[email protected]

​May 2025

Attending Members: Rajan, Katie, Adi, Maddie, Aidan, Zayn, Julia, Ross, Otto
For the May club trip, we headed to Mines Road in Alameda and Santa Clara counties. We started the day seeing a few Yellow-billed Magpies and a nice heard-only Cassin’s Kingbird. Continuing down the road, we got a Swainson's Thrush, California Thrasher, and Rufous-crowned Sparrow, as well as four beautiful Golden Eagles! When we reached Santa Clara county, Rajan spotted two gorgeous Lewis’s Woodpeckers from the car, and the group also got great looks at some endangered Tricolored Blackbirds. Our next stop was San Antonio Valley Road, where we were hoping to find Bell's Sparrow. While we never found it, Otto discovered a young Northern Pacific Rattlesnake inches away from where we'd been observing a Lawrence's Goldfinch and a Great Copper. Thankfully no one was hurt! From there, we drove to the Lick Observatory, where we found many Northern Rough-winged Swallows and the Mount Hamilton Lomatium (a plant first described in 1998)! Our final stop was Joseph D. Grant County Park, where we were hoping to see the long-staying Vermillion Flycatcher. While we never found it, we saw more Lawrence's Goldfinches, Lazuli Buntings, and Bullock's Orioles. Overall, wonderful day exploring a rarely visited corner of the Bay Area.

April 2025
Attending Members: Rajan R., Owen B., Adi R., Kaiting H., Sam D., Jun Young, Sammy S.





​For April’s club trip we decided to hunker down on one location: Mitchell Canyon at Mount Diablo. After meeting in the parking lot and greeting some new participants, we headed over to the trail. On the way, we found a trickle of migrants including Western Wood-Pewee and Wilson’s Warbler. After only 5 minutes, Rajan picked out a Hammond’s Flycatcher calling—the first of 11 to follow! Next, we encountered some great mixed flocks with Cassin’s and Warbling Vireos, and our first looks at the Townsend’s-type trifecta. On the globelily trail we got crushing point-blank views of Hammies and Ash-throats! Afterwards, we turned onto the Red Road and got Bell’s Sparrow (per Owen’s directions) and the highlight of the day: an insanely cooperative male Calliope. After, we continued a bit up the canyon finding an insane flock with MacGillivray’s Warbler and Lazuli Buntings. Finally, we got a view of an Olive-sided Flycatcher before heading back and enumerating the many ticks on the side of the trail. Overall, a wonderful trip despite the threatening rain and cold. Excited to once again deliver at this tried-and-true spot.

January 2025 (So Cal)

Attending Members: Max, Cadeo, Andrew, Luca, Tino
The Southern California Chapter met for their second annual overnight trip to the High Desert. Consolidating into two cars outside of Edwards Air Force Base, we picked up our increasingly difficult to get passes to Piute Ponds, a legendary vagrant trap settled in Lake Rosamond. The sun crested the Joshua Tree speckled horizon as we sped down Division Street. The first bird spotted was a Prairie Falcon bombing over the desert before teeing up on a telephone pole. A few miles further down, Max eyed a Ferruginous Hawk similarly posted up, which allowed excellent close studies. Making it to the ponds, we parked and began sorting through the waterfowl and shorebirds visible from the lot. Coyotes serenaded us as bird activity waxed. Many areas were completely frozen over, temperatures when we arrived read twenty degrees. Moving our way around the ponds we got on a pair of American Avocets, several Dunlin, and a large flock of sage-type sparrows. Walking down past Big Piute towards Thourea, we had our first encounter with many members lifer LeConte’s Thrasher - a beautiful pale desert species. Managing a Lesser Scaup on Big Piute we spent a while picking through ducks in hope of anything more unusual. Not finding anything, we slowly moved back towards the cars, where on the way back the same LeConte’s Thrasher as earlier provided amazing views, darting through the reeds along the ponds. Sam Bressler, our gracious host, discussed this unusual behavior with us, citing that how dry the winter had been was likely a contributing factor. At lunch we got the long continuing Nuttall's Woodpecker before heading down to Coot Shute. Finally we said goodbye to Sam, leaving our species total at 61, beating last years by one. Stopping at Apollo Park, Luca keenly spotted a Short-billed Gull, a MEGA rarity for the High Desert. More than satisfied, we drove on to our campsite at Saddleback Butte. After setting up camp we had a few minutes of sunset birding watching Bell’s Sparrows and an American Kestrel float through the creosote. Dinner was eaten and we made for an early bedtime excited for the next day. Waking up 12 hours later, we marched out into the desert in hope of photographs and Sagebrush Sparrows. One Sagebrush Sparrow was found and a couple members got on the bird. Packing up the camp we drove around fifteen minutes to the A and G sod fields, hoping for recently spotted Thick-billed and Lapland longspurs. After over an hour of searching Max spotted a flock of larks underneath a sprinkler, which, when the scope was put on them, revealed two Thick-billed Longspurs. The flock flushed to everyone's dismay, but a few minutes later resettled and we were all treated to prolonged scope views of both Lapland and Thick-billed Longspurs, the latter being a club lifer along with a lifer for three members! Next we headed to Lancaster City Park in hopes of an overwintering Eastern Phoebe, but we struck out. Finally we made one last visit to Apollo Park before saying our goodbyes. Another excellent overnight trip in the books!

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January 2025

Yolo County - 1/12/25
Attending Members: Rajan, Eddie, Adi, Frances, Otto, Owen, Kaiting, Katie, Maddie, Asher, Aidan, Chris, Aaron Haiman
​This month we ventured to Yolo county, accompanied by local expert Aaron Haiman, in search of Central Valley species. The trip started out with blustering winds (windchill 27 degrees) that remained in place until the sun rose. Immediately, we were struck by the sheer numbers of birds that totaled over 11,000 individuals. Skeins of geese mixed with flocks of ducks to form a waterfowl tornado. As we started along the auto tour loop we learned about the history and current status of the Yolo Bypass as an overflow spot for the Sacramento River, protecting both the state capital and waterfowl alike. Throughout the drive all members had a moment to shine. Eddie got us on two Eurasian Wigeons, Chris got many people state bird Ring-necked Pheasants, Aaron found a sneaky Virginia Rail, Kaiting got a group of Ross’s Goose, Frances showed the group her incredible sketches, Rajan got a flyby Merlin, and Katie found some beautifully perched day-bird Double-crested Cormorants. After completing our tour we headed to Creed Rd. in search of Rough-legged Hawks. While we never found our target bird, we were delighted to 6(!!!) Ferruginous Hawks including two directly above us kettling with a Golden Eagle. The January trip provided awe in even the common species and a cool crash course in the local intersection of people and the environment.

November 2024 (NorCal)

Inner Delta - 11/24/2024
Attending Members: Eddie, Rajan, Adi, Otto, Owen, Frances, Kaiting, Aidan, Zayne, Katie, Maddie, Asher, Emerson + 10 parents!!
​The November NorCal Club Trip started out exploring the Los Vaqueros Reservoir. None of us knew exactly what to expect in this underbirded location, but we all had fun exploring it. The entrance road was lined with American Kestrels, which is an encouraging sign for this locally declining species. In the parking lot we were immediately treated to great views of a Loggerhead Shrike. As we continued up the road we discovered what is likely to be one of the northernmost populations of Chaparral Yucca (Hesperoyucca whipplei) in the world. Adjacent to that magnificent plant, an amazing Prairie Falcon (sitting next to a kestrel!) provided the group with a rare view of this elusive raptor. More weird encounters included: California Gull-nados with mixed in cooks and herrings; a White-breasted Nuthatch foraging on the ground; and a mind-numbing density of Say’s Phoebes. After heading out and briefly stopping at a campsite to look at Lark Sparrows, we headed to Bethel Island. Here we did a stationary count looking at a berm. Though not the most encouraging spot, we managed to do excellently and score 40 species! Highlights included TWO flocks of Yellow-headed Blackbirds, a distant Swainson’s Hawk, Sandhill Cranes, and an unafraid Sora. Next, we ventured to Flannery Rd. where we located a lone Mountain Plover on the usual plowed field. Eddie also picked up on a Ferruginous Hawk in the distance flashing its three points of light. Finally, we concluded the trip at Cesar Chavez park on the Berkeley Marina. Here we noted the ongoing Golden-crowned Kinglet irruption with three of that species in the abandoned lot. We also found the continuing Harris’ Sparrow being very tame in the zono flock. We concluded the day by watching the sunset with a Burrowing Owl!!!

