Date: 5/28/26 4:33 pm From: Pamela King <pamela.harumi.king...> Subject: [MBBIRDS] NORTHERN PARULA, Andrew Molera SP
A male NORTHERN PARULA in brilliant breeding plumage foraged in the sycamore trees between the bathrooms and the park's entrance kiosk at 5:45 pm yesterday. Small, active blue warbler with bright yellow throat and chest with orange/rufous band, white undersides and undertail coverts.
Date: 5/27/26 4:11 pm From: Cliff Bixler <clifford.bixler50...> Subject: [MBBIRDS] I got so many responses to that post (and my accidental attachment of a different butterfly). Here is what we had everywhere.
Date: 5/25/26 11:01 am From: Cliff Bixler <clifford.bixler50...> Subject: [MBBIRDS] Fwd: Announcement from Our Board President Lisa Sheridan
Good on you Lisa. You have done a great job leading (and sometimes
refereeing) our little cussedly independent club.
Wouldn't have it any other way!
Cliff
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Santa Cruz Bird Club <scbirdclub...>
Date: Mon, May 25, 2026, 7:59 AM
Subject: Announcement from Our Board President Lisa Sheridan
To: <clifford.bixler50...>
*Announcement From Our Board President Lisa Sheridan*
------------------------------
Dear SCBC Members,
At the last General meeting I announced that I have decided to step down as
the President. It has been a privilege and an amazing experience to have
served on the SCBC Board. After one year as the Conservation Officer and
nine years as the President, I’m ready to turn the reins over.
Every year in April the Board announces a slate of officers to fill our
Board for the next year. I’ve nominated our Membership Officer, Bob Mead
to replace my position as President for 2026-27 year. I’m really thrilled
he’s decided to accept. He’ll bring fresh ideas, steady and intelligent
leadership to our board.
I’m also thankful to announce that the other officers that have served in
their positions have all chosen to remain on the Board.
Serving on this Board has been a fabulous opportunity to learn about birds
through the network of our community.
Our Board members bring a collective knowledge of wisdom based on life
experiences. We share ideas and everyone genuinely cares about how we can
further our club goals. In particular, to unite those who have a common
interest in wild birds for study, conservation and to promote good
fellowship among bird lovers.
As I step down from serving on the Board, I’m grateful for the goals we
achieved together. Here is just a short list of accomplishments from the
past years:
- Started an email system of communications with members.
- Created a website which allows for on-line membership renewal, field
trip and meetings information, conservation news, current and past board
letters and access to the Albatross.
- We raised over one hundred thousand dollars for the Breeding Bird
Atlas project (which is nearing completion).
- Provided training seminars for BBA participants.
- Membership increase from under 300 to over 500.
- Sent dozens of letters to local, State and Federal agencies commenting
on projects which have impacts on birds. Including letters which helped
preserve bird habitat and potentially harmful outcomes to birds.
- Drone use at State Parks.
- Overhead lights at Shoreline Middle School.
- Bird Safe design standards for tall buildings.
- Concerns about the Santa Cruz Wharf redesign.
- The SLR park redesign.
- College Lake habitat monitoring.
As I look back at my journey on the Board, I appreciate that many members
of the club come from a variety of backgrounds and birding ability. I’ve
never been a birding expert but birding for me is truly a health benefit. I
hope I have helped in creating an atmosphere where everyone has felt
welcome and included and our walks and talks have brought our community
good health, joy, education and friendships.
This is not a goodbye, as I will be looking for you all wearing your bins
and in silent pose under trees, at the water’s edge, along roads and
fields. Until then, good birding and thank you for all the wonderful
support you’ve given me through the years.
I look forward to seeing you all at our May 28th general meeting where we
will conduct the vote for the 2026-27 year slate of Board of Directors.
Good idea Jeff, and a good laugh! Nice to see your name.
On Thursday, May 21, 2026 at 11:40:46 AM UTC-7 <fire......> wrote:
> I bet they are cute, but I want an ostrich nest box! 😉
>
> Jeff Manker
>
> On Thu, May 21, 2026 at 10:06 AM Nelson Samuels <sam......>
> wrote:
>
>> Lately I’ve seen a number of adds for hummingbird nest boxes. This is a
>> sad abuse of the ignorance of nature loving people especially bird lovers.
>> Hummingbirds don’t nest in cavities. Plus some images show male
>> hummingbirds feeding nestlings, males don’t. Strikes me as fraudulent.
>>
>> --
>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
>> "mbbirds" group.
>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an
>> email to mbbirds+<u......>
>> To view this discussion visit
>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/<07e6f39e-7758-4bc0-9d93-0d89c0c00859n...> >> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/<07e6f39e-7758-4bc0-9d93-0d89c0c00859n...>?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >> .
