Date: 11/28/25 8:34 am From: <n.levendosky...> Subject: [MBBIRDS] 69th Santa Cruz Christmas Bird Count
The 69th Santa Cruz Christmas Bird Count will be held on Saturday, December 20, 2025.
Last year we had a near-record 125 birders participate and 47,124 birds of 184 species were tallied, the latter of which was the highest total since 2003. The count turned up a few exciting rare species including White Wagtail, Lark Bunting, Magnolia Warbler, Short-eared Owl, Barrow's Goldeneye, and Black-footed Albatross.
While rare birds often steal the show, the Christmas Bird Count has always had an important role in monitoring the population trends of wintering birds both locally and across their range in North America. Last year we documented exceptional numbers of seabirds (thousands of Brandt's Cormorants, Brown Pelicans, and Common Murres) and the highest totals ever of Wild Turkey and Canada Goose. What will we find this year?
Come spend the day counting birds to help us find out! Please sign up as soon as possible so we can begin making assignments for count day:
Date: 11/26/25 10:57 am From: Cliff Bixler <clifford.bixler50...> Subject: [MBBIRDS] A little housekeeping and future planning.
I am looking to sell my Swarovski STC 80mm scope with 25x50x eyepiece, case and carbon fiber tripod. Barely used.
Also I am looking for 3 more people to travel on a guided birding trip to Taiwan starting May 4th next year. I can send a trip itinerary if yo reply offline.
Date: 11/22/25 6:58 pm From: larry corridon <larry961357...> Subject: Fwd: [MBBIRDS] NYTimes.com: In Washington, Birds Are Giving ‘Yelp Reviews’ of Forest Restoration Work
> Begin forwarded message:
>
> From: Elizabeth Murdock <lilli8...>
> Subject: Re: [MBBIRDS] NYTimes.com: In Washington, Birds Are Giving ‘Yelp Reviews’ of Forest Restoration Work
> Date: November 21, 2025 at 09:12:40 PST
> To: larry corridon <larry961357...>
>
> Contact all the Audubon. A very active one is the Morro Bay Audubon. Plant the seed.
> Thanks. Elizabeth.
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>> On Nov 21, 2025, at 9:05 AM, larry corridon <larry961357...> wrote:
>>
>> This a really interesting article. I wonder if anything like it is being done in our area. Enjoy, and good birding
>> Larry
>>
>>
>> In Washington, Birds Are Giving ‘Yelp Reviews’ of Forest Restoration Work
>>
>> A collective of land trusts, conservancies and tribes is capturing birdsong with audio gear and A.I. for clues about habitat health.
>>
>> https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/18/climate/washington-birds-habitat-health.html?<unlocked_article_code...>&smid=em-share >>
>> --
>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "mbbirds" group.
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Date: 11/21/25 9:05 am From: larry corridon <larry961357...> Subject: [MBBIRDS] NYTimes.com: In Washington, Birds Are Giving ‘Yelp Reviews’ of Forest Restoration Work
This a really interesting article. I wonder if anything like it is being done in our area. Enjoy, and good birding
Larry
In Washington, Birds Are Giving ‘Yelp Reviews’ of Forest Restoration Work
A collective of land trusts, conservancies and tribes is capturing birdsong with audio gear and A.I. for clues about habitat health.
Highly recommending the podcast Ologies if you haven't already checked it out yet. I'm currently catching up on the most recent episodes about Owls and thoroughly enjoying them! They cover a wide variety of topics, but I'm linking the page specific to the bird episodes below. Enjoy!
Date: 11/15/25 2:58 pm From: Pete Sole <pete...> Subject: Re: [MBBIRDS] King Eider Moss Landing (photo)
Hi birders,
First, big thanks to Steve Tucker for reporting this female King Eider on mbb! For a number of us, she was a lifer.
She continued near the beach, just about 1/4 mile south, of the south jetty in Moss Landing. At times she'd associate with Surf Scoters, and be quite close to shore. We observed her the whole time we were there, from about noon to roughly 1:30pm. She was still there when I left.
I'm still processing over 400 photos I took of her. But below is a link to one of my early photos, that shows her color and size difference compared to Surf Scoters close by. She is the mostly brown/tawny sea duck on the front right:
Date: 11/13/25 7:37 pm From: Mark Chappell <markchappell666...> Subject: Re: [MBBIRDS] Seawatch at Pt Pinos
And notwithstanding 6 or 7 decades of intense scientific interest, we still have little or no understanding of many of the key aspects of bird navigation.
> On Nov 13, 2025, at 7:22 PM, Pete Sole <pete...> wrote:
>
> Thanks for sharing this story Fred.
>
> First, kudos to Alison Vilag and the team of counters, and to Katie Rodriguez for such a nice write up.
>
> Second, imho, bird migration is one of the perhaps unappreciated, but most incredible wonders of the natural world. The list of mind blowing things that birds do for migration.... I just can't help but just shake my head. A few herculean feats in no particular order:
> Bristle-thigh Curlews, staging on the coast of Alaska to fly to relatively small or tiny islands in the Pacific, non-stop. Oh, and by the way, the curlews can't swim, the birds go through a "radical" molt shortly after arriving on their wintering grounds, and juveniles migrate a month or two later than the adults.
> Ruby-throated Hummingbirds staging on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, flying across the Gulf of Mexico to land in Florida, non-stop, of course.
> Blackpoll Warblers staging on the North Eastern US and South-eastern Canada to fly, in some cases non-stop, over the Western Atlantic to land in northern South America.
> Some Sooty Shearwaters, flying a figure 8 migration pattern over the Pacific. Some, when they leave our area, head south for a bit, and then cross the mid-Pacific at the equator, to land in the islands just of the coast of New Zealand, not bothering to fly along the rest of the Pacific coast of the Central and South America.
> These are astounding navigational examples, all from the class "aves", species with a small, marble sized brain.
>
> Birds, just incredible fauna!
>
> Pete Solé
>
> In awe of bird migration...
>
>
> On 11/13/25 5:35 PM, Alfred Hochstaedter wrote:
>> "On Halloween, the night before her first day on the job, Alison Vilag opted for a dark-and-stormy cocktail at the Sandbar & Grill, a favorite pitstop with friends when she’s in town for the migration. It is a spiritual decision of sorts, to summon ideal weather for birds soon to be traveling south."
>>
>> https://www.montereycountynow.com/news/local_news/one-of-the-nation-s-most-challenging-seabird-counts-is-underway-in-pacific-grove/article_e72cfa8c-9067-426c-92b6-1857d14c0355.html >>
>> -Fred Hochstaedter
>>
>> "Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities."
>> -Voltaire
>> --
>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "mbbirds" group.
>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to mbbirds+<unsubscribe...> <mailto:mbbirds+<unsubscribe...>.
>> To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/CAAdMtxXo6cOgo_%3D06igZZ%3DSiY%3D22E7mh0JecAhWUR2Y5fgJ%<3DjA...> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/CAAdMtxXo6cOgo_%3D06igZZ%3DSiY%3D22E7mh0JecAhWUR2Y5fgJ%<3DjA...>?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>.
>
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "mbbirds" group.
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Date: 11/13/25 7:23 pm From: Pete Sole <pete...> Subject: Re: [MBBIRDS] Seawatch at Pt Pinos
Thanks for sharing this story Fred.
First, kudos to Alison Vilag and the team of counters, and to Katie
Rodriguez for such a nice write up.
Second, imho, bird migration is one of the perhaps unappreciated, but
most incredible wonders of the natural world. The list of mind blowing
things that birds do for migration.... I just can't help but just shake
my head. A few herculean feats in no particular order:
* Bristle-thigh Curlews, staging on the coast of Alaska to fly to
relatively small or tiny islands in the Pacific, non-stop. Oh, and
by the way, the curlews can't swim, the birds go through a "radical"
molt shortly after arriving on their wintering grounds, and
juveniles migrate a month or two later than the adults.
* Ruby-throated Hummingbirds staging on the Yucatan Peninsula in
Mexico, flying across the Gulf of Mexico to land in Florida,
non-stop, of course.
* Blackpoll Warblers staging on the North Eastern US and South-eastern
Canada to fly, in some cases non-stop, over the Western Atlantic to
land in northern South America.
* Some Sooty Shearwaters, flying a figure 8 migration pattern over the
Pacific. Some, when they leave our area, head south for a bit, and
then cross the mid-Pacific at the equator, to land in the islands
just of the coast of New Zealand, not bothering to fly along the
rest of the Pacific coast of the Central and South America.
