Grandchildren, that is. John got in a little birding anyway while they were here. He happened across a Brandt in the San Diego River Channel, and saw two Sage Thrashers in Anza-Borrego while searching unsuccessfully for LeConte's Thrasher. He then camped near Banning because our daughter told him about a road that had lots of Mountain Quail on it. Not while he was there. His theory is that the fresh snow he encountered drove them to a lower elevation.
A lot of birds seem to be avoiding him. Finding rare birds is NOT like pulling teeth, though. You are out in the great outdoors and not in a great amount of pain in a dentist's chair.
Some of the 250 birds he now has on his list, have been confirmed from studying photos he has taken. I guess he is not in the great outdoors while he is hunched over his computer. Some 'Thayer's' Gulls proved to be Glaucous-Winged. A possible Long-Billed Murrelet became a Common Murre and a possible Red Necked Grebe turned out to be just a largish Eared Grebe, black bill instead of yellow.
He will head for Ventura and the Santa Cruz cruise, then start for Texas, Colorado and Arizona. I will join him for Florida and Gulf shore migrants in April and May. May 10th to May 27th he will be in the Aleutians. Hope the winds are favorable.
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