Date: 5/30/26 7:17 pm From: Ethan Monk via groups.io <z.querula...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Some possible breeding
I spent most of my day trying to do cleanup work for the California Breeding Bird Atlas. A couple of highlights to keep any eye on:
One male Black-throated Gray Warbler was singing vigorously in Redwood Regional Park, apparently on territory, at the intersection of the Prince and East Ridge Trails. This is very late for a spring migrant of this species. Late singing birds are found every couple of years in Contra Costa, but confirmed breeding records are few and far between. I am not sure breeding has been confirmed for this species since Kevin Hintsa confirmed them feeding young at Pine Canyon in the 90s. A number of singing birds have been found over the years close by at Upper San Leandro Reservoir, and I'd guess the species is nesting regularly in this part of the county albeit in very low numbers.
One pair of Black Skimmer spent almost an hour this afternoon chasing around a third, lone Black Skimmer on Brooks Island. The only place this species has been found nesting in Contra Costa County is here (and I think only once, in 2004, although a pair was present through the summer of 2017...), and these birds should be watched. Interestingly though, the pair kept landing in the same spot... in the California Gull colony? I would have expected they would prefer the terns. Skimmers first nested in the Bay Area in 1994, and this very robust Caspian Tern breeding colony has long seemed a natural place for them to nest, but they just won't do it.
Speaking of Brooks, the Elegant numbers are way down here, but it looks like maybe 50-60 are still sitting on scrapes and attending nests. We will see if there are young soon. But the Caspian Terns seem to be doing fine, with over 300 counted today (and no downy young yet).
I have been scanning the scoters that summer on Brooks Island recently, like I do every summer looking for something unusual. Nothing last week, when I counted 72 Surf and 1 Ruddy Duck, but today I counted 73 Surf, 3 Ruddies, and 4 Red-breasted Mergansers!
Lastly, I counted 8 Pacific Wrens on ~1 mile of Pinehurst Rd. this morning, including one calling bird with a small tuft of down and a big yellow gape!
On Sat, 30 May 2026 11:04:12 -0700, "Chris Waterman via groups.io" <chriswaterman555...> wrote:
>I saw 2 adults and 2 juveniles in Alameda this morning. Photos included in the checklist. Very vocal and active. Willow st and Eagle Ave. >eBird Checklist - 30 May 2026 - Willow and Eagle, Alameda CA - 1 speciesebird.org > > >Happy birding! >Chris Waterman Alameda, CA -- Joseph Morlan, Pacifica, CA
Date: 5/26/26 4:56 pm From: Claude Lyneis via groups.io <cmlyneis...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Osprey over Stege Marsh Richmond
On May 16 I saw an Osprey dive into the bay and carry off a fish. On May 26 I saw one circling and kiting over the same general area. The light was better and it flew much closer, but no fish this time. Both times the bird few south down SF Bay.
Here are photos from both events. It is a beautiful bird.
Date: 5/25/26 6:05 pm From: apicciotto2005 via groups.io <apicciotto...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] I Don't Believe AI
A bird that appears to be a Raven (I think) started feeding at my suet platform a couple of days ago. It has a distinctly yellowish beak as seen in the enclosed image, which I sent to AI. AI responded with this:
This is a phenomenal photo that clearly confirms your 40 years of birding intuition—that is unmistakably a majestic Common Raven ( Corvus corax ) with a genuinely pale, yellowish horn-colored beak.
Given your location in California, seeing an individual like this is an extraordinary, once-in-a-lifetime yard observation.
Ideas are welcomed.
Date: 5/23/26 10:40 pm From: JENNIFER FURY via groups.io <jennyfuzzy...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] Common Loon Ballena Bay Alameda
Interesting, they are just so beautiful. Cheers,Jennifer Fury Saltwater is the cure for everything, sweat, tears, or the sea 🌊 -------- Original message --------From: "amrybarczyk via groups.io" <amrybarczyk...> Date: 5/23/26 6:49 PM (GMT-08:00) To: <EBB-Sightings...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Common Loon Ballena Bay Alameda Hello!  Spotted a common loon today in Bellena Bay, west of Doug Siden Visitor Center, about 10am, in breeding colors!  I didn’t think they were around this time of year. Â
Date: 5/23/26 6:49 pm From: amrybarczyk via groups.io <amrybarczyk...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Common Loon Ballena Bay Alameda
Hello!  Spotted a common loon today in Bellena Bay, west of Doug Siden Visitor Center, about 10am, in breeding colors!  I didn’t think they were around this time of year.