These are astounding navigational examples, all from the class "aves",
species with a small, marble sized brain.
Date: 11/13/25 5:36 pm From: Alfred Hochstaedter <fredhochstaedter...> Subject: [MBBIRDS] Seawatch at Pt Pinos
"On Halloween, the night before her first day on the job, Alison Vilag
opted for a dark-and-stormy cocktail at the Sandbar & Grill, a favorite
pitstop with friends when she’s in town for the migration. It is a
spiritual decision of sorts, to summon ideal weather for birds soon to be
traveling south."
Date: 11/10/25 8:40 pm From: Brian Scanlon <briancscanlon...> Subject: Re: [MBBIRDS] “Listers” film
Lee,
Belated thanks for this. I lost it in the blizzard of email, but found it
again this morning. I started watching and couldn't stop. It's hard to
believe that they could create this while living in a van for a year.
Incredible talent. I have to agree with Alvaro that this is the best
birding movie ever. (Life List podcast, Sept. 06 2025)
Brian Scanlon
On Wed, Sep 17, 2025 at 11:25 AM Lee Jaffe <leejaffe54...> wrote:
Date: 11/10/25 9:11 am From: Paul Miller <paulbug.2876...> Subject: [MBBIRDS] Shrooms
Sorry for the off topic, but I'm teaching mushroom classes yet again this rainy season. For more info, email me at <paulbug...> If you go mushrooming, you tend to see more birds!! Thanks! Paul Miller (And please come join one of my field trips)
Date: 11/10/25 8:46 am From: Eric Clark <edaveclark...> Subject: Re: [MBBIRDS] Coopers/Sharp-Shinned?
Thanks for all the responses. It definitely helps me to have a better idea
what to look for. I've seen a number of Cooper's but not Sharpies so I
don't have a good idea about how to verify them. The size in this case
caught my attention as small for a Cooper's, but after that I was unsure
what to look for.
Thanks,
David
On Monday, November 10, 2025 at 7:28:57 AM UTC-8 mkwirtanen wrote:
> Great points, I’m taking notes here!
>
> Next time I get an “SSL” on one of those guys, I’ll take it all in…check
> off the list;
> Soul Satisfying Look…that is
>
> Thank you for continued input!
>
> Take care,
> Melanie
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Nov 10, 2025, at 6:54 AM, Ryan Phillips <norcal......> wrote:
>
>
>
> Check out other features which are less subjective than size and tarsi
> width, as well as less overlap between the two species. The fine teardrop
> streaking on the front, the blocky large headed appearance, the eye set
> forward on the head (sharpie centered), the larger bill, etc. Tail shape
> you cannot go by here because the central tail feathers (deck feathers) are
> flared out hiding the outer tail feathers that give the graduation rounded
> look. All point to Cooper's.
>
> Also, habitat and behavior, although not diagnostic especially this time
> of year, fits better for Coop.
>
> Things is a continued and long ongoing debate, Coop vs Sharpie. ha.
>
> Good birding,
> Ryan
>
>
> *Ryan Phillips* ǀ Owner and Guide
>
> Personal and Group Birding Excursions in Northern California and Beyond
>
>
>
> Phone ǀ (831) 234-7324
>
> Email ǀ <norcal......>
>
> Website ǀ *www.norcalbirding.com <http://www.norcalbirding.com/>* >
> Facebook ǀ www.facebook.com/norcalbirding
>
> "Everyone likes birds. What wild creature is more accessible to our eyes
> and ears, as close to us and everyone in the world, as universal as a bird?"
>
> - Sir David Attenborough
>
>
>
>
>
> On Sun, Nov 9, 2025, 10:00 PM Melanie Wirtanen <mkwir......> wrote:
>
>>
>> Interesting comparison! Thank you so much for your message.
>>
>> They said smaller than a crow so I went to Sharpie.
>> Also the tarsus, you can see in that one photo where it is erect is very
>> thin and delicate. If it is a Coop it’s a male for sure. I recently held a
>> female juvenile Coop and she was way bigger than this bird, beyond usual
>> comparison to the tiercel.
>>
>> Learn something new every day!
