Date: 10/2/26 3:51 pm From: Bradley Hacker via groups.io <bradley.r.hacker...> Subject: [sbcobirding] Big Pine
For personal reasons I had to wedge in a trip to Big Pine this week in
spite of the absurd temperatures in Santa Barbara Canyon/Cox Flat and
the presence of plentiful flies.
To avoid death from dehydration, my visit was a quick--rather than
thorough--check to see whether this year's irruptive Evening Grosbeaks,
Clarks Nuts, and Pinyon Jays are present. Indeed they are, although not
in abundance commensurate or in excess of that observed elsewhere from
similar habitats and elevations (e.g., San Rafael Peak). Whether this is
an apparent dilution resulting from the enhanced size of the habitat or
the briefness of my visit, I cannot say.
I saw 2 Grosbeaks and I and Merlin thought we heard a couple more (again
Type 1). Purple and Cassin's Finches also seemed scarce.
Clark's Nutcrackers were present in 2 of the 4 places I looked, but I'll
bet I could have heard distant calls everywhere I visited. A total of 10
were either seen or inferred from calls.
Pinyon Jays--at least 6--were seen only in the pine+grass area a few
hundred meters along the West Big Pine trail west of the main dirt road.
Compared to my other visits, Juncos, Fox Sparrows, and Hermit Thrushes
seemed anomalously abundant.
https://ebird.org/checklist/S398374465 https://ebird.org/checklist/S398374685 https://ebird.org/checklist/S398373833 https://ebird.org/checklist/S398373049
My return trip to Cox Flat was made more memorable by first bending the
rear valve stem enough for it to leak rapidly, and then getting a pinch
flat on the tube I put in. Fun times. 95F by 11AM at Cox Flat.
