Scott's Oriole Icterus parisorum
1-6 Oct 2014 at 'Lookinghill," Matheson homestead, Jacks Peak

There has not been a chaseable Scott's Oriole in the memory of any of the active MTY birders. Of the 3 prior claims, only two are well-documented: a Nov 1955 specimen and one at a feeder in Feb-Mar 1966 on the slopes of Jacks Peak. That 1966 bird attracted only a couple of interested observers. This year's Oct male on the slopes of Jacks Peak, found by Blake Matheson at the family homestead, attracted the entire community of MTY birders. Fortunately the oriole was cooperative (if a bit shy) during its nearly week-long visit.

Grace's Warbler Setophaga graciae
6 Sep 2014 at a Pacific Grove yard

Another yard bird takes its place among the year's highlights, but this Mexican visitor was not nearly so cooperative. Found by Don Roberson while watching a Sunday football game, the warbler took a nice long bath in the backyard fountain — but never returned, not even for the mistress of the house. The word of the appearance of this 2nd MTY record was spread rapidly — and a few fortunate souls spotted it in an adjacent yard — but for most it was just a great bird that got away . . .
The only prior MTY record was one that wintered atop Jacks Peak from Dec 1998-Feb 1999.

Ovenbird Seiurus aurocapilla
28 Sep 2014 at El Carmelo Cemetery, Pacific Grove

Some years ago there was a huge local uproar when the City of Pacific Grove threatened to remove "the thicket" [a small wooded patch in the NE corner of the cemetery] to accommodate extra gravesites. Locals protested "the thicket" was needed as a refuge for local deer, and so "the thicket" was saved and revegetated.
Birders now have cause to celebrate that local victory, as "the thicket" hosted the first chaseable Ovenbird in collective memory. Although there are over 20 MTY records, most hit windows or were caught by banders. Until Larry Rose spotted this one, none had been cooperative for birders. This Ovenbird remained only that one day — but it was a good day for the many who came!

Hawaiian Petrel Pterodroma sandwichensis
singles in Apr, May & Aug, including 2 at or near Pt. Pinos

Observers on a repositioning cruise had a Hawaiian Petrel far offshore on 30 April, but the truly remarkable sightings were at or near Pt. Pinos. Blake Matheson saw one while seawatching from the Point on 11 May. Then, on 25 Aug, a boatload of British naturalists on a whale-watching trip, led by Peter J. Dunn, saw one right next to the Point. One of Peter's photos shows the Pt. Pinos Lighthouse in the background! While it now appears this threatened species may be semi-regular far offshore in tiny numbers, observations from or near Pt. Pinos are astonishing.

Yellow Rail Coturnicops noveboracensis
30 Oct 2014 at Cesar Chavez Elementary School, Salinas

This totally unexpected rarity was found by elementary students at school in Salinas. They brought it to the office and the SPCA was telephoned. Alas, by the time the SPCA arrived, the rail had expired. It will become a specimen at MVZ, UC Berkeley.
Obviously, no birders got to see this major rarity, which becomes just the 3rd MTY record. There is a 1905 specimen and one seen by a few at Crespi Pond in Oct 1970.

Royal Tern Thalasseus maximus
19 July 2014 at Pt. Pinos

In the afternoon of 19 July, Don Roberson & Rita Carratello (she is shown at left) were seawatching at Pt. Pinos, watching hordes of Sooty Shearwaters passing and a steady stream of Elegant Terns flying west in small groups of up to 30 every 50 minutes. Suddenly there was a Royal Tern flying by! Talk about totally unexpected! They followed it until it passed the Point and was lost from view. There was no time for photos but Don wrote notes & did a sketch very shortly thereafter (DR's sketch is in the background, left).
Royal Terns were regular in Monterey Bay in the late 1800s but disappeared when the sardine fishery died out from over-fishing. The most recent MTY record was at Hopkins on 7 Mar 1984.

Mountain Plover Charadrius montanus
29 Oct-1 Nov 2014 at Zmudowski SB

While looking for rare pipits on 29 Oct, Cooper Scollan and Don Glasco came upon this rarity. It stayed for 4 days and was successfully chased by most active year-listers. The last chaseable Mountain Plover in MTY was back in Nov 1996.

Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway
20 Sep to at least 26 Dec 2014 near Andrew Molera SP

After two reports of unchaseable caracaras in Aug-Sep, this second-year individual took up residence among a large flock of Turkey Vultures foraging among the cattle fields of the private El Sur Ranch, just north of A. Molera SP. Found by Cooper Scollan initially, it then remained for months and sometimes ventured into the State Park, occasionally roosting atop a large cypress on the boundary. This is just our 4th record for MTY.

Brown Thrasher Toxostoma rufum
27 Dec 2013-1 May 2014 in Pacific Grove

Initially reported on the 2013 Monterey Peninsula Christmas Bird Count from the yard of Richard & Linda Beidleman, it lingered there until the first of May. It was certainly the most important rarity stakeout in the first part of 2014.

Sadly, Dr. Richard G. Beidleman — who hosted the birders that came to his home to view this vagrant — passed away on 7 Aug 2014.

Sandhill Crane Grus canadensis
4 June-18 Dec 2014 along Elkhorn Slough

This amazing crane was the first ever to summer in MTY, and it visited various sites along the Slough from June into December. First reported by Shirley Murphy, many were delighted to view such a large impressive bird at such exceptional dates.

Townsend's Solitaire Myadestes townsendi
six birds widely scattered over Monterey County

It has been over 20 years since there were multiple solitaires in our county, so six widely scattered individuals must be considered some sort of phenomena. Yet there was little pattern in the dates: 18 January at Bottchers Gap (Don Roberson, Rita Carratello); 19 June at Lobos Ridge (Cooper Scollan); singing on 22 June at Bottchers Gap (Carole & Larry Rose); 19 Oct at Prunedale (Kent Van Vuren); 12 Nov in upper Anderson Canyon (Mike Stake); and 15 Nov at Cone Peak (Michael Rieser). The map shows these locations, with Rieser's photo of the Cone Peak bird as an inset. Remarkably, Michael went to Cone Peak on 15 Nov with the purpose of seeing this exact bird!

Brown Booby Sula leucogaster
eight during fall/winter 2014, our best year ever

The autumn of 2013 was the season of the Blue-footed Booby — surely the highlight of that entire year. In 2014: zero Blue-foots. Instead, Brown Booby was unexpectedly numerous, with 8 birds between 6 Sep and the end of the year. Four of these were on pelagic trips in Sep-Oct but four were seen from shore: a subadult seen from the Andrew Molera SP headlands on 14 Sep (D. Roberson) one off Moss Landing SB on 20 Oct (B.L. Sullivan); one seen from a Pt. Pinos seawatch 22 Dec (B.L. Sullivan, B.T. Matheson); and then a cooperative sub-adult first discovered by out-of-town visitors at Pt. Pinos on 28 Dec and present off-and-on each day thereafter, roosting among the cormorants and pelicans (photo from 30 Dec, left).

Ancient Murrelet Synthliboramphus antiquus
huge late fall/early winter incursion to Monterey Bay

The final three choices for "best birds"of 2014 are astonishing incursions of three regularly-found species. Perhaps most unexpected were the huge numbers of this classy small alcid in Monterey Bay in November-December. When the winds were right, small flocks were often steadily streaming past Pt. Pinos — Fred Hochstaedter's shot (upper left) shows 10 at once on 24 Dec. The highest seawatching counts were 483 on 14 Nov in 1.5 hr (B.L. Sullivan +) and 598 on 22 Dec in 2 hrs (B.L. Sullivan +). Christmas Day found them inside Monterey Harbor (lower left), right next to Wharf #2. These numbers are unprecedented, as were the excellent close-range views.

Black-vented Shearwater Puffinus opisthomelas
perhaps the largest fall/winter invasion in history?

Starting on 29 July, Black-vented Shearwaters began pouring into Monterey Bay. Boat trips worked through thousands, looking for a handful of Manx Shearwaters among them. Depending on the wind direction, during Oct-Nov thousands were easily viewed with just binoculars are they passed close to Pt. Pinos. Seawatchers using timed-count methodologies estimated as many as 30,000 passing Pt. Pinos in just a couple of hours. According to Birdlife International, "the total population is around 80,000 pairs ... estimated at 160,000 mature individuals, roughly 200,000-250,000 total individuals." This means we were seeing 10% of the world's entire population passing by us in a couple of hours from one spot. All very impressive!

Varied Thrush Ixoreus naevius
huge late autumn flight

This beautiful but secretive thrush typically winters locally in small numbers within dark, shady places, but this year they exploded almost everywhere in November & December. Many backyards hosted them. They appeared in huge flocks at times — 130 overhead the P.G. cemetery on 16 Nov (one of those is shown in flight at upper left; C. Rose), and then 750 among flocks of 12,000 American Robins over Pt. Pinos the next day (Brian Sullivan). These numbers are much higher than any previously recorded flights locally — the prior high Mty Pen CBC count was 348. So this was the year to locate them at spots they rarely occur, such as Carmel R. mouth (photo bottom left), or your favorite eBird hot spot.