Date: 3/14/26 6:51 am From: Linus Blomqvist via groups.io <linus.blomqvist...> Subject: [sbcobirding] Report from the Cuyama Winter Bird Survey 2026
Hi all,
The third annual Cuyama Winter Bird Survey took place on January 24-25 and
this is my report. As always, a big thank you to the participants, which
this year numbered 17, for making the trek out to Cuyama and putting so
much effort into the survey.
We had many of the Cuyama specialties - birds that occur here in greater
numbers than elsewhere in the county - including Ferruginous Hawk, Prairie
Falcon, Horned Larks and Mountain bluebirds in the hundreds, Lawrence’s
Goldfinch, Chipping Sparrow, Bell’s Sparrow, Black-throated Sparrow, and
Vesper Sparrow. But my impression - and that of some others I talked to -
was that the valley and its environs were less birdy this year than last
year. While in 2025 we had a heap of rarities and unexpected species, this
year the only standout was Townsend’s Solitaire, one of only five reported
to ebird in the county this winter. The total number of species recorded on
the survey was 102 in 2024, 111 in 2025, and 103 this year, so maybe 2025
was a bit of an outlier. The lack of standout species does not, however,
mean that we didn’t make a meaningful contribution to our understanding of
the area’s avifauna - see the species accounts below.
We did manage three new species for the winter survey - the Townsend’s
Solitaire plus Hooded Merganser and Wilson’s Snipe. Notable misses include
California Condor, with which we’ve been spoiled in previous surveys;
northern/montane migrants like Golden-Crowned Kinglet, Lewis’s Woodpecker,
Red-breasted Nuthatch, Varied Thrush, and Pine Siskin; Brewer’s Sparrow;
and last year’s stars of the show, Sage Thrasher and Sagebrush Sparrow.
Effort was greater this year than in any past year, but this reflected
repeat visits to the same locations rather than adding new locations to the
survey. The total checklist duration was 56 h in 2024, 82 h in 2025, and 98
h this year. The number of checklists for these three years was 41, 82, and
93, respectively. The only real difference in locations covered over these
years is that in 2025 we added the BLM land north of Ballinger Canyon, the
Cuyama River riverbed, and Pato Canyon. These three were covered this year
as well so geographical coverage was almost identical in 2025 and 2026,
with the exception of the Santa Barbara Canyon hiking trail which we
couldn’t survey this year due to high water levels in the creek impeding
passage.
Note that this survey covers not just Cuyama Valley proper (Lehman's
District V), but also the foothills of Sierra Madre. Bates Canyon, Aliso
Park, and the upper reaches of Santa Barbara Canyon were included in the
survey but belong to the Mountain District. A very small number of
locations were in Kern and San Luis Obispo counties, but the bulk of our
coverage was in Santa Barbara County.
Below are accounts of select species. I use Paul Lehman's Birds of Santa
Barbara County (BOSBC) as my reference here. You can access this work here
<https://linusblomqvist.shinyapps.io/bosbc/>. When I mention a status like
"very rare," this is a direct quote from BOSBC. I did not cross-check
everything with eBird, so there may in some cases be more historical
records of individual species than what is mentioned here.
Cinnamon Teal. 1 at Caliente Ranch Wetland. Uncommon transient in District
V. Observed on the survey in 2025 but not in 2024.
Bufflehead. A total of 19 across three different ponds. Rare in District V.
Seen in fairly large numbers on both past surveys - should perhaps not be
considered rare in Cuyama anymore.
Hooded Merganser. 1 at Caliente Ranch Wetland. Casual in District V, with
only a handful of records listed in BOSBC. Not observed on any of the
previous surveys.
Ruddy Duck. 2 at the WTP. Rare in District V. One observed in the 2024
survey and 2 in 2025.
Wilson’s Snipe. 1 at Caliente Ranch Wetland. The first on a winter survey,
but they’re likely regular at this location in winter.
Greater Yellowlegs. 1 at the WTP. Casual in winter in District V, with only
three winter records mentioned in BOSBC. One seen at the WTP during the
2025 survey (not yet included in BOSBC).
Least Sandpiper. 7 at the WTP. Rare winter visitor in District V. 2 seen on
the 2024 survey and 6 in 2025.
Great Egret. 1 at the WTP. Also recorded in 2025. Very rare winter visitor
in District V.
Golden Eagle. 2 in Santa Barbara Canyon and 1 in Pato Canyon; can’t rule
out that one of these was the same individual. These locations border the
mountain district (District M), where they are an uncommon permanent
resident.
Ferruginous Hawk. A total of 4 reported in different locations but some
double-counting is hard to rule out. Fewer than in past years: in 2025,
there were 11 reports of what I assumed involved 6 or so individuals, and
in 2024 there were at least 20 individuals (with that many from a single
checklist).
Owls: we had Barn, Screech, Great Horned, and Pygmy. The Pygmy was in a new
location for the survey - Dry Canyon. No Spotted this year.
Merlin. 5 reports of what could plausibly be just one or two individuals.
Fewer reports than last year but about the same number as in 2024. Uncommon
winter visitor in District V.
Peregrine Falcon. 2 in the District M part of Santa Barbara Canyon. Rare in
District M. In 2025 we had one in District V; no records from the 2024
survey.
Prairie Falcon. 8 reports but hard to know how many unique individuals.
Based on locations and timing, perhaps 3-4. Uncommon permanent resident in
District V.
Cassin’s Kingbird. 1 at Caliente Ranch Wetland. Only one winter record
mentioned in BOSBC but a small number of individuals seem to have
established themselves in recent years at Caliente Ranch, New Cuyama Town,
and perhaps one or two other locations.
Steller’s Jay. 10 in Bates Canyon, a much higher number than in past years
for this location.
American Crow. 3 at their usual location at Aliso Park.
Horned Lark. At least ~900 on the valley flats. Far less than last year
(9100) but similar to 2024 (929).
Rock Wren. 6 across various locations. Far fewer than in 2025 (14) but the
same number as in 2024.
Mountain Bluebird. 269 across various locations. Lower than in 2024 (424)
and 2025 (353).
Townsend’s Solitaire. 1 in Bates Canyon. First one for the survey and one
of only 5 reported in the county this winter.
Lawrence’s Goldfinch. 86 across various locations. Way more than in 2024
(10) and 2025 (2). Very rare before February according to BOSBC.
American Goldfinch. 60 at one of the ag ponds along the 33. Higher than in
past years: just 1 in 2024 and 53 in 2025. Uncommon in District V.
Chipping Sparrow. 3 in New Cuyama. Uncommon winter visitor in District V.
Fewer than in 2024 (14) and 2025 (9).
Black-throated Sparrow. 1 in Ballinger Canyon. Regular at nearby Deer Park
Canyon in winter, but this is the first survey record for Ballinger Canyon.
Still listed as casual in winter in BOSBC.
Bell’s Sparrow. 37 across various locations in District V. Comparable to
past years: 36 in 2024 and 41 in 2025. The highest number from this year
was 20 at the BLM land north of Ballinger Canyon, which was not surveyed in
2024.
Vesper Sparrow. 8 across District V. Uncommon winter visitor in District V.
Fewer than in past years; we had 14 in 2024 and 24 in 2025.
