Date: 7/30/26 9:29 pm From: richard s. cimino via groups.io <rscimino...> Subject: [northbaybirds] LATE SUMMER - Fall Migration birding MMWD property.
The birding vibe during this season can be rewarding finding species
post-breeding.
The last few days I've been preparing for a high elevation Sierra back
packing trip, using the Marin Water District's Phoenix Lake trail to Bon
Tempe hiking up Fish Gulch trail.
Recently in the early morning along Phoenix Lake, I've had up to four
Pileated Woodpeckers calling and drumming in different locations. This
morning we ran into Lesley Brown, a MAS member, and she had a Pileated
Woodpecker too, what I'll call a fifth Pileated Woodpecker calling and
setting a territory at the southern end of the Phoenix Lake an area I
haven't birded recently.
Other recent interesting sightings are a Black-headed Grosbeak and Olive
sided Flycatcher near the Phoenix trail junction with the Bill Williams
Trail. Calling but difficult to locate was a Hammond's Flycatcher along the
Fish Gulch Trail approximately halfway up the tail toward Bon Tempe. At the
top of Fish Gulch on the long brown gate with a No Trespassing - water
treatment plant sign, was a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher.
This morning Thursday hiking up Mount Baldy - Warm Springs Trail we had
calling Wrentits, an Ash-throated Flycatcher and a flyby female Bullocks
Oriole.
Get out and enjoy the late summer, fall migration season,
Date: 7/26/26 11:44 am From: Peter Pyle via groups.io <ppyle...> Subject: [northbaybirds] Noyo Pelagics -August 3rd
Greetings Bay area birders -
We still have some room on our pelagic trip of August 3rd. At this point
NW winds are predicted but this can change and we have also learned that
such conditions are great for birding as we can take it slow to get for
a comfortable ride, we don't have to go far to get to the good stuff,
and bird activity increases a lot when there is some winds.
July and early August are the prime storm-petrel months, when they
gather to molt, and up to nine species have been recorded off NorCal in
the past two weeks, including Wilson's on our trip of July 20th and
Wilson's, Least, and possible Townsend's off Eureka this past weekend,
as well as a large dark storm-petrel for which ID is being discussed.
Cook's Petrels are also still around, with numbers encountered over the
shelf off Eureka this past weekend. We have had 4 Masked/Nazca and two
Cocos Boobies so far this spring/summer off Noyo, and we are expecting
more as El Nino waters move in. On the other hand upwelling and
productive nutrient-rich waters have continued along our coast and over
Noyo Canyon, which continues to concentrate pelagic birds and marine
mammals including 100s of Humpbacks this past week.
We still have 1-2 scholarships available for high school and college
students, sponsored by Mendocino Coast Audubon. If interested in one of
these, contact Tim Bray (cc'd above). Also sponsored by MCAS is a camp
site reserved at MacKerricher State Park for the night of the 2nd-3rd.
If interested in taking advantage of this, contact Roger Adamson (cc'd
above).
Date: 7/8/26 1:46 am From: larry nigro via groups.io <larrymtb...> Subject: [northbaybirds] Hungry Terns and Bonaparte gulls to check out now at Las Gallinas
Hi,
Some local Forster Terns brought their young to the second pond at Las Gallinas Pond today. This mixed nicely with a group of Bonaparte Gulls. It was a fun show. best Larry Nigro [image: image.jpeg] [image: image.jpeg] [image: image.jpeg]
Date: 7/2/26 7:09 am From: Alvaro Jaramillo via groups.io <chucao...> Subject: [northbaybirds] Current ocean conditions - Weather good for upcoming Farallon trips.
Hello all.
This year’s ocean conditions so far have been great. Spring and early
summer are the main time for the upwelling process to happen when consistent
winds blow from the NW and bring cold nutrient rich water to the surface of
the ocean. These nutrients, now in ample sunshine near the surface create
food for plankton, and the rest of the food chain. This has happened within
the backdrop of a warm ocean offshore and to our south, with now an El Niño
on the equatorial Pacific. That means that at the equator ocean water is
well warmer (hotter) than the norm, and this creates a low food situation
there. Birds from the Humboldt Current and Galapagos are dispersing now,
Blue-footed Boobies have been seen out of range to the south, and presumably
some are moving north. We have this warm water offshore and to our south as
I mentioned, yet the upwelling situation roughly from San Mateo county
north, means there is ample food where we are. Breeding birds on the
Farallon Islands should be doing well with local food supplies, and offshore
we expect that regular migrants, and maybe some dispersing rarer species may
be there again drawn in by the food. There has been a lot of good Humpback
Whale feeding situations, and a good diversity of marine mammals as well
offshore.
I am excited as I will be returning to the Bay Area to help guide this
weekend’s trips. I have not been on a boat for a while, and it will be great
fun. I shall return for the September trips as well. If you want to catch
the bonanza of breeding birds on the Farallon Islands not only are the ocean
conditions interesting, the weather forecast is good for a good ride out
there. I realize some folks have trepidation about heading out on a boat,
well this weekend the trips look to be in good weather (at least as
forecast). There are spaces available still. The Sunday offshore trip may
sellout, send me an email if it does, there are often last minute
cancellations.
