Coastal Migrant Traps
by
Mike Stiles
In the Fall,
and more specifically mid-September through mid-October, many
birds—as well as many birders—can be found in our
coastal migrant traps. These are areas of dense trees, often willows,
but also pines and Eucalyptus, often associated with creeks or other
bodies of water along the immediate coastline. These areas of thick
trees harbor many insects for the warblers and vireos and others to
refuel as they migrate down our coastline.
The
allure of these "traps" is the possibility of finding vagrants, the
birds far out of their normal range, especially the warblers and vireos
that are common on the east coast. It is unclear why this happens, but
many birds will migrate down the "wrong" coast, and we are glad they
do. It is very exciting to find a rare bird and the possibility of a
"mega-rarity," a first for the county or even the state is a
possibility.
Hooded Warbler
Photo by Alan Schmierer
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The names of California migrant traps are well known to birders
everywhere, from Point Reyes in the north to the Tijuana River mouth to
the south, but without a doubt, the most remarkable finds come from the
Farallon Islands, about 30 miles offshore from the Golden Gate Bridge.
This tiny island complex is the ultimate migrant
trap . . . nowhere else to
go. . . and has contributed many California
first records, and can boast of a bird list of over 400 species. It is
not open to the public, but a bird banding operation has been in place
since 1969, operated by the Point Reyes Bird Observatory.
In
our county, birders flock to places like Oso Flaco Lake, Oceano Lagoon,
Montana de Oro, Morro Bay, and the numerous creek mouths on the north
coast, such as Santa Rosa, San Simeon, and Arroyo de la Cruz. If you
bird these areas, listen closely. In the fall, birds will travel in
large flocks, containing many species. The constant chatter and the
sound of bill snaps as the birds catch insects will direct you to the
feeding frenzy. If you are lucky, the flock will be too big for just
one pair of eyes.
Oceano
Lagoon and Campground is our most well-known and most well-birded
migrant trap. The dense willows around the lagoon and the pines in the
campground have contributed greatly to our county bird list. Birds like
Arctic Warbler (well out of its northern Asian range), Connecticut
Warbler, Painted Redstart, Cerulean Warbler, and Yellow-green Vireo,
can all make for an exciting migration season.
Montana
de Oro State Park has yielded its share of rare birds. The Spooner Cove
Campground and willows along Islay creek (especially where it outfalls
on the beach), Hazard Canyon, and Coon Creek are all prime birding
areas. The only real problem with finding a rare bird in the park, is
that there is little cell phone reception to alert the others of your
find.
Oso
Flaco Lake has great potential, but I feel is mostly under birded. The
overhanging willows above the entrance road has certainly added to my
county bird list, but there are acres of trees with no, or very
difficult, access. Since I started birding there, the off-road vehicles
have been banned, the vegetation has returned, and a boardwalk has been
built over the lake and out to the creek mouth. Access to creek mouths
that empty onto the beach has the added bonus of attracting rare
shorebirds.
Every
year at this time, someone will venture the question of how many rare
birds were NOT seen in the thick underbrush and the vast amount of
willows without access. Are we even seeing ten percent of the rare
birds travelling south? It is doubtful. Often a rare bird is never
refound after the initial sighting, so it is very simply blind luck
that it was seen at all. It’s the thrill of the chase,
though, that keeps us birders waking early to catch the first rays of
the sun shining on that rare warbler.
See
our county Bird Finding Guide
for directions to the local areas mentioned in this article, then get
out there and find a rare one.
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Mike Stiles
