It was not my original intention to do a California Big Year in 1997 but rather to add new state birds to my California life list. By the end of the year I had added 22 species to my state list two of which were attributed to the recent splits. By late November I had realized the year-list total was quickly approaching 400. So, I thought that reaching 400 would be possible. In fact the final count was 264 for Santa Clara County, 403 for California and 506 for ABA or Lower-48. This was within 90% of the real year-list winners, Bob (445) and Barbara (431) Brandriff of Berkeley and Doug Shaw of Santa Rosa (444). I understand the real winner has not come forward. The Howes' old record for 1996 still stands. Will it be broken in 1998? Special thanks go to Bob and Barbara Brandriff and Doug Shaw whom I accompanied on many birding trips, and to all the e-mail contributors to calbird and South-Bay-Birds and all the RBAs.The year did not go without problems. On July 26, 1997, Calvin Lou, Doug Shaw, and I found ourselves in a very dangerous situation hiking down from the Conness Lakes in Mono County down the edge of a very slippery patch of ice that went nowhere but straignt down. We had to reroute the hike down without seeing any White-tailed Ptarmigans. On May, 18, 1997, at 2:00 AM I ended up with a flat tire right in front of the Moss Landing Power Plant with only a flash light to work with. That was the easier part of the problem. The mechanic who had put the wheel on last had forced on the lug nuts causing two of the bolts the break off entirely! On October 4, 1997, my car was broken into near the Palo Alto Baylands in Santa Clara County, and my camera was stolen from a well-hidden backpack. The last roll of film exposed in that camera produced pictures of the San Diego Belcher's (Band-tailed) Gull and a flock of six Masked Lovebirds in my neighborhood here in Livermore in Alameda County.
The year started with a Northern Saw-whet Owl birding with John Mariani and his girl-friend at Mount Madonna County Park in Santa Clara County and ended in Patagonia, Arizona on New Year's Eve with the Nutting's Flycatcher, but not until my car was totaled in down-town Phoenix at the entrance to Papago park in pursuit of city-dwelling Harris' Hawks on 12-29-97. If I had had a passenger, there would have easily been a fatality. The only thing I had salvaged from the wreck was my licensee-plate frame: "I'd rather be birding!"
Yes, 400 year birds in California is achievable. I encourage others to give it a try. I would also like to encourage others who did big years in 1997 to tell us their stories.
Some birds I usually see during the year were unfortunately missed in 1997: Sage Grouse, White-tailed Ptarmigan, Black Swift, Black-backed Woodpecker.
Good Birding
Mike Feighner, Livermore, CA, pac_loon@pacbell.net (home)
Mike Feighner, Sunnyvale, CA, mike.feighner@lmco.com (work)
