Field Trip Reports Figueroa Mountain Saturday, January 22, 2005 By Alison McPherson Dave Compton was right - a little highway closure wouldn't stop us from birding. No Way. Ten birders headed north on the 101, exited on 154 and turned left onto Figuroa Mtn road. A few miles along our sharp-eyed leader and driver, Dave, spotted a Merlin. All cars came to an abrupt stop, everyone sprang from their seats and Dave's spotting scope was quickly set into motion. Near the summit, we located the bird feeding station which mainly attracted Oregon Dark-eyed Juncos. We ventured over to Pino Alto day use area where I quickly joined Jeannette to break open my lunch bag. Others joined but lunch was soon interrupted by a Crossbill. Our after lunch-stroll was along the zero slope Nature Trail. It was like walking up a scree field, two steps up, one step back. We'd go twenty paces forward, ten paces back attempting to locate the calls and songs of Hutton's Vireos, nuthatches, chickadees and kinglets with necks craned into the towering trees. Before heading back, we checked out the feeding station again and spied a Steller's Jay. Half way back, a Golden Eagle was chased by a Red-tailed Hawk. Once at the cars, a different kind of bird flew overhead, a glider. One last stop on Zaca Station Road produced Golden Eagles. A grand finale, indeed! Special thanks to Dave, our fearless leader; Jack, for your enthusiasm; Oscar, for your youthful expertise; and Jeannette, my new friend.

Three happy birders and one enthusiastic leader met at Kern National Wildlife Refuge and proceeded to Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park to secure camp sites for our overnight field trip. This park was a pleasant surprise because of the progress made in restoration of about 20 of the 1911-14 style wooden buildings and because of the excellent camping facilities. With hints from the Ranger we began our walk around the "town" and in a matter of minutes were looking face to face with two beautiful Burrowing Owls. Several other pairs were sighted before we left for our next stop, Pixley National Wildlife Refuge.

We had been told by other birders in the area that there were thousands of Sandhill Cranes wintering in the Refuge and we were definitely not disappointed. As we drove toward the Refuge we were suddenly aware that they were everywhere quietly feeding in the green fields on each side of the road. After several stops for closer viewing and photos we arrived at the observation area. A short walk brought us to an elevated viewing platform and another group of local bird enthusiasts waiting for the cranes evening return. As the sun began to set and the sky turned pink they began to arrive. Wave after wave - you could see them coming in large flocks well past twilight. It seemed almost impossible that there would be enough room for the estimated 3,500 birds we saw arriving. Space may indeed have been an issue as the late arrivals made more than one flight over the area before coming to rest.

After dark we drove back to our campground with the call of the cranes fresh in our minds. After dinner our thoughtful leader, Jack Sanford, provided a warm campfire and wine. Sunday morning we returned to the Refuge and a slow motor tour around the marshes. The biggest surprise of the trip was a pair of Vermilion Flycatchers (female and im. male). The novice birders were very impressed with the flaming color and cooperation for viewing in the scope. Thanks to some excellent spotting by Kim Kathol and Jack we identified between 65 and 70 species including: Burrowing Owl, Common Moorhen, Yellow-billed Magpie, Horned Lark, Loggerhead Shrike, Lark Sparrow, Blue-winged Teal, Nuttall's Woodpecker, Marsh Wren, and of course the spectacular Cranes. Kim was happy to add a Tricolored Blackbird to his life list.

By early afternoon it was time to head for home by way of Maricopa with a stop at Wind Wolves Preserve, the largest privately owned nature preserve in the western United States, at 95,000 acres. This beautiful and historic area in the foothills was a pleasant change from the flat land of the valley. Our short walk up the quiet canyon along San Emigdo Creek did not reveal as many birds as we had hoped but for those of us who had not been to this canyon before were impressed and hope to return for a full day of birding some day soon. Special thanks to Jack for introducing us to these exceptional birding areas.

Picture this: a mud flat at low tide and in the foreground a Black-bellied Plover, a few Long-billed Curlews, a flock of Forster's Terns, in the distance some Red-breasted Mergansers and on the sand spit are Dunlin, Semipalmated Plovers, and Sanderlings. Point Mugu has many habitats for water birds and we enjoyed a few of them when Peggy Kearne, Jack Sanford and Martin Ruane organized and lead a very successful trip.

This long weekend was remembered by many people as a time of record rain but we gathered under cloudy skies at the Bird Refuge and we were able to enjoy some precious hours without rain as we visited the Naval Air Station. In addition to the mud flats, Point Mugu has ponds of duck (Ruddy, Cinnamon Teal, Bufflehead, Northern Shoveler, Lesser Scaup, American Wigeon, Gadwall) and an inlet with Caspian and Royal Terns, Surf Scoters, and Gulls - Glacous-winged, California, Western, Bonaparte's, plus Skimmers and seals. By the runway we saw a Ferruginous and a Red-tailed Hawk. A Tree Swallow sat on a piling immediately in front of us and let us gaze at its beautiful blue-green body. Killdeer screeched and dove all around the car and Black-necked Stilts and American Avocets waded in the ponds near the road. There were more species than we could count.

