OREGON & WASHINGTON 
& 22 Jul (R. Maertz). Numbers of Evening 
Grosbeaks in the W.V and in Oregon’s Coast 
Range were far above the norm throughout 
the season (m.ob.). 
Observers (subregional and eBird compilers 
in boldface): Tom Aversa (Washington), Gary 
Bletsch, Justin Bosler, Tayler Brooks, Kathy 
Castelein, Alan Contreras, Craig Corder 
(Spokane), Scott Downes, Daniel Farrar, Deb- 
bie Fischer, Bob Flores, Graham Floyd, John 
Gatchet, Chuck Gates (Crook), Joel Geier, 
George Gerdts, Roy Gerig, Jeff Gilligan, Greg 
Gillson (Washington, The Bird Guide Pelag- 
ics), Denny Granstrand (Yakima), Jim Hein, 
Hendrik Herlyn, Randy Hill, Adrian Hinkle, 
Christopher Hinkle, Michael, Hobbs, Wayne 
Hoffman, Eugene Hunn, Tim Janzen, Stuart 
Johnston (Hood River, Klickitat), Bill LaFram- 
boise (Tower Columbia Basin), Nancy 
FaFramboise (Tower Columbia Basin), Janet 
Lamberson, Dave Tauten, Ryan Merrill, Craig 
& Marilyn Miller (Deschutes, Jefferson) , Steve 
Mlodinow Don Munson, Harry Nehls (Ore- 
gon), Mike Patterson (Clatsop), Tim Ro- 
denkirk (Coos, Cuny), Owen Schmidt, Bill 
Shelmerdine, Doug Schonewald, Kevin 
Spencer (Klamath), W. Douglas Robinson 
(Benton, Polk), Andy Stepniewski, Ellen Step- 
niewski, John Sullivan, Julie Van Moorhem, 
Dan Waggoner, Michael Willison, Jay With- 
gott, Charlie Wright (eBird). ^ 
David Irons, 740 Foothill Drive 
Eugene, Oregon 97405, (llsdirons@nisn.com) 
Douglas Schonewald, 1535 South Skyline Drive 
Moses Lake, Washington 98837, (dschone8@donobi.net) 
Brad Waggoner, 7865 Fletcher Bay Road N.E. 
Bainbridge Island, Washington 98110 
(wagtail@sounddsl.com) 
Bill Tweit,R0. Box 1271 
Olympia, Washington 98507, (Sebnabgill@aol.com) 
Northern California 
Fort Bragg# 
Point Arena# 
Bodega Bay> •Sacramento 
Pt Reyes j- 
Cordell Bankm^^ 
S.E. Farallor) Ism 
•i"-# Berkeley 
i^Sat) Joaquin 
"'Valley Refuges 
Santa Cruz 
Monterey Bay 
Montereyf Salinas'^ 
Big Sur\ 
esno# Canyo^ t 
NP 
Seqmia 
Tulare Lake ' \ 
Basin ■. .• ) 
Davidson Seamount 
Michael M. Rogers 
Jeff N. Davis 
Ed Pandolfino 
Stephen C. Rottenborn 
I n late May, coastal weather patterns 
changed from strong northwesterly winds 
to calm and warm conditions that persist- 
ed for several weeks. As a result, upwelling 
subsided, and the sea surface temperature in- 
creased to 14.8° C. The resulting effect on 
productivity and hsh populations caused food 
shortages that contributed to very low repro- 
ductive success for many seabirds. While 
these El Nino conditions adversely affected 
some of our local breeders, they provided an 
unprecedented opportunity for birders to see 
large numbers of Cook’s Petrels in the Re- 
gion. A single Stejneger’s Petrel was reported 
among one of the flocks of Cook’s Petrels. 
Onshore weather drew little comment, gener- 
ally being described as cool and mild. The 
only other boldfaced species found this' sea- 
son were an Arctic Toon and the long-staying 
Common Black-Hawk. 