November 2024 (SoCal)

Malibu Coast
Attending Members: Max Breshears, Braxton Landsman, Tino Castillo, Adrian Vilca
The Southern California chapter met for it's second trip of the month, this time to a more costal avenue. ​We met as the sun rose at Malibu Lagoon in hopes of seeing some shorebirds, including a rare continuing American-golden Plover. We marched towards the beach, seeing many common marsh species such as American Coot, Double-crested Cormorant, and Ruddy Duck. As we hit the beach Tino diligently began a sea-watch as the group began to scan through the shorebird and gull flocks. We sorted out a Herring and Olympic gull as a large flock of Black-bellied Plovers amassed.  In flight Max called out a smaller plover among the 40 or so Black-bellied Plovers, but no photos of the bird were obtained and it was written off as one of the Ruddy Turnstones flying in the flock. However, more pics uncovered later by multiple members of the group unveiled that the American-golden Plover had indeed been in the plover flock. As we moved to the southern end of the lagoon, a dove sp. was flushed out of a tree that turned out to be a White-winged Dove, a locally rare but expanding species throughout Southern California. We wrapped up at the lagoon and hit the road up the coast. A Black-vented Shearwater spotted out the car alluded to what awaited us at Pt. Dume. Parking at the local school, we walked about a mile birding through the neighborhood until we got to the point itself. Tino again set up his scope and began sea-watching, unveiling two large rafts of over half a thousand Black-vented Shearwaters and one Pink-footed. The rest of the group indulged itself in Rufous-crowned Sparrow photography. The birds at Pt. Dume were ridiculously cooperative, at one point one bird was chased by another and landed on Max, who was laying down to photograph them. After a little more sea-watching and a pod of dolphins, we kicked it north to Zuma Lagoon, where we hoped to find a continuing Lesser-black Backed Gull. Unfortunately, when we arrived about eighty percent of the gulls were far out on the ocean and far too backlit to justify spending the time scoping them. The most exciting thing was watching a Western Gull nearly drown itself in a wave. As we headed back to the car we said goodbye to Adrian and his dad. Max, Braxton, and Tino grabbed lunch at a pizza joint. The remaining few meandered up the coast to Sycamore Canyon. We had pleasant views of Hermit Thrush, but it being just post mid-day activity was relatively low. We entertained ourselves with some passerine photography down in the creek until we became distracted by Pacific Chorus Frogs. Thanks to everyone who came!

​November 2024 (So-Cal)

Villa Park Flood Control Basin
 Attending Members: Max Breshears, Luca Cinus, Braxton Landsman, Cadeo Scott-Schipper, Tino Castillo, Nicholas Earnheart

The Southern California chapter met for a trip to the Villa Park Flood Control Basin, an under-birded area that we suspected could host vagrant species along with regular brush habitat birds in large quantities. Some members still donning costumes from the night before, we started our walk in the western corner of Irvine Regional park, meandering through the brush in hopes of late/overwintering nighthawks. We struck out, but pushed on and made our way deeper into the basin. We picked up many common species, along with many raptors including a “Gray Ghost” morph Northern Harrier. Cadeo spotted a Swamp Sparrow before it disappeared into a bush, which was our first rarity of the day. A couple marginally rare Lawrences Goldfinches flew over a few minutes later and were heard by a few members of the group. As we bushwhacked our way into some of Orange County's best remaining willow habitat we came upon a rather large flock of foraging warblers. First spotting a Townsend's Warbler we moved closer where Max spotted a Black-throated Gray Warbler and then subsequently both Max and Nicholas spotted a Blackpoll Warbler which briefly made an appearance. Cadeo and Luca got brief views of the bird before it disappeared into the willows. We spent a while attempting to refind it to no avail. We continued our hike and ended up at a group of eucalyptus trees that proved to be fairly active. Among a surprising amount of White-crowned Sparrows foraging high up Max spotted a female Rose-breasted Grosbeak, the last rarity of the day. The group moved back to the park around noon and engaged in some duck photography and sparrow watching, hoping to pull something unusual among the Dark-eyed Juncos. Eventually we said goodbye and ended with 65 species. Overall pleasant day that yielded a good amount of fall vagrants for one location!
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September 2024

San Francisco Rarity Hunting - 9/22/24
Attending Members: Eddie, Kaiting, Owen, Alex, Zayn, Ross, Julia, Sam, Felix, Chris
Vagrant time! This months trip was all about searching San Francisco for eastern migrants and boy did we hit the jackpot! The San Francisco Rare Bird Roundup was on Saturday and many good birds were found, making our path clear. We started the day off at Pine Lake Park in search of Ovenbird, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Black-and-White Warbler and Summer Tanager. Soon after the group met, we spotted the Black-and-white Warbler with a small flock high in the eucalyptus on the south side of Pine Lake. We were all able to get good views as well as enjoy the Yellow and Townsends Warblers keeping it company. Birds werent the only subject of interest though as soon after leaving the Black-and-white, we ran into a group of 4 Racoons that were quite adorable. However while looking at the Racoons, news of the Ovenbirds presence reached us and we were back off. As we headed towards the Ovenbird, the Chestnut-sided Warbler plopped down in front of us and gave staggering views of its gatorade green plumage. Immediately after the Chestnut-sided flew away, the bright red Summer Tanager appeared and afforded brilliant views as it flycatched and called right in front of us. We were on a roll! And our luck didn't stop as after a few worrying minutes, the Ovenbird appeared and actually showed quite well which is unusual for this understory lover. With the Pine Lake sweep in the bag, we motored to North Lake in search of Orchard Oriole. While walking to the oriole spot, a Green-winged Teal (somewhat unusual) was spotted on the lake along with 5 early arriving Ring-necked Ducks. Once we reached the Oriole spot, Yellow Warbler swarmed us along with Pygmy Nuthatches and a Swainson's Thrush. It didn't take long for the Oriole to pop up and it gave some great views. On our way back to the car a Belted Kingfisher awarded us great views and gave its classic rattling call. Next up was Lands End for Calliope Hummingbird. We arrived at the stakeout and were slightly disappointed to hear the Hummingbird had not been seen for a while. We didnt give hope, and amidst the barrage of Anna and Rufous Hummingbirds, Yellow and Townsends Warblers, Hermit Thrush, and Pygmy Nuthatches we were able to pick it out and obtain good photos. Calliope is a super rare bird in SF and this was an adult male, quite the treat! Our last stop of the day was El Polin Springs in search of a Blackpoll Warbler, although we missed the Blackpoll, a nice Western Tanager and a Black-headed Grosbeak were a good end to an amazing day! Thanks to all the young birders for coming today and helping spot birds! And thanks to the SF birding community for setting up an amazing day for us!

August 2024

Highway 37 Shorebirding - 8/24/2024
Attending Members: Eddie, Rajan, Owen, Jun Young, Theo, Katie, Maddie, Asher, Emerson, Kaiting, + many parents 🙏
August means shorebirds, and there was no ‘shore’-tage of them on this trip! The inaugural evening club trip planned to stake out some of the Bay Area’s richest mudflats during the falling tide. During this phase and time of day, birds huddling at the high tide roost interspersed with evening roosting birds creating a magnified birding experience. As afternoon turned to dusk turned to night we observed birds coming in by the hundreds and then foraging in the newly opened mudflats. The group started by walking through the pickleweed adjacent to the masses of shorebirds and terns. A quick scan revealed a few spinning Red-necked Phalaropes, a lone Red Knot, and the two Dowitcher species—giving us a chance to see how important shorebird calls are towards identification. Adi Rao even picked up on a weirdly out of place Swainson’s Hawk flying over! After intense scanning and rescanning, Eddie eventually got the group on the continuing Bar-tailed Godwit (club lifer #415!). Famously completing the longest single flight journey of any bird species, this Siberian rarity was a treat for all and a lifer for most. As we returned to the car Owen found a pair of European Mantises (Mantis religiosa), their bamboozling demeanor almost masking their sad invasive presence. As the sun died down and people returned home, Eddie, Adi, and Rajan managed to spend the first few hours of nighttime spotlighting the shorebirds with a dodgy headlamp revealing the peeps’ nighttime docility and “hyperphagia” feeding habits for the migration ahead!