Red-throated Loon Santa Clara County 1-3-97 Pacific Loon Santa Clara County 1-3-97 Common Loon Santa Clara County 1-3-97 Pied-billed Grebe Santa Clara County 1-3-97 Horned Grebe Santa Clara County 1-3-97 Red-necked Grebe Monterey County 2-9-97 Eared Grebe Santa Clara County 1-3-97 Western Grebe Orange County 1-5-97 Clark's Grebe Santa Clara County 1-6-97 Black-footed Albatross Sonoma County 8-1-97 Laysan Albatross Mendocino County 2-2-97 Northern Fulmar Marin County 8-1-97 Dark-rumped Petrel Marin County 8-1-97 Pink-footed Shearwater Sonoma County 8-1-97 Flesh-footed Shearwater Marin County 10-25-97 Buller's Shearwater Monterey County 8-24-97 Sooty Shearwater Marin County 8-1-97 Short-tailed Shearwater Marin County 8-1-97 Black-vented Shearwater Monterey County 8-24-97 Wilson's Storm-Petrel Marin County 8-1-97 Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel Marin County 8-1-97 Leach's Storm-Petrel San Diego County 9-7-97 Ashy Storm-Petrel Marin County 8-1-97 Black Storm-Petrel San Diego County 9-7-97 Least Storm-Petrel San Diego County 9-7-97 Masked Booby Ventura County 1-26-97 American White Pelican Santa Clara County 1-27-97 Brown Pelican Santa Clara County 1-3-97 Double-crested Cormorant Santa Clara County 1-3-97 Brandt's Cormorant Ventura County 1-26-97 Pelagic Cormorant Ventura County 1-26-97 American Bittern Santa Clara County 3-13-97 Least Bittern Imperial County 7-4-97 Great Blue Heron Santa Clara County 1-3-97 Great Egret Santa Cruz County 1-1-97 Snowy Egret Santa Clara County 1-3-97 Little Blue Heron Santa Clara County 6-7-97 Reddish Egret San Diego County 9-7-97 Cattle Egret Santa Clara County 1-4-97 Green Heron Santa Clara County 1-11-97 Black-crowned Night-Heron Santa Clara County 1-3-97 White-faced Ibis Monterey County 5-3-97 Wood Stork Imperial County 7-4-97 Fulvous Whistling-Duck Imperial County 7-4-97 Tundra Swan Mendocino County 2-2-97 Greater White-fronted Goose Santa Clara County 1-9-97 Snow Goose Los Angeles County 1-5-97 Ross's Goose Santa Clara County 1-4-97 Emperor Goose Sonoma County 2-2-97 Brant Sonoma County 2-2-97 Canada Goose Santa Clara County 1-3-97 Wood Duck Santa Clara County 1-11-97 Green-winged Teal Santa Clara County 1-3-97 Mallard Santa Cruz County 1-1-97 Northern Pintail Santa Clara County 1-9-97 Blue-winged Teal Santa Clara County 1-9-97 Cinnamon Teal Santa Clara County 1-3-97 Northern Shoveler Santa Clara County 1-3-97 Gadwall Santa Clara County 1-9-97 Eurasian Wigeon Santa Clara County 1-27-97 American Wigeon Santa Clara County 1-4-97 Canvasback Santa Clara County 1-3-97 Redhead Santa Clara County 1-9-97 Ring-necked Duck Santa Clara County 1-11-97 Tufted Duck Santa Clara County 1-24-97 Greater Scaup Santa Clara County 1-3-97 Lesser Scaup Santa Clara County 1-3-97 King Eider Marin County 2-1-97 Harlequin Duck Ventura County 1-26-97 Oldsquaw Monterey County 2-9-97 Black Scoter Alameda County 12-7-97 Surf Scoter Santa Clara County 1-3-97 White-winged Scoter Contra Costa County 9-14-97 Common Goldeneye Santa Clara County 1-3-97 Barrow's Goldeneye Santa Clara County 1-3-97 Bufflehead Santa Clara County 1-3-97 Hooded Merganser Santa Clara County 1-3-97 Common Merganser Santa Clara County 1-11-97 Red-breasted Merganser Santa Clara County 1-3-97 Ruddy Duck Santa Cruz County 1-1-97 Turkey Vulture Santa Clara County 1-3-97 Osprey San Mateo County 2-22-97 White-tailed Kite Santa Clata County 1-4-97 Bald Eagle Santa Clara County 1-11-97 Northern Harrier Santa Clara County 1-17-97 Sharp-shinned Hawk Santa Clara County 1-17-97 Cooper's Hawk Santa Clara County 1-4-97 Red-shouldered Hawk Santa Clara County 1-3-97 Swainson's Hawk Sacramento Couunty 6-8-97 Red-tailed Hawk Santa Clara County 1-4-97 Ferruginous Hawk Alameda County 1-14-97 Rough-legged Hawk San Joaquin County 11-28-97 Golden Eagle Los Angeles County 1-5-97 American Kestrel Santa Clara County 1-3-97 Merlin Alameda County 1-12-97 Peregrine Falcon Santa Clara County 1-4-97 Prairie Falcon Alameda County 2-9-97 Ring-necked Pheasant Santa Clara County 1-4-97 Wild Turkey Santa Clara County 4-5-97 Gambel's Quail San Bernardino County 5-24-97 California Quail Santa Clara County 1-4-97 Mountain Quail Santa Clara County 3-21-97 Black Rail Santa Clara County 1-9-97 Clapper Rail Santa Clara County 1-6-97 Virginia Rail Santa Clara County 1-4-97 Sora Santa Clara County 1-6-97 Purple Gallinule Inyo County 10-11-97 Common Moorhen Santa Clara County 1-3-97 American Coot Santa Cruz County 1-1-97 Sandhill Crane San Joaquin County 2-16-97 Black-bellied Plover Santa Clara County 1-19-97 Pacific Golden-Plover Santa Clara County 8-4-97 Snowy Plover Kings County 5-26-97 Semipalmated Plover Monterey County 5-3-97 Killdeer Santa Clara County 1-4-97 Mountain Plover Yolo County 2-16-97 American Black Oystercatcher Mendocino County 2-2-97 Black-necked Stilt Santa Clara County 1-3-97 American Avocet Santa Clara County 1-3-97 Greater Yellowlegs Santa Clara County 1-3-97 Lesser Yellowlegs Santa Clara County 1-17-97 Willet Santa Clara County 1-4-97 Wandering Tattler Monterey County 5-3-97 Spotted Sandpiper San Benito County 2-23-97 Whimbrel Monterey County 2-9-97 Long-billed Curlew Santa Clara County 1-4-97 Marbled Godwit Santa Clara County 1-19-97 Ruddy Turnstone Monterey County 2-9-97 Black Turnstone Mendocino County 2-2-97 Surfbird Monterey County 2-9-97 Red Knot Santa Clara County 4-30-97 Sanderling Orange County 1-5-97 Semipalmated Sandpiper Santa Clara County 7-8-97 Western Sandpiper Santa Clara County 1-17-97 Least Sandpiper Santa Clara County 1-4-97 White-rumped Sandpiper Santa Clara County 9-4-97 Baird's Sandpiper Santa Clara County 8-13-97 Pectoral Sandpiper Santa Clara County 8-31-97 Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Santa Clara County 10-4-97 Rock Sandpiper Santa Cruz County 11-23-97 Dunlin Santa Clara County 1-6-97 Curlew Sandpiper Santa Clara County 7-24-97 Stilt Sandpiper Santa Clara County 8-24-97 Ruff Santa Clara County 9-4-97 Short-billed Dowitcher Santa Clara County 3-22-97 Long-billed Dowitcher Santa Clara County 1-3-97 Common Snipe Inyo County 10-11-97 Wilson's Phalarope Santa Clara County 6-17-97 Red-necked Phalarope Monterey County 5-3-97 Red Phalarope Marin County 8-1-97 Pomarine Jaeger Marin County 8-1-97 Parasitic Jaeger Marin County 8-1-97 Long-tailed Jaeger Marin County 8-1-97 South Polar Skua Marin County 8-1-97 Laughing Gull Riverside County 7-4-97 Franklin's Gull Riverside County 5-25-97 Bonaparte's Gull Santa Clara County 1-16-97 Heermann's Gull Orange County 1-5-97 Band-tailed Gull San Diego County 8-9-97 Mew Gull Santa Cruz County 1-1-97 Ring-billed Gull Santa Clara County 1-2-97 California Gull Santa Clara County 1-3-97 Herring Gull Santa Clara County 1-3-97 Thayer's Gull Santa Clara County 1-10-97 Lesser Black-backed Gull Santa Clara County 10-26-97 Yellow-footed Gull Imperial County 7-4-97 Western Gull Santa Clara County 1-3-97 Glaucous-winged Gull Santa Clara County 1-3-97 Glaucous Gull Santa Clara County 1-17-97 Black-legged Kittiwake Marin County 10-25-97 Sabine's Gull Marin County 8-1-97 Gull-billed Tern Imperial