Date: 7/20/26 12:41 pm From: David Assmann via groups.io <david_assmann...> Subject: [SFBirds] Local Interest - Arriving shorebirds
Shorebirds are starting to trickle in on their southbound migration. There were two SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS and an AMERICAN AVOCET in Crissy Lagoon this morning (joining the two LONG-BILLED CURLEWS that have been there for a few weeks). Quartermaster Reach had 8 LEAST SANDPIPERS and 2 WESTERN SANDPIPERS, along with 8 KILLDEER (including 3 young).
On Tuesday, 7/14, the summering HOODED WARBLER continued at it's new location (where it has now been observed for several weeks longer than the old location) along the Steep Ravine Trail which parallels Clarendon Drive along the north edge of Laguna Honda Open Space/Hospital grounds. The Hooded Warbler sang regularly from about 6:30 when we first arrived until about 6:40 when it stopped and flew further up the slope of the canyon in the direction of the hospital buildings.
Some late season breeding notes -
Olive-sided Flycatcher - Mount Sutro OSP where confirmed by Connor Schmidt and Michelle Moir carrying nesting material in late May, adults were accompanied by a begging fledgling 7/12. The breeding territory is at the top of Woodland Canyon Creek near the jct of Edgewood/Historic/Fairy Gates trails where they have nested every year since at least 2021. This is the only(last) breeding territory for this species in the city/county since they stopped breeding on Mount Davidson c. 2017
Swainson's Thrush - Laguna Honda/Steep Ravine Trail, while looking for the Hooded Warbler on 7/13 I observed an agitated Swainson's Thrush carrying food and giving alarm calls while a CA. Scrub Jay poked around the area possibly looking to predate the young. This confirms Swainson's Thrush in the 3rd block in SF in addition to juveniles found at Dragonfly Creek (C.Schmidt) and Mountain Lake Park (Logan Kahle)
And some probable/possible breeding species still unconfirmed:
Ruddy Duck - if they bred successfully this year adults should be accompanied by juveniles any day now, with South Lake Merced around the Concrete bridge the most consistent and easily observable site
White-throated Swifts - have been observed entering weeps in the HWY 101 overpass in the Presidio above McDowell Ave/Pet Cemetery/Presidio Stables. Adults carrying food to nests will display a distended throat - tough to observe but possible with some patience. Other probable locations under HWY 280 at Mission Creek/Islais Creek and the 101/280 jct near Alemany Market
Green Heron - a pair has been noted all spring around the Concrete Bridge.
Western (Pacific-slope) Flycatcher - last reports of vocalizing adults have been from around the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater in McLaren Park. The area west of El Polin around the Ecology Trail is another potential breeding area. I have not heard them this spring from various locations in East and West Golden Gate Park where they have been suspected of nesting in previous years
American Goldfinch - this species was once a relatively common breeder in willow stands in the north/west portion of the city (Land's End, Presidio, Lake Merced) but essentially disappeared c. 2018 around the time of an extended drought. There's been a few reports this summer from Land's End where there is lots of good looking habitat (extensive willow stands)
Date: 7/8/26 11:37 am From: San Mateo County Bird Alliance via groups.io <office...> Subject: [SFBirds] Thurs. July 9 Birding New Zealand & Australia's Subantarctic
*This Thursday's Monthly Meeting - ZOOM*
As a recipient of the True Young Explorer scholarship, John Tsortos will share highlights of a 16-day expedition to the subantarctic islands of New Zealand and Australia with Heritage Expeditions. This region encompasses multiple UNESCO World Heritage Sites and is known for its unparalleled diversity of nesting albatross and penguin species. It is also home to endemic landbirds, unique marine mammals, and undiscovered marine invertebrates—not to mention that this region is the primary breeding ground for Sooty Shearwaters and Cook's Petrels—two annual visitors to California waters. The talk will focus on seabirds through stunning photos and entertaining videos, but will also touch on the region's natural history, the other incredible wildlife that lives there, and the unprecedented conservation efforts that have allowed these islands to flourish. If you're interested in seabirds, you don't want to miss it!
John is a seabird photographer and volunteers both as a pelagic birding guide with Alvaro’s Adventures and as an aquarium guide at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Although he spends much of his time along the coast, he lives in Los Gatos and leads field trips for the Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance.
Date: 7/8/26 9:51 am From: Liam Murphy via groups.io <liammsf...> Subject: Re: [SFBirds] Cooks Petrels offshore - Craveri's Murrelet - and new pelagic scheduled for July
Great summary Alvaro and it was really super to be out there with you on a
couple of the trips!
One correction if I may is that the Craveri's were seen early in the day on
Sunday, while we were still in San Mateo County. The county-birder part of
me hopes we can connect with them in San Francisco eventually!
Great season this is shaping up to be, good birding all and hope to see
some of you out on pelagics soon!
Cheers,
Liam Murphy
On Wed, Jul 8, 2026, 9:33 AM Alvaro Jaramillo via groups.io <chucao=
<coastside.net...> wrote:
> Hello all
>
>
>
> The three back-to-back trips, two to the Farallon Islands last Friday
> and Saturday as well as the Half Moon Bay trip on Sunday were superb. Apart
> from the amazing yet regular species we see in abundance on the Farallon
> Islands we saw a lot of unusual birds offshore. I think that if one had to
> back up to the 10,000-foot view, Black Storm-Petrels are well inshore and
> relatively easy to find. We found them inside of the Farallon Islands, and
> some were quite close to shore out of Half Moon Bay. Folks who seawatch
> should be on the lookout for them as they are closer to shore than we have
> ever seen them around here. The other story is that Scripps’s Murrelets
> seem to be out there in numbers, they are not always an easy species to
> pick out when weather is choppy. But we saw them on all three trips
> including the Farallon Island trips where we have limited time offshore.
> Northern Fulmar is also here in numbers that are not always this high in
> mid-summer. The implication is that we have birds heading to us from the
> south (murrelet, storm petrel) and from the north (Northern Fulmar). The
> behavior of the storm petrels being closer to shore than normal is surely
> food oriented, but we do not understand why.
>
> Now for the unusual stuff. Friday the 3d we saw that Ancient Murrelet
> on the Farallon trip. Unusual, but they are being recorded in well above
> average numbers in various spots in California and Oregon. Again, a bird
> seemingly retreating from poor food areas in the north. Sunday though blew
> the roof off things, as this was a trip where we were able to spend time
> well offshore. We found 5 species of storm-petrels! They were Black, Ashy,
> Wilson’s, Fork-tailed and Leach’s. There were multiple Leach’s (3), which
> is always a difficult species for us here. Black Storm-Petrels were the
> most common, and this is not the long term normal, but it has happened in
> warm water years. We discovered that a pair of murrelets that flew by and
> were photographed were in fact Craveri’s Murrelets, 16 Scripps’s Murrelets
> were seen to highlight that they are numerous out there. But THE star of
> the show was Cook’s Petrels. Some of the folks who go out regularly will be
> amazed, flabbergasted even to hear that we saw more Cook’s Petrels than
> Pink-footed Shearwaters! At times flocks of Cook’s were visible sitting on
> the water, and some great looks were had although often they did go by at a
> distance. Photos below in the trip report. A total of 55 was estimated for
> Cook’s, and it likely was higher. Amazing. We think this situation will
> continue into July unless conditions change radically. A couple of folks
> saw a Flesh-footed Shearwater, and a nice number of Black-footed Albatross
> was accented by a gorgeous adult Laysan Albatross that joined in the mix.
> The birding was non-stop, superb. The Cook’s and Craveri’s and Laysan were
> in San Francisco counties. We hope that if weather allows on upcoming
> trips, we can look for these birds in both counties. We also had some
> superb marine mammal watching, but the best was a Blue Whale that decided
> to actually circle our boat. Just fantastic!
>
> Given that our July 18 trip heading offshore is sold out and we sense
> there is great interest to get out there, we have added a trip out of Half
> Moon Bay on July 25 on the New Captain Pete. You can book on the link
> below.
>
>
>
> https://www.alvarosadventures.com/pelagic-dates-2026.html >
>
>
> Trip reports for the three trips are below:
>
> Friday Farallon Is
>
> https://ebird.org/tripreport/546980 >
> Saturday Farallon Is.
>
> https://ebird.org/tripreport/547008 >
> Sunday offshore
>
> https://ebird.org/tripreport/547114 >
>
>
> Good birding.
>
> Alvaro Jaramillo
>
> <alvaro...>
>
> www.alvarosadventures.com
>
>
>
>
Date: 7/7/26 4:31 pm From: David Assmann via groups.io <david_assmann...> Subject: [SFBirds] City List additions for June brings total to 270 for the year
June was comparitively quiet, with five new species added for the month, including Tufted Puffin, Ovenbird, Green-tailed Towhee, Least Tern and Common Nighthawk. This still was enough to bring us to a record 270 species through the end of June. You can see the complete list at https://sfbirds.net/2026-city-cumulative (this page has been re-formatted to be readable on mobile phones)
Date: 7/7/26 11:09 am From: Brian Fitch via groups.io <fogeggs...> Subject: [SFBirds] Bittern and Continuers
I arrived at Heron’s Head this morning at 6:15, and immediately heard the
previously reported Least Terns. Upon coming into view of India Basin, I
saw three of them fishing the main body of water between HH and the new
park. While watching them, two Black Skimmers came in and skimmed for
awhile over the same patch. At least one of these birds had also been seen
on previous days. By 6:30 they had all left my field of view, and rather
than hang around for low tide, I decided to head over to Lake Merced.
As I walked out onto the concrete bridge at 6:55, an American Bittern flew
out of the reeds just north of the fishing pier and headed low and fast
over the surface toward Gun Club Marsh. It vanished into that embayment
and didn’t reappear, so I assume it to be a post-breeder that might stay
put for some period. To top off what’s likely my best July birding day
ever in SF, a drake Cinnamon Teal, probably also a continuing individual,
flew in from the north and dropped into the reeds NE of the bridge.
Brian Fitch
Date: 7/3/26 8:31 pm From: Alvaro Jaramillo via groups.io <chucao...> Subject: [SFBirds] Farallon Islands today - Ancient Murrelet, Scripps's Murrelet etc.
Hello all.
It was a nice and unexpected Farallon Island trip today. The islands were
teeming, and we were able to see multiple Tufted Puffins out there along
with hundreds of thousands of Common Murres, and the breeding marine mammals
of course. The unusual nature occurred once we left the islands for the
offshore portion of the trip. There were storm petrels and Black-footed
albatross very close to the islands. Overall Black Storm-Petrel was more
common than Ashy Storm-Petrel, in itself unusual. Soon John Tsortos spotted
the first Scripps's Murrelet which we seldom see on a Farallon Island trip.
This was in a sea of Cassin's Auklets. Eventually there were 4-5 Scripps's
Murrelets and a good number of albatross. Northern Fulmars were also more
common than the norm at this time of year. The real surprise was an Ancient
Murrelet that popped in close to the boat for close views. Usually this is a
winter species, and found on some but not all winters. Others have been
found this summer in northern California, so something must be pushing them
south this year. But for us it was a total surprise. Lots of Sooty
Shearwaters are out there now, and many Pink-footed Shearwaters. I think the
interesting birds will continue to build through the season.
Date: 7/1/26 11:30 am From: Roberta Guise via groups.io <roberta...> Subject: Re: [SFBirds] El Polin Grosbeaks
So Dom et al — hope I’m not violating the terms of SFBirds.
This Grosbeak story reminds me of a sweet song about another species, a female Baltimore Oriole and a two-timing “jaybird.” It’s simply called, Baltimore Oriole.
From: <SFBirds...> <SFBirds...> on behalf of Brian Fitch via groups.io <fogeggs...>
Date: Wednesday, July 1, 2026 at 11:00
To: SF Birds <SFBirds...>
Subject: [SFBirds] El Polin Grosbeaks
I finally got out to the Presidio this morning, and started with trying to get my eyes on the Rose-breasted Grosbeak found by Emily C last Friday. Around 6:15, the bird was singing out of view from eucs above several homes near the spring parking lot, then moved up to the next street end houses, then onto the hill below Inspiration Point, then into the willows above the spring, all without me seeing the slightest sign of it.
For twenty minutes it sang sporadically from the willow patch, and I waited on the Lower Ecology Trail expecting to eventually spot it. Somewhere in the twenty plus minute mark, the bird appeared in all of its glory at the top of a willow, giving single song phrases and gleaning in between.
I had seen multiple reports of Rose-breasted/Black-headed on the other venue, but assumed they were based on a single bird and the reporter's or app's inability to differentiate the nearly identical voices of the two species. So I was surprised when another grosbeak flew in and joined the Rose, at one point sitting on the same branch with it. The second bird was a female/immature type, with white supercilium and malar and a notable orange-rufous breast. It was too far off and screened to discern whether any streaking was present. At this time of year, I'm assuming it's a female Black-headed, though it could also be an early fledgling. The Rose stopped singing while number two was in its personal space, and as I prepared to witness possible genetic mixing, the Rose chased off the second bird, and after some minutes began to sing again. And the second grosbeak returned, but kept a little more distance in the willow patch. They were still feeding in adjacent trees when I finally left.
Whatever is going on in their relationship, there are definitely two pheucticus grosbeaks at El Polin, so it bears watching as long as they remain findable.
Brian Fitch
Date: 7/1/26 11:00 am From: Brian Fitch via groups.io <fogeggs...> Subject: [SFBirds] El Polin Grosbeaks
I finally got out to the Presidio this morning, and started with trying to get my eyes on the Rose-breasted Grosbeak found by Emily C last Friday. Around 6:15, the bird was singing out of view from eucs above several homes near the spring parking lot, then moved up to the next street end houses, then onto the hill below Inspiration Point, then into the willows above the spring, all without me seeing the slightest sign of it.
For twenty minutes it sang sporadically from the willow patch, and I waited on the Lower Ecology Trail expecting to eventually spot it. Somewhere in the twenty plus minute mark, the bird appeared in all of its glory at the top of a willow, giving single song phrases and gleaning in between.
I had seen multiple reports of Rose-breasted/Black-headed on the other venue, but assumed they were based on a single bird and the reporter's or app's inability to differentiate the nearly identical voices of the two species. So I was surprised when another grosbeak flew in and joined the Rose, at one point sitting on the same branch with it. The second bird was a female/immature type, with white supercilium and malar and a notable orange-rufous breast. It was too far off and screened to discern whether any streaking was present. At this time of year, I'm assuming it's a female Black-headed, though it could also be an early fledgling. The Rose stopped singing while number two was in its personal space, and as I prepared to witness possible genetic mixing, the Rose chased off the second bird, and after some minutes began to sing again. And the second grosbeak returned, but kept a little more distance in the willow patch. They were still feeding in adjacent trees when I finally left.
Whatever is going on in their relationship, there are definitely two pheucticus grosbeaks at El Polin, so it bears watching as long as they remain findable. Brian Fitch
Date: 6/27/26 6:32 am From: Brian Fitch via groups.io <fogeggs...> Subject: Re: [SFBirds] Nighthawk!
Hi Summer Campers,
I woke up at first light, and felt an inner prompt to get up immediately
rather than laze around for awhile. Upon entering my east-facing kitchen,
I heard water drops and opened the casement window to see if it was
actually raining. It had been raining, and the sky was low and stormy
looking, as many of you will see when you look out. I kept the window open
despite the cold, checked the hummer water and found it low, then prepped
some fresh sugar solution at the sink, still with open window.
My wife and I were in Sierra Valley two weeks ago, and had Common
Nighthawks overhead every evening and some mornings, so when that utterly
unique sound hit my ears right here in SF I flipped out, but managed to not
break the feeder or other utensils as I ran back to the window, looked up,
and spotted a nighthawk flying in classic style and calling several more
times as it flew high overhead toward Buena Vista hill. I have no easily
openable window on the west side of our flat, and was unable to pick the
bird up visually again, but it could have chosen a roost on one of the
hilltops here, or moved on to who knows where in this bizarre weather.
This is my first self-found city lifer since the European Robin four years
ago, and fulfills my raincheck of missing the roosting nighthawk at McLaren
Park many years ago. It's also the first new non-introduced species for my
house list in several years. Events like this are why I love birding!
Brian Fitch
On Sat, Jun 27, 2026 at 5:58 AM Brian Fitch via groups.io <fogeggs=
<gmail.com...> wrote:
> Common just flew over Noe and 14th heading west! Calling!
> Brian Fitch
>
>
>
Date: 6/26/26 4:07 pm From: Liam Murphy via groups.io <liammsf...> Subject: Re: [SFBirds] Least Tern (3) at Heron’s Head
Spectacular Least Tern show at the Heron's Head Point right now! Fri 4:06p.
Easily 25 maybe significantly more.
Liam & Keith
On Thu, Jun 25, 2026, 5:23 PM Sarah Burton via groups.io <burtosarah=
<gmail.com...> wrote:
> Photos attached.
>
> On Thu, Jun 25, 2026 at 17:14 Sarah Burton via groups.io <burtosarah=
> <gmail.com...> wrote:
>
>> Hello from an extremely windy session at Heron’s Head point. There are 3
>> Least Tern foraging and vocalizing in the India Basin bay. Spotted at 1702;
>> they’re still here.
>>
>> Yours,
>> Sarah
>>
>>
>
Date: 6/26/26 10:53 am From: Connor Schmidt via groups.io <caschm...> Subject: Re: [SFBirds] SF Atlas updates/targets
Hey all, This morning I saw a recently fledged (or juvenile) Swaison's
Thrush at the top of Dragonfly Creek in case anyone else is able to get
eyes on it! It was with two nearby adults. I got a quick glimpse of it
first in a shrub just west of the stone bridge (37.799700, -122.472938). It
later flew to the edge of the stone bridge, last seen flying low into a
shrub east of the bridge following an adult.
I noticed it as one of the adults was calling and acting somewhat
territorial around a shrub near the pin.
On Thu, Jun 25, 2026 at 10:38 AM David Assmann via groups.io <david_assmann=
<yahoo.com...> wrote:
> Another remote possibility is Black-Headed Grosbeak at El Polin Springs.
> One was singing there on Monday and I am hearing one today on the hillside
> above the south side of the loop around El Polin (same place as Monday).
>
>
>
Date: 6/25/26 5:23 pm From: Sarah Burton via groups.io <burtosarah...> Subject: Re: [SFBirds] Least Tern (3) at Heron’s Head
Photos attached.
On Thu, Jun 25, 2026 at 17:14 Sarah Burton via groups.io <burtosarah=
<gmail.com...> wrote:
> Hello from an extremely windy session at Heron’s Head point. There are 3
> Least Tern foraging and vocalizing in the India Basin bay. Spotted at 1702;
> they’re still here.
>
> Yours,
> Sarah
>
>
>
Date: 6/25/26 5:14 pm From: Sarah Burton via groups.io <burtosarah...> Subject: [SFBirds] Least Tern (3) at Heron’s Head
Hello from an extremely windy session at Heron’s Head point. There are 3
Least Tern foraging and vocalizing in the India Basin bay. Spotted at 1702;
they’re still here.
Date: 6/25/26 10:38 am From: David Assmann via groups.io <david_assmann...> Subject: Re: [SFBirds] SF Atlas updates/targets
Another remote possibility is Black-Headed Grosbeak at El Polin Springs. One was singing there on Monday and I am hearing one today on the hillside above the south side of the loop around El Polin (same place as Monday).
Date: 6/23/26 4:39 pm From: Liam Murphy via groups.io <liammsf...> Subject: Re: [SFBirds] SF Atlas updates/targets
Thanks for the updates Dom, and hello to all,
I wanted to chime in with another potential good breeding species for SF.
Also on Saturday I had an Olive-sided Flycatcher near Fort Scott in the
Presidio that was singing nonstop for a prolonged period (40+ minutes) and
behaving very territorially, chasing other flycatchers and even larger
birds like Brewer's Blackbird away from its perches at the tops of tall
trees.
The precise location is the grove of trees south of Kobbe Ave near Wright
Loop. Wright Loop itself is marked private, but I had good views standing
at the intersection of Hitchcock x Upton.
Approximate cords:
37.797786,-122.473042
Please take a look if you are birding in this area to see if this bird
stays on territory or finds a mate.
Good atlasing,
Liam Murphy
On Tue, Jun 23, 2026, 11:20 AM Dominik Mosur via groups.io <dominikmosur=
<gmail.com...> wrote:
> And an update:
>
> Mike Anderson tracked down the Flicker nest on Mount Davidson yesterday:
>
> https://ebird.org/atlascalifornia/checklist/S361735415 >
> Flicker had been extirpated as a historical breeder in the City until the
> discovery of a nest at Fort Scott in 2013. Nice come back !
>
> dm
> sf
>
> On Tue, Jun 23, 2026 at 11:11 AM Dominik Mosur via groups.io
> <dominikmosur...> wrote:
>
>> Some recent confirmations of note
>>
>> Northern Flicker - confirmed by Liam Murphy this past weekend, two adults
>> with a fledgling were noted on the Battery to Bluffs trail which is
>> essentially within the traditional nesting territory in the Fort Scott
>> maintenance yard. Additional pairs of Flickers have been noted all spring
>> into recent days on Mount Davidson and in the Twin Peaks/Sutro Radio Tower
>> area - so potentially could be confirmed in two additional blocks.
>>
>> Wrentit - confirmed by Daniel Scali this past weekend, adults feeding
>> juveniles in the Presidio Hills.
>>
>> Common Yellowthroat - I observed a male feeding two chicks at the
>> Concrete Bride/S. Lake Merced 6/14. Unfortunately both chicks were
>> Cowbirds. A confirmation is also possible in the block that ends west of
>> the Boathouse at Lake Merced.
>> -----------------
>> Target species still needing confirmations:
>>
>> Ruddy Duck - they nest later than most waterfowl, look for juveniles on
>> Lake Merced (Mountain Lake?) next month
>>
>> Green Heron - there's been a pair around the Concrete Bridge all spring.
>>
>> Western Flycatcher - there's been at least one on territory since April
>> in the Presidio around the Ecology Trail. Also possible around the Jerry
>> Garcia Amphitheater at McLaren. Haven't heard any in Glen Canyon or on
>> Mount Sutro this spring where they've nested or been present well into
>> breeding season in past years but it doesn't hurt to look
>>
>> Acorn Woodpecker - keep checking Lafayette Park
>>
>> Swainson's Thrush- I have some coordinates for likely breeder stakeouts
>> on Mount Davidson/Sutro. Also check around El Polin/Ecology Trail in the
>> Presidio, the big willow stands in McLaren.