June 2024

Point Reyes and Mount Tamalpais - 6/1/2024
Attending Members: Rajan Rao, Eddie Monson, Owen Bowie, Frances Park, Sadie Cosby, Julia Rabkin, Ross Rabkin, Alex Mortimer
This month’s club trip was a fun coverage of the multitude of habitats that Marin County has to offer. The group initially met up at the Point Reyes Lighthouse parking lot and welcomed three new birders to the group. From there the club braved sustained winds of 30mph with gusts up to 60+mph and headed out to the murre colony. Everyone got good views of these abundant seabirds as well as nesting pelagic cormorants. However, Eddie and Rajan also picked up on small flocks of alternate plumage Red and Red-necked Phalaropes flying relatively close off shore—an unexpected find! From there we poked around Fish Docks finding a gorgeous alternate Heerman’s Gull, a migrant Red-breasted Nuthatch, and a pair of singing Swainson’s Thrushes. We also managed to grab a Coast Garter Snake giving everyone great views. From there we headed to Drake’s to look for any vagrants. Although nothing too notable, a very late Red-necked Grebe and a couple raggedy Bonaparte’s Gulls showed themselves. Finally, we headed up to the East Peak of Mount Tamalpais to look for endemic plants. Sure enough gorgeous endemics such as Goldwire, California Torreya, and California Pitcher Sages were abundant in addition to some Hoary Manzanitas and Yellow Mariposa-Lilies. After hiking a bit and overlooking the Bay Area in a stunning 360 view, we headed home with another eventful trip in the books.
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April 2024

Point Reyes Birding Festival - 4/21/2024
Attending Members: Rajan Rao, Eddie Monson, Owen Bowie, Chris Henry, Angel, Uriel, Elianai
This month’s club trip was in partnership with the Point Reyes Birding Festival by the EAC, and consisted of a young birders walk through a few different habitats of Marin County. We first gathered by the Tocoloma bridge to observe the breeding birds of the wooded riparian. Our group consisted of guides, Eddie and Rajan; returning members, Chris and Owen; and 6 new birders from Paul Revere Elementary. In no time, everyone was engrossed in the dawn choruses. The group got amazing looks at a gorgeous orange Spotted Towhee and a shadowy-blue Steller’s Jay. During our time, singing Warbling Vireos and Wilson’s Warblers filled the air. Additionally, a “California” Pipevine Swallowtail appeared from the shadows and flashed its gorgeous blue wings. From there, we ventured up the road to an open cow pasture to look at some grassland birds. Almost immediately, the group locked onto a Grasshopper Sparrow—a lifer for some—and documented it extensively. Additionally, we found a highly cooperative Lark Sparrow. which allowed for some unforgettable photo and recording opportunities. Afterwards, we drove down to Giacomini Wetlands where we got visuals on a Virginia Rail and a Wilson’s Snipe, two notably elusive species. We also flipped a beautiful Western Yellow-bellied Racer under a log. Finally, the group broke off and ended the unseasonably warm day with soft serve from Point Reyes Station and a walk around some of the educational nature-related workshops set-up by the EAC.

March 2024

UC Berkeley Museum - 3/24/2024
Attending Members: Eddie, Rajan, Frances, Sadie, Adelina, Kai Ting, Kenta, Owen, Jiwoo, Lucas S., Jun Young
This month we had the incredible opportunity to tour the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at UC Berkeley with Dr. Bowie and Verna Bowie. We first met up on the lawn before heading inside of the building. From here the group spent time going between the vast avian collection, to the mammals, amphibian, and even mammal skin collections! Highlights included holding many extinct birds such as: Ivory-billed Woodpecker, Bachman’s Warbler, Eskimo Curlew, Lesser 'Akialoa, Maui 'Akepa, 'O'u, Oahu Alauahio, Kauai Nukupu'u and many others. Additionally, we held some beautiful extant species such as Steller’s Sea-Eagle, Resplendent Quetzal, Kakapo, Pompadour Cotinga, Wrenthrush, 'Akohekohe, “Northern” Spotted Owl, and even a California Condor. Having rare birds at your literal finger tips allows you to observe field marks that otherwise are difficult to discern in the field. Some comparisons we made were the spotting on solitaria and cinnamomea Solitary Sandpipers; the nostril length and lore separations of Wandering and Gray-tailed Tattlers; chest streaking on Bay Area endemic Song Sparrow subspecies; intergrade Dark-eyed Juncos; and the crest length of “Coastal” and “Interior” Steller’s Jays. In addition to the birds, we explored various rare Moa eggs, entire bushmaster specimens, and even the 4th known skull of a Steller’s Sea Cow. We also had donuts provided by Verna, (thank you!!!) After many minutes of parents trying to pull us away from the specimens we finally said our goodbyes and went to a quick birding stop to round out the trip. The group reconvened at Albany Bulb where we stared a bush for an hour and heard the continuing Cassin’s Sparrow exactly once. Sort of an ambivalent end to an unforgettable day. 




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February 2024

Alameda - 2/24/2024
Attending Members: Eddie Monson, Riley Chavez-Farr, Owen Bowie, Jun Young, Anish Lakkapragada, Sava Iliev, Simon Greenspan
For the month of February, the NorCal chapter headed to Alameda in search of some wintering specialties and many ducks. We had two new members (Jun Young and Simon Greenspan) who are both excellent young birders and it was awesome to meet them. At 8 am, we met up on the shore of Lake Merritt in Oakland. This is a popular spot to get great views of ducks and is known for more irregular birds such as Barrows Goldeneye. Our target for this particular trip was a Tufted Duck which we did locate briefly however, it proved quite difficult to view in the masses of scaup. A slightly unexpected sighting was a small feeding frenzy of Snowy Egrets and Double-crested Cormorants and we enjoyed great views of Egrets and Corms snatching fish out of the water. Also fun was a little bit of passerine action including a Red-breasted Nuthatch, and an Oak Titmouse nest in a light pole. After Lake Merritt we headed 15 minutes south to Garretson Point. Here we enjoyed a nice roost of shorebirds al​​on views of a Cackling Goose next to its bigger relative the Canada Goose. There was a massive roost of Dunlin here as well and they flushed up a couple times allowing for some good views of the "Shorebird swirl." After about 30 minutes spent at Garretson, we headed to the nearby Arrowhead Marsh in search of Rails and the ever elusive Nelsons Sparrow. High tide was around 11:45 and we arrived at 11:15, allowing us to watch birds come in as the tide reached its peak. Soon enough we found 2 Ridgways Rails hidden in the grass and we were surprised to see a Virginias Rail pop out of the bushes right in front of us and dart into the marsh. Virginias are the most uncommon rail here so it was fun to see that. However the real highlight here was the Nelsons. For the second trip in a row the moms came in absolutely clutch and found the Nelsons Sparrow for mind boggling views. It just sat right in front of us for what seemed like forever which was incredibly fun since these Sparrows are normally ultra sneaky. From here we continued to the back ponds of the marsh and found some Wilsons Snipe. To end the day we were greeted to some great views of Blue-winged Teal who had proved unbelievably stealthy throughout the day earning them the name "smokescreen." Overall an super fun trip and great to meet some new members! 








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January 2024

San Francisco Winter Rarity Chase - 1/28/2024
Attending members: Rajan Rao, Adi Rao, Eddie Monson, Frances Park, Tommy Hekl, Theo Adam, Riley Chavez-Farr, Owen Bowie, Chris Henry

Wonderful new members and urban birding kicked off 2024 for the NorCal CAYBC. We started by grouping up at Mountain Lake park and meeting all the new members, some came from as far away as Merced(!). Next we ventured into the willows and successfully found SF’s first Allen’s Hummingbird of the year along with documenting the heavily debated Pacific/Winter Wren spending the winter here. Next, we found a female Merlin absolutely shredding a House Finch providing quality views of this amazing species. Additionally, Verna, Owen’s mom, expertly got the club on a sneaky and elusive Black-and-white Warbler. From there we went to the Chain of Lakes in Golden Gate Park which has been experiencing a severe case of the Patagonia Effect in recent years. Here we managed to pick up a very showy Gray Catbird along with 2 Nashville Warblers and a nice Gray-headed Orange-crowned Warbler. At north lake a rare sort-of White-shielded Coot provided good looks along with three gorgeous male Hooded Mergansers. Although we didn’t find as many rarities as we hoped for, the warm weather did provide great views of Monarch butterflies, a species that has been rebounding massively in recent years because of conservationists planting milkweed and good weather! After the lakes, we trekked over to the Polo Field where we found the continuing Tropical Kingbird flycatching from the goal posts. Theo also picked up on 3 Tree Swallows, a species scarce in the winter, but clearly enjoying the warm weather. Finally, we ended at Mount Davidson where we briefly encountered the continuing Rock Wren on its favorite crag. Overall, an awesome day enjoying the overwintering fauna in the city of San Francisco.