>>
>
Date: 5/22/26 6:16 am From: 'Chris Campton' via mbbirds <mbbirds...> Subject: Re: [MBBIRDS] Hummingbird nest boxes
Thanks Lisa. On May 22, 2026 6:10 AM, Lisa Larson <lisafaylarson...> wrote:
Yesterday on Instagram, I saw an AI-generated "video" of a male Anna's Hummingbird with a "baby" who was fluttering around the male and staying close. Unfortunately, many people commented on how cute and precious it was. I scanned the comments until I saw one person point out that it was AI-generated. I was tempted to give a lesson on the roles of male and female hummingbirds in breeding season. It was another reminder that most people don't pay much attention to birds or would have an interest in learning about them. AI can be very useful, but it can also be very dangerous. Will it be regulated before a great deal of harm is done? As a friend likes to say, "Ready, fire, aim!" Last year, a friend of mine asked if I would appreciate the gift of a hummingbird nest box. I informed my friend, who was open to listening and learning, that it was a bogus product that would take advantage of many well-meaning people. Lisa On Thu, May 21, 2026 at 11:40â¯AM Jeff Manker <fireweed8...> wrote:
I bet they are cute, but I want an ostrich nest box! 😉 Jeff Manker On Thu, May 21, 2026 at 10:06â¯AM Nelson Samuels <samnelo...> wrote:
Lately Iâve seen a number of adds for hummingbird nest boxes. This is a sad abuse of the ignorance of nature loving people especially bird lovers. Hummingbirds donât nest in cavities. Plus some images show male hummingbirds feeding nestlings, males donât. Strikes me as fraudulent.Â
Date: 5/22/26 6:11 am From: Lisa Larson <lisafaylarson...> Subject: Re: [MBBIRDS] Hummingbird nest boxes
Yesterday on Instagram, I saw an AI-generated "video" of a male Anna's
Hummingbird with a "baby" who was fluttering around the male and staying
close. Unfortunately, many people commented on how cute and precious it
was. I scanned the comments until I saw one person point out that it was
AI-generated. I was tempted to give a lesson on the roles of male and
female hummingbirds in breeding season. It was another reminder that most
people don't pay much attention to birds or would have an interest in
learning about them.
AI can be very useful, but it can also be very dangerous. Will it be
regulated before a great deal of harm is done? As a friend likes to say,
"Ready, fire, aim!"
Last year, a friend of mine asked if I would appreciate the gift of a
hummingbird nest box. I informed my friend, who was open to listening and
learning, that it was a bogus product that would take advantage of many
well-meaning people.
Lisa
On Thu, May 21, 2026 at 11:40 AM Jeff Manker <fireweed8...> wrote:
Date: 5/21/26 10:06 am From: Nelson Samuels <samnelo...> Subject: [MBBIRDS] Hummingbird nest boxes
Lately I’ve seen a number of adds for hummingbird nest boxes. This is a sad
abuse of the ignorance of nature loving people especially bird lovers.
Hummingbirds don’t nest in cavities. Plus some images show male
hummingbirds feeding nestlings, males don’t. Strikes me as fraudulent.
Hi there,Due to the afternoon heat we have our back door open. A tortoiseshell butterfly flew in and is trying to leave via the skylight. I have never even heard of these beauties. I live on Day Valley Road, Aptos.Joanne
On Tuesday, May 19, 2026 at 09:05:04 PM PDT, Cliff Bixler <clifford.bixler50...> wrote:
We are yards from the CZU burn. Lots of Ceanothus up here. Sorry for accidentally sending a different picture. Cliff
On Tue, May 19, 2026, 9:00 PM Suzanne Kent <surreykent...> wrote:
Today I identified 2 California Tortoiseshell butterflies in my Westside Santa Cruz yard, nectaring on a (non-native) butterfly bush. I’m very aware of butterflies and plant host plants of various kinds, but I have never seen this species before, even though I have large ceanothus shrubs in my yard.
I agree with Ryan - I was astonished to recently observe the ceanothus mass growth in the CZU burn areas - especially Ceanothus thyrsiflorus (Blueblossom).
On May 19, 2026, at 3:23 PM, Ryan Phillips <norcalbirding...> wrote:
Between Lexington Res and the Summit on Highway 17 it is popping with Tortoiseshells! What an event that I cannot recall a magnitude like this in the Santa Cruz Mountains during my 47 years (my entire life, ha) in the SCM.
Today while driving HWY 17 there was section where we were stopped and to my surprise (of shear number) along the median there were thousands of dead ones. I never thought about a HWY impacting butterflies in volume like that. But many are low flying and it makes sense.
It must be a result of the massive fires years ago where ceanothus (host plant) has now taken over in mass in the burn areas.
