Although it's almost expected, given the species' habit of returning winter-after-winter to a favored wintering location, I enjoyed locating the Grace's Warbler at Mentone Basin Park in Grover Beach yesterday morning.  The bird, as it did last winter, traveled loosely with a largish flock of Yellow-rumped, and Townsend's warblers.  A Hermit Warbler traveling with the flock may, or may not, be the same Hermit wintering in this location last year as well. 

I texted the bird's location to GroupMe members yesterday morning, but note the record here for those not on GroupMe and who may wish to look for this bird at some point this winter.  The flock (and the Grace's) tends to favor the pines by the tennis court at Mentone Basin Park near the corner of Trouville Ave and S 14th Street.

Herb Elliot told me yesterday that he had a large number of Black-vented Shearwaters off the mouth of Oso Flaco Creek yesterday morning.  I had not seen any off Grover or Pismo beaches yet this year, so took my spotting scope to the beach.  The Black-vents were going by in modest numbers.  Earlier in the fall they were seen in large numbers in the Santa Barbara Channel, so the species is apparently broadening its wintering population up the coast, as usual.

Brad Schram
Arroyo Grande