Date: 11/10/26 1:19 pm From: Dominik Mosur via northbaybirds <dominikmosur...> Subject: [northbaybirds] West Marin County misc. 11/9/26
Spent the day birding various locations in West Marin County focused primarily on fields and ranches along Pierce Point/Marshall Beach Rd.s and Abbott's Lagoon.
Some observations I found of note:
Blue-winged Teal - a pair was in the Kehoe Ranch slop pond. This pond is located north of the ranch buildings and cannot be seen from the road
MOUNTAIN PLOVER - one was roosting with Snowy Plovers at the north end of Abbott's Lagoon. Presumably this is the same Mountain Plover that was first reported by Connor Cochrane on 10/23 but not reported since 10/25. I did not see it on the outbound hike to the dunes but it was there on the walk back. Some reported it roosting on the beach as much as a ".25 mile" north of the lagoon mouth. This would make it 18 days since the initial report making it possibly the longest staying for the county in one location.
Ferruginous Hawk - an adult was over the Abbott's Trailhead a bit after noon. This is the first report in eBird of Ferruginous here since 9/19 and only the third from the seashore in fall in total which is odd considering they are almost unmissable in this part of Point Reyes most falls. Perhaps not a good year for them.
Nuttall's Woodpecker - a male was bouncing around between the two dying bishop pines and large eucalyptus at the entrance to the H Ranch, a short way south of the Abbott's Trailhead. Uncommon in this part of the county in my experience and interesting in that it appeared to be excavating a cavity in one of the pines.
Tricolored Blackbirds - after seeing only small numbers mixed with other blackbird sp. and starlings for much of the day I finally hit paydirt with a 2000+ flock of blackbirds that appeared to be at least 50% Trikes in the fields on the east side of Pierce Point Rd. across from the abandoned McClure Dairy. It remains to be seen what the effect the cessation of cattle ranching will have on Trikes in upcoming years.
Orange-crowned Warbler - one showing field marks of the Channel Island ssp. _sordida_ was in an extensive patch of willows near the defunct L Ranch on Marshall Beach Rd. Unfortunately I wasn't able to hold it's attention long enough for a definitive ID but it did appear longer-billed than our regular Orange-crowns with darkly marked undertail coverts and streaky chest.
Despite spending several hours trudging through traditional longspur hang outs in the various fields and the Abbott's dunes I was stymied in locating any yesterday. American Pipits were also quite scarce: finally located a decent sized flock of about 70-80 in the dunes above the SW corner of Abbott's Lagoon.
Also waterfowl was conspicuously absent from Abbott's. Looking back at some of my old lists from this location from mid-late October, by now hundreds of wigeons and other waterfowl should be in place. I counted less than one hundred ducks total: of these 45 mallards, 17 buffleheads and miniscule numbers of a few other species.
A full trip report with checklists can be seen here:
Date: 11/10/26 8:08 am From: Robin Leong via northbaybirds <robin_leong...> Subject: [northbaybirds] Benicia CBC is on Dec 14, 2026
Good Morning,
Just a short note to tell North Bay Birders that the Benicia CBC is on Monday Dec 14 this year. We could use help to make the Benicia CBC the best that it can be. We have areas in Solano and/or Napa County if you are a county birder. Please check Benicia's CBC circle by going on National's CBC site.
Date: 11/9/26 7:20 pm From: David Trollman via northbaybirds <dtrollman...> Subject: [northbaybirds] Blue-winged teal
Two magnificent blue-winged teal drakes with a half-dozen females at 3pm a mile toward San Quentin from Trader Joe's in Corte Madera at 37.936329,-122.510419.
Date: 11/8/26 4:59 pm From: NANCY AND EUGENE HUNN via northbaybirds <enhunn323...> Subject: [northbaybirds] Clark's Nutcracker
The nutcracker spotted yesterday (NOV. 7) at the south end of the Bluff Trail at the Estero Americano Preserve showed up again at the same location ca. 1 PM Nov. 8. It then flew over to the Marin shore. Gene & Nancy Hunn_._,_._,_
View/Reply Online (#23052) | Reply to Sender | Reply to Group | Mute This Topic | New Topic Your Subscription | Contact Group Owner | Unsubscribe [<lists...>] _._,_._,_
> From: Moss Henry via northbaybirds <mosshenry...>
> Date: November 7, 2026 at 3:56:35 PM PST
> To: northbaybirds+<owner...>
> Subject: [Owner] [northbaybirds] Posting
> Reply-To: <mosshenry...>
>
> I saw a Clark’s Nutcracker today at 12:30 PM at the Estero Americano Coast Preserve in Bodega. It was at the picnic area at the end of the Bluff Trail at the beach access. It’s possible the bird is staying there rather than passing through. Please post this to NBB so others can look for the bird.