Get out and experience this. Who knows when we will see something like this again. Ryan
Ryan Phillips ǀ Owner and GuidePersonal and Group Birding Excursions in Northern California and Beyond
"Everyone likes birds. What wild creature is more accessible to our eyes and ears, as close to us and everyone in the world, as universal as a bird?" - Sir David Attenborough
On Tue, May 19, 2026, 3:16 PM Chris Soriano <soriano151...> wrote:
I went to Mount Umunuhm yesterday to look for birds and saw literally thousands of maybe about a dozen different species of butterflies. I had to drive 5 mph up the road because they were literally covering the entire road. I did see ash-throated flycatchers in a few spots, that was fun. Also a baby mountain lion, but no mama mountain lion (fortunately).
On Tue, May 19, 2026 at 3:07 PM Cliff Bixler <clifford.bixler50...> wrote:
We have thousands of California Tortise Shell butterflies here. They are erruptive and we have never had an outbreak like this in 30 some years. They happen every 8 years or so I am told. Cliff Bixler Bonny Doon
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Date: 5/20/26 5:11 am From: Carol Pecot <carol.pecot...> Subject: Re: [MBBIRDS] Butterfly erruption.
We just came back from the Sierras, where we camped off of a forest road by a stream, and there are a lot of the white ceanothus blooming. There was a gathering of about 40ish Butterflies. There were about 4 varieties of different butterflies, but most were Ca. Tortoiseshell. They seemed to be doing puddling behavior, and they were “tasting” the dirt in a particular patch far away from the stream, but weirdly the dirt was totally dry. They even were on our van, “tasting” the dust and dirt on it.
Are they getting some minerals for the journey?
At home (about 4 miles below Summit Road) we have had a several lately, but not large amounts. They have been visiting my garden for about a month. They also seem to be pretty human tolerant. Ex: I was watering and looking at a butterfly that was a short distance away. I thought “I wonder if that is a Painted Lady”. A few seconds later, the butterfly flew over to me and landed on the hose in my hand, then oriented to me and opened its wings. It was definitely a Tortoiseshell. Job done, it then flew away to the rest of the garden.
When I got home on the Westside of Sc near Natural Bridges, there were two
tortoiseshells in my yard. I didn’t know what they were! But seeing your
apology for posting the wrong photo prompted me to look them up. So cool!
On Tue, May 19, 2026 at 9:05 PM Cliff Bixler <clifford.bixler50...>
wrote:
> We are yards from the CZU burn. Lots of Ceanothus up here. Sorry for
> accidentally sending a different picture.
> Cliff
>
>
> On Tue, May 19, 2026, 9:00 PM Suzanne Kent <surreykent...> wrote:
>
>> Today I identified 2 California Tortoiseshell butterflies in my Westside
>> Santa Cruz yard, nectaring on a (non-native) butterfly bush. I’m very
>> aware of butterflies and plant host plants of various kinds, but I have
>> never seen this species before, even though I have large ceanothus shrubs
>> in my yard.
>>
>> I agree with Ryan - I was astonished to recently observe the ceanothus
>> mass growth in the CZU burn areas - especially Ceanothus thyrsiflorus
>> (Blueblossom).
>>
>> On May 19, 2026, at 3:23 PM, Ryan Phillips <norcalbirding...>
>> wrote:
>>
>> Between Lexington Res and the Summit on Highway 17 it is popping with
>> Tortoiseshells! What an event that I cannot recall a magnitude like this in
>> the Santa Cruz Mountains during my 47 years (my entire life, ha) in the
>> SCM.
>>
>> Today while driving HWY 17 there was section where we were stopped and to
>> my surprise (of shear number) along the median there were thousands of dead
>> ones. I never thought about a HWY impacting butterflies in volume like
>> that. But many are low flying and it makes sense.
>>
>> It must be a result of the massive fires years ago where ceanothus (host
>> plant) has now taken over in mass in the burn areas.
>>
>> Get out and experience this. Who knows when we will see something like
>> this again.
>> Ryan
>>
>> *Ryan Phillips* ǀ Owner and Guide
>> Personal and Group Birding Excursions in Northern California and Beyond
>>
>>
>> Phone ǀ (831) 234-7324
>> Email ǀ <norcalbirding...>
>> Website ǀ *www.norcalbirding.com <http://www.norcalbirding.com/>* >> Facebook ǀ www.facebook.com/norcalbirding
>>
>> "Everyone likes birds. What wild creature is more accessible to our eyes
>> and ears, as close to us and everyone in the world, as universal as a bird?"
