Today, Monday, I photographed a brown scoter with an all dark bill, two pale marks on the head and white wing feathers. Of course I was delighted to have found "the" white-winged scoter at Cesar Chavez Park (NW corner on shoreline) but later review of my photos dissuaded me from the ID. Because it is about 20% smaller than the adjacent lesser scaup, I must conclude that it was a surf scoter with aberrant, perhaps leucistic feathers, or rump feathers ruffled to expose paleness contrasting with the otherwise brown bird.
I apologize for misleading any other wishful birders who might have seen this rare bird sighting from me. I have corrected my ebird checklist and included a photo here
https://ebird.org/checklist/S299186036*************************
Dave Yeamans
Livermore
Hi everyone, please see below email from the California Bird Atlas. While we've had some confirmed breeding activity in the Bay Area already, we obviously aren't at peak breeding activity yet. However, I've noticed quite an increase in bird song over the past week or so and this morning I found a pair of Mourning Doves building a nest.
Lack of breeding evidence is also important data, as it sets a baseline for when birds start to breed, so if you've been putting off joining until you find a nest, please consider getting started now.
Thank you to everyone who has joined and contributed so far!
Megan Jankowski
Oakland
Birders,
We’ve been blown away by the early engagement in support of California’s first statewide Breeding Bird Atlas. As of this writing, 20,850 Atlas checklists have been submitted across 2,864 blocks in 57 counties by 1,491 contributors. In January alone, 59 species have already received Confirmed breeding codes.
For the full report through the end of January, see the latest edition of
Atlas Dispatch, which features Atlas firsts, reports from the field, common coding pitfalls, and photos.
We’ve also been building a statewide network of Regional Coordinators and data reviewers to help oversee the effort. If you’re interested in joining the team, reach out to me directly at
van@....
This first-ever statewide Atlas is being coordinated by
California Bird Atlas (CBA), an independent nonprofit.
If you’re able, please consider
making a donation. Your support directly funds the infrastructure and scientific coordination needed to sustain this statewide effort. Thank you for helping build it.
Happy Atlasing,
Van Pierszalowski
Executive Director, California Bird Atlas (CBA)
Los Angeles, CA
This is one major reason I'm such a big fan of Nikon and Vortex. They both repair or replace binoculars of any age, no matter the problem, usually for free. I once sent back a $250 pair of Nikon binoculars that I left on the roof of my car and they ended up falling off on Rt. 1 and got run over by a car. They were 20+ years old, I had no receipt, the model number was worn off, and I was totally honest with them about how it was my fault they got crushed. They still asked me to send them in, then sent me a brand new pair for free.
Swarowski and other companies also do repairs, for a modest fee.
- Fred
Moderator. Please delete if inappropriate
I recently tried to see if I could get an old monocular service because of the usual fungus that afflicted these models.
This was the response
Good morning Marcus, Thank you for reaching out to Bushnell. Unfortunately, we do not complete repairs or upkeep on optics at this time. We do not have a list of local optics repairman in the Oakland area although you are welcome to give that a try. I'm going to consult with a couple of friends to see what they know or if it is possible for me to do it myself.
Apparently the prism mechanics must not be tampered with unless you have the specialty tools.
Unfortunately, it is the prisms that need to be cleaned
Dang
Marcus Pun
Video Editor / Producer/Editor / Camera
| H: 510-530-2507
Oakland, CA
Excellent report and photos, ty.
Cheers,
Jennifer Fury
Saltwater is the cure for everything, sweat, tears, or the sea 🌊
Canada Geese - estimate of 200.
Cackling Geese - 17. Includes at least 2 Ridgways Cackling Geese and at lesst 3 Aleutian CacklingGeese.
Snow Geese - 5. Includes 1 imm. Blue morph Snow Goose.
Ross Goose - 8.
Greater White-fronted Geese - estmate of 150. Includes 1 Tule Greater White-fronted Goose.
Black Brant - 1.
