Sunday October 29th
My recent birding tour out to California had basically revolved around a scheduled pelagic trip out of Ventura. Sadly, the pelagic trip was cancelled due to weather, but there was still lots to see.
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| Yellow-billed Magpie |
On Zaca Station Road, near Los Olivos, a number of Yellow-billed Magpies were easily found. This bird is solely an endemic to California. Other species seen here included Acorn Woodpeckers, Oak Titmouse, California Scrub-Jays, Western Bluebirds, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Western Meadowlarks, a Kestrel and a Coyote.
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Acorn Woodpecker
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eBird Checklist - 1 Oct 2023 - Zaca Station Rd. - 14 species
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| Coyote |
Had also headed up to the Mt Pinos Campground in the Angeles National Forest. to look for White-headed Woodpeckers. It's a 100-mile drive from the coast to the top of Mt Pinos at 8000 feet elevation.
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| Mt Pinos Chipmunk |
Found the
White-headed Woodpecker, plus Steller's Jay, Clark's Nutcracker, White-breasted Nuthatch, American Robin, Band-tailed Pigeon, California Scrub Jay, Cassin's Finch, Dark-eyed Junco, Brown Creeper and Mountain Chickadee.eBird Checklist - 28 Sep 2023 - Chula Vista Campground - 15 species
https://ebird.org/checklist/S150936978
Had made a couple of visits to Lake Los Carneros Park, just east from the Santa Barbara Airport
https://ebird.org/checklist/S150897710
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| California Ground Squirrel |
https://ebird.org/checklist/S151200869
Found lots of western birds here to add to my life list including California Towhee, Cassin's Kingbird, Nuttell's Woodpecker, Acorn Woodpeckers, Anne's Hummingbird, plus White-crowned Sparrows, White-tailed Kites, Black Phoebe, Eared Grebes, Bewick's Wren, Mallards, Northern shovelers and the California Ground Squirrels.
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| Black Phoebe |
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| American Crow |
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| California Scrub-Jay |
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| Northern Shoveler |
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| Eared Grebe |
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| Western Fence Lizard |
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| Checkered White |
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| Mallard |
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| House Finch |
Next to the Ventura Harbor were the Venture Settling Ponds. The ponds are active with a Sora, waterfowl, gulls, terns, pelicans, cormorants and wading birds. The grasses and scrubs hosted sparrows, finches, woodpeckers, a Bushtit and warblers.
https://ebird.org/checklist/S151100221 and https://ebird.org/checklist/S150964731
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Western Side-blotched Lizard
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| Desert Cottontail |
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| West Coast Lady |
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| Gadwall |
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| Western Gulls |
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| California Gull |
Ventura Harbor offered more lifers as well including Brandt's Cormorants, Pelagic Cormorants, Wandering Tattlers, Surfbird, Western Gulls, Heermanns Gulls, Black Turnstones and Black Oystercatchers, plus Whimbrels, Long-billed Curlews, Ring-billed Gulls, Ruddy Turnstones, Sanderlings, Fosters Terns, Willet, Spotted Sandpipers, Western Grebe and Elegant Terns
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| Western Gull |
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| Western Gull |
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| Wandering Tattler |
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| Wandering Tattler |
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| Wandering Tattler |
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| Ring-billed Gull |
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| Heermann's Gull |
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| Black Turnstone |
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| Brewers Blackbird |
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| Black Oystercatcher |
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| Spotted Sandpiper |
