Date: 7/5/26 1:15 pm From: basquebirder via groups.io <allaboutbirds...> Subject: [pen-bird] Black-and-white Warbler Crestmoor Canyon, San Bruno 07/05
Hi all,
Singing here (37.6249677, -122.4386063) along the trail in the willows originally, but jumped across into the oak/toyon woodland where I lost it. Access is ambiguous, an extremely faded and punctured with bullet holes sign saying ‘No Trespassing’, but nothing blocking the entry way through the fence. I’ve never had issues here; locals walk their dogs through here.
Date: 6/30/26 9:07 pm From: maliadances via groups.io <maliadances...> Subject: [pen-bird] San Mateo County Cumulative Year-list Report for --- May 2026
*Greetings Pen-birders,*
San Mateo County birders found a total of 19 species that were new for the year by the end of May. This brings the total species observed by the end of the fifth month to 291. In reading the following, please note, the number in parenthesis next to the bird name is the rarity code assigned for San Mateo County birds. *From the link below* , you can *see definitions for the rarity codes,* *download a checklist* which shows seasonality, frequency, and county breeding information, *find a full list of the birds* observed so far in 2026 *, plus* *all monthly reports going back to 2009.*
*Here are the new birds for May, their finders and locations where found:*
BLACK SWIFT (4) was first reported by Ron Thorn from Skylawn Memorial Park. Kent Forward located a group of WILSON’S PHALAROPES (4) at the Marsh at Pillar Point Harbor. One SOLITARY SANDPIPER (4), also found at the Marsh at Pillar Point Harbor, presented itself to Dave Koehler. During an Alvaro’s Adventures pelagic trip TUFTED PUFFIN (4) and SCRIPPS’S MURRELET were observed offshore. During a seawatch at Bean Hollow, Peter Metropulos observed FRANKLIN’S GULL (4), BLACK-VENTED SHEARWATER and COMMON TERN (2). Caitlin Chock encountered MANX SHEARWATER (5) during a Pigeon Pt. seawatch. A flyover BROAD-WINGED HAWK (5) was seen by Leonie Batkin and Ron Thorn in Redwood Shores. While visiting Año Nuevo SP, Eli Gross detected a LAWRENCE’S GOLDFINCH (4). Richard Jeffers found a NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH (4) at Our Lady of the Pillar Cemetery. TENNESSEE WARBLER (4) was reported by Marty Freeland at San Pedro Valley County Park. Caitlin Chock located a KENTUCKY WARBLER (6) along Gazos Creek Rd. to the delight of many birders, and the same day, general location, Caitlin also had a NORTHERN PARULA (4). Michael Long and Nick Damon discovered a MAGNOLIA WARBLER (4) at Pigeon Pt. ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK (4) was first reported by Tucker Jorgensen at a Pescadero Farm. Joshua Stacy added BLUE GROSBEAK (4) to the list of May goodies found at the Marsh at Pillar Point Harbor. An INDIGO BUNTING (4) was photographed by Elliot Schoenig along Cloverdale Rd. in Pescadero.
*2026 has been a pretty epic year so far* in terms of numbers of species reported. 19 is the highest number of bird species added in any month of May since this report began in 2009! Keep up the good work and let’s see how the year pans out!
*Birding San Mateo County:* There are plenty of ways to see birds. Did you know *The San Mateo County Bird Alliance leads birding Field Trips* on a regular basis? To join a field trip, check out their schedule here: http://www.sequoia-audubon.org/fieldtrips.html
*Alvaro’s Adventures runs offshore pelagic trips* *starting in May,* with many seabird, whale and sea-life finding trips out of Half Moon Bay and other ports. Alvaro’s pelagic schedule here: https://www.alvarosadventures.com/pelagic-dates-2026.html
*California’s First Statewide Breeding Bird Atlas* *-* This landmark effort is being led by *California Bird Atlas* ( https://www.californiabirdatlas.org/ ) ( CBA), an independent nonprofit, in collaboration with state agencies, thousands of volunteers, and dozens of partner organizations. All birders are now officially invited to join the project by visiting the new *California Bird Atlas eBird website* ( https://ebird.org/atlascalifornia/home ). Simply click “ *Join Project* ” ( or “Log in to Join Project”) and you will automatically be able to contribute checklists to the Atlas project. The Atlas is fully integrated with the eBird mobile app. If you submit checklists on mobile, this *Quick Start Tutorial video* ( https://www.youtube.com/shorts/8Z3kbqiO9rw ) provides a brief overview.