>>
>> Take care,
>> Melanie
>>
>>
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>> > On Nov 9, 2025, at 9:03 PM, Mark Chappell <markcha......> wrote:
>> > Cooper’s, I think. Note facial ‘expression’ — one characteristic I’ve
>> sometimes found useful is that sharp-shinned hawks usually look bug-eyed,
>> or startled; Cooper’s tend to look angry or mean. I think this is may be
>> due to a somewhat more prominent brow ridge on Cooper’s. Male sharpies are
>> fairly easy to ID from size alone: barely bigger than robins.
>> >
>> > Juvenile female and adult male sharp-shinned:
>> >
>> > --
>> > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
>> Groups "mbbirds" group.
>> > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send
>> an email to mbbirds+<u......>
>> > To view this discussion visit
>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/<4A0E7BB5-5A77-4429-B21E-642A829EC1AF...> >> .
>> > <Sharp-shinned hawk 0031.jpg>
>> > <sharp-shinned hawk005.jpg>
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Female Cooper’s juvenile:
>> >
>> > --
>> > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
>> Groups "mbbirds" group.
>> > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send
>> an email to mbbirds+<u......>
>> > To view this discussion visit
>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/<4A0E7BB5-5A77-4429-B21E-642A829EC1AF...> >> .
>> > <Cooper's hawk 0027.jpg>
>> >
>> >
>> >> On Nov 9, 2025, at 2:31 PM, <edave......> wrote:
>> >>
>> >> We saw this hawk at Antonelli yesterday and my wife got some pics with
>> her phone against her binoculars.
>> >> Wondering if it could be a coopers or a sharp-shinned? We did see it
>> near a crow and it was smaller than the crow.
>> >> Thanks for the help.
>> >>
>> >> --
>> >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
>> Groups "mbbirds" group.
>> >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send
>> an email to mbbirds+<u......>
>> >> To view this discussion visit
>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/<1762727181473.1894514327.21917119...> >> .
>> >> <hawk 1.jpg><hawk 2.jpg><hawk 3.jpg>
>> >
>> > _________________________________
>> > Mark Chappell email: <markcha......>
>> > Professor of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology (Emeritus)
>> > University of California, Riverside, CA 92521
>> > work website:
>> https://profiles.ucr.edu/app/home/profile/chappell >> > photography website:
>> http://faculty.ucr.edu/~chappell/INW/index.html >> >
>> >
>> >
>> > --
>> > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
>> Groups "mbbirds" group.
>> > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send
>> an email to mbbirds+<u......>
>> > To view this discussion visit
>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/<4A0E7BB5-5A77-4429-B21E-642A829EC1AF...> >> .
>>
>> --
>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
>> "mbbirds" group.
>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an
>> email to mbbirds+<u......>
>> To view this discussion visit
>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/<BDAB3596-1880-4761-AE81-34D782A58A41...> >> .
>>
>
Date: 11/10/25 6:54 am From: Ryan Phillips <norcalbirding...> Subject: Re: [MBBIRDS] Coopers/Sharp-Shinned?
Check out other features which are less subjective than size and tarsi
width, as well as less overlap between the two species. The fine teardrop
streaking on the front, the blocky large headed appearance, the eye set
forward on the head (sharpie centered), the larger bill, etc. Tail shape
you cannot go by here because the central tail feathers (deck feathers) are
flared out hiding the outer tail feathers that give the graduation rounded
look. All point to Cooper's.
Also, habitat and behavior, although not diagnostic especially this time of
year, fits better for Coop.
Things is a continued and long ongoing debate, Coop vs Sharpie. ha.
Good birding,
Ryan
*Ryan Phillips* ǀ Owner and Guide
Personal and Group Birding Excursions in Northern California and Beyond
"Everyone likes birds. What wild creature is more accessible to our eyes
and ears, as close to us and everyone in the world, as universal as a bird?"
- Sir David Attenborough
On Sun, Nov 9, 2025, 10:00 PM Melanie Wirtanen <mkwirtanen...> wrote:
>
> Interesting comparison! Thank you so much for your message.
>
> They said smaller than a crow so I went to Sharpie.
> Also the tarsus, you can see in that one photo where it is erect is very
> thin and delicate. If it is a Coop it’s a male for sure. I recently held a
> female juvenile Coop and she was way bigger than this bird, beyond usual
> comparison to the tiercel.
>
> Learn something new every day!
