Date: 11/11/26 11:20 am From: DW via inlandcountybirds <dwilkman...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] Yellow Billed Cuckoo seen in the Hawarden Hills area of Riverside
While driving I saw a Yellow Billed Cuckoo sitting on a utility wire on Mary Street near the intersection of Mary and the Gage Canal. We slowed and were able to get a good long look at the bird. The sighting was in late October during the early afternoon. I was very glad to see this species since I hadn’t seen one in a few decades. I apologize for the late message (this is my first day in this group).
Date: 11/9/26 8:07 am From: <tgmiko...> via inlandcountybirds <tgmiko...> Subject: Re: [inlandcountybirds] Eastern Bluebird Barstow
There is an eBird report from early today, Monday morning of the bird,
still being there
Thomas Geza Miko
Claremont CA 91711
909.241.3300
On Sun, Nov 8, 2026 at 1:17 PM T.G. Miko <tgmiko...> wrote:
> The Eastern Bluebird (adult female versus subadult male) continues at
> https://maps.app.goo.gl/at6JpRisYaoVFpBt6?g_st=ic > in the large grassy field on Riverside Drive, that is west of the entry
> gate to the Barstow sewage plant.
>
> Thomas Geza Miko
> Claremont CA 91711
> 909.241.3300
>
The Eastern Bluebird (adult female versus subadult male) continues at https://maps.app.goo.gl/at6JpRisYaoVFpBt6?g_st=ic in the large grassy field on Riverside Drive, that is west of the entry gate to the Barstow sewage plant.
Date: 11/5/26 2:37 pm From: Tom Benson via inlandcountybirds <thomasabenson...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] Fulvous Whistling-Duck at Wister Wildlife Unit, Salton Sea
On Sunday, November 1, a hunter harvested a Fulvous Whistling-Duck at the Wister Unit of the Imperial Wildlife Area at the south end of the Salton Sea. Unfortunately, the specimen was not preserved. The hunter did report to me, however, that two whistling-ducks were flying together and that he only took one of them, so another one may still be out there.
Tom BensonRedlands, CA
Date: 11/5/26 12:53 pm From: Thomas Benson via inlandcountybirds <tbenson...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] Southeastern CA RBA: November 5, 2026
RBA
* California
* Southeastern
* November 5, 2026
* CASE26.11.05
This is the Southeastern CA weekly RBA summary. We cover Imperial, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties. California Bird Records Committee review species are denoted by asterisks. To report a bird POST TO INLANDCOUNTYBIRDS (https://groups.io/g/inlandcountybirds). If there is some reason that you cannot post there, please e-mail or call/text Tom Benson at <tbenson...> or (909) 648-0899.
A *THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD* continued at Bellevue Memorial Park through Nov 3 (Mark Donahue).
Two EVENING GROSBEAKS were at Heaps Peak seep on Oct 31 (Brad Singer).
An EVENING GROSBEAK was at the 29 Palms Inn on Nov 2 (L. Chandy).
An EVENING GROSBEAK was at Glen Helen Regional Park on Nov 5 (Gavin Aquila).
RIVERSIDE COUNTY
A BROAD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRD was seen at Blythe Golf Course on Oct 30 (Adrian Hinkle).
A BROAD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRD was seen at Chiriaco Summit Oct 31-Nov 3 (Dessi Sieburth).
A LAPLAND LONGSPUR was at the San Jacinto Wildlife Area on Nov 2 (Luca Cinus).
IMPERIAL COUNTY
A PAINTED WHITESTART continued at Mission Wash through Nov 3 (Henry Detweiler).
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Birds included in this weekly summary are those that are considered casual or of less than annual occurrence in San Bernardino, Riverside, or Imperial Counties, or in some cases regionally within these areas. If you do find or see something of interest, whether it be a geographical or seasonal rarity, evidence of local range expansion, or a novel breeding record, I'd recommend sharing that information with the CBRC, North American Birds subregional editors, or regional listservs as appropriate. Information for contacting these entities is available below.