*To stay informed of the latest local bird news, consider creating an account with both Peninsula Birding (Pen-bird) and eBird.* To join eBird, simply go to https://ebird.org/home and create an account. To join the Peninsula Birding group, join here: https://groups.io/g/peninsula-birding You can post your sightings there and be kept informed of sightings throughout the county including discussions about birds, population trends, where-can-I-find topics, events, field trips, webinars, pelagic trips and conservation issues. You can engage with other members of the birding community and can connect with online/offline discussions.
*This Report:* As a volunteer for the San Mateo County Bird Alliance I gather content for this report, each month, by primarily using eBird and Pen-bird. When posting to Pen-bird, please include the location and date of your sighting in either the subject line or in the body of your email. If you don’t use eBird or Pen-bird, you can always email me directly. Thank you!
If you have questions or comments regarding this report, or if I missed something,
Date: 6/30/26 11:54 am From: Ronald- Thorn via groups.io <Tronthorn...> Subject: [pen-bird] Miscellaneous sightings bayside
Summering waterfowl noted in small numbers. At the Nob Hill Pond, a male Blue-winged Teal may be a first for one summering on the pond. A male Greater Scaup. Belmont Sloughacross from Preserve Park , a female Canvasback, a male and two female Greater Scaup. On the bay at Coyote Point County Park, a female Greater Scaup and two male CommonGoldeneyes. A post-breeding dispersal male Cinnamon Teal arrived at the Nob Hill Pond on the 23rd. Early arrival of shorebirds that were not summering have been Black-bellied Plover, Long-billed Curlew, Greater Yellowlegs and Western Sandpiper. The first arrival I have noted for Ring-billed Gull were three adults on Belmont Slough across from Preserve Park on the26th. Also on the 26th, a Least Tern was on the bay mudflats among Forster's, Caspian and Elegant Terns at Coyote Point County Park. White-breasted Nuthatch is not often noted along the bay, where a post-breeding dispersal one was at Coyote Point County Park on 23rd.
Ron Thorn
Date: 6/29/26 4:42 pm From: Jane Tatchell via groups.io <Jane...> Subject: Re: [pen-bird] "Morris" in Woodside!
Indeed. I saw that checklist too. Unfortunately, the comments don't say whether the bird was there for the full duration of the checklist. The next sighting in the eBird rarities report has it arriving 20 minutes after the checklist started at 12:54, so about 13:15. It's approximately 13 miles in a straight line from where I saw the bird at 11:50 to that favorite spot on the jetty.
I've received suggestions of Caspian Tern or some species of Booby, but neither of those fit what I saw. The wings and flight characteristics were quite wrong for a tern, and the only Booby seen anywhere near here in the past month was a Cocos Booby, which has a quite different plumage pattern of chocolate brown and white, offshore from Monterey Bay. (I've tried quite hard to persuade myself it was a Caspian Tern, since that was suggested to me, but failed.)
It's definitely unfortunate that I didn't get a photo or sound recording, but the bird was flying fast.
I'll just have to hope I see/hear the same thing again and if I see a Caspian Tern, it'll still be a new bird for my local walk.
Jane
From: Christopher Hayward via groups.io <p_t_nymph...>
To: "<chrismac...>"<chrismac...>
Cc: "<peninsula-birding...>"<peninsula-birding...>
Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2026 14:56:59 -0700
Subject: Re: [pen-bird] "Morris" in Woodside!
