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by Dan Nelson
Many observers have commented about how "short" our summer has been this year. Indeed there have been very few truly hot days. Compared with the last few summers, offshore sea temperatures have been a bit cooler. On land, many wildflowers were two or three weeks late, as was the arrival of many of our summer resident birds. For the most part, nesting was successful, although some insectivores seemed to wait for warmer weather. Blue Grosbeaks apparently nested successfully (again) at Tubbs' Island in July, and June a singing Blue-winged Warbler was seen and photographed near Willowside Road. This marked the first record for Sonoma County, and is one of the rarest warblers to stray to California. Notable sightings include:

Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel (8-10) 7/15 Cordell Bank (DN)
American White Pelican (70) 5/23 Schollenberger Park (ND)
American White Pelican (3) 8/12 Bodega Harbor (DN)
Double-cr. Cormorant (nesting) 8/6 Laguna Farm, Cooper Rd. (BB)
Brant (6) June-Aug Bodega Harbor (M.Ob)
Oldsquaw (1 male ) Apr.-Aug Bodega Harbor (M.Ob)
White-winged Scoter (1) 6/5-7 Bodega Harbor (late) (WS, DN)
Common Goldeneye May-Aug Bodega Harbor (M.Ob)
Blue-winged Teal (fem) 7/11 Schollenberger Park (DN)
Bald Eagle (1 adult) 6/5 Geyserville area (LD,IM)
American Bittern May, July Schollenberger Park (M.Ob)
White-faced Ibis (1) 5/14 Sonoma Valley wetlands (SS,DVL)
Virginia Rail (2-3) 5/27 Campbell Cove (SL, et al)
Black Rail 7/10 Bodega Bay (DN)
Laughing Gull (2nd. County record) 6/19 Gualala River mouth (BDP,DE)
Red Knot 5/27 Bodega Harbor
(SL)
American Golden Plover(1 alt. pl) 7/9-11 Schollenberger Park (LH,CC,DN)
American Golden Plover (2) 8/6 Bodega Harbor (JH, BB,et al)
Wilson's Phalarope (1) 5/23 Schollenberger Park (ND)
Wilson's Phalarope (1) 7/11 Schollenberger Park (DN,LH,CC)
White-throated Swift (3) 7/28 3 Com(Candlestick) Pk (DN,TCN)
Pileated Woodpecker 8/1 in yard, E. of Santa Rosa (RS)
Olive-sided Flycatcher (singing) 8/1 yard, E. of S.R. (RS)
Cedar Waxwing (150+) 5/11 yard, Bodega Bay (NC)
Black-and-White Warbler (singing) 5/31 Owl Canyon, Bodega Bay (DN)
Blue-winged Warbler (singing) 6/2 E. of Willowside Rd. (CS,DN,NW)
Magnolia Warbler (singing) 6/2 Owl Canyon (AW,DN)
Hermit Warbler 7/10 Annapolis Rd. (DN)
MacGillivray's Warbler (nesting pr.) 6/3 Sonoma Mtn. Rd. north (KF)
Yellow-breasted Chat (May-June) Wohler Rd. -only report?? (DN)
Hooded Oriole (May-Aug ) yard, Petaluma
(WN)
Hooded Oriole (nesting) 6/10 Petaluma Blvd. So. (DN)
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (singing) 5/29 Owl Canyon (DN)
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (male) 7/26 at feeder, Freestone (JM)
Blue Grosbeak (2-3) July Tubbs's Island trail (BDP, et al)
Red Crossbill June The Sea Ranch (BDP, et al)
Lawrence's Goldfinch (male) 6/2 Sugarloaf Ridge S.P. (DH, et al)
Lawrence's Goldfinch (3-4 ) 6/7 Sugarloaf; nest-building (DN)
Grasshopper Sparrow (singing) 7/10 Lichau Rd. (DN)
Brewer's Sparrow 6/20 Campbell Cove
(BDP)
Sage Sparrow 5/16 Pine Flat Rd. (IM,LD)
White-crowned Sparrow (1-late ) 5/12 yard, Petaluma (WN)

CONTRIBUTORS: Betty Burridge, Tyler Cannon-Nelson, Nancy Conzett, Chris
Corbin, Norris Dyer, Liz Donath, Doug Ellis, Kathy Francone, David Hofmann, Joel
Hornstein,
Lisa Hug, Shirley Leaphardt, John Mello, Ian Morrison, Dan Nelson, Wini Nelson, Mitch
Obester, Benjamin D. Parmeter, Ted Rollheiser, Roger Sanborn, Sam Sebastiani, Werner
Schumann, Claire Shurvinton, Lawrence and Barbara Taylor, Donna Van Loon, Karen and Jerry
Wagner, Alan Wight & Ned Wynn.
Confirmed sightings may be emailed to Dan at dansbird@pacbell.net, or leave a message at 762-3811.