Date: 11/16/24 7:15 pm From: Alex Castelein via groups.io <alex.castelein...> Subject: [sbcobirding] Sagebrush Sparrow in Cuyama - Complicated Access
Hi all,
First the good news- Today Linus and I birded the Cuyama Valley pretty
hard, and the obvious highlight was a Sagebrush Sparrow! I’d thought there
was a solid chance this species might winter in very small numbers among
Bell’s Sparrows in Cuyama, so this was exactly the species I was hoping to
find this weekend. And boy do I feel vindicated!
Now the bad news- The sparrow’s location, while on public land, is a
complicated/sensitive spot to access. It is on BLM land (so it’s public)
about half a kilometer south of the county line, but requires caution so I
won’t provide the details publicly.
After the Gray Vireo incident, we wanted to let people know promptly and
give everyone the opportunity to search for the bird. Just like the vireo,
this is a second mainland-county record (3rd overall), so I’m sure many
would love to see it. That said, it is still a complicated location, so if
you’d like to look for the sparrow, please reply to me personally (NOT to
the whole group) and I will be happy to provide detailed instructions on
how to go about birding the spot. You can email me or text me
(650-521-6344), though the latter might go through easier since we have
very poor reception here (Linus has none).
There’s also a solid chance this bird spends the winter in that patch of
habitat, and it’s always possible for there to be more than one, or more in
other spots where Bell’s Sparrows congregate. If you look for this bird,
make sure to study up because they only have a few subtle differences from
Bell’s.
We’ll send out a more complete report of our weekend in Cuyama once we get
back home. I will try to get an eBird checklist with photos of the bird in
by tonight.