The Northern Gannet was reported in his usual spot at the harbor this morning on ebird by a very reliable birder on a list starting at 10.14. Chris Hayward
Date: 6/29/26 4:40 pm From: Naomi Goodman via groups.io <nlgoodman...> Subject: Re: [pen-bird] "Morris" in Woodside!
The next observation was at 1:16 pm, more than an hour after Jane's sighting, and that observation notes that the bird flew in. I know that this would be unusual behavior for Morris, but keep an open mind.
Date: 6/29/26 4:25 pm From: Aidan Sinha via groups.io <aidansinha...> Subject: Re: [pen-bird] "Morris" in Woodside!
All,
Could the bird seen by Jane have been a Caspian Tern? The description of a long-winged gull-like bird with black tips could fit Caspian as well.
With regards to Morris sightings on the coast, looking at eBird, there are reports today of Morris at Pillar Point both before and after Jane's sighting.
Date: 6/29/26 4:07 pm From: Naomi Goodman via groups.io <nlgoodman...> Subject: Re: [pen-bird] "Morris" in Woodside!
Playing the devil's advocate 😈 , Northern Gannets are reported to fly 60 mph. The straight line distance from HMB to where Jane reports the bird is under 15 miles, so they could cover that distance in 15 minutes. Jane reported it 37 minutes after the last HMB observation. I see from east coast sightings that they do travel inland occasionally. Too bad Jane didn't get pics or sound recording!
Date: 6/29/26 2:57 pm From: Christopher Hayward via groups.io <p_t_nymph...> Subject: Re: [pen-bird] "Morris" in Woodside!
The Northern Gannet was reported in his usual spot at the harbor this morning on ebird by a very reliable birder on a list starting at 10.14. Chris Hayward On Jun 29, 2026, at 1:31 PM, Chris M. via groups.io <chrismac...> wrote:
Wow!! I wonder if there is an eBird report for Morris on his jetty at the same time, or confirmation he wasn't there? Or is he developing a taste for Bay seafood?
Date: 6/29/26 1:31 pm From: Chris M. via groups.io <chrismac...> Subject: Re: [pen-bird] "Morris" in Woodside!
Wow!! I wonder if there is an eBird report for Morris on his jetty at the same time, or confirmation he wasn't there?
Or is he developing a taste for Bay seafood?
Date: 6/29/26 12:31 pm From: Jane Tatchell via groups.io <Jane...> Subject: [pen-bird] "Morris" in Woodside!
A new bird for my regular neighborhood walking loop!
Peter Headland and I were walking down Stockbridge Ave towards Alameda, when I heard a grawking bird call, both familiar and unfamiliar. I knew I'd heard it recently, but couldn't place it. I looked up, expecting a corvid, but saw only a gull-like bird. I quickly revised my opinion, as I saw the long, pointed beak and the long pointed wings with heavy black tips. Northern Gannet! (I last saw them at the beginning of the month, from the ferry between Lerwick in Shetland and Aberdeen.) Unfortunately, Peter had walked ahead and didn't hear when I called him, so only I got the sighting (and hearing).
The Gannet was flying west, towards the coast, but where had it come from? That's a mystery. This is much further inland than any other eBird sightings. Here's my checklist: https://ebird.org/atlascalifornia/checklist/S365454819
Date: 6/25/26 6:17 am From: Jane Tatchell via groups.io <Jane...> Subject: Re: [pen-bird] Mystery bird
Thanks to everyone who suggested Western Bluebird. That makes perfect sense.
Jane
---- On Wed, 24 Jun 2026 21:42:26 -0700 <Jane...> wrote ----
Unfortunately, my skills at identifying birds from underneath aren't great. I saw the bird sp. shown in these photos: https://ebird.org/atlascalifornia/checklist/S362924580?view=photos but can't tell what it is. It seemed to be carrying a couple of berries, which it took to a nest hole in a sawn-off tree on the other side of the street. I put a photo of the nest hole on the checklist too. The bird seemed smaller than a robin, but larger than a chickadee. Habitat was suburbia with big houses in large gardens with mature trees.