>> ----------------
>> Wishful thinking:
>>
>> Western Wood-pewee - a couple of pewees have been noted on surveys of
>> Mount Sutro 5/18, 6/7, 6/19. This species nested on Mount Davidson 2012 and
>> 2013 in very similar habitat. Worth a look.
>>
>> W. Warbling Vireo - this species has only been confirmed breeding in San
>> Francisco once in the last 30+years (Nancy Palmer found a pair feeding a
>> juvenile in the Arboretum in July 2020). This morning 6/23, there was a
>> pair interacting at the east end of Pine Lake in similar looking habitat.
>> Worth a follow up visit if anyone is in the neighborhood.
>>
>> Good luck to all nest searchers. Please don't hesitate to reach out if
>> you have any questions about joining the atlas, breeding codes etc.
>>
>> Happy Summer birding to all,
>>
>> Dominik Mosur
>> San Francisco
>>
>>
>
Flicker had been extirpated as a historical breeder in the City until the
discovery of a nest at Fort Scott in 2013. Nice come back !
dm
sf
On Tue, Jun 23, 2026 at 11:11 AM Dominik Mosur via groups.io <dominikmosur=
<gmail.com...> wrote:
> Some recent confirmations of note
>
> Northern Flicker - confirmed by Liam Murphy this past weekend, two adults
> with a fledgling were noted on the Battery to Bluffs trail which is
> essentially within the traditional nesting territory in the Fort Scott
> maintenance yard. Additional pairs of Flickers have been noted all spring
> into recent days on Mount Davidson and in the Twin Peaks/Sutro Radio Tower
> area - so potentially could be confirmed in two additional blocks.
>
> Wrentit - confirmed by Daniel Scali this past weekend, adults feeding
> juveniles in the Presidio Hills.
>
> Common Yellowthroat - I observed a male feeding two chicks at the Concrete
> Bride/S. Lake Merced 6/14. Unfortunately both chicks were Cowbirds. A
> confirmation is also possible in the block that ends west of the Boathouse
> at Lake Merced.
> -----------------
> Target species still needing confirmations:
>
> Ruddy Duck - they nest later than most waterfowl, look for juveniles on
> Lake Merced (Mountain Lake?) next month
>
> Green Heron - there's been a pair around the Concrete Bridge all spring.
>
> Western Flycatcher - there's been at least one on territory since April in
> the Presidio around the Ecology Trail. Also possible around the Jerry
> Garcia Amphitheater at McLaren. Haven't heard any in Glen Canyon or on
> Mount Sutro this spring where they've nested or been present well into
> breeding season in past years but it doesn't hurt to look
>
> Acorn Woodpecker - keep checking Lafayette Park
>
> Swainson's Thrush- I have some coordinates for likely breeder stakeouts on
> Mount Davidson/Sutro. Also check around El Polin/Ecology Trail in the
> Presidio, the big willow stands in McLaren.
> ----------------
> Wishful thinking:
>
> Western Wood-pewee - a couple of pewees have been noted on surveys of
> Mount Sutro 5/18, 6/7, 6/19. This species nested on Mount Davidson 2012 and
> 2013 in very similar habitat. Worth a look.
>
> W. Warbling Vireo - this species has only been confirmed breeding in San
> Francisco once in the last 30+years (Nancy Palmer found a pair feeding a
> juvenile in the Arboretum in July 2020). This morning 6/23, there was a
> pair interacting at the east end of Pine Lake in similar looking habitat.
> Worth a follow up visit if anyone is in the neighborhood.
>
> Good luck to all nest searchers. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you
> have any questions about joining the atlas, breeding codes etc.
>
> Happy Summer birding to all,
>
> Dominik Mosur
> San Francisco
>
>
>
Date: 6/23/26 11:11 am From: Dominik Mosur via groups.io <dominikmosur...> Subject: [SFBirds] SF Atlas updates/targets
Some recent confirmations of note
Northern Flicker - confirmed by Liam Murphy this past weekend, two adults with a fledgling were noted on the Battery to Bluffs trail which is essentially within the traditional nesting territory in the Fort Scott maintenance yard. Additional pairs of Flickers have been noted all spring into recent days on Mount Davidson and in the Twin Peaks/Sutro Radio Tower area - so potentially could be confirmed in two additional blocks.
Wrentit - confirmed by Daniel Scali this past weekend, adults feeding juveniles in the Presidio Hills.
Common Yellowthroat - I observed a male feeding two chicks at the Concrete Bride/S. Lake Merced 6/14. Unfortunately both chicks were Cowbirds. A confirmation is also possible in the block that ends west of the Boathouse at Lake Merced. ----------------- Target species still needing confirmations:
Ruddy Duck - they nest later than most waterfowl, look for juveniles on Lake Merced (Mountain Lake?) next month
Green Heron - there's been a pair around the Concrete Bridge all spring.
Western Flycatcher - there's been at least one on territory since April in the Presidio around the Ecology Trail. Also possible around the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater at McLaren. Haven't heard any in Glen Canyon or on Mount Sutro this spring where they've nested or been present well into breeding season in past years but it doesn't hurt to look
Acorn Woodpecker - keep checking Lafayette Park
Swainson's Thrush- I have some coordinates for likely breeder stakeouts on Mount Davidson/Sutro. Also check around El Polin/Ecology Trail in the Presidio, the big willow stands in McLaren. ---------------- Wishful thinking:
Western Wood-pewee - a couple of pewees have been noted on surveys of Mount Sutro 5/18, 6/7, 6/19. This species nested on Mount Davidson 2012 and 2013 in very similar habitat. Worth a look.
W. Warbling Vireo - this species has only been confirmed breeding in San Francisco once in the last 30+years (Nancy Palmer found a pair feeding a juvenile in the Arboretum in July 2020). This morning 6/23, there was a pair interacting at the east end of Pine Lake in similar looking habitat. Worth a follow up visit if anyone is in the neighborhood.
Good luck to all nest searchers. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about joining the atlas, breeding codes etc.
Date: 6/23/26 8:08 am From: Peter Pyle via groups.io <ppyle...> Subject: [SFBirds] Pycroft's
One more nugget on Pycroft's:
The BoW range map showing Pycroft's N of the equator took into account specimens of Pycroft's collected by Larry Spear and further reports by them in Hawaiian waters by Larry Spear and Rich Rowlett:
We chose to treat these Hawaii reports as hypothetical (w/o photos) but Larry was rather convinced of these and others in the tropical north Pacific, and was by far the expert on Pterodroma at the time. All the more reason to keep Pycroft's on the radar among Cook's in summer (and winter off Humboldt!).