>
> Take care,
> Melanie
>
>
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> > On Nov 9, 2025, at 9:03 PM, Mark Chappell <markchappell666...>
> wrote:
> > Cooper’s, I think. Note facial ‘expression’ — one characteristic I’ve
> sometimes found useful is that sharp-shinned hawks usually look bug-eyed,
> or startled; Cooper’s tend to look angry or mean. I think this is may be
> due to a somewhat more prominent brow ridge on Cooper’s. Male sharpies are
> fairly easy to ID from size alone: barely bigger than robins.
> >
> > Juvenile female and adult male sharp-shinned:
> >
> > --
> > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
> Groups "mbbirds" group.
> > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send
> an email to mbbirds+<unsubscribe...>
> > To view this discussion visit
> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/<4A0E7BB5-5A77-4429-B21E-642A829EC1AF...> > .
> > <Sharp-shinned hawk 0031.jpg>
> > <sharp-shinned hawk005.jpg>
> >
> >
> >
> > Female Cooper’s juvenile:
> >
> > --
> > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
> Groups "mbbirds" group.
> > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send
> an email to mbbirds+<unsubscribe...>
> > To view this discussion visit
> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/<4A0E7BB5-5A77-4429-B21E-642A829EC1AF...> > .
> > <Cooper's hawk 0027.jpg>
> >
> >
> >> On Nov 9, 2025, at 2:31 PM, <edaveclark...> wrote:
> >>
> >> We saw this hawk at Antonelli yesterday and my wife got some pics with
> her phone against her binoculars.
> >> Wondering if it could be a coopers or a sharp-shinned? We did see it
> near a crow and it was smaller than the crow.
> >> Thanks for the help.
> >>
> >> --
> >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
> Groups "mbbirds" group.
> >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send
> an email to mbbirds+<unsubscribe...>
> >> To view this discussion visit
> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/<1762727181473.1894514327.21917119...> > .
> >> <hawk 1.jpg><hawk 2.jpg><hawk 3.jpg>
> >
> > _________________________________
> > Mark Chappell email: <markchappell666...>
> > Professor of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology (Emeritus)
> > University of California, Riverside, CA 92521
> > work website:
> https://profiles.ucr.edu/app/home/profile/chappell > > photography website:
> http://faculty.ucr.edu/~chappell/INW/index.html > >
> >
> >
> > --
> > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
> Groups "mbbirds" group.
> > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send
> an email to mbbirds+<unsubscribe...>
> > To view this discussion visit
> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/<4A0E7BB5-5A77-4429-B21E-642A829EC1AF...> > .
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
> "mbbirds" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an
> email to mbbirds+<unsubscribe...>
> To view this discussion visit
> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/<BDAB3596-1880-4761-AE81-34D782A58A41...> > .
>
It’s pretty subjective but the tarsi and toes look a little too robust for a sharpie — but there’s not much difference between a male Coop and a female sharpie. I don’t have a lot of experience with sharp-shins (plenty with Cooper’s) but every sharpie I’eve seen — unambiguously identified by other criteria — has shown that bug-eyed expression.
> On Nov 9, 2025, at 9:03 PM, Mark Chappell <markchappell666...> wrote:
>
>
Interesting comparison! Thank you so much for your message.
They said smaller than a crow so I went to Sharpie.
Also the tarsus, you can see in that one photo where it is erect is very thin and delicate. If it is a Coop it’s a male for sure. I recently held a female juvenile Coop and she was way bigger than this bird, beyond usual comparison to the tiercel.
Learn something new every day!
Take care,
Melanie
Sent from my iPhone
> On Nov 9, 2025, at 9:03 PM, Mark Chappell <markchappell666...> wrote:
> Cooper’s, I think. Note facial ‘expression’ — one characteristic I’ve sometimes found useful is that sharp-shinned hawks usually look bug-eyed, or startled; Cooper’s tend to look angry or mean. I think this is may be due to a somewhat more prominent brow ridge on Cooper’s. Male sharpies are fairly easy to ID from size alone: barely bigger than robins.
>
> Juvenile female and adult male sharp-shinned:
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "mbbirds" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to mbbirds+<unsubscribe...>
> To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/<4A0E7BB5-5A77-4429-B21E-642A829EC1AF...> > <Sharp-shinned hawk 0031.jpg>
> <sharp-shinned hawk005.jpg>
>
>
>
> Female Cooper’s juvenile:
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "mbbirds" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to mbbirds+<unsubscribe...>
> To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/<4A0E7BB5-5A77-4429-B21E-642A829EC1AF...> > <Cooper's hawk 0027.jpg>
>
>
>> On Nov 9, 2025, at 2:31 PM, <edaveclark...> wrote:
>>
>> We saw this hawk at Antonelli yesterday and my wife got some pics with her phone against her binoculars.
