Cumulative list compiled and discussions written by Brooke Miller. Monthly reports are made up of both eBird sightings and postings on South Bay Birds. Please email additions, corrections, or comments to Brooke at idbirds@me.com

Please post all your sightings at southbaybirds@groups.io and/or eBird.

See the Santa Clara County Bird List Discussion Archive 2018 or view all the cumulative year lists.

DISCUSSION FOR DECEMBER 2018

Finally, the last month of the year and the finals for 2018. First of all, there was a sighting that was missed earlier in the year. This was a Little Stint seen by Steve Rottenborn in the impoundment east of Salt Pond A12 on 24-April.

This increases our list total as of 31-November from 285 to 286. In December we had 2 new birds, bringing the total count for the year to 288. December’s average is 3, while the average total bird species recorded through December is 286. The 2 new birds for December, with rarity codes in parentheses were:

  • 6-Dec: A flock of 13 Cattle Egret (5) were seen flying in a “V” over DeAnza Blvd. by Ryan Phillips; and

  • 16-Dec: A Long-tailed Duck (5) was seen at the SE corner of Salt Pond A15 by Mike Rogers.

BIRDS OBSERVED THROUGH DECEMBER 2018

Bird Date Rarity** Observer*
Fulvous Whistling-Duck   6  
Snow Goose 1/1/18 4 RWR, STu
Ross's Goose 1/13/18 4 m.ob.
Greater White-fronted Goose 1/1/18 4 BPe, DWe, KONe
Brant   6  
Cackling Goose 1/1/18 3 EMe, MJM, MMR
Canada Goose 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Tundra Swan 11/13/18 5 RHe
Wood Duck 1/2/18 3 DCh, LSt
Garganey   6  
Blue-winged Teal 1/1/18 4 m.ob.
Cinnamon Teal 1/1/18 2 m.ob.
Northern Shoveler 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Gadwall 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Eurasian Wigeon 1/1/18 4 m.ob.
American Wigeon 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Mallard 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Northern Pintail 1/1/18 1 KDe, STu
Green-winged Teal 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Canvasback 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Redhead 1/1/18 3 m.ob.
Ring-necked Duck 1/1/18 2 m.ob.
Tufted Duck   5  
Greater Scaup 1/2/18 2 m.ob.
Lesser Scaup 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Surf Scoter 1/1/18 2 m.ob.
White-winged Scoter   5  
Black Scoter   6  
Long-tailed Duck 12/16/18 5 MMR
Bufflehead 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Common Goldeneye 1/1/18 2 m.ob.
Barrow's Goldeneye 1/1/18 4 MPy
Hooded Merganser 1/1/18 3 m.ob.
Common Merganser 1/1/18 2 m.ob.
Red-breasted Merganser 1/1/18 3 STu
Ruddy Duck 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Mountain Quail   5  
California Quail 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Ring-necked Pheasant 1/3/18 3 BPe, KONe
Wild Turkey 1/1/18 2 BPe, KONe
Pied-billed Grebe 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Horned Grebe 1/1/18 3 DBu, STu
Red-necked Grebe   5  
Eared Grebe 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Western Grebe 1/1/18 2 m.ob.
Clark's Grebe 1/1/18 2 m.ob.
Rock Pigeon 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Band-tailed Pigeon 1/1/18 2 BPe, DC, KONe
Eurasian Collared-Dove 1/1/18 3 m.ob.
White-winged Dove   6  
Mourning Dove 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Yellow-billed Cuckoo   6  
Greater Roadrunner 2/16/18 4 OH
Lesser Nighthawk   6  
Common Nighthawk 5/12/18 6 AHo, DaB
Common Poorwill 3/10/18 3 MHawk
Black Swift 5/8/18 5 GHa
Chimney Swift   6  
Vaux's Swift 3/31/18 3 VKa
White-throated Swift 1/1/18 2 DBu, KSc, SBy
Black-chinned Hummingbird 4/15/18 4 BM
Anna's Hummingbird 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Costa's Hummingbird   5  
Broad-tailed Hummingbird   6  
Rufous Hummingbird 2/1/18 4 MFa
Allen's Hummingbird 2/6/18 3 ER
Calliope Hummingbird 4/13/18 5 JPa, KBu
Yellow Rail   6  
Black Rail 3/7/18 5 PBag
Ridgway's Rail 1/1/18 2 m.ob.
Virginia Rail 1/1/18 2 m.ob.
Sora 1/1/18 2 m.ob.
Common Gallinule 1/1/18 2 m.ob.
