Volume 3, No. 1

Edwin O. Willis (Author)

DO BIRDS FLOCK IN HAWAII, A LAND WITHOUT PREDATORS?

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Birds of a feather sometimes flock together, as anyone knows who has ever seen blackbirds or sandpipers in fall. More surprisingly, in many parts of the world birds of different feathers flock together. H. W. Bates (1863), in his classic “Naturalist on the River Amazons,” reports how the empty forest seemed to come alive with dozens of kinds of birds whenever one of the diverse Amazonian “mixed flocks” passed by. Less spectacular but similar mixed flocks of Plain Titmice, Hutton’s Vireos, and other birds can be seen in California oak woodland. Those who watch for mixed flocks will be surprised how common they are, from migrant warblers among Common Bushtits in chaparral to Cactus Wrens among Black-throated Sparrows on the desert.

Robert M. Stewart (Author)

FALL MIGRATION OF COMMON PASSERINES AT BOLINAS, CALIFORNIA

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Only McCaskie and Banks (1964) have reported continuous observations at a single station during migration in California. I report here the capture of three common summer resident and four winter resident species during fall 1969 to 1971 at Bolinas, Marin County, California. There is often no direct correlation between the number of birds on the ground and the timing of migration. However, because of the paucity of information about passerine migration in California, I offer these data because they suggest the general timing of common migrants for a three-year period at one location.

NOTES: AN EXTENDED SOJOURN AND A STATE RECORD OF A WANDERING TATTLER IN ARIZONA

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A Wandering Tattler (Heteroscelus incanum), previously unrecorded from Arizona, was continuously present at the Phoenix 35th Avenue sewage treatment ponds from 18 September through 9 October 1971. First observed by Bonnie Burch, it was thereafter encountered daily. During this lengthy stay at these ponds, most of the active birdwatchers in the state had the opportunity and pleasure of observing this rarity. At all times the bird was noted to be healthy, alert, and vigorous in flight. It fed daily from the abundant animal and insect matter present along the rocky shoreline. On taking flight it frequently gave an emphatic ringing five note call, not unlike that of the yellowlegs (Totanus sp.). Color photographs taken by the author are on file in the Ornithology Departments of the University of Arizona and Prescott College.

NOTES: A RECORD OF THE LUCIFER HUMMINGBIRD IN ARIZONA

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The Lucifer Hummingbird (Calothorax lucifer) is found from the S. W. United States south to Chiapas, Mexico (Davis, 1972). Records of the Lucifer Hummingbird from Arizona include two old specimens from the 1800’s (Phillips, 1964), three sightings during the spring of 1971 (American Birds 25:4:782), and two more sightings for that summer (American Birds 25:5:890).

On 14 July 1971 while watching birds at the feeders in Guadalupe Canyon, Cochise County, I saw a hummingbird with buffy underparts and a decurved bill. It proved to be a Lucifer Hummingbird and was seen several times during the day and photographed (Fig. 1). Color slides are on file at the University of Arizona in Tucson and at the San Diego Natural History Museum in San Diego

NOTES: TWO FALL YELLOW-THROATED WARBLERS IN CALIFORNIA

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On 14 October 1969 I mistnetted a Yellow-throated Warbler (Dendroica dominica) in my yard on Point Loma, San Diego. The bird was weighed (8.9 gm.) and measured (wing, 62 mm; tail 42 mm; culmen 14.1 mm); further examination by A. M. Craig revealed a trace of subcutaneous fat and an incompletely ossified skull. Sex was not determined.

NOTES: A LOUISIANA HERON IN NORTHEASTERN CALIFORNIA

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On 24 August 1971 John Revill, then a seasonal aide at Honey Lake State Wildfowl Management Area, Lassen County, found an adult plumaged Louisiana Heron (Hydranassa tricolor) at Hartson Reservoir on the Dakin Unit of the area, near the northwest corner of Honey Lake. By carefully stalking the bird on his hands and knees, he was able to obtain the accompanying photograph (Fig. 1).

NOTES: THE PRESENT STATUS OF THE NORTHWESTERN RACE OF THE ROBIN IN CALIFORNIA

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The 5th edition (1957) of the A.O.U. Check-List of North American Birds states that the northwestern race of the Robin (Turdus migratorius caurinus) breeds from southeastern Alaska to northwestern Oregon and winters south to central western California (Point Reyes, San Geronimo). As far as California is concerned, essentially the same information appears in The Distribution of the Birds of California (Grinnell and Miller, 1944), although the additional statement is made that caurinus is a “rare winter visitant to the northern coastal section of state.” Ned K. Johnson (personal correspondence) advises me that the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at Berkeley contains two specimens of caurinus taken farther south in California: a male from Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz County, collected 20 December 1939, and a female from Cottonwood Spring, Riverside County, collected 23 October 1945. There appear to be no other records for this well-marked race, which has been considered largely resident within its breeding range.

NOTES: RED-HEADED WOODPECKER IN THE IMPERIAL VALLEY OF CALIFORNIA

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On 17 July 1971 Alfred T. Driscoll and his son found a Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) in a row of Eucalyptus trees on the Wister Fish and Game Wildlife Management Area northwest of Niland, Imperial County, California. On 31 July the Driscolls again observed the bird in the same row of trees, this time taking several identifiable pictures, and on 7 August the authors, accompanied by their sons and several others, again observed the woodpecker in the same area. This time Steven Cardiff obtained several photographs using a 500 mm. lens and Kodachrome II film (Figure 1).