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January 2024

High Desert Overnight - 1/13 – 1/14 2024
Attending members: Max Breshears, Cadeo Scott-Schipper, Luca Cinus, Aashay Mody, and Aaron Gomperts
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The Southern California Chapter met for their first overnight trip in 5 years to see some High Desert specialties. We started off with an early morning venture to Piute Ponds, nailing Ferruginous Hawk and Prairie Falcon on the road in. Soon we encountered many shorebirds, ducks, and geese as we drove around the ponds. Making it to Big Piute, we quickly got on Ladder Backed Woodpecker and Brown Creeper; and not but a couple of minutes later a drake Eurasian Wigeon found by the Scheels. Moving down the road we noted a Virginia Rail and Sora foraging alongside each other and after crawling down to get eye level, we all had great views and an amazing photo opp. After a little while longer of scanning ducks and encountering a swimming Great Blue Heron, we started off towards our campsite. After setting up we embarked into the desert getting good views of many species and photographing equally as many. We arrived back at camp after sunset and began to prepare dinner, to which I made the fatal mistake of letting Luca cook the Mac n' Cheese. I did not know it was possible to destroy such a simple dish. Alas, we all got a good laugh out of it and enjoyed smores by the campfire until Aashay arrived. We went to bed prepared for an early morning sunrise to go and photograph Bells Sparrows. We all woke up an hour before sunrise and ventured into the desert. We split into to teams to attempt to photograph the sparrows with Aaron, Max, and Cadeo in one group and Luca and Aashay in another. After about two hours of some mild success with photography, the group reconvened at the campsite, ate breakfast, prepared lunch, and packed up. We then headed out to Apollo Park. We got on a few Snow Geese that allowed awesome views and photographs, and eventually found a flock of four Red Crossbills which were lifers for some trip members. We went to our final stop, Prime Desert Preserve, finding a dead American Robin. We said our goodbyes and each departed our own way.






December 2023

California Academy of Sciences Tour - 12/17/2023
Attending members:

TBA

December 2023

Monterey - 12/2/2023
Attending members: Rajan Rao, Adi Rao, Eddie Monson, Sadie Cosby, Frances Park

The Northern California Chapter met for the first of its two meetings for the month of December. The early morning wake-up granted a beautiful sunrise coupled with a rainbow. Soon after, the relatively small crew of Rajan, Eddie, Adi, Sadie, and Frances met up in the Point Piños parking lot to kick off the day. The next three hours were spent at this famous seawatch braving the rain and heavy sea fog. Many members got looks at lifer Ancient Murrelets and distant views of a menagerie of other ocean specialities such as: Cassin’s and Rhinoceros Auklets, Northern Fulmars, and even a few Black-vented Shearwaters. Mid morning we left for Asilomar state beach where we searched in vain for the recently sighted Pacific Golden-Plover. Although the plover was never located, stunning views of American Pipit, Bonaparte’s Gull, and White-winged Scoter were enjoyed by all. We also found some Monterey Indian Paintbrush—a central California specialty flower. Next, we ventured to Monterey Harbor where we saw a distant Red-necked Grebe, a Great Egret foraging on the kelp(?!), and we even a fisherman reel in a massive Opaleye. After leaving Monterey, we headed to Santa Cruz to find an exceptionally rare Harlequin Duck at Sunny Cove. Being located upon arrival, the group enjoyed prolonged views and tidepooling around the cove for a while after. Finally, our last stop brought us to Half Moon Bay WTP where we enjoyed a Gray-headed Orange-crowned Warbler as the sun went down and the rain picked up again. All in all a wonderful day taking in the beautiful biodiversity the California Coast has to offer. We ended with 78 species, and 1 CAYBC lifer—Ancient Murrelet!​

October 2023

Frank Bonelli - 9/24/2023
Attending members: Max Breshears, Aashay Mody, Braxton Landsman, Cadeo Scott-Schipper, Luca Cinus, and Tino Castillo

The Southern California Chapter met for the first time in a few years to kick off a new era of the CAYBC.

​We started by birding along the lake picking up several duck species. We meandered along a couple lakeside trails nabbing 4 separate California Gnatcatchers. A marginally late Black Headed Grosbeak was a nice flyover and at a little puddle we watched several species of sparrow and warbler bathe. A group of Pin-Tailed Whydah including one male in full breeding plumage entertained us for a while. After covering a few more miles and not seeing much more we pondered back to the picnic benches to have lunch. We hawk watched and played with the domestic ducks for a couple hours before calling it. We totaled 87 species over 7 hours. Most didn't seem to be migrants but it still was a good day.

September 2023

Presidio Trip - 9/24/2023
Attending members: 

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TBA

August 2023

Point Reyes Trip - 8/26/2023
Attending members: Eddie, Rajan, Joachim, Jiwoo, Anish, Sadie, Adi, Frances, Theo, and Lucas


For August we headed to Abbotts Lagoon in search of shorebirds. A overcast sky was promising for this area and we quickly headed out towards the lagoon. We bumped into a Wilsons and Yellow warbler in the coyote brush on the trail however all sights were still on the lagoon. Once we got there Lucas quickly picked out a Common Tern flying around which is quite a good bird for the area. The pond area on the North Shore of the lagoon held an amazing total of 8 Lesser Yellowlegs along with many Western Sandpipers. We had to take a detour down the beach due to a Snowy Plover enclosure however not before we ran into 2 Bairds Sandpiper feeding on the edge of the lagoon. On the beach we were able to find a few Snowy Plovers however the biggest surprise was 6 Surfbirds that flew over. These are extremely rare in Marin county outside of a few rocky outcroppings in the north county. The detour complete we arrived on the west shore of the lagoon and were thrilled to find tons of shorebirds. A Pectoral Sandpiper was very cooperative and was a FOS (First Of Season) for many of us. After a bit of searching we were able to pick out a Semipalmated Sandpiper, an unusual and difficult to identify peep from the eastern US. This bird gave amazing views and allowed us to study it up close which was awesome. After wrapping up with the shorebirds we headed back to the car. From here we drove inland to the Inverness Tennis Courts in search of some riparian birds. While no eastern vagrants were found we were treated to a nice diversity of western migrants such as Western Tanagers, Black-headed Grosbeaks, Black-throated Gray Warblers, Warbling Vireos and more. Overall a great trip with a lot of diversity! It was fun to see migration getting into full swing!

April 2023

South Bay Trip - 4/29/2023
Attending members: 


TBA

January 2023

Santa Cruz Trip - 1/22/2023
Attending members: Eddie, Tommy, and Sadie



TBA

November 2022

The Central Valley Trip - 11/13/2022 
Attending members: Eddie, Rajan, Adi, Faaris, and Tommy

In pursuit of longspurs, lifers, and waterfowl, we hit the Central Valley in the beautiful month of November. At 8am, on the corner of Flood and Waverly road, the team met up. We were initially chilled to our core by below freezing windchills, but before long, the dense fog parted to reveal a golden countryside resting under the distant Sierras. The group then headed along Flood road flushing Savannah Sparrows at our feet while gazing at the Horned Larks and Canada Geese flying over. We eventually came upon a ditch in the road and accidentally nearly stepped on a Burrowing Owl, all of us were equally shocked. A possible longspur or Sasquatch ended our stay as we headed to Staten Island. As we drove into Staten Island, tens of thousands of Cackling geese flew over us creating a cacophony and a "cloud." We got out of the car and scoped these along with Tundra Swans, Snow (and Ross's) Geese, and Sandhill Cranes. After a tough goodbye we decided to close out the day birding the fields of Flannery road. No luck on the Mountain Plovers unlike the January 2018 trip, but copious Tricolored Blackbirds and Killdeers dotted the fields. A final distant Ferruginous Hawk wished us goodbye as the sun began to set.

​Photo credits: Rajan Rao

October 2022

Abbotts Lagoon - 10/16/2022 
Attending members: Eddie, Rajan, Adi, Theo, Sadie, and Tommy

In the month of October, Abbotts Lagoon is an amazingly diverse area. Not only for birds but for wildlife in general. In honor of this we decided to head out there and see what we could find. We met at 8:15am and soon after headed out to the lagoon. On the way out we had an awesome American Bittern that was shockingly obliging. Continuing out to the lagoon we were happy to find large concentrations of ducks and shorebirds. We combed through the ducks but not before getting a report of a Plumbeous Vireo nearby. We dropped everything and headed back to the cars but not before a Ferruginous Hawk flew by pursuing a Prairie Falcon. Another surprise on the way in was a Long-tailed Weasel that gave great looks. We were getting rushed on time so made it a really quick trip back to the cars. Twenty minutes later we arrived at Fish Docks. This area was actually very birdy and along with the continuing Plumbeous, we had a locally rare Northern Mockingbird, the continuing Prairie Warbler and a late Black-throated Gray Warbler. Although we didn't end up finding longspurs, this was still an awesome trip and almost everyone got a lifer. Plumbeous Vireo is our second exceedingly rare bird in 2 trips!