American Coot 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Sandhill Crane   6  
Black-necked Stilt 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
American Avocet 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Black Oystercatcher 3/28/18 6 JaL
Black-bellied Plover 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
American Golden-Plover 11/7/18 5 MDd
Pacific Golden-Plover 10/16/18 5 DPow, GM
Snowy Plover 1/1/18 4 m.ob.
Semipalmated Plover 1/1/18 2 m.ob.
Killdeer 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Mountain Plover   6  
Whimbrel 1/1/18 3 MDd
Long-billed Curlew 1/1/18 2 m.ob.
Bar-tailed Godwit   6  
Hudsonian Godwit   6  
Marbled Godwit 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Ruddy Turnstone 7/29/18 5 MJM
Black Turnstone   6  
Red Knot 2/8/18 5 RWR
Ruff 1/1/18 4 m.ob.
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper   6  
Stilt Sandpiper 10/26/18 4 TB
Curlew Sandpiper   6  
Sanderling 1/24/18 4 BBu
Dunlin 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Baird's Sandpiper 8/9/18 4 GL
Little Stint 4/24/18 6 SRot
Least Sandpiper 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
White-rumped Sandpiper   6  
Buff-breasted Sandpiper   6  
Pectoral Sandpiper 9/7/18 4 BBuc, JBuc
Semipalmated Sandpiper 8/26/18 4 SRot
Western Sandpiper 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Short-billed Dowitcher 1/3/18 1 EVa
Long-billed Dowitcher 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Wilson's Snipe 1/1/18 3 AV
Spotted Sandpiper 1/1/18 3 m.ob.
Solitary Sandpiper 9/15/18 5 SCVAS Field Trip
Wandering Tattler   6  
Lesser Yellowlegs 1/1/18 3 m.ob.
Willet 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Greater Yellowlegs 1/1/18 2 m.ob.
Wilson's Phalarope 5/2/18 2 BPe
Red-necked Phalarope 4/20/18 2 WGB
Red Phalarope   5  
Pomarine Jaeger   6  
Parasitic Jaeger 10/3/18 5 RPh
Long-tailed Jaeger   6  
Common Murre   5  
Pigeon Guillemot   6  
Ancient Murrelet   6  
Cassin's Auklet   6  
Black-legged Kittiwake   6  
Sabine's Gull   5  
Bonaparte's Gull 1/2/18 2 JaL, WBr
Black-headed Gull   6  
Little Gull   6  
Laughing Gull   6  
Franklin's Gull   5  
Heermann's Gull   5  
Mew Gull 1/1/18 2 BM, JGarc, STu
Ring-billed Gull 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Western Gull 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
California Gull 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Herring Gull 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Iceland Gull 1/1/18 3 m.ob.
Lesser Black-backed Gull 11/10/18 6 NAr
Slaty-backed Gull 3/17/18 6 NAr
Glaucous-winged Gull 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Glaucous Gull 1/19/18 4 WGB
Least Tern 7/13/18 4 RPh
Gull-billed Tern   6  
Caspian Tern 3/26/18 2 TGr
Black Tern 5/12/18 5 RLi
Common Tern 9/30/18 4 RGJ, MJM
Arctic Tern   6  
Forster's Tern 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Elegant Tern 8/5/18 4 WHS
Black Skimmer 2/13/18 4 CBe
Red-throated Loon 3/7/18 4 FV
Arctic Loon   6  
Pacific Loon   5  
Common Loon 1/1/18 4 m.ob.
Yellow-billed Loon   6  
Northern Fulmar   6  
Sooty Shearwater   6  
Ashy Storm-Petrel   6  
Magnificent Frigatebird   6  
Brown Booby   6  
Brandt's Cormorant   6  
Double-crested Cormorant 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Pelagic Cormorant 1/28/18 6 MMR, RGJ
American White Pelican 1/1/18 2 m.ob.
Brown  Pelican 1/6/18 3 LGa, MSim
American Bittern 1/1/18 4 WGB
Least Bittern   6  
Great Blue Heron 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Great Egret 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Snowy Egret 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Little Blue Heron   5  
Cattle Egret 12/6/18 5 RPh
Green Heron 1/1/18 3 m.ob.
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Glossy Ibis   6  
White-faced Ibis 8/26/18 4 SRot
Turkey Vulture 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
California Condor   6  
Osprey 1/1/18 3 AV, JPa, RWi
White-tailed Kite 1/1/18 2 m.ob.
