2006 Tour Narrative
The April 2006 Southern and Central California in Spring tour recorded a record total of 279 species, including a surprising number of rarities and otherwise-unexpected species, as well as almost all the spring California “specialties.”
One of the great things about a birding trip across Southern and Central California in spring—in addition to the greenery and bird song—is the great diversity of habitats, and thus species, which can be seen in a relatively compact area. Our tour included visits to rich coastal marshes, rocky coasts, offshore waters and an island, barren saltbush and creosote desert, an inland smelly but bird-filled sea, gorgeous valleys and rolling hills of oak savanna, isolated desert oases, and pine-clad mountains.
The long list of unexpected finds was capped by the immature Short-tailed Albatross seen during our Morro Bay pelagic trip (as well as three Ancient Murrelets). Other out-of-range goodies included a Painted Redstart in the Mojave Desert; Little Gull and two Ruddy Ground-Doves at the Salton Sea; nesting Yellow-crowned Night-Herons, a Pacific Golden-Plover, Thick-billed Kingbird, and Palm Warbler in San Diego; and Reddish Egret and Chestnut-sided Warbler in coastal Orange County.
Picking some of the other avian highlights from the long list of species seen is not easy. But some of the group’s favorites included the great looks at Mountain Quail, Le Conte’s Thrashers, and many Lawrence’s Goldfinches, Xantus’s Murrelets and Island Scrub-Jays on the trip to Santa Cruz Island, a surprise Red-breasted Sapsucker, a fly-by Yellow-footed Gull, California Gnatcatchers, several thousand Tricolored Blackbirds at a single feedlot, great views of a Northern Pygmy-Owl behind Santa Barbara, multiple Chukars, lingering Ross’s and Cackling Geese, fine views of Western Screech-Owl in record-setting time, Yellow-billed Magpies, White-headed Woodpeckers, all the usual rocky shorebirds, many Elegant Terns, several Gray Flycatchers, Cassin’s Vireos, Vaux’s Swifts, and Hermit Warblers.
Honorable mention also goes to the Humpback Whale, good seafood and Mexican and Italian fare, “Neverland Ranch,” and the fresh avocados.
Paul Lehman
Updated: May 2006