Date: 9/21/26 1:52 pm From: Florence Sanchez via groups.io <sanchezucsb11...> Subject: [sbcobirding] La Cumbre Peak this morning
Bad decision to bird there this morning as it ended up being wreathed in fog and cloud with much cooler temperatures. As a result, bird activity was almost nil. Visibility was such that looking for flocks flying by was pretty much impossible.
I picked up 2 Fox Sparrows in the scrub area between the lone picnic area and the road to the lookout. Both were gray-backed "slatey" types. I could not see the head on one of the birds, the other was definitely not a "Thick-billed." A Rock Wren found by a birder yesterday was still hopping around in the same area. The only other birder there told me he'd picked up the continuing flock of Cassin's Finches.
I went down to the large communications station to see if things were any better, and they weren't. Bird activity was almost nil, but I did find 3 Cassin's Finches and a Northern Pygmy Owl sounded off repeatedly.
I finally gave up and went down to the tech park in Goleta. However, either the good stuff found yesterday departed during the night or it was just too late in the morning. I found only a few common Warblers; Orange-crowned, Wilson's, Townsend's and Black-throated Gray.
Florence Sanchez
