Date: 6/11/26 6:19 pm From: Rain Tenaqiya 4001 Parducci Rd Ukiah, CA 95482 via groups.io <raincascadia...> Subject: [Mendobirds] Lawrence's goldfinch in Potter Valley
Today I saw a breeding pair of Lawrence's goldfinch in Potter Valley along the East Fork Russian River:
Date: 6/11/26 11:49 am From: Tim Bray via groups.io <tbray...> Subject: [Mendobirds] Pelagic this Sunday
There are a few spaces left for the all-day pelagic this Sunday June
14. Weather looks nice, wind less than 10 knots and seas less than 5
feet, so we should get well offshore. Warm-water birds like Cocos Booby,
Nazca Booby, Black Storm-petrel, and even Red-billed Tropicbird have
been seen already this year off Mendocino; anything is possible. Last
year in mid-June we hit the Cook's Petrel jackpot, the first time those
were seen on a Mendo pelagic. We have several great spotters on board
for this trip so it should be a good one.
--
Cheers,
Tim
“I now belong to a higher cult of mortals for I have seen the
albatross.” Robert Cushman Murphy, 1912
mendocinocoastaudubon.org
kzyx.org/show/ecology-hour
kzyx.org/show/oak-and-thorn
Date: 6/7/26 10:59 am From: Dave Bengston via groups.io <davebengston...> Subject: [Mendobirds] Mountain Bluebird; Flammulated Owl and Long-eared Owl - Mendocino County and Tehama County
This is a very late report and for that I apologize. I and 4 others camped at Wells Cabin in the National Forest from Wednesday to Friday (6/3 - 6/5). There is no phone service up there, and for quite a ways when you come down.
Mt. Blubird - we had one pair on the north side of Anthony Peak. I did not confirm this until yesterday when I looked at a photo. Earlier, Mike Curry had reported Mt. Bluebirds a couple of times from Merlin, but I did not trust Merlin or my ears enough to report it without a visual. So, that helped delay the report. There could have been more Mt. Bluebirds up there.
Flammulated Owls - We heard 3 of them Wednesday night. And I made 4 recordings from Wed nite thru Thursday morning. I am sure they were all in Tehama County. But, if I had been making the recordings a little ways to the west, I probably could not have known for sure what county they were in. For those of you not familiar with that area, the road is the county line for Mendocino and Tehama Counties, and the campground is in Tehama County. At first we were on the road and we could tell all the owls were in Tehama County.
Long-eared Owl - I heard what sounds like a Long-eared Owl and I recorded one hoot. I could not tell where it came from. It could have been in Mendocino County. I submitted the reports to Tehama County with the hope that someone with expertise can listen to it and make a determination.
Most importantly, these birds could very well be in either county.
One more thing - Wells Cabin CG has a Red Fir forest. That is a very rare forest and tree for our area and the state in general, and could attract certain species of birds. The fire 4 years ago burnt much of the area up there, but not all of it.
for the haps and photos from out there on May 30th.
We're starting to see signs of the coming El Nino (see the report for some thoughts on how big) including some of the birds in the above report plus Masked Booby, Cocos Booby, and Red-billed Tropicbird off Mendocino in the past 2 weeks. At the same time we are experiencing "mega" upwelling this spring, and the coastal ocean up here is still quite cold. What happens when cold, nutrient rich, upwelled water meets hot tropical water? It could be quite interesting!
Humpbacks definitely have moved in big and early this year, and Blues are due any day now.
Weather looks to be quite favorable with calmer seas after all these NW winds we've been getting. Hope you can jump aboard. You can reserve a spot at https://noyopelagics.com/ or just meet us at the dock at 7:30 a.m.
