As always the internet connection has been very uncooperative, so we’ll just try to post a large block of lists now that it’s working. Over the past week the winds have generally been out of the northwest with varying degrees of cloud cover. There have been a smattering of new arrivals including Swamp Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, Clay-colored Sparrow, Lapland Longspur, and some fly-over Cackling Geese. One of the more interesting birds on the island was a Song Sparrow, likely coming from the Pacific Northwest. We average only around two Song Sparrows a year on the island, so we were very excited to see this bird. Also on the 23rd we had a nice flight of Black-vented Shearwaters just offshore. The bird lists follow.

Song Sparrow (c) McAllister

Location: Southeast Farallon Island
Observation date: 10/24/08
Number of species: 42

Eared Grebe 103
Pink-footed Shearwater 2
Brown Pelican 802
Brandt’s Cormorant X
Pelagic Cormorant X
Peregrine Falcon (Continental) 3
Black Oystercatcher X
Wandering Tattler 1
Willet 1
Whimbrel 9
Black Turnstone 45
Least Sandpiper 1
Heermann’s Gull 2
Western Gull X
California Gull 218
Herring Gull 2
Glaucous-winged Gull 1
Common Murre X
Burrowing Owl 2
Black Phoebe 9
Say’s Phoebe 3
Brown Creeper 1
Rock Wren 1
House Wren 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 1
European Starling 8
American Pipit 1
Cedar Waxwing 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon’s) 3
Palm Warbler (Western) 1
Chipping Sparrow 2
Clay-colored Sparrow 2
Grasshopper Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 1
White-throated Sparrow 1
White-crowned Sparrow 1
Golden-crowned Sparrow 3
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) 3
Red-winged Blackbird 1
Western Meadowlark 9
Pine Siskin 1

Location: Southeast Farallon Island
Observation date: 10/23/08
Number of species: 51

Eared Grebe 66
Pink-footed Shearwater 5
Buller’s Shearwater 1
Sooty Shearwater 2
Black-vented Shearwater 33
Brown Pelican 1054
Brandt’s Cormorant X
Pelagic Cormorant X
Merlin 1
Peregrine Falcon (Continental) 2
Black Oystercatcher X
Wandering Tattler 1
Willet 1
Whimbrel 7
Black Turnstone 32
Black-legged Kittiwake 1
Heermann’s Gull 1
Western Gull X
California Gull 503
Herring Gull 3
Thayer’s Gull 1
Glaucous-winged Gull 1
Pomarine Jaeger 3
Parasitic Jaeger 1
Common Murre X
Barn Owl 1
Burrowing Owl 3
Anna’s Hummingbird 1
Black Phoebe 9
Say’s Phoebe 2
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
Rock Wren 2
House Wren 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2
European Starling 28
American Pipit 2
Cedar Waxwing 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 3
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon’s) 2
Common Yellowthroat 1
Chipping Sparrow 2
Clay-colored Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 1
White-throated Sparrow 1
White-crowned Sparrow 2
Golden-crowned Sparrow 2
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) 8
Western Meadowlark 14
Pine Siskin 3
Lesser Goldfinch 1

Location: Southeast Farallon Island
Observation date: 10/22/08
Number of species: 51

Common Loon 1
Eared Grebe 95
Pink-footed Shearwater 5
Sooty Shearwater 3
Black-vented Shearwater 3
Brown Pelican 986
Peregrine Falcon (Continental) 2
Killdeer 1
Black Oystercatcher X
Wandering Tattler 1
Willet 1
Whimbrel 5
Black Turnstone 41
Heermann’s Gull 41
Western Gull X
California Gull 141
Herring Gull 2
Glaucous-winged Gull 1
Common Murre X
Burrowing Owl 3
Anna’s Hummingbird 1
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) 1
Black Phoebe 7
Say’s Phoebe 2
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
Rock Wren 2
House Wren 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
Hermit Thrush 1
Varied Thrush 2
American Pipit 2
Cedar Waxwing 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 5
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon’s) 3
Palm Warbler (Western) 1
Common Yellowthroat 1
Spotted Towhee 1
Chipping Sparrow 1
Savannah Sparrow 3
Fox Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow 1
White-throated Sparrow 2
White-crowned Sparrow 2
Golden-crowned Sparrow 3
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) 4
Red-winged Blackbird 1
Western Meadowlark 11
Brewer’s Blackbird 1
Pine Siskin 3
Lesser Goldfinch 2

Location: Southeast Farallon Island
Observation date: 10/21/08
Number of species: 42

