Date: 9/6/26 3:35 pm From: Florence Sanchez via groups.io <sanchezucsb11...> Subject: [sbcobirding] Coal Oil Point Beaches, Sept. 6
It was a challenge to bird the beaches at high tide this morning, but well-worth rock-hopping in places. The Isla Vista portion of the beach had modest numbers of Long-billed Curlews and other species, but I still found everything that I have been seeing there at lower tides except for the Juvenile Red Knot.
The main portion of the beach was almost birdless. However, by walking all the way up the Ellwood portion of the beach, I found most of the species I've been seeing there in the past but today in much lower numbers. The exception was Black-bellied Plovers. My total for the morning was 149 birds.
Two large groups of Plovers were resting on the sand and allowed really close perusal. The Ellwood Beach group of 82 Black-Bellies still included the same 3 Short-billed Dowitchers, few Sanderlings, and Ruddy Turnstone that I've seen on previous visits. I noticed that the Ruddy Turnstone is now missing one leg.
Another large group of 43 Black-Bellies was behind the Snowy Plover barrier. This group included at bird that looked a lot like it might be a Golden Plover, based on the plumage. However, it was the same size and had the same heavy bill of all the Black-bellied Plovers around it, so I decided it was not. Unfortunately because it was behind the barrier, I could not rouse the flock enough so that the bird would take a short flight and show the tell-tell presence or absence of the black "armpits."
Florence
