I checked the Elegant Tern flock on East Beach some time after 10 this morning. They were all there (at least 500 of them)--none on the Sandspit. Their preferred location was right next to the Mission

A note about additional Turkey Vultures: I saw a good-sized flock (15 or more) feeding in the cut alfalfa fields off Highway 154 about a mile west of the Bradbury Dam overlook on Saturday. This was ar

I made it up there mid-morning. Later on, Jamie Chavez showed up and we compared notes with his sightings from yesterday. There had been some turnover during the night and overall, there were probably

Well, I didn't go to Jim May Park because I was concerned about disturbance from the earth-moving equipment but after reading Jamie's post when I got home, that's where I should have been. Instead, I

I checked on the East beach tern flock this morning only to find that most of them were on the sandspit at that time (about 8:30 a.m.). I didn't walk out there to count the numbers but it was a large

I got down to the beach about 6:30 this morning to take advantage of as much of the minus low tide as possible. My numbers were similar to Glenn Kinkaid's observations made about an hour after I left.

Low tide was well before dawn this morning, but the conditions were still good for beach walking at 6:15 this morning. I walked both the east-facing and south-facing beaches. Most of the action was on

I checked the Elegant Tern gathering at the Mission Creek outfall this morning and it continues to be impressive. I'd say there were at least 400 Terns there this morning. The flocks were very nervous

I walked the beach this morning starting a little after 9:30 a.m. I first spotted the Ruddy Turnstone at the ocean's edge with a small group of Sanderlings, but almost immediately the flock took fligh

I went to the estuary this morning, arriving shortly before low tide. Soon after, I was joined by John Deacon and Peter Schneekloth. There were not a lot of shorebirds around, but the diversity of wha

I got down to the SB Harbor early this morning because I wanted to see if I could pick up and clearly identify at least one of the birds I thought might have been a Wandering Tattler last Saturday. I

I went down to the Harbor area early this morning to see what might be hanging around and found that the tern flock (at least 200-300 of it) had moved to the sandspit. They kept coming back to that sp

Joan Lentz and I went down to East Beach this morning to check the Mission Creek outfall for shorebirds. What we found was an Elegant Tern fest the likes of which I have not seen before in Santa Barba

I walked the UCSB Beaches this morning, when we again had a very early minus tide. Consequently, conditions were good and I found a nice assortment of birds in spite of a loose dog on the east-facing

Rob beat me to the punch with posting! I too was at Sand Beach & Coal Oil Point this morning between 7-9 a.m. Low tide was -0.9 before dawn but there still was a lot of exposed wet sand for walking an

I walked the upper end of NCOS today and continued on into the Ellwood area as far as Santa Barbara Shores Road. Not much was happening. NCOS has some areas that might be good for shorebirds, but so f

Joan Lentz and I checked out Devereux this morning. It remains pretty low on bird activity. The only shorebirds we could turn up there were a very few Black-necked Stilts. However, members of the Hero

I birded the estuary at mid-morning today and found it worth the drive from Santa Barbara. It took some looking to run down the shorebirds, but they were around. Most were on the mudflats on the ocean

I picked up this tidbit in the Field Guides Newsletter today. Though it does not pertain to Santa Barbara County directly, I believe listers in general might like to know. (And I seem to recall a post

Breeding-plumaged adult. I found this bird on the mud peninsula in the estuary mouth where the gulls rest. After a few minutes, it took off and flew upstream. I relocated it in the Night Heron roost n