SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 
Four White-eyed Vireos in a spring made an above-average count in Southern 
California and included this singing male 31 May 2009 in Aspendell, Inyo County 
on the east slope of the Sierra Nevada, where the elevation is. Photograph by 
Bob Steele. 
This Yellow-throated Vireo, one of six found in Southern California in spring 
2009, was at Galileo Hill, Kern County on 2 June. Photograph by Brad Singer. 
Red-eyed Vireos were more numerous than expected in Southern California in 
spring 2009, with ten reported, including this one caught and banded on Point 
Loma, San Diego County 16 May 2009. Photograph by John Martin. 
other at Owens L. 2 May (MSanM) were inland 
and away from the Salton Sea. A White- 
rumped Sandpiper at C.L. 24-25 May (TEW, 
LLA) brings the total found in California in 
spring to over a dozen. Five Baird’s Sandpipers, 
scarce in spring, were seen at Owens L. be- 
tween 8 Mar and 2 May (SLS, JLD), another 
was at C.L. 9 Apr (SLS), and on the coast one 
was at the Santa Ynez R. estuary 25 Apr (PAG). 
The only Semipalmated Sand- 
pipers were somewhat early mi- 
grants at Edwards A.EB., Kent 
25 Apr (JSF) and P.R 29 Apr 
OSF). A Ruff was near Cantil, 
Kent 5 May (MSanM). An im- 
pressive 7600 Red Phalaropes 
were at Pt. Piedras Blancas 16 
May (RAR). 
An ad. Little Gull on L. Per- 
ris, Riverside 1-29 Mar (TABe) 
was the only one found. A 
Laughing Gull at Hermosa 
Beach, Los Angeles 19 May 
(RM) was on the coast, where 
rare. Six Franklin’s Gulls along 
the coast between 14 Apr and 
24 May, along with 45 in the e. 
part of the Region between 3 
Apr and 31 May, were far few- 
er than in recent years. A Heer- 
mann’s Gull was far inland on 
Klondike L. near Big Pine 6 
Apr (T&JH), and at least 5 
were at S.E.S.S. during period 
(GMcC). Wintering Glaucous 
Gulls lingered into Mar, with 
late individuals at Dockweiler 
Beach, Los Angeles 2 Apr 
(DSC) and Santa Barbara 1 
May (D&DR), and with about 
20 seen moving northward 
past Pt. Piedras Blancas 10 Apr 
through 10 May (RAR). Single 
Least Terns at Klondike L. near 
Big Pine 1 May (DJH), Tinema- 
ha Res. near Big Pine 25 May 
(SLS), Grimshaw L. near Teco- 
pa, Inyo 25 May (SG) and at 
Zzyzx, San Bernardino 23-24 
May (TK), along with up to 5 
at S.E.S.S. 12 May-r (GMcC), 
were inland. An Arctic Tern at 
L. Havasu, San Bernardino 1 
Jun (PEL) and another at 
Owens L. 30 May-1 Jun (DSh) 
were inland, where casual at 
best. A Sandwich Tern at the 
San Diego R. mouth 11 May 
(CB) was only the 5th found in 
California. Two Elegant Terns 
inland near Seeley 15 Apr 
(GMcC) were followed by 10 there 28 Apr 
(GMcC, MS) and another at S.E.S.S. 12 May 
(GMcC). Single South Polar Skuas 21 km off 
Pt. Loma, San Diego 9 May (WTH), between 
San Miguel 1. and Pt. Conception, Santa Bar- 
bara 16 May (TMcG), and 48 km off Pt. Loma 
21 May (DWP) were the only three reported. 
Three Long-tailed Jaegers were found far off 
San Clemente 1. 9-10 May (WTH), and an- 
other was sw. of San Miguel 1. 16 May 
(TMcG). 
Two Pigeon Guillemots at West Cove Pt. on 
San Clemente 1. 25 May (JTS) and another at ‘ 
Laguna Beach, Orange 10 May (RMcN) were 
unusually far south. Two Xantus’s Murrelets 
of the s. subspecies hypoleucus 160 km ssw. of j 
San Clemente 1. 10 May QSF) establish the 
earliest date for this taxon in U.S. waters. A 
Horned Puffin was 25 km w. of San Miguel 1. ; 
16 May (TMcG), and another was 6.4 km w. 
of Santa Cruz 1. 30 May (BA). 
PIGEONS THROUGH VIREOS 
Three Band-tailed Pigeons in e. Kent between ; 
26 Apr and 21 May were in the desert, where i 
rare. Six White-winged Doves were found 
along the coast, where rare, with one in Los f 
Osos, San Luis Obispo 20 May (PAG) being 
the northernmost. A Northern Pygmy-Owl in i 
Bakersfield, Kern 28 Apr (MMcQ) was at an || 
unexpected location. A Lesser Nighthawk on 
San Clemente 1. 18 May (DMG) was the first 
to be documented on the island. A Common 
Nighthawk in Bishop 23 May (SLS) was the 
earliest this spring. A Broad-billed Humming- 
bird was in Borrego Springs 27 May-r (RT). 
Twelve Calliope Hummingbirds at feeders in 
coastal San Luis Obispo between 22 Mar and 1 
May were far more than previously recorded, 
but numbers elsewhere appeared normal. Up 
to 2 Acorn Woodpeckers at B.S. 25-29 Apr 
(KH-L), one near Cantil 1-5 May (MSanM), 
and another at Galileo Hill 23-31 May (TEW, 
LLA) were outside the species’ normal range. 
A Yellow-bellied Sapsucker at Zzyzx 28 May 
(MJSanM) establishes the latest date by far for 
this species in California. 
An Empidonax photographed at Zzyzx 30 
May (TABe, BSi) was thought to be an “east- 
ern” Willow Flycatcher (campestris/trailliO by 
the observers and some experts who reviewed 
photographs; there are no specimens of these 
easterly subspecies from California. The only 
Least Flycatcher reported was at G.H.P. 28 
May (TEW, LLA). An Eastern Phoebe near 
Cantil 16 Mar (MSanM) had likely wintered 
locally. A Great Crested Flycatcher on Pt. 
Loma 20 May (PEL) was completely unex- | 
pected, as the previous 49 California records 
are all from fall. Up to four pairs of Brown- | 
crested Flycatchers were in Borrego Springs, 
San Diego 12 May-i- (BKS, SES); 2 at Scotty’s 
Castle, Inyo 23 May (SLS) were n. of previous !j 
breeding sites in California. A Tropical King- j 
bird, casual as a spring vagrant, was at Pt. i 
Mugu, Ventura 29 May (RMcM). The only j 
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher was at Death Valley j 
Junction, Inyo 25 May (SG). 
A Northern Shrike was near Bishop 17-20 || 
Mar (DAP). Purple Martins returned by 21 I 
504 
NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 