Location, location, location! The spectacular Lone Star Ranch, owned by Lee and Charles Carr, includes pond, meadow, forest and is contiguous to Lake Cachuma. So a rainy, wet day with periods of blue sky and even a bright rainbow, didn't stop our small group from our mission: sighting water birds, shore birds, song birds and raptors. By the end of the morning our list included 42 species. One Osprey was particularly entertaining as it dove under water for its fish but had to "catch and release" as it was too heavy. Thanks to our superb field leader, Dave Compton, for arranging this field trip and making it such a fun and bird-filled morning.

As the two "newbie's" to the Audubon birder scene, we weren't sure we were going to be intimidated by the experienced birders on our first Audubon Society birding field trip. But, after meeting the other eight members of the group organized by Jack Sanford and lead by naturalist Paul Keller, we felt most welcome and able to lend our eyes and ears to the day's experience.

Rancho La Vina was spectacular with its grape vines, walnut orchards, oak forests, a mountain-ringed meadow and year round flowing creek. Happily, the rain held-off and the wind allowed the sunshine to occasionally peek through.

We saw a variety of birds starting with a Great Egret and a pair of Western Bluebirds. After parking and introductions, we came upon the spectacular mating acrobatics of Red-tailed Hawks, along with Turkey Vultures, and a family of California Quail. As we headed up a ranch road through oak forests, we spotted the Dark-eyed Junco, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Spotted Towhee, Bushtit, Oak Titmouse, Wrentit, and a Sharp-shinned Hawk.

When we arrived at the meadow, we entered a horse corral and were followed around by three curious and very friendly horses. We spotted a flock of Golden-crowned Sparrows, California Towhee, and had a vigorous debate on the identification of a woodpecker (which was finally agreed to be a Nuttall's). As we left the horses we saw a Western Scrub-Jay and an Acorn Woodpecker. The finale of the hike was spotting a Yellow-billed Magpie.

We'd like to thank Paul for his birding and botanical expertise and Jack for keeping us on schedule and for his friendly, charming humor. We're looking forward to many more Audubon hikes and adventures!

We could not have had a more perfect day for this trip! Thirty-three birders met at the Five Points Shopping Center and traveled in 5 vehicles to the Hollister Ranch. There we met Wendy (the Hollister Ranch representative) at the main house at 9:30 in the morning. We birded the entire area around the house with our leader Guy Tingos pointing out bird after bird and his wife Betsy recording the data (total for the day - 63 species). From there we traveled to a beach location where we spotted ocean and pond birds. Oscar Johnson, a 16-year-old from Ventura who has participated in several of our events and is an excellent birder and spotter, was a big asset to the trip. Between Guy and Oscar and other good spotters not many, if any, birds escaped our eyes.

It was a great birding experience and Santa Barbara Audubon wants to offer a special thanks to the Hollister Ranch Association and to Wendy for allowing us the privilege of birding the Ranch. And, as we were about to leave the Hollister Ranch main gate, someone spotted one of my favorite birds - a Greater Roadrunner in a tree just several feet from the roadway. All in all it was a very rewarding experience and a special thanks goes to Guy for his leadership.

Well, we had a little trouble locating the Ranch because the Green Gate landmark was open so we drove right by it. Also, we could not find the fruit tree groves that we were supposed to drive through because they had been torn out and replanted with chilli pepper plants. However after a short delay we arrived at the proper location where Jim Greaves, our leader, greeted us and our real field trip began. And it began with a bang! Perching on a nearby pole was a Yellow-breasted Chat, one of our target birds. In fact Jim located and pointed out all the target birds we listed in the El Tecolote. We spotted a Blue Grosbeak, a White-tailed Kite, an Ash-throated Flycatcher, a Bell's Vireo, a Hutton's Vireo, and a Yellow Warbler plus 20 other species. Jim used his bird caller to entice both a male and female Blue Grosbeak to come close enough so that we could get a really good look at them. He also located a Bell's Vireo's nest with two eggs in it and the female Vireo came to sit on the nest while we were spotting it through a scope. We were additionally treated to the company of the ranch owner, Sanger (Sandy) Hedrick, who offered a great deal of history and knowledge both of the land and the birds. All in all the approximately 15 birders that attended the Audubon Valley View Ranch field trip went home more knowledgeable about wildlife habitat and especially birds.

All of us want to thank Jim Greaves for his expert leadership, and Sandy Hedrick who has dedicated his lifestyle to protecting and improving the preserve.

On August 13 five members of Santa Barbara Audubon Society braved the light rain to view the birds at the Guadalupe Dunes. Three visitors from Oceanside actually came because they had seen the field trip announced on the SBAS website. Other members of the group had learned of the trip from the Dunes Center. Our leader, naturalist Willie Richerson, had scouted the beach for shorebirds earlier that morning but couldn't do a thing about the early morning drizzle which sometimes made viewing difficult. As we were setting out from the parking lot we saw Sanderlings searching for mole crabs - the small ones not the three-inch long specimen that Willie showed us in the interpretive van at the end of the hike. On the beach Willie also searched the kelp piles to show us the beach hoppers that are another food of many shorebirds.

