24 
THE CONDOR 
Vol. XVIII 
Larus Philadelphia. Bonaparte Gull. Also a straggler in summer: Horse Lake, 
June 5, 1912, two immature birds; Goose Lake, June 20, 1912, three immatures. 
Xema sabini. Sabine Gull. Occasionally ventures ashore. Mr. Torrey told me that 
he had seen a specimen on the Estero, but I did not learn the date. Commander and 
Mrs. Parmenter saw a bird at the mouth of Romero Creek on the 4th of June, 1915. On 
the 25th of August, Prof. Lynds Jones and I encountered an immature Sabine on the 
Estero at Santa Barbara under exceptionally favorable circumstances. The bird lighted 
upon the ground at close range after it had traversed the marsh in a rather vacillating 
fashion; but when pressed too closely put off to sea again. 
Sterna caspia. Caspian Tern. “Rather rare winter visitant and migrant”. A com- 
pany of some twenty birds haunted the flats off the mouth of Davis Creek on Goose Lake 
in 1912, and gave the impression that they were only waiting for decent weather as an 
excuse for nesting. We had them under observation from the 10th of June on, but 
devastating storms occurred on the 22nd, and there were no signs of progress when we 
last saw them on the 24th. Other “unseasonable” records are: Los Banos, June 4, 1914 
(1 bird); Santa Barbara Estero, May 27, 1915 (1 bird); and Santa Barbara (Sandyland), 
August 6, 1915 (1 bird). 
Sterna antillarum. Least Tern. A colony of about forty pairs bred with indifferent 
success at the Sandyland beach, about ten miles east of Santa Barbara in the summer 
of 1915. 
Hydrochelidon nigra surinamensis. Black Tern. “Occurs rarely on the seacoast 
during migration”. The autumnal movement of this species in 1915 formed a marked 
exception to the rule at Santa Barbara. On the 25th of August we saw thousands of 
these birds feeding over the kelp beds just off shore, and a few of them drifted onto the 
esteros. As late as the 11th of September they were still plentiful on the lagoons, espe- 
cially at Santa Barbara and Sandyland, but only a scattering few appeared over the kelp. 
Oceanodroma homochroa. Ashy Petrel. Confirmatory. A specimen was picked up 
dead on the beach at Sandyland, near Santa Barbara, May 5, 1915; not preserved. 
Pelecanus erythrorhynchos. White Pelican. A single bird appeared on Laguna 
Blanca near Santa Barbara, December 27, 1914. 
Anhinga anhinga. Water Turkey. “One living individual scrutinized by Allan 
Brooks, February 9, 1913, at Potholes”, etc. Two other individuals were also scrutinized 
by myself (under 8-power binoculars) at the same spot on the 12th of February, 1913. 
The birds were at a considerable range, but their behavior contrasted strongly with 
that of the Farallon Cormorants which accompanied them. 
Mareca americana. Baldpate. “Common winter visitant”. I found the Baldpate 
breeding commonly at Davis Creek in Modoc County, where I took two sets of eggs, one 
of nine, fresh, June 20, 1912, and one of eleven, advanced in incubation on Jhne 24, 1912. 
Others, evidently breeding birds, were seen near Eagleville in the Surprise Valley, July 
12, 1912. 
Querqueaula discors. Blue-winged Teal. “Rather rare transient and winter visit- 
ant, occurring altogether on fresh water”. . . . “Santa Barbara (Torrey, Condor, XI, 1909, 
p. 173). Mr. Torrey’s record was of two males and one (presumed) female seen on 
Laguna Blanca and the Estero from January 21 to May 1, 1908; and from December 6, 
1908, to March 16, 1909. A notable movement of this species was witnessed by Prof. 
Lynds Jones and myself at Santa Barbara on the 25th of August, 1915. We were wading 
about in the ‘“Estero”, a brackish backwater area adjacent to the railroad yards, and 
saw several small flocks of ducks which we took to be Blue-winged Teals. While we 
were deliberating, a splendid flock of about twenty birds, all males, charged in and set- 
tled before us, allowing careful inspection with binoculars. The surprising thing about 
the birds is (I am not at all familiar with the species at this season) that they had suf- 
ficiently recovered from their eclipse plumage to be easily recognized as males, notably 
by the appearance of the white crescent between eye and bill. Unfortunately the local- 
ity was not kept under close observation, though other flocks which included females 
were seen as late as the 11th of September at the same place. November 4, 1911, and 
May 7, 1915, are my only other dates for Santa Barbara. 
Dafila acuta. Pintail. “Abundant winter visitant”, etc. Considering how early 
this species clears for its northern breeding grounds in the spring (the bulk of them 
quit the Santa Barbara coast in February, though stragglers appear into May), I was 
astonished at the numbers which returned in late August of the year 1915. On the 25th, 
