habitats used by male and female Allen’s 
Hummingbirds, with females confined largely 
to forested sites (23 females; 0 males) and 
males restricted to chaparral and other open 
areas (58 males; 2 females; 3 sex unknown). 
Our only Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was an 
ad. male at Woodside, San Mateo 17-19 Mar 
(ADeM et al). A Red-naped Sapsucker along 
Lime Kiln Rd. 25 Mar (KPa) was one of few 
ever reported for Tuolumne. A Pileated Wood- 
pecker at Lafayette Park 6 Apr (Richard 
Bradus) provided the 3rd record for S.F., 
whereas another in the Warner Mts., Modoc 
24 May (DVP) was the 2nd for the California 
portion of this range. An Olive-sided Fly- 
catcher at Pacific Grove, Monterey sang vigor- 
ously just outside the species’ normal breed- 
ing range 25 Apr-t- (DR, RC). A Least Fly- 
catcher singing at Carson R. 24 May+ (TEa, 
m.ob.) provided a first record for Alpine. A 
good number of Hammond’s Flycatchers 
away from breeding sites included a very ear- 
ly migrant at San Joaquin Experimental 
Range, Madera 30 Mar QTz). A Dusky Fly- 
catcher returned to Big Basin S.P, Santa Cruz 
6 May+ for its 4th summer (DLSu). Say’s 
Phoebes are not known to breed on the C.Y 
floor, so a singing bird in Fresno, Fresno 25- 
27 May OND) was unexpected. The apparent 
Black Phoebe x Say’s Phoebe hybrid discov- 
ered last season at Ferndale Bottoms, Hum- 
boldt was captured 10 Mar; feathers and blood 
were collected for genetic analysis to confirm 
parentage (fide RbF). A Cassin’s Kingbird at 
Pt. Reyes, Marin 2 May (RS) was notably far 
north. Eastern Kingbirds included a very ear- 
ly bird, the earliest in the Region by six days, 
at Big Lagoon, Humboldt 18 Apr (tMarna 
Powell), another at Venice S.B., San Mateo 16 
May (DaW), and 2 near Grenada, Siskiyou 22 
May (RE). Single Scissor-tailed Elycatchers 
were on EL 2-13 & 30-31 May (PRBO). 
A Loggerhead Shrike near Truckee 8 May 
(MMy) was thought to be the first ever found 
on the e. slope of Nevada. Northern Shrikes 
included one lingering at Huichica Creek 
W.A., Napa and Sonoma until 4 Mar (MBe) 
and another at Humboldt Bay N.W.R., Hum- 
boldt 1-16 Mar (Leslie Tucci, TKz, Justin 
Schneider). A Least Bell’s Vireo was well stud- 
ied at O’Neill Forebay W.A., Merced 21 May 
(PJM). A Yellow-throated Vireo at Big Sur R. 
mouth, Monterey 31 May+ (tMiT, Bill Adams) 
was at a locality where this species has previ- 
ously summered. Single Red-eyed Vireos were 
at Pescadero, San Mateo 17 May (GrH) and 
Big Basin Redwoods S.P., Santa Cruz 19 May 
(DLSu). Common Ravens continue to push 
into new territory. Two birds were attending 
an active nest on the C.V floor near C.R.P 3 
Mar QTr), and 2 were at EL 15 Apr-r (PRBO), 
where they have been observed excavating 
Cassin’s Auklet burrows (fide Russ Bradley). A 
colony of 17-20 pairs of Bank Swallows at a 
gravel and sand mine e. of Lodi, San Joaquin 
near the Mokelumne R. 18 Apr QRow) repre- 
sents the southernmost breeding locality in 
the C.V. A Varied Thrush at C.R.P. 16 May 
(JTr) was very late. 
THRASHERS THROUGH FINCHES 
Three Brown Thrashers included continuing 
birds in Areata, Humboldt through 5 May 
(SWH) and at Coyote Hills R.P., Alameda 
though 15 Mar (Eric Goodill, MDo, MiF), plus 
a new find in Bodega Bay, Sonoma 17 Apr 
(NTC, Steve Huckabone). Our only Tennessee 
Warbler was at Ano Nuevo S.R., San Mateo 24 
May (L. Graham, V. Marshall). Fourteen North- 
ern Parulas was a good total for the Region. 
Chestnut-sided Warblers were in Redding, 
Shasta 11 Apr (ph. Hugh Harvey) and at Pt. 
Reyes, Marin 31 May (RAR, Bob Speckels). A 
Magnolia Warbler was along Tunitas Cr., San 
Mateo 3-5 May (ph. George Chrisman et al), 
and another visited Pt. Reyes, Marin 30 May 
(OsJ, LLu, CLu). A Cape May Warbler at Pt. 
