When:

It’s time to head for SoCal, and there is no better time to do it than October. Join the ABA staff and local experts as they explore one of the birdiest cities in the world in search of migrants and regional specialties. In and around San Diego there is an incredibly diverse range of habitats hosting a great variety of birds. Our field trips during the rally will visit four major areas, and those that opt for the extension will visit the Salton Sea as well, where vast numbers of migrants are encountered and there is always the chance to see the Yellow-footed Gull.

Sunset at Point Loma (Photo by Bill Schmoker)

BIRDING AREAS:

In the Tijuana River Valley we’ll visit Dairy Mart Ponds, and Border Field State Park and other nearby areas in search of raptors (including White-tailed Kite), flycatchers, vireos, warblers and sparrows and hope to encounter local specialties like California Thrasher and Wrentit. This riparian patchwork of habitats provides excellent birding opportunities at a leisurely pace.

Just outside of San Diego are the Laguna and Cuyamaca Mountains which host a nice array of birds which may include Nuttall’s Woodpecker, Pygmy Nuthatch, Lawrence’s Goldfinch, and even Mountain Quail is possible. Migrant birds are also making their way through the mountains at this time of year, adding to the diversity of species encountered.

Another field trip day will feature a variety of San Diego Migrant Traps and other hotspots for birds such as Black Turnstone, Surfbird, Elegant Tern, and more chances for regional endemics such as California Gnatcatcher.

California Gnatcatcher (Photo by Bill Schmoker)

The pelagic waters off San Diego are great for seabirds, and we will endeavor a pelagic trip that tours the near shore waters, as well as out to bird rich regions at the important 9-Mile Bank and 30-Mile Bank. We will search for a good variety of storm-petrels (including Black, Least, and possibly others) and hope to encounter a vast storm-petrel flock known in these waters. We’ll keep a vigilant watch for alcids also, with the hope that we spy a murrelet or two.

Black Storm-Petrel (Photo by Tom Johnson)

RALLY STAFF:
Gary Nunn has spent two decades in California, and is the local host for this San Diego Rally. He hails from England originally, where he grew up birding at the crucible of twitching – the county of Norfolk. Gary’s scientific background in bird evolution and taxonomy provides a unique perspective to bird species identification as well as lots of debate material about just how many species of bird we are looking at! He has led worldwide birding tours from Cape Horn to the Islands of the Mediterranean. Recently he discovered San Diego County’s 508^th bird species and ABA Code-5 rarity – a Great-winged Petrel!

George Armistead is a lifelong birder and the events coordinator for the ABA. He spent 2002-2012 organizing and leading birding tours and has guided trips on all seven continents. He enjoys vast open country habitats and seabirds most of all. A Philadelphia native, he is an associate at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia.

Forrest Rowland began guiding at Sacha Lodge, then spent field seasons working on various field projects in Delaware, Texas, Arizona, Wyoming, Montana, Oregon and in Alaska where he worked for St. Paul Island Tours. Currently he works as the New World Operations Manager, and guide, for Rockjumper Worldwide Birding Adventures.

Jeff Gordon is the president of the American Birding Association. There’s very little about birds, birding, and birders that he doesn’t find fascinating, though he’s especially interested in birding culture and the many ways we all communicate our passion for birds.

Liz Gordon is the ABA’s volunteer coordