Sightings - April 2026

Elegant Terns, 4/22/2026, Ten Mile Beach, Roger Adamson.

Along with Spring migrants and a few continuing birds, we had three pelagic trips and an exceptional Big Day effort that yielded some surprises. Calliope Hummingbirds were reported three times, once each in Hopland (4/01, BK), Ukiah (4/05, CV), and Redwood Valley (4/06, KL). Black-chinned Hummers were also noted three times, twice in Ukiah (4/05 and 4/13, CV), and once in Redwood Valley (4/28, KL). A Nashville Warbler was found near Willits on 4/03 (JM). A single Chipping Sparrow was seen at the Lake Cleone parking area on 4/05 (LW). A Long-tailed Duck was passing through on 4/06 at Virgin Creek beach (CD). A Northern Yellow Warbler was seen near Willits on 4/08 (MdSA). Note that the “Yellow Warbler” has recently been split, elevating the Mangrove Yellow Warbler to full species status and our northern bird is now known as Northern Yellow Warbler. A single Black-bellied Plover, notable for being inland, was reported at the Ukiah Water Treatment Plant (UWTP) on 4/09 (CW, TW). Red Knots were reported from Virgin Creek Beach on 4/18 (LW) and Ten Mile Beach on 4/30 (PP). Also on 4/18, an American Bittern was found near Willits (MdSA). The bitterns are likely here year-round but very seldom seen and so notable. A true Asiatic vagrant, a Vega Gull was found 4/11 on Ten-Mile beach (PP).

Continuing birds were the Harlequin Duck at Virgin Creek that has been here for a few months (4/02, LW; 4/06, MD) and the Western Tanager at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens (4/09, DJ, LW, CL). And a Common Poorwill was again seen during a morning run near Hopland on 4/02 (HB).

Common Loon in breeding plumage, 4/04/2026, Noyo Pelagics trip, photo by Roger Adamson.

Elegant Terns are infrequently encountered in Mendocino County in the Spring; they are most often found here in the Fall after breeding when they disperse north from the several breeding sites in southern California and Mexico. This April we have had a surprising number of Elegant Terns. On 4/16 two individuals were seen at Virgin Creek beach (LW). Then on 4/22 thirty Elegant Terns were seen at the Garcia River mouth (TB & CK) and another thirty were found on Ten Mile beach (RA & PP). A few were also seen off shore on 4/04, 4/19, and 4/26 on the three pelagic trips.

The pelagic trips with Noyo Pelagics yielded a few surprises. On the 4/04 trip an Ancient Murrelet and a Manx Shearwater were seen (many observers). Birders on repositioning cruise ships found numerous Murphy’s and Cook’s Petrels 30-50 miles off shore on 4/22 (many). On the 4/26 trip with about 25 birders the most notable bird was a Scripp’s Murrelet; the murrelet was shockingly close to shore, seen inside the outer buoy as we were leaving the bay. Other notable sightings were a distant Murphy’s Petrel, two Cook’s Petrels, and a briefly obliging Cocos Booby that flew right over the boat giving great views.

Four energetic, young birders, Logan Kahle, Marty Freeland, Eric Heisey, and Jonah Benningfield conducted a Big Day in Mendocino County on 4/25 (and included scouting trips 4/22 through 4/24). They set a new county record of 174 species over 23 hours of birding. Logan wrote an excellent account of the day that appeared on Mendobirds. A few unusual sightings were: Baird’s Sandpiper at UWTP (4/24, LK), Forster’s Tern on Lake Mendocino (4/23, LK), Elegant Tern (4/22, LK), Gray Flycatcher at Black Butte Campground (4/22, LK), Hammond’s Flycatcher on Mendocino Pass Road (4/22, LK), Dusky Flycatcher at Grizzly Flat (4/24, LK), and a Short-eared Owl on Point Arena (4/25, LK, MF, EH, JB).

Thanks to all who reported sightings: Bob Keiffer (BK), Chuck Vaughn (CV), Keith Leland (KL), Joe Madden (JM), Lisa Walker (LW), Craig Dodson (CD), Marisela de Santa Ana (MdSA), Chris Wills (CW), Teri Wills (TW), Peter Pyle (PP), Mark Donahue (MD), Dave Jensen (DJ), Chris Lamoureux (CL), Hannah Bird (HB), Catherine Keegan (CK), and Tim Bray (TB), Roger Adamson (RA), Logan Kahle (LK), Marty Freeland (MF), Eric Heisey (EH), and Jonah Benningfield (JB).

Thanks to all who reported sightings: George Gibbs (GG), Dave Jensen (DJ), Lisa Walker (LW), Chris Lamoureux (CL), Hannah Bird (HB), Peter Pyle (PP), Cheryl Harris (CH), Mike Curry (MC), Chuck Vaughn (CV), Bob Keiffer (BK), Steve Proctor (SP), Keith Leland (KL), Thomas Cramer (TC), Catherine Keegan (CK), and Tim Bray (TB).