Bald Eagle 1/1/18 4 m.ob.
Northern Harrier 1/1/18 2 m.ob.
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1/1/18 2 RPh, RWi
Cooper's Hawk 1/1/18 2 m.ob.
Northern Goshawk   6  
Red-shouldered Hawk 1/1/18 2 m.ob.
Broad-winged Hawk   6  
Swainson's Hawk 3/18/18 5 RFu & class
Zone-tailed Hawk 8/16/18 6 KWi
Red-tailed Hawk 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Rough-legged Hawk   5  
Ferruginous Hawk 1/1/18 4 CBe, PW
Golden Eagle 1/1/18 2 AV
Barn Owl 1/2/18 2 m.ob.
Flammulated Owl   6  
Western Screech-Owl 1/2/18 1 JaL, WBr
Great Horned Owl 1/2/18 1 JaL, WBr
Northern Pygmy-Owl 1/2/18 3 JaL, WBr
Burrowing Owl 1/1/18 3 m.ob.
Long-eared Owl   4  
Short-eared Owl 2/13/18 4 RPh
Northern Saw-whet Owl 1/2/18 3 JaL, WBr
Belted Kingfisher 1/1/18 2 m.ob.
Lewis's Woodpecker 1/1/18 3 AV
Acorn Woodpecker 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Williamson's Sapsucker   6  
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 3/5/18 5 JPa
Red-naped Sapsucker 1/1/18 5 EMe
Red-breasted Sapsucker 1/1/18 3 m.ob.
Nuttall's Woodpecker 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Downy Woodpecker 1/1/18 2 JPa, MPy
Hairy Woodpecker 1/1/18 2 DC, DWe
Northern Flicker 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Pileated Woodpecker 1/4/18 4 GHa
Crested Caracara   6  
American Kestrel 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Merlin 1/1/18 3 GL, JPa
Peregrine Falcon 1/1/18 3 m.ob.
Prairie Falcon 1/1/18 4 FV, PKe
Olive-sided Flycatcher 4/14/18 3 m.ob.
Western Wood-Pewee 4/12/18 2 DN
Willow Flycatcher 8/18/18 4 JPa
Least Flycatcher   6  
Hammond's Flycatcher 4/10/18 5 MJM
Gray Flycatcher   5  
Dusky Flycatcher 4/24/18 5 MJM
Pacific-slope Flycatcher 3/24/18 2 MJM, MMi, BM
Black Phoebe 1/1/18 2 m.ob.
Eastern Phoebe   6  
Say's Phoebe 1/1/18 3 m.ob.
Vermilion Flycatcher 1/1/18 6 m.ob.
Ash-throated Flycatcher 4/7/18 2 GL
Tropical Kingbird 11/3/18 6 DAn
Cassin's Kingbird 1/2/18 5 BPe, KONe
Western Kingbird 3/28/18 2 GL
Eastern Kingbird   6  
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher   6  
Loggerhead Shrike 1/1/18 2 m.ob.
Northern Shrike   6  
White-eyed Vireo   6  
Bell's Vireo   6  
Hutton's Vireo 1/1/18 2 RRu
Yellow-throated Vireo   6  
Cassin's Vireo 3/29/18 2 BM
Blue-headed Vireo   6  
Plumbeous Vireo   6  
Philadelphia Vireo   6  
Warbling Vireo 3/9/18 2 ER
Red-eyed Vireo   6  
Pinyon Jay   6  
Steller's Jay 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
California Scrub-Jay 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Clark's Nutcracker   6  
Black-billed Magpie   6  
Yellow-billed Magpie 1/1/18 2 m.ob.
American Crow 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Common Raven 1/1/18 2 m.ob.
Horned Lark 1/5/18 3 SBy
Purple Martin 4/11/18 4 BM
Tree Swallow 1/1/18 2 m.ob.
Violet-green Swallow 1/8/18 1 DPe
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 2/8/18 2 STu
Bank Swallow 7/29/18 5 RBa
Cliff Swallow 2/3/18 1 JMy
Barn Swallow 1/10/18 1 RPh
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Oak Titmouse 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Bushtit 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1/2/18 4 BM, JTom
White-breasted Nuthatch 1/1/18 2 m.ob.
Pygmy Nuthatch 1/2/18 4 GL, JTom
Brown Creeper 1/1/18 2 m.ob.
Rock Wren 1/1/18 4 m.ob.
Canyon Wren 1/22/18 4 MJM
House Wren 1/6/18 2 JPa
Pacific  Wren 1/1/18 3 RRu
Marsh Wren 1/1/18 2 m.ob.
Bewick's Wren 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1/1/18 2 EFi, SBy
American Dipper 1/9/18 4 RPh
Golden-crowned Kinglet 1/1/18 3 RRu
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Arctic Warbler   6  
Wrentit 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Western Bluebird 1/1/18 2 m.ob.
Mountain Bluebird 11/12/18 6 DZ
Townsend's Solitaire 2/25/18 5 SPe
Swainson's Thrush 4/29/18 2 DWen
Hermit Thrush 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Wood Thrush   6  
American Robin 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Varied Thrush 1/1/18 3 DZ
Gray Catbird   6  