Bob Richmond, Alameda
This afternoon, while biking back from chilly Holland Tract to the Antioch BART station, I fortunately took a small detour to Big Break Regional Shoreline as I lucked into a Ruff that flew in and joined a mixed flock of Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs foraging in a flooded field. My guess is that this Ruff is wintering in the area, and hopefully that will be confirmed in the coming days. Details, including GPS, are in the linked eBird checklist below.
https://ebird.org/checklist/S297347783
At Holland Tract, the handful of Tundra Swans I saw when the fog finally cleared represented the 295th species I've seen since starting a new eBird account, Green Wheeling Derek, last January. I only use this account when I use a combination of bike and public transportation to get around. Despite managing the Jan 3 Richmond CBC and rainy weather the first week of this year, today's cycling got me up to 500 miles for January. A big assist to BART for getting me to the outer reaches of Contra Costa and Alameda Counties and under the Bay to SF. I usually take advantage of great birds other people have found to chase, but today's exception was a nice way to end the month.
Derek Heins
I did an eBird walk at Berkeley Aquatic Park this morning. Found an incubating Anna's Hummer on her nest (nice as I was in Atlas mode). But frustrating was a series of loud 'chips' I heard at
37.850283, -122.296386
which sounded to me like a Waterthrush. Never saw it.
If anyone is going that way, do have a listen.
https://ebird.org/atlascalifornia/checklist/S297272010
This morning on my sky watch over my house in central Albany, there were nice movements of mostly smaller flocks of waterfowl, with around 15 different flocks ranging from 12-90 birds each. This was likely connected to the ENE winds, which were strongest around 7am this morning.
160 Greater White-fronted Geese (identified visually), 26 Cackling, 11 Snow Geese (with one smaller individual that might have been Ross’s), 40 goose sp, 2 duck sp, 2 American White Pelicans. This seems to have been a decent year in the east bay for Greater White-fronted Geese in particular. Also nice robin movements, plus waxwings and a good number (7) of American Goldfinches. The gulls were also soaring early with the breeze, with 2 Glaucous-wingeds breaking up the usual California Gull juggernaut over inland neighborhoods.
Zac Denning
Albany
This morning at about 8:45 AM I scoped Brooks Island and noticed what was evidently a herring spawn occurring in the eelgrass beds behind (on the south side of) the island . I estimated 3000 Double-crested Cormorants, 400 Brandt's Cormorants, lots of diving ducks and gulls, etc., many visibly pulling herring out of the water. Nothing unusual, but I only had about 35 minutes to spare. These numbers of Brandt's Cormorants are indicative of herring presence, and you only see large numbers in Contra Costa County, in my experience, at herring runs. Typically this species is scarce and vastly outnumbered by Double-c Cormorants e.g. on Jan. 8th of this year, I estimated 2800 Double-c to 20 Brandt's at this location. Herring runs are typically monitored pretty heavily by from-shore fishermen, but the location on Brooks Island is--obviously--not accessible to them. So no idea how long this spawn has been going on for. It's possible they were just starting, or possibly winding down... but I
felt like it was not winding down. Earlier this morning I was at Pt. Isabel, where a quick scan of the bay revealed significantly more Aech. grebes than I have been seeing recently here. An individual tally turned up 223 Western Grebes, 79 Clark's, and 390 "slash." My most recent careful count here was Dec. 31st, where I counted 9 Western, 23 Clark's, and 124 "slash." I am unsure whether these large numbers of grebes have anything to do with the herring close by.
While I am here, yesterday I spent the day putzing around the delta. The visibility was absolutely horrendous until about 12:30-1 o'clock. Despite this, I counted a fair number of Lesser Yellowlegs spread between locations: 2 on Jersey, 8 on Bethel, and 4 on Sandmound Rd. Visibility was so horrendous on Holland and Palm Tracts when I checked them I had no idea if there was even shorebird habitat... but there has been some recently. Elsewise... on Taylor Rd. I found a Phainopepla, only my second for Bethel Island, and one nice Slate-colored Fox Sparrow among the sooties. Allen's Hummingbirds seem to not be in yet, per a fruitless check of Bethel Harbor. And Mute Swan numbers seem lower this winter... I only noticed a handful on Bethel Island yesterday, but I talked with Roger Muskat a couple days ago who was telling me about a flock of 600 he just counted. Oh, well.
Ethan Monk
That girl had a big meal!!
