Sun, 20 Feb 2011 -- A 1st cycle GLAUCOUS GULL flew above the
houses across the street as I watched from my living room window.
I could clearly see the bill was quite pink, but I couldn't quite see a
black tip.  This bird's plumage matched what Erica Fielder described to
me about the GLGU she found north of Pudding Creek on the 18th. 

(We decided that her bird was a classic, 1st year bird, as
is the one now resting with a large gull flock west of Ten Mile
River bridge).  I just arrived home from going to the bridge with
my scope to get a better look.  The plumage is all white with
just a very, light dusting of dark cream (or, very light brown).
The bill is a very clean pink and has a crisp, black tip.

Karen Havlena
Ocean Meadows / Ten Mile Area,
North of Fort Bragg, MEN, California




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Fellow birders,

I observed a lone adult Bald Eagle soaring over Highway 101 and Walker Road intersection this afternoon at about 2:15 PM. It was being harassed by a couple of Ravens that looked small compared to the eagle.

Best regards,
Mike Curry
Willits

I saw a glaucous gull, perhaps the same one Toby saw, that appears to be a second year gull, on the Haul Road along the MacKerricker State Park Headlands, in the shelter of the peachy-colored motel just north of Pudding Creek Parking Lot. It was with a small flock of mixed gulls.

Erica Fielder



************************************************
For more information on interpretive panels
created in Erica Fielder Studio, please visit:
http://www.ericafielderstudio.com

For information on the Bird Feeder Hat
Interpretive Project, and how to make your
own Bird Feeder Hat, go to:
http://www.birdfeederhat.org

Erica Fielder Studio
P.O. Box 1075,
Mendocino, CA 95460

707-964-1467

Was watching the resident western gull couple today at the Mendocino Headlands when a peregrine falcon war broke out. All the gulls dived for cover and became invisible. I then watched as two peregrines proceeded to go at each other right in front of me. Things happened fast and furious as they dived at each other stooping and dodging at incredible speeds. The one getting stooped on would invert at the last moment and try to grab the antagonist's talons. At one point they actually grappled for a second or two. Much vocalization which was quite loud and "harsh". Sibley's "rehk rehk rehk..." doesn't really do it justice.

One of the two was definitely the dark morph juvenile I've been watching for a couple of months. A.k.a "Gull Killer" who has claimed Bird Rock as home. I'm wondering though if this wasn't more than just a territorial thing but might have be the way peregrines flirt in the Spring. Wouldn't it be nice if it was a mating dance and there might be some nesting near Bird Rock? I don't know enough about peregrines to say, but if this is the way they court, I wouldn't want to go on that date.

Rick

Toby Tobkin reported a GLAUCOUS GULL in the gull flock near the parking area
for Laguna Point at MacKerricher State Park.

She noted that it is likely a second winter bird, but may be first winter.





Charlene McAllister

P.O. Box 332

Little River, CA 95456-0332

707-937-4463

charmac@...

cell: 707-832-2135

We seem to be having a lot of varied thrushes right now over here on the coast (irruption?). At least in my neck of the woods. Along with these varied thrushes is an increase in sharp-shinned hawks that seem to be preying on them heavily. Report from up the road reports the sharpies chase nothing else. Makes me think where were the sharpies when all the American robins were here? I think maybe the varied thrushes are easier to catch.

Rick Harris

Greetings Mendobirders- I was able to get out to the Ukiah Wastewater
Treatment Plant late this morning, after the rain, for some birding. Of
local interest were the continuing SWAMP SPARROW and a ROSS'S GOOSE. The
sparrow was on the north edge of the sludge pond in the area where the
sludge dredge, the SS Noyd, is usually moored between water ski runs. The
goose was with about 25 Canada Geese on the north pond. Later I watched
them all fly south along the river. Both Steve and Ken told me that they
had first seen the goose early this morning.

Chuck


--
Chuck and Barbara Vaughn
Ukiah, CA

Awesome Oaks, Habitat, Not Just Wood

Oaks are mighty and majestic, historic and memorable, but also overlooked
and ignored. Greg Giusti will tell us about these familiar trees at this
month’s Peregrine Audubon program on Thursday, February 17 at 7 p.m. in the
Ukiah Civic Center. Giusti says “its not about oak trees, its the oak
forest, its structure and composition, which provides for multiple animal
communities. It is about habitat, habitat, habitat”.