Please submit your documentation of all California Bird Records Committee review species (denoted by asterisks) to CBRC Secretary Tom Benson at <secretary...> or via the CBRC website: https://www.californiabirds.org/report_sighting.html
CBRC review species and birds of local or seasonal rarity should be reported to the North American Birds (https://www.aba.org/north-american-birds/) county coordinators. They are:
IMPERIAL COUNTY: Chris Dean, <chrisdeanbirder...>
INYO COUNTY: Chris and Rosie Howard, <chris93514...>
KERN COUNTY: Kelli Heindel-Levinson, <kkheindel...>
RIVERSIDE COUNTY: David Rankin, <david.rankin...>
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY: Alexander E. Koonce, <sandy_koonce...>
************
Other dying birding listservs that occasionally include reports of birds in southern California are:
A schedule of San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society field trips is available on the SBVAS website at https://www.sbvas.net/field-trips
************
Bird status and distribution references that every southeastern California birder should own:
Birds of southern California: status and distribution (1981), by Kimball L. Garrett and Jon L. Dunn
Birds of the Salton Sea: status, biogeography, and ecology (2003), by Michael A. Patten, Guy McCaskie, and Philip Unitt (update: https://archive.westernfieldornithologists.org/archive/V56/56(2)-p126-p142.pdf)
Birds of the Lower Colorado River Valley (1991), by Kenneth V. Rosenberg, Robert D. Ohmart, William C. Hunter, and Bertin W. Anderson
Date: 10/29/26 12:18 pm From: Thomas Benson via groups.io <tbenson...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] Southeastern CA RBA: October 29, 2026
RBA
* California
* Southeastern
* October 29, 2026
* CASE26.10.29
This is the Southeastern CA weekly RBA summary. We cover Imperial, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties. California Bird Records Committee review species are denoted by asterisks. To report a bird POST TO INLANDCOUNTYBIRDS (https://groups.io/g/inlandcountybirds). If there is some reason that you cannot post there, please e-mail or call/text Tom Benson at <tbenson...> or (909) 648-0899.
A SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER was seen at the Twentynine Palms water treatment plant on Oct 23 (Johnny Bovee).
A *THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD*, returning for its fifth winter, was at Bellevue Memorial Park Oct 25-28 (Tom Benson).
Two EVENING GROSBEAKS were at Knott Sky Park on Oct 25 (William Rockey).
An EVENING GROSBEAK was at Heaps Peak seep on Oct 23 (Scott Taylor).
An EVENING GROSBEAK was seen at Glen Helen Regional Park on Oct 28 (Matt Grube).
An EVENING GROSBEAK continued in Running Springs through Oct 29 (Scott Taylor).
RIVERSIDE COUNTY
Twenty-two EVENING GROSBEAKS were seen at Hurkey Creek Park near Lake Hemet on Oct 21 (Kurt Gielow).
IMPERIAL COUNTY
A PAINTED WHITESTART was seen at Mission Wash Oct 23-25 (Chris Dean).
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Birds included in this weekly summary are those that are considered casual or of less than annual occurrence in San Bernardino, Riverside, or Imperial Counties, or in some cases regionally within these areas. If you do find or see something of interest, whether it be a geographical or seasonal rarity, evidence of local range expansion, or a novel breeding record, I'd recommend sharing that information with the CBRC, North American Birds subregional editors, or regional listservs as appropriate. Information for contacting these entities is available below.
Please submit your documentation of all California Bird Records Committee review species (denoted by asterisks) to CBRC Secretary Tom Benson at <secretary...> or via the CBRC website: https://www.californiabirds.org/report_sighting.html
CBRC review species and birds of local or seasonal rarity should be reported to the North American Birds (https://www.aba.org/north-american-birds/) county coordinators. They are:
IMPERIAL COUNTY: Chris Dean, <chrisdeanbirder...>
INYO COUNTY: Chris and Rosie Howard, <chris93514...>
KERN COUNTY: Kelli Heindel-Levinson, <kkheindel...>
RIVERSIDE COUNTY: David Rankin, <david.rankin...>
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY: Alexander E. Koonce, <sandy_koonce...>
************
Other dying birding listservs that occasionally include reports of birds in southern California are:
A schedule of San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society field trips is available on the SBVAS website at https://www.sbvas.net/field-trips
************
Bird status and distribution references that every southeastern California birder should own:
Birds of southern California: status and distribution (1981), by Kimball L. Garrett and Jon L. Dunn
Birds of the Salton Sea: status, biogeography, and ecology (2003), by Michael A. Patten, Guy McCaskie, and Philip Unitt (update: https://archive.westernfieldornithologists.org/archive/V56/56(2)-p126-p142.pdf)
Birds of the Lower Colorado River Valley (1991), by Kenneth V. Rosenberg, Robert D. Ohmart, William C. Hunter, and Bertin W. Anderson
Date: 10/27/26 4:52 pm From: Julie Szabo via groups.io <jsszabo1...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] Lake Elsinore, 30 Brown Pelicans 10/27/26
Today, Tuesday 10/27/26, Greg Cross, Charity Hagen and I birded the Lake Elsinore lake, levee and back basin, seeing 97 species. In the afternoon, we discovered 30 Brown Pelicans (some adults and mostly immature) at Launchpoint, at the North End of the lake, on the rock jetty next to the boat launch.( They were standing with American White Pelicans.) Several of the BRPE were seen flying and diving for fish. In the same area, just to the west were 23 Western Cattle Egrets standing in bushes. Earlier in the day we saw 12 Western Cattle Egrets on a rocky island in the inflow channel just north of the Storm Baseball Stadium. Other species of note were Bald Eagle, Dunlin, Western & Least Sandpipers, Neotropic Cormorant, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Peregrine Falcon, and a great abundance of Yellow-rumped Warblers. An eBird checklist will be available later.