Peter
On 6/3/2026 9:37 AM, Peter Pyle wrote: > Greetings Mendo birders and pelagic enthusiasts - > > The reservation button for our upcoming trip on June 8th is now ready > at https://noyopelagics.com/. > > See below for more details. Hope you can join us on this or a future > trip! > > Peter > > On 6/2/2026 10:09 AM, Peter Pyle wrote: >> Thanks Tim! >> >> I will add that on the 29th there were Humpback blows from horizon to >> horizon off Cabrillo Light Station, and a group of Risso's Dolphins >> were just off Belinda Pt a few days before this. With calm seas we'll >> very likely find these and more. We will have time to go down to the >> Casper Highspot and then up to Noyo Canyon (or vice versa), both >> places of rich marine diversity lately. Hope you can join us! >> >> Peter >> >> On 6/2/2026 9:40 AM, Tim Bray via groups.io wrote: >>> >>> We have the Kraken booked for a half-day trip Monday June 8, >>> departing at 7:30 AM and returning around 12:30. Cost will be $125 >>> per person, payable by cash or check only; make checks to "Anchor >>> Charter Boats." >>> >>> Marine forecast looks GREAT, so it should be good viewing for marine >>> mammals as well as birds. Last Saturday we spotted several Humpback >>> Whales and a few Pacific White-sided Dolphins cruised by, but we >>> couldn't go fast enough to hold their attention. (At "Dolphin Speed" >>> of 10+ knots they will often ride the bow wave and play with the >>> boat.) The birding was fantastic, and we can hope to encounter a >>> Booby (two species have been seen here recently) or Storm-petrels, >>> among others. >>> >>> This trip will be a collaboration with the Noyo Center for Marine >>> Science and Mendocino Coast Audubon Society, so we will be >>> interested in just about everything we encounter out there. Calm >>> spells in spring can be really fun with a lot of action on the >>> water. We have had plenty of wind recently, driving upwelling and >>> marine productivity is high here. That is attracting a lot of marine >>> life: everything from plankton to whales. Don't miss this >>> opportunity - we don't get many calm spells at this time of year! >>> >>> Sign up at https://noyopelagics.com/ and we'll see you at the dock! >>> >>> -- >>> Cheers, >>> Tim >>> “I now belong to a higher cult of mortals for I have seen the >>> albatross.” Robert Cushman Murphy, 1912 >>> mendocinocoastaudubon.org >>> kzyx.org/show/ecology-hour >>> kzyx.org/show/oak-and-thorn >>> >> >
See below for more details. Hope you can join us on this or a future trip!
Peter
On 6/2/2026 10:09 AM, Peter Pyle wrote: > Thanks Tim! > > I will add that on the 29th there were Humpback blows from horizon to > horizon off Cabrillo Light Station, and a group of Risso's Dolphins > were just off Belinda Pt a few days before this. With calm seas we'll > very likely find these and more. We will have time to go down to the > Casper Highspot and then up to Noyo Canyon (or vice versa), both > places of rich marine diversity lately. Hope you can join us! > > Peter > > On 6/2/2026 9:40 AM, Tim Bray via groups.io wrote: >> >> We have the Kraken booked for a half-day trip Monday June 8, >> departing at 7:30 AM and returning around 12:30. Cost will be $125 >> per person, payable by cash or check only; make checks to "Anchor >> Charter Boats." >> >> Marine forecast looks GREAT, so it should be good viewing for marine >> mammals as well as birds. Last Saturday we spotted several Humpback >> Whales and a few Pacific White-sided Dolphins cruised by, but we >> couldn't go fast enough to hold their attention. (At "Dolphin Speed" >> of 10+ knots they will often ride the bow wave and play with the >> boat.) The birding was fantastic, and we can hope to encounter a >> Booby (two species have been seen here recently) or Storm-petrels, >> among others. >> >> This trip will be a collaboration with the Noyo Center for Marine >> Science and Mendocino Coast Audubon Society, so we will be interested >> in just about everything we encounter out there. Calm spells in >> spring can be really fun with a lot of action on the water. We have >> had plenty of wind recently, driving upwelling and marine >> productivity is high here. That is attracting a lot of marine life: >> everything from plankton to whales. Don't miss this opportunity - we >> don't get many calm spells at this time of year! >> >> Sign up at https://noyopelagics.com/ and we'll see you at the dock! >> >> -- >> Cheers, >> Tim >> “I now belong to a higher cult of mortals for I have seen the >> albatross.” Robert Cushman Murphy, 1912 >> mendocinocoastaudubon.org >> kzyx.org/show/ecology-hour >> kzyx.org/show/oak-and-thorn >> >
Date: 6/2/26 9:47 am From: Tim Bray via groups.io <tbray...> Subject: [Mendobirds] Half-day pelagic Monday June 8
Marine weather is taking a break next Monday, the forecast shows calm
winds and seas of around 4 feet, uncommon here in spring! So we have
booked the Kraken for a short-notice offshore trip, departing at 7:30 AM
and returning around 12:30. Cost is $125 per person, payable in cash or
check to Anchor Charter Boats.
Two different species of Booby have been seen here recently, so we are
hoping to encounter at least one of those again. On Saturday we had
Laysan Albatross and Murphy's Petrel just a few miles out, before we
even reached Noyo Canyon, so this half-day trip could be exciting. We
also saw several Humpback Whales and some Pacific White-sided Dolphins,
despite the rough seas, so on a calmer day we can expect some good
marine mammal views as well.