>> - Sir David Attenborough
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Tue, May 19, 2026, 3:16 PM Chris Soriano <soriano151...> wrote:
>>
>>> I went to Mount Umunuhm yesterday to look for birds and saw literally
>>> thousands of maybe about a dozen different species of butterflies. I had to
>>> drive 5 mph up the road because they were literally covering the entire
>>> road. I did see ash-throated flycatchers in a few spots, that was fun. Also
>>> a baby mountain lion, but no mama mountain lion (fortunately).
>>>
>>> On Tue, May 19, 2026 at 3:07 PM Cliff Bixler <
>>> <clifford.bixler50...> wrote:
>>>
>>>> We have thousands of California Tortise Shell butterflies here. They
>>>> are erruptive and we have never had an outbreak like this in 30 some years.
>>>> They happen every 8 years or so I am told.
>>>> Cliff Bixler
>>>> Bonny Doon
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
>>>> Groups "mbbirds" group.
>>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send
>>>> an email to mbbirds+<unsubscribe...>
>>>> To view this discussion visit
>>>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/CAM-pbfxvBeGCbCrBKt8SzqKTQ8dLrM6FhqLZ%<3DVGWPdwCOT8WSw...> >>>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/CAM-pbfxvBeGCbCrBKt8SzqKTQ8dLrM6FhqLZ%<3DVGWPdwCOT8WSw...>?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>>> .
>>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
>>> Groups "mbbirds" group.
>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send
>>> an email to mbbirds+<unsubscribe...>
>>> To view this discussion visit
>>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/<CAHCdUzVngWusjhQFSo6fraQtjEyTPpsJtD7LPj3Eu3Qr2xMrYA...> >>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/<CAHCdUzVngWusjhQFSo6fraQtjEyTPpsJtD7LPj3Eu3Qr2xMrYA...>?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>> .
>>>
>>
>> --
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>> "mbbirds" group.
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>> email to mbbirds+<unsubscribe...>
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>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/<CAGiyp6W5yGbGwQ9kx07NiVgcKfmOSaYB1s3qo1rvT1VFu5_60w...> >> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/<CAGiyp6W5yGbGwQ9kx07NiVgcKfmOSaYB1s3qo1rvT1VFu5_60w...>?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >> .
>>
>>
>> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
> "mbbirds" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an
> email to mbbirds+<unsubscribe...>
> To view this discussion visit
> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/CAM-pbfxyBF_qCVH6bsOHL2DypEiFrj%<3DLt7CWL3Wf_xn5q9O4tw...> > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/CAM-pbfxyBF_qCVH6bsOHL2DypEiFrj%<3DLt7CWL3Wf_xn5q9O4tw...>?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > .
>
We are yards from the CZU burn. Lots of Ceanothus up here. Sorry for
accidentally sending a different picture.
Cliff
On Tue, May 19, 2026, 9:00 PM Suzanne Kent <surreykent...> wrote:
> Today I identified 2 California Tortoiseshell butterflies in my Westside
> Santa Cruz yard, nectaring on a (non-native) butterfly bush. I’m very
> aware of butterflies and plant host plants of various kinds, but I have
> never seen this species before, even though I have large ceanothus shrubs
> in my yard.
>
> I agree with Ryan - I was astonished to recently observe the ceanothus
> mass growth in the CZU burn areas - especially Ceanothus thyrsiflorus
> (Blueblossom).
>
> On May 19, 2026, at 3:23 PM, Ryan Phillips <norcalbirding...>
> wrote:
>
> Between Lexington Res and the Summit on Highway 17 it is popping with
> Tortoiseshells! What an event that I cannot recall a magnitude like this in
> the Santa Cruz Mountains during my 47 years (my entire life, ha) in the
> SCM.
>
> Today while driving HWY 17 there was section where we were stopped and to
> my surprise (of shear number) along the median there were thousands of dead
> ones. I never thought about a HWY impacting butterflies in volume like
> that. But many are low flying and it makes sense.
>
> It must be a result of the massive fires years ago where ceanothus (host
> plant) has now taken over in mass in the burn areas.
>
> Get out and experience this. Who knows when we will see something like
> this again.
> Ryan
>
> *Ryan Phillips* ǀ Owner and Guide
> Personal and Group Birding Excursions in Northern California and Beyond
>
>
> Phone ǀ (831) 234-7324
> Email ǀ <norcalbirding...>
> Website ǀ *www.norcalbirding.com <http://www.norcalbirding.com/>* > Facebook ǀ www.facebook.com/norcalbirding
>
> "Everyone likes birds. What wild creature is more accessible to our eyes
> and ears, as close to us and everyone in the world, as universal as a bird?"
> - Sir David Attenborough
>
>
>
>
> On Tue, May 19, 2026, 3:16 PM Chris Soriano <soriano151...> wrote:
>
>> I went to Mount Umunuhm yesterday to look for birds and saw literally
>> thousands of maybe about a dozen different species of butterflies. I had to
>> drive 5 mph up the road because they were literally covering the entire
>> road. I did see ash-throated flycatchers in a few spots, that was fun. Also
>> a baby mountain lion, but no mama mountain lion (fortunately).
