A birder was using that one methinks and the quality was outstanding. All other birders today at Zuma beach(the Gillilands, Feenstra, Cyger) were carrying those as well! Pricey though, but $700 one is actually less than a Macbook, if you think about it! Maye 5 years later lol, I just bought that Celestron Ultima, and I'm pretty satisfied with that one by now.
Was hoping for a Black Tern, but no luck. It'll turn up from late May anyway, so looking foward to adding it to my lifelist. Already obtained a yearly permit, so good to go.
I should also visit Palmdale area again to spot that Scott's Oriole...Duran yesterday spotted it in the afternoon according to ebird; maybe I should've gone there after Apollo, but was too tired.
Never seen so many empids(mostly Pacific-slope, but at least one Hammond's) and Wilson's warbler lol. Had to comment 'yet another..Wilson's Warbler'...how many times did I repeat it? Siminski also reported at Big Morongo that it's teeming with Wilson's. Interesting. Didn't notice it last year.
Good find was a MacGillivray's, skulking in a dense bush at Apollo. Really shy. Did not know that it actually favored that kind of habitat, also checked the field guides and confirmed it.
Lesser Yellowleg was another good find. Bank Swallow was again spotted. Clark Grebe, Redhead, Red-necked Phalarope, Semipalmated Plover, Burrowing and Great Horned Owl, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Peregrine Falcon, Western Wood-Pewee, Loggerhead Shrike, Le Conte's Thrasher(2nd time in a row we spotted it easily, we missed it on my first trip at Piute), Cactus Wren, Bell's Sparrow, Swainson's Thrush...all good finds.
Mark Scheel spotted a Tricolored Blackbird, but I missed it. Lots of Yellow-headed Blackbirds. Spotted a Sora, but Virginia Rail was also spotted, too bad I missed that one. Also plenty of Black-crowned Night-Herons.
All together, saw vastly less than other veteran members lol, about 55 species. Still glad I went.
What were we looking for here..
