[SBB] S.C. Co. Bird List January 2006

My initial stab at the New Year's Day list came out at 148. However, I overlooked a few records and a few more came in as dribs and drabs. The first day's total has now jumped to 155. Not bad. The 6-year average is 138, but there is a lot of variance in our New Year's Day lists.

For January, however, there is little variance. Over the last six years the totals have ranged from only 191 to 196 with a 6-year average of 194. We managed 192, which is a bit low, but that gives us a chance to catch up. In past years we pick up about 9 new species in February. We've none so far on this fourth day of the month, so we have our work cut out for us.

The big news in January was the discovery of an adult SLATY-BACKED GULL in Alviso on 14 Jan for a first county record. There are probably 20,000 to 40,000 gulls feeding at the Newby Island dump, and some take a break by coming over to the Alviso EEC where we have a chance at them. Many hours have been spent there for a look at this rare Siberian gull, but so far we have only come up with a decent count of Glaucous Gulls.

Since New Year's, birders have found five 5s to fill in January. A NORTHERN THRUSH was seen on 4 Jan at the Charleston Road marsh. This is probably a bird here for its third winter and has not been easy to find. A flock of seven TUNDRA SWANS were over San Felipe Road at the San Benito County line on 6 Jan. A RED-NECKED GREBE was seen in the San Jose-Santa Clara WPCP sludge ponds on 7 Jan, but was ill and lived only a couple of days. The same day a male GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE was at the Coyote Creek Golf Course. Finishing out these rarities was a male RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER along Almaden Reservoir on 18 Jan. It was refound over the next few days, but not after that.