>>
>> On Tue, May 19, 2026 at 3:07 PM Cliff Bixler <clifford.bixler50...>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> We have thousands of California Tortise Shell butterflies here. They are
>>> erruptive and we have never had an outbreak like this in 30 some years.
>>> They happen every 8 years or so I am told.
>>> Cliff Bixler
>>> Bonny Doon
>>>
>>> --
>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
>>> Groups "mbbirds" group.
>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send
>>> an email to mbbirds+<unsubscribe...>
>>> To view this discussion visit
>>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/CAM-pbfxvBeGCbCrBKt8SzqKTQ8dLrM6FhqLZ%<3DVGWPdwCOT8WSw...> >>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/CAM-pbfxvBeGCbCrBKt8SzqKTQ8dLrM6FhqLZ%<3DVGWPdwCOT8WSw...>?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>> .
>>>
>>
>> --
>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
>> "mbbirds" group.
>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an
>> email to mbbirds+<unsubscribe...>
>> To view this discussion visit
>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/<CAHCdUzVngWusjhQFSo6fraQtjEyTPpsJtD7LPj3Eu3Qr2xMrYA...> >> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/<CAHCdUzVngWusjhQFSo6fraQtjEyTPpsJtD7LPj3Eu3Qr2xMrYA...>?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >> .
>>
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
> "mbbirds" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an
> email to mbbirds+<unsubscribe...>
> To view this discussion visit
> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/<CAGiyp6W5yGbGwQ9kx07NiVgcKfmOSaYB1s3qo1rvT1VFu5_60w...> > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/<CAGiyp6W5yGbGwQ9kx07NiVgcKfmOSaYB1s3qo1rvT1VFu5_60w...>?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > .
>
>
>
Today I identified 2 California Tortoiseshell butterflies in my Westside Santa Cruz yard, nectaring on a (non-native) butterfly bush. I’m very aware of butterflies and plant host plants of various kinds, but I have never seen this species before, even though I have large ceanothus shrubs in my yard.
I agree with Ryan - I was astonished to recently observe the ceanothus mass growth in the CZU burn areas - especially Ceanothus thyrsiflorus (Blueblossom).
Sorry that picture of an Admiral got accidentally attached.
On Tue, May 19, 2026, 3:07 PM Cliff Bixler <clifford.bixler50...>
wrote:
> We have thousands of California Tortise Shell butterflies here. They are
> erruptive and we have never had an outbreak like this in 30 some years.
> They happen every 8 years or so I am told.
> Cliff Bixler
> Bonny Doon
>
Between Lexington Res and the Summit on Highway 17 it is popping with
Tortoiseshells! What an event that I cannot recall a magnitude like this in
the Santa Cruz Mountains during my 47 years (my entire life, ha) in the
SCM.
Today while driving HWY 17 there was section where we were stopped and to
my surprise (of shear number) along the median there were thousands of dead
ones. I never thought about a HWY impacting butterflies in volume like
that. But many are low flying and it makes sense.
It must be a result of the massive fires years ago where ceanothus (host
plant) has now taken over in mass in the burn areas.
Get out and experience this. Who knows when we will see something like this
again.
Ryan
*Ryan Phillips* ǀ Owner and Guide
Personal and Group Birding Excursions in Northern California and Beyond
this morning we heard and saw two Black-chinned Sparrows at Loma Prieta and inadvertently reported Black-throated Sparrows which got picked up by the E-bird Rare Bird Report for Santa Cruz County.
Sorry for the confusion. It was the usual (but of course wonderful) Black-chinned Sparrows up there.
I went to Mount Umunuhm yesterday to look for birds and saw literally
thousands of maybe about a dozen different species of butterflies. I had to
drive 5 mph up the road because they were literally covering the entire
road. I did see ash-throated flycatchers in a few spots, that was fun. Also
a baby mountain lion, but no mama mountain lion (fortunately).
On Tue, May 19, 2026 at 3:07 PM Cliff Bixler <clifford.bixler50...>
wrote:
We have thousands of California Tortise Shell butterflies here. They are erruptive and we have never had an outbreak like this in 30 some years. They happen every 8 years or so I am told. Cliff Bixler Bonny Doon
Date: 5/18/26 10:02 pm From: DEBRA SHEARWATER <debiluv...> Subject: [MBBIRDS] SAN BENITO COUNTY BROWN PELICAN
HI, Birders,
At about 8 pm tonight, May 18, a BROWN PELICAN landed at a small pond on Paicines Ranch. It seemed to settle in for the evening sitting on the ground at the edge of the pond. This pond is not visible from any public roads.
