The 116th CBC in Northern California

For the 116^th Christmas Bird Count period, 78 counts were conducted in Northern California, but Arcata and Willow Creek data were not submitted.  Only six counts suffered from heavy rain—all in afternoon—but the remaining counts had pleasant weather.  Sierra Valley had the lowest low temperature of minus 1 F while three counts shared the high of 65 F.  Counts with more than 90 participants include Benicia, Crystal Springs, Palo Alto, Marin County South, Western Sonoma County, San Jose, Sonoma Valley, San Francisco, Point Reyes, and topped off by Oakland’s 277 participants.  For numbers of species, the top count was Moss Landing with 186. Overall numbers of species were low for most counts.

The following are the highlights of the counts (only sufficiently documented rare species included). In general it was a poor showing for rare species, especially ultra-rare species. Rare waterfowl were in low numbers with one Tufted Duck at Pt. Reyes, 99 Eurasian Wigeon in the region, and a Surf Scoter in South Lake Tahoe. Blue-winged Teal keep increasing in the region with 408. Redding hosted a remarkable 178 Barrow’s Goldeneye. Only 161 White-winged Scoters were reported throughout the region, which illustrates the alarming decline of this once common coastal species in the state.

Rare inland Red-necked Grebes were a single at Fall River Mills and three in Calero-Morgan Hill.  A few regular pelagic species were reported, but the warm water “Blob” coupled with El Niño resulted in record numbers Black-vented Shearwaters with 17,564 from Big Sur north to Ft. Bragg. The long-staying Northern Gannet left its usual roost on the Farallon Islands to join the Crystal Springs count. Following the numerous fall occurrences, a Brown Booby lingered for the San Francisco count. Cattle Egrets continue to decline in the region with 335 reported much lower than their heyday in the 1990s. In contrast, White-faced Ibis continue to increase with 13,438 reported on 13 counts, including a record count for Los Baños—until the late 1980s the only regular wintering site in the region.

Three Pacific Golden-Plovers were fewer than expected. San Jose hosted the only Ruff. Low numbers of Black-legged Kittiwake were found with only 12 in the region. Rare gulls were in low numbers as well. The El Niño conditions facilitated the occurrence of two Royal Terns at Año Nuevo—probably the first regional CBC record in many decades of this species that regularly winters north only to San Luis Obispo County. Four White-winged Doves were a surprise with singles at Moss Landing, Benicia, and two in East Contra Costa County.  Only one Barred Owl was reported which is vastly under-reported given the fairly large population known in the North Coast Range and Sierra Nevada. Rare sapsuckers, Yellow-bellied and Red-naped, are often reported without details. There are numerous documented Red-naped x Red-breasted Sapsuckers each year as well as misidentified sapsuckers, so documentation is warranted for these rare species. Three Yellow-bellied and five Red-naped had adequate documentation out of total reports of seven and 13, respectively.

Rare wintering flycatchers were noted in typical numbers. Single Eastern Phoebes were found at Año Nuevo and San Francisco. Single Least Flycatchers visited Centerville Beach to King Salmon and Pt. Reyes Peninsula, and Pacific-slope Flycatchers were present with one at Monterey Peninsula and two in Marin County (southern). The most unusual sighting for the entire region’s CBCs was the apparent Brown-crested Flycatcher photographed and seen for a morning on the Eastern Contra Costa count. This would be the first regional CBC record if accepted. More typical were the six Tropical Kingbirds with two at Centerville Beach to King Salmon, one at Crystal Springs, two at Moss Landing, and one at San Francisco.

Thirteen Steller’s Jays on the Central Valley floor in Wallace-Bellota was a very high count and another was in nearby La Grange-Waterford. No others were reported in the valley suggesting that this was a highly local phenomenon.  Fifteen Cliff Swallows were reported with no poor or no details. This species is not expected in winter. Following trends in recent winters, Barn Swallows were reported in good numbers with 16 documented and five undocumented individuals. Five Northern Rough-winged Swallows were not documented but would fit recent trends. A Winter Wren in Sonoma Valley would be a first county record and awaits the decision on acceptance by the California Bird Records Committee.  Rare coastal Mountain Bluebirds were at Pt. Reyes Peninsula and Crystal Springs. A few longspurs were found with a single Lapland at Hayward-Fremont and Pt. Reyes Peninsula, six at Tule Lake, and a single Chestnut-collared at Mammoth Lakes.

It was a poor winter for eastern warblers with only three species that are the most regularly occurring; three Northern Waterthrushes, two Black-and-white Warblers, and seven Palm Warblers.  Rare wintering western warblers were well represented with 11 Nashville, two Yellow, two Wilson’s, 10 Black-throated Gray, and five Hermit warblers. 

Two American Tree Sparrows at Woodfords were the only ones reported. Grasshopper Sparrows are rarely reported in winter in the region so singles at Crystal Springs, Año Nuevo, three at Calero-Morgan Hill, two at Cheep Thrills, and two at Sonoma Valley were noteworthy. New for the Calero-Morgan Hill count was the only reported Black-throated Sparrow in the region. Lark Bunting is a rare winter visitor in the region, but in some winters can appear in small flocks in the Central Valley and surrounding foothills. A flock of 36 at Pinnacles N.M. was not an atypical number but unusual in that it was the only report. Two Red Fox Sparrows were adequately documented with singles at Moss Landing and Wallace-Bellota. Ninety-three Slate-colored Juncos were reported, none with documentation. It was a good winter for Swamp Sparrows with 16 reported.

A Summer Tanager was on the Monterey Peninsula, but only seven Western Tanagers were reported in the region—a very low number. A higher than normal three Black-headed Grosbeaks (but no Rose-breasted) were found with singles at Crystal Springs, Oakland and Pt. Reyes Peninsula. A good showing of six Orchard Orioles included three in San Francisco (where nearly annual in recent years), and singles in Palo Alto, Moss Landing and Del Norte County.  And finally, one of the top birds of the count period was the Common Redpoll at Lake Almanor.