BAJA CALIFORNIA PENINSULA 
Fourteen Long-tailed Jaegers were found 8 kilometers south of isla Monserrat, 
Baja California Sur on 1 6 April 2009, among them these four. Although the date 
might suggest these birds were spring migrants, they represent the ninth report 
since 2001 by Peter Gaede and others from the southern Gulf of California during 
the period 18 February through 16 April. Most reports have been of multiple 
birds, ranging up to 30 and probably many more, and none have shown any sign 
of migratory restlessness. The winter range of this species remains poorly 
known. Photograph by Peter A. Gaede. 
13 individuals in Mar/Apr this decade. Nei- 
ther species has been found in the area from 
Dec through Feb. Although the species is 
quite comfortable at sea, a Red Phalarope at 
Estero San Jose 29 Mar was said to appear fa- 
tigued (RST). 
One hundred hfty Sabine’s Gulls offshore s. 
of Bahia Magdalena 13 Apr were in large 
groups migrating northward (PAG). The sea- 
son's only Franklin’s Gulls were ads. in the far 
n., at the new Las Arenitas sewage ponds, 
near Cerro Prieto, 16 Apr (2; RAF) and at La- 
gunita El Cipres 15 May (tEDZH). Also at Las 
Arenitas 16 Apr were 100 Gull-billed Terns, 
including courting birds and birds foraging 
over the adjacent desert (RAE). Long-tailed 
Jaegers were found again in the s. Gulf of Cal- 
ifornia: 14 were 8 km s. of 1. Monserrat 16 
Apr (PAG). Although both subspecies of Xan- 
tus’s Murrelet nest on the Islas San Benito, 
and S, h. hypoleucus has been reported nesting 
on Isla Asuncion, a pair of sciippsi Xantus’s 
Murrelets just outside the entrance to Laguna 
San Ignacio 12 Apr (PAG) provided only the 
2nd Baja California Sur report of the species 
that we have received. 
HUMMINGBIRDS 
THROUGH THRASHERS 
In the Colorado Desert, a Costa’s Humming- 
bird nest with young at Campo Mosqueda 17 
Feb (ACF) was early. Downy Woodpeckers 
have been seen regularly near Tecate since 
Mar 2007, but only once has more than one 
been seen. It was more of the same with a lone 
female seen repeatedly from 14 Dec through 1 
Jun QS, RAE, PP). Single migrant Hammond’s 
and Dusky Flycatchers were seen in Mexicali 
16 Apr (RAE), but Willow Flycatcher was un- 
recorded. We have received a number of re- 
ports of Loggerhead Shrikes from 1. Santa 
Catalina; on 15 Apr, 2 ads. were feeding 2 
fledglings there (PAG). A 
Plumbeous ’Vireo and a 
Cassin’s Vireo at Catavina 24 
Mar (RST) were presumably 
migrants. Thirty-five Common 
Ravens on Isla San Benito 
Oeste 10 Apr included one 
feeding on an Osprey nestling 
out of the nest (PAG). It is 
likely that the Region’s raven 
population has increased along 
with the human population, as 
has been the case throughout 
much of the continent. At Islas 
Coronado, a Horned Lark 7 
Mar QSF, WTH et al.) was un- 
usual. 
First dates for migrant swal- 
lows in Baja California were 5 
Feb (Violet-green and Northern Rough- 
winged; Bahia de los Angeles; GF, MF), 18 Feb 
(Tree; El Rosario; RAE), 27 Feb (Cliff; Laguni- 
ta El Cipres; MJB, MSB), and 6 Mar (Barn; La- 
gunita El Cipres; EDZH). Another early nest- 
ing was shown by a Verdin nest with young at 
Bahia de los Angeles in late Jan (GF, MF). 
Eight Bushtits were seen in the foothills on the 
road to San Antonio de la Sierra 23 Mar (JSF 
et al.). All previous Cape District reports to us 
have been from locations that required hiking. 
A report of 6 Red-breasted Nuthatches in the 
pines on Isla Guadalupe 19 Mar (ELP) was ex- 
traordinary. One at the same location on 1 Feb 
2003 (ph. RWH) is the only other record we 
know of since the resident population was last 
reported in 1971. After going unseen for near- 
ly four months, the Tecate Brown Thrasher 
made an encore appearance 17 Apr-3 May 
(ph. JS). The Flickers documented Bahia de 
los Angeles Gray Thrashers fledging in Feb 
again. Little has been published on the nesting 
habits of this Regional endemic. 
WARBLERS THROUGH EXOTICS 
One of the perils of inadequate birder cover- 
age was demonstated by a bright second-year 
male Magnolia Warbler noted 16 Apr at the 
Mexicali zoo (RAE), where no birder had vis- 
ited since mid-Nov. Did the bird winter there, 
or was it a very early spring migrant, perhaps 
from a wintering site in w. Mexico? Either way, 
it was unprecedented in Baja California, al- 
though at least 6 have been found wintering in 
Baja California Sur since 2003. This season’s 
Belding’s Yellowthroat update; one in a marsh 
just s. of La Ribera 8 Mar (LM) was at a new 
location, and one in mangroves on the edge of 
La Paz 13 Mar and 4 in a wet agricultural area 
near Santiago 16 Mar (all SGM) furthur 
demonstrated the species’ ability to frequent 
atypical habitats, at least occasionally. 
Two Clay-colored Sparrows at Todos San- 
tos 22 Apr (PAG) were late, although, as with 
so many species, this sparrow’s springtime 
movements in Baja California Sur are poorly 
known. Far to the n., a Lincoln’s Sparrow that 
landed on a boat ca. 32 km s. of Islas Todos 
Santos 27 Mar (DW) was certainly on the 
move. Five Oregon Juncos at the n. end of Isla 
Guadalupe 19 Mar (ELP) echoed the 18 Mar 
2007 record of 8 from the same location. One 
wonders how often mainland birds remain in 
the island’s coniferous forests and whether 
they are able to contribute to the endemic 
junco gene pool. Although the A.O.U. cur- 
rently recognizes the Guadalupe birds as one 
of many subspecies of Dark-eyed Junco, it 
was not always so. Continuing with the hy- 
brid theme, an apparent Northern Cardinal x 
Pyrrhuloxia was near San Jose del Cabo 20 
Mar (ph. SGM). This hybrid combination has 
rarely been reported in the literature. 
At least 3 Western Meadowlarks were still 
singing at Chametla 14 Mar (ph. SGM). 
Great-tailed Grackles were first seen in the 
mountains last spring; this year, 2 males were 
at the same location. Rancho Japa, on 16 Apr 
(RAE). The earliest transient Hooded Oriole 
at Bahia de los Angeles was seen 21 Jan (MF, 
GF); birds were at El Rosario and Catavina by 
18-19 Feb (RAE). House Finches may be es- 
tablished again on Islas San Benito, as they 
were noted in 2006 and again on 9 Feb (PJ) 
and 10 Apr (15, PAG), but clarification is de- 
sired. The situation is similar to the Northern 
Flickers on Isla Guadalupe, where the main- 
land subspecies has recolonized the range of 
an extinct endemic subspecies (Sweet et al.. 
Western Birds 32: 71-80, 2001). Forty 
Lawrence’s Goldfinches at Santo Tomas 24 
Mar (RST) represents the largest concentra- 
tion ever reported to us. 
Exotic species were again seen in Ensena- 
da: a Spotted Dove 13 Apr and 2 Aratinga 
parakeets through 8 Jun (ph. EDZH). The 
parakeets appeared close to — but did not 
match perfectly — Mitred and Scarlet-fronted, 
so some degree of hybridization was suspect- 
ed (KLG). 
Contributors: Victor Ayala, Mark J. Billings, 
Melissa S. Butler, Alejandra Calvo Fonseca, 
Michael D. Carmody, Roberto Carmona, 
Rafael Cruz-Lopez, Mariana Diaz, Richard A. 
Erickson, Jonathan S. Feenstra, George Flick- 
er, Mary Flicker, Peter A. Gaede, Daniel Galin- 
do Espinosa, Kimball L. Garrett, Robert A. 
Hamilton, Robert W. Henry III, Osvel Hino- 
josa-Huerta, Steve N. G. Howell, W. Terry 
Hunefeld, Oscar Johnson, Paul Jones, Diego 
Juaristi, Kathy Keane, Paul E. Lehman, 
Guadalupe Marron, Steven G. Mlodinow, Lar- 
508 
NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 