From: <peninsula-birding...> <peninsula-birding...> On Behalf Of Jane Tatchell
Sent: Thursday, June 25, 2026 12:42 AM
To: peninsula-birding <peninsula-birding...>
Subject: [pen-bird] Mystery bird
Unfortunately, my skills at identifying birds from underneath aren't great. I saw the bird sp. shown in these photos: California Bird Atlas Checklist - 24 Jun 2026 - Atherton loop photos <https://ebird.org/atlascalifornia/checklist/S362924580?view=photos> but can't tell what it is. It seemed to be carrying a couple of berries, which it took to a nest hole in a sawn-off tree on the other side of the street. I put a photo of the nest hole on the checklist too. The bird seemed smaller than a robin, but larger than a chickadee. Habitat was suburbia with big houses in large gardens with mature trees.
Date: 6/24/26 9:42 pm From: Jane Tatchell via groups.io <Jane...> Subject: [pen-bird] Mystery bird
Unfortunately, my skills at identifying birds from underneath aren't great. I saw the bird sp. shown in these photos: https://ebird.org/atlascalifornia/checklist/S362924580?view=photos but can't tell what it is. It seemed to be carrying a couple of berries, which it took to a nest hole in a sawn-off tree on the other side of the street. I put a photo of the nest hole on the checklist too. The bird seemed smaller than a robin, but larger than a chickadee. Habitat was suburbia with big houses in large gardens with mature trees.
Date: 6/22/26 8:05 pm From: Alvaro Jaramillo via groups.io <chucao...> Subject: [pen-bird] July 5 - offshore pelagic from Half Moon Bay SF and SM counties.
Hello all.
With the excitement of the Bodega trip this weekend with multiple
fantastic birds, including lots of Cook's Petrels. Well, we are hoping that
conditions remain for the July 5 trip out of Half Moon Bay. This is our
first dedicated deep water pelagic of the summer/fall season, and we will be
going out to where we hope to find the petrel and storm-petrel action. The
Pioneer Canyon is in San Francisco County, and we are certainly going to
head there, and if conditions are good, we often drift southward into
offshore San Mateo County as well. Currently the Half Moon Bay weather buoy
is showing ocean temperatures similar to what is happening in the Cordell
Bank, perhaps a tad warmer off Half Moon Bay.
Date: 6/18/26 3:37 pm From: Christopher Hayward via groups.io <p_t_nymph...> Subject: [pen-bird] Continuing Bell's Sparrows, Montara Mountain, 6/18/26
Hi All,
Inspired by eBird reports from Ryan Mense and Michael Long I decided to make the hike up Montara Mountain this morning. Starting at the Gray Whale Cove parking lot in partly sunny skies the weather rapidly got worse the higher I went, up near the classic "Bells' Bowl" area the wind was gusting around 30mph and visibility was down to 200ft at best.
This made locating the Bell's Sparrows tough to say the least. Finally after hearing multiple Junco-like "tink" calls I found two Bell's close together just down hill from the old rusted out truck near here at the top of the Alta Vista Trail, 37.56289, -122.48393.
I then headed up the main trail to the "gully" where both Ryan and Michael had photographed another bird, here the wind was really howling but I did get a few brief looks at another Bell's Sparrow there at this location given by Ryan 37.56054, -122.48141.
Bell's Sparrows were first reported here by Dominik Mosur in July 2018 and have been seen every year since with the exception of 2023 and 2024, certainly worth keeping an eye on them as a probable breeding location.
Good idea to try for a less windy and foggy day than me if one decides to hike up the mountain! The views can be amazing on a clear day.
Photos on my eBird list link below
Wow. How grateful to see so many nesting birds and fuzzy chicks. Gives one hope all is well in some parts of our world.
Thanks for the report.
Diane
Diane Hart
23150 Cristo Rey Loop Unit 71
Cupertino, CA 95014
Mobile: 650 766 4252
<dianehart...>
On Jun 14, 2026, at 2:24 PM, Barbara Kossy via groups.io <bkossy...> wrote:
Kayaking in the harbor today I went over to the island breakwater to check on the nesting Brant's Cormorants.
