Date: 10/24/24 2:27 pm From: Florence Sanchez via groups.io <sanchezucsb11...> Subject: [sbcobirding] Gaviota State Park, Oct. 24
I decided to bird there this morning just to see what might still be hanging around. A group of birders was standing streamside, hoping for the Swamp Sparrow, but I did not immediately join them. I walked upstream along the edge of the channel until I reached the point where my way further was blocked by vegetation including a very large Lemonade Berry bush.
In the weedy stuff in front of the bush, I saw bird movement and eventually coaxed out a pair of Bewick's Wrens and a Yellowthroat, but something else remained inside the vegetation only affording tantalizing glimpses. Eventually, I got a fairly good look at most of the bird, and it was apparently a Swamp Sparrow, based on the gray face, very red wings, and overall lack of strong stripes or a facial pattern. A Lincoln's Sparrow flew in from across the creek and provided some contrast to what I had just seen. Finally, both sparrows flew out of the clump of weeks, the Lincoln's going across the stream and the other heading upstream. I got back to the birders at streamside and reported what I'd seen, but they soon departed to chase down the reported Jaeger at Sands beach.
I went back to the spot before I left at 11:30, again finding a Lincoln's Sparrow but no other birds in that patch. I caught a good look at a foraging MARSH WREN across the creek that Adrian had told me about earlier.
Otherwise, birding was fairly quiet here this morning; best birds foraging near the stream were a pair of Lawrence's Goldfinches.
Florence Sanchez