Common Loon 120
Eared Grebe 52
Pink-footed Shearwater 16
Buller’s Shearwater 126
Sooty Shearwater 2
Brown Pelican 582
Peregrine Falcon (Continental) 3
Black Oystercatcher X
Wandering Tattler 1
Willet 1
Whimbrel 5
Black Turnstone 44
Heermann’s Gull 3
Western Gull X
California Gull 520
Pomarine Jaeger 2
Common Murre X
Burrowing Owl 2
Anna’s Hummingbird 1
Black Phoebe 8
Say’s Phoebe 2
Red-breasted Nuthatch 2
Rock Wren 2
House Wren 1
Varied Thrush 1
American Pipit 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 4
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon’s) 2
Black-throated Gray Warbler 1
Spotted Towhee 1
Fox Sparrow 1
Lincoln’s Sparrow 1
White-throated Sparrow 1
White-crowned Sparrow 3
Golden-crowned
Sparrow 1
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) 1
Lapland Longspur 1
Red-winged Blackbird 1
Western Meadowlark 5
House Finch 1
Lesser Goldfinch 1

Location: Southeast Farallon Island
Observation date: 10/20/08
Number of species: 40

Eared Grebe 56
Western Grebe 1
Pink-footed Shearwater 6
Buller’s Shearwater 3
Brown Pelican 424
Peregrine Falcon (Continental) 2
Black Oystercatcher X
Wandering Tattler 1
Willet 1
Whimbrel 4
Black Turnstone 47
Heermann’s Gull 3
Western Gull X
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) 1
California Gull 315
Herring Gull 4
Glaucous-winged Gull 2
Common Murre X
Burrowing Owl 1
Black Phoebe 9
Say’s Phoebe 2
Red-breasted Nuthatch 3
Rock Wren 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
American Pipit 3
Yellow-rumped Warbler 3
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 9
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon’s) 7
Black-throated Gray Warbler 1
Spotted Towhee 1
Chipping Sparrow 1
Clay-colored Sparrow 1
Fox Sparrow 1
White-crowned Sparrow 2
Golden-crowned Sparrow 5
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) 3
Lapland Longspur 1
Western Meadowlark 4
Pine Siskin 1
Lesser Goldfinch 1

Location: Southeast Farallon Island
Observation date: 10/19/08
Number of species: 52

Cackling Goose 26
Eared Grebe 45
Pink-footed Shearwater 5
Brown Pelican 930
Brandt’s Cormorant X
Pelagic Cormorant X
Peregrine Falcon (Continental) 2
Peregrine Falcon (Peale’s) 1
Black Oystercatcher X
Willet 1
Whimbrel 3
Black Turnstone 55
Heermann’s Gull 4
Western Gull X
California Gull 846
Herring Gull 2
Thayer’s Gull 1
Glaucous-winged Gull 1
Common Murre X
Barn Owl 1
Burrowing Owl 1
Black Phoebe 6
Say’s Phoebe 4
Violet-green Swallow 1
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
Rock Wren 2
House Wren 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2
Hermit Thrush 1
American Pipit 1
Cedar Waxwing 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler 7
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 17
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon’s) 6
Black-throated Gray Warbler 2
Palm Warbler (Western) 2
Spotted Towhee 1
Chipping Sparrow 1
Clay-colored Sparrow 1
Fox Sparrow 1
Lincoln’s Sparrow 1
Swamp Sparrow 1
White-throated Sparrow 3
White-crowned Sparrow 1
Golden-crowned Sparrow 4
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) 6
Red-winged Blackbird 2
Western Meadowlark 2
Brown-headed Cowbird 1
Purple Finch 1
Pine Siskin 2

Location: Southeast Farallon Island
Observation date: 10/18/08
Number of species: 39

Eared Grebe 73
Pink-footed Shearwater 5
Brown Pelican 791
Brandt’s Cormorant X
Pelagic Cormorant X
Northern Harrier 1
Peregrine Falcon 2
Black Oystercatcher X
Wandering Tattler 1
Whimbrel 2
Black Turnstone 66
Heermann’s Gull 2
Western Gull X
California Gull 281
Herring Gull 4
Glaucous-winged Gull 1
Common Murre X
Pigeon Guillemot X
Cassin’s Auklet X
Rhinoceros Auklet X
Barn Owl 1
Burrowing Owl 3
Black Phoebe 8
Say’s Phoebe 3
Red-breasted Nuthatch 2
Rock Wren 2
House Wren 1
American Pipit 1
Magnolia Warbler 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 4
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon’s) 2
Black-throated Gray Warbler 1
Palm Warbler (Western) 1
Chipping Sparrow 1
Fox Sparrow (Sooty) 1
White-crowned Sparrow 1
Golden-crowned Sparrow 1
Western Meadowlark 3
House Finch 1