Brown Thrasher   6  
California Thrasher 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Sage Thrasher   6  
Northern Mockingbird 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
European Starling 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Bohemian Waxwing   6  
Cedar Waxwing 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Phainopepla 1/1/18 4 JPa
House Sparrow 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
White Wagtail   6  
Red-throated Pipit   6  
American Pipit 1/1/18 2 m.ob.
Evening Grosbeak 1/2/18 5 LSpi
House Finch 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Purple Finch 1/1/18 2 m.ob.
Cassin's Finch   6  
Red Crossbill 4/15/18 5 AMR,NLv
Pine Siskin 1/1/18 3 m.ob.
Lesser Goldfinch 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Lawrence's Goldfinch 1/2/18 3 LSt
American Goldfinch 1/1/18 2 m.ob.
Lapland Longspur   6  
Chestnut-collared Longspur 11/10/18 6 SRot
Snow Bunting   6  
Green-tailed Towhee 9/7/18 5 GL
Spotted Towhee 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Rufous-crowned Sparrow 1/1/18 3 MJM, MMR
California Towhee 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
American Tree Sparrow   6  
Chipping Sparrow 1/1/18 3 JPa
Clay-colored Sparrow 4/19/18 5 JVa
Brewer's Sparrow 9/3/18 5 Stu
Black-chinned Sparrow 5/21/18 4 BPe
Vesper Sparrow   5  
Lark Sparrow 1/1/18 2 BPe, DWe, KONe
Black-throated Sparrow   6  
Bell's Sparrow 4/21/18 3 AKr
LeConte's Sparrow 9/7/18 6 MJM
Lark Bunting   6  
Savannah Sparrow 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Grasshopper Sparrow 4/8/18 4 EMe
Nelson's Sparrow   5  
Fox Sparrow 1/1/18 2 m.ob.
Song Sparrow 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Lincoln's Sparrow 1/1/18 2 m.ob.
Swamp Sparrow 1/13/18 5 JBro, WBr
White-throated Sparrow 1/1/18 4 KBu
Harris's Sparrow   6  
White-crowned Sparrow 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Golden-crowned Sparrow 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Dark-eyed Junco 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Yellow-breasted Chat 5/8/18 5 OA
Yellow-headed Blackbird 5/9/18 5 RGJ
Bobolink 9/11/18 6 TJo
Western Meadowlark 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Orchard Oriole   6  
Hooded Oriole 3/19/18 3 JTh
Bullock's Oriole 1/13/18 1 JVa
Baltimore Oriole   6  
Scott's Oriole   6  
Red-winged Blackbird 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Tricolored Blackbird 1/1/18 3 m.ob.
Brown-headed Cowbird 1/1/18 2 DN, GL
Rusty Blackbird   6  
Brewer's Blackbird 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Great-tailed Grackle 1/1/18 4 m.ob.
Ovenbird   6  
Worm-eating Warbler   6  
Louisiana Waterthrush   6  
Northern Waterthrush   5  
Black-and-white Warbler 9/23/18 5 RPh
Prothonotary Warbler   6  
Tennessee Warbler 9/5/18 6 RWR
Orange-crowned Warbler 1/2/18 1 JaL, WBr
Lucy's Warbler   6  
Nashville Warbler 2/26/18 4 PBag
Virginia's Warbler   6  
Connecticut Warbler   6  
MacGillivray's Warbler 4/16/18 4 DRa
Chestnut-sided Warbler 9/22/18 6 STu
Kentucky Warbler   6  
Common Yellowthroat 1/1/18 2 m.ob.
Hooded Warbler   6  
American Redstart 10/7/18 5 SRot
Cape May Warbler   6  
Northern Parula 5/22/18 6 GZ
Magnolia Warbler   6  
Blackburnian Warbler 9/8/18 6 Los Gatos Birdwatcher
Yellow Warbler 1/5/18 1 STu
Blackpoll Warbler 9/21/18 5 DN
Black-throated Blue Warbler   6  
Palm Warbler 10/21/18 5 LLi, JPa, KBu
Pine Warbler   6  
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1/1/18 1 m.ob.
Prairie Warbler   6  
Black-throated Gray Warbler 1/4/18 3 JPa
Townsend's Warbler 1/1/18 2 m.ob.
Hermit Warbler 4/15/18 4 AMR,NLv
Black-throated Green Warbler   6  
Canada Warbler   6  
Wilson's Warbler 1/6/18 1 JPa
Summer Tanager 4/11/18 5 JSm,STe
Scarlet Tanager   6  
Western Tanager 1/2/18 3 AHe
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 9/9/18 5 GZ
Black-headed Grosbeak 3/31/18 1 MDd
Blue Grosbeak 5/9/18 4 AMR
Lazuli Bunting 4/12/18 2 SRob
Indigo Bunting   5  
Painted Bunting   6  
Dickcissel   6  

OBSERVER CODES*

  • AHe=Ann Hep, AHo=Anne Hoff, AKr=Alan Krakauer, AMR=Alex Rinkert, AV=Ann Verdi

  • BBu=Bob Bucci, BBuc=Bill Buckingham, BM=Brooke Miller, BPe=Bill Pelletier

  • CBe=Cynthia Berg

  • Dan=Dorian Anderson, DaB=Dan Brown, DBu=Daniel Bump, DC=Deborah Chase, DCh=Dani Christensen, DN=David Nickerson, DPe=Don Pendleton, DPow=Donna Pomeroy, DRa=David Rankin, DWe=Dave Weber, DWen=Dan Wenny, DZ=David Zittin

  • EFi=Erin Fisher, EMe=Eve Meier, ER=Edward Rooks, EVa=Eric VanderWert

  • FV=Frank Vanslager

  • GHa=Garth Harwood, GL=Garrett Lau, GM=Ginny Marshall, GZ=Gena Zolotar

  • JBuc=James Buckingham, JGarc=Jeff Garcia, JaL=Jasen Liu, JMy=Jean Myers, JPa=Janna Pauser, JSm=Jeff Smith, JTh=Janet Thomas, JTom=Jack Tomlin, JVa=Jason Vassallo

  • KBu=Karen Burnson, KDe=Karen DeMello, KHo=Kirsten Holmquist, KONe=Kitty O'Neill, KSc=Ken Schneider, KWi=Kate Wilmot

  • LGa=Linda Gargiulo, LLi=Louise Liou, LSpi=Larry Spivak, LSt=Laura Stocks

  • MDd=Matthew Dodder, MFa=Marion Farber, MHawk=Michael Hawk, MJM=Mike Mammoser, MMi=Marilee Mifflin, MPy=Michael Pyle, MMR=Mike Rogers, MSim=Marc Simmel

  • NAr=Noah Arthur, NLv=Nick Levendosky

  • OA=Ozzie Altus, OH=Owen Holt

  • PBag=Patrick Baglee, PKe=Pat Kenny, PW=Pingang Wang

  • RBa=Ralph Baker, RFu=Rob Furrow, RHe=Rick Herder, RGJ=Richard Jeffers, RLi=Raymond Liao, RPh=Ryan Phillips, RWR=Bob Reiling, RRu=Ruth Rudesill, RWi=Robert Williams

  • SBy=Sean Byrnes, SPe=Sergio Perez, SRob=Sam Roberts, SRot=Steve Rottenborn, STe=Scott Terrill, STu=Steve Tucker

  • TB=Terry Blows, TGr=Tom Grey, TJo=Tom Johnson

  • VKa=Vivek Khanzode

  • WGB=Bill Bousman, WBr=Will Brooks, WHS=Winnifred Homer-Smith

RARITY CODES**

1 = common, always seen in habitat in season.
2 = fairly common, usually in habitat in season, but missed sometimes.
3 = uncommon, always around, but sometimes you can't find.
4 = rare, occurs yearly in the county, but not always in same places.
5 = very rare, does not occur every year.
6 = casual or vagrant, generally fewer than 10 records.