Thanks to all you helpful responders! Your ideas included: the book "Peterson Guide to Bird Identification -- in 12 Steps" by Howells and Sullivan; the Merlin app; writing down notes and later hitting

A bright individual in my yard today. I'm sure to be joined by many for weeks to come until they finish off what the squirrels left of the wax myrtle berries. Judi Sierra - Oakland

Welcome back migrating sparrows! What a treat to see these sparrows return to my East Oakland yard after disappearing in April! 3 males and a female flew in and pecked around the ground under the feed

Five Western Bluebirds (#42), (2 adults and three juveniles ) were a joyful addition to our year-old yard list in downtown Berkeley this morning , delighting my 1 year old granddaughter who called the

This morning there was a Palm Warbler and a Grasshopper Sparrow (surprisingly very rare as fall migrant along East Bay shore north of Bay Bridge) in fennel patches around the Burrowing Owl habitat pla

We've been sort of getting together at reported rare bird locales, but it's been a long time since I could raise questions with a knowledgeable leader or gang of birders. What do you do if you've got

Three of us, and later a fourth, saw the Northern Waterthrush just downstream from the tennis courts on the south side of Albany Creek later this morning. Don Lewis and Judith Denham were upstream whe

Last time I was at Point Isabel I misidentified a Whimbrel as a Long-billed Curlew. Today around noon both of them showed up along with some Killdeer, Western Sandpipers and a Marbled Godwit. The Long

This morning at around 8:30 Susan Greef and I found the continuing Northern Waterthrush at Creekside Park in Albany. It was foraging at the creek edge just west of the basketball court. Chris Carmicha

The Chestnut-sided Warbler continued between noon and 12:30 at Booker T. Anderson Park in Richmond. The bird was along the south side of the creek west of the footbridge, associating with a couple of

This morning we had two FOS Fall Migrants in the yard - a “Sooty” Fox Sparrow and a Lincoln’s Sparrow. In addition, an Orange-crowned Warbler continues in the yard. Happy birding, stay well and be saf

This has been a very interesting fall birding the east hills at my home below Vollmer peal and at Vollmer peak, the two areas I bird most. It has been a very slow year for warblers in the hills. Aside

With slight E winds this morning headed to Richmond area, started at Pt. San Pablo to see what was moving. Highlights in terms of flying-over waterfowl were 184 White-fronts (5 flocks), 31 Cacking Gee

Saturday evening I observed a Virginia Rail foraging at the eastern edge of the remaining “puddle” of Jewel Lake. It was darting in and out of the reeds for cover. Also a Belted Kingfisher joined a Bl

Yesterday I went looking for the Green-tailed Towhee at Vollmer Peak and couldn't find it, but I did get a good look at a Hermit Thrush (my first for fall season). Yesterday in my yard near the Oaklan

Went to Valle Vista late morning, probably too warm for the sandpipers although another couple said they were there earlier. I did see 3 Belted Kingfishers scanning the water, along with a Wood Duck p

Thanks to the original finder and Michael Park, I just saw a basic plumage Red Phalarope at Ferry Point @ Miller Knox Regional Park in Point Richmond. The bird is still slowly feeding along the shorel

A black and white warbler was in my garden in El Sobrante when I was watering this morning. It landed on rock within 2 feet of me for about 20 second then flew into a nearby bush. Had stripe on head a

Lots of birds on move today. Two flocks of greater white fronted geese have flown over yard so far - a very rare event! Some raptors - good morning g to get out with winds. Yard birding today amazing.

FOS for me on our Walnut Creek fence just now. I heard the tic-tic and there it was!