Abbreviations: C.B.R.C. (California B.R.C.); 
C.R.P (Cosumnes River Preserve, Sacramen- 
to)', C.V (Central Valley); FI. (Southeast Far- 
allon I., San Francisco)' H.R.S. (Hayward R.S., 
Alameda)', PRBO (PRBO Conservation Sci- 
ence); S.F (San Francisco, not State Forest). 
Reports of exceptional vagrants submitted 
without documentation are not published. 
Documentation of C.B.R.C. review species 
will be forwarded to Guy McCaskie, Secretary, 
P. O. Box 275, Imperial Beach, California 
91933. Birds banded on FI. should be credit- 
ed to PRBO Conservation Science and those 
banded at Big Sur R. mouth to the Ventana 
Wildlife Society. 
WATERFOWL THROUGH 
CORMORANTS 
A tally of 85 Brant at the s. spit of Humboldt 
Bay, Humboldt 1 Jul (KBu) was high for sum- 
mer; up to 5 at H.R.S. 23 Jun-8 Jul (RJR et al.) 
were unexpected so far inside S.F Bay. Twelve 
ad. Redheads near Mendota 8 Jun (ph. GaW) 
included a female with 4 ducklings, a rare 
breeding conhrmation for Fresno. A pair of 
Ring-necked Ducks at Searsville F. 25 Jul+ 
(RSTh, Feonie Batkin) provided the 3rd sum- 
mer record for San Mateo. Fesser Scaup bred 
again at H.R.S., with two broods detected 11- 
23 Jul (RJR). Summering Harlequin Ducks in- 
cluded males on Humboldt Bay, Humboldt 27 
Jun (MWa), at Fort Bragg, Mendocino 16 
Jun-13 Jul (B. Bernard, ph. PP), and the Coy- 
ote Pt., San Mateo bird 1 Jun+ (RSTh, George 
Chrisman, Feonie Batkin), hnishing its 7th 
year there. Only a single Fong-tailed Duck was 
noted past 4 Jun, one at King Salmon, Hum- 
boldt through 29 Jul (MWa). A male Black 
Scoter was also present there 24 Jun-29 Jul 
(MWa). A vocal ad. female Bufflehead at a 
pond s. of Tenaya F. in Yosemite N.E, Mariposa 
16 Jun (KER) was suggestive of breeding. Two 
Common Goldeneyes at the Stanly Ranch wet- 
lands s. of Napa, Napa 12-31 Jul (MBe) were 
very unseasonable but appeared healthy. 
Hooded Mergansers summered again at Steam- 
boat F., Sishiyou (2 birds; RE), which suggests 
the possibility of local breeding. Common 
Mergansers at F. Solano were confirmed using 
next boxes in Solano 9 Jun (MFRi). 
In Sonoma, an Arctic Toon at the Sea Ranch 
14 Jun (ph. TTEa) would provide the 6th Re- 
gional record (p.a.), and a Yellow-billed Toon 
at Bodega Harbor 26 Jun-3 Aug (ph. Ruth 
Tonascia, RoM, m.ob.) was the Region’s 6th in 
summer. Providing a first summer record 
away from the ocean for San Mateo, a Pacific 
Toon was at Coyote Pt. 29 Jul-5 Aug (RSTh, 
Feonie Batkin). The lone Red-necked Grebe 
report was of an alternate-plumaged bird in 
Bodega Harbor, Sonoma 27 Jul (RS, m.ob.). 
Western and Clark’s Grebes summered in un- 
usually high numbers along the Santa Cruz 
coastline, with a high count of 11,125 (803 
Western, 137 Clark’s, the rest unidentified) 29 
Jul (DFSu); for the 2nd consecutive year, 
none nested at Clear F., Lake QRW). A band- 
ed imm. Short-tailed Albatross on Monterey 
Bay 30 Ju! (ph. Fisa Etherington) provided 
Santa Cruz’s first record. Warm water accom- 
panying El Nino conditions brought unprece- 
dented numbers of Cook’s Petrels to 
nearshore Monterey waters in late Jul. A single 
individual just 9 km w. of Ragged Pt. 30 Jul 
(MFo) was unusually close to shore. The next 
day. Force’s seabird survey recorded 179, 
650 
NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 
