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


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group.
View/Reply Online (#37954): https://sbcobirding.groups.io/g/main/message/37954
Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/109198086/858290
-=-=-
For everything birding in Santa Barbara County: http://www.sbcobirding.com
Read the County Reporting List guidelines: http://www.sbcobirding.com/countyreportinglist.html
Updated status and distribution of Santa Barbara County birds: http://www.sbcobirding.com/lehmanbosbc.html
SB Breeding Bird Study: Contribute at http://santabarbaraaudubon.org/santa-barbara-county-breeding-bird-study/
For guides to birding eBird Hotspots in SB, see https://birdinghotspots.org/us/california/santa-barbara-county
-=-=-
Group Owner: main+<owner...>
Unsubscribe: https://sbcobirding.groups.io/g/main/unsub [<lists...>]
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-



 
Join us on Facebook!