Photo credits: Rajan Rao

September 2022

Outer Point Trip - 9/11/2022
Attending members: Eddie, Max, Brian, Joseph, Sadie, and Sava

​Another trip done! 
For this months trip we decided to head out to the Outer Point of Point Reyes as the club had not had very many successful trips out here. Driving out in the morning the fog coupled with NW winds made for low hopes however we pulled up to Nunes Ranch with optimism. We were encouraged more by the fact that Joseph reported 3 Yellow Warblers here, an obvious sign of migrants. We headed on to the famed Fish Docks which held a decent collection of migrants including Western Tanager, Hermit Warbler, Warbling Vireo, and a couple Yellow Warblers. Encouraging signs! the sky had started to lift giving us more hope that stuff might drop in and boy it sure did. Continuing on, we birded the New Willows (location of the photo) and were treated to a flyover Bobolink! This was a great find and our first vagrant of the day. From here we started to head back inland and made a quick stop at Mendoza Ranch which was pretty fruitless other than the Red-necked Phalaropes in the farm pond. After Mendoza, Spaletta Ranch awaited. This is my favorite spot on the point so I had high hopes. We pulled up to the cypress grove and soon enough had amazing views of the continuing Prairie Falcon, followed by an American Redstart in the cypresses and then a continuing Tropical Kingbird popped up. Wow! This place does not disappoint. A quick stop at the Drakes Corner Farm Pond revealed a Bairds Sandpiper which was an unexpected addition to the day. Down to Drakes Beach we went filled with the happiness of Spaletta Ranch vagrants. We arrived and immediately heard Yellow Warblers chipping, a great sign for migrants. After about 10 minutes of searching at the monument an orange bird popped up into the trees and revealed itself to be a Baltimore Oriole!!! A fantastic bird for the point and a much sought after vagrant. We wrapped up the trip with a few inland spots which held very nice collections of migrants including 7+ Black-throated Gray Warblers, a Hermit Warblers, and a couple Black-headed Grosbeaks! All in all a fantastic trip!

August 2022

Davis Trip - 8/28/22
Attending members: Eddie, Rajan, Joachim, Sadie, Sava, and Tommy
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This trip covered the Central Valley—exploring both its wet and dry habitats. The club met up in the Putah Creek parking lot to a beautiful and quite birdy morning. Many Yellow-billed Magpies flew over, and a small warbler flock coalesced in the oak trees. As we made our way down to the creek bed we noticed a cock-a-doodle-dooing rooster hiding in the bushes. Eventually we made our way to some willows with a Willow Flycatcher chasing a Pacific-slope Flycatcher chasing a Western Wood-Pewee. We worked our way down the creek noting 7(!) species of warbler bathing in the creek including Nashville and MacGillivray's Warblers. We continued to explore Putah creek finding kettling light and dark morph Swainson's Hawks and even more warblers. Eventually we shifted from creekside habitat to the famous flooded fields of the Yolo Bypass. These fields yielded countless sandpipers including a Semipalmated Sandpiper and three juvenile Baird's Sandpiper—California specialties! We ended our day exploring another creek, Babel Slough, in order to find the continuing Northern Waterthrush. After searching for a while he eventually popped out into open view for all participants to see. This trip was a fantastic look at some of the first migrant birds of the season!

​May 2022

Santa Cruz Trip - 5/15/22
Attending members: 

TBA

March 2022

Peninsula Trip - 3/13/22
Attending members: Rajan, Adi, Joachim, Eddie, and Jason

To catch the last bit of winter and a little taste of spring we headed down to the Peninsula to explore the various habitats along the bay. We first met up at the infamous Oriental Turtle-Dove stakeout. Oriental Turtle-Doves are native to Asia and are exceedingly rare in California. Despite it's questionable origins, this bird provided a lifer for every participant and presented a truly bizarre mystery. Next we chased another Asian vagrant, this time in the more aquatic form—a Curlew Sandpiper. At the Palo Alto Baylands, the known location of the sandpiper, are hopes were initially dampened by the rising tide and lack of shorebirds, although a surprise flock of flyover Bonaparte's Gulls did provided some entertainment. In a last ditch effort by Rajan, we tried a random back entrance to the marsh, and quickly cued onto the Curlew Sandpiper—nestled inconspicuously in the flock of Long-billed Dowitchers. With our heads held high we jaunted on over to Mayfield Slough and observed one of the largest and fastest growing colonies of California Gull in the world. Afterwards, we made a quick stop at Geng road to see the distant but distinctive Tropical Kingbird that had been hanging around. We mused at a Northern Mockingbird imitating: Lesser Goldfinches, House Finches, American Crows, Oak Titmice, California Scrub-Jays, Killdeers, Virginia Rails, and even a Black Rail! In search of our own Black Rails we headed over to the Steven Creek Tidal Marshes where we got obstructed but distinctive views of Black Rails and great audio confirmation. Finally, we ended our day at the Ogier Ponds looking at some early arriving swallows. A thrilling day, and one for the books.
























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February 2022

Butte County Trip - 2/6/22
Attending members: Rajan, Adi, Eddie, Joachim, and Coby

A trip defined by sheer number, this month's excursion to Butte County was one to remember. The team initially convened in a turnoff on the road above Thermalito Afterbay. The group noted some nice mixed duck flocks but the stars of the show were three continuing Red-necked Grebes and a locally rare juvenile Short-billed Gull. After checking out the south end of the Afterbay we decided to trek northward and found a roadside Burrowing Owl and Ferruginous Hawk on the way. We eventually made it to the north side where we noted some more Greater White-fronted Geese and a Merlin. After enjoying some of California's winter birds we headed to the Feather River Parkway where we got a flyover Cackling Goose in a flock of Canada Geese, as well as Tundra Swans and many Common Goldeneye floating down the river. Additionally, three Red-breasted Sapsuckers greeted us from the trail. Next, we chased a Northern Shrike on Cottonwood Road and despite exhaustive efforts we were unable to locate him. That being said, we still enjoyed point blank views of singing Western Meadowlark, and a winter trifecta raptor specialty—Rough-legged Hawk, Ferruginous Hawk, and Prairie Falcon. Leaving the road, we noted small numbers of White-faced Ibis as well as a mind boggling 11 Bald Eagles. Our next stop brought us to the Harter Road Fields where we picked through hundreds of Tundra Swan for the few Trumpeter Swans mixed in. Trumpeter Swans are rare in California and very difficult to distinguish from Tundra Swan. They are marginally larger and lack yellow on the bill. Additionally, we got nice views of Sandhill Crane and Lark Sparrow flocks along the road. As the sun turned orange we headed to the Gray Lodge Wildlife Area where we got amazing duck and goose flocks along with a surprise Phainopepla in the marsh. Finally, as the sun set, we ended at Sankey Road with hundreds Snow and Ross's Geese flying overhead and five Short-eared Owls prowling the grasslands around us.

October 2021

Point Reyes Trip - 10/23-24/21
Attending members: Rajan, Eddie, and Sava

Truly bizarre trip. We started off by heading to Sausalito to see the long continuing adult Yellow-crowned Night-Heron. Afterwards we went to Point Reyes when the largest storm of the season hit. Initially it started as a drizzle. During that period our group stubbled upon a Spotted Owl high up the trees. Eventually it started to pour. Over 7 inches of rain fell down in just a day and winds were sustained at 40mph and gusting up to 80mph. Naturally we headed to the beach to see if there was any fallout. At the beach sand was blowing in from the south so hard that it was impossible to look in that direction without getting sand in your eyes. We were soaked to our socks as well. After hours of wandering the dunes in insane conditions we faintly made out a weird gull but the sand and our morale make us leave before we got a good look. At the end of the walk we still managed to total a whopping 41 species. On the drive back to the city flooded High School football fields produced Cackling and Greater White-fronted Geese as well as numerous Greater Yellowlegs and Snowy and Great Egrets. Our final bird was a windswept Peregrine Falcon that poked its way out of the dense flog before quickly falling back into the oblivion. 

