Nice activity overall at NCOS this morning during the CCBER survey. I think our most noteworthy birds were two Yellow-headed Blackbirds (a male and a female) which we saw early in the survey but then did not re-sight over the next few hours as we moved through other parts of the reserve, so not sure if they stuck around.
We also had a White-faced Ibis, a Bonaparte's Gull, and a singing Lazuli Bunting. On the grassland there were still good numbers of "normal" Savannah Sparrows, a single remaining Western Meadowlark, and some apparently now late (flagged on eBird) American Pipits. We had some suggestive-of-breeding activity from Song Sparrows, a Gadwall, and Starlings. At least 5 different Belding's Savannah Sparrows singing from various spots in the Salicornia.
According to Lisa the water stage at the Veneco Rd. meter hasn't moved very appreciably since this weekend. I thought the rain might blow out the slough mouth but seems like it's holding, so maybe the Slough will stay wet relatively late in the year again.
We also saw a Great-tailed Grackle female flying over COPR. That species seems (to me) like they've been doing really well across the area the last couple years, I assume because of increases in the amount of actually wet wetland area in the breeding season following recovery from the 2012-2016 drought. I see multiple every time I go by Los Carneros x Mesa for example. I'm curious if they've bred at Dune Pond or NCOS in the past? Lehman's book mentions several known breeding colonies including LLC, but not the Devereux/NCOS system. A friend saw a male displaying at Dune Pond yesterday - might be interesting to keep an eye out there for nesting activity.
On Saturday at UCSB I had a Wandering Tattler at Campus Point (maybe the same bird Nick and Florence saw Sunday and Monday?), plus a decent assemblage of expected migrants, including Bullock's and Hooded Orioles, Western Tanager, Black-headed Grosbeak, Wilson's and Yellow Warblers. Most of the migrant activity on campus was in the eucalyptus near Student Health. Lots of breeding activity by Song Sparrow and Juncos, with decent numbers of fledged Juncos already across campus.
