NORTHERN CALIFORNIA 
and was extremely early; another at Fall River 
L. 27 Oct-15 Nov (KAb, BY, CY) was the 4th 
for Shasta. Nine Pacific Loons were noted at 
four inland locations 27 Oct-15 Nov. Single 
juv. Yellow-billed Loons were off Pacific Grove, 
Monterey 26 Oct (TEa, ph. DR, RgW, m.ob.) 
and at Bodega Bay, Sonoma 8-30 Nov (RSa, 
BDP, CLu, tLLu, ph. m.ob.). An individual at 
San Luis Res. and O’Neill Forebay, Merced was 
seen on multiple occasions 14 Sep-12 Oct 
(JSL, m.ob.); presumably it was one of 2 seen 
together at O’Neill Forebay on 14 Nov (tPJM), 
representing the first state record of multiple 
birds. Red-necked Grebes inland included sin- 
gles near Glenhaven, Lake 18 Nov (|RW), at L. 
Shastina, Siskiyou 8-21 Nov (RE), and at the 
Winters W.T.P., Yolo 19 Oct (GEw). 
Laysan Albatrosses seen from shore includ- 
ed one at Pt. Pinos, Monterey 5 Aug (MtB) and 
the Pt. Arena Cove, Mendocino bird, which re- 
turned for a 16th winter 22 Nov (Tom Reid, 
m.ob.); there were 10 reports of single indi- 
viduals seen on boat trips. A juv. Short-tailed 
Albatross at Cordell Bank, Marin 8 Aug (Dave 
Minard, ph. Jan Roletto) was the Region’s 14th 
in the past decade, a testament to recovery ef- 
forts for this species. Also increasing in recent 
years, Hawaiian/Galapagos Petrel was repre- 
sented by three sightings off Ft. Bragg, Mendo- 
cino 8 Aug (ShJ, ph. m.ob.); more than half of 
the Region’s 18 or so records, most or all of 
which have likely been Hawaiian Petrels, are 
from Aug. The first Cook’s Petrels for El. were 
singles on 31 Aug (RyT) and 21 Sep (tMtB). 
Boat trips found several rarities among the 
large shearwater flocks along the cen. coast 
this fall. A Streaked Shearwater 22 km nw. of 
Pt. Pinos, Monterey 12 Oct (TAm, ph. TEa, 
m.ob.) was the Region’s 16th, 11 of which 
have been from Monterey. Even rarer, a 
Greater Shearwater 9 km w. of Pt. Lobos, 
Monterey 29 Nov (ph. BLS, SBT, LTer, ShJ) 
was the Region’s 7th. A light-morph Wedge- 
tailed Shearwater on 23 Aug was 20 km ssw. 
of Ano Nuevo Pt. when found, providing a 
first record for San Mateo; this 5 th Regional 
record eventually wandered across the county 
line into Santa Cruz waters (TEa, RT, RgW, 
DSg, ph. JPo). What might have been the 
same bird was reported from shore at 
Pescadero S.B., San Mateo 1 Sep (tADeM). A 
Flesh-footed Shearwater was seen from shore 
at Pigeon Pt., San Mateo 8 Oct (RSTh). Shear- 
waters rarely wander into estuarine settings, 
so a Sooty at H.R.S. 21 Sep (RJR) was re- 
markable. Now a regular part of our 
nearshore avifauna, Manx Shearwaters were 
reported on eight occasions. On Monterey 
Bay, singles were found 15 & 24 Aug and 13 
& 25 Sep (ShJ, TEa, DSg, ph. JPo), and 2 were 
present 14 Sep (RgW, RT, TAm, MJM, ph. 
Ryan Phillips). One at EL 24 Aug (tMtB) pro- 
vided the 11th island record, and another was 
seen from shore at Pigeon Pt., San Mateo 31 
Aug (RSTh). One or 2 seen en route to 
Cordell Bank 16 Nov (RS, BDP, RAR, m.ob.) 
included one in Sonoma waters, providing a 
2nd county record. Black-vented Shearwaters 
first appeared 21 Sep on Monterey Bay, Santa 
Cruz (ph. DR, RgW), with numbers building 
to a high of 3500 during a 2-hour seawatch at 
Pt. Pinos, Monterey 20 Nov (Dave Tetlow). 
An Ashy Storm-Petrel was inside S.E Bay, 
where unusual, at H.R.S. 25 Sep (RPD). Oth- 
erwise, most storm-petrel activity (and all of 
the following reports) were in Santa Cruz wa- 
ters of Monterey Bay. Counts of 3-5 Wilson’s 
Storm-Petrels were made on five dates 23 
Aug-22 Sep (Monterey Seabirds, ShJ). Leach’s 
Storm-Petrels are infrequently recorded on 
Monterey Bay, being 
much more regular far- 
ther offshore, so single 
individuals 13 & 14 Sep 
(ShJ) were noteworthy. 