September 2021

Santa Cruz Trip - 9/19/21
Attending members: 

TBA

July 2021

Northbay Shorebirding - 7/31/21
Attending members: 

TBA

June 2021

Modoc Club Trip - 6/24-6/29 2021
Attending members: Joachim, Brian, Cedrik, Domo, and Max

Another overnight trip! We met up at Burney Falls to enjoy the Black Swifts before heading to Klamath Falls in Oregon to stay the night. Early the next morning we headed to Klamath NWR and found a Northern Waterthrush, the second county record for Siskiyou! After Klamath we headed to Tule Lake NWR where we enjoyed Black Terns and Franklins gulls. Cave Lake campground in the Warners was our next destination so we zoomed up around noon where a couple of us ventured out on a walk and found Williamson's Sapsuckers. The next morning we plunged down into the valley where we had fantastic views of Prairie Falcon and Common Nighthawk. That night we were able to get some owling and and hear Flammulated Owl! Surprise Valley awaited us so we jumped out of bed and raced up over the summit, we met in Fort Bidwell just in time for dinner. Our final day in Modoc was spent searching for grassland birds. Although we missed Bobolink, we were able to obtain Sagebrush Sparrow, Black-throated Sparrow, Ferruginous Hawk and more. After wrapping up, we headed to Lassen National Forest to stay the night at Aaron Maizlish's Property. The final day of the trip commenced with Common Nighthawks waking us up and we closed up camp before heading to witness some bird banding! A huge thanks to Ryan Burnett for letting us watch, it was super fun! 





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May 2021

Bodega Pelagic - 5/23/21
Attending members: 

TBA

April 2021

Contra Costa Trip - 4/18/21
Attending members: 

TBA

February 2021

Santa Cruz Trip - 2/21/21
Attending members: Rajan, Adi, Eddie, Ethan, Lucas C., Lucas S., Mark, Max, and Nico

Initially met up at the San Lorenzo Creek mouth to eye the continuing White Wagtail. At the spot we also noted some flyover Cackling Geese as well as Common Mergansers and Red-throated Loons in the creek itself. Next we ventured to Neary Lagoon in pursuit of anything rare but that turned up nothing unexpected, still a solid 48 species to keep our hopes up. Next we explored the dried up riparian at the Santa Cruz Memorial Park. This had a few Golden-crowned Kinglets and a White-throated Sparrow, both solid finds. From there we drove to the Laguna Creek Bluffs where we found the continuing Green-tailed Towhee sulking deep in the Coyote Brush. Next we quickly went to the Swanton Pond and found some surprise Blue-winged Teal. We continuing our way up the coast checking beaches for gull flocks. One turned up a Nice Glaucous-winged x Glaucous Gull hybrid. With that we concluded our day. One continental vagrant, and one over-seas.

January 2021

Point Reyes Trip - 1/23/21
Attending members: 

TBA

November 2020

Merced Trip - 11/22/20
Attending members: 

TBA
















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September 2020

Monterey - 9/26/20
Attending members:



TBA
















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July 2020

East Bay Shorebirding - 7/25/20
Attending members: 

TBA

February 2020

Yolo Trip - 2/16/20
Attending members: 

TBA
January 2020
Humboldt Chillsquad (feat. Del Norte) - 1/02-05/20
Attending members: Jonah Benningfield, Oscar Moss, Nico Schnack, Max Benningfield, Dessi Sieburth, Joachim Gonzales

Boom! Another overnight trip in the bag! This month, our group headed up to the majestic forests of Northwestern California, basing ourselves out of Arcata. On our first day, we found the wintering Blue Jay that's been hanging out in Fortuna, and also explored the Arcata Marsh and Bottoms. Day two was an epic charge through Del Norte with local legend Lucas Brug, and we were able to find over 100 species as we visited almost every major spot in the county. The day culminated with a sunset Northern Shrike at Lake Talawa—a spiritual experience. The next morning we met up with Rob Fowler, another local celebrity, and had an awesome time watching Ruffed Grouse​ ambling through dappled sunlight. Gray Jays hopping at our feet were also emotive. If you're ever in the area, you can get a great tour from Rob at Fowlerope Birding Tours! We spent our final morning birding the Samoa Dunes Recreation Area and, after watching White-winged Scoters and Rock Sandpipers to our hearts' content, pulled a Snow Bunting from the nearby dunes! This trip added 3 new counties to the club total, and was a great introduction to the north coast for those who hadn't visited before.

​Photo credits: Jonah Benningfield

December 2019

Glenn/Colusa Trip - 12/22/19
Attending members: 

TBA

November 2019

Contra Costa Trip - 11/30/19
Attending members: 

TBA

October 2019

Point Reyes Trip - 10/20/19
Attending members: 

TBA

September 2019

Monterey Trip - 9/22/19
Attending members: 

TBA

August 2019

Yolo Trip - 8/25/19
Attending members: 

TBA

July 2019

SoCal Trip - 7/24-28/19
Attending members: 

TBA

May 2019

Sonoma Trip - 5/5/19
Attending members: 

TBA

March 2019

Modesto WTP and Koster - 3/09/19
Attending members:

TBA








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February 2019

Monterey and San Mateo Coasts - 2/18/19
Attending members:

​TBA

January 2019

Panoche and South Central Valleys - 1/20-21/19
Attending members:

TBA

December 2018

Stockton to Holland Tract - 12/08/18
Attending members: Jonah, Oscar, Max B., LC, Ethan Monk, Lucas S.

On this trip, our group started at Woodbridge Ecological Reserve, where Geese, Swans, and Cranes flew overhead in the morning light. Horned Larks and American Pipits called from the fields across the road, and the continuing Brown Thrasher gave nice views in between bouts of skulking through some underbrush - a lifer for some and a state bird for most. The well-known Eight Mile Road produced shorebirds and Ibis, and the continuing Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was in its usual Pepper Tree at Stockton Rural Cemetery -- along with a couple of Red-breasted Sapsuckers. At Clifton Court Forebay, highlights included a flyover Golden Eagle, a flock of White-faced Ibis (uncommon in Contra Costa), a Barrow’s Goldeneye, and of course, the huge flocks of Gulls and Ducks that roost out in the reservoir. Noah Arthur was there as well, and it was nice to pick through some of the gulls with him. We ended our day at Holland Tract, a great spot in the Delta for watching dusk flight. Along with the awesome numbers of waterfowl that were flying overhead, a number of Yellow-headed Blackbirds were nice. The unequivocal highlight, however, was a White-winged Dove that Max B. spotted roosting with the Collared Doves. All in all, a great trip -- from the valley floor to the canals of the delta.

November 2018

Contra Costa Crusin' - 11/25/18
Attending members: Jonah, Cedrik, Dominik, Oscar, Ethan, Brian, Mark S., Joachim, Joseph, Lucas C., Max L., Lucas S., Nicolas

On this trip, our group birded primarily throughout Contra Costa county, driven by the desire to get Contra Costa to be the top county in the club's eBird account (San Diego held the lead at the time). We started our day at the famous Piper Slough of Bethel Island, where a Purple Finch was an unusual bird this far into the Central Valley, and Geese, Swans, Ducks, and Cranes called in the morning sky. A couple of Barrow's Goldeneye were also interesting. Afterwards, we covered other parts of Bethel Island, where we saw a couple of Lesser Yellowlegs, and we then headed down to the glorious Byron Airport Preserve, after being thwarted by Ethan Monk (local county lister) in our attempt to reach downtown Brentwood. Even so, we were still able to see the known Burrowing Owl, a Ferruginous Hawk, a couple Horned Larks, and, for some, a Golden Eagle. After a quick check of Clifton Court Forebay, the group headed to Flannery and Robinson Roads, where a Ferruginous Hawk, a really close Burrowing Owls, and a couple of Rough-legged Hawks were highlights. After some of our group headed off to Napa to chase a couple of rarities there, we ended our day at the Waterfront Road Wetlands, where a Short-eared Owl at sunset was a super cool ending to our day. With our Contra Costa club list at one bird ahead of San Diego's, this trip went down in the books as a thunderous success. 

Photo credits: Jonah Benningfield, Oscar Moss

October 2018

The Monterey Sweep - 10/28/18
Attending members: Jonah, Oscar, Max L., Lucas C., Nicolas, Eddie, Joseph, Brian, Ethan, Joachim, JP, John, Lucas S., Max B.

This was an incredibly fun trip, in which we worked hard to cover as much of Monterey County as possible. We started our day along the gorgeous coast of Point Piños, where we did a short seawatch that pulled up a number of Black-vented Shearwaters, along with a locally rare Black Scoter for some. We got to see the continuing Blackpoll Warbler in the trees next to Crespi Pond, and Snow, Cackling, and Greater White-fronted Geese were surprising this close to the coast. Next, we donned rain boots, and walked a large portion of the Carmel River, where a super cooperative Swamp Sparrow was undoubtedly the highlight. Birding Carmel River State Beach produced the continuing male Harlequin Duck, a number of confiding Snowy Plovers, and Brian even spotted a third-cycle Lesser Black-backed Gull, only a 5th* or so record for Monterey County!!! The bird gave some nice views, and we were able to show some of the other birders in the area the Gull before we left. Once on our way back north, a quick check of Laguna Grande Park gave us a pretty expected selection of late-season passerine migrants, and we were also able to stop along Lapis Road, where we quickly found the continuing Harlan's(ish) Red-tailed Hawk. This bird was originally thought to be a pure Harlan's but we now know that it's likely a hybrid between a Harlan's Hawk and one of our more regular subspecies of Red-tail. All in all, a really fun time exploring Monterey, with a number of rarities spicing up our time around this awesome place.

