GRACE'S WARBLER is a very rare vagrant in California, with just over two dozen records. Most have been fall vagrants in southern California, but a handful have wintered (including five in SBA). The northernmost wintering bird was on Jacks Peak MTY; it is the bird documented above in my field notes. Most exciting have been singing birds in proper breeding habitat in remote mountains of southeastern California; my State bird was one of those surprises.

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). These are my personal Grace's Warbler records:

5/21/77    Clark Mt. SBE    singing male in white fir forest; description in my notes
2/17/80    Santa Barbara SBA    a wintering bird
1/11/99    Jacks Peak Regional Park MTY    a wintering bird, apparently an adult

TOP