It was too dark for photos this evening. I will try to get photos tomorrow morning.
If there are any birders out there who might want to try to see this bird, please contact me: <debi...> for arrangements.
I am aware that there is a die off of birds along the coast, sadly. This pelican is likely looking for food.
Debi Shearwater
DEBRA SHEARWATER Shearwater Journeys, Inc. PO Box 190 Hollister, CA 95024 831.637.8527 <debi...> www.shearwaterjourneys.com
Celebrating 44 Years of Seabirding with Shearwater Journeys
Date: 5/18/26 6:18 pm From: Sam Rawlins <sam.rawlins...> Subject: [MBBIRDS] Alvarado Street Brewery release party to benefit California Condors this Thursday
Hi friends,
Alvarado Street Brewery is partnering with Ventana Wildlife Society, the organization caring for the Big Sur flock of California Condors (and previously tasked with restoring Bald Eagles in California), releasing a limited run of their beer, Flight of the Condor. They are having a release party this Thursday, 5/21, from 5-9pm. They are a full restaurant with a great food selection, and a portion of all sales of the Flight of the Condor beer are donated to VWS (both during the launch, and after).
David Fickle has found a rednecked grebe in breeding plumage on West Cliff Drive at the intersection with David. There’s also quite a few loons 2 species some of them in close in breeding plumage.
Sharon Hull
Sent from my iPhone
Date: 5/17/26 11:42 am From: Barbara Monahan <monahan...> Subject: Re: [MBBIRDS] Western Tanager
It’s been here chowing down on for 3 days….yahoo.
Barb
Sent from my iPad
> On May 15, 2026, at 4:25 PM, Barbara Monahan <monahan...> wrote:
>
> Beautiful male Western Tanager at our jelly feeder from 4:00 to 4:15 at about 1100’ near Scotts Valley off of Jarvis Rd.
>
> All the usual suspects now seen or heard….no Rose-breasted grosbeak……
>
> Barbara Monahan
> Sent from my iPad
>
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This may be a duplicate--or late--posting, if so, my apologies.
The gorgeous male INDIGO BUNTING continued this morning between 10:40 and 11:45 on Swanton Rd. Seen in the willow trees just past the wooden bridge with the metal gate for Cal Poly.
Also, heard but not seen, the YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT called from a bit farther up the road.
Date: 5/15/26 11:43 am From: Elena S <elmscott23...> Subject: [MBBIRDS] Nesting Bald Eagles
Hi all,
Now that we have another pair of Bald Eagles nesting in Santa Cruz I thought I'd pass on a little legal information about their conservation status for anyone who may be interested.
*State Protections:* Bald Eagles are listed as *Endangered* in the state of California and are thus protected by the California Endangered Species Act. They are also considered a state "*Fully Protected*" species, which gives them additional protections. On top of these special statuses, when nesting they are protected like all other native nesting birds by *California Fish and Game Code 3503*.
*Federal Protections:* Covered by the *The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act*. Additionally the *Migratory Bird Treaty Act *protects the nests of all native nesting birds including the Bald Eagle.
Due to these legal protections, no construction should occur near the nest without a Biologist present and prior approvals. USFWS/CDFWS generally requires a minimum protective no-work buffer of *660 feet*. Any work that may result in disturbance to the nest, either within or outside that standard buffer, would require input from a biologist and likely permissions from regulatory agencies. If you see construction occurring near the nest, please don't hesitate to reach out to the County of Santa Cruz or feel free to email me and I can point you to the appropriate contacts.
Thanks everyone for your help in protecting this new pair of eagles! -Elena
Date: 5/14/26 11:38 am From: <plants...> Subject: [MBBIRDS] reposted by permission from PenBird, by eBird reviewer Malia DeFelice
We are in the thick of Spring Migration! And here are a few reminders for best practices when using eBird at any time, but certainly at this exciting time of the year.
Our review team has been seeing a higher volume of reports this Spring where reports of rare/unusual birds have been lacking adequate documentation. So hopefully the following will be helpful to mention how and why it is important to know how to document rare and unusual birds.
Everyone who has used eBird to report a rare bird, or birds that are unusual for the time of year, or location, is familiar with the automated prompt requesting more documentation. Just a few reminders about documenting your rare/unusual birds on eBird:
Documenting birds flagged as rare : When you are prompted to provide documentation for a sighting of an unusual or rare bird, identifiable photos and audio are best! If you are lacking good supporting media, please write a description of the bird with the #1 comment to add being a description of the bird. A description of the bird should contain field marks and defining physical or audible characteristics that helped you separate it from similar species. This is the most important element you can add to your checklist record. The bird's behavior, what the bird was doing, where it was seen etc. can add depth to the record, but a description of what the bird looked/sounded like is the most important component. Remember, the rarer the bird, the more important thorough documentation becomes.