Today I counted twenty birds sitting on nests, as seen from the west. You might be able to see them from the dock area, since many were on the top of the breakwater. Also seen were many Western Gull nests, and even three little fuzzy chicks, just as cute as a Western Gull ever gets.
The Common, Red-throated and single Pacific Loons were still paddling around. The Common Loons were in breeding plumage.
I can't forget to mention the hundreds and hundreds of Brown Pelicans.
Did not see any Elegant Terns. Did see a few Pigeon Guillemots. Gotta love those red feet!
Date: 6/14/26 2:24 pm From: Barbara Kossy via groups.io <bkossy...> Subject: [pen-bird] Pillar Pt Harbor, Cormorants
Kayaking in the harbor today I went over to the island breakwater to check on the nesting Brant's Cormorants. Today I counted twenty birds sitting on nests, as seen from the west. You might be able to see them from the dock area, since many were on the top of the breakwater. Also seen were many Western Gull nests, and even three little fuzzy chicks, just as cute as a Western Gull ever gets. The Common, Red-throated and single Pacific Loons were still paddling around. The Common Loons were in breeding plumage. I can't forget to mention the hundreds and hundreds of Brown Pelicans. Did not see any Elegant Terns. Did see a few Pigeon Guillemots. Gotta love those red feet!
Date: 6/11/26 8:46 am From: Alvaro Jaramillo via groups.io <chucao...> Subject: [pen-bird] Start of Farallon season - two spots open for Sat June 13
Hello all,
It is breeding season, likely some of you have been diligently working
on the CA breeding bird atlas. Well, another type of breeding bird
experience is out here of course, and that is to see the masses of birds
(and mammals) on the Farallon Islands. We have two openings that just came
up for the previously sold out trip this Saturday. Weather forecast looks
good! We also have many other trips to the Farallon Islands this season,
into early August.
Early (June and early July) trips have the largest numbers,
concentrations of breeding birds as the Common Murres begin to fledge in
July and numbers therefore decline on the islands. On the other hand, while
seeing Tufted Puffin is likely on all of the trips, it seems like the late
July and early August trips have larger numbers. This year promises to have
a lot of warm water in the area based on ocean forecasts, and current data.
As such birds from the south, such as the boobies are more likely this
season than in the last several years. I would not be surprised if Cocos
Booby is a standard out there this year, and we eventually have some
visiting Blue-footed even! Nazca Booby has been in northern California
already this season. Of course, the long staying Northern Gannet (Morris) is
out there, and we hope to be able to connect with him on the Farallon
visits.
Date: 6/9/26 6:43 am From: Ronald- Thorn via groups.io <Tronthorn...> Subject: [pen-bird] Coast and bayside sightings
Yesterday, I did a seawatch from Pigeon Point. Part cloudy sky, NW wind 8-12 mph, clear visibility out to the horizon. Here is a partial list of what was noted. A steady stream of SootyShearwaters flying north. There were ( 40,800 ) with many close behind the rock off the lighthouse. ( 2 ) Pink-footed Shearwaters. A Manx Shearwater was in with the stream of SootyShearwaters. Cruciform shape, sharp division between the black upperparts and white underparts, short tail, white undertail coverts, white underwings, snappy wingbeats, smallercompared to a Sooty Shearwater, there are a number of records from Pigeon Point, mostly in May. Expected at this time of the year are late northbound migrants. There were ( 22 )Surf Scoters, loons in alternate plumage, ( 1 ) Red-throated Loon, ( 7 ) Common Loons and ( 36 ) Pacific Loons. ( 2 ) Whimbrels. In with Western, California and Heermann's Gullswas a first-cycle Glaucous-winged Gull. ( 5 ) Rhinoceros Auklets and ( 2 ) Marbled Murrelets. Over on the bayside, there has been a lingering male Blue-winged Teal at the NobHill Pond on the 7th and maybe setting in to summer on the pond which would be a first there.
Ron Thorn
