5 Sep 1990
17 July 1997
The DICKCISSEL is a rare but annual vagrant to California,
mostly in fall, but with a few records scattered throughout the seasons.
Summer and winter records are quite rare.
All of my California records are listed below. Those preceded by H were found or co-found by me personally; those preceded by K receive some partial credit (e.g., I was involved in sorting out i.d. of a previously discovered bird or refound a vagrant that had been thought to have left). As with many eastern vagrants, many more were seen during active rarity chasing throughout the state in younger days, and a higher percentage of records are from my local county (MTY) in recent years.
These are my personal Dickcissel records:
9/12/76 Tijuana R. valley SD imm brief description & sketch in my notesSee the family page for county abbreviations. All photos & text © 2001 Don Roberson; all rights reserved.
3/18/77 Los Osos SLO male at feeder description in my notes
9/7/80 Tijuana R. valley SD male; details in my notes
5/27/84 nr Oasis MNO singing male; distant photos
9/5/90 Carmel R. mouth MTY imm photo’d; details in my notes: 3rd MTY rec
5/25/91 Furnace Creek INY male
H 6/16/97 Furnace Creek INY female; description in my notes
7/17/97 Pt. Sur facility MTY male photo’d
9/28/00 Esalen MTY imm male in garden; details in my notes
H 10/21/00 Carmel R. m. MTY imm fem at Odello Lagoon; details in my notes