Date: 5/6/25 8:34 am From: Dominik Mosur via groups.io <dominikmosur...> Subject: [northbaybirds] Outer Point Reyes : SWAINSON’S Hawk, HAMMOND’s Fly, LAWRENCE’s Goldfinch et al - 5/5/2025
spent a beautiful spring day birding Marin county , primarily doing the
traditional lighthouse and back migrant trawl.
Expected western migrants were encountered at virtually every stop with a
few less-than expected surprises to keep me motivated. Here's a brief
breakdown by location (and includes non-migrant observation I found to be
of note as well):
Lighthouse -
Pacific Loons - alternate plumage migrants streaming north just past the
point with 160+ tallied in a brief seawatch, plus one alt red-throated and
a couple of basic common loons
golden-crowned kinglet
Bewick's wren (singing from the cypresses)
chipping sparrow
Fish Docks-
surf scoters - ~1800 were gathered on Drake's Bay and on the backside of
the peninsula, mostly dispersed within an hour of my arrival
Pacific loons - several groups cutting "overland" from Drake's Bay north,
170+
olive-sided flycatcher
warbling vireo
Audubon's warbler - 5+
Townsend's warbler
hermit warbler
New Willows -
no migrants but a sizeable/loud colony of red-winged blackbirds
Nunes Ranch -
red-necked phalaropes - 3
cedar waxwings - 9
Audubon's warbler
western tanager
Mendoza Ranch -
warbling vireo
American pipits - 6 on the short grass hillside above the pond cypress row
LAWRENCE'S goldfinch - male and female pair in the residential cypress
grove, male was singing sporadically. These seem to have irrupted in a big
way this spring all over the East Bay and apparently Marin County as well.
I think I recall them nesting on the OP (Fish Docks?) some years ago so
keep your eyes out for them - there's lots of fiddleneck (Amsinckia) in
bloom in the pastures near the ranch
Drake's Beach -
cinnamon teal - presumed continuing pair (noted during mid April visit),
should be followed up for intent to breed
Virginia rail - one calling from main pond (two birds were heard
countercalling in April)
semipalmated plover - 7
bushtits - pair in the monument willows. They've nested here in the last
couple of years. Like wrentit and California scrub jay, Drake's beach seems
to be the lone outpost for these species on the OP
Hall Ranch -
long-billed dowitcher
SWAINSON'S hawk - light morph adult fly over
Abandoned Ranch -
olive-sided flycatcher
western tanager
On the drive back I spotted a wild turkey lurking in the marsh at the
entrance to the old Oyster Farm/Drake's Estero.
For breeding bird atlasers an American kestrel flying into the euke row on
Nicasio Valley Rd. at the entrance to Kilham Farm may be of note.