Cheers, Peter
On 6/22/2026 6:54 PM, <chucao...> wrote: > Peter et al. > > Timing of breeding on northern Cook's (Little Barrier Island) and Pycroft's are essentially the same. Molt timing then is likely the same. The southern New Zealand population (Codfish Island) breeds about a month later, but all evidence suggests they spend the non-breeding season off South America, and do not cross to the northern hemisphere. > The paper you link to is now pretty old. The most recent Australian field guide has some good info and details for identification. > > On average: Pycroft's / Cook's is like Arctic / Common tern. That is to say Pycroft's is longer tailed, shorter, necked and smaller billed. They are darker at least when fresh, show less of a supercilium, can show more extensive dark of the neck sides extending to the flanks. Pycroft's has on average more dark on the underwing pattern. It is all pretty subtle, but when a bird has all the bits, and you get a good photo it is convincing. > > We all need to be vigilant this year. > Alvaro > > Alvaro Jaramillo > <alvaro...> > www.alvarosadventures.com > > -----Original Message----- > From: <SFBirds...> <SFBirds...> On Behalf Of Peter Pyle via groups.io > Sent: Monday, June 22, 2026 5:20 PM > To: <SFBirds...> > Subject: Re: [SFBirds] [EBB-Sightings] Marine Madness: Bodega Bay Pelagic Trip 6/21 Hundreds of Cook's Petrel's, YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER, putative TOWNSEND'S STORM-PETREL etc > > Thanks Logan for the great write-up and plugs for more pelagic trips. > And thanks Al for bringing up Pycrofts - I certainly concur this species should be on our radars. > > Here is a paper by Steve, Sophie, and Larry Spear on identifying Pycroft's Petrels: > > https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1813&context=western_birds > > I have thought about it while looking at Cook's here in summer but all birds look the same to me. This includes some 3000 that Abe Borker and I studied over Davidson Seamount in July a decade or more ago. Cook's is molting up here now (and likely the same for Pycroft's) which makes it a bit of a challenge. Perhaps not, however, with the digital imagery that is being taken today. So let's get out there more in summer, and keep at it! > > Cheers, Peter > > > > On 6/22/2026 1:55 PM, Alvaro Jaramillo via groups.io wrote: >> Logan et al. >> >> FANTASTIC!!!!!!! Wish I could have been there. Hey, with numbers like >> that you gotta wonder if it is possible that a Pycroft’s Petrel could >> be in there. My experience with Pycroft’s in New Zealand is that they >> are extremely similar to Cook’s and unless you are specifically >> looking for them, live or in photos, you would not realize it. Check >> out eBird, vs Birds of the World. BOW has them spending the >> non-breeding season out in the north Pacific. Yet there NO records on >> eBird north of the equator. As in NONE. Obviously, this bird is not >> looked for away from the breeding areas, it just blends in and is lost >> once it moves north. I mention it, so that folks that have photos >> might want to scour their images and see if any birds are slightly >> darker with slightly different structure etc. >> >> Just wanting to help make your trip a tad more awesome 😊. Check >> the photos for Pycroft’s. Eventually one will show up if the north >> Pacific is indeed their wintering area. It is all quite unclear. >> >> Alvaro >> >> Alvaro Jaramillo >> >> <alvaro...> <mailto:<alvaro...> >> >> www.alvarosadventures.com <http://www.alvarosadventures.com> >> >> *From:*<EBB-Sightings...> <EBB-Sightings...> *On Behalf Of >> *Logan Kahle via groups.io >> *Sent:* Monday, June 22, 2026 4:22 PM >> *To:* <northbaybirds...>; <sfbirds...>; >> <ebb-sightings...> >> *Subject:* [EBB-Sightings] Marine Madness: Bodega Bay Pelagic Trip >> 6/21 Hundreds of Cook's Petrel's, YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER, putative >> TOWNSEND'S STORM-PETREL etc >> >> Hi all, >> >> Yesterday, 6/21 was a bodega pelagic everyone on board will remember >> for a long time. We embarked on the Surf Scooter, a boat that has >> lived in Bodega Harbor for years in the shadow of it's larger cousin >> the New Sea Angler. We left the harbor at 7am. June has always been a >> neglected time on the water off of Northern California, and a time >> that holds more intrigue and promise than almost any other to me. As >> we departed, we were greeted by flat birdless waters punctuated only >> by Common Murres and Pelicans for the first few miles offshore had >> some of us grumbling about the fear of a dead, slow June trip. But all >> this stopped when screams came out of "passerine!!" The boat stopped >> and we watched a tattered-looking passerine, seemingly a warbler >> circling the boat. After a minute or so of confusion as to it's >> identity it came close by the boat and we realized we were looking at >> a YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER! The bird circled for about 5 minutes, >> taunting us and considering landing on the boat but eventually giving >> up and flying back east. We were in shock. We had already seen what we >> assumed would be the rarest bird of the day, and it wasn't even 8am! >> There is just a single previous record of Yellow-throated Warbler for >> Sonoma county, and this was the first to be photographed. Unbelievable. >> >> As we charged offshore life picked up, a (summering?) Red-necked >> Phalarope flopped around about 10 miles off, and our first Pink-footed >> Shearwaters and Black-footed Albatross appeared. Then, about 20 miles >> off when we were reaching Bodega Canyon shouts came out of a >> Pterodroma: a COOK'S PETREL had appeared at the horizon! We waited >> around for a while. Some albatross came by, but with some patience we >> found several more Cook's Petrels. >> >> We headed south and off of the continental shelf. What would ensue in >> the next hour was one of the most magical pelagic experiences I have >> ever encountered. A few miles from Bodega Canyon, we hit a wall of >> birds. Most were Sooty Shearwaters, but LOTS were COOK'S PETRELS! >> Dozens turned into hundreds, and before long we had seen upwards of >> 200 COOK'S PETRELS in one 45-minute stretch!! It had been years since >> Cook's had been seen from Cordell and Bodega, and this was a county >> bird for almost everyone on board. Through all of this, we picked up >> our first couple LAYSAN ALBATROSS for the trip as well as an >> interesting June first-summer LONG-TAILED JAEGER and several Ashy and >> Black Storm-Petrels. >> >> As we proceeded south the Cook's thinned out somewhat but the birdlife >> did not. A FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER made a quick pass my the boat and >> our first pair of SCRIPPS'S MURRELETS were found on the water. As we >> neared the area right off Cordell Bank, the farthest area offshore we >> would reach today, we found a feeding frenzy of several Storm-Petrels. >> Among them was a small, blackish, white-rumped, short- and >> square-tailed bird that caught our attention. After a quite a bit of >> study, we concluded that the bird appeared to be a TOWNSEND'S >> STORM-PETREL, a potential first record for Sonoma/Marin and the >> farther north the species has ever been seen! It allowed good views >> for all, and eventually drifted off. We will be sending photos of the >> bird off for further discussion in the coming weeks. >> >> The return leg was suitably spectacular. We re-entered the COOK'S >> PETREL zone, with hundreds all around us for over an hour. If you >> scanned the horizon, you were sure to see at least a few if not a >> dozen or more Cook's at any given time! Flocks of 15 and 20 were found >> resting on the water. Amidst all the commotion, a close HAWAIIAN >> PETREL bombed right by no more than 30' from the boat at times, and we >> ran into a group of BLUE WHALES feeding among large numbers of birds. >> On many boats, a Hawaiian Petrel would be the talk of the day, but not >> today! It was during this period that someone spotted a Murrelet off >> the front of the boat: a GUADALUPE MURRELET! Not only is this a rarity >> at this date, but it is all but unknown in June. Then again, there are >> no June boats, so who knows....As we headed back in another >> white-rumped Storm-Petrel crossed by, this one a clear >> nominate/northern LEACH'S STORM-PETREL, and not long after a stunning >> breeding-plumaged RED