Santa Barbara County Birds

Devereux Slough, Goleta Slough, Coal Oil Point Reserve, Sands Beach, and nearby places — January through March 12, 2008.

March 2008

Surf Scoters at Hollister Ranch on the Gaviota CoastMigrating Surf Scoters
Migrating Surf Scoters at Hollister Ranch on the Gaviota Coast — March 12, 2008.

February 2008

Gull with a sea urchin
Shorebirds enjoying the storm's harvest of sea urchins.

Birds — February 2008: Brown Pelicans, Snowy Egrets, a Great Blue Heron, shorebirds, and the Condor recognition event.

Coal Oil Point Reserve — February 2008: Devereux Slough open to the sea, Snowy Plovers, and Semipalmated Plovers.

Great Egret and sea otter at Hollister Ranch
Sea Otter Count at Bixby and Hollister Ranch — February 12, 2008. We counted 25 otters, 19 Harbor Seals, and two sea lions, with surfing at Perco's.

January 2008

January's Welcomed Guest — a little story.

Coal Oil Point Reserve — January 2008: winter changes and reflections at Devereux Slough and Snowy Plovers.

Pelicans and other birds at Devereux SloughRainy day at Devereux Slough
Rainy day at Devereux Slough with snow on the mountains — January 23, 2008. View the Coal Oil Point Reserve and Ocean Meadows slideshow.
Immature Bald Eagle at Lake Cachuma
Lake Cachuma eagle count, fishing and tour boats, immature Bald Eagles, American White Pelicans, Rock Wren, and birders — January 12, 2008.
Gulls at Goleta Beach during the Santa Barbara Christmas Bird Count
Gulls at the mouth of Goleta Slough on an overcast Christmas Bird Count day — January 5, 2008. View the Santa Barbara Audubon Christmas Bird Count slideshow.

2007 Santa Barbara Audubon Christmas Bird Count

Joan Lentz at the Christmas Bird Count
Joan Lentz officiating the Christmas Bird Count gathering.

Joan Lentz officiated the event. This year we had challenges with rain and rough seas that prevented some areas from being covered. The unofficial count was 204 species. Going through the complete list of expected and hoped-for birds takes time but is an interesting learning experience. I learned the term “poaching,” which is what happens when others find important birds that are not in their counting zone. The potluck offered a nice assortment of food after a long, cold day.

Valiant efforts were made to describe where birds were located and their unusual markings and species. Rare finds are of special interest, and many are checked again the next day when possible. Joan does a great job keeping the bird count as accurate as possible. I found it amazing how hard everyone worked to get a good tally of what was happening with local birds.

Participants at the Christmas Bird CountChristmas Bird Count participants
Santa Barbara Christmas Bird Count participants — January 5, 2008.
Kyle counting birds at Goleta Beach
Kyle, Evan, and I counted birds around Goleta Slough, Goleta Beach, and the sanitation plant. Kyle is counting Western Grebes and scoters near the Goleta shore.
Black-necked Stilts and a Blue-winged Teal
Black-necked Stilts and a Blue-winged Teal at the Goleta Sanitary District. The Blue-winged Teal was a target bird for the Christmas Count.