Date: 3/22/26 5:46 pm From: Florence Sanchez via groups.io <sanchezucsb11...> Subject: [sbcobirding] Coal Oil Point Beach March 22
I walked the beach at low tide this morning, my first beach walk to this beach for 2026. There was a nice assortment of shorebirds, some of which (like Western sandpipers and Willets) are transitioning into alternate plumage. As Conor has also reported, there was a single Common Murre on the beach, being hassled for a time by younger Western Gull that got scared off by a beach walker. There might have been traces of oil on the feathers, but I chose not to move in too close to be sure.
Also of note were 3 Brandt's Cormorants huddled in the rocks at the base of the cliff. They must have crossed the beach to get there, behavior which seemed somewhat unusual to me.
Florence Sanchez
