Playing catch-up

October 16, 2008

The internet connection has been very spotty and so we haven’t been able to get the bird lists up in a timely fashion. For the 6th-9th of October the winds started out moderate and increased to heavy from the NW. The bird lists reflect that by not having many new birds and decreasing diversity as the winds picked up. Highlights were a South Polar Skua on the 7th and a pure Yellow-shafted Flicker on the 8th. Red-shafted and Yellow-shafted Flickers hybridize so we always make sure to check all the flickers for traits of both subspecies. The birds lists are below.

Location: Southeast Farallon Island
Observation date: 10/6/08
Number of species: 42
Greater White-fronted Goose 1
Northern Pintail 1
Eared Grebe 28
Brown Pelican X
Brandt’s Cormorant X
Pelagic Cormorant X
Peregrine Falcon (Continental) 2
Killdeer 5
Black Oystercatcher X
Wandering Tattler 5
Whimbrel 8
Black Turnstone 59
Least Sandpiper 1
Heermann’s Gull 5
Western Gull X
California Gull 81
Common Murre X
Pigeon Guillemot X
Cassin’s Auklet X
Rhinoceros Auklet X
Burrowing Owl 1
Least Flycatcher 1
Black Phoebe 7
Say’s Phoebe 3
House Wren 1
Hermit Thrush 3
American Pipit 2
Yellow Warbler 1
Magnolia Warbler 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon’s) 5
Palm Warbler (Western) 1
Common Yellowthroat 1
Clay-colored Sparrow 1
Lark Sparrow 1
Savannah Sparrow 2
Fox Sparrow (Sooty) 1
White-crowned Sparrow 4
Golden-crowned Sparrow 3
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) 4
Brewer’s Blackbird 1
Lesser Goldfinch 1

Location: Southeast Farallon Island
Observation date: 10/7/08
Number of species: 43

Pacific Loon 1
Eared Grebe 15
Pink-footed Shearwater 18
Buller’s Shearwater 11
Sooty Shearwater 1
Brown Pelican 280
Brandt’s Cormorant X
Pelagic Cormorant X
Peregrine Falcon (Continental) 1
Killdeer 2
Black Oystercatcher X
Wandering Tattler 1
Whimbrel 3
Black Turnstone 19
Heermann’s Gull 4
California Gull 460
South Polar Skua 1
Pomarine Jaeger 2
Common Murre X
Cassin’s Auklet X
Rhinoceros Auklet X
Burrowing Owl 1
Black Phoebe 5
Say’s Phoebe 3
Violet-green Swallow 3
Barn Swallow 1
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
American Pipit 3
Yellow Warbler 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon’s) 4
Palm Warbler (Western) 1
Common Yellowthroat 1
Chipping Sparrow 1
Clay-colored Sparrow 1
Lark Sparrow 1
Savannah Sparrow 1
Fox Sparrow (Sooty) 1
White-crowned Sparrow 2
Golden-crowned Sparrow 2
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) 4
Western Meadowlark 1
Lesser Goldfinch 1

Location: Southeast Farallon Island
Observation date: 10/8/08
Number of species: 36
Northern Pintail 1
Eared Grebe 25
Pink-footed Shearwater 22
Buller’s Shearwater 15
Sooty Shearwater 4
Brown Pelican 270
Brandt’s Cormorant X
Pelagic Cormorant X
Peregrine Falcon (Continental) 1
Black Oystercatcher X
Whimbrel 5
Black Turnstone 20
Least Sandpiper 8
Heermann’s Gull 1
Western Gull X
California Gull 60
Pomarine Jaeger 4
Common Murre X
Cassin’s Auklet X
Rhinoceros Auklet X
Burrowing Owl 2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 1 adult male
Black Phoebe 6
Say’s Phoebe 3
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
House Wren 1
American Pipit 6
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon’s) 4
Palm Warbler (Western) 2
Common Yellowthroat 1
Lark Sparrow 1
Savannah Sparrow 2
Golden-crowned Sparrow 2
Lapland Longspur 1
Western Meadowlark 1

Location: Southeast Farallon Island
Observation date: 10/9/08
Number of species: 17

Pacific Loon 1
Pink-footed Shearwater 1
Buller’s Shearwater 21
Sooty Shearwater 1
Short-tailed Shearwater 1
Brown Pelican 7
Peregrine Falcon 2
Wandering Tattler 2
Whimbrel 1
Black Turnstone 5
California Gull 8
Burrowing Owl 1
Black Phoebe 5
Say’s Phoebe 1
American Pipit 1
Palm Warbler 1
Western Meadowlark 1