Date: 7/19/26 4:15 am From: <lehman.paul...> via groups.io <lehman.paul...> Subject: [CALBIRDS] San Diego pelagic 18 Jul: 2 Cook's, 2 Laysans, 7 Guadalupes, Nazca, 4 Townsend's, 17 Black-footeds, 14 Craveri's
The San Diego pelagic trip on Saturday, July 18, aboard "Legacy" and sponsored by Buena Vista Audubon Society was excellent for quality species. The trip went out as far as the 30-Mile Bank and "The Corner." The top highlights included 2 Cook's Petrels, one at The Corner and one closer to shore than usual in the San Diego Trough only 18.4 mi WSW of the tip of Point Loma (32.606, -117.555). Two separate Laysan Albatrosses sat on the water near the boat, both at the 30-Mile Bank. The lofty total of seven Guadalupe Murrelets included the first two birds much closer to shore than usual at just 10.1 miles (32.709, -117.433) and 13.6 miles off Point Loma, and an amazing group of five birds on the return in the San Diego Trough (32.607, -117.584) comprised of two adults and three large fuzzy chicks. Most alcids raise only one or sometimes two young, so perhaps this group was comprised of individuals from two family groups or some sort of adoption? A sub-adult Nazca Booby flew right by the boat repeatedly inside the 9-Mile Bank. The total of 17 Black-footed Albatrosses ties the county high count set just six days earlier. Also, four Townsend's Storm-Petrels at the 30-Mile Bank, a total of 14 Craveri's Murrelets, and a single rare-in-July Scripps's Murrelet. Overall numbers of birds were unexceptional. Sea surface temperatures were a bit above average at 70-71 degrees.
Totals for the day once we were a mile offshore were as follows:
Also, Humpback Whale, N. Elephant Seal, Mola-Mola, California Flying Fish
Lots of photos will be added once the shared e-bird lists are available, likely on Monday.
Seven trips still remain this season, three in August, three in September, and one in October. For further information, see sandiegopelagics.com. Reservations made at sdwhale.com (look under "birdwatch trips").
--Paul Lehman, Bruce Rideout, Dan Jehl, Alex Abela, Adrian Hinkle, Matt Sadowski, Barbara Wise, San Diego
Date: 7/15/26 11:41 am From: Van Pierszalowski via groups.io <van...> Subject: [CALBIRDS] California Bird Atlas Newsletter + Town Hall + Top 20 Species
Hi birders,
Thank you all for continuing to build an incredible first year of the first statewide California Bird Atlas. As of this writing, 160,228 Atlas checklists have been submitted from 5,141 atlasers. The number of blocks with data is approaching the 50% mark, with 8,202 blocks receiving some coverage (49.63% of total blocks).
For more detailed updates, please see the following resources:
*ATLAS FIRSTS*
In June, atlasers confirmed breeding observations for 26 additional species, bringing our total (as of May 30) to 298 species. Visit Atlas Dispatch ( https://ebird.org/atlascalifornia/news/atlas-dispatch-june-2026 ) to see the full list of newly confirmed breeding observation species.
Date: 6/23/26 5:18 pm From: Justyn Stahl via groups.io <justyn.stahl...> Subject: [CALBIRDS] Birds of California's Channel Islands book presale
Birders,
Pardon the blatant self-promotion, but along with my co-authors Paul W.
Collins and H. Lee Jones, I'd like to share that the long overdue *Birds of
California's Channel Islands* is available for presale.
Presales are open through June 30th and include free shipping if ordered
through the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History:
This landmark two‑volume work represents the most comprehensive survey ever
produced of the islands’ avifauna and ecological history. Spanning
prehistory through 2023, this definitive reference guide brings together
decades of research on the status, distribution, and forces shaping bird
life across the Channel Islands. With more than 800 pages of data‑rich analysis
and detailed species accounts, it will be an essential resource for
birders, ornithologists, resource managers, conservation and restoration
professionals, archaeologists, ecologists, and all who work on or study the
Channel Islands.
Date: 6/23/26 1:06 pm From: <lehman.paul...> via groups.io <lehman.paul...> Subject: [CALBIRDS] (Rare) Bird ID group-think, questioning authority, and bird-finding abilities
A week ago, the monthly zoom meeting of San Diego Field Ornithologists was treated to a talk by Connecticut (and ex-UK) birder Julian Hough on "Phantasms and Fallacies--Problems and Pitfalls of Bird Identification." In this talk, Julian looks at the psychology of how we identify birds and discusses such topics as the need to question authority and to keep an open mind, how can both single and large groups of birders misidentify birds, and why do a small number of birders find an inordinate number of rare birds. (As program chair for SDFO, you are also forced to see a bit of me at the beginning and end.)
Many of the topics Julian addresses are important to all birders, especially those out looking for and chasing rare birds. The talk lasts one hour and has been recorded and saved as a YouTube video available to all. I recommend people take a look.
https://youtu.be/XIV8HZKrrDo?si=gqdCKfs9pctRSwJE
