SANTA CLARA COUNTY BIRD LIST DISCUSSION ARCHIVE 2019

| January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |

Compiled by: Brooke Miller. Please email additions, corrections, or comments to Brooke at idbirds@me.com. Monthly reports are made up of eBird sightings, postings on South Bay Birds, and direct email reports.

Please post all your sightings at southbaybirds@groups.io and/or eBird. You can use eBird to follow first-of-the-year sightings. Due to the fact that not everyone uses eBird, not all sightings will be included, however. To see first-of-the-year sightings in eBird do the following:

• Click on "Explore Data" at the top of any eBird page

• Select "Explore a Region"

• Type in "Santa Clara" and wait for the page to fill it in

• Select "Current Year" and click "set"

• Click on "First Seen"

Go back to the Santa Clara County Bird List 2019 or view all the cumulative year lists.

We started off 2019 with 153 birds seen on January 1, and a total of 202 birds for the month of January. The average for January 1st is 154, and the average for the month of January is 199. Thank you to everyone who birded, and took the time to report birds either on SBB, eBird, or send emails directly to me.

Of the 202 birds that were recorded for January, there was 1 bird rated as rarity (6) and 7 birds rated as rarity (5). As a reminder, here is what each rarity code means:

**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.

Rarity Code 6:

• A Cassin’s Finch was found on 2-January on the Mt Hamilton CBC.

Rarity Code 5’s:

• On 12-January, Ann Verdi observed 12 Tundra Swans (5) flying overhead above the Cambrian Area of San Jose;

• On 1-January, the continuing Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (5) at the Water District Headquarters was first seen in 2019 by Sergio Perez and Steve Tucker;

• On 2-January, the continuing Red-naped Sapsucker (5) between Hicks Rd and Guadalupe Mines Road was first seen in 2019 by Bill Pelletier, Kitty O’Neill, and Garrett Lau;

• On 2-January, a Cassin’s Kingbird (5) was found by Brooke Miller at Los Gatos Creek County Park;

• On 2-January, a Swamp Sparrow (5) was found on the Mt Hamilton CBC by Mike Mammoser and Mike Rogers;

• On 3-January, Garrett Lau found a Palm Warbler (5) at Byxbee Park; and

• On 1-January, the continuing male Summer Tanager at Guadalupe Mines Road was first seen by Marion Farber and Kathy Parker

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February gave us 7 new birds (9 is the average), for a total of 209 birds (average is 208) at the end of the month. Thank you to everyone who birded, and took the time to report birds either on SBB, eBird, or send emails directly to me.

The 7 birds that were recorded for February were:

• 6-Feb Pacific-slope Flycatcher (2), observed by Tom Grey, at Frenchmen’s Park;

• 7-Feb Glaucous Gull (4), found by Don Pendleton at Almaden Lake Park;

• 9-Feb Northern Rough-winged Swallow (2), seen by Mike Mammoser at Almaden Lake Park;

• 10-Feb Western Kingbird (2) found by Megan Hausler along the entrance road to Don Edwards NWR;

• 12-Feb Vaux’s Swift, seen by Bob Reiling and Frank Vanslager at Almaden Lake Park;

• 14-Feb A Ruff (4), probably the same bird continuing from last fall/winter, was seen by Steve Tracey at the Spreckles Pond; and

• 19-Feb A Lesser Black-backed Gull (6) (1st cycle) was found by Alex Rinkert on one of the islands in Salt Pond A16.

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Before I report on March, I have a couple of additions to prior months. In January, somehow I missed Short-billed Dowitcher, which was found on 3-January. I got a late report of a Long-tailed Duck seen on 24-February by Richard Jeffers, Mike Mammoser, and Mike Rogers on Salt Pond A8. That brought the total at the end of February to 211. There were 12 new birds found in March (13 is the average), for a total of 223 birds (average is 222) at the end of March. Thank you to everyone who birded, and took the time to report birds either on SBB, eBird, or send emails directly to me.

The 12 birds that were recorded for March, with rarity codes in parentheses are:

• 1-Mar Hermit Warbler (4), found by Steve Tracey along the John Nicholas Trail in Sanborn County Park;

• 3-Mar Black Rail (5), three were heard in the Alviso Marina County Park marsh by Larry Maurin;

• 3-Mar Cliff Swallow (1), thirty individual were seen by Steve Tucker above the Guadaluupe River Trail between Blossom Hill and Chenowyth;

• 3-Mar Rufous Hummingbird (4), was seen by Brooke Miller at the Spring Valley unit of Ed Levin County Park;

• 9-Mar Red-throated Loon (4), was seen by Bob Foehring at the Palo Alto Baylands;

• 11-Mar Golden-crowned Kinglet (3), detected by Brooke Miller at Sanborn County Park;

• 15-Mar Hooded Oriole (3), found in a West San Jose Yard

• 16-Mar Caspian Tern (2), seen by Mike Shafto at Charleston Slough/Coast Casey Forebay;

• 16-Mar Warbling Vireo (2), found at 2 separate locations; Pete Dunten found one at McLellan Ranch, and Hugh McDevitt found one along the Calero Creek Trail;

• 16-Mar Wilson’s Warbler (1), found at Rancho Canada del Oro by Steve Tucker;

• 25-Mar Black-throated Gray Warbler (3), heard at Foothills Park by Garth Harwood; and

• 29-Mar Cassin’s Vireo (2), found by Steve Tracey and shared with Matthew Dodder at Stevens Creek County Park at the Cooley-Canyon Picnic Areas.