PHALAROPE landed by the boat. >> >> As we kept cruising inshore, a group of DALL'S PORPOISE briefly >> investigated our vessel. By 20 miles off, we had re-entered the >> pelagic desert of inshore dead waters. But, it was spiced up by the >> occasional shearwater raft. As we neared shore, we found a dead >> Humpback Whale with a few Black Storm-Petrels nearby, just 5 miles off >> Bodega Head! Normally the species is rarely found inshore of 15-20 >> miles this far north. It looks like it will be a good summer for Black >> Storm-Petrels off NorCal! >> >> It was an unbelievable day out there, with the quantity of quality >> birds, let alone the ubiquity of Cook's Petrels and the >> Yellow-throated Warbler making a truly unforgettable combination. >> Through the day, we estimated upwards of 400 Cook's Petrels, the most >> anyone on board had ever seen, even off of SoCal! >> >> For those interested in getting offshore elsewhere this season, there >> is a Fort Bragg pelagic on June 26th that still has available spots. >> Noyo is often similar to Bodega, and there could well be many Cook's >> out of there too, and who knows what else! If you are interested in >> joining the additional Cordell Banks trips like the one above, message >> me off-list, as there may be options for July. >> >> A Full list of pelagic birds and mammals is here (Birds inshore of >> about 5 miles off not included): >> >> COOK'S PETREL-400+ >> >> HAWAIIAN PETREL-1 >> >> Pink-Footed Shearwater-50 >> >> FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER-1 >> >> Sooty Shearwater-4000 >> >> Ashy Storm-Petrel-30 >> >> Black Storm-Petrel-10 >> >> Leach's Storm Petrel-1 >> >> putative TOWNSEND'S STORM-PETREL-1 >> >> Black-footed Albatross-50 >> >> Laysan Albatross-4 >> >> Scripps's Murrelet-2 >> >> GUADALUPE MURRELET-1-2 >> >> Pacific Loon-5 >> >> Long-tailed Jaeger-1 >> >> Western Gull-100 >> >> Heermann's Gull-10 >> >> California Gull-1 >> >> Cassin's Auklet-1500+ >> >> Rhinoceros Auklet-15 >> >> Common Murre-250 >> >> Red Phalarope-1 >> Red-necked Phalarope-5 >> >> YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER-1 >> >> Salmon Shark-4 >> >> Blue Shark-1 >> >> Mola Mola-2 >> >> Blue Whale-6 >> >> Humpback Whale-50+ >> >> Dall’s Porpoise-10 >> >> Northern Right Whale Dolphin-1 >> >> Full trip report here: https://ebird.org/tripreport/542027 >> >> June and July are RARITY TIME off of Northern California. If you are >> interested in looking for rarer seabirds off our shore, consider >> signing up for a trip as with Noyo Pelagics ("the Murphy's Capital") >> out of Mendocino: https://noyopelagics.com/#calendar , Alvaro's >> Adventures trips out of Half Moon Bay, Monterey and more: >> https://www.alvarosadventures.com/ , Humboldt county pelagics with Rob >> Fowler (migratoriusfwlr at gmail.com <http://gmail.com>) or Redwood >> Regional Audubon Society: https://www.rras.org/ or Monterey Seabirds: >> https://www.montereyseabirds.com/ >> >> Happy Summer! >> >> Logan >> >> > > > > >
Timing of breeding on northern Cook's (Little Barrier Island) and Pycroft's are essentially the same. Molt timing then is likely the same. The southern New Zealand population (Codfish Island) breeds about a month later, but all evidence suggests they spend the non-breeding season off South America, and do not cross to the northern hemisphere.
The paper you link to is now pretty old. The most recent Australian field guide has some good info and details for identification.
On average: Pycroft's / Cook's is like Arctic / Common tern. That is to say Pycroft's is longer tailed, shorter, necked and smaller billed. They are darker at least when fresh, show less of a supercilium, can show more extensive dark of the neck sides extending to the flanks. Pycroft's has on average more dark on the underwing pattern. It is all pretty subtle, but when a bird has all the bits, and you get a good photo it is convincing.
-----Original Message-----
From: <SFBirds...> <SFBirds...> On Behalf Of Peter Pyle via groups.io
Sent: Monday, June 22, 2026 5:20 PM
To: <SFBirds...>
Subject: Re: [SFBirds] [EBB-Sightings] Marine Madness: Bodega Bay Pelagic Trip 6/21 Hundreds of Cook's Petrel's, YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER, putative TOWNSEND'S STORM-PETREL etc
Thanks Logan for the great write-up and plugs for more pelagic trips.
And thanks Al for bringing up Pycrofts - I certainly concur this species should be on our radars.
Here is a paper by Steve, Sophie, and Larry Spear on identifying Pycroft's Petrels:
I have thought about it while looking at Cook's here in summer but all birds look the same to me. This includes some 3000 that Abe Borker and I studied over Davidson Seamount in July a decade or more ago. Cook's is molting up here now (and likely the same for Pycroft's) which makes it a bit of a challenge. Perhaps not, however, with the digital imagery that is being taken today. So let's get out there more in summer, and keep at it!
Cheers, Peter
On 6/22/2026 1:55 PM, Alvaro Jaramillo via groups.io wrote:
>
> Logan et al.
>
> FANTASTIC!!!!!!! Wish I could have been there. Hey, with numbers like
> that you gotta wonder if it is possible that a Pycroft’s Petrel could
> be in there. My experience with Pycroft’s in New Zealand is that they
> are extremely similar to Cook’s and unless you are specifically
> looking for them, live or in photos, you would not realize it. Check
> out eBird, vs Birds of the World. BOW has them spending the
> non-breeding season out in the north Pacific. Yet there NO records on
> eBird north of the equator. As in NONE. Obviously, this bird is not
> looked for away from the breeding areas, it just blends in and is lost
> once it moves north. I mention it, so that folks that have photos
> might want to scour their images and see if any birds are slightly
> darker with slightly different structure etc.
>
> Just wanting to help make your trip a tad more awesome 😊. Check
> the photos for Pycroft’s. Eventually one will show up if the north
> Pacific is indeed their wintering area. It is all quite unclear.
>
> Alvaro
>
> Alvaro Jaramillo
>
> <alvaro...> <mailto:<alvaro...> >
> www.alvarosadventures.com <http://www.alvarosadventures.com> >
> *From:*<EBB-Sightings...> <EBB-Sightings...> *On Behalf Of
> *Logan Kahle via groups.io
> *Sent:* Monday, June 22, 2026 4:22 PM
> *To:* <northbaybirds...>; <sfbirds...>;
> <ebb-sightings...>
> *Subject:* [EBB-Sightings] Marine Madness: Bodega Bay Pelagic Trip
> 6/21 Hundreds of Cook's Petrel's, YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER, putative
> TOWNSEND'S STORM-PETREL etc
>
> Hi all,
>
> Yesterday, 6/21 was a bodega pelagic everyone on board will remember
> for a long time. We embarked on the Surf Scooter, a boat that has
> lived in Bodega Harbor for years in the shadow of it's larger cousin
> the New Sea Angler. We left the harbor at 7am. June has always been a
> neglected time on the water off of Northern California, and a time
> that holds more intrigue and promise than almost any other to me. As
> we departed, we were greeted by flat birdless waters punctuated only
> by Common Murres and Pelicans for the first few miles offshore had
> some of us grumbling about the fear of a dead, slow June trip. But all
> this stopped when screams came out of "passerine!!" The boat stopped
> and we watched a tattered-looking passerine, seemingly a warbler
> circling the boat. After a minute or so of confusion as to it's
> identity it came close by the boat and we realized we were looking at
> a YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER! The bird circled for about 5 minutes,
> taunting us and considering landing on the boat but eventually giving
> up and flying back east. We were in shock. We had already seen what we
> assumed would be the rarest bird of the day, and it wasn't even 8am!
> There is just a single previous record of Yellow-throated Warbler for
> Sonoma county, and this was the first to be photographed. Unbelievable.
>
> As we charged offshore life picked up, a (summering?) Red-necked
> Phalarope flopped around about 10 miles off, and our first Pink-footed
> Shearwaters and Black-footed Albatross appeared. Then, about 20 miles
> off when we were reaching Bodega Canyon shouts came out of a
> Pterodroma: a COOK'S PETREL had appeared at the horizon! We waited
> around for a while. Some albatross came by, but with some patience we
> found several more Cook's Petrels.
