Sometimes birds are just colorful and fun to see, even if they just escaped from someone's cage. This Orange Bishop Eupetes franciscanus (above; sometimes called Northern Red Bishop) is a widespread bird of eastern Africa, but is sold as a cagebird in the U.S. There have even been a few successful nesting efforts of escaped birds in California. Much of the year it looks like a female House Sparrow, but males in full breeding dress are quite spectacular. This one was first found near Salinas in late August by Kent Van Vuren (but I didn't know that when I found it and took this photo on 3 Sep © D. Roberson). We know it is not a wild bird because it is a tropical species that is not significantly migratory, but also the beat-up orange uppertail coverts and long toenails evidence a recent span in captivity. [Thanks to Steve Rottenborn and Bill Bousman in Santa Clara Co. for correcting the i.d. of this bishop. Different field guides present the head pattern differently, but the orange chin feathering and the extensive cloak of orange uppertail coverts — completely covering the short brown tail (which we cannot see) — is characteristic of E. franciscanus].

An excellent wild species found near Salinas on 30 August was this juv Ruff (right; photo © Ryan Terrill. It was joined by a second in early September; and then yet a third bird was present separately.

Pelagic birding in late summer was good. It began 23 July, when Martijn Verdoes photographed this 2d cycle Long-tailed Jaeger (left © M. Verdoes) not far off Cypress Pt., for the earliest fall migrant for the county. Good numbers of Sabine's Gulls and Long-tailed Jaegers continued into August, along with a smattering of Fork-tailed Storm-Petrels.

In the Santa Cruz County portion of Monterey Bay, a Great-winged Petrel appeared on 26 August (J.M. Langham et al.); another was in the same part of the Bay just last September [see 2010 highlights].

Along the coast — and often offshore — thick fog turned summer into a soggy wet blanket. For a birders' perspective, summer 2011 was pretty dull. We have come to expect a few spring & fall migrant Black Skimmers, but these two Black Skimmers were at Moss Landing on 31 July (below; D. Roberson).

Local birders are also used to a few migrants White-faced Ibis in spring or fall, but rarely do any spend the summer locally. This summer was different, with up to a dozen in the greater Elkhorn Slough vicinity, and often at Zmudowski SB pond. Six White-faced Ibis are shown in this photo by Chuck Bancroft on 3 Aug (above © C. Bancroft).

Grasshopper Sparrow breeds locally in patches of appropriate short-grass habitat, but rarely are the young fledglings actually seen. Kent Van Vuren got close to this juv Grasshopper Sparrow on July 24 near Salinas, and the shot shows many details we rarely observer (left © K. Van Vuren).

The annual Monterey Audubon birdathon was held over the 24 hours from Friday, 29 April at 4 p.m. to Saturday, 30 April at 4 p.m. Volunteers searched for birds throughout Monterey County (above; Elkhorn Slough). Some 230 species were located during the birdathon. This is on the low side for our local efforts, which have totaled between 230–250 species over the past decade. The weather was very pleasant but it seemed a "late" spring with some breeders not yet in, while some wintering waterfowl were already gone.

Birdathoners were treated to a delicious dinner, prepared by Whole Foods Market, at the count-down event hosted by the Wild Bird Center in Del Monte Shopping Center (right). The money raised goes towards the Monterey Audubon Society's scholarship fund for students in environmental studies; 3 of the 4 recipients of this year's grants were able to attend the event. Many thanks to Jill Himonas and the Wild Bird Center for hosting the event and providing prizes; to Whole Foods Market for the great meal; to Chris Hartzell for organizing the silent auction; and to Monterey Audubon for sponsoring the event.

The best birds of "birdathon weekend" were three — yes, three! — Harris's Sparrows: two in an artichoke field next to Espinosa Lake on 29 Apr (Tim Amaral, Steve Rovell; photo of one (left) © Marcos Rangel) and another at a Pebble Beach feeder (fide Bob Tintle); two different migrant Gray Flycatchers on 30 April — one on Fremont Peak (Tim Amaral et al.) and another at Parkfield cemetery in southeastern MTY (Clay Kempf); and a Least Tern along Jetty Road, Moss Landing for a short time late on 29 Apr (Steven Johnston, Rick Fournier).

Lesser highlights included a late Greater White-fronted Goose at El Estero (Brian Weed et al.), a Ridgway's Cackling Goose at Moro Cojo Slough (R. Fournier); lingering Harlequin Duck in Monterey harbor (Inga & Dan Lebeaune); a Short-tailed Shearwater off Pt. Pinos 29 Apr (Brian Sullivan); Ashy and Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel on Monterey Bay 30 Apr (Richard Ternullo); nine White-faced Ibis at Zmudowski (Rita Carratello); three Lesser Yellowlegs around Elkhorn Slough (Bob & Bernadette Ramer, Rick Fournier); and a Cassin's Kingbird well out of place on Ft. Ord (David Styer et al.).

An excellent bird that did not linger to month's end was a breeding-plumaged Palm Warbler at Laguna Grande Park, Seaside, 4–22 April (Don Roberson). By its last date, it was singing (photo (below) 22 Apr © Dennis Bowcut)

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