California Lifers

Wednesday 27th

Fog shrouded Santa Cruz Island

Visit my Trip List on eBird California Lifers - eBird Trip Report to see our birding activates.

Black-footed Albatross

 California pelagic trip had been on my bucket list for years, but in 2023, my planned trip with Island Packers out of Ventura California was canceled due to weather—disappointing. I rescheduled for October 2024 but had to miss it due to illness.

Sutil Island is a big rock adjacent to Santa Barbara Island
and our destination for Blue-footed and Cocos Boobies

Cocos Boobies have expanded their range northward with hundreds nesting on Sutil Island

My Photo of a Minke Whale
this is typical of most of my photography on this trip

 Fortunately, my friends Dave and Tammy McQuade reached out and helped me get on some Pacific coast life birds. They invited me to join them and my new friend, big year birder Geno Ellison, on two pelagic trips out of Ventura: The Blue Booby Trip on August 7th and the Pelagic Trip on August 9th. We also added a third trip to Santa Cruz Island for the Island Scrub Jay, plus a visit to the Burkhart campsite in Angeles National Forest, where I saw several lifers and a Southern Pacific Rattlesnake.

We also went to the Mt Clef Ridge in for the California Gnatcatcher but dipped on that one. 

Cactus Wren

Scaly-breasted Munia

The sage-cactus habitat at Mt Clef Ridge supports many birds
 and was our target for the California Gnatcatchers

The birding trip was a success overall, with great weather, 25 lifers, and several new friends. However, I missed a few life birds seen by others, such as the long-tailed jaeger, south polar skua, least storm-petrel, northern pygmy-owl, and brown creepers. The group also dipped on searches for mountain quail, MacGillivray's warbler, American dipper, and California gnatcatchers.

On the Burkhart trail looking for lifers.
Dave, Tammy and Geno were working to find me some good birds

White-headed Woodpecker

Santa Cruz Island Fox

Black-crowned Nighthawk

Ventura Harbor

Bucket List Trip - The Channel Islands

 Thursday October 20th

A few weeks ago, I went out to California. Never been this far west before, so there were a lot of lifers for me to enjoy. This trip was centered around a pelagic trip out of Ventura on September 30th.

Scorpion Cove at Santa Cruz Island

When I booked the pelagic trip with Island Packers, I added a trip out to Santa Cruz Island for the 29th. A visit to Santa Cruz Island within the Channel Islands National Park has been on my bucket list for a very long time. The Island Scrub-Jay is only found in the Santa Cruz Island, as are the Santa Cruz Island Fox. The island also hosts dozens of endemic and rare plant species. The naturalist in me was keen to visit such a unique place. There are whales, seals and dolphins too.

Santa Cruz Fox Island

Wavy Turban shell

The Channel Islands are clearly visible from the mainland as it is only a 32 mile away. So the ferry ride across the Santa Barbara Channel was usually only an hour long. On both the trip out and on the return Humpback Whales were feeding and a few Common Dolphins. Was too concerned on missing getting photos of the cetaceans because tomorrows ten-hour pelagic trip would offer a wealth of opportunities. Unfortunately, my pelagic trip was cancelled due to bad weather.

 The day-trippers, like myself, had about six hours to explorer. Lots of visitors were campers and backpackers. Fox boxes were located at the visitor cent and each camp site, because the endemic island foxes are quite crafty in snatching any campers of visitors' food left unsecured. The ravens were just as bad. 

The endemic Island Scrub-Jay

I chose to do my birding and nature hiking around the Scorpion Campground and a hike up the Scorpion Canyon and to Cavern Point. 

 

White-crowned Sparrow

Island Loggerhead Shrike
an endemic subspecies to the island

House Finch sitting in some dry milk thistles.

Slender Iceplant

Tagged Common Ravens seen at the campgrounds.

Greene's Dudleya