>
> We headed south and off of the continental shelf. What would ensue in
> the next hour was one of the most magical pelagic experiences I have
> ever encountered. A few miles from Bodega Canyon, we hit a wall of
> birds. Most were Sooty Shearwaters, but LOTS were COOK'S PETRELS!
> Dozens turned into hundreds, and before long we had seen upwards of
> 200 COOK'S PETRELS in one 45-minute stretch!! It had been years since
> Cook's had been seen from Cordell and Bodega, and this was a county
> bird for almost everyone on board. Through all of this, we picked up
> our first couple LAYSAN ALBATROSS for the trip as well as an
> interesting June first-summer LONG-TAILED JAEGER and several Ashy and
> Black Storm-Petrels.
>
> As we proceeded south the Cook's thinned out somewhat but the birdlife
> did not. A FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER made a quick pass my the boat and
> our first pair of SCRIPPS'S MURRELETS were found on the water. As we
> neared the area right off Cordell Bank, the farthest area offshore we
> would reach today, we found a feeding frenzy of several Storm-Petrels.
> Among them was a small, blackish, white-rumped, short- and
> square-tailed bird that caught our attention. After a quite a bit of
> study, we concluded that the bird appeared to be a TOWNSEND'S
> STORM-PETREL, a potential first record for Sonoma/Marin and the
> farther north the species has ever been seen! It allowed good views
> for all, and eventually drifted off. We will be sending photos of the
> bird off for further discussion in the coming weeks.
>
> The return leg was suitably spectacular. We re-entered the COOK'S
> PETREL zone, with hundreds all around us for over an hour. If you
> scanned the horizon, you were sure to see at least a few if not a
> dozen or more Cook's at any given time! Flocks of 15 and 20 were found
> resting on the water. Amidst all the commotion, a close HAWAIIAN
> PETREL bombed right by no more than 30' from the boat at times, and we
> ran into a group of BLUE WHALES feeding among large numbers of birds.
> On many boats, a Hawaiian Petrel would be the talk of the day, but not
> today! It was during this period that someone spotted a Murrelet off
> the front of the boat: a GUADALUPE MURRELET! Not only is this a rarity
> at this date, but it is all but unknown in June. Then again, there are
> no June boats, so who knows....As we headed back in another
> white-rumped Storm-Petrel crossed by, this one a clear
> nominate/northern LEACH'S STORM-PETREL, and not long after a stunning
> breeding-plumaged RED PHALAROPE landed by the boat.
>
> As we kept cruising inshore, a group of DALL'S PORPOISE briefly
> investigated our vessel. By 20 miles off, we had re-entered the
> pelagic desert of inshore dead waters. But, it was spiced up by the
> occasional shearwater raft. As we neared shore, we found a dead
> Humpback Whale with a few Black Storm-Petrels nearby, just 5 miles off
> Bodega Head! Normally the species is rarely found inshore of 15-20
> miles this far north. It looks like it will be a good summer for Black
> Storm-Petrels off NorCal!
>
> It was an unbelievable day out there, with the quantity of quality
> birds, let alone the ubiquity of Cook's Petrels and the
> Yellow-throated Warbler making a truly unforgettable combination.
> Through the day, we estimated upwards of 400 Cook's Petrels, the most
> anyone on board had ever seen, even off of SoCal!
>
> For those interested in getting offshore elsewhere this season, there
> is a Fort Bragg pelagic on June 26th that still has available spots.
> Noyo is often similar to Bodega, and there could well be many Cook's
> out of there too, and who knows what else! If you are interested in
> joining the additional Cordell Banks trips like the one above, message
> me off-list, as there may be options for July.
>
> A Full list of pelagic birds and mammals is here (Birds inshore of
> about 5 miles off not included):
>
> COOK'S PETREL-400+
>
> HAWAIIAN PETREL-1
>
> Pink-Footed Shearwater-50
>
> FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER-1
>
> Sooty Shearwater-4000
>
> Ashy Storm-Petrel-30
>
> Black Storm-Petrel-10
>
> Leach's Storm Petrel-1
>
> putative TOWNSEND'S STORM-PETREL-1
>
> Black-footed Albatross-50
>
> Laysan Albatross-4
>
> Scripps's Murrelet-2
>
> GUADALUPE MURRELET-1-2
>
> Pacific Loon-5
>
> Long-tailed Jaeger-1
>
> Western Gull-100
>
> Heermann's Gull-10
>
> California Gull-1
>
> Cassin's Auklet-1500+
>
> Rhinoceros Auklet-15
>
> Common Murre-250
>
> Red Phalarope-1
> Red-necked Phalarope-5
>
> YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER-1
>
> Salmon Shark-4
>
> Blue Shark-1
>
> Mola Mola-2
>
> Blue Whale-6
>
> Humpback Whale-50+
>
> Dall’s Porpoise-10
>
> Northern Right Whale Dolphin-1
>
> Full trip report here: https://ebird.org/tripreport/542027 >
> June and July are RARITY TIME off of Northern California. If you are
> interested in looking for rarer seabirds off our shore, consider
> signing up for a trip as with Noyo Pelagics ("the Murphy's Capital")
> out of Mendocino: https://noyopelagics.com/#calendar , Alvaro's
> Adventures trips out of Half Moon Bay, Monterey and more:
> https://www.alvarosadventures.com/ , Humboldt county pelagics with Rob
> Fowler (migratoriusfwlr at gmail.com <http://gmail.com>) or Redwood
> Regional Audubon Society: https://www.rras.org/ or Monterey Seabirds:
> https://www.montereyseabirds.com/ >
> Happy Summer!
>
> Logan
>
>
Date: 6/22/26 2:19 pm From: Peter Pyle via groups.io <ppyle...> Subject: Re: [SFBirds] [EBB-Sightings] Marine Madness: Bodega Bay Pelagic Trip 6/21 Hundreds of Cook's Petrel's, YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER, putative TOWNSEND'S STORM-PETREL etc
Thanks Logan for the great write-up and plugs for more pelagic trips. And thanks Al for bringing up Pycrofts - I certainly concur this species should be on our radars.
Here is a paper by Steve, Sophie, and Larry Spear on identifying Pycroft's Petrels:
I have thought about it while looking at Cook's here in summer but all birds look the same to me. This includes some 3000 that Abe Borker and I studied over Davidson Seamount in July a decade or more ago. Cook's is molting up here now (and likely the same for Pycroft's) which makes it a bit of a challenge. Perhaps not, however, with the digital imagery that is being taken today. So let's get out there more in summer, and keep at it!
