Date: 12/17/25 6:41 pm From: Hugh Ranson via groups.io <zonetail1...> Subject: [sbcobirding] Scouting at Zoo
This morning Mark Bright and I received permission to go into the SB Zoo to scout for the SBCBC.
The good: Reasonable numbers of Townsend's Warblers and Ruby-crowned Kinglets. A Nashville Warbler. Higher than usual numbers of Orange-crowned Warblers, including two gray-headed birds (presumed orestera), and two extremely dull birds that look good for the nominate celata. I got three reasonable photos of the second bird that you can see here:
Comments welcomed if you are familiar with celata.
The bad: very low numbers of birds that are usually common or reasonably common. For example, we saw 4 White-crowned Sparrows, 1 Lincoln's Sparrow, and perhaps 15 Yellow-rumped Warblers.
The ugly: no Golden-crowned or Fox Sparrows, no Wilson's Warblers (usually 1 or 2 at the zoo), and not even a single mockingbird.
We then went to Carpinteria where we saw the continuing Prothonotary Warbler and heard the Grace's Warbler calling several times.
