• Home
• About
• Education
• Conservation
• Research
• History
• Photos
• Checklists
• Positions

2016 Starr Ranch Birdathon Results
April 22 7:30PM through April 23 7:30PM

Expert Birders: Steve Alter, Marian Alter, Vic Liepzig
Marginal Birder: Pete DeSimone

128 species seen/heard (list at bottom) $4,330 raised in pledges and donations - THANK YOU!!!

Congratulations to Ellen for final species total guess of 132 (closest to actual 128) and Trish for guessing the 100th (actually #105 Elegant Tern - the closest guess to #100). #100 was a Black Skimmer. Both will get a Starr Ranch T-shirt!

All who pledged to the Birdathon will receive an email with your total and a link to a donate page. Or, if you know how much you pledged you can go HERE to fulfill your pledge and choose a t-shirt if your pledge was $1 or more per species.

All who already donated a flat amount of $100 or more will receive an email so you can choose your Starr Ranch T-shirt size and style.

Post Birdathon donations are also welcomed and can be made HERE. Just be sure to click the "Birdathon" button.

2016 Starr Ranch Birdathon Recap
by Steve Alter

Since Pete was just returning from a trip to Alpena, Michigan repairing Osprey platforms on Fletcher Pond, we decided to start the Friday evening portion of the Birdathon without him.  Vic, Marian and I started at Irvine Regional Park at 7:30 PM on Friday April 22, with our first bird being a Wilson’s Warbler as we drove into the park.  Our first destination was the blooming Silk Oaks, which are always full of warblers and tanagers.  There were lots of both, but the variety was not what we had hoped for.  This park is also the most accessible place in Orange County for Wood Duck, Western Screech Owl, Common, Poorwill and Lesser Nighthawk, which we picked up easily. We left our first location with 28 species.  Then we made a quick stop on the side of the road in Orchard Hills to listen for a Great Horned Owl that we had heard the previous week.  In less than 5 minutes we had that bird, and were back on the road to Upper Newport Bay for rails.  Sora, Virginia, Ridgeway’s (Clapper) Rails, Osprey and a calling Barn Owl were easily found and we were done for the night with 36 species..

Saturday morning we met at 5:30 at the same donut shop as last year.  In addition to breakfast we expected to get the resident Great-tailed Grackles and Brewers’ Blackbirds that hang out in the parking lot.  Sadly, the shopping center had removed a lot of vegetation, so no grackles…we’d have to find them somewhere else.  After tanking up on coffee, fat and sugar we set out in the early light.   On to Pacific Coast Highway, and Poppy Street in Corona del Mar for rocky shorebirds.  Overlooking the rocky shoreline we see…not much.  13 species, but not the ones we needed there.  Back to PCH heading south, we stop at the “Shake Shack”, but nothing there.  We head south to Reef Point for California Gnatcatcher.  After 15-20 minutes of searching we finally get one, then to El Moro Canyon and a quick look for a Say’s Phoebe that isn’t there.  By now we are starting to sense a pattern that will continue throughout the day

At Crescent Bay and Heisler Park we get a few more birds but most notable is the lack of anything out on the open ocean.  Normally we would expect a few shearwaters, loons and maybe a jaeger.  But today, nothing.  In our entire coastline run we had exactly one Black and one Ruddy Turnstone…those were the only rocky shorebirds.  We leave the coast with 55 species, this day is not starting out well.

Heading inland we visit Dilley Wilderness Park and Nix Nature Center for 11 new species, including a sneaky Greater Roadrunner, but no swifts, warblers or orioles which we usually find here.  We roll into Mason Regional Park with a total of 73 species and pick up a seven more common birds, but still no additional warblers, orioles or vireos.  We seem to have missed the passerine migration.  On to San Joaquin Marsh for a productive walk, which gets us a total of 18 species, including a surprise Snow Goose that had not yet been reported.  But again, most notable is what we didn’t find… ducks.  Here we are in mid-April and many of the ducks have already left the area.  The same at our next stop, Upper Newport Bay.  On the plus side that we finally get a Say’s Phoebe, and our 100th bird: Black Skimmer.  On the minus side, no ducks.  For the first time ever we will complete a big day without Green-wing, Cinnamon and Blue-wing Teal.  Once again, weather and timing work against us.

From Newport Bay we head north on Pacific Coast Highway, and along the way pick up Bonaparte’s Gull and a couple terns.  Then to Harriet Wieder Park.  The ponds on the back-side of Bolsa Chica actually have water this year, but very few birds.  So it’s on to Bolsa Chica.  The walk there provides only 5 new birds, including Least Terns, but Snowy Plovers are not nesting yet and there was reported to be one lonely Red Knot, but we sure couldn’t find it.  So we finish Bolsa Chica with 117 species, twenty fewer than last year. 

Next stop is Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley for a few specific oddities, both Cackling Goose and Cattle Egret have hung around here since the Christmas Bird Count.  We also find our missing Great-tailed Grackle and yet another surprise Snow Goose.  Then it’s on to Starr Ranch, where Pete gives us a great, but bone-jarring, tour of the ranch roads  I had never seen so much of Starr Ranch, or felt so personally connected to every rock and rut.  I will remember that ride for a long time, at least until my next visit to the chiropractor.  In the remaining daylight we pick up Grasshopper Sparrow, Lazuli Bunting, Cactus Wren, Oak Titmouse, Northern Flicker, Green Heron and our only Bullock’s Oriole of the day. 

This has been a very disappointing day, with a grand total of 128 (24 species short of last year).  Southern California has already experienced several hot spells with temps in the 90’s, so it seems that the migrants were off of their usual schedule.  But we also missed some local breeders, and several birds we had scouted two days earlier simply did not show up.  Some days you’re the shrike, and some days you’re the grasshopper.  But a fun day with good company and fundraising for a worthy cause.

Cheers!
Steve Alter

2016 Starr Ranch Birdathon Species List

Home | About Us | Research | Conservation | Education | Internships | Volunteer
Friends of Starr Ranch | Donate | Checklists | History | Photo Album | Jobs | Contact Us
Copyright 2007 by National Audubon Society, Inc. All rights reserved. Starr Ranch Sanctuary, 100 Bell Canyon Road, Trabuco Canyon, CA 92679
Ph: 949-858-0309