One was on the rocks west of the Veneco pier in Carpinteria this afternoon. It had a few black feathers on the flanks and the underwings. A Black Oystercatcher was there yesterday. Larry B. Carpinteri

One foraged for ten minutes just inside the surf line at Coal Oil Point this afternoon around 1pm. Larry

I had two adult Peregrine Falcons this morning on the phone poles on Via Real, one eating something while the other watched. Both were whitish below like tundrius but had broad moustachial stripes lik

It was seen today around 1 pm in the tallest willows along Santa Claus Ln. Larry B. Carpinteria

Exceptionally clear and calm conditions made it easier to pick out a flock of 4 Cassin's and one Rhinoceros Auklet with another 4 Rhinos farther out, all seen from the bluffs at the end of Calle Ocho.

There was an e-bird report of a Brown Thrasher at Arroyo Hondo Preserve this morning but I have no details on the location. Public access to the preserve is by reservation only and limited to the firs

You can bird on your own along any of the roads or trails on the reserve or join a guided hike. A reservation is required in either case. The gate opens at 9 and I think they like people off the reser

A brief stop at Refugio this afternoon turned up a Tennessee Warbler but the Yellow-crowned Night-heron was not seen. Larry B. Carpinteria

A Common Ground Dove spent a few minutes in the yard this morning. A Willow Flycatcher showed up a little later (in a willow) and I was surprised to see it drink from the bird bath. A flock of 50 West

There was a Large-billed Savannah Sparrow at the mouth of the salt marsh on 8-24. The Reddish Egret was last seen August 10. I looked for boobies a couple of times from the end of Calle Ocho and had 1

A Lesser Nighthawk foraged for about ten minutes just inside the gate to the Carpinteria salt marsh starting around 7:40 this evening. The Reddish Egret left the marsh at sundown and appeared to land

The egret frequents the western side of the Carpinteria salt marsh reserve and can often be picked out with a scope from either the gate on El Estero or the train tracks just east of Santa Claus. High

A juvenile Reddish Egret was in the Carpinteria salt marsh in a channel just west of the mouth. Apart from an increasing numbers of Willets (~225) and a couple of Short-billed Dowitchers, there's been

An Eared Grebe was at East Beach this afternoon. A couple of birds of note seen around Carp this month include three alternate plumage Greater Yellowlegs at CSM June 20 and a continuing Osprey. Great-

This morning Carol Rae and I counted Double-crested Coromorant nests just west of Summerland. We counted 143 nests, two more than we counted last year. When this colony was first established in 2012 t

A cursory count with Carol on Cabrillo at Castillo yesterday found 42 Black-Crowned Night-Heron and 7 Snowy Egret nests. Two of the latter are still under construction and it's worth a visit just to h

The male American Redstart was seen on the south side of the bridge near the entrance to the Bacara resort in Goleta yesterday afternoon. The Prairie Warbler was seen this morning in the western porti

A Warbling Vireo that most likely wintered locally was in the willows on Santa Claus Lane this afternoon. Larry Ballard Carpinteria

Same family, different genus. Tipu has a rounded pod, while Cassia has an elongate dangling pod that can be up to 18" long. The leaves are similar, but Cassia is less common around here and is usually

The continuing Prairie Warbler was seen this afternoon in Carpinteria. From the stop sign at the base of the southbound 101 exit for Santa Claus, go straight for less than 100 yards and park at the fi