>> Wondering if it could be a coopers or a sharp-shinned? We did see it near a crow and it was smaller than the crow.
>> Thanks for the help.
>>
>> --
>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "mbbirds" group.
>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to mbbirds+<unsubscribe...>
>> To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/<1762727181473.1894514327.21917119...> >> <hawk 1.jpg><hawk 2.jpg><hawk 3.jpg>
>
> _________________________________
> Mark Chappell email: <markchappell666...>
> Professor of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology (Emeritus)
> University of California, Riverside, CA 92521
> work website: https://profiles.ucr.edu/app/home/profile/chappell > photography website: http://faculty.ucr.edu/~chappell/INW/index.html >
>
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "mbbirds" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to mbbirds+<unsubscribe...>
> To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/<4A0E7BB5-5A77-4429-B21E-642A829EC1AF...>
Cooper’s, I think. Note facial ‘expression’ — one characteristic I’ve sometimes found useful is that sharp-shinned hawks usually look bug-eyed, or startled; Cooper’s tend to look angry or mean. I think this is may be due to a somewhat more prominent brow ridge on Cooper’s. Male sharpies are fairly easy to ID from size alone: barely bigger than robins.
> On Nov 9, 2025, at 2:31 PM, <edaveclark...> wrote:
>
> We saw this hawk at Antonelli yesterday and my wife got some pics with her phone against her binoculars.
> Wondering if it could be a coopers or a sharp-shinned? We did see it near a crow and it was smaller than the crow.
> Thanks for the help.
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "mbbirds" group.
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Great pix!
Looks to be a juvenile Sharpie. The way to tell a Sharpie from a Coop, the Sharpie’s tarsi are as thin as toothpicks! Really!! 😂
Take care,
Melanie Wirtanen
Sent from my iPhone
> On Nov 9, 2025, at 2:31 PM, <edaveclark...> wrote:
>
> We saw this hawk at Antonelli yesterday and my wife got some pics with her phone against her binoculars.
> Wondering if it could be a coopers or a sharp-shinned? We did see it near a crow and it was smaller than the crow.
> Thanks for the help.
>
> --
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> <hawk 2.jpg>
> <hawk 3.jpg>
We saw this hawk at Antonelli yesterday and my wife got some pics with her phone against her binoculars. Wondering if it could be a coopers or a sharp-shinned? We did see it near a crow and it was smaller than the crow. Thanks for the help.
Date: 11/7/25 3:57 am From: Phil Brown <pdpbrown...> Subject: Re: [MBBIRDS] Juvenile Gull ID Help
Sorry Kate I am in Nepal, maybe can take a look when I am back,
Phil
On Thu, Nov 6, 2025, 00:37 Kate Edwards <kmedwards400...> wrote:
> Hi Phil,
>
> Thanks for the response -- I think Iceland Gulls will just continue to
> confuse me for some time. The photo I attached does make the bill look
> bi-colored from the lighting, but the other pictures in the checklist have
> it more consistently black with maybe some grey at the very base. I've
> attached one below.
>
> Blake Matheson also suggested that this individual could be a first winter
> Herring vs a Ring-Billed. Would you agree, or is this one just better
> left un-identified?
>
> Thanks,
> Kate
> [image: Thayers3.JPG]
>
> On Wed, Oct 29, 2025 at 4:27 PM Phil Brown <pdpbrown...> wrote:
>
>> Hi Kate,
>> Iceland Gull (Thayer's) should have pale edging to the primaries, and the
>> primaries look too dark to me, The bill looks bi-colored too (a bit hard to
>> tell from this angle).
>> Regards, Phil Brown
>>
>> On Wed, Oct 29, 2025 at 4:13 PM Kate Edwards <kmedwards400...>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Hi everyone,
>>>
>>> I was reviewing some photos of a flock of gulls I took at the San
>>> Lorenzo River mouth back in February 2023. My SD card filled up so I'm
>>> finally getting around to sorting through them. At the time I remember
>>> taking photos of any odd juveniles to a) help my identification skills and
>>> b) hopefully capture an Iceland gull in the flock I could ID later. There
>>> were most of our N. California species present with Short-billed,
>>> Ring-Billed, Western, California, and at least a couple of Herring.