Cheers, Peter
On 6/22/2026 1:55 PM, Alvaro Jaramillo via groups.io wrote: > > Logan et al. > > FANTASTIC!!!!!!! Wish I could have been there. Hey, with numbers like > that you gotta wonder if it is possible that a Pycroft’s Petrel could > be in there. My experience with Pycroft’s in New Zealand is that they > are extremely similar to Cook’s and unless you are specifically > looking for them, live or in photos, you would not realize it. Check > out eBird, vs Birds of the World. BOW has them spending the > non-breeding season out in the north Pacific. Yet there NO records on > eBird north of the equator. As in NONE. Obviously, this bird is not > looked for away from the breeding areas, it just blends in and is lost > once it moves north. I mention it, so that folks that have photos > might want to scour their images and see if any birds are slightly > darker with slightly different structure etc. > >    Just wanting to help make your trip a tad more awesome 😊. Check > the photos for Pycroft’s. Eventually one will show up if the north > Pacific is indeed their wintering area. It is all quite unclear. > > Alvaro > > Alvaro Jaramillo > > <alvaro...> <mailto:<alvaro...> > > www.alvarosadventures.com <http://www.alvarosadventures.com> > > *From:*<EBB-Sightings...> <EBB-Sightings...> *On Behalf Of > *Logan Kahle via groups.io > *Sent:* Monday, June 22, 2026 4:22 PM > *To:* <northbaybirds...>; <sfbirds...>; <ebb-sightings...> > *Subject:* [EBB-Sightings] Marine Madness: Bodega Bay Pelagic Trip > 6/21 Hundreds of Cook's Petrel's, YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER, putative > TOWNSEND'S STORM-PETREL etc > > Hi all, > > Yesterday, 6/21 was a bodega pelagic everyone on board will remember > for a long time. We embarked on the Surf Scooter, a boat that has > lived in Bodega Harbor for years in the shadow of it's larger cousin > the New Sea Angler. We left the harbor at 7am. June has always been a > neglected time on the water off of Northern California, and a time > that holds more intrigue and promise than almost any other to me. As > we departed, we were greeted by flat birdless waters punctuated only > by Common Murres and Pelicans for the first few miles offshore had > some of us grumbling about the fear of a dead, slow June trip. But all > this stopped when screams came out of "passerine!!" The boat stopped > and we watched a tattered-looking passerine, seemingly a warbler > circling the boat. After a minute or so of confusion as to it's > identity it came close by the boat and we realized we were looking at > a YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER! The bird circled for about 5 minutes, > taunting us and considering landing on the boat but eventually giving > up and flying back east. We were in shock. We had already seen what we > assumed would be the rarest bird of the day, and it wasn't even 8am! > There is just a single previous record of Yellow-throated Warbler for > Sonoma county, and this was the first to be photographed. Unbelievable. > > As we charged offshore life picked up, a (summering?) Red-necked > Phalarope flopped around about 10 miles off, and our first Pink-footed > Shearwaters and Black-footed Albatross appeared. Then, about 20 miles > off when we were reaching Bodega Canyon shouts came out of a > Pterodroma: a COOK'S PETREL had appeared at the horizon! We waited > around for a while. Some albatross came by, but with some patience we > found several more Cook's Petrels. > > We headed south and off of the continental shelf. What would ensue in > the next hour was one of the most magical pelagic experiences I have > ever encountered. A few miles from Bodega Canyon, we hit a wall of > birds. Most were Sooty Shearwaters, but LOTS were COOK'S PETRELS! > Dozens turned into hundreds, and before long we had seen upwards of > 200 COOK'S PETRELS in one 45-minute stretch!! It had been years since > Cook's had been seen from Cordell and Bodega, and this was a county > bird for almost everyone on board. Through all of this, we picked up > our first couple LAYSAN ALBATROSS for the trip as well as an > interesting June first-summer LONG-TAILED JAEGER and several Ashy and > Black Storm-Petrels. > > As we proceeded south the Cook's thinned out somewhat but the birdlife > did not. A FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER made a quick pass my the boat and > our first pair of SCRIPPS'S MURRELETS were found on the water. As we > neared the area right off Cordell Bank, the farthest area offshore we > would reach today, we found a feeding frenzy of several Storm-Petrels. > Among them was a small, blackish, white-rumped, short- and > square-tailed bird that caught our attention. After a quite a bit of > study, we concluded that the bird appeared to be a TOWNSEND'S > STORM-PETREL, a potential first record for Sonoma/Marin and the > farther north the species has ever been seen! It allowed good views > for all, and eventually drifted off. We will be sending photos of the > bird off for further discussion in the coming weeks. > > The return leg was suitably spectacular. We re-entered the COOK'S > PETREL zone, with hundreds all around us for over an hour. If you > scanned the horizon, you were sure to see at least a few if not a > dozen or more Cook's at any given time! Flocks of 15 and 20 were found > resting on the water. Amidst all the commotion, a close HAWAIIAN > PETREL bombed right by no more than 30' from the boat at times, and we > ran into a group of BLUE WHALES feeding among large numbers of birds. > On many boats, a Hawaiian Petrel would be the talk of the day, but not > today! It was during this period that someone spotted a Murrelet off > the front of the boat: a GUADALUPE MURRELET! Not only is this a rarity > at this date, but it is all but unknown in June. Then again, there are > no June boats, so who knows....As we headed back in another > white-rumped Storm-Petrel crossed by, this one a clear > nominate/northern LEACH'S STORM-PETREL, and not long after a stunning > breeding-plumaged RED PHALAROPE landed by the boat. > > As we kept cruising inshore, a group of DALL'S PORPOISE briefly > investigated our vessel. By 20 miles off, we had re-entered the > pelagic desert of inshore dead waters. But, it was spiced up by the > occasional shearwater raft. As we neared shore, we found a dead > Humpback Whale with a few Black Storm-Petrels nearby, just 5 miles off > Bodega Head! Normally the species is rarely found inshore of 15-20 > miles this far north. It looks like it will be a good summer for Black > Storm-Petrels off NorCal! > > It was an unbelievable day out there, with the quantity of quality > birds, let alone the ubiquity of Cook's Petrels and the > Yellow-throated Warbler making a truly unforgettable combination. > Through the day, we estimated upwards of 400 Cook's Petrels, the most > anyone on board had ever seen, even off of SoCal! > > For those interested in getting offshore elsewhere this season, there > is a Fort Bragg pelagic on June 26th that still has available spots. > Noyo is often similar to Bodega, and there could well be many Cook's > out of there too, and who knows what else! If you are interested in > joining the additional Cordell Banks trips like the one above, message > me off-list, as there may be options for July. > > A Full list of pelagic birds and mammals is here (Birds inshore of > about 5 miles off not included): > > COOK'S PETREL-400+ > > HAWAIIAN PETREL-1 > > Pink-Footed Shearwater-50 > > FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER-1 > > Sooty Shearwater-4000 > > Ashy Storm-Petrel-30 > > Black Storm-Petrel-10 > > Leach's Storm Petrel-1 > > putative TOWNSEND'S STORM-PETREL-1 > > Black-footed Albatross-50 > > Laysan Albatross-4 > > Scripps's Murrelet-2 > > GUADALUPE MURRELET-1-2 > > Pacific Loon-5 > > Long-tailed Jaeger-1 > > Western Gull-100 > > Heermann's Gull-10 > > California Gull-1 > > Cassin's Auklet-1500+ > > Rhinoceros Auklet-15 > > Common Murre-250 > > Red Phalarope-1 > Red-necked Phalarope-5 > > YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER-1 > > Salmon Shark-4 > > Blue Shark-1 > > Mola Mola-2 > > Blue Whale-6 > > Humpback Whale-50+ > > Dall’s Porpoise-10 > > Northern Right Whale Dolphin-1 > > Full trip report here: https://ebird.org/tripreport/542027 > > June and July are RARITY TIME off of Northern California. If you are > interested in looking for rarer seabirds off our shore, consider > signing up for a trip as with Noyo Pelagics ("the Murphy's Capital") > out of Mendocino: https://noyopelagics.com/#calendar , Alvaro's > Adventures trips out of Half Moon Bay, Monterey and more: > https://www.alvarosadventures.com/ , Humboldt county pelagics with Rob > Fowler (migratoriusfwlr at gmail.com <http://gmail.com>) or Redwood > Regional Audubon Society: https://www.rras.org/ or Monterey Seabirds: > https://www.montereyseabirds.com/ > > Happy Summer! > > Logan > >