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Before I report on April, I have an addition to January, a Ring-necked Pheasant found on 20-January by Brooke Miller near Coast Casey Forebay. That brings the total at the end of March to 224. There were 18 new birds found in April (21 is the average), for a total of 242 birds (average is 243) at the end of April. Thank you to everyone who birded, and took the time to report birds either on SouthBayBirds, eBird, or send emails directly to me.

The birds recorded for April, with rarity codes are:

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There were 9 new birds found in May (9 is the average), for a total of 251 birds (average is 251) at the end of May. Thank you to everyone who birded, and took the time to report birds either on SouthBayBirds, eBird, or send emails directly to me.

The birds recorded for May, with rarity codes are:

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June was an incredible month in the South Bay!! There were 7 new birds found in June, (4 is the average), with 4 of them being rarity code 6, for a total of 258 birds (average is 255) at the end of June. There was also an ‘uncountable’ species, Northern Red Bishop (one male and possibly 2 females), found by Ryan Phillips on 24-June, along a maintenance road in Shoreline Park. Thank you to everyone who birded, and took the time to report birds either on SouthBayBirds, eBird, or send emails directly to me.

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Before I report on July, I have an addition to June: a Black-chinned Sparrow, found on 19-June, by Bill Pelletier, in the Loma Prieta area. That brings the total at the end of June to 259. There were 5 new birds found in July (4 is the average), for a total of 264 birds (average is 260) at the end of July. Thank you to everyone who birded, and took the time to report birds either on SouthBayBirds, eBird, or send emails directly to me.

The new birds for July were:

1. 12-Jul, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Rarity 4, New Chicago Marsh, Mike Mammoser

2. 13-Jul, Red-eyed Vireo, Rarity 6, Los Capitancillos Ponds/Guadalupe Creek Riparian, Steve Tucker

3. 14-Jul, Ruddy Turnstone, Rarity 5, Salt Pond A15, Pete Dunten

4. 23-Jul, Vermilion Flycatcher, Rarity 6, Joseph Grant County Park, Robin Agarwal

5. 28-Jul, Least Tern, Rarity 4, Salt Pond A2E, Dorian Anderson, Mike Mammoser and Mike Rogers

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There were 2 new birds found in August (6 is the average), for a total of 266 birds (average is 265) at the end of August. Thank you to everyone who birded, and took the time to report birds either on SouthBayBirds, eBird, or send emails directly to me.

The birds recorded for August, with rarity codes are:

1. 1-Aug, Baird’s Sandpiper, Rarity 4, Salt Pond A13, William Lawton

2. 5-Aug, Common Tern, Rarity 4, Salt Pond AB1, Garrett Lau

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There were 5 new birds found in September (9 is the average), for a total of 271 birds (average is 275) at the end of September. Thank you to everyone who birded, and took the time to report birds either on SouthBayBirds, eBird, or send emails directly to me.

The birds recorded for September, with rarity codes are:

1. 4-Sep, Pelagic Cormorant, 6, Salt Pond A16, Dave Weber and Steve Tracey
2. 4-Sep, Pectoral Sandpiper, 4, New Chicago Marsh, Steve Tracey
3, 12-Sep, Blackpoll Warbler, 5, Vasona Lake County Park, Steve Tracey
4. 16-Sep, Painted Bunting, 6, Sunnyvale WPCP, Pat Kenny
5. 21-Sep, Clay-colored Sparrow, 5, Ulistac Natural Area, Brooke Miller

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There were 6 new birds found in October (5 is the average), for a total of 277 birds (average is 280) at the end of October. Thank you to everyone who birded, and took the time to report birds either on SouthBayBirds, eBird, or send emails directly to me.

The birds recorded for October, with rarity codes are:

1. 3-Oct, Tennessee Warbler, 6, Backyard Bird Bath near Los Capitancillos Ponds, Steve Tucker
2. 12-Oct, Tropical Kingbird, 6, Shoreline Park/Coast Casey Forebay, Lisa Myers & Los Gatos Birdwatcher field trip attendees
3. 13-Oct, Evening Grosbeak, 5, Almaden Lake Park, Janna Pauser
4. 19-Oct, Vesper Sparrow, 5, Stanford Dish Trail near Marker L3, Pete Dunten
5. 20-Oct, Lapland Longspur, 6, Shoreline Park Kite Flying Area, Chris Johnson
6. 27-Oct, Sandhill Crane, 6, Byxbee Park Flyover, Adam Burnett, Naomi Goodman, Kitty O’Neill, Bill Pelletier

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There were 3 new birds found in November (3 is the average), for a total of 280 birds (average is 283) at the end of November. Thank you to everyone who birded, and took the time to report birds either on South Bay Birds, eBird, or send emails directly to me.

The birds recorded for November, with rarity codes are:

1. 4-Nov, Plumbeous Vireo, 6, Charleston Rd Marsh, Kevin Gin
2. 10-Nov, Red Crossbill, 5, Sanborn County Park – Lake Ranch Reservoir, Richard Jeffers & Mike Rogers
3. 18-Nov, American Tree Sparrow, 6, Backyard on Mt Hamilton, Kitty O’Neill & Bill Pelletier

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No new birds were found in December (3 is the average). We ended the year with a total of 280 birds (average is 286) at the end of 2019. Thank you to everyone who birded, and took the time to report birds either on SouthBayBirds, eBird, or send emails directly to me, during 2019.

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