>>>
>>> One of them I landed on as a juvenile Ring-Billed gull due to a
>>> combination of size, black on just the tip of the bill, and overall
>>> messiness of the plumage. The pink legs threw me off at first, but I found
>>> other images on eBird showing them with pink feet during the first year or
>>> so. Photos of this one are uploaded here
>>> <https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/644334666>.
>>>
>>> This other one is probably the same, but the plumage seemed a little
>>> more uniform and the bill was fully black. The head shape also seemed
>>> different, but that field marker has always been hard for me to
>>> distinguish. I think I'm leaning towards Ring-Billed, but I just have to
>>> check I don't have a photo of a lifer sitting right in front of me.
>>>
>>> More pictures of both birds can be found on my ebird checklist here
>>> <https://ebird.org/checklist/S127970740>. I appreciate any tips to
>>> getting reliable ID's on these little guys!
>>>
>>> Happy birding,
>>> Kate Edwards
>>>
>>> --
>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
>>> Groups "mbbirds" group.
>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send
>>> an email to mbbirds+<unsubscribe...>
>>> To view this discussion visit
>>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/CACU8eBhZb7WtSdaoM%3Dg2K34H4E%3Dq5%<3DmFt1gNZxb8jzYbijczeA...> >>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/CACU8eBhZb7WtSdaoM%3Dg2K34H4E%3Dq5%<3DmFt1gNZxb8jzYbijczeA...>?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>> .
>>>
>>
Date: 11/5/25 10:52 am From: Kate Edwards <kmedwards400...> Subject: Re: [MBBIRDS] Juvenile Gull ID Help
Hi Phil,
Thanks for the response -- I think Iceland Gulls will just continue to
confuse me for some time. The photo I attached does make the bill look
bi-colored from the lighting, but the other pictures in the checklist have
it more consistently black with maybe some grey at the very base. I've
attached one below.
Blake Matheson also suggested that this individual could be a first winter
Herring vs a Ring-Billed. Would you agree, or is this one just better
left un-identified?
Thanks,
Kate
[image: Thayers3.JPG]
On Wed, Oct 29, 2025 at 4:27 PM Phil Brown <pdpbrown...> wrote:
> Hi Kate,
> Iceland Gull (Thayer's) should have pale edging to the primaries, and the
> primaries look too dark to me, The bill looks bi-colored too (a bit hard to
> tell from this angle).
> Regards, Phil Brown
>
> On Wed, Oct 29, 2025 at 4:13 PM Kate Edwards <kmedwards400...>
> wrote:
>
>> Hi everyone,
>>
>> I was reviewing some photos of a flock of gulls I took at the San Lorenzo
>> River mouth back in February 2023. My SD card filled up so I'm finally
>> getting around to sorting through them. At the time I remember taking
>> photos of any odd juveniles to a) help my identification skills and b)
>> hopefully capture an Iceland gull in the flock I could ID later. There were
>> most of our N. California species present with Short-billed, Ring-Billed,
>> Western, California, and at least a couple of Herring.
>>
>> One of them I landed on as a juvenile Ring-Billed gull due to a
>> combination of size, black on just the tip of the bill, and overall
>> messiness of the plumage. The pink legs threw me off at first, but I found
>> other images on eBird showing them with pink feet during the first year or
>> so. Photos of this one are uploaded here
>> <https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/644334666>.
>>
>> This other one is probably the same, but the plumage seemed a little more
>> uniform and the bill was fully black. The head shape also seemed different,
>> but that field marker has always been hard for me to distinguish. I think
>> I'm leaning towards Ring-Billed, but I just have to check I don't have a
>> photo of a lifer sitting right in front of me.
>>
>> More pictures of both birds can be found on my ebird checklist here
>> <https://ebird.org/checklist/S127970740>. I appreciate any tips to
>> getting reliable ID's on these little guys!
>>
>> Happy birding,
>> Kate Edwards
>>
>> --
>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
>> "mbbirds" group.