Date: 5/21/26 6:02 pm From: Chuck Dresel via groups.io <cfdresel...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Humboldt Pelagic needs a few more sign-ups!
Bird Friends,
Rob Fowler up in Humboldt has organized a pelagic trip for Monday May 25th (Memorial Day). The trip needs a couple more sign-ups to go. Email Rob if you are interested ( <migratoriusfwlr...> )
Here are the details from Rob:
Hi all,
Whelp it seems like the 3rd time is a charm?! This is the third reschedule I have made for my May pelagic and it looks like the weather might actually be favorable this time around!
I still have 4 spots that need to be filled to make this trip a go. Usual price $165/per person and $135/student.
Hawaiian Petrels have been seen from shore a few times from Monterey lately and Manx Shearwater has been seen daily down there, too. On the May 9th Cal Poly pelagic we had two Manx together. And, just as a reminder that trip had over 100+ Murphy's Petrels! That big pink-billed albatross is still on the menu, too!
Anyways, hit me up ASAP if you would like one of the four spots to make this trip a go!
Date: 5/21/26 1:30 pm From: Alan Krakauer via groups.io <Alan.krakauer...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Swainson's Hawk, Wildcat Canyon
Just back from a GGBA Field Trip walk in northwest Wildcat Canyon. We got good looks at a light morph Swainson's Hawk circling in the area of the Belgum sanitarium and then heading more or less up the canyon towards Tilden/Berkeley. This was around noon today. I believe this is the first time I have seen one in the East Bay hills. Second new bird in as many weeks, the first being the Northern Parula in Alvarado Park last week.
Our walk followed a loop from the Alvarado Staging Area parking lot up Wildcat Creek Trail, up the Belgum Trail to the top of the ridge and back towards Monte Cresta/Bonita Trail and back down to the parking lot.
Other highlights included at least 5 singing Grasshopper Sparrows, at least a half-dozen singing Lazuli Buntings, several calling Ash-throated Flycatchers, and a few Hooded Orioles. Near the top of the ridge we had a meadowlark and flyover flicker which seemed borderline late to me although I haven't checked the bar charts in eBird. We also had all 5 common swallows together along the ridge near the Monte Cresta water tanks.
Date: 5/19/26 2:31 pm From: Zac Denning via groups.io <zdenning1...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] A Purple Finch?
Hi Claude,
This is a House Finch. The bill looks large because it’s partly open with a
seed wedged in it.
Male Purple Finches have more extensive diffuse pink tinting on the upper
and lower parts, including the flanks and feather edges on the wings and
tail, and usually a darker ‘cheek’ patch. The dark belly/flank streaks in
Purple Finch tend to be more blurry and diffuse, with usually a pink rather
than white background color.
I hope that helps,
Zac Denning
Albany
On Tue, May 19, 2026 at 1:41 PM Claude Lyneis via groups.io <cmlyneis=
<gmail.com...> wrote:
> I was sorting out my camera focusing settings in the backyard yesterday
> and thinking the bird on the feeder was one of the many House Finch, who
> come by. However, the bill on this one looked too big. It looks too big
> for a Purple Finch also, but the markings match.
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> Here are three shots on Flickr including its mate.
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> [image: 55281402864_e91038e991_c.jpg]
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> Purple Finch Oversized Bill <https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCUpg5> > flic.kr <https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCUpg5> > <https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCUpg5> >
> Claude Lyneis
> <cmlyneis...>
> https://www.youtube.com/bhsvideodad > Flickr Photos at https://flic.kr/ps/36it5P >
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Date: 5/19/26 2:26 pm From: Claude Lyneis via groups.io <cmlyneis...> Subject: Re: [EBB-Sightings] A Purple Finch?
The male House Finch photos that I looked at did not have red going down the back side of their heads, but it wouldn’t surprise me if it is a House Finch.
Claude
> On May 19, 2026, at 1:41 PM, Claude Lyneis <cmlyneis...> wrote:
>
> I was sorting out my camera focusing settings in the backyard yesterday and thinking the bird on the feeder was one of the many House Finch, who come by. However, the bill on this one looked too big. It looks too big for a Purple Finch also, but the markings match.
>
> Here are three shots on Flickr including its mate.