Date: 10/26/26 6:11 pm From: henry detwiler via groups.io <henry_detwiler...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] Lower Colorado River Valley
Greetings Birders,
Spent some time over the past two days having great fun birding the Colorado River Valley. Yesterday I visited Mission Wash (along the All-American Canal) between 7:30-10:30 and heard and/or spotted 46 species of birds. The best were a Painted Redstart (thanks, Chris!), a Purple Finch, two Hermit Thrushes, a Summer Tanager, and a Fox Sparrow. Crissal Thrashers, resident, were singing.This morning I spent 7:15-11:15 at the Cibola Reveg Site, across from Cibola NWR, on the California side of the river. This huge area of cottonwoods, mesquite, and weedy patches was alive with birds (and mosquitoes). Some of the unusually high counts were 11 Northern Flickers, 19 Black Phoebes, 16 Northern House Wrens, 33 Lincoln's Sparrows, and 40 Abert's Towhees. A few of the nice birds I ran across were a Merlin, a Gray Flycatcher, a Green-tailed Towhee, and a Red-breasted Nuthatch. Here, too, the Crissal Thrashers were singing.
Good Birding!Henry D. <Detwilerhenry_detwiler...>, AZ
Finding Birds at the Salton Sea and in Imperial County, Californiahttps://www.southwestbirders.com/swb_Imperial_County_Book.htmFinding Birds in Southwest Arizonahttps://www.southwestbirders.com/swb_SWAZ_Book.htm
Date: 10/24/26 9:26 am From: Anthony Metcalf via groups.io <ametcalf...> Subject: Re: [inlandcountybirds] Tundra Peregrine Falcon at the SJWA Oct 23, 2026
btw, I really dislike auto spell check
On Sat, Oct 24, 2026 at 9:18 AM Anthony Metcalf via groups.io <ametcalf=
<csusb.edu...> wrote:
--
Anthony Metcalf
Department of Biology
California State University, San Bernardino
5500 University Parkway
San Bernardino, CA 92407
(909) 537-7501
FAX: (909) 537-7038
A Tundra Peregrin Falcon was observed on a loafing island on the newly constructed wetlands north of the elevated ponds2 and 3. Characters include the Buffy colored forehead and crown, with narrow molar stripes creating a whte contrasting cheek. A thin dark line running horizontally above the eye created a white supercilious. The upper surface of the wing and back were a "cold" brown gray with pale edgings visible in the field and somewhat in the cropped photos. The primary projection appeared long in the field and in the photos. Some ebird exploring suggests that this is the first Tundra subspecies recorded for the tri-county area. I could only find one record (w photos byAndrew Birch 8 Jan 22) for southern California.
-- Anthony Metcalf Department of Biology California State University, San Bernardino 5500 University Parkway San Bernardino, CA 92407 (909) 537-7501 FAX: (909) 537-7038
Date: 10/22/26 8:30 am From: Thomas Benson via groups.io <tbenson...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] Southeastern CA RBA: October 22, 2026
RBA
* California
* Southeastern
* October 22, 2026
* CASE26.10.22
This is the Southeastern CA weekly RBA summary. We cover Imperial, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties. California Bird Records Committee review species are denoted by asterisks. To report a bird POST TO INLANDCOUNTYBIRDS (https://groups.io/g/inlandcountybirds). If there is some reason that you cannot post there, please e-mail or call/text Tom Benson at <tbenson...> or (909) 648-0899.
Birds mentioned:
*FULVOUS WHISTLING-DUCK*
Arctic Tern
Black Storm-Petrel
*WEDGE-RUMPED STORM-PETREL*
Least Storm-Petrel
Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay
Evening Grosbeak
Harris's Sparrow
Northern Waterthrush
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
Two EVENING GROSBEAKS were seen on private property in Running Springs Oct 16-20 (Scott Taylor).
An EVENING GROSBEAK was at Barstow Community College on Oct 16 (Luca Cinus).
RIVERSIDE COUNTY
An EVENING GROSBEAK was at Lake Hemet on Oct 15 (Robin Roberts).
An EVENING GROSBEAK was seen along the PCT near Palm View Peak on Oct 17 (Alan Brelsford).
An EVENING GROSBEAK was at Barker Dam in Joshua Tree NP on Oct 19 (Jesse Pline).
IMPERIAL COUNTY
The *FULVOUS WHISTLING-DUCK* continued at the Alamo River Wetlands through Oct 19 (Henry Detweiler).
An ARCTIC TERN was seen at the west end of Bowles Road on Oct 20 (Jesse Pline).
Storm-petrel numbers are slowly diminishing at the end of Young Road, with up to four BLACK and three LEAST continuing through 20 Oct and up to three *WEDGE-RUMPED* STORM-PETRELS continuing through 18 Oct (multiple observers).
A WODDHOUSE'S SCRUB-JAY was seen at the west end of Young Road on Oct 17 (Ted Keyel).
A HARRIS'S SPARROW was seen at the Salton Sea NWR headquarters on Oct 18 (Nancy Strohm).
A NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH was at the IID Wetlands in Niland on Oct 19 (Henry Detweiler).
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Birds included in this weekly summary are those that are considered casual or of less than annual occurrence in San Bernardino, Riverside, or Imperial Counties, or in some cases regionally within these areas. If you do find or see something of interest, whether it be a geographical or seasonal rarity, evidence of local range expansion, or a novel breeding record, I'd recommend sharing that information with the CBRC, North American Birds subregional editors, or regional listservs as appropriate. Information for contacting these entities is available below.
Please submit your documentation of all California Bird Records Committee review species (denoted by asterisks) to CBRC Secretary Tom Benson at <secretary...> or via the CBRC website: https://www.californiabirds.org/report_sighting.html
CBRC review species and birds of local or seasonal rarity should be reported to the North American Birds (https://www.aba.org/north-american-birds/) county coordinators. They are:
IMPERIAL COUNTY: Chris Dean, <chrisdeanbirder...>
INYO COUNTY: Chris and Rosie Howard, <chris93514...>
KERN COUNTY: Kelli Heindel-Levinson, <kkheindel...>
RIVERSIDE COUNTY: David Rankin, <david.rankin...>
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY: Alexander E. Koonce, <sandy_koonce...>
************
Other dying birding listservs that occasionally include reports of birds in southern California are:
A schedule of San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society field trips is available on the SBVAS website at https://www.sbvas.net/field-trips
************
Bird status and distribution references that every southeastern California birder should own:
Birds of southern California: status and distribution (1981), by Kimball L. Garrett and Jon L. Dunn
Birds of the Salton Sea: status, biogeography, and ecology (2003), by Michael A. Patten, Guy McCaskie, and Philip Unitt (update: https://archive.westernfieldornithologists.org/archive/V56/56(2)-p126-p142.pdf)
Birds of the Lower Colorado River Valley (1991), by Kenneth V. Rosenberg, Robert D. Ohmart, William C. Hunter, and Bertin W. Anderson
Date: 10/20/26 5:42 pm From: Brad Singer via groups.io <bcsinger...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] SBVAS General Meeting, tomorrow, 7pm, October 21
All, San Bernardino Valley Audubon meets at the San Bernardino County Museum. Everybody (non-members as well) are welcome to attend. Talk is on: *"James Bond and the Mysteries of Bird Taxonomy and Conservation in the Bahamas," presented by William K. Hayes of the School of Medicine, Loma Linda University.*
Date: 10/19/26 9:17 pm From: henry detwiler via groups.io <henry_detwiler...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] Imperial Valley - Take 2
Greetings Birders,
Had so much fun on Saturday that I decided to do it again today! Started off at a marsh along the All-American Canal, and heard Sora, Virginia Rail, and Black Rail. At Living Waters I added a lingering Bullock's Oriole and fly-over Pine Siskins. My next stop was the west end of Young Road and I found several of the storm-petrels still in residence--two Blacks and one Least.No Purple Finches or Harris's Sparrow at the Visitor Center, but there were two Pine Siskins in a tree. At the Schrimpf Road Pond the Laughing Gulls have almost all departed--only three remained. At the IID Marsh south of Niland I was happy to hear and then see a Northern Waterthrush. It responded quite well to pishing, and I was able to take a nice video of it. Also in the marsh was a Ridgway's Rail and an American Bittern. The Fulvous Whistling-Duck continues at the Alamo Wetlands, along with a number of shorebirds, including Wilson's Snipe, Solitary Sandpiper, and Dunlin. By the time I quit at 5:00pm I'd tallied 106 species.
The complete list is recorded here as an eBird trip report: https://ebird.org/tripreport/586030 Good Birding!Henry D. <Detwilerhenry_detwiler...>, AZ
Finding Birds at the Salton Sea and in Imperial County, Californiahttps://www.southwestbirders.com/swb_Imperial_County_Book.htmFinding Birds in Southwest Arizonahttps://www.southwestbirders.com/swb_SWAZ_Book.htm
Date: 10/18/26 12:34 pm From: henry detwiler via groups.io <henry_detwiler...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] Imperial County Birding
Greetings Birders,
Brian, Kendra, and I made a leisurely day of birding the Imperial Valley yesterday, from 0730 to 1700, and picked up 93 species along the way. We saw a number of good birds, some of which were helped along by Tropical Storm Rachel, and have stuck around.Highlights of the day included:- 1 Fulvous Whistling-Duck at the Alamo Wetlands- 1 Horned Grebe at the Schrimpf Road pond- 2 Wedge-rumped Storm-Petrels at the end of Young Road- 1 Black Storm-Petrel at the end of Young Road- 1 Reddish Egret at the Calipatria State Prison Pond- 3 White-tailed Kites (a pair north of the Sea Wall close to Young Road, and one at Unit 1)- 1 Purple Finch female at the Salton Sea NWR Visitor Center feeder
Also fun were 2 Peregrine Falcons and one Merlin!
Good Birding!Henry D. <Detwilerhenry_detwiler...>, AZ
Finding Birds at the Salton Sea and in Imperial County, Californiahttps://www.southwestbirders.com/swb_Imperial_County_Book.htmFinding Birds in Southwest Arizonahttps://www.southwestbirders.com/swb_SWAZ_Book.htm
Date: 10/17/26 10:35 am From: Chris Dean via groups.io <chrisdeanbirder...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] Scrub-Jay at Young
Hi,
Just the messenger, Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay candidate at Young (south end of Salton Sea) near (33.1383724, -115.6659468) found by Ted Keyel. Currently being seen.
Thank you Andrew and Tom. Personally, I don’t remember noticing very many
barnacle geese or hybrids in California, but I may have also just been
ignoring them. I do remember seeing one in Italy and being disappointed
because I suspected that it was a feral bird as opposed to the ones I have
seen in Holland that were legit.
Thomas Geza Miko
Claremont CA 91711
909.241.3300
On Fri, Oct 16, 2026 at 1:43 PM howe395 via groups.io <howe395=
<yahoo.com...> wrote:
> Given the number of Canada x Barnacle hybrids I've seen over the years
> (probably 4-5 at disparate locations), I'm forced to conclude one of the
> following:
>
> 1) That there's a wild, highly motivated, libidinous Barnacle Goose
> wandering the state, sowing its wild oats.
>
> 2) That this species is fairly common in captivity and interbreeds freely
> with Canada Geese, either after escaping or perhaps whilst in captivity
> alongside Canadas (with the hybrid progyny subsequently escaping).
>
> Best,
>
> Andrew Howe
> Riverside, CA
>
>
> On Friday, October 16, 2026 at 11:41:20 AM PDT, Tom Benson via groups.io
> <thomasabenson...> wrote:
>
>
> Tom,
>
> I am not aware of previous reports of this bird, but it is almost
> certainly an escapee and not a wild vagrant. Barnacle Goose is not
> considered a likely vagrant to California, and even if one did show up,
> Prado seems like a very unlikely location for one.
>
> Tom Benson
> Redlands, CA
>
> -------- Original message --------
> From: "<tgmiko...> via groups.io" <tgmiko...>
> Date: 10/16/26 11:12 AM (GMT-07:00)
> To: Inlandcountybirds <inlandcountybirds...>
> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] (Feral?) Barnacle Goose Prada
>
> Any thoughts on the Barnacle Goose at Prado?
> It seems a few weeks (a month?) early for a Siberian or a Eurasian vagrant
> duck or goose.
> Is this a known tame bird?
>
> Thomas Geza Miko
> Claremont CA 91711
> 909.241.3300
>
>
>
Given the number of Canada x Barnacle hybrids I've seen over the years (probably 4-5 at disparate locations), I'm forced to conclude one of the following:
1) That there's a wild, highly motivated, libidinous Barnacle Goose wandering the state, sowing its wild oats.
2) That this species is fairly common in captivity and interbreeds freely with Canada Geese, either after escaping or perhaps whilst in captivity alongside Canadas (with the hybrid progyny subsequently escaping).
Best,
Andrew HoweRiverside, CA
On Friday, October 16, 2026 at 11:41:20 AM PDT, Tom Benson via groups.io <thomasabenson...> wrote:
Tom,
I am not aware of previous reports of this bird, but it is almost certainly an escapee and not a wild vagrant. Barnacle Goose is not considered a likely vagrant to California, and even if one did show up, Prado seems like a very unlikely location for one.
Tom BensonRedlands, CA
-------- Original message --------From: "<tgmiko...> via groups.io" <tgmiko...> Date: 10/16/26 11:12 AM (GMT-07:00) To: Inlandcountybirds <inlandcountybirds...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] (Feral?) Barnacle Goose Prada
Any thoughts on the Barnacle Goose at Prado? It seems a few weeks (a month?) early for a Siberian or a Eurasian vagrant duck or goose.Is this a known tame bird?
Date: 10/16/26 11:41 am From: Tom Benson via groups.io <thomasabenson...> Subject: Re: [inlandcountybirds] (Feral?) Barnacle Goose Prado
Tom,I am not aware of previous reports of this bird, but it is almost certainly an escapee and not a wild vagrant. Barnacle Goose is not considered a likely vagrant to California, and even if one did show up, Prado seems like a very unlikely location for one. Tom BensonRedlands, CA -------- Original message --------From: "<tgmiko...> via groups.io" <tgmiko...> Date: 10/16/26 11:12 AM (GMT-07:00) To: Inlandcountybirds <inlandcountybirds...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] (Feral?) Barnacle Goose Prada Any thoughts on the Barnacle Goose at Prado? It seems a few weeks (a month?) early for a Siberian or a Eurasian vagrant duck or goose.Is this a known tame bird?Thomas Geza MikoClaremont CA 91711909.241.3300
Date: 10/16/26 11:35 am From: Tom Benson via groups.io <thomasabenson...> Subject: Re: [inlandcountybirds] (Feral?) Barnacle Goose Prado
Tom,I am not aware of previous reports of this bird, but it is almost certainly an escapee and not a wild vagrant. Barnacle Goose is not considered a likely vagrant to California, and even if one did show up, Prado seems like a very unlikely location for one. Tom BensonRedlands, CA -------- Original message --------From: "<tgmiko...> via groups.io" <tgmiko...> Date: 10/16/26 11:12 AM (GMT-07:00) To: Inlandcountybirds <inlandcountybirds...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] (Feral?) Barnacle Goose Prada Any thoughts on the Barnacle Goose at Prado? It seems a few weeks (a month?) early for a Siberian or a Eurasian vagrant duck or goose.Is this a known tame bird?Thomas Geza MikoClaremont CA 91711909.241.3300
Date: 10/16/26 11:12 am From: <tgmiko...> via groups.io <tgmiko...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] (Feral?) Barnacle Goose Prada
Any thoughts on the Barnacle Goose at Prado? It seems a few weeks (a month?) early for a Siberian or a Eurasian vagrant duck or goose. Is this a known tame bird?
Date: 10/15/26 8:01 am From: Tom Benson via groups.io <thomasabenson...> Subject: Re: [inlandcountybirds] Tropical Storm Rachel summary (correction)
Correction--the Elegant Tern was at Silver Lakes, not Spring Valley Lake.
Tom
On Thursday, October 15, 2026 at 07:33:22 AM PDT, Tom Benson wrote:
Following is a summary of the bird highlights of Tropical Storm Rachel for San Bernardino (SBE), Riverside (RIV), and Imperial (IMP) counties. Note that while some of these species were obviously pushed inland off the ocean or coast by Rachel, others [Red Phalarope(?), Parasitic Jaeger, Arctic Tern(?)] were more likely rare but regular southbound migrants downed by the weather.
Tom BensonRedlands, CA
PS. A reminder that Wedge-rumped Storm-Petrel is a CBRC review species--the CBRC appreciates direct submissions of documentation via email (<secretary...>) or through its website: https://www.californiabirds.org/report_sighting.html Red Phalarope – Singles of this species were reported at the IID Wetlands (IMP) in Niland and at Senator Wash Reservoir (IMP) along the Colorado River on 11 Oct, and at Lake Havasu (SBE) on 12 Oct. Parasitic Jaeger – One off the west end of Young Road (IMP) at the south end of the Salton Sea on 13 Oct was likely either a southbound migrant downed by the weather or a continuing bird. Heermann’s Gull – Three at Spring Valley Lake (SBE) in Victorville and two at Lake Perris (RIV) on 11 Oct were almost certainly blown inland ahead of Rachel. Arctic Tern – One was reported flying around a flooded field just north of Mecca on 11 Oct. Elegant Tern – Two were at Senator Wash Reservoir (IMP) along the Colorado River on 11 Oct and one was at Silver Lakes (SBE) in Helendale on 12 Oct. The latter was the first record for San Bernardino County. Wedge-rumped Storm-Petrel – At the Salton Sea, there were scattered reports on 11 Oct, including singles at Bombay Beach (IMP), Desert Shores (IMP), and Corvina Beach (RIV), and up to four at the Salton Sea State Recreation Area (RIV). Later, birds seemed to coalesce around the west end of Young Road (IMP), where up to five were seen 13-15 Oct. Eight were reported at Lake Havasu (SBE) 13-14 Oct, with as many as ten present on the Arizona side of the lake. Black Storm-Petrel – Up to two off the west end of Young Road (IMP) at the south end of the Salton Sea 13-15 Oct were the only representatives of this species documented inland in California following Rachel. Least Storm-Petrel – At the Salton Sea, there were scattered reports on 11 Oct, including singles at Johnson Landing (IMP), Bombay Beach (IMP), and Corvina Beach (RIV), up to two at the Salton Sea State Recreation Area (RIV), and up to four at Desert Shores (IMP). Later, birds seemed to coalesce around the west end of Young Road (IMP), where up to six were seen 13-15 Oct. Only one was reported at Lake Havasu (SBE) 13-14 Oct, with up to three present on the Arizona side of the lake. Cocos Booby – One at Lake Havasu (SBE) was documented on the California side of the lake 12-13 Oct. This bird has been present along the Colorado River on the Arizona side since 17 Sep, so was not delivered by Rachel, but added to the impressive list of pelagic species present.