It took discussion, re-viewing and checking all the bird books in the group to decide that we were seeing Caspian Terns. A small flock of Heermans Gulls accompanied the huge numbers of California Gulls and Brown Pelicans on the sandbar across the mouth of the estuary. Glaucous Gulls completed the gull count. Double Crested Cormorants were in evidence. We cried for a "Joan Lentz" as we followed a pair of medium sized brown birds up the beach that we never were able to identify. We did better with the Least Sandpipers. Tree Swallows flew overhead. Beyond the surf we saw Harbor Seals and Dolphins.

We had seen the Plover crossing signs as we drove in in the area where the dunes are trying to take back the road. But we didn't see the Snowy Plovers until we were back in the parking lot after our walk. Just beyond the South end of the lot several plovers were rushing about - practically invisible except when they moved and even then often disappearing behind the tussocks of dune grasses. They were a nice finale to our morning at the Dunes.

Steve Ferry made the necessary arrangements with the US Fish and Wildlife Service and Jack Sanford organized and led a group of 26 of us to the Hopper Mountain NWR north of Fillmore on a beautiful day. Those of us who hadn't seen Condors before (20 of us) were particularly thrilled at the sight of 8 as we pulled up to our first stop. Throughout our stay we had with many views of these magnificent birds. One overhead at close range enabling views of plumage details. At another stop we were able to scope 12 birds in 3 trees. This represents a significant fraction of the world's California Condor population (over 4 %!).

Dan Tappe, the USFWS representative, guided us to the various locations and gave us the history and other interesting facts about the Condor progam. He took us down to the Ranch House to eat our lunch. An intern showed us how she logged in individual birds using radio telemetry.

A regular duty is to monitor these birds for lead poisoning. Hunters using lead bullets who have wounded a deer that escapes and later dies, or leave the guts of the kill above ground, also leave behind lead fragments that are ingested by these birds. The birds need to be captured again and treated for this lethal condition. Steve Ferry, who has watched Condor nests here, told us that State Assembly member Pedro Nava has introduced a bill (AB 1002) that will protect the California condor and other susceptible wildlife from the ongoing threat of lead poisoning.

Somehow, watching these huge Condors, it is easier to imagine the millennia that birds have been flying free than it is viewing a warbler. They seem to pull the weight of natural history behind their 8 foot wingspans. Most instructive, for size reference, were views of Red-Tailed Hawks and Kestrels in proximity to the Condor.

We would like to thank the following people who generously donated their vehicles and drove the rest of us: Bill Pollock, Nancy Shepherd, Susy Barrymore, Sally Kitson and Jack Sanford.

A partial list of birds seen or heard within the Hopper Mountain NWR during our visit:

The group started gathering at the snack bar around 9:30am on a calm but cool fall morning at Cachuma Lake. Our unflappable trip coordinator, Jack Sanford, was meeting and greeting folks as they arrived, making everyone feel welcome. We had the makings for a great morning on the Lake. Liz Mason, the park Naturalist and Guide arrived, gave us an overview of the morning and the basics of boating safety, and off to the boat we went. As we pulled away from the dock we noted the the collection of birds that were close in: Cormorants, Gulls, Grebes, Mallards, and a few White Pelicans. Liz mentioned that an immature Bald Eagle had been frequenting the boat launch area lately. Sure enough, it showed up almost on cue. The boat went silent as we watched the Eagle circle over the point, then head straight east toward us. All I could hear was a lot of breathing, muttered exclamations, and the clicking of camera shutters as it gave us a long, low and slow flyby. For many of us, it was our closest encounter yet with this magnificent raptor.
	Liz then took us eastward, staying close to the southern shore, where we found many Osprey perched like sentries on snags above the shore. One was enjoying a morning meal with a couple of crows standing by to police up the area for scraps. There was a small flock of Ruddy ducks feeding near the shore as a Kingfisher rattled away in the background.
We then proceeded across the lake toward Santa Cruz bay noting the vast numbers of Western Grebes. Liz indicated that this has been the longest breeding season of record for the Western Grebe. We saw many back broods, parents feeding young, and even some courtship and territorial displays! Conversley, we also noted the conspicuous lack of other ducks on the lake. There were small numbers of Green winged Teal, Shoveler, Gadwall, Pied bill and Eared Grebes. A young Peregrine Falcon played hide-and-seek with us as we glided deeper into Santa Cruz bay. It would perch on a prominent snag over the water, let us get within 50 feet, then fly back 50 feet to another snag. We listened to the call of the Wood Duck repeat itself a number of times.
	Before long it was time to head back to the dock. We had 21 adults and five children in our Audubon group, along with a handful of non-Auduboners, two from France that made for some delightful conversation. This was my fourth, and best trip on the Lake. We are so very lucky to have such a great place to visit. Our special thanks to Liz Mason for her wonderful knowledge and delightful enthusiasm! Altogether, we logged 35 species of birds that morning. All photos courtesy of Bob MacLeod