>
> https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCUpg5 > Claude Lyneis
> <cmlyneis...>
> https://www.youtube.com/bhsvideodad > Flickr Photos at https://flic.kr/ps/36it5P >
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Date: 5/19/26 1:41 pm From: Claude Lyneis via groups.io <cmlyneis...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] A Purple Finch?
I was sorting out my camera focusing settings in the backyard yesterday and thinking the bird on the feeder was one of the many House Finch, who come by. However, the bill on this one looked too big. It looks too big for a Purple Finch also, but the markings match.
Here are three shots on Flickr including its mate.
Date: 5/19/26 1:31 pm From: Zac Denning via groups.io <zdenning1...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Visible migration in Albany Today
During my morning yard and sky watch in front of my house in central Albany today, there was a nice showing of migrants, with movement likely boosted by the combo of warm weather and a gentle N to NE breeze.
The moment I walked outside, there was a Western Warbling Vireo singing up the street (perhaps my 3rd yard record). Over the course of the next hour and a half, I saw 5 Western Tanagers fly by, heading N to NE (at least 3 male, one female), sometimes in duos, with one male perching at the top of my backyard redwood and singing a few times. Others gave their "weee" flight calls. I believe this was a yard high count for this species. My personal highlight was a first-for-the-yard Cassin's Vireo, that seemed to magically appear near the top of my backyard redwood (visible from the street in front of my house), nicely sunlit. It stayed for a few seconds before moving on to the NE.
Most of these migrants were quiet and not super obvious, but today was one of the better migrant pushes I've experienced from my tightly packed urban residential neighborhood. My yard / sky watches tend to be somewhat reflective of what's happening generally, so I wasn't surprised to hear reports from Vollmer Peak this morning and yesterday morning of a nice variety of migrants / rarities, plus a variety of reports from San Francisco.
Date: 5/15/26 11:45 am From: <tonybrake...> via groups.io <tonybrake...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Nesting terns on Richmond Breakwater
Like Forrest, we were wondering if Elegant Terns would be nesting this season on the Richmond Breakwater.. Although some had been appearing at various locations along the breakwater, there didn't seem to be a consistent group where they had nested last year near the Caspian Terns that have nesting here for some years. However, over the last week they began increase in the area of previous year's nesting as well as at another location near Brooks Island. Yesterday we took the Richmond-SF ferry to get a better look and some photos to confirm. Using the photos I made an estimate of 1800 Elegant Terns and 180 Caspian Terns. These are conservative counts due to the tightly packed groups with the two species intermingled. There was the usual large California Gull colony along with a Western Gulls nesting along the breakwater as well as one of the channel markers. Here is an eBird checklist with some photos from the return leg of our trip: https://ebird.org/atlascalifornia/checklist/S339086855
I believe this must be the northernmost Elegant Tern nesting colony. I understand that they have been nesting in the South Bay and at Alameda since about 2019.
Hi all,
Last week I spent some time birding around Richmond and stumbled upon some notable breeding birds. Most significant was a group of 8+ Pigeon Guillemots on 5/3 just off the Richmond Long Wharf, with some of the birds seen flying directly under the pier. These numbers and behavior are highly suggestive of nesting, and would be the furthest the species has nested within the bay as far as I am aware. Confirming this species won’t be easy unless you have a kayak, but Miller/Knox is a good place to view them with a scope.
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In hopes of further success with expanding breeders, I have been closely monitoring the Elegant terns on Brooks island. As of May 3rd, there are about 250 birds but few are showing any signs of breeding so it seems they may not nest this year after all. For reference, last year, courtship began by 4/12 and birds were sitting on nests by the end of April. Numbers were also significantly higher. A Red-winged Blackbird pair on the island seemed incredibly out of place next to the heron rookery but appear to be attempting to breed.
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On 4/28 I hiked some of my favorite spots in Wildcat Canyon. The highlight was a MacGillivray's Warbler singing territorially from an eastward facing slope near the intersection of the Belgum and Monte Cresta trails amongst a large swath of poison oak & bay trees. Although there are several reports of MacG’s within the park that support breeding, this would be the northernmost to date for the county if confirmed. Also of note were 4 pairs of Rufous crowned sparrows, my highest count for the park. While there has been a known population at the sage patch along the Oil Well trail, many of these birds were instead found along the upper reaches of the Belgum trail in areas that looked more suitable for Grasshopper Sparrows. Perhaps this species is also expanding in the region?
