Hi Pete:
Just writing to confirm our get together on the 8th. is Nancy joining us? Are we having lunch out? Should I make rice pudding?
Shantanu
-----Original Message-----
From: 'Pete Sole' via mbbirds <mbbirds...>
Sent: Apr 5, 2026 10:18 AM
To: MBB Monterey Bay Birds <mbbirds...>
Subject: [MBBIRDS] Easter Weekend Migration Pulse
Hi birders,
Last night we had a big migration pulse. According to BirdCast, from Cornell Lab, some 731,800 birds crossed Santa Cruz County last night. This is the largest migration pulse of the season by far. If you would like to nerd out on more data see:
In micro local news, i.e. our yard, Oak Titmouse seem to have nested in one of our nest boxes, and there is very "suspicious" activity by Violette-green Swallows at another. The partially leucistic Chestnut-backed Chickadee has disappeared, but was last seen with another Chickadee, industrially cleaning out the duff we put into our third nest box by the kitchen window. Just yesterday, an Anna's Hummingbird was collecting cotton from the cotton container put out for the birds.
This morning, a richly "dressed" Black-headed Grosbeak stopped by our feeders and sang repeatedly close by. The Golden-crowned Sparrows are still present and signing, but in declining numbers as they molt into more dapper plumage. "Rumor" has it that the Golden-crowned Sparrows will be departing around April 23rd. (Never mind the fairly consistent historical data, that shows that almost all will have left our area between April 22nd and 24th.) Western Flycatchers, formerly known as Pacific-slope Flycatchers, continue to sing and call, while a Hooded Oriole occasionally calls in in the distance.
For a list of birds seen or heard this morning in our Soquel neighborhood, see:
