NORTHERN CALIFORNIA 
in Fresno, Fresno 12 Mar (ph. Sue Thorson) 
provided the southernmost record for the 
state. This bird was 120 km s. of last spring’s 
FI. redpoll, which was 200 km s. of the previ- 
ous southernmost record. 
Cited observers (county coordinators in 
boldface): Ken Able, Tim Amaral, Bob Batta- 
gin, Edward C. Beedy, Murray Berner (Napa), 
William G. Bousman (Santa Clara), Phil D. 
Brown, Lucas Brug, Betty Burridge, Eric R. 
Caine, Scott Carey, Rita Carratello, George E. 
Chaniot, Chris Conard (Sacramento), Nancy 
T. Conzett, Hugh Cotter, J. Michael Danzen- 
baker, Rudy Darling (Nevada), Jeff N. Davis 
(Madera), Al DeMartini, David DeSante, 
Bruce E. Deuel (n. C.V counties), Barbara 
Dolan, Matthew Dodder, Todd Easterla, Mark 
W. Eaton (San Francisco), Alan M. Eisner, 
Ray Ekstrom (Siskiyou), Kevin Enns-Rempel, 
Mike Feighner, Brian Fitch, David Fix, 
Michael Force, Rick Fournier (RF), Rob 
Fowler (RbF; Humboldt), Steve Gerow (Santa 
Cruz), Steve A. Glover (Contra Costa), Helen 
Green, Steve C. Hampton, Rob Hansen, W. 
Edward Harper, Stanley W. Harris, Garth Har- 
wood, Laird Henkel, Justin Hite, Alan S. Hop- 
kins, Lisa Hug, John E. Hunter (Trinity), Ken 
Irwin, Richard G. Jeffers, Oscar Johnson, 
Robert J. Keiffer (Mendocino), Andy Klein- 
hesselink, Tony Kurz, Laura Langham, Jim 
Laughlin, Robin L. C. Leong (Solano), Ron 
LeValley, Cindy Lieurance, Leslie Lieurance, 
Janet L. Linthicum, Jim Lomax, John S. 
Luther, Michael J. Mammoser, J. Mac Mc- 
Cormick (Plumas and Sierra), Chris Mc- 
Creedy, Todd McGrath, Peter J. Metropulos 
(San Mateo), Martin Meyers, Dominik Mosur, 
Kristie N. Nelson (Mono), Frances Oliver 
(San Joaquin), Kris Olson, Ed Pandolfino 
(Placer), Kathy Parker, Janna Pauser, Jeff 
Poklen, Gary W. Potter (Fresno), Jude C. 
Power, Robert C. Power, Harold M. Reeve 
(Stanislaus), David C. Rice, Jean M. Rich- 
mond, Robert J. Richmond (Alameda), Don 
Roberson (Monterey), Michael M. Rogers, 
Deren Ross, Kerry G. Ross, Stephen C. Rot- 
tenborn, James Rowoth, Ruth A. Rudesill 
(Sonoma), Paul Saraceni, Donald E. 
Schmoldt, Jeff Seay (Kings), Daniel Singer, W. 
Scott Smithson, Jim H. Snowden, Rich Stall- 
cup, John C. Sterling (Modoc, Alpine, and 
Calaveras), Grace Steurer, Matthew Strusis- 
Timmer, David L. Suddjian (Santa Cruz), Bri- 
an L. Sullivan, Steven D. Summers (Tulare), 
Richard Ternullo, Ryan Terrill (Marin), Scott 
B. Terrill, Ronald S. Thorn, Jim Tietz (EL), 
John Trochet, Mike Tyner, Steve Umland 
(Tuolumne), Kent Van Vuren (Merced and San 
Benito), David Vander Pluym, Chuck E. 
Vaughn, Matt Wachs, Jeff H. Wall, Bruce 
Webb, Jerry R. White (Lake), Dan Williams, 
David Wimpfheimer, Roger Wolfe, Gary 
Woods, Bob & Carol Yutzy (Shasta). Many 
more observers are not specifically cited; all 
are appreciated. © 
Stephen C. Rottenborn 
(Loons to Frigatebirds, Lands to Aidds) 
983 University Avenue, Building D 
Los Gatos, California 95032 
(srottenborn@harveyecology.com) 
Michael M. Rogers 
(Waterfowl to Quail, Herons to Shorebirds) 
499 Novato Avenue, Sunnyvale, California 94086 
(m.m.rogers@comcast.net) 
Jeff N. Davis 
(Doves toWrentit) 
7815 North Palm Avenue, Suite 310 
Fresno, California 93711, (jdavis@harveyecology.com) 
Ed Pandolfino 
(Thrashers to Finches) 
5530 Delrose Court, Carmichael, California 95608 
(erpfromca@aol.com) 
Southern California 
Guy McCaskie 
Kimball L Garrett 
he season was highlighted by Califor- 
nia’s first spring Great Crested Fly- 
catcher and a late Snow Bunting excep- 
tionally far south in San Diego County. There 
was an impressive number and variety of va- 
grant passerines from the east in eastern Kern 
County and elsewhere; these included a 
greater-than-average showing of “southeast- 
ern” warblers and vireos, in a minor echo of 
502 
the phenomenon noted in the Region in 1992 
(see Patten and Marantz, Auk 113: 911-923, 
1996). Rose-breasted Grosbeaks also ap- 
peared in exceptional numbers. 
We long ago ceased presenting “arrival 
dates” for spring migrants because of the Re- 
gion’s geographical complexity and the diffi- 
culty of teasing apart truly early spring ar- 
rivals from birds that wintered locally but 
went undetected during the winter. A Pacific- 
slope Flycatcher at Lake Perris, Riverside 
County 1 Mar (HBK) was felt to be a spring 
arrival, though at least 10 birds of this species 
wintered on the coastal slope. But were adult 
male Black-headed Grosbeaks near San Diego 
11 Mar (ChH) and near San Luis Obispo 19 
Mar (SB) record-early spring arrivals for their 
counties or birds that wintered locally? A very 
early 4 April Swainson’s Thrush near El Cen- 
tro, Imperial County (KZK) can more confi- 
dently be called a spring arrival, as the species 
has never wintered in California. But what 
about the many April Plumbeous Vireos; were 
they true migrants or previously undetected 
lingering winterers? Was a 16 April Tennessee 
Warbler at a well-covered site in Los Angeles a 
very early migrant (though not normally ex- 
pected until May)? Did it perhaps winter 
nearby, or at least somewhere well to the 
northwest of its “expected” winter range? 
Such issues are hard to resolve. Another re- 
curring problem with our spring report is a 
clerical issue regarding late spring vagrants; 
this year, as is typically the case, there was a 
continuous trickle of vagrants from mid- and 
late May through early June and onward 
(even into July!). We don’t always receive re- 
ports after the 31 May cut-off date, so a true 
picture of the numbers of “spring” vagrants 
cannot be complete until additional records 
mentioned in the summer season report are 
taken into account. 
Abbreviations: B.S. (Butterbredt Spring at the 
s. end of the Sierra Nevada above Cantil, e. 
Kern); C.L. (China Lake Naval Air Weapons 
Station, extreme ne. Kem); FC.R. (Furnace 
Creek Ranch, Death Valley N.P., Inyo); G.H.P. 
(Galileo Hill Park, extreme e. Kem); N.E.S.S. 
(n. end of the Salton Sea, Riverside) ; PR (Piute 
Ponds on Edwards A.FB., ne. Los Angeles); 
S.E.S.S. (s. end of the Salton Sea, Imperial). 
NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 