Cheers,
Jennifer Fury
Saltwater is the cure for everything, sweat, tears, or the sea 🌊
hi Claude,
Nice photos! With the streaked breast and brown backsides, that should be a juvenile (1st year). I think that I saw the same bird a couple of times over the last two weeks at the same location.
Nat
I was out testing a new telephoto lens north of Point Isabel Wednesday and saw a Peregrine Falcon at least 200 feet away on a power line. I saw it several times between 12 and 1:30. I am wondering about its age, since it doesn’t match the photos of mature Peregrine Falcons. There were also about 25 Black Skimmers on the mudflats as has been reported recently.
Two photos of the Falcon and one of the Black Skimmers on Flickr.
Claude Lyneis
cmlyneis@...
Hi, Bruce,
Marjorie Powell, Lyla Arum, Cindy Pfost and I had a Loggerhead Shrike at Alameda Creek, Stables Staging Area on Saturday. I wish we had it for the CBC but I hope knowing they are still here helps.
Congrats, Dawn and Viviana, on another successful CBC!
Cheryl
Thank you Dawn and Viviana for a wonderful write-up and yet another excellently coordinated count!
At the risk of being a downer, I'll just note that the missing bird that personally makes me sad is Loggerhead Shrike. If my memory serves, they used to be regular at the Oakland Airport and would show up occasionally at Arrowhead Marsh. We've missed them so many times in recent years that their absence is no longer remarkable. Probably also other sad stories like that in the data but that's the one that sticks with me.
Bruce
The Oakland CBC compilers are pleased to present the final report of our 2025 count. We hope you enjoy the narrative, the map and the many pictures taken by our participants.
Please disseminate this widely, especially to those who allowed us to access areas generally not open to the public.
We look forward to seeing you at next year's count on Sunday 20-December-2026. Please mark your calendars now.
Good birding.
Viviana & Dawn
--
Oakland CBC Compilers,
Viviana Wolinsky
Dawn Lemoine
Hello fellow birders,
I went out and compiled my inaugural
California Bird Atlas survey checklists today, focusing on my home block of Oakland East CW. I covered the Morcom Rose Garden fairly thoroughly and then took a quicker swing through Piedmont Park. Of possible broader interest, I encountered a White-throated Sparrow near the Wildwood Avenue entrance to Piedmont Park. It was foraging mid-story in a Live Oak tree with one or more White-crowned Sparrows. I was at the stairs that descend straight downhill towards the playing fields. The sparrows moved off to my left, towards the elementary school. I'm guessing the sparrows move around a fairly large patch so no guarantees where they will be located next.
In breeding bird news, male Anna's Hummingbirds are displaying and there are probably nesting females around, though I didn't succeed in locating any nests today. Oak Titmice seem to be refreshing their territorial boundaries--interesting to hear the counter-singing males match each others' songs for what seems like forever and then, on some secret cue, they both switch to a different song they both know. I also heard singing Song Sparrows, Bewick's Wrens (no surprise), Lesser Goldfinches, and a Hutton's Vireo.
The most confusing behavior I encountered was a female Nuttall's Woodpecker who continually harassed a male for almost half an hour and eventually chased him away. She kept up a quick succession of loud rattle calls, to which the male responded each time with
clucks. The female came closer and closer to the male and then started hopping around him, rattling and giving quick side to side bows.According to Birds of the World, this is agonistic behavior, not courting. I have no idea what the dispute was about.
Bird on,
Bruce Mast
Oakland
Hi all,
I’m pretty new to birding and newer to this list, but had the very exciting experience today of watching a red-tailed hawk with some binocs and seeing it land and then… start fussing with some twigs! Per group rules I won’t say the exact nest location but it’s close to my home and I’m excited to (quietly and unobtrusively) observe them daily, hopefully spot some juveniles in a few months. Feel very fortunate to live in Berkeley and see raptors almost every day.
Hope
Hi everyone, please see below and join the effort to document California's breeding birds! You simply join and contribute using eBird. See below for the link to more info and the quick start guide. Locally Anna's hummingbirds are nesting, and I saw a Red-tailed hawk carrying nesting material lately.
This is a 5 year effort, so much more to come, but it's easy to join and get started!
Megan Jankowski
Oakland
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