On 11 September 1995, on Southeast Farallon Island, 42 km west of San Francisco, California, we found and banded a Lanceolated Warbler (Locustella lanceolata), the first recorded in the state.
Strong northwest winds characterized the weather of the week preceding 11 September. The morning of 9 September brought diminished southeast winds and high cloud cover. At approximately 1540 on 11 September, Hickey and Capitolo were censusing birds near the east landing of the island with the intention of catching any unbanded birds. Hickey spotted a small, brown bird scampering like a mouse to hide under the dead vegetation near a mist-net. She slowly approached the bird as it scurried short distances. At this time, Capitolo saw it dart into the opening of an auklet burrow, after which Hickey successfully flushed the bird into the net. Hickey and Capitolo had no previous experience with the genus Locustella and were unable to identify the bird at the time of capture.