[SBB] S.C. Co. Bird List Feb. 2007

A little clean up is in order (for 2006). In January, we learned of a CRESTED CARACARA seen in the Pajaro River basin by out-of-town birders, Mike and Jeanne Fritz, of New Jersey. They had been on a Shearwater pelagic trip and were driving back into the Santa Clara Valley, where they saw the caracara feeding on a roadkill jackrabbit along Hwy 101. Although this was a 65-mph bird, both observers had seen this species in the past in the southwest and Mexico. Crested Caracaras have been moving up the California coast in recent years and staying for long periods of time. In the past year, there have been multiple birds (or one birds seen multiple times) in the Monterey Bay area, thus for one to move up the Pajaro River into Santa Clara County is not out of order. This is a review species for the California Bird Records Committee (CBRC), which is currently reviewing all of the Monterey Bay records. I have tentatively added it to the Santa Clara County list (now at 395) until the CBRC decides whether the record is valid.

We saw 7 new species in February and this brings the composite total to 208. Usually in February we find about 9 new species, so even though we dropped back a little, the blistering start we had on the year in January means that 208 is a high count relative to the last few years.

February is a good month for returning swallows and we picked up a NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW at Coyote Reservoir on 15 Feb (a 2) and multiple CLIFF SWALLOWS near Shoreline Park on 16 Feb (a 1). An ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER was banded at CCFS on 21 Feb (a 2) and likely wintered somewhere in central California, since spring migrants normally don't arrive until about 10 Apr, so this bird is 7-8 weeks early.

Two 3's were found during February. The first ALLEN'S HUMMINGBIRD was found Ed Levin CP on 14 Feb and two LESSER YELLOWLEGS were in New Chicago Marsh on 28 Feb.

The last of the new birds were 5's. A TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was found along Almaden Reservoir on 10 Feb and an adult male YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD was at the Palo Alto Duck Pond on 17 Feb.

We usually expect 13 new species in March as more spring arrivals show up, so things should be busier this month.