Point Reyes - October 1-4, 1999 - Three intrepid birders set out for Point Reyes on a beautiful fall afternoon. Approaching the coast, we became concerned that it was so clear, but by morning it was overcast (which is when the Point Reyes birding is best). Waking at 6 AM, we headed for the Lighthouse (with a mandatory coffee stop at the Bovine Bakery in Point Reyes Station). En route to the bakery we had a Great-horned Owl on a telephone pole. Proceeding to the Point, we stopped for White-crowned Sparrows, Northern Harriers and American Kestrels. At the Drake's Beach turnoff we joined a birder scanning a field; he noted that there were Plovers were in the field with Killdeer, we determined that they were American Golden-Plovers. When we arrived at the Lighthouse parking lot there were only two other cars. We encountered several birders who informed us they had seen Black-throated Blue Warblers (a bird that has eluded me for years) and a possible Gray-cheeked Thrush. We found the Black-throated Blue warblers, along with Palm Warblers, Blackpoll Warblers, Yellow Rumps, Magnolia Warblers, Nashville Warblers and American Redstarts in rapid succession. We also saw Hermit and Swainson's Thrushes at this stop.

Returning from a quick trip to get my spotting scope, I was informed that a Connecticut Warbler had been found and that someone had seen a Hooded Warbler near the parking area. The Connecticut Warbler was walking through tall grass below the road, and for about 15 minutes was quite difficult to see. Finally it jumped up on a branch about six feet in front of me!

We continued to Nunes Ranch where we found our only Chestnut-sided Warbler, Yellow Warblers, our first Townsend's Warbler, a Common Snipe and House Finches. At the Fish Docks we added Dusky Flycatcher, Say's Phoebe, Common Loon, Eared and Western Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Surf Scoter, Black Oystercatcher, Black Turnstone and Willet.

At the Oyster Farm we found Sanderings, Western Sandpipers, Least Sandpipers, Marbled Godwits Long-billed Curlews, Black-bellied Plovers and Semi-palmated plovers.

Olema Marsh yielded Green-winged Teal, Cinnamon Teal, Mallard, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Coot, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Wood Duck, Ring-necked Duck and Ruddy Duck.

Sunday we added Hooded, Black-throated Gray, and Hermit to our warbler list as well as Cassin's And Warbling Vireos. Nunes ranch yielded a Clay-colored Sparrow. We saw a respectable 121 species total on the trip. - Richard Redmond

Oroville Fish Hatchery, Wildlife Area and Pacific Heights Road - October 17, 1999. Several Chicoans and another few Oroville birders met at the Fish Hatchery, where the first official bird of the day was a Bald Eagle flying up the canyon. We looked for gulls, but few were to be seen from this spot. We did come up with several passerine species, including White-Crowned sparrow, California and Spotted Towhee, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and the upiquitous Yellow-Rumped Warbler.

Crossing the river, we encountered Rex Burress, who birded with us for a short time. We saw the expected gulls (California, Ring-billed, and Herring) as well as several Common Mergansers (the males still in eclipse plumage, with only subtle differences from the females). One participant mentioned a swift (probably White-throated at that location) but most of us were concentrating on gulls, and said later "we should have looked at that"! A pair of Sandhill Cranes was seen flying in the distance, and a Great Blue Heron rested on a pipe across the river. Moving on down the river we encountered Western Bluebird, a Sapsucker (most probably red-breasted, but no one really got a look), Lesser Scaup, and a Spotted Sandpiper.

After spending a bit more time at the river, we headed south to Pacific Heights Road. In the trees we found Downy Woodpecker, White-breasted Nuthatch, Lincoln's Sparrow, House Wren, Cedar Waxwing, and Orange-Crowned Warbler. On the water were Pied-billed and Eared Grebes, 2 Common Goldeneyes, and several Double-crested Cormorants.

Continuing, we wandered for a while trying to find our way into the wildlife area. The old roads no longer connect! Eventually we found our way in, encountering Osprey, Common Moorhen, and an interesting juvenile Double-Crested Cormorant (blotchy white on the front). By this time the doldrums had hit, and we only had a few birds, including Lesser Goldfinch and Bewick's Wren. - Skip Augur