March 2005

Clark's Grebe – 19 Mar, a pair with the fi rst nest of the season was on Whale Rock Reservoir (TME)

American Bittern – 20 Mar, one at Oso Flaco Lake provided the only report this month (LL, MLS)

White-faced Ibis – 19 Mar, a fl ock of 25 ibis was seen heading north over Laguna Lake (RMR); 21 Mar, three were in the fore-dune lagoons in the Morro Strand area in North Morro Bay (NW)

Tundra Swan – 23 Mar, one on Morro Bay provided the county's latest spring date (MLS,DV)

Canada Goose – 26 Mar, 6 were on Morro Bay (TME) and 31 Mar; two were on the ocean off the Port San Luis Pier (TME)

Wood Duck – 1 Mar, there were at least 6 pair at the Atascadero wastewater ponds (MLS); 4 Mar, a male was on the lagoon at the Oceano Campground (MLS); and 13 Mar, a pair was on Santa Margarita Lake (SCS)

Eurasian Wigeon – 12-26 Mar, up to two males were on Morro Bay (RB,MLS,TME)

Blue-winged Teal – 23 Mar, 50 males with uncounted females around Baywood Cove and off Pecho Road was the high count for the month of March (MDS)

Long-tailed Duck – 1 Mar, a female was seen west of the Morro Bay State Park Marina (MLS); 31 Mar, the fi rst year bird wintering around the Port San Luis Pier was still present (TME)

Black Scoter – 26 Mar, a female was off Yerba Buena Street in North Morro Bay (TME); 31 Mar, three females were off the Port San Luis Pier (TME)

Hooded Merganser – 9-21 Mar, a male and female were on a pond near the Cal Poly sports complex (MDS, MLS)

Osprey – 8 Mar, one was at Morro Bay (MLS); another was seen at Lopez Lake (DML), and 20 Mar, one was at Atascadero Lake (LT)

Bald Eagle – 9 Mar, an adult was at Lopez Lake (DML) with 2 juveniles and an adult (often dive-bombed by Ospreys) there on 18 Mar (SH); 13 Mar, an adult at Santa Margarita Lake (JLR,SCS)

Swainson's Hawk – 31 Mar, very rare in SLO County, an intermediate morph sub-adult fl ew over Deer Canyon in northeast Arroyo Grande (BKS)

Rough-legged Hawk – 9 Mar, two on the Carrizo Plain were the latest reported (BKS)

Black-necked Stilt – 6-19 Mar, up to two were in the wetland along Cholame Valley Road where this species bred last year (AFS); 15 Mar, one was at a pond on the south side of Seven Mile Road in the Carrizo Plain (K&BK)

Lesser Yellowlegs – 6-19 Mar, one was with a Greater Yellowlegs in the wetland along Cholame Valley Road (AFS); 11 Mar, fi ve were seen in the Chorro Creek channel along State Park Road in Morro Bay (GPS)

Black-legged Kittiwake – 21 Mar, an immature off Point Piedras Blancas provided one of the few this winter (RAR)

Black Skimmer – 5-26 Mar, up to 9 have been on the inside of the Morro Bay Sandspit across from the boat launch (MLS)

Marbled Murrelet – 20-26 Mar, groups of 1-3 were almost daily sitting off Point Piedras Blancas during the morning hours in varying shades of dress from full winter to molting into spring breeding (RAR)

Ancient Murrelet – 20-26 Mar, small numbers have been fl ybys at Point Piedras Blancas (RAR)

Lewis's Woodpecker – 6 Mar, one continued to be seen about 1.7 miles south of Hwy 58 along Pozo Road (MDS)

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – 10 Mar, a female discovered in the Morro Bay Heron Rookery likely wintered there (BKS)

Red-naped Sapsucker – 5 Mar, last date the male wintering at El Chorro Regional Park was seen (DML); 9 Mar, a female found in riparian habitat along Pozo Road about a mile beyond Hwy 58 may have wintered there (BKS) as is likely the case with an adult male photographed in an elm tree at the Santa Margarita Lake headquarters building on 13 Mar, (SCS,JLR)

Pacifi c Slope Flycatcher – 7 Mar, fi rst of spring, two were heard along the Reservoir Flats Trail at Montana de Oro SP (GPS)

Cassin's Kingbird – 6 Mar, fi rst of spring, one was in the riparian woodland on San Juan Creek at Hwy 58 (MDS)

Western Kingbird – 6 Mar, one on a fence along Bitterwater Road provided a new early arrival date for the county (MDS)

Cassin's Vireo – 29 Mar, fi rst of spring, one was singing along the intermittent oak-lined creek between Rambouillet and Charolais Roads in Paso Robles (MT)

Warbling Vireo – 9 Mar, fi rst of spring, singing bird along Pozo Road about one mile beyond the Santa Margarita turnoff from Hwy 58 (BKS)

Varied Thrush – 13 Mar, a male was in Spooners Cove Campground at Montana de Oro State Park (RB)

Sage Thrasher – 19 Mar, two were along the north end of Elkhorn Road near the fi rst corral (DML); 27 Mar, one was along Hwy 33 at Foothill Road in southeastern SLO County (AFS)

Le Conte's Thrasher – 13 Mar, two that appeared to be paired were in saltbush south of Panorama Rd, Carrizo Plain (AFS)

Phainopepla – 1 Mar, one just west of Toro Creek Road along Hwy 41 seemed out of place (MLS)

Nashville Warbler – 2 Mar, the wintering bird at the Oceano Campground lagoon was still present (MLS)

Hermit Warbler – 14 Mar, a fi rst winter female was in Monterey pines in the State Park Campground in Oceano (MLS)

Chipping Sparrow – 29 Mar, individuals in 2 different locations, were both in junipers near Quail Springs in the southern Carrizo Plain National Monument (AFS)

Lark Bunting – 13 Mar, an alternate plumaged male was along Soda Lake Road about a mile north of the Carrizo Plain National Monument Visitor Center entrance (JH)

Black-headed Grosbeak – 12 Mar, a second year male at a feeder in Los Osos was exceptionally early (GPS) )

OBSERVERS: Thanks to the many birders that report their sightings. The following people are cited above: Richard Barth, Tom M. Edell, Steve Hampton, Jim Hardesty, Ken and Brenda Kyle, Dave M. Lawrence, Laury Lotz, John L. Roser, Richard A. Rowlett, Ron M. Ruppert, Alan F. Schmierer, Brad K. Schram, Steve C. Schubert, Gregory P. Smith, Maggie L. Smith, Bob Stafford, Mike D. Stiles, Linda Tanner, Mike Tyner, Deb Villa, Norma Wightman, and Roger H. Zachary. For information about birds or locations mentioned in this report, contact Tom Edell at (805) 995-1691 or tedell@aol.com….Tom Edell