Yesterday, I checked out East Beach and the Harbor area. What a mess! As Dave Compton already reported, there are no outfalls or lagoons any more, just water rushing to the sea. The beach has been heavily eroded to a small shelf of sand that is covered with branches and other debris. Nevertheless, I found the continuing Pacific Golden-Plover foraging below the orange construction fencing along with 8 or more Black-bellied Plovers. Otherwise, no shorebirds.
There was a nice mixed flock of gulls, Terns, and Skimmers on West Beach, where there is more sand. I spotted an adult Glaucous-winged Gull in the group. A walk out on the wharf gave good views of the bay, but there was not much bird activity in it. Best sightings were a Common Loon in the water and a Pelagic Cormorant that landed on the wharf behind one of the restaurants.
Today, I visited Lake Jocelyn. Wow! It can't get much fuller! I counted at least 15 Ring-necked Ducks along with the usual Mallards and Coots. I failed to find a Wood Duck, but picked up 3 Pintail and 2 female Teal working the vegetation along the edge. Also present was the Eastern Phoebe, perched on the far (north) shore about 3 feet above the water. I did not see the Wood Duck this morning.
I then moved over to Carpinteria State Park, which is closed to campers for the time being. Among the large Gull flock at the creek mouth, I found 2 Bonaparte's Gulls. I spent considerable time walking through the campground on both sides of the creek but failed to turn up the Vermillion Flycatcher that has been there for several weeks. This is the second time I have mossed it--Has anyone seen it in the last week or so
Florence Sanchez