*Fun fact: California's first Lesser Black-backed Gull was also found in Monterey

Photo credits: Jonah Benningfield, Oscar Moss, Joseph Zeno, Mark Stephenson

September 2018

Migrant-hunting around Point Reyes and Inverness - 9/23/18
Attending members: Brian, Jonah, Ethan, Oscar, Nicolas, Eddie, Joachim, John, Lucas C., Mark, Max B., Max L.

On this trip, we set out to Marin county's famous Point Reyes, in search of eastern vagrants and other passerine migrants that move through the area around this time of year. Unfortunately, the day turned out to be very windy, and we didn't have a whole ton of luck finding rarities, but a Northern Waterthrush at the Fish Docks was a nice catch early on, and the unequivocal highlight of our day. In the way of western birds, we were treated to nice views of Ferruginous Hawk, along with a dark morph Red-tailed Hawk, as well as roosting Barn and Great-horned Owls in the trees around the Point. Large flock of Tricolored Blackbirds were always nice to see, and a handful of Black-throated Gray Warblers and a Nashville Warbler were probably our best western warblers of the day.

​Photo credits: Jonah Benningfield, Mark Schulist, 
August 2018
Picture
Black Rail
Shorebirding Etc. - Santa Clara, Alameda, and Contra Costa - 8/26/18
Attending members: Ethan, Max B., Lucas C., Lucas S., Mark, Joachim, Joseph, Nicolas, Sergey
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This month, the club began the day at Alviso Marina County Park, where we saw 3 of the Black Rails that are known to inhabit the marsh there, along with a calling Virginia Rail and a Sora. Afterwards, the group headed over to Don Edwards NWR, and then to Franks Dump of Hayward Regional Shoreline. There, we picked up on good numbers of shorebirds and ducks, many of which are just coming back into the area after spending the last few months further north. Hayward had a few species of particular interest, including a Ruddy Turnstone and a Baird's Sandpiper. Continuing north, Arrowhead Marsh produced Ridgway's Rails as always, and we were able to see the continuing American Redstart found by Adrian Hinkle at Creekside Park. Finally, we ended our day at the Swage Ponds of West County Wastewater District, in Contra Costa. There, the continuing first county record Buff-breasted Sandpiper found by Aaron Maizlish gave nice looks, as well as 4 Baird's Sandpipers and a Red-tailed Hawk with prey.

​Photo Credits: Mark Schulist, Max Benningfield, Lucas Corneliussen
Picture
Buff-breasted Sandpiper

July 2018

The Sierras and the Mono Basin - Tuolumne and Mono Counties Among Others - 7/22-25/18
Attending members: Jonah, Max, Oscar, Joachim, Nicolas, Eddie, Lucas C., Brian, Mark, JP, Joseph, Sergey, Ethan, Canyon

This trip marked the first time the Bay Area Chapter of the CAYBC had ever done an overnight trip. A 4 day, 3 night long trip through the Sierras and the Mono Basin produced dozens of awesome species for those who came, including White-headed Woodpecker, Greater Sage-Grouse, Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch, Black-backed Woodpecker, Pinyon Jay, Juniper Titmouse, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay, Williamson's Sapsucker, Lawrence's Goldfinch, Cassin's Finch, Gray Flycatcher, Sagebrush Sparrow, and even a county rarity Summer Tanager that we found in southern Mono County. We also birded in 6 new counties for the club, and totaled around 150 species for the whole trip. All in all, a really fun way for us by the coast to explore the different habitats around eastern California that we can't get to all that often.

Photo Credits: Jonah Benningfield, Max Benningfield, Mark Schulist, Lucas Corneliussen, Oscar Moss, JP King, Mike Schulist

Drivers: Mike Schulist, Jason Hassrick, Hector Gonzalez, John Monson, Patrick Browne, Geoff Monk

June 2018

Picture
Glossy Ibis

​Photo Credits: Jonah Benningfield, Max Benningfield, Mark Schulist
East Contra Costa and Yolo County - 6/02/18
Attending members: Jonah, Oscar, Max, Mark, Lucas C., Lucas S., Sergey, and Nicolas
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This month, the club had a great time birding around the delta and western Central Valley, a mere week after our last trip! Starting at Piper Slough, on Bethel Island in Contra Costa County, we got target species such as Black-chinned Hummingbird, Yellow-breasted Chat, and Blue Grosbeak a Say's Phoebe - very rare in the delta in summer. After birding Piper, we took the ferry over to Bradford Island, an extremely underbirded spot where we finally got some views of Yellow-breasted Chat, and picked up on migrants such as White-throated Swift and Ash-throated Flycatcher.
For the second half of our day, we went up to Yolo County, where we saw the continuing two Glossy Ibis along with over one thousand White-faced Ibis at Woodland WTP - a very rare species for CA and especially notable in NorCal. Also at Woodland were good numbers of Redhead and Yellow-headed Blackbirds. To finish up our day, we visited Cache Creek, where we saw the Bank Swallow colony as well as the Lesser Nighthawks that breed there and are active throughout the day! All in all, a really great trip.

May 2018

Pine Flat Road and More - Sonoma County - 5/26/18
Attending members: Jonah, Max, Oscar, Lucas S., Eddie, Nicolas, Joachim, Mark, Ethan, Brian

On this trip, the club embarked on a journey up to Pine Flat Road, in Sonoma County, to look for inland chaparral species as well as grassland species and spring migrants. We started the morning with Pacific-slope Flycatchers, Black-headed Grosbeaks, Lazuli Buntings, and a Cassin's Vireo singing around us, and found both Rufous-crowned and Grasshopper Sparrows in the grassier section. Further up the road, we were treated to Bell's Sparrows, nesting Purple Martins, Pileated Woodpeckers, and a cooperative Northern Pygmy-Owl. 

In the afternoon, we birded some of the lower, more riparian habitat in Sonoma County. Abundant species included Yellow Warblers, Swainson's Thrushes, Western Wood-Pewees, Wilson's Warblers, and Common Yellowthroats. A few Common Mergansers were our only of the day, and although we missed the Common Black Hawk that has been in the general area for 15 years, we ended this day with almost all of our target species, and lifers for many.

Photo Credits: Jonah Benningfield, Max Benningfield, Oscar Moss


April 2018
Mt. Diablo and Hayward Regional Shoreline - 4/22/18
Attending members: Jonah, Oscar, Brian, Ethan, Joachim, Lucas S., Nicolas

Our April trip this year marked the exact 1 year anniversary of this chapter's founding! We started off at the crack of 4:15 with our cars pulling into the parking lot at Mitchell Canyon, which Tracy Farrington had gotten us early access to. With Western Screech-Owls calling around us, we hiked a mile in to where we were able to spend about an hour listening to and seeing Common Poorwills as the sang and flew over our heads, even landing on the trail close to our feet at times! After the sun rose, we walked throughout Mitchell Canyon, finding Townsend's, Hermit, Black-throated Gray, Yellow, and Nashville Warblers, Ash-throated Flycatchers, Lazuli Buntings, Black-headed Grosbeaks, Hammond's Flycatchers, and more. At one point, we even had a Prairie Falcon fly over the group.

After birding Mitchell Canyon for most of the morning, we headed over to Hayward Regional Shoreline, where we saw thousands of shorebirds feeding out on the mudflats, as well as dozens of nesting swallows. Along with being our 1 year anniversary, this trip was also special, as it marked the second ever time we have gotten 100 or more species in our day of birding!

Photo Credits: Jonah Benningfield, Nicolas Forestell

March 2018

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The San Mateo Coastline - Gulls etc. - 3/18/18
Attending members: Jonah, Oscar, Max, Mark, Brian, Lucas C., Lucas S., Joachim, John, Eddie, Nicolas, Joseph
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This trip, along the San Mateo coastline, was organized with the focus of learning Gull identification, although we did take some time to look for a few rarities along the way. We were joined on this trip by Rudy Wallen, who knows a lot more about gulls than myself or anyone else on this trip, and he was great at teaching people about the molt cycles of various species, as well as identification tactics when in the field. We started the day birding a few spots along the coast itself, where we were able to study the different molt cycles on some of the nearby gulls - a good introduction to this somewhat tricky subject. Next, we went and found a continuing Loggerhead Shrike, a county-level rarity we saw chillin' out in a field along Water Lane. Gulls still seemed few in numbers throughout the morning at the spots we were checking, so we decided to chase another one of the continuing rarities in our bag: the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker on Stage Road. Despite my dipping on this bird on the three previous visits I'd made here throughout the year, we were able to find the bird within 20 minutes, thanks to a sharp spot on Rudy's part. The Sapsucker was very active in the Eucalyptus trees where it's been known to hang out, even flying over our group once, and subsequently pooping on Joseph (an honor). After watching the Sapsucker for awhile, we moved onwards to Cowell Ranch Beach, where we nabbed the continuing Harris's Sparrow. At this point, gulls had begun to roost along some of the beaches, so we staked ourselves out at the Pilarcitos Creek Mouth, and had good studies of Western, Glaucous-winged, and California Gulls, along with a few Herring Gulls, a late Thayer's Gull, and even a Glaucous-winged x Glaucous Gull hybrid! All in all, a rather casual trip, but fun nonetheless.

