormorants, one of which was wearing his breeding feathering over the eyes.

On the way out, I was going to check out the woodpecker nest, but another photographer was working on it, so I left that to later so I didn't risk disturbing it. it's easily visible from the road as you turn into parking area, so I expect we'll see some nice photos coming soon....

Pacific-slope Flycatcher is a life (184), and Caspian Tern was a first of year (142).... And thanks to Al for taking the time (again!) to do some teaching on songs and habitat and habits on the grosbeak and vireo.... I also had a female hooded oriole at the feeder here at home on Friday, and I realized I hadn't added hooded oriole to my life list. It's not new, but that makes it life bird 185 and year bird 143.

When I decided to start keeping a life list (I'm using eBird www.ebird.org), a question when to start. I finally decided to use as a cutoff my first birding trip to Morro Bay, since that was when I decided to take birding seriously (as opposed to be someone who takes photographs of birds); because of this, the lift list only goes back to May 2006, with two exceptions, both birds that I happened to have good photos of from before then.

I've currently set a couple of birding goals for the year; one is to reach 200 species (and with some luck, 200 for the year); the other, more of a longer-term goal, is to be the first to find and ID a rarity and have it confirmed, rather than follow the other birders and add known birds to the life list.

I've come close to that second goal a couple of times, but never gotten independent confirmation of the find. To me, that's a goal that indicates how my ability to find and ID birds is progressing. OTOH, there's still a huge amount of learning to do. My biggest problem to reach 200 species is going to be how much time I'll have and how wide I can travel. With the new job and Laurie leaving Yahoo for MacAfee shortly, I'm probably not leaving the Bay area all that much, other than trips to LA to visit family...

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Location: Stevens Creek Park, Conley Picnic Area
Observation date: 4/19/08
Number of species: 9

Pacific-slope Flycatcher 1
Steller's Jay X
American Crow X
American Robin X
Western Tanager 1
Spotted Towhee X
Song Sparrow X
Dark-eyed Junco X
Black-headed Grosbeak X

Location: Steven's Creek
Observation date: 4/19/08
Number of species: 5

Double-crested Cormorant 3
Turkey Vulture X
Osprey 2
Caspian Tern 2
Song Sparrow X