Return to California and More Lifers in Ontario

As summer came to an end, it was time to head west again.  Recent fall trips have been to Cape May, NJ, but this year Debi Shearwater was doing final journeys leading pelagics from the San Francisco Bay Area and having been on a number of them since doing my Big Year in 2012 I thought it would be nice to be on her last trip from Half Moon Bay.  This would also be Sue’s first pelagic, not counting all the whale watching trips she’s been on.  And we did see whales and dolphins, but the real stars of the show were the seabirds.  Having been on many of these trips before, I did not get any Lifers, but Sue did and by the end of our trip to California she was close to catching me on on our personal Life Lists.  I also didn’t get sea sick, so along with some great photographs, the trip was an exciting and sentimental success.  

We had flown in to San Francisco and there was a rare bird alert for a Yellow-green Vireo in Golden Gate Park, so we headed straight there from the airport and spent the afternoon searching with a few other birders, but just didn’t have time to stay and find it before having to head to our lodging for the night.  Alas, just before sunset, someone did report it again.  I’ll have to save that one for another chase, but I did finally get photos of a Pygmy Nuthatch after nearly 8 years of trying.

While in the Bay Area I couldn’t resist visiting Apple Park,(where I got interesting looks because of my resemblance to Steve Jobs), and also visit the Winchester Mystery House, where amazing cake artist, Christine McConnell had built a near perfect replica of the house out of gingerbread.

Our next stop was Pinnacles National Park, one of the homes of the California Condor.  We made a stop along the Airline Highway for Yellow-billed Magpies, another lifer for Sue.  On the way to the mountain trail to hike for condors, we stopped at the bridge known for Lawrence’s Goldfinch.  I had tried for them on my 2012 trip with no success, eventually getting to see some in Arizona a few months later.  Within 10 minutes of searching we were hearing and eventually got to see this elusive goldfinch. Sue added another Lifer and passed me on our friendly Life List competition.

I had been to Pinnacles a couple of year ago and did a tough three mile hike to finally see the condors, only months after spinal surgery.  We gad arrived early in the day to beat the heat.  We set out for the bird and what I thought would be a difficult hike and had not even hiked a mile when we spotted one condor, then a second.  One landed in a nest hole and a second landed on the rail of the viewing platform about a quarter mile further on.  We stood there and got great looks and didn’t even have to venture further up the mountain.  Once again the birding luck was with Sue and she added yet another Lifer.

The next day we went to Big Sur, another great spot for condor viewing, but in his case my goal was a photo of a Wrentit,(another bird that is proof that men name birds.  Only birders can talk about tits and boobies and not sound rude).   I’ve seen the skulky and elusive Wrentit  numerous times, but they have always been too flighty to get a clear photo.  Finally, this one sat still out in the open for long enough for us to get good looks and photos.

Back home fall was in full swing with the trees in brilliant color and the migrating birds all but gone.  That didn’t mean a rarity or two wouldn’t show up and that is the fun of fall birding in Ontario.  Twice this fall I have been out of town when a Black-throated Sparrow and Western Kingbird showed up.  Odds of them making another appearance in completely different locations was seemingly low, yet that is what happened, both on the same day.  They previous day I had seen my first Ontario Golden Eagle at the Cranberry Marsh Hawk Watch.  That evening I heard of a Black-throated Sparrow showing up in Oakville and I headed there the next morning along with a gaggle of other chasers from the GTA.  With all those eyes searching it didn’t take long to find the bird.  

Then people started talking about a Western Kingbird seen less than a half hour drive near Hamilton.  After figuring out directions from the sparrow sighting a convoy formed up and we all headed to the Desjardins Canal and again, thanks to lots of searching eyes, we found it in short order and after chasing it to and fro for a while, it settled on a branch for all to see, photograph and enjoy.  That brought my Ontario List to 331 and my year list to 522.

Next stop, The Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival!