NORTHERN CALIFORNIA 
Yellow-billed Loons have become regular winter visitors to Northern California, but few have been as closely photographed 
as this bird, which lingered on Tomales Bay in Marin County until 18 May 2009 (here). Photograph by Galen Leeds. 
mental justice in his short life, but it will be 
his wit, compassion, and giant smile that we 
remember most. Also, after 38 seasons serv- 
ing as a Regional Editor, Steve Glover will be 
stepping down. California’s loss will be 
Texas’s gain, as Steve leaves for the Lone Star 
state. 'We will miss not only Steve’s contribu- 
tions to this report but more broadly his con- 
tributions to California ornithology as a 
whole, as Steve has been one of the more 
wide-ranging birders in the state in recent 
years. As we wish Steve the best, we welcome 
the experience of Jeff Davis, who will now be 
summarizing records for Doves through 
Wrentit. 
Abbreviations: C.B.R.C. (California B.R.C.); 
C.R.P. (Cosumnes River Preserve, Sacramen- 
to)', C.V. (Central Valley); El. (Southeast Ear- 
allon 1,, San Francisco); H.R.S. (Elayward R.S., 
Alameda); PRBO (PRBO Conservation Sci- 
ence); S.E (San Erancisco, not State Eorest). 
Reports of exceptional vagrants submitted 
without documentation are not published. 
Documentation of C.B.R.C. review species 
will be forwarded to Guy McCaskie, Secretary, 
P. O. Box 275, Imperial Beach, California 
91933. 
WATERFOWL 
A notable 6 blue-morph Ross’s Geese, the 
only ones reported this season, were found at 
Merced N.W.R., Merced 14 Mar (PJM). In- 
land Brant included one at Shasta Valley 
W.A., Siskiyou 17 Mar (Bob Smith, Mike 
McVey) and two records inside S.E Bay: one 
at H.R.S. 29 Apr (RJR) and 15 in South S.E, 
San Mateo 9-11 May (DMo). A Canada 
Goose with goslings at Pillar Pt. marsh 10 
May (RSTh) represented the first confirmed 
breeding for coastal Son Mateo. A Trumpeter 
Swan at Auburn R.P, Placer 6-9 Apr (ph. 
Roger Perkins, ER ph. Ron Pozzi, ph. Steve 
Rose) was relatively tame, raising concerns 
about its provenance. A Bewick’s Swan was 
at L. Almanor, Plumas 21 Mar (RAR, Peter 
Colasanti). Notable Eurasian Wigeon reports 
included one in Indian Valley, Plumas 1 1 Mar 
(BBg) and San Mateo's 2nd May record at 
Redwood Shores 1 May (RSTh). Thirty-one 
Blue-winged Teal in a single pond along Gun 
Club Rd. near Gustine, Merced 20 Mar was a 
high count for anywhere in the Region 
(PJM). Northern Shoveler hybrids contin- 
ued, with San Mateo’s Northern Shoveler x 
Gadwall hybrid at Belmont Slough through 
28 Mar (A1 Duerson, fide RSTh) and appar- 
ently different Northern Shoveler x Blue- 
winged Teal hybrids at Palo Alto, Santa Clara 
22 Mar (ph. Steve Zamek) and 18-22 Apr 
(MMR, ph. Sonny Mencher et ah), perhaps 
involving the same bird seen here 11-27 Jan. 
Live Eurasian Teal from four counties in- 
cluded inland birds at Shasta Valley W.A., 
Siskiyou 5 Apr (RE) and at the Llano Seco 
Unit of the Sacramento N.W.R., Butte 23 
Mar-4 Apr OHS). Inland Long-tailed Ducks 
included one at Shasta Valley W.A., Siskiyou 
4 Apr (RE) and the continuing female at 
Beale A.EB., Yuba through 8 Apr QLa); 4 lin- 
gered inside S.E Bay as late as 19 Apr. Com- 
mon Goldeneyes lingered late in Santa Clara 
(4 May; MJM), Mendocino (7 May; CEV), 
and Santa Cruz (29 May; DLSu et al). A 
Common Merganser family at the Napa Riv- 
er Ecological Reserve 14 May (C. Harris) 
provided the first breeding record for the 
Napa R. and only about the 3rd for Napa. A 
Red-breasted Merganser at Crowley L., Mono 
19 Mar (KNN) was notably far inland. 
LOONS THROUGH CORMORANTS 
Both of Marin’s wintering Yellow-billed Loons 
lingered on Tomales Bay n. of Marshall 
through 15 Apr, with one present until 18 
May (DDeS, ADeM, JMR, RS, BBu, ph. Galen ' 
Leeds). Another was at the Elk R. mouth, 
Humboldt 17-28 Apr (RbE, Russ Namitz, ScC). 
A Red-necked Grebe at Dorris Res. 14 Apr 
(SCR) provided an overdue first record for 
Modoc. Others away from tidal water includ- 
ed singles at Crystal Springs Res., San Mateo 
17 Mar (V Marshall, E. Koster) and Shasta j 
Valley W.A., Siskiyou 29 Apr (RE). With the 
exception of the Pt. Arena Cove, Mendocino 
bird, last reported 25 Mar Qeanne Jackson, 
Tom Reid, GS), Laysan Albatrosses are rarely 
seen from shore, so one seen from Pt. Pinos, 
Monterey 22 Mar (BLS) was significant. 
Among 4 Laysans on Monterey Bay, Mon- 
terey/Santa Cruz 23 May (RgW, ph. JPo, TAm) 
was one from the Guadalupe I. colony with a 
radio transmitter; this ad. had a chick in the 
colony at the time, so its visit to Monterey Bay 
was a foraging trip for provisioning of its ' 
young (fide RgW, JPo). Murphy’s Petrels were 
recorded in good numbers and unusually 
close to shore. During a NOAA research 
cruise, one or 2 were recorded daily during 
the period 20-25 May, with individuals 11-56 
km offshore in Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Ma- 
teo, San Francisco, and Matin waters (MEo). 
One of these birds, 11 km sw. of Punta Santa ; 
Cruz, Santa Cruz 20 May, provided the first 
record inside well-birded Monterey Bay but 
was quickly followed by 2 near the middle of 
Monterey Bay, one each in Monterey and San- ; 
ta Cruz, 23 May (RgW, ph JPo, TAm, RT). The jj 
NOAA cruise produced single Hawaiian Pe- i, 
trels 30 km s. of El. 24 May and 45 km and I 
109 km wnw. of Bodega Head, Sonoma 26 
May (MEo). Rounding out the Pterodroma re- 
ports, 2 Mottled Petrels were 56 km off n. Del 
Norte 8 May (tSteve Mlodinow, Ryan Shaw). 
A Flesh-footed Shearwater off Santa Cruz 20 
May and 2 Short-tailed Shearwaters off Marin 
25 May were the only ones reported (both 
MEo). Single Manx Shearwaters were off Pt. 
Pinos, Monterey 15 Mar (tjon Eeenstra, 
TMcG) and 23 May (tTAm, RgW), and one 
was seen from Pigeon Pt., San Mateo 4 Apr 
(RSTh, tDSg, MWE, Ed DeBellevue). A new 
Double-crested Cormorant colony was estab- 
498 
NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 