Ashy Storm-Petrels were 
in good numbers, peak- 
ing at 10,000 (the bulk of 
the world’s population) 
on 14 Sep; in contrast, 
the high count of Black 
Storm-Petrels was only 
60, also on 14 Sep (ShJ). 
Single Least Storm-Pe- 
trels were reported 23 
Aug and 13 Sep, and 4 
were found on 5 Oct 
(Monterey Seabirds, ShJ). 
Inland Brown Pelican records have been in- 
creasing in number in recent years but are still 
noteworthy. Two at L. Hennessey 9 Aug, with 
one lingering through 23 Aug (C. Toews, 
GyK, tMBe, m.ob.), provided a rare inland 
record for Napa. Others included San 
Joaquin’s 3rd in Stockton 28 Sep (Lynette 
Buckman) and 2-3 at San Luis Res. and 
O’Neill Forebay Merced 14-20 Sep, with one 
seen sporadically until 22 Nov (TEa, JSL, 
KW, m.ob.). The high coastal count was of 
5000 at Pillar Pt. Harbor, San Mateo 17 Sep 
(RSTh). Rare so far inside S.E Bay, single 
Pelagic Cormorants in Santa Clara were at the 
Alviso salt ponds 13 Sep-i- Q™ Thomas, 
m.ob.) and off the Stevens Cr. mouth in 
Mountain View 19 Oct (MJM). 
HEROICS THROUGH FALCONS 
The only Least Bittern reports were from 
Clear L., Lake. At least one juv. and one ad. at 
Rodman Slough 2-7 Aug (RbF et al.) were fol- 
lowed by 2 ads. and 2 juvs. 1.6 km upslough 
18 Aug (Brad Barnwell); an ad. was at the 
Kelsey Cr. outlet 5 Sep (ph. Brad Barnwell). 
The ad. Little Blue Heron found in summer 
along Alameda Cr. in Fremont, Alameda con- 
tinued until 6 Sep (m.ob.). Cattle Egrets in 
unexpected locations included Lake’s 3rd 
record along Reclamation Rd. 19 Aug (3 
birds; DvW, JRW) and 14 in Placer along 
Brewer Rd. 29 Nov (BWb); coastal birds reap- 
peared in Redwood Shores, San Mateo 12 Aug 
(KrO) and in Santa Clara at Mountain View 1 
Sep (Carol Dienger, Jide MDo) and Palo Alto 
20 Sep-8 Nov (Karen DeMello, Kay Partelow, 
MJM, m.ob.), the latter joined by a 2nd bird 
17-21 Oct (WGB et al). A Green Heron at 
Tule Lake N.W.R. 10 Sep (SAG) was one of 
few Modoc records. A Glossy Ibis along Brew- 
er Rd. at Kempton Rd., Sutter 2 Sep (ph. TEa, 
Lisa Jorgensen) continues a string of recent 
C.V reports, many of which are still pending 
C.B.R.C. acceptance. Small numbers of 
White-faced Ibis reached eight coastal coun- 
ties 9 Aug-29 Nov (m.ob.). 
The Region’s 9th Mississippi Kite, a juv., 
circled Hawk Hill in the Marin Headlands be- 
fore heading northward 25 Oct (Steve Bauer, 
ph. Mary Malec). Marin’s previous two 
records, from the same location, have also 
been fall migrants. Coastal migrant Northern 
Goshawks included singles in Humboldt 6 Oct 
(TWL) and 12 Nov (ad.; MHa) and single 
juvs. at Hawk Hill, Marin 10 (ph. John Gar- 
rett, DVP, OsJ) & 11 Oct (same bird?; Steve 
Bauer). The usual passage of Broad-winged 
Hawks past the Marin Headlands mid- 
Sep-mid-Oct was followed by a late juv. at Bat- 
tery Godfrey, S.F. 16 Nov (MWE, KMcK, 
DPM, Andy Kleinhesselink). Single Swain- 
son’s Hawks were reported in six coastal or 
slightly inland counties from S.F. to Monterey 
6 Sep-14 Oct (m.ob.). Harlan’s Hawks re- 
turned to Coyote Valley, Santa Clara for a 2nd 
winter 8 Nov-i- (Ryan Phillips) and Areata, 
Humboldt 16 Nov+ for a 7th winter (DCo, RbF, 
Black Turnstones are very rare inland in northern California. Remarkably, this one pho- 
tographed on private property in southern Kings County 26 August 2008 made the sixth 
county record. Photograph by Jeff Seay. 
VOLUME 63 (2009) • NUMBER 1 
151 
