SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 
Northern Cardinals of the southwestern subspecies superbus are rare visitors to the Colorado River portion of the Southern 
Califortria region; the male on the left was in Blythe, Riverside County 1-3 (here 2) May 2009. Escapees and small local breed- 
ing populations on the coastal slope are usually of one of the eastern North American subspecies and show more black across 
the forehead such as this bird (right) at Hansen Dam, Los Angeles County, photographed on 1 May 2009. Photographs by 
Roger Higson (left} and Kimball L Garrett (right). 
Lazere, Andrew K. Lee, Mark Lee, Paul E. 
Lehman, Jim Lomax, Steve Lombardi, Barry 
Mantell (BMa), Sarah B. Mayer, Guy McCask- 
ie (Imperial & San Diego), Chet McGaugh, 
Todd McGrath, Jimmy McMorran, Robert Mc- 
Morran, Robert McNab, Michael McQuerrey, 
Tom Meixner, Ron Melin, Martin Meyers, Bob 
Miller (BMi), John Morgan, Doug Morton, 
Stephen J. Myers, Frances Oliver, Mark Os- 
okow, Melanie Oxley, Debby A. Parker, Jim & 
Debby Parker O&DP), Robert T. Patton, Jim 
Pea, Julianne L. Pierson, Gary Potter, David W. 
Povey Dianna & Don Ricky (D&DR), Richard 
A. Rowlett, Jim S. Royer, Matt Sadowski, 
Michael J. San Miguel, Mike San Miguel, Alan 
E Schmierer, Brad K. Schram, Dave Shuford 
(DSh), Brad Singer (BSi), Maggie L. Smith, Su- 
san E. Smith, Regine Snitzer, Steve Sosensky 
(SSo),Justyn T. Stahl (San Clemente Island), 
Trent R. Stanley, Bob Steele (BSt), Susan L. 
Steele, Don Sterba (DSt), Sam Stewart (SSt), 
Karen Straus, Joe Sweeney, A1 Tapia, Robert 
Theriault, Philip Unitt, Charlie Van Tassel, 
Matt T. Victoria, Douglas R. Willick (Orange), 
John C. Wilson (Kern), Thomas E. Wurster. 
An additional 35+ observers who could not be 
individually acknowledged submitted reports; 
all have our thanks. 1^ 
Guy McCaskie, 954 Grove Avenue 
Imperial Beach, California 91932, (guymcc(S)pacbell.net) 
Kimball L. Garrett 
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County 
900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, California 90007 
(kgarrett@nhm.org) 
Baja California Peninsula 
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San Jose del Cabo 
Richard A. Erickson 
Roberto Carmona 
Gorgonio Ruiz-Campos 
C overage was light, and highlights were 
few. Fourteen Long-tailed Jaegers 
were in the southern Gulf of Califor- 
nia in mid- April. There were more reports 
than usual from Pacific islands, including 
high counts of Red-breasted Nuthatch and 
Oregon Junco on Guadalupe and thought- 
provoking records of Common Raven and 
House Finch on San Benito. The Region’s first 
Brown Thrasher reappeared, and there was an 
enigmatic Magnolia Warbler in the Mexicali 
Valley. 
WATERFOWL THROUGH ALCIDS 
Migrant Brant were reported throughout the 
season across the n. tier of the Region, from 
Nine Mile Bank (3 on 8 Mar, WTH et al.) and 
Lagunita El Cipres (one on 14 May, ph. 
EDZH) to the Cerro Prieto geothermal ponds 
(3 on 29 May, ESM). Seven at Laguna Hanson 
3 Apr (ph. GR-C) and one at Rancho Japa 16 
Apr (ph. RAE) were the first to be reported 
from the Region’s mountainous n. interior. 
Freshwater Surf Scoters were at Laguna Han- 
son (one on 3 Apr, ph. GR-C) and Lagunita El 
Cipres (one on 14-15 May, ph. EDZH). Least 
Grebes were seen at five locations from La Paz 
s. in Mar, including one new one: 2 were at a 
small pond near the biosphere reserve gate on 
the road to San Antonio de la Sierra 23 Mar 
(MSM et al). Early Pied-billed Grebe broods 
were noted at Estero San Jose 11 Jan and 18 
Mar (SGM), but this species is known for its 
long nesting period. 
At the s. end of the Region, a Black-footed 
Albatross and a lingering Northern Fulmar 
were near Gorda Banks, and a worn Cook’s 
Petrel was 16 km off Cabo San Lucas, all 14 
Apr (PAG). In the foothills s. of La Paz, the 
small pond at El Oro has received attention 
from birders since 2007. A Neotropic Cor- 
morant there 16 Mar (ph. SGM) represented 
one of the latest additions to pond’s bird list. 
Conventional wisdom is that very few mi- 
grants pass through Baja California Sur in 
spring (e.g.. Monographs in Field Ornithology 
3:153-154, Wader Study Group Bulletin 105: 
65-70). Two “South American” species that 
have developed spring patterns of occurrence 
in Baja California Sur, albeit in tiny numbers, 
are American Golden-Plover and Baird’s 
Sandpiper. This year, an American Golden- 
Plover, mostly in basic plumage, was at El 
Centenario 13-15 Mar (ph. SGM), and a 
Baird’s Sandpiper was at Estero San Jose 6 
May (DGE). Two other species wintering pri- 
marily in South America may be establishing 
the same pattern in the Cape District: a Stilt 
Sandpiper at Chametla/El Centenario 2-15 
Mar (LM, ph. SGM) established the 2nd Mar 
record in the area this decade, and up to 2 
Wilson’s Phalaropes at Chametla/El Cente- 
nario 2-15 Mar (LM, ph. SGM) and one at Es- 
tero San Jose 9 Mar (LM) were preceded by 
VOLUME 63 (2009) • NUMBER 3 
507 