>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an
>> email to mbbirds+<unsubscribe...>
>> To view this discussion visit
>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/CACU8eBhZb7WtSdaoM%3Dg2K34H4E%3Dq5%<3DmFt1gNZxb8jzYbijczeA...> >> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/CACU8eBhZb7WtSdaoM%3Dg2K34H4E%3Dq5%<3DmFt1gNZxb8jzYbijczeA...>?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >> .
>>
>
Date: 11/4/25 6:56 am From: Alfred Hochstaedter <fredhochstaedter...> Subject: [MBBIRDS] Pt Pinos Seawatch Summaries are a Delight to Read
Good morning! Most of us know that Monterey Audubon’s Seawatch has started,
and that Alison Vilag, our expert seabird counter, is back at Pt Pinos
monitoring loons, scoters, and everything else that flies by the point.
What everybody might not know is that Alison is also a skilled and
evocative writer. She summarizes each day in a short, three-sips-of-coffee
length of prose that is delightful to read. I like to start my day by
enjoying them with my first cup of coffee.
Here’s an excerpt for Nov 1, the first day of the Seawatch season:
“SURF SCOTERS were moving in good numbers today: we had 1442, with the
flight evenly distributed across the day till 1500 when it began to drop
off. We also had 2 WHITE-WINGED and 3 BLACK SCOTERS--all these, save one
Black Scoter by itself, were mixed with Surf flocks. This is the first
opening day of my four (!) seasons that's brought a thousand+ scoter day;
curious how many went by in October, as during the afternoon of October 28
I tallied 3300 in just a couple hours... The only other waterfowl was a
single BRANT, ironically smack dab in the middle of a flock of Brandt's
Cormorants--Brant with the Brandt's... “
Date: 11/4/25 6:47 am From: Brian Scanlon <briancscanlon...> Subject: [MBBIRDS] Re: Northern Flickers at Lee Road
Thanks for the input. After playing around with the exposure on these
pictures, I'm convinced that there is more orange than I'd like. Also the
red nape is not well defined on either bird. I've put both in the
yellowxred bucket.
Brian
On Mon, Nov 3, 2025 at 6:22 PM Brian Scanlon <briancscanlon...>
wrote:
> It seems unlikely, but I had a couple of possible Yellow-shafted Northern
> Flickers this morning at Lee Road. Any opinions would be appreciated.
>
> Female:
>
> [image: _DSC3824-Edit-2.jpg]
> [image: _DSC3830-Edit.jpg]
>
> And Male: Unfortunately dark, distant, and foggy but the face pattern and
> nape are good, and I can see a bit of yellow on the wing.
>
>
> [image: 72641bc5-62de-4f75-9763-d49d5b34b896.jpg]
> [image: e8f1f721-1b55-4792-8f92-3c224f0866ee.jpg]
>
>
>
Date: 11/1/25 3:19 pm From: Phoebe Barnes <jasper.barnes...> Subject: Re: [MBBIRDS] Site recommendations for a Big Sur Big Day?
Thanks for the site recommendations everyone! We ended up with a decent
53-species day. Could have been better, and no condors, but we were having
fun so it all worked out in the end. If anyone wants to see the trip
report, have a look here: https://ebird.org/tripreport/426992
Thanks again,
Phoebe
On Sun, Oct 26, 2025 at 4:45 PM Phoebe Jasper Barnes <
<jasper.barnes...> wrote:
> Hello, all!
>
> My best friend and I are going to Big Sur next week, and we wanted to try
> a sort of Big Day as we've been going down there as a sort of annual
> tradition and we wanted to mix things up. It's not going to be anything
> huge, just kind of a personal challenge we wanted to try out.
>
> In any case, we were wondering if you all had any site suggestions for us?
> We're definitely going to Andrew Molera SP and Pfeiffer Big Sur SP, but any
> other site recommendations would be greatly appreciated! Thanks for your
> time. Have a good day, and good birding!
>
> --Phoebe Barnes
>
> --
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> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/<c5eeaf96-a758-43b1-a29d-e539fe94d394n...> > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/<c5eeaf96-a758-43b1-a29d-e539fe94d394n...>?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > .
>
Date: 10/31/25 11:22 am From: Abram Fleishman <abfleishman...> Subject: [MBBIRDS] Blue Grosbeak at lighthouse field
There was a strange grosbeak with white wing bars in Lighthouse field this
morning near the west end. If you go looking for the Harris’s Sparrow keep
your eyes open.
