CALLYN YORKE'S FIELD NOTES have a new URL...

* NEW LINK TO MY SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA BIRD SURVEYS

____________________________________________________________________

HOME PAGE

The National Audubon Society Grass Mountain Christmas Bird Count

The 2013 Grass Mt. CBC is scheduled for Friday, December 13.

Please contact Cal Yorke for area assignments

cyorke@avc.edu

Results of the most recent Grass Mt. CBC 's are shown below

December 14, 2012

December 16, 2011

PHOTO GALLERY

CAGM CBC Data Summary (1972-1998: 25 Counts)

PHOTO GALLERY

RESULTS OF THE DECEMBER 14, 2012 GRASS MOUNTAIN CBC

Compiled by Cal Yorke

Participants: Kris Ohlenkamp (Area 1); Jocelyn McFaul (Area 1a); Becky Kitto, Merissa Mendez and Cal Yorke (Areas 3 & 6).

Time: 0700 - 1800 hrs.

Mileage by car: 100

Mileage on foot: 7

Weather: Partly cloudy to overcast with increasing WSW wind 2 - 8 mph; rain from 1330 - 1730 hrs. Temperature 31F to 42F. No snow.

SPECIES TOTAL: 70 (historical average = 94)

Birds of seasonal and/or distributional interest found: Burrowing Owl (1), Short-eared Owl (1).

COUNT

American Wigeon 1

Mallard 30

Northern Shoveler 60

Northern Pintail 1

Canvasback 25

Bufflehead 22

Common Goldeneye 2

Common Merganser 1

Ruddy Duck 50

California Quail 10

Eared Grebe 2

Western Grebe 2

Double-crested Cormorant 5

Great Blue Heron 4

Great Egret 1

Red-shouldered Hawk 2

Red-tailed Hawk 2

Ferruginous Hawk 5

American Kestrel 4

Prairie Falcon 1

American Coot 150

Killdeer 2

Least Sandpiper 14

Wilson's Snipe 2

California Gull 2

Rock Pigeon 2

Eurasian Collared Dove 4

Mourning Dove 8

Burrowing Owl 1

Short-eared Owl 1: (by KO, Area 1); Details: Seen at 0745 hrs. north of Avenue J at about 130th Street East. I was on foot walking north when it flushed from the ground about 20 m away and flew north. I first noticed the long wings and thought Harrier.Then the large blunt head became obvious and I knew it was an owl. I thought Burrowing Owl but the longish wings puzzled me. As it flew away (less than 3m off the ground) I also noticed black wing tips and black marks near the shoulders. It landed about 200 m away - facing me. It seemed taller than a Burrowing Owl and did not have any noticeable ear tufts. I could not make out details of the face. By the time I retrieved my scope - the bird was gone. One hour later I returned to the same location in hopes that it also may have returned. This time I flushed what was definitely a Burrowing Owl - from almost the same spot. The differences between the two birds were striking - Kris Ohlenkamp, 12/14/2012.

Belted Kingfisher 1

Acorn Woodpecker 4

Nuttall's Woodpecker 2

Northern (RS) Flicker 8

Black Phoebe 2

Say's Phoebe 2

Loggerhead Shrike 2

Western Scrub-jay 10

American Crow 85

Common Raven 52

Horned Lark 600

Moountain Chicadee 1

Oak Titmouse 2

Bushtit 8

Bewick's Wren 2

Ruby-crowned Kinglet 20

Western Bluebird 2

Mountain Bluebird 30

American Robin

Northern Mockingbird 2

European Starling 75

American Pipit 5

Cedar Waxwing 6

Yellow-rumped Warbler 8

California Towhee 6

Rufous-crowned Sparrow 1

Vesper Sparrow 3

Lark Sparrow 10

Savannah Sparrow 45

Song Sparrow 12

Lincoln's Sparrow 1

White-crowned Sparrow (gambeli) 120

Golden-crowned Sparrow 1

Dark-eyed Junco 25

Western Meadowlark 50

Brewer's Blackbird 50

Great-tailed Grackle 8

House Finch 200

American Goldfinch 1

House Sparrow 25

RESULTS OF THE DECEMBER 16, 2011 GRASS MOUNTAIN CBC

' Compiled by Cal Yorke

Participants: David Bell (Area 1); Jocelyn McFaul (Areas 1a & 5); Cal Yorke and Merissa Mendez (Areas 5&6)

Time: 0630 - 1830 hrs.

Mileage by car: 101

Mileage on foot: 6

Weather: Fair; 34 to 52F; 2-4 inches of snow above 4,000 ft. Wind ENE 2 - 10 mph.

SPECIES TOTAL: 86 (historical average = 94)

Birds of seasonal and/or distributional interest found: Hooded Merganser (20 - new for the GMCBC); Great Egret (1); White-tailed Kite (1); Merlin (3); Turkey Vulture (2); Eurasian Collared Dove (2 - new for the GMCBC); White-headed Woodpecker (1); Great-tailed Grackle (8).

Link to details and photos for Areas 5 & 6

COUNT

Gadwall 2

American Wigeon 80

Mallard 182

Northern Shoveler 4

Green-winged Teal 5

Canvasback 12

Redhead 2

Ring-necked Duck 14

Lesser Scaup 2

Bufflehead 60

Common Goldeneye 12

Common Merganser 16

Hooded Merganser 20

Ruddy Duck 123

California Quail 30

Pied-billed Grebe 20

Western Grebe 12

Double-crested Cormorant 1

Great Blue Heron 4

Great Egret 1

Turkey Vulture 2

White-tailed Kite 1

Northern Harrier 3

Cooper's Hawk 1

Red-shouldered Hawk 2

Red-tailed Hawk 21

Ferruginous Hawk 3

American Kestrel 10

Merlin 3

Prairie Falcon 2

American Coot 303

California Gull 4

Rock Pigeon 5

Band-tailed Pigeon 4

Mourning Dove 69

Eurasian Collared Dove 2

Greater Roadrunner 3

Anna's Hummingbird 1

Lewis's Woodpecker 4? in flight (Upper Shake Campground - Area 5).

Acorn Woodpecker 4

Nuttall's Woodpecker 2

White-headed Woodpecker 1

Northern (RS) Flicker 2

Black Phoebe 4

Say's Phoebe 4

Loggerhead Shrike 10

Stellar's Jay 8

Western Scrub-jay 9

American Crow 17

Common Raven 153

Horned Lark 1,540

Mountain Chickadee 8

Oak Titmouse 4

White-breasted Nuthatch 3

Brown Creeper 1

Cactus Wren 7

Rock Wren 1

Bewick's Wren 5

Ruby-crowned Kinglet 3

Western Bluebird 14

Mountain Bluebird 45

Hermit Thrush 1

Wrentit 2

Northern Mockingbird 6

European Starling 255

American Pipit 3

Yellow-rumped (A) Warbler 13

Common Yellowthroat 2

Spotted Towhee 4

California Towhee 9

Vesper Sparrow 1

Lark Sparrow 529

Savannah Sparrow 28

Song Sparrow 20

Lincoln's Sparrow 1

White-crowned Sparrow 197

Golden-crowned Sparrow 50

Dark-eyed (Oregon) Junco 60

Red-winged Blackbird 20

Western Meadowlark 71

Brewer's Blackbird 355

Great-tailed Grackle 8

Purple Finch 40

House Finch 602

Lesser Goldfinch 2

House Sparrow 21