Date: 10/15/26 7:33 am From: Thomas Benson via groups.io <tbenson...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] Southeastern CA RBA: October 15, 2026
RBA
* California
* Southeastern
* October 15, 2026
* CASE26.10.15
This is the Southeastern CA weekly RBA summary. We cover Imperial, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties. California Bird Records Committee review species are denoted by asterisks. To report a bird POST TO INLANDCOUNTYBIRDS (https://groups.io/g/inlandcountybirds). If there is some reason that you cannot post there, please e-mail or call/text Tom Benson at <tbenson...> or (909) 648-0899.
Birds mentioned:
*GROOVE-BILLED ANI*
Red Phalarope
Heermann's Gull
Arctic Tern
Elegant Tern
Red-necked Grebe
Black Storm-Petrel
*WEDGE-RUMPED STORM-PETREL*
Least Storm-Petrel
Cocos Booby
Roseate Spoonbill
Broad-winged Hawk
Tropical Kingbird
Varied Thrush
Evening Grosbeak
Black-throated Green Warbler
Dickcissel
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
A *GROOVE-BILLED ANI* was on the publicly inaccessible Fort Irwin on Oct 14 (Brian Sandstrom).
A RED PHALAROPE was seen on Lake Havasu on Oct 12 (Konstantin Iordanov).
Three HEERMANN'S GULLS were seen at Spring Valley Lake on Oct 11 (Gavin Aquila).
A first county record ELEGANT TERN was seen at Silver Lakes on Oct 12 (Noah Arthur).
At least eight *WEDGE-RUMPED STORM-PETRELS* and one LEAST STORM-PETREL were at Lake Havasu Oct 12-13 (Ryan Hood, John Sterling).
A COCOS BOOBY that has been on the Arizona side of Lake Havasu for several weeks was seen on the California side Oct 12-13 (Ryan Hood).
A BROAD-WINGED HAWK was seen at the Baker sewage ponds on Oct 12 (Adam Panto).
A TROPICAL KINGBIRD was seen at Mesa Linda Park in Victorville on Oct 14 (Adam Jimenez).
A VARIED THRUSH was seen at the 29 Palms Inn Oct 8-12 (Johnny Bovee).
An EVENING GROSBEAK was seen at Big Morongo Canyon Preserve Oct 10-12 (Dan Ward).
An EVENING GROSBEAK was seen at Roadrunner Dunes Golf Course on Oct 10 (Matt Grube).
An EVENING GROSBEAK was seen at Horse Thief Springs on Oct 10 (Brittany O'Connor).
An EVENING GROSBEAK was seen at the 29 Palms Inn on Oct 12 (Becca Cockrum).
Up to two EVENING GROSBEAKS were seen on private property in Fawnskin Oct 12-14 (Robin Eliason).
An EVENING GROSBEAK was heard Silver Lakes on Oct 13 (Tom Benson).
An EVENING GROSBEAK was seen at Chet Huffman Park on Oct 14 (Michael San Miguel).
Two EVENING GROSBEAKS were seen at Yucaipa Regional Park on Oct 14 (Gavin Aquila).
A DICKCISSEL continued at Roadrunner Dunes Golf Course through Oct 8 (Johnny Bovee).
RIVERSIDE COUNTY
Two HEERMANN'S GULLS were seen at Lake Perris on Oct 11 (Luca Cinus).
An ARCTIC TERN was reported near Mecca on Oct 11 (Noah Arthur).
A RED-NECKED GREBE was seen at Lake Cahuilla Veterans Regional Park on Oct 11 (Anne Cheung).
Up to four *WEDGE-RUMPED STORM-PETRELS* and two LEAST STORM-PETRELS were seen at the Salton Sea State Recreation Area on Oct 11 (Adrian Hinkle, Jesse Pline).
Single *WEDGE-RUMPED* and LEAST STORM-PETRELS were seen at Corvina Beach on Oct 11 (Eugene Huryn).
A BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER was seen at Whitewater Preserve on Oct 13 (Steve Myers).
IMPERIAL COUNTY
A RED PHALAROPE was seen at Senator Wash Reservoir on Oct 11 (John Sterling).
A RED PHALAROPE was seen at IID Wetlands on Oct 13 (Logan Kahle).
Two ELEGANT TERNS were seen at Senator Wash Reservoir on Oct 11 (Henry Detweiler).
Up to two BLACK, six LEAST, and five *WEDGE-RUMPED* STORM-PETRELS were seen at the end of Young Road Oct 13-15 (Logan Kahle).
Single *WEDGE-RUMPED STORM-PETRELS* were seen at Bombay Beach and Desert Shores on Oct 11 (Adrian Hinkle, Andrew Howe).
Single LEAST STORM-PETRELS were seen at Bombay Beach and Johnson Landing and up to four were at Desert Shores on Oct 11 (Chris Dean, Adrian Hinkle, Jesse Pline).
An EVENING GROSBEAK was heard at Senator Wash Reservoir on Oct 11 (Curtis Marantz).