--
Cheers,
Tim
“I now belong to a higher cult of mortals for I have seen the
albatross.” Robert Cushman Murphy, 1912
mendocinocoastaudubon.org
kzyx.org/show/ecology-hour
kzyx.org/show/oak-and-thorn
Date: 6/1/26 12:57 pm From: Roger Adamson via groups.io <radamson...> Subject: [Mendobirds] Cocos Booby at Mendocino Headlands
Chris Lamoureux reports that today, Monday, June 1, he watched a Cocos
Booby for about 45 min resting/preening on the water not far offshore
from the southwest parking area of Mendocino Headlands. It was with a
large number of the usual (murres, cormorants, etc.) just beyond the
offshore rocks west of the parking area. It had a white head, so was an
adult male. It had flown off by about 9:45.
Roger Adamson for Chris L.
Date: 5/30/26 6:53 pm From: Peter Pyle via groups.io <ppyle...> Subject: [Mendobirds] Noyo Pelagics 5/30: good trip
A quick summary of today's highlights:
Wind was 15-25 from the NNW but swell was low and we took it slow for a
relatively comfortable ride given conditions, making it out about 15
miles from shore, outside of Noyo Canyon. Birds were the highlights:
About 30 Murphy's Petrels including 15 at one slick.
One Hawaiian Petrel for sure and one other probably.
An almost-adult Nazca Booby.
A Least Tern heading north 15 miles out to who knows where.
3+ Black Storm-Petrels, very early.
3-4 Laysan Albatrosses
Manx Shearwater, South Polar Skua, Ashy and Fork-tailed Storm-Petrels,
Sabine's Gulls, Elegant Terns, and more.
Our full trip report with photos will be up in a few days.
Our next scheduled trip is for June 14th and we are contemplating a
half-day trip on June 8th or the first good weather day that week, so
stay tuned!
On 5/23/2026 6:09 AM, Peter Pyle wrote:
> Greetings Mendo and Bay Area birders (and sorry for the cross-posts):
>
> Just a quick note that on a fishing trip yesterday there were two
> Hawaiian Petrels and 4-5 Murphy's Petrels along with 35+ Black-footed
> and two Laysan Albatrosses, 100s of shearwaters, Sabine's Gulls,
> Tufted Puffin, etc. just 2.6-2.7 miles from shore off the Cabrillo
> Light Station:
>
> https://ebird.org/checklist/S344059540 >
> There's something unique about the waters off Noyo Harbor that brings
> pelagic species close to shore.
>
> We still have 2-3 spaces remaining for our full-day pelagic trip on
> May 30th. There are also 1-2 scholarship slots available for students
> to go for free (contact Tim Bray - cc'd above - if interested in one
> of these) and we have a campsite available at MacKerricher State Park.
>
> To sign up: https://noyopelagics.com/ >
> If the above can be seen in three hours out there, imagine what can be
> encountered in eight hours!
>
> Cheers, Peter
>
>
Date: 5/28/26 3:00 pm From: Peter Headland via groups.io <stonecurlew...> Subject: Re: [Mendobirds] ID help
Looks like a Green Heron. It's notoriously hard to estimate size.
On 2026-05-28 13:03, darliss60 via groups.io wrote:
> Our oldest son manages a large ranch in Mendocino Country east of
> Willits and sent this poor quality image in hopes that we could
> identify it. He says it is smaller than a crow with a rusty colored
> head snd yellow legs. Any ideas?
> F&D Sanderson
> Brooktrails
>
>
>
Date: 5/28/26 1:03 pm From: darliss60 via groups.io <darliss60...> Subject: [Mendobirds] ID help
Our oldest son manages a large ranch in Mendocino Country east of Willits and sent this poor quality image in hopes that we could identify it. He says it is smaller than a crow with a rusty colored head snd yellow legs. Any ideas?F&D Sanderson Brooktrails
Date: 5/23/26 6:10 am From: Peter Pyle via groups.io <ppyle...> Subject: [Mendobirds] Noyo Pelagics: Pterodroma close to shore now
Greetings Mendo and Bay Area birders (and sorry for the cross-posts):
Just a quick note that on a fishing trip yesterday there were two
Hawaiian Petrels and 4-5 Murphy's Petrels along with 35+ Black-footed
and two Laysan Albatrosses, 100s of shearwaters, Sabine's Gulls, Tufted
Puffin, etc. just 2.6-2.7 miles from shore off the Cabrillo Light Station:
There's something unique about the waters off Noyo Harbor that brings
pelagic species close to shore.