County 7-4-97 Caspian Tern Orange County 1-5-97 Royal Tern Orange County 7-5-97 Elegant Tern Orange County 5-18-97 Common Tern Imperial County 7-4-97 Arctic Tern Alameda County 6-27-97 Forster's Tern Santa Clara County 1-10-97 Least Tern Orange County 5-18-97 Sooty Tern Orange County 5-18-97 Black Tern Kings County 5-26-97 Black Skimmer Santa Clara County 1-3-97 Common Murre Marin County 6-1-97 Pigeon Guillemot Monterey County 5-3-97 Marbled Murrelet San Mateo County 11-19-97 Ancient Murrelet Marin County 11-21-97 Cassin's Auklet Sonoma County 8-1-97 Rhinoceros Auklet Sonoma County 8-1-97 Tufted Puffin Marin County 10-25-97 Horned Puffin Marin County 6-1-97 Rock Dove Santa Clara County 1-2-97 Band-tailed Pigeon Santa Clara County 3-8-97 Spotted Dove Orange County 1-5-97 White-winged Dove Riverside County 5-24-97 Mourning Dove Santa Cruz County 1-1-97 Inca Dove San Bernardino County 5-24-97 Common Ground-Dove Orange County 5-23-97 Greater Roadrunner Riverside County 5-24-97 Barn Owl Santa Clara County 1-6-97 Flammulated Owl Monterey County 5-17-97 Western Screech-Owl Santa Clara County 3-21-97 Great Horned Owl Santa Clara County 1-7-97 Northern Pygmy-Owl Santa Clara County 3-8-97 Burrowing Owl Santa Clara County 1-10-97 Spotted Owl Humboldt County 6-13-97 Barred Owl Humboldt County 6-13-97 Short-eared Owl Santa Clara County 1-19-97 Northern Saw-whet Owl Santa Clara County 1-1-97 Lesser Nighthawk Imperial County 7-4-97 Common Nighthawk El Dorado County 7-12-97 Common Poorwill Santa Clara County 3-21-97 Whip-poor-will San Bernardino County 7-3-97 Chimney Swift Los Angeles County 5-25-97 Vaux's Swift Santa Clara County 5-10-97 White-throated Swift Santa Clara County 1-4-97 Black-chinned Hummingbird Santa Clara County 4-3-97 Anna's Hummingbird Santa Clara County 1-1-97 Costa's Hummingbird San Diego County 5-23-97 Calliope Hummingbird Mono County 7-6-97 Broad-tailed Hummingbird San Bernardino County 5-25-97 Rufous Hummingbird Santa Clara County 4-1-97 Allen's Hummingbird Orange County 1-5-97 Belted Kingfisher Santa Clara County 1-3-97 Lewis's Woodpecker Santa Clara County 3-1-97 Acorn Woodpecker Santa Clara County 1-4-97 Gila Woodpecker San Bernardino County 5-24-97 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Santa Clara County 1-4-97 Red-breasted Sapsucker Santa Clara County 1-6-97 Williamson's Sapsucker Modoc County 6-15-97 Ladder-backed Woodpecker San Bernardino County 7-3-97 Nuttall's Woodpecker Santa Clara County 1-3-97 Downy Woodpecker Santa Cruz County 1-1-97 Hairy Woodpecker Santa Clara County 1-1-97 White-headed Woodpecker Lassen County 6-14-97 Northern Flicker Santa Clara County 1-3-97 Gilded Flicker San Bernardino County 5-24-97 Pileated Woodpecker Humboldt County 12-6-97 Olive-sided Flycatcher Monterey County 5-3-97 Western Wood-Pewee Monterey County 5-3-97 Willow Flycatcher San Bernardino County 5-24-97 Hammond's Flycatcher Modoc County 6-15-97 Dusky Flycatcher San Bernardino County 5-25-97 Gray Flycatcher Riverside County 5-25-97 Pacific-slope Flycatcher Santa Clara County 3-5-97 Cordilleran Flycatcher Modoc County 6-15-97 Black Phoebe Santa Cruz County 1-1-97 Eastern Phoebe Santa Clara County 3-3-97 Say's Phoebe Santa Clara County 1-9-97 Vermilion Flycatcher San Benito County 2-23-97 Ash-throated Flycatcher Santa Clara County 4-30-97 Brown-crested Flycatcher San Bernardino County 7-3-97 Tropical Kingbird Santa Clara County 10-10-97 Cassin's Kingbird Los Angeles County 1-5-97 Thick-billed Kingbird Los Angeles County 1-5-97 Western Kingbird Santa Clara County 4-5-97 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Riverside County 12-28-97 Horned Lark Santa Clara County 1-4-97 Purple Martin Santa Clara County 5-10-97 Tree Swallow Santa Clara County 2-28-97 Violet-green Swallow San Benito County 2-23-97 Northern Rough-winged Swallow Santa Clara County 3-5-97 Bank Swallow Monterey County 5-3-97 Cliff Swallow Santa Clara County 2-28-97 Barn Swallow Santa Clara County 2-10-97 Gray Jay Mendocino County 11-16-97 Steller's Jay Santa Clara County 1-1-97 Blue Jay Humboldt County 12-6-97 Western Scrub-Jay Santa Cruz County 1-1-97 Pinyon Jay San Bernardino County 5-24-97 Clark's Nutcracker Monterey County 5-3-97 Black-billed Magpie Modoc County 6-14-97 Yellow-billed Magpie Alameda County 1-4-97 American Crow Santa Clara County 1-2-97 Common Raven Santa Cruz County 1-1-97 Black-capped Chickadee Humboldt County 11-22-97 Mountain Chickadee Modoc County 6-15-97 Chestnut-backed Chickadee Santa Clara County 1-1-97 Oak Titmouse Santa Clara County 1-4-97 Verdin Riverside County 5-25-97 Bushtit Santa Clara County 1-4-97 Red-breasted Nuthatch Santa Cruz County 1-1-97 White-breasted Nuthatch Santa Clara County 1-4-97 Pygmy Nuthatch Santa Clara County 1-1-97 Brown Creeper Santa Clara County 1-1-97 Rock Wren Santa Clara County 1-4-97 Canyon Wren Santa Clara County 1-19-97 Bewick's Wren Santa Clara County 1-1-97 House Wren Santa Clara County 3-15-97 Winter Wren Santa Clara County 1-1-97 Marsh Wren Santa Clara County 1-4-97 American Dipper Santa Clara County 3-4-97 Dusky Warbler Santa Cruz County 10-16-97 Golden-crowned Kinglet Santa Clara County 1-19-97 Ruby-crowned Kinglet Santa Clara County 1-1-97 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Santa Clara County 3-29-97 California Gnatcatcher Orange County 5-23-97 Black-tailed Gnatcatcher San Bernardino County 5-25-97 Western Bluebird Santa Clara County 1-4-97 Mountain Bluebird Alameda County 1-11-97 Swainson's Thrush Monterey County 5-3-97 Hermit Thrush Santa Clara County 1-1-97 American Robin Santa Clara County 1-1-97 Varied Thrush Santa Clara County 1-1-97 Wrentit Santa Clara County 1-1-97 Northern Mockingbird Santa Cruz County 1-1-97 Sage Thrasher Mono County 7-6-97 Bendire's Thrasher Riverside County 7-3-97 California Thrasher Santa Cruz County 1-1-97 Le Conte's Thrasher San Bernardino County 7-3-97 American Pipit Santa Clara County 1-4-97 Sprague's Pipit Inyo County 10-11-97 Cedar Waxwing Santa Clara County 1-3-97 Phainopepla Alameda County 5-18-97 Loggerhead Shrike Santa Clara County 1-9-97 European Starling Santa Clara County 1-3-97 Bell's Vireo San Bernardino County 5-24-97 Gray Vireo Bernardino County 24-97 Cassin's Vireo Monterey County 5-3-97 Hutton's Vireo Santa Cruz County 1-1-97 Warbling Vireo Santa Clara County 3-22-97 Orange-crowned Warbler Monterey County 2-9-97 Nashville Warbler Santa Clara County 5-4-97 Virginia's Warbler San Bernardino County 5-25-97 Yellow Warbler Santa Clara County 4-5-97 Magnolia Warbler Santa Clara County 10-26-97 Yellow-rumped Warbler Santa Clara County 1-1-97 Black-throated Gray Warbler Santa Clara County 4-5-97 Townsend's Warbler Santa Clara County 1-1-97 Hermit Warbler Monterey County 2-9-97 Pine Warbler Orange County 12-28-97 Prairie Warbler Santa Clara County 11-23-97 Palm Warbler Santa Clara County 1-3-97 Blackpoll Warbler San Mateo County 9-28-97 Black-and-white Warbler Alameda County 2-1-97 American Redstart Santa Clara County 8-12-97 Prothonotary Warbler Inyo County 10-11-97 MacGillivray's Warbler San Bernardino County 5-24-97 Common Yellowthroat Santa Clara County 1-6-97 Hooded Warbler Santa Clara County 1-11-97 Wilson's Warbler Santa Clara County 3-29-97 Canada Warbler Los Angeles County 10-12-97 Painted Redstart Santa Barbara County 12-27-97 Yellow-breasted Chat Santa Clara County 5-18-97 Summer Tanager Santa Clara County 2-23-97 Western Tanager Monterey County 5-3-97 Northern Cardinal San Bernardino County 5-24-97 Rose-breasted Grosbeak San Mateo County 2-22-97 Black-headed Grosbeak Santa Clara County 3-21-97 Blue Grosbeak Santa Clara County 4-30-97 Lazuli Bunting Santa Clara County 4-30-97 Indigo Bunting Yolo County 8-16-97 Dickcissel San Mateo County 4-6-97 Green-tailed Towhee Modoc County 6-15-97 Spotted Towhee Santa Clara County 1-4-97 California Towhee Santa Cruz County 1-1-97 Abert's Towhee San Bernardino County 5-24-97 Rufous-crowned Sparrow Santa Clara County 3-22-97 Chipping Sparrow Monterey County 5-3-97 Brewer's Sparrow Modoc County 6-15-97 Black-chinned Sparrow Santa Clara County 5-10-97 Lark Sparrow Santa Clara County 1-19-97 Black-throated Sparrow Riverside County 7-3-97 Sage Sparrow Santa Clara County 5-17-97 Lark Bunting Monterey County 9-27-97 Savannah Sparrow Santa Clara County 1-4-97 Grasshopper Sparrow Monterey County 5-3-97 Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow Santa Clara County 1-9-97 Fox Sparrow Santa Clara County 1-11-97 Song Sparrow Santa Clara County 1-4-97 Lincoln's Sparrow Santa Clara County 1-11-97 Swamp Sparrow Santa Clara County 12-8-97 White-throated Sparrow San Mateo County 4-6-97 Golden-crowned Sparrow Santa Cruz County 1-1-97 White-crowned Sparrow Santa Clara County 1-3-97 Harris's Sparrow Alameda County 1-13-97 Dark-eyed Junco Santa Clara County 1-1-97 Smith's Longspur Inyo County 10-11-97 Bobolink Inyo County 10-11-97 Red-winged Blackbird Santa Clara County 1-3-97 Tricolored Blackbird Santa Clara County 1-28-97 Western Meadowlark Santa Clara County 1-4-97 Yellow-headed Blackbird Santa Clara County 5-4-97 Brewer's Blackbird Santa Clara County 1-4-97 Great-tailed Grackle Monterey County 5-3-97 Bronzed Cowbird San Bernardino County 5-24-97 Brown-headed Cowbird Santa Clara County 1-6-97 Hooded Oriole Alameda County 3-25-97 Streak-backed Oriole Orange County 1-5-97 Bullock's Oriole Santa Clara County 2-23-97 Baltimore Oriole Santa Clara County 10-21-97 Scott's Oriole Riverside County 7-3-97 Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch Mono County 7-26-97 Pine Grosbeak Mono County 7-26-97 Purple Finch Santa Clara County 01-01-97 Cassin's Finch Modoc County 06-15-97 House Finch Santa Cruz County 01-01-97 Red Crossbill Santa Clara County 03-27-97 Pine Siskin Santa Clara County 01-01-97 Lesser Goldfinch Santa Clara County 01-11-97 Lawrence's Goldfinch Santa Clara County 04-05-97 American Goldfinch Alameda County 01-04-97 Evening Grosbeak Modoc County 06-15-97 House Sparrow Santa Clara County 01-03-97 403 SPECIIES