Photo credits: Jonah Benningfield, Max Benningfield, Mark Schulist, Oscar Moss

February 2018

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Red-naped Sapsucker!

​Photo credits: Jonah Benningfield, Oscar Moss, Mark Stephenson
Rarity Chasing in San Mateo and Santa Clara - 2/11/18
Attending members: Jonah, Max, Oscar, Lucas C., Lucas S., Eddie, Mark, Nicolas, J.P., Brian, Sergey

This month's trip was the club's first trip in which our primary goal was to find rarities, which is a risky venture of course, but our rarity chasing trip was actually very successful, and we only missed 2 of our targets out of 9 that we chased.

Our first stop of the day was Almaden Lake Park, in San Jose, where we were able to find the continuing Red-naped Sapsucker without too much trouble, thanks to Sergey who got there before us to stake it out for us. After photographing the Sapsucker extensively, we drove over to Guadalupe Oak Grove Park, where we failed to find a Phainopepla, but all was well as soon as we pulled up to the intersection on Palm Avenue where a male Vermillion Flycatcher has been overwintering. We found the bird almost immediately, and we all enjoyed great scope views. After a quick stop down the road for Yellow-billed Magpie, we drove over to Chesbro Reservoir park, where we saw at least two of the small group of Lewis's Woodpeckers that had been seen there recently.

Leaving Santa Clara county for San Mateo, we travelled to La Honda Creek Open Space, where we were able to find the continuing Vesper Sparrow. The bird was extremely cooperative for a Vesper Sparrow, and we all enjoyed great looks and photo ops. Afterwards, we enjoyed a nice lunch in iconic rolling hills so characteristic of California, before driving further north, where we were able to find the continuing Burrowing Owl at Pigeon Point, a San Mateo county rarity. To end the day, we successfully chased a Laughing Gull at Cypress Lawn Cemetery before heading home. 

January 2018

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A flock of 66 Mountain Plovers!


​Photo Credits: Jonah Benningfield, Oscar Moss
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Flannery and Robinson Roads; East Contra Costa - 1/14/18
Attending members: Jonah, Oscar, Brian, Mark, Logan, Eddie, Lucas C., Sergey, Nicolas, John

On our first trip of 2018, our group went up to the renowned Flannery and Robinson Roads in Solano County, as well as into East Contra Costa County for wintering waterfowl.We were joined on this trip by Logan Kahle, who proved very useful in the finding of the wintering flock of Mountain Plovers that resides along Flannery and Robinson every winter.

Along with Mountain Plovers, we were treated at Flannery and Robinson to excellent views of four Burrowing Owls, which flew incredibly close to the group, and allowed for great photo ops. We also had a flock of flyover Tundra Swans, occasional flyover Cackling Geese, and even a flyover flock of Lawrence's Goldfinches that Logan also picked out for us. A Prairie Falcon perched on a telephone pole out in the fields, and Ferruginous Hawks hunted all around us.

Most surprising of all was definitely the Loggerhead Shrike that we found impaled on a thorn, presumably by another Shrike. Ultimate Karma!

Around Contra Costa County, we were able to find tons more Tundra Swans, Greater White-fronted Geese, a Sora that we glimpsed only briefly, and a flyover Peregrine Falcon and a Merlin too. Bonaparte's Gulls collected around the reservoirs, as did Common and Hooded Mergansers. 
December 2017
Colusa National Wildlife Refuge and Maxwell Cemetery - 12/02/17
Attending members: Oscar, Eddie, Brian, and John
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On this trip, the club traveled out of the Bay Area, to Colusa National Wildlife Refuge. This pristine area in the Central Valley hosts tens of thousands of wintering Ducks, Geese, and Swans every winter, and it's an amazing experience to watch them all take flight together. Snow and Ross's Geese - sometimes hard to identify - provided excellent looks, and the blue morphs of both Snow and Ross's Geese were also present. Greater White-fronted Geese were also close, along with a couple of Eurasian Wigeon mixed in with the usual assortment of wintering ducks.

Additionally, the club visited Maxwell Cemetery, to see the gorgeous male Vermillion Flycatcher, a rarity this far north, that has been wintering in the area for the past few years.

Photo creds: Oscar Moss and John Myles (hover on photos to read captions and photo credits).
November 2017 
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American Dipper!
Hover or click on photos to see captions.
South Bay and San Mateo Coast - 11/19/17
Attending members: Jonah, Oscar, Eddie, Lucas, Brian, Max, Sergey 

This trip took the Bay Area Chapter of CAYBC to the South Bay salt ponds around Alviso, as well as other places in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.
Our first stop, Don Edwards, yielded thousands of Least and Western Sandpipers, all three Teal, and more. Both Prairie and Peregrine Falcons made a few passes by our group, and we were also rewarded with views of a continuing Ruff that had been hanging around the train tracks, a lifer for many. A Loggerhead Shrike was also chillin' in the bushes.
Our second stop: a small creek south of San Jose, brought us great views of the only breeding American Dippers in the Bay Area - a really scarce and local bird around here.
Our final stop, on our way back up to San Francisco, was, naturally, to the continuing Red-footed Booby resting at Pillar Point Harbor, an awesome rarity to see.

Photo credits: Jonah Benningfield and Oscar Moss
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Red-footed Booby!
October 2017
Abbott's Lagoon and Outer Point Reyes - 10/29/17
Attending members: Jonah, Oscar, John, Brian, Lucas

We ran a second trip last October, if only to make up for zero trips between May and October. 
The main spot we birded was Abbott's Lagoon, in northern Marin county, where we saw a male Eurasian Wigeon, a Ferruginous Hawk, and a few Lapland Longspurs mixed in with the American Pipts, a lifer for many. Additionally, our group found a "Large-billed" Savannah Sparrow, a rare vagrant to the area.

We also made some stops around outer Point Reyes, which included: Drakes Bay Oyster Farm for the continuing group of Pacific Golden-Plovers, and Drakes Beach, for roosting Barn Owls, Virginia Rails, and small flocks of songbirds in the surrounding willows.

Photo credits: Jonah Benningfield and Oscar Moss
Hover or click on photos to read captions.
October 2017
Photo credits: Oscar Moss and Jonah Benningfield
Moonglow Dairy and Moss State Beach - 10/14/17
Attending members: Jonah, Oscar, Lucas, Brian, Sergey
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At the time, this was our first trip in months, and it was incredibly successful. We ended our day with EXACTLY 100 species, an astounding - and slightly suspicious - feat. 

We started our day at Moonglow Dairy, where we tallied most of our species, and saw a number of rarities, including: Chestnut-sided Warbler, two Cattle Egrets, and a Palm Warbler. There, we also saw a total of four Pectoral Sandpipers, as well as a number of huge flocks of Tricolored Blackbirds.

Our second stop of the day was Moss Beach State Park, where we witnessed hundreds of Elegant Terns hunting and roosting on and around the jetties. Heermann's Gulls and Black Turnstones were also present.

Photo credits: Jonah Benningfield and Oscar Moss
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An Elegant Tern banks, elegantly
April and May 2017
Palo Alto Baylands - 5/20/17
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This trip acted as a meet-and-greet for the club, as more members were able to attend, and many had not met one another before. Highlights included: Brilliant views of hunting Forster's Terns, and nesting Barn and Cliff Swallows.

Photo credit: Jonah Benningfield
Big Rock, Marin County - 4/22/17
​Attending members: Jonah, Max, Lucas C., Brian, Eddie
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This was the very first trip of the Bay Area Chapter of CAYBC, and on it, we spent a morning traversing the beautiful hills of Big Rock Ridge. Highlights included excellent views of Lark Sparrow, along with singing male Lazuli Buntings, and decent views of singing Grasshopper Sparrows, an incredibly scarce breeder in the Bay Area.

Photo credit: Jonah Benningfield