Reyes, Marin 30-31 May (Ed DeBellevue, OsJ, 
RAR , LLu, CLu) was an excellent find. A Yel- 
low-throated Warbler was at Pt. Reyes, Marin 
17 May (DMo, AKl, ph. tMWE). Our only 
Prairie Warbler was banded at Palomarin Field 
Station, Marin 31 May (PRBO). Eleven Palm 
Warblers were all coastal, as were all but one of 
our 11 Black-and-white Warblers, the excep- 
tion being one in Modesto, Stanislaus 25 May 
(Eric Caine, HMR). American Redstarts were at 
Crowley L., Mono 22 May (Bonnie Eanti), 
along Tunitas Cr., San Mateo 25 May (KrO), at 
Pt. Reyes, Marin 29 May (RS), and at Humboldt 
Bay, Humboldt 30 May (Chris Murray). The 
Ferry Park, S.F. Worm-eating Warbler contin- 
ued through 14 Mar (m.ob.). The only Oven- 
bird report came from Pt. Reyes, Marin 30-31 
May (OsJ, LLu, CLu, RAR, Bob Speckels). 
Northern Waterthrushes were at Areata Marsh, 
Humboldt 9-18 Apr (RbF, m.ob.) and Monterey 
Dunes, Monterey 16 May (Kriss Neuman). Both 
our Hooded Warblers were found 28 May, one 
in Pacific Grove, Monterey (RC, ph. DR) and 
the other at Portola S.P, San Mateo (DLSu). 
Summer Tanagers included a male return- 
ing for a 4th year e. of Colfax, Placer 21 May+ 
(Pam & Larry Risser), a singing male at Elk 
Head, Humboldt 25-27 May (Kl), a singing 
second-year male in Davis, Yolo 17 May (SCH, 
ph. jeS), a female in Modesto, Stanislaus 31 
May (2nd county record; ERC, HMR), and 
singles at Pt. Reyes, Marin 29 May (ASH), on 
El. 30-31 May (PRBO), and at Mono Lake 
C.P, Mono 31 May QuH, CMc). Most inter- 
esting was a pair of Summer Tanagers (female 
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA 
with a singing male) at Big Sur R. mouth, 
Monterey 31 May-1 Jun (SBT, OsJ, m.ob.). 
Continuing the tanager pair theme, a male 
and female Scarlet Tanager were on El. 18 
May (PRBO). A wintering Clay-colored Spar- 
row in San Jose, Santa Clara continued until 
17 Mar OPa)- A Brewer’s Sparrow n. of Strat- 
ford 4 May (Mark Stacy) was a good find for 
Kings. Notable Black-throated Sparrows were 
on Fairmont Ridge, Alameda 1 May (Gerry 
McChesney), at Pt. Reyes, Marin 17 May 
(MWE, ASH), on El. 21 May (PRBO), along 
Cherry Lake Rd., Tuolumne 27 May+ (3 birds; 
JTz, m.ob.), and near Auburn, Placer 30 
May-6 Jun (ph. Ron Pozzi, ph. DeR). A 
Swamp Sparrow was at Redwood Shores, San 
Mateo 12 Mar (RSTh). Sixty-two White- 
throated Sparrows was a robust total for 
spring. Wintering Harris’s Sparrows contin- 
ued in Livermore, Alameda through 21 Apr 
(Dennis Rashe) and at Fay Slough W.A., Hum- 
boldt through 8 May (RbF, SeC, JCP). Shasta's 
4th spring record of Harris’s Sparrow was in 
Redding 24-30 Apr (fide BY). 
Monterey’s 3rd Snow Bunting was at Pt. 
Pinos 23-26 May (Dan Gilman, ph. DR, 
m.ob.). This is the latest spring date for this 
species in California. Previously, the latest 
California Snow Bunting was a Cape Mendo- 
cino, Humboldt bird 11 May 1978. That was 
the state’s only May record prior to the bird 
that visited San Diego, San Diego this spring 
(30 Apr-7 May). Photographs of the San 
Diego and Monterey buntings confirmed that 
they were different individuals (fide DR). The 
Rose-breasted Grosbeak total of 26 was the 
highest in at least the past 18 years and more 
than double our spring average. A wintering 
Black-headed Grosbeak in Ukiah, Mendocino 
was present until 8 Mar (BD), and an appar- 
ent Black-headed Grosbeak x Rose-breasted 
Grosbeak was on Gazos Creek Rd., San Mateo 
8 May-1 Jun (AME, Mark Kudrav, ph. KrO, 
Leonie Batkin, m.ob.). Blue Grosbeaks rarely 
breed in the Sierra foothills, so five pairs se. of 
Hensley L., Madera 24 May QND) was an un- 
expected tally. Six of our 9 Indigo Buntings 
were in Marin, and singles were in Mono, San- 
ta Clara, and Santa Cruz. A male Tricolored 
Blackbird near Ft. Bidwell, Modoc 19 Apr 
QCS) might be a first for the Surprise Valley. 
Great-tailed Grackles are now appearing at 
high-elevation Sierra locations such as Mam- 
moth Lakes, Mono (elevation 2500 m), where 
2 birds were present 10 & 19 May (Bob 
Hogan), near Truckee, Nevada (at 1800 m) 14 
May (ECB, Rudy Darling, Brian O’Connor, 
Barney Kroeger), and near Quincy Junction, 
Plumas (1100 m) 14-15 May (Scott & Amber 
Edwards et al). An Orchard Oriole was in S.F. 
1 Mar (Roberta Guise). A Common Redpoll 
VOLUME 63 (2009) • NUMBER 3 
501 
