Baja California Peninsula 
Ensenada 
Richard A. Erickson 
Roberto Carmona 
Gorgonio Ruiz-Campos 
B irders visiting the Region in fall expect 
great things, and this year they weren’t 
disappointed. Asia provided the real ex- 
citement, as members of two widespread Old 
World genera were recorded for the first time: 
Northern Wheatear (two) and Little Bunting. 
The latter was also a first for Mexico. It is pos- 
sible that the wheatears originated in Alaska; 
but the third Regional first, Sprague’s Pipit, cer- 
tainly had not left its home continent. Tradi- 
tional eastern vagrant passerines were general- 
ly lacking, especially in the California District; 
but Baja California recorded its second Nelson’s 
Sharp-tailed Sparrow and third Kentucky War- 
bler; and Baja California Sur recorded its first 
and second Bay-breasted and second Grace’s 
Warblers. Seabirds were all but unreported, and 
the only water bird mentionable here was Baja 
California’s first Red-footed Booby. 
GIBE THROUGH TERNS 
Greater White-fronted Geese made perhaps 
their best fall showing on record, with 91 re- 
ported from seven locations south to s. Baja 
California 5 Oct-28 Nov. A Cackling Goose 
farther south, at the Guerrero Negro salt- 
works 30 Oct (RC, GY), was the only other 
freshwater goose reported. Horned Grebes 
typically don’t appear at our latitude before 
Nov — Unitt (San Diego County Bird Atlas, 
2004) reported none earlier than 27 Oct — so 
one at Estero Punta Banda 19-21 Sep (ph. 
AM) was noteworthy. Unexpected away from 
the open ocean was a Leach’s Storm-Petrel 
over Ensenada 29 Sep (EDZH). An imm. 
Blue-footed Booby at Is. Los Coronados 4 Oct 
(WTH et al.) was where an ad. was present 
Feb-Aug 2007. Up to 2 at Laguna Ojo de 
Liebre 20 Aug-27 Sep (RC et al.) were also 
out of place. But a Red-footed Booby that fol- 
lowed a boat from 168 km s. of San Diego 
(and 29 km offshore) rode all the way to Pt. 
Loma 28-29 Sep 0^, ph. JW), establishing 
the first record for Baja California. 
The only American Bittern reported was at a 
traditional location, Lagunita El Cipres 9 Nov 
(EDZH), while 3 imm. Little Blue Herons were 
found away from traditional locations: Bahia 
de los Angeles 2 Nov (ph. GF, ME), Rancho 
San Jose de Castro 4-5 Oct (ph. MJB, RAE, 
PAG), and Punta Eugenia 21 Oct (RAE, MSM). 
White Ibis were found slightly n. of their usu- 
al range, with 3 imms. at Bahia Asuncion 21 
Oct (RAE, MSM) and up to 6 at the Guerrero 
Negro saltworks 23 Oct-26 Nov (GM et al.). 
A Red-shouldered Hawk at Rancho San Jose 
de Castro 21-26 Oct (ph. RAE, MSM, CLW) 
was the 4th found on the 'Vizcaino Pen.; all 
have been imms. in Oct. The only Swainson’s 
Hawk reported was seen flying southward over 
Tecate 17 Oct (ph. JS). In ne. Baja California, 
an ad. Zone-tailed Hawk near Pescaderos 14 
Nov (ph. KAR, GHR) was the 2nd reported 
from that area. In the sw. corner of the state, 2 
Crested Caracaras at Villa Jesus Maria 24 Oct 
(SNGH, JHB, CLW) represented the 5th record 
from that area since 1994, all in Oct. Depend- 
ing upon one’s treatment of a long-staying bird 
seen crossing the border into Tijuana in Sep 
2006, we know of no oth- 
er state records since the 
1920s. A Merlin seen eat- 
ing a storm-petrel at 27° 
16’ N, 118°32’W(ca. 382 
km off the Vizcaino Pen.) 
6 Oct (ph. JO) was mak- 
ing use of the prey base 
available. 
As is typical, the haul 
of rare and uncommon 
shorebirds was modest. 
One Pacific Golden- 
Plover was at Laguna 
Guerrero Negro 26 Sep 
(VA, NA), and 2 Solitary 
Sandpipers were in Baja 
California 23 Sep-3 Oct. 
A juv. Ruddy Turnstone 
was inland in the north- 
east at the Cerro Prieto geothermal ponds 29 
Aug (ph. ESM, MMGS), and 6 Baird’s and 4 
Pectoral Sandpipers were restricted to the Viz- 
caino Desert in Oct. The shorebird highlight 
was a juv. female Ruff at Guerrero Negro 5 
Oct (ph. MJB et al). Black Tern numbers con- 
tinue to pile up in the Guerrero Negro salt- 
works area. This year’s maximum of 6703 on 
26 Sep (VA, GM) was nearly double the pre- 
vious high from 2006. 
WOODPECKERS THROUGH PIPITS 
A female Yellow-shafted Flicker at the Mexi- 
cali Zoo 14 Nov was considered “likely pure” 
(KAR, GHR), but, as with most previous 
records, it was not seen well enough for care- 
ful evaluation. More Least Flycatchers were 
found than in any season since 2002: 3 were 
on or near the Vizcaino Pen. 4-7 Oct. In con- 
trast, there were no reports of rare/ 
uncommon western Empidonax (Willow, 
Hammond’s, Dusky). Among the larger fly- 
catchers, 2 Tropical Kingbirds were found 
away from the Cape District in Oct, 2 Western 
Kingbirds were seen in Baja California Sur, 
and best: a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher was at I. 
Cedros 6-7 Nov (tAGA). 
The seasonal status of the endangered Bell’s 
Vireo on the Vizcaino Pen. is unclear, let 
alone the subspecific status (cf. North Ameri- 
can Birds 62: 325). Birds were found nesting 
in 1995 (no one has checked since!), and the 
occasional bird in fall has generally been con- 
sidered a lingering bird or rare migrant. Birds 
at Bahia Tortugas 5 & 22 Oct (possibly the 
same bird; RAE, PAG) were away from nest- 
ing habitat, but wintering seems possible. As 
is often the case at traditional migrant traps 
from the Vizcaino Pen. northward, records of 
Plumbeous Vireo (2; Catavina 23 Oct, MSM, 
RAE) and Cassin’s Vireo (1; Santo Tomas, 7 
Oct, RAE) were matched or exceeded by Red- 
eyed Vireo (la Bufadora 23 Sep, ph. MJB, RAE, 
MAGB; Bahia de los Angeles 11-15 Oct, ph. 
GF, ME) and Yellow-green Vireo (Maneadero 
Plain 21 Sep, tAM; El Rosario 3 Oct, PAG). 
Another Plumbeous was at the Mexicali Zoo 
14 Nov (KAR, GHR). 
Noteworthy swallows included a Northern 
Rough-winged at Guerrero Negro 24 Oct 
(CLW, JHB, SNGH; late for the cen. Peninsu- 
la) and single Banks at El Rosario 3 Oct (MJB) 
Doing what boobies do: this Red-footed Booby — establishing the first record for the 
state of Baja California — landed on a fishing boat in Mexican waters about 168 kilome- 
ters south of Point Loma on 28 September 2008 and then followed and rode all the way 
to San Diego. Photograph by John Woltmm 
VOLUME 63 (2009) • NUMBER 1 
161 