>
> Thanks,
> Moss Henry
> Santa Rosa
Date: 10/31/26 12:41 pm From: Colin Meusel via northbaybirds <colinroots...> Subject: [northbaybirds] Franklin’s Gull at Abbot’s Lagoon
Teale Fristoe spotted a 1st cycle Franklin’s Gull. On the beach and north end of lagoon.
-Colin Meusel, Petaluma, CA
eBird Checklist - 31 Oct 2026 - Pt. Reyes--Abbotts Lagoon - 57 species
Date: 10/29/26 5:23 pm From: Courtney Buechert via northbaybirds <courtney...> Subject: [northbaybirds] Eurasian Widgeon on Bolinas Lagoon
I was doing some traffic control on Calle de Arroyo in Stinson Beach today at the afternoon high tide and saw two bright male Eurasian Widgeon with a group of American Widgeon. Also notable were three Hooded Mergansers nearby (one males and two females). Good to see the winter birds returning already.
Date: 10/28/26 4:44 pm From: Denise Hamilton via groups.io <2napabirders...> Subject: [northbaybirds] If you haven't seen enough Lewis's Woodpeckers this fall, head to Lake Berryessa
Hi all,
David and I went out to Lake Berryessa, Napa Co, yesterday just to see what
is out there. Stops at the Olive Orchard Day Use area and a stop at the
Eticuera Creek 'fishing area' that comes* before* the day use area with the
bathroom added some nice birds to the trip. (At Eticuera Creek Day Use
Area (where we've seen Vesper Sparrows in the past years) is now a staging
area for a lot of stuff for some PG&E work out on East Side Rd, so not very
birdy at times.)
No ducks out on the lake yet, just lots of Coots and Canada Geese. We
drove to the end of East Side Rd, seeing a few Lewis's Woodpeckers, but
when we turned around to drive back they were everywhere! Going down to
the lake for a drink, hawking insects and chasing each other around. And a
first for us was seeing multiple birds several times down on the road
eating grit. Birds of the World, online states: *Grit, from small rocks,
makes up large component (50–98%) of stomach contents during periods of
fall and winter when acorns are part of diet, but much less during summer
(Neff 1928a, Snow 1941).*
We counted over 60 birds out there, guessing probably more since they were
constantly on the move. This eBird reports shows a pic of them down on the
road:
Then we drove down Berryessa-Knoxville Rd about 3 miles where we came upon
more Lewies!! This time, some were flying around so high, they looked more
like swifts or swallows. Well over 100 of them here! eBird report has
more info:
Date: 10/23/26 12:43 pm From: Mike Carozza via groups.io <mike.carozza...> Subject: [northbaybirds] Common Poorwill, Sebastopol
Hi Birders,
Following up on the COMMON POORWILL party, I flushed one yesterday mid-morning in a vineyard on Pleasant Hill Road near Bloomfield. It was a small nightjar, had a very short tail, no distinct pattern. It flew to the forest edge where I flushed it again, giving soft clucks as it departed.
At night, I re-found it on the old vineyard road. It fluttered up and returned to the same spot, then flew off and disappeared deeper into the vines.
Took 12 years of birding for me to see that commoner!
Recently had RED CROSSBILL and EVENING GROSBEAK here, too.
Date: 10/23/26 11:42 am From: cermaklaw via groups.io <cermaklaw...> Subject: [northbaybirds] Common Poorwill
This last Monday, after many years of looking, I found EIGHT Common Poorwill in Solano County. As is typical, they were sitting on a canyon road 1/2 hour after dark. I have only seen one torpid individual before found by Keith Hanson and Rich Stalcup years ago on a WCCBC near Bodega Bay of all places.
Date: 10/20/26 9:26 pm From: Denise Hamilton via groups.io <2napabirders...> Subject: [northbaybirds] Black-backed Lesser Goldfinch backyard in Napa
Hi all,
This morning in our yard in Napa was quite birdy! Ended up with 34 species. The most interesting bird was a Lesser Goldfinch - a black-backed subspecies, we believe, which would be a first for our yard. Looked at a lot of pictures and info online to confirm. The main thing that matches is the black ear coverts, which this bird has. If interested in seeing the bird:
