Monterey Audubon Society newsletter: July 3 - 17 Hi there birding friends, If you're celebrating the Fourth of July tomorrow, make sure to spare a thought for the neighborhood birds. Going to the beach? Be sure to follow signs demarcating closed off areas for nesting shorebirds. Fireworks? Heck, I don't think they're legal anywhere around here, but the birds don't like them anyways. Let's just not use them. Barbecue at a local park? Make sure to pick up all your trash and don't feed wildlife, no matter how cute they are. Plan ahead and prepare for your outings so you can concentrate just on having fun! "Plan ahead and prepare" is a tenant of Leave No Trace. Have you heard of this concept? I think these principles apply both in the back-country and the front-country and use them everyday. Happy Bird-of-July! Stay safe and enjoy time with family and friends. Amanda Preece Environmental Advocate, MAS |
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Monthly chapter presentation, Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History Tuesday July 11, 7:30 PM |
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Observing and Conserving the Seabirds that Rely on California’s Central Coast with Dan Robinette, Point Blue Conservation Science Dan leads programs along the California coast focusing on marine birds as indicators of ecosystem processes and conditions. His research projects include investigating the diet and foraging habits of coastally breeding seabirds, marine bird use of coastal and nearshore habitats inside and outside of marine protected areas (MPAs), the impacts of human disturbance on coastal habitat use by marine birds, and the impacts of dune restoration on shorebird populations. |
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Other upcoming MAS activites: An Introduction to eBird Workshop Saturday July 15 | 9:00 - 12:00 PM MEarth, at Carmel Middle School Birding Elkhorn Slough Field Trip Saturday, July 29 | 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Check out the details on our website! |
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New record of Swainson's Hawk nesting in Monterey County Swainson's Hawks are an elegant Buteo that lives in grassland habitat in Monterey County. I usually only see them when I am driving to visit family over in the central valley, but this year, a group of birders went on the search for evidence of Swainson's Hawk breeding activity after seeing a pair at the Marina Landfill. See Don Roberson's account below: "The last reported nest in Monterey County was 50 years ago, in the far southeast in Cholame Valley. The last confirmed nesting in the lower Salinas Valley was a set of eggs collected near Salinas in 1915 (MVZ). Nearby counties (San Benito & San Luis Obispo) have confirmed nesting Swainson's in recent years. This year, on 13 May 2023, Brian Sullivan and a big day team documented a courting pair at the Marina Landfill (see https://ebird.org/checklist/S137674635). Many locals have seen one or both dark-morph adults continuing into June.
We were able to obtain permission to access otherwise inaccessible land to search for breeding evidence this morning. Quite remarkably, we [Brian Sullivan, Paul Fenwick, Rita Carratello, Don Roberson] lucked into an occupied nest in the Salinas River riparian corridor. The (presumed) male was just 'hanging out' for a time, but then went foraging and once returned with what I thought was a lizard, and delivered that into the canopy of a tree that was later confirmed to have the well-hidden (presumed) female on the nest. Other foraging forays by the (presumed) male were not successful. The site is not open to the public." To view the pictures that accompanied this eBird checklist, head HERE. |
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Upcoming eBird Workshop On Saturday July 15th, MAS will be hosting an eBird workshop to go over how to use both the eBird app and website to learn more about birds and also contribute to this global project. It will be held at the MEarth Habitat Garden and a big "thank you" to Karin Stratton for letting us host our event there. More details for this event are online HERE. But if you are unable to attend here are some resources to learn about eBird! Getting Started with eBird eBird Essentials Free Online Course |
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Recent email from Liliana Griego, Senior Program Manager of Coasts for Audubon California: Summer has arrived! The sun is out, and Snowy Plover chicks are hatching. The babies leave the nest within just three hours. These tiny threatened birds are just the size of an adult person’s thumb when they hatch. If you’re visiting the beach this weekend, remember that these plover families, along with endangered Least Terns, are raising their chicks nearby. You can be a bird-friendly beachgoer with three easy steps:
1. Keep dogs on leash or visit a dog-friendly beach. 2. Give shorebirds and seabirds at least 100 feet of space—that’s the equivalent of 16 beach towels. Respect fences, signs, and roped off breeding areas. 3. Avoid the use of loud or large flying objects that shorebirds and seabirds perceive as predators such as drones, fireworks, balloons, and kites. To learn more ways to support these shorebirds read our Share the Shore Guide or volunteer with your local chapter. You can check out Ventura Audubon’s blog to see how they’re protecting these threatened species and watch footage from their wildlife cameras. These are seriously cute birds - take a look. And thanks to Ventura Audubon's own Alecia Smith for the photo above.