He points out that after 150 years growing hops, prunes, pears and, now,
excellent grapes we are left with only remnants of the previous almost
ubiquitous oak woodlands. Are these pieces still viable? What benefit are
they to us? What can we do as a community? Is there a role for the
individual?

Giusti believes that we all have a part to play and education is vital. The
more people who understand the importance of these forests and how they
contribute to our quality of life, the better chance we have to enjoy the
remaining oak woodlands for the next 150 years.

Currently, Greg Guisti is the Forest and Wildlands Ecology Advisor in
Mendocino and Lake Counties and the director of Lake County UC Cooperative
Extension. He was a guest lecturer at Stanford and worked as a biologist at
the Marine Ecological Institute. He has advised on many wildlife problems
from bears to squirrels.

This Peregrine Audubon sponsored presentation is free to the public, though
donations will be welcome. The Ukiah Civic Center is located at 300 Seminary
Avenue. To support Peregrine Audubon Society and receive a newsletter with
regular announcements about programs and field trips, please send $20 to
PAS, P.O. Box 311, Ukiah, CA 95482. For more information on a wide variety
of topics related to birding and conservation in Mendocino County please go
to www.peregrineaudubon.org.


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Sat, 12 Feb 2011 -- The Peregrine Audubon field trip to the south Mendocino
coast found a few of the continuing rarities : 3 LEWIS'S WOODPECKER on and
near power poles 119 and 120 on the Ukiah-Boonville Road, 3 PACIFIC
GOLDEN-PLOVERS on the lawns near the Point Arena lighthouse, 2 SANDHILL
CRANES seen from the bluff at the mouth of the Garcia River, at least 32
TUNDRA SWANS at Brushy Creek seen from Bristol Lane. The famous albatross
did not appear during our two visits to Arena Cove, but it was reported
yesterday, Feb 11.

George Chaniot
Potter Valley, MEN, CA

This afternoon Angie Meroshnekoff watched a Golden Eagle resting in the redwood tree in her backyard at White Dog Ranch. After the crows harassed him for a while, he flew off.

This morning there was a Bald Eagle, the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, and a Common Moorhen which was in the slough on the west side of the park.
On the drive out on Park Drive, Brad and Kathy Barnwell were parked on the side of the road and had found 2 Golden Eagles flying over. Jerry White

Thu Feb 10, 2011--On this wonderful sunny winter day I walked from Ward Ave to Fen Creek. I counted 31 SNOWY PLOVERS along the way. Most (27) were near the "Snowy Plover Protection Area". 3 were near Fen Creek. They out-numbered the Sanderlings 2 to 1. There were at least two banded Snowys, the new "Pink Lady" and a "RED Lady".

While at Fen Creek a TREE SWALLOW flew over going North.


Richard Hubacek
Little River

Update...

1st, any of you who have tried to contact me @ the mendo@... email addy I apologize many times over... this was the contact email address listed on my pointarena.org web page which followed Al's adventures for the 2007 - 2008 season... a totally gnarly computer malfunction disrupted my ability to access the website for any updates, hence my excuse for forgetting that mendo@... was listed as the active contact for me... imagine my surprise/embarrassment to discover the 2050 emails awaiting a reply when I checked that address a few days ago... SHEESH!!!

Anyway, please check out the website, it's still kinda cool, pics of Al and all, and if you have any question s re: Al feel free to contact me @ reid@...

Peace,

Tom

PS Al has been very sketchy this year vis - a vis his appearances at the cove... makes me think he is a she :) playing "Hard to get" JK, of course

Join Mendocino Coast Audubon Society on Monday, February 21, 7 PM at Fort
Bragg Town Hall for a compelling program on climate change in the Arctic



Dr. George Divoky will present "Watching the World Melt Away: How Climate
Change is Affecting the Birds and Bears of the Arctic"



Dr. Divoky is a compelling speaker with cutting edge content and has
discussed his findings at colleges, universities and national resource
societies. He has been interviewed on Nightline, CNN, PBS and the BBC as
well as appearing on Late Night with Letterman. His discovery of a Black
Guillemot colony on a northern Alaska barrier island in 1972 began an
ongoing study of a high arctic seabird at one of the most remote locations
in North America. The island, surrounded by pack ice and covered by snow
for much of the year is home to a unique colony of seabirds that nest in
boxes and other manmade structures, allowing detailed monitoring of each
brood. Studying the Black Guillemots of Cooper Island has largely been a
solitary venture for Divoky While the discovery and initial years of the
study were part of governmental research related to oil development, for the
past two decades the work has been conducted with occasional grants and much
personal dedication. These long-term studies are rarely done by governments
and the duration of most academic research is insufficient to allow
exposition of multi-decadal trends. But this is precisely the type of data
needed to monitory the long term cycles and trends related to climate
change. Learn how the major retreat of the arctic pack ice has resulted in
the reduction of prey for the parent birds and how Polar Bears, displaced
southward by the reduction in sea ice have taken refuge on Cooper Island,
where they have reduced the birds nesting success..



Audubon Programs are open to the public. Donations to help cover the
expenses of our educational programs are always welcome. For further
information call 937-4463 or go to
http://www.mendocinocoastaudubon.org/index.html For membership in MCAS,
contact wwade@... or call 964-6362.



Additional information about Dr. Divoky's work can be seen at
http://www.cooperisland.org/

This afternoon there was a male TUFTED DUCK at Borax Lake.Other birds of general interest earlier today were a Pacific Wren and a House Wren found near Reclamation Road, an adult Western Gull and a Common Loon at Nice, and an adult Glaucous-winged Gull at Lucerne. Jerry White

Today is the 10th anniversary of Mendobirds.  Message #1
was posted by moderator George Chaniot below 10 years ago:

"Cassin's Finch at Low Elevation

Thu, 8 Feb 2001 -- At about 11:00 today I saw a single male
CASSIN'S FINCH at about 1000 feet elevation.  It was in a
short-grazed pasture along a little-known private road near
the quarry on Potter Valley Road.  It flew off over the skyline,
and I don't expect it will be seen at the same spot.  This is
just the second time that I have seen CAFI this low.
-- George Chaniot"


Thanks for providing this.

 



K Havlena




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A SNOW GOOSE appears to shuttling back and forth between Napa and Lake Counties with a flock of CANADA GEESE. I saw it at Pope Valley (Napa Co.) on 27, 28 and 31 January. Myron Widmer saw it at Detert Reservoir (Lake Co.) on 29 January and I saw it this morning along Butts Canyon Rd. about 2 miles south of Hwy 29 at Middletown (Lake Co.).

On 31 January, Doug Weidemann found a male RED-BREASTED MERGANSER at Detert Reservoir, along Butts Canyon Road south of Middletown. It was my first at the reservoir. I haven't stopped to search for it since.

On 29 January, Doug and I searched in vain for the RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER near Lower Lake for 45 minutes. On the roof of Wal Mart we saw a 1st-basic GLAUCOUS X HERRING GULL, probably the same bird present since November.

Floyd Hayes
Hidden Valley Lake, CA

Today's boat trip:

Common Mergansers
American Pipit
Acorn Woodpeckers
Double-crested Cormorants
Black Phoebe
Bald Eagles (a pair - and a first time opportunity to photograph them, will post soon!)

Was out watching the resident Peregrine falcon (aka Gull Killer) at Bird Rock on the Mendocino Headlands yesterday. The best show however were the ravens playing in the windy updrafts. Always entertaining, but saw a new trick I have never seen before. One raven would hold a fairly large stick in its feet and do a perfect flight stall in the air. It was an aeronatical thing only a raven could understand. Then another one would come in and fly upside down and take the stick in one perfectly timed motion. It is that time of year when the ravens seem to get especially frisky around here and I recommend stopping by if you like to watch birds fly.

Also saw a big raft of common murres of over two hundred northest of the rock when I stopped counting. Then there was the small raft of brownish/white diving sea birds that I couldn't identify. About 12 of them in tight to the rocks and just off the murre raft. I tried to get a good look and was driven back by ferocious winds and tearing eyes. Not scoters. Tantalzing.

Rick

Yesterday in Ft Bragg there were at least 3 orioles; all Bullock's. My best guess is there were 2 females and 1 immature male. Also I had a brief one time look at a juvenile YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER. Jerry White