Ultimately It is up to the observer to provide their documentation and details of the bird. Comments like "continuing bird" or "seen with so-and-so" are OK where applied within reason, but can only go so far. It is a good practice to learn how to write descriptions. Here is an eBird help file link for those new to writing descriptions:
Remember the effort and care you take to document your sightings is your eBird/Birding legacy! And also maintains data quality for our San Mateo County eBird database.
"Details to be added" "Photos/Audio to be added". When compiling checklists in the field using a smart device, it can be difficult to type detailed notes. For birds flagged for more details, please use comments like "Details to be added" or "Photos/Audio to be added". But use that wording only as a temporary placeholder in your checklist comments. Avoid making those "to be added" comments permanent. Try to write your descriptions of the birds and field marks/notes etc. as soon as you can while the details are still fresh in your mind. Don't wait until a time too far in the future when details are fuzzy at best. Upload your supporting photos and audio as soon as it is convenient, especially if it is an early arrival or a rarity you are documenting.
Merlin Users: Merlin does not provide an absolute ID. Merlin provides an ID Suggestion. If you are using Merlin to identify a bird that gets flagged for more details, please upload your audio recording to your checklist as soon as it is convenient. Leaving a comment "ID"d by Merlin" is not sufficient documentation. Merlin can be accurate, but Merlin can also be very wrong and still needs the human element to review suggested Identifications. It is always best to try to see a vocalizing bird in order to get visual confirmation of the ID when possible.
This information seems worth repeating - thanks, Melia!
Date: 5/13/26 7:27 pm From: David Apgar <d_apgar...> Subject: Re: [MBBIRDS] Possible American Redstart (or Northern Yellow Warbler?) at Neary Lagoon
This sounds more like a Yellow Warbler than an American Redstart to me.
David A
________________________________
From: <mbbirds...> <mbbirds...> on behalf of N. Goodman <nl2goodman...>
Sent: Wednesday, May 13, 2026 5:31 PM
To: mbbirds <mbbirds...>
Subject: [MBBIRDS] Possible American Redstart (or Northern Yellow Warbler?) at Neary Lagoon
This afternoon I recorded a warbler hiding in dense brush at Neary Lagoon. Merlin kept identifying it as Northern Yellow Warbler, but the spectrogram appears to me to be much closer to the example of American Redstart from Peterson's Field Guide to Bird Sounds of Western North America. Four to six melodic notes in the first phrase, followed by a single buzzy note at the end - see attached image.
When I got home, I normalized the volume and put it into Birdnet, but all it detected was House Finch and a fainter Wilson's Warbler that was also singing. When I put only one isolated instance of the target bird song into Birdnet, it identified American Redstart, but with only 16% confidence.
The bird was singing constantly on the Neary Lagoon trail just past the playground at the end of Chestnut Street: 36.96325749975487, -122.0280721909303.
Date: 5/13/26 5:31 pm From: N. Goodman <nl2goodman...> Subject: [MBBIRDS] Possible American Redstart (or Northern Yellow Warbler?) at Neary Lagoon
This afternoon I recorded a warbler hiding in dense brush at Neary Lagoon. Merlin kept identifying it as Northern Yellow Warbler, but the spectrogram appears to me to be much closer to the example of American Redstart from Peterson's Field Guide to Bird Sounds of Western North America. Four to six melodic notes in the first phrase, followed by a single buzzy note at the end - see attached image.
When I got home, I normalized the volume and put it into Birdnet, but all it detected was House Finch and a fainter Wilson's Warbler that was also singing. When I put only one isolated instance of the target bird song into Birdnet, it identified American Redstart, but with only 16% confidence.
The bird was singing constantly on the Neary Lagoon trail just past the playground at the end of Chestnut Street: 36.96325749975487, -122.0280721909303.
Date: 5/8/26 6:30 pm From: 'Pete Sole' via mbbirds <mbbirds...> Subject: [MBBIRDS] Loma Prieta mid-morning
Hi birders,
According to BirdCast from Cornell Labs, there's been a measurable
migration pulse through Santa Cruz County the last few days. (For
details see https://dashboard.birdcast.org/region/US-CA-087 .) In any
case, after thinking about it for weeks, I managed to get up to Loma
Prieta, albeit a little late around 8:45am Friday morning. It ended up
being somewhat quiet at the lower saddle. But after spending about 2.5
hours at the upper saddle, a few birders and I observed a number of
interesting species. Highlights included:
* A single BLACK SWIFT which flew through from Santa Clara down into
Santa Cruz county. At first I thought I saw some lighter color on
the neck, perhaps a flash of sun light reflection, but continued
brief looks ruled out White-throated Swift. Overall the bird was
relatively large, all black, with very long sickle shaped wings,
flying quickly with very quick wing beats.