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Birds included in this weekly summary are those that are considered casual or of less than annual occurrence in San Bernardino, Riverside, or Imperial Counties, or in some cases regionally within these areas. If you do find or see something of interest, whether it be a geographical or seasonal rarity, evidence of local range expansion, or a novel breeding record, I'd recommend sharing that information with the CBRC, North American Birds subregional editors, or regional listservs as appropriate. Information for contacting these entities is available below.
Please submit your documentation of all California Bird Records Committee review species (denoted by asterisks) to CBRC Secretary Tom Benson at <secretary...> or via the CBRC website: https://www.californiabirds.org/report_sighting.html
CBRC review species and birds of local or seasonal rarity should be reported to the North American Birds (https://www.aba.org/north-american-birds/) county coordinators. They are:
IMPERIAL COUNTY: Chris Dean, <chrisdeanbirder...>
INYO COUNTY: Chris and Rosie Howard, <chris93514...>
KERN COUNTY: Kelli Heindel-Levinson, <kkheindel...>
RIVERSIDE COUNTY: David Rankin, <david.rankin...>
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY: Alexander E. Koonce, <sandy_koonce...>
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Other dying birding listservs that occasionally include reports of birds in southern California are:
A schedule of San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society field trips is available on the SBVAS website at https://www.sbvas.net/field-trips
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Bird status and distribution references that every southeastern California birder should own:
Birds of southern California: status and distribution (1981), by Kimball L. Garrett and Jon L. Dunn
Birds of the Salton Sea: status, biogeography, and ecology (2003), by Michael A. Patten, Guy McCaskie, and Philip Unitt (update: https://archive.westernfieldornithologists.org/archive/V56/56(2)-p126-p142.pdf)
Birds of the Lower Colorado River Valley (1991), by Kenneth V. Rosenberg, Robert D. Ohmart, William C. Hunter, and Bertin W. Anderson
Date: 10/15/26 7:33 am From: Tom Benson via groups.io <thomasabenson...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] Tropical Storm Rachel summary
Following is a summary of the bird highlights of Tropical Storm Rachel for San Bernardino (SBE), Riverside (RIV), and Imperial (IMP) counties. Note that while some of these species were obviously pushed inland off the ocean or coast by Rachel, others [Red Phalarope(?), Parasitic Jaeger, Arctic Tern(?)] were more likely rare but regular southbound migrants downed by the weather.
Tom BensonRedlands, CA
PS. A reminder that Wedge-rumped Storm-Petrel is a CBRC review species--the CBRC appreciates direct submissions of documentation via email (<secretary...>) or through its website: https://www.californiabirds.org/report_sighting.html Red Phalarope – Singles of this species were reported at the IID Wetlands (IMP) in Niland and at Senator Wash Reservoir (IMP) along the Colorado River on 11 Oct, and at Lake Havasu (SBE) on 12 Oct. Parasitic Jaeger – One off the west end of Young Road (IMP) at the south end of the Salton Sea on 13 Oct was likely either a southbound migrant downed by the weather or a continuing bird. Heermann’s Gull – Three at Spring Valley Lake (SBE) in Victorville and two at Lake Perris (RIV) on 11 Oct were almost certainly blown inland ahead of Rachel. Arctic Tern – One was reported flying around a flooded field just north of Mecca on 11 Oct. Elegant Tern – Two were at Senator Wash Reservoir (IMP) along the Colorado River on 11 Oct and one was at Spring Valley Lake (SBE) in Victorville on 12 Oct. The latter was the first record for San Bernardino County. Wedge-rumped Storm-Petrel – At the Salton Sea, there were scattered reports on 11 Oct, including singles at Bombay Beach (IMP), Desert Shores (IMP), and Corvina Beach (RIV), and up to four at the Salton Sea State Recreation Area (RIV). Later, birds seemed to coalesce around the west end of Young Road (IMP), where up to five were seen 13-15 Oct. Eight were reported at Lake Havasu (SBE) 13-14 Oct, with as many as ten present on the Arizona side of the lake. Black Storm-Petrel – Up to two off the west end of Young Road (IMP) at the south end of the Salton Sea 13-15 Oct were the only representatives of this species documented inland in California following Rachel. Least Storm-Petrel – At the Salton Sea, there were scattered reports on 11 Oct, including singles at Johnson Landing (IMP), Bombay Beach (IMP), and Corvina Beach (RIV), up to two at the Salton Sea State Recreation Area (RIV), and up to four at Desert Shores (IMP). Later, birds seemed to coalesce around the west end of Young Road (IMP), where up to six were seen 13-15 Oct. Only one was reported at Lake Havasu (SBE) 13-14 Oct, with up to three present on the Arizona side of the lake. Cocos Booby – One at Lake Havasu (SBE) was documented on the California side of the lake 12-13 Oct. This bird has been present along the Colorado River on the Arizona side since 17 Sep, so was not delivered by Rachel, but added to the impressive list of pelagic species present.