Thanks for being a plover pal and sharing the shore this summer with our feathered friends! |
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Bird Calls (aka Recent Rarities):Tundra Swan at Carmel River State Beach, Black-necked Stilts at Roberts Lake in Seaside, Masked Booby at Point Pinos, Brown Booby continuing at Point Lobos, Red-footed Booby continuing at the Monterey Harbor, Blue Grosbeak pair continuing in Fort Ord NM, Ash-throated Flycatcher at Elkhorn Slough Reserve, Redhead in Moss Landing, Lawrence's Goldfinches continuing in Pebble Beach. For more details on these rare birds and where to locate them, view the complete list on the Monterey County Rare Bird Alert page on eBird. |
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Other Upcoming In-person Events California Academy of Sciences + Pacific Grove Museum Snapshot Cal Coast, Statewide, June 17-July 9 Snapshot Cal Coast is ongoing, but there will be a special Friday July 7, 7:30 am event at The Great Tidepool (near Asilomar). More info online. Seymour Marine Discovery Center + Oikonos The Winged Sentinels of Monterey Bay art exhibit, Friday, July 7, 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm View the work of talented local artists who have immersed themselves in the ecologic wonders of Año Nuevo Island. A night of beautiful art, appetizers, science, and fun! More info HERE. California Native Plant Society - Monterey Bay Chapter Monthly meeting, Wednesday, July 12, 7:30 PM Fort Ord Plant Preserves - Retrospective and Rescue with Nikki Nedeff at the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History. Similar to our MAS events, doors open at 7:00 PM and the presentation starts at 7:30 PM. More information on the presentation in their digital newsletter online HERE. Habitat Stewardship Project CSUMB Natividad Creek Cleanup event, Saturday, July 15, 10am – 1pm Volunteers are invited to help keep this area clean and safe by picking up litter, pruning shrubs and pulling harmful invasive weeds throughout the park. More info on the HSP calendar. |
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Virtual Events Thurs, July 6, 4:00 PM - The Language of Birds with Nathan Pieplow, Bucks County Birders Fri, July 7, 12 - 1:00 PM PDT - Wild about Wildlife: A Virtual Adventure!, Open Space Authority Sat, July 8, 2:00 PM - Birding By Ear - Summer Sounds, Ventura Wild Birds Unlimited Mon, July 10, 7:00 pm - 8:30 PM - Bryophyte Basics, California Native Plant Society Wed, Jul 12, 2023 11:00 AM - Western Flyer: Literary History Heads Back to Sea, MBARI and Western Flyer Foundation |
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Southern California Toxic Algal Bloom impacts coastal species The rapid growth of harmful algae along parts of the Southern California Coast is believed to have killed hundreds of California sea lions and close to 60 dolphins in the first weeks of June. More information in THIS press release from NOAA. Domoic acid is a neurotoxin that cause seizures, aggression, and death when consumed and can effect marine seabirds as well as marine mammals. While I haven't heard of any reports for Monterey Bay, it's good to keep an eye out for beach-stranded seabirds exhibiting strange behavior. As usual, if you find a sick or injured bird anywhere in Monterey or San Benito County contact the SPCA Wildlife Center at (831) 264-5427. |
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Bay Area bald eagle couple adopted two baby red-tailed hawks It's just what it sounds like, but might not be an entirely altruistic action by the eagles. But who are we to say? The nest is located in Santa Clara County. Read the full San Francisco Chronicle article online HERE. |
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Help out these super-bird parents by giving shorebirds space! |
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Monterey Audubon SocietyMonterey Audubon is an environmental non-profit dedicated to exploring, conserving and celebrating the birds and wildlife of the greater Monterey Bay region. Visit our website to sign up for field trips and learn about our efforts to protect local birds. |
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Visit our website to sign up for field trips and learn about our efforts to protect local birds. |
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