Date: 5/7/26 10:40 am From: Alan Bade via groups.io <alanb1491187...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Townsend's solitaire Moses ridge above Juniper campground
A well seen Townsend's solitaire was on the north side of the ridge about here: 37.878960, -121.930470. Photos later. In the gray pines.
Alan Bade
Pleasant Hill
Date: 5/6/26 5:05 pm From: Ethan Monk via groups.io <z.querula...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] today and yesterday, warblers and waterbirds
Hi folks
This morning I went to scout out a potential new morning flight spot --sorry, on private property--on the east side of Mt. Diablo, east of Morgan Terr. Rd., and then do some atlasing for the California Breeding Bird Atlas closer to Morgan Territory Road. I arrived to find my hoped for flight spot with patchy fog around and overcast above, not ideal, but I still had over 100 migrants fly by me between 5:50 and 8AM. The biggest movers (identified to species, most were sps.) were Townsend's Warblers (15), Lazuli Bunting (22), Western Tanager (18), and Wilson's Warbler (21). Bonus points for a Gray-headed Orange-crowned, seen well when it paused in a blue oak on the ridge top. My previous records of this taxon, presumably ssp. orestera, in spring in interior Contra Costa County are on May 9th and May 10th. And the only other on eBird in spring in the Contra Costa Diablo Range is a bird Kai Mills, Armin Adly, and Jaedon Tembrevilla had May 5th, 2024, in Mitchell Canyon. The tight temporal clustering is neat.
Hiking down back to Morgan Terr. Rd., I ran into a singing Say's Phoebe and a pair of Horned Larks (one singing) set up on a bare grassy knoll at about 2000'. I then spent until noon moseying around Morgan Territory Preserve and along the main road. The highlight was a Townsend's Solitaire chowing down on mistletoe just east of the Preserve parking lot, but scattered flocks of Hermit/Townsend's Warblers and a scattering of Hammond's Flycatchers were nice. On Morgan Territory Road, I followed around a Sharp-shinned Hawk for a while in an attempt to find a nest (no cigar) and counted at least 8 Cassin's Vireos apparently on territory.
Yesterday evening I made a run through the delta, highlighted by what may be a first-for-Bethel Island (off the top of my head, I can remember no others) Brown Pelican on Frank's Tract! This was an adult that spent its time with a feeding mass of ~100 Cormorants and sea lions. I also found a Western Gull among the Californias--the first I have seen here in a while. I finished my evening at Clifton Court Forebay, where I unsuccessfully checked for nighthawk. But I did manage a female Red-breasted Merganser, almost certainly a spring migrant, as well as 3 Common Mergansers, and lingering pairs of Lesser Scaup and Common Goldeneye. I only saw 4 Bonaparte's Gulls among what I thought was over 5000 California Gulls.
Date: 5/1/26 2:57 pm From: Akira So via groups.io <akiradotnet...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Yellow-breasted Chat at Shadow Cliffs this morning (5/1 Friday)
Hi all,
Just wanted to mention, in case anyone might like to try to refind it, that I had a Yellow-breasted Chat at Shadow Cliffs Regional Park this morning.
It was initially heard at around 9:30am. Later I saw it at around 11am. It was last seen at around 1 pm at 37.66872, -121.8471. (This area is along the creekside trail on the south side of the arroyo, west/downstream of the concrete bridge. It's near a 3-way trail junction.) The Chat was singing very loudly and distinctly among the vegetation in the very weedy, large overgrown field near that trail junction.
Not sure how long it will hang around, but basically it seemed to be staying in that field singing all this morning, at least between 9:30am to ~1pm. (After that I gave up on photo and left.) Â So perhaps it may still be around this weekend.
When I initially heard the song at 9:30am, I didn't realize it was a Chat. I thought it had this jumbled quality to the song, that reminded me of a Northern Mockingbird. So I dismissed it. Later at around 11 am, as I walked by I heard it again. This time, after consulting the Merlin app, I realized my error. I was eventually able to see it singing in an upper part of a medium-size shrub in the weedy field from a distance of about 40 feet.
The song was loud and very distinctive, yet the bird was very hard to locate it, in part because it kept moving around. (I made some audio recordings, which I will upload to eBird when I file an eBird checklist a little later this afternoon. I know it will be flagged for a review anyway, so I thought I would send this message first.)
