A friend just sent me a very crummy iPhone photo of two frigatebirds that circled over Isla Vista for 10 minutes yesterday at 3:30 pm. He said they then headed up the coast. I wish he had called me at

This morning there was an unbanded Least Tern at the mouth of Devereux Slough, and the three continuing Avocets were nearby. There was a Short-billed Dowitcher on the slough, along with a handful of p

There seems to have been an incursion of Costa's Hummers on the coastal plain this week. Two days ago I heard one at Seaside Gardens, Carpinteria; yesterday there was one in my friend's patio, also in

A friend and I walked up Romero Canyon in Montecito today. Not too much in the way of birds apart from what was to me a surprisingly large number of Steller's Jays. They were calling, and sometimes in

Yesterday evening, at 8:30, as I was reclining upon my bed absorbed in a book, a familiar yet very much out of place sound entered my consciousness. It took me more than a moment to put a name to the

This is for those of you who've been waiting with baited breath for news of the mystery empid. I was not able to refind the interesting empidonax flycatcher seen on July 18th at Rocky Nook Park but re

I poked around Rocky Nook Park late this afternoon. Surprising to me was a vigorously singing Swainson's Thrush at the top end of the park. As I was getting ready to leave, I glassed an empid in oaks

I tried to send this morning, so apologies if this is a duplicate. East Beach: Elegant Tern -- 2 Royal Tern -- 5 Caspian Tern -- 1 Black Skimmer -- 15 Glaucous-winged Gull -- 1 Long-billed Curlew --1

Today at Lake Los Carneros I came across a pair of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers together in coyote bushes just east of the dam, and then another one or two 50 yards or so to the east; this is certainly sugg

A Red-throated Loon on the lake today is, I believe, the first I've seen there. It might have oil on the breast. A Green Heron was also present. There is at least one Blue-gray Gnatcatcher at the lake

At lunchtime today there was a Vesper Sparrow with some White-crowned Sparrows where the south-eastern arm of Lake Los Carneros (Goleta) used to be (it's now dry). This is immediately east of the dam.

Both birds were along the dry creek east of Hitchcock along Upper State Street in Santa Barbara. The tanager--which I didn't see-- was calling from large ivy-clad sycamores directly behind (south of)

The Warbling Vireo was still at Bohnett Park in Santa Barbara as of 10:45 this morning, 12/29/15. Hugh Ranson Santa Barbara

Late this afternoon I came across a female Phainopepla at Foothill School in north Goleta. The bird was with American Robins, gorging on the red berries of a tree just north of the school entrance, an

This morning there was a Ruddy Turnstone, along with 10 or so Black Turnstones, at the far west end of Leadbetter Beach in Santa Barbara. Also along the beach were 35 Mew Gulls and a Snowy Plover. Hug

Highlights from a morning walk at the breakwater and harbor: White-winged Scoter -- 1 male Thayer's Gull -- 1 first winter Pelagic Cormorant -- 1 All 3 expected loons Horned Grebe -- 3 Hugh Ranson San

At lunchtime there were 2 Varied Thrushes drinking/bathing in San Jose Creek, north of Cathedral Oaks in Goleta, at approx. coordinates 34.454351, -119.811422. This is close to where Paseo Cameo bends

There was a female Black-and-white Warbler this afternoon in Goleta. It was along a dry drainage between Shirrell Way and Calle Real. If you are heading up N. Fairview, turn left on Shirrell Way. Just

This one along San Jose Creek,north of the North Patterson bridge (this is north of Cathedral Oaks). From the bridge, walk along the west side of the creek. The bird was close to where the trail ends

The Bohnett Park Warbling Vireo was present this morning at 10:30 in willows near the San Andres entrance. The Chestnut-sided Warbler hasn't been reported in over a week. Hugh Ranson Santa Barbara