Fascinating stuff, just for fun…!
Larry Arnold, Boise
From: CALBIRDS@yahoogroups.com [mailto:CALBIRDS@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of ‘Alvaro Jaramillo’ chucao@coastside.net [CALBIRDS]
Sent: Friday, September 15, 2017 12:25 PM
To: ‘Rob Fowler’; ‘Northwest calbird’; ‘Calbirds’
Subject: RE: [CALBIRDS] Big number of Bobolinks in Humboldt County
Rob
Amazing! Something you may keep in mind, recently a fall stopover has been found on the Galapagos Islands….which frankly makes no sense. Bobolinks winter east of the Andes, not West. What they are doing on an offshore island in the West is surprising. Perhaps they cut through and head east from there, or there is an unknown western wintering area in Peru somewhere? There are vagrant records in coastal Peru and Chile. But it is possible that the birds you are seeing are part of a yet unknown western migration route of the species, and your birds will wind up on the Galapagos. Below is a link to the Galapagos findings, although there is also a published paper in the Wilson Bulletin on this. I better get out in the morning and hope to hear one going over for the yard list in the next few days!
Alvaro
Alvaro Jaramillo
www.alvarosadventures.com
From: CALBIRDS@yahoogroups.com [mailto:CALBIRDS@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Rob Fowler migratoriusfwlr@gmail.com [CALBIRDS]
Sent: Friday, September 15, 2017 11:39 AM
To: Northwest calbird
Subject: [CALBIRDS] Big number of Bobolinks in Humboldt County
Hi all,
(For the Humboldt birders that are already aware of this occurence I am posting this to CALBIRDS since this is of statewide significance).
Since Wednesday (13 Sept) Humboldt County has seen an unprecedented incursion of BOBOLINKS here in the Arcata Bottoms. On Wednesday I estimated at the least 110 birds were present in a large field that is planted with oats. While present I and others witnessed a pure BOBO flock that we estimated to be around 70 birds lifted up and headed south; we watched them until they disappeared (I took photos of the flock and after counting each bird it looks like there was closer to 80 birds in that single flock). Photos and circumstances can be read in my eBird list here: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S39160154
Yesterday (14 Sept) there were still large numbers present with probably up to a 80-100 birds estimated. eBird list with some photos and some poor recordings of one bird (maybe an immature male?) singing: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S39181623
The previous high count for Humboldt County was 27 from 9-12 October 1983. The only other high counts I can find are 60 and 70 birds in Santa Barbara County from 25 September 1979 and 20 September 1981, respectively.
I would love to hear of any other high counts from the CA that might be higher as I wonder if these recent Humboldt BOBO numbers might be a record high count for the state.
Thanks!
Rob
—
Rob Fowler
McKinleyville, CA