33RD REPORT OF THE CBRC: 2007 RECORDS 
a backyard in Berkeley, ALA, 14-15 Nov 2005 (HAG; 2005-189) went four rounds 
before finally gaining acceptance, despite a majority of committee members’ approval 
throughout its circulation. The committee is cautious when considering single-observer 
records of rarer vagrants lacking thorough details or photographs. 
LE CONTE’S SPARROW Ammodramus leconteii. IDENTIFICATION NOT 
ESTABLISHED: A bird in Santa Barbara, SBA, 15 Oct 2007 (2007-296) may have 
been this species, but the description did not support the identification adequately, 
no photographs were obtained, and the brevity of the sighting combined to convince 
members to withhold support. 
"NELSON’S SHARP-TAILED SPARROW Ammodramus nelsoni (35"", 5). The 
committee reviewed and accepted an old record of five individuals at Morro Bay, SLO, 
27 Dec 1952 after it obtained photographs of the specimens (CAMf; ROM #83928 
and #83929; 2007-300). It reviews records of this species only through 1986. 
SNOW BUNTING Plectrophenax nivalis (117, 6). Six records fit nicely within the 
established pattern of late-fall and early-winter occurrence (CBRC 2007). One at Big 
Bear Basin Lookout, DN, 13 Oct 2007 (SPf; 2007-236) established the earliest record 
for California by nine days. Another at Fort Bragg, MEN, 20 Oct 2007 (DFlf, SW; 
RHu, DT; 2007-237) eclipsed the previous early date by two days. Others included 
one at the Mad R. mouth, HUM, 15-21 Jan 2007 (DCt, JTz; 2007-077), one at 
Southeast Farallon I., SF, 30 Oct 2007 (JTz; 2008-013), one at King Salmon, HUM, 
4-7 Nov 2007 (KBt, RFf, KRf; 2007-245), and one near Willows, GLE, 1-8 Dec 
2007 (KBt, BD, SHuf, KP, JCSt; 2007-277). 
YELLOW GROSBEAK Pheucticus chrysopeplus . IDENTIFICATION ACCEPTED 
BUT NATURAL OCCURRENCE QUESTIONABLE: One at Keough Hot Springs, 
INY, 31 Jul-2 Aug 2006 (2006-093; Figure 12; photos also in N. Am. Birds 60:598 
and CBRC 2007:H28) was well documented by abundant photographs, a video 
recording featuring vocalizations, and excellent written details from multiple observ- 
ers. Despite its occurring at a time of year plausible for a vagrant, a strong majority 
of the committee questioned the bird’s provenance, two members voted to accept it 
as a naturally occurring vagrant, and one member voted to reject the identification 
because of difficulty distinguishing this species from its South American counterpart, 
the Golden-bellied Grosbeak [P. chrysogaster). Nevertheless, some members consider 
the Yellow Grosbeak overdue in California. This species is casual in southeast Arizona, 
where all but a few records are for June and July (Rosenberg et al. 2007). 
COMMON GRACKLE Quiscalus quiscula (76, 3). Sacramento County’s first, a 
male at Galt 17-18 Jan 2007 (ERPt; 2007-020), was followed three weeks later by 
its second, at Staten I. 11 Feb 2007 (BP; 2007-054). The 18-mile distance between 
sightings suggested one bird might have been involved, but this question wasn’t re- 
solved by the committee. A spring migrant was along the San Lorenzo R. in Santa 
Cruz, SCZ, 25 Apr 2007 (SGt; 2007-126). 
IDENTIFICATION NOT ESTABLISHED: The report of one seen flying over Ca- 
brillo National Monument on Pt. Loma, SD, 13 May 1997 (2007-186) by two very 
experienced observers received little support because the very brief documentation 
lacked sufficient information on the bird’s appearance. 
BLACK ROSY-FINCH Leucosticte atrata. IDENTIFICATION NOT ESTAB- 
LISHED: The description of a rosy-finch seen at close range without the aid of 
binoculars near Mirror L. on Mt. Whitney, INY, 21 Aug 2007 (2007-171), a date 
unprecedented for the Black Rosy-Finch in California, better fit a juvenile Gray- 
crowned Rosy-Finch (L. tephrocotis), which can look very dark and show little if any 
pink on the belly. 
COMMON ROSEFINCH Carpodacus erythrinus (1, 1). Continuing the island’s 
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