Date: 10/18/26 8:54 am From: Nick Lethaby via groups.io <nlethaby...> Subject: [sbcobirding] Scorpion birds
All,
I spent Oct 15 to 17 out at Scorpion. I had originally planned to go just go for one night but correctly predicted that Island Packers would cancel the boat on the 16th, so went a day early.
I was hoping that the strong Santa Ana would be really good fir a migrant fallout, especially as it was coming from the NE rather than the the E as they had on my previous visit during a Santa Ana. While there were some migrants around, diversity was not that great and I spent a lot of time sifting through junco and WC Sparrow flocks.
The first day yielded a nice Red Fox Sparrow, a Cooper's Hawk and 6 Purple Finches. A BT Gray was the only non YR or OC warbler of the whole trip. I missed a flock of 6 nutcrackers. I had about 9 Chipping Sparrows.
The next day I hiked to Smugglers but that was not great apart from 2 Lawrence's Goldfinches. I later had one of these at Scorpion along with a Gray-headed Junco. After suspecting Cassin's Finches on day one, I found 2 females as the wind calmed down in the late afternoon.
The third day was less windy than the second and easily the best of the trip. Checking the drinking spot early in the morning by the Pier proved productive with a Vesper Sparrow and 3 Lawrence's Goldfinches. Both Cassin's and Purple Finches were evident and I finally caught up with a nutcracker. A couple of Merlins, a second Gray-headed Junco and a late pewee were the best of the rest.
Regards,
Nick Lethaby Goleta, CA <nlethaby...> +1 805 284 6200