We still have 2-3 spaces remaining for our full-day pelagic trip on May
30th. There are also 1-2 scholarship slots available for students to go
for free (contact Tim Bray - cc'd above - if interested in one of these)
and we have a campsite available at MacKerricher State Park.
Date: 5/20/26 4:54 pm From: Lisa D. Walker, (Feather Forestwalker) via groups.io <feather...> Subject: Re: [Mendobirds] Red-eyed Vireo, Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens
On 2026-05-20 3:56 pm, Lisa D. Walker, (Feather Forestwalker) via
groups.io wrote:
> This morning on the Mendocino Coast Audubon Society's Early Bird Walk,
> we had a Red-eyed Vireo in the vegetable garden. I wish I had known; my
> photos of the bird are horrible. I will be adding them to the eBird
> list soon. I had errands and things to do before I could get back and
> work on the remaining photos. Almost done! Wanted to share :) It's a
> Life Bird for me and puts me at #406, a rather modest number,
> considering.
>
>
> Lisa Walker, Fort Bragg/Cleone
>
>
Date: 5/20/26 4:00 pm From: Rain Tenaqiya 4001 Parducci Rd Ukiah, CA 95482 via groups.io <raincascadia...> Subject: [Mendobirds] Update on shorebirds at Ukiah WWTP
Yesterday, the 19th, I visited the Ukiah Wastewater Treatment Plant and observed that the shorebird migration has largely passed. However, I did see a beautiful male and female pair of red-necked phalaropes swimming in one of the central ponds. There are still several American avocets, including two chicks, out of the original four. Four black-necked stilts remain, along with several spotted sandpipers and lots of killdeer. All of this is dependent on the management of the ponds, which no longer offer much shallow water as the main shallow ponds either dried up or were refilled.
Date: 5/20/26 3:56 pm From: Lisa D. Walker, (Feather Forestwalker) via groups.io <feather...> Subject: [Mendobirds] Red-eyed Vireo, Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens
This morning on the Mendocino Coast Audubon Society's Early Bird Walk,
we had a Red-eyed Vireo in the vegetable garden. I wish I had known; my
photos of the bird are horrible. I will be adding them to the eBird list
soon. I had errands and things to do before I could get back and work on
the remaining photos. Almost done! Wanted to share :) It's a Life Bird
for me and puts me at #406, a rather modest number, considering.
It included at least 8 Murphy's Petrels, some Laysan Albatrosses,
thousands of shearwaters and other pelagic birds, Humpback Whales, and a
large group of Pacific White-sided and Northern Right Whale dolphins
doing acrobatics and providing excellent photo ops (see photos in the
report). NW winds for that trip were moderate to healthy but this did
not prevent all from having a great time as our captain Richard of the
Kraken is very skilled at negotiating the boat to prevent mal de mer
under such conditions (luckily they were not like they were this past
weekend!).
We may have 1-2 student scholarships still available for this trip (to
go for free), sponsored by the Mendocino Coast Audubon Society; if
interested, contact Tim Bray <tbray...>. We also have a camp site
available for up to eight for the 29th, also compliments of MCAS; let me
or Roger Adamson <radamson...> know if you'd like to reserve a spot.
Cost for 10 hours at sea is $185 and you can sign up for the trip here:
Date: 5/17/26 12:55 pm From: Dave Bengston via groups.io <davebengston...> Subject: [Mendobirds] Black Swifts at Lake Pillsbury on 5/13 & Bald Eagles
Sorry for the late post. On Wednesday morning I saw 2 Black Swifts at the northwest corner of Lake Pillsbury. Very apparent; they were large black slow swifts with no white and they were clearly larger than the surrounding Tree Swallows. fyi - there is no cell phone service up there, and I did not have any until late on the 14th when I got back to Upper Lake. I looked at the bar charts and saw that they had been reported a few years ago in May.
I am pretty sure I also saw 7 Bald Eagles. There is a pair of adults at the north end of the lake with 3 immatures all staying together. And, I saw another pair of adults over 4 miles away on a nest. I would like to hear from anyone who keeps track of the eagles at Pillsbury.
Date: 5/17/26 11:00 am From: Lisa D. Walker, (Feather Forestwalker) via groups.io <feather...> Subject: [Mendobirds] Hudsonian Godwit, Inglenook Creek
Peter Pyle reports a Hudsonian Godwit (same as the one reported at the
mouth of the Ten Mile River by Greg Lambeth on May 11th? Likely!)
at Inglenook Creek on Ten Mile Beach this morning.