* A small number of repeatedly calling and/or singing OLIVE SIDED
FLYCATCHERS, WESTERN WOOD-PEWEES, BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHERS, and
BLACK-CHINNED SPARROWS.
* A single female LAZULI BUNTING. Another birder heard a male singing
but I missed it.
* Multiple ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHERS, including a pair that seemed to
be investigating nest cavities.
* Two WESTERN TANAGERs came through, but I only saw the second at the
upper saddle.
Warblers were limited. A single BLACK-THROATED GRAY and a couple of
TOWNSEND'S at the lower saddle. A single WILSON'S and a few
ORANGE-CROWNED at the upper saddle. There may have been others but
nothing else clearly seen, nor heard.
For those curious, the respective ebird reports are here:
Date: 5/8/26 5:32 pm From: Deborah Diersch <debbiediersch...> Subject: Re: [MBBIRDS] Sophie Wood Brinker - Birds of Santa Cruz
Hi Kim,
Thank you for sharing this information. I have included all of her events
and many more in the May 1st Albatross - do you receive that? If not, I can
forward it to you.
Thanks again!
Debbie
On Fri, May 8, 2026 at 1:51 PM Kimberly Butts <kimberlygrey33...>
wrote:
> Hi all!
>
> I recently started working with Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History and
> became aware of a great new bird book by artist and author Sophie Wood
> Brinker. She has beautiful artwork included for the various species, some
> of which is also currently displayed at the museum as part of the Art of
> Nature exhibit running through the end of the month.
> There are a number of events happening in the coming weeks at locations
> around Santa Cruz where she will talk, sign books, lead a bird walk etc.
> Thought this group might be interested!
>
> Heyday Books has a calendar of events where you can see them all listed in
> one place.
> [image: Wood-Brinker-BSAN-Yoast-Preview-1600x900px-1024x576.png]
>
> Events | Heyday <https://www.heydaybooks.com/events/> > heydaybooks.com <https://www.heydaybooks.com/events/> > <https://www.heydaybooks.com/events/> >
>
> Happy birding!
>
> -Kim Butts
>
> --
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>
Date: 5/8/26 8:11 am From: silverbirder via mbbirds <mbbirds...> Subject: [MBBIRDS] Western Tanager
Yesterday a gorgeous male Western Tanager showed up at our bird bath down on The Land in Royal Oaks, CA He was seen by Betty. Laura missed him.
Happy Birding
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Date: 5/7/26 11:05 am From: Deborah Diersch <debbiediersch...> Subject: [MBBIRDS] Todd Newberry Memorial Service Announcement
Todd Newberry’s daughters, Liz and Ellen, are hosting a memorial service
for Todd on Saturday, *May 23rd from 2:00-4:00 pm* at the Seymour Marine
Discovery Center and you are all invited to attend. Seymour Marine
Discovery Center is located at 100 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA.
Please RSVP Ellen at <esnberry...> and/or Liz at
<lizchapman...> if you plan to attend.
Date: 5/6/26 9:06 pm From: Shantanu Phukan <phukan...> Subject: Re: [MBBIRDS] Big Scary World (if you are a baby quail...) (fun photos in our backyard today)
How absolutely cute. And how lucky you are to have quail in your backyard. SP
-----Original Message----- From: 'Pete Sole' via mbbirds <mbbirds...> Sent: May 6, 2026 12:55 PM To: MBB Monterey Bay Birds <mbbirds...> Subject: [MBBIRDS] Big Scary World (if you are a baby quail...) (fun photos in our backyard today)
Hi birders,
This morning we had a California Quail family covey in our Soquel back yard. I took 100+ photos, mostly through darkened windows, with vegetation in the way, poor focus and worse light, blah blah (more disclaimers)...
A few fun images, best enjoyed on a big screen, imho:
Under our eaves, we have a nesting box that has been used by violet-green swallows for the past few years. Today we happened to be sitting close enough to hear the flutter of rapid wingbeats inside the box. It was so loud, I'd have thought there were several birds in there if I hadn't been watching just two birds come and go. If you know what this fluttering represents, please let me know. Lise
Date: 5/6/26 12:55 pm From: 'Pete Sole' via mbbirds <mbbirds...> Subject: [MBBIRDS] Big Scary World (if you are a baby quail...) (fun photos in our backyard today)
Hi birders,
This morning we had a California Quail family covey in our Soquel back
yard. I took 100+ photos, mostly through darkened windows, with
vegetation in the way, poor focus and worse light, blah blah (more
disclaimers)...
A few fun images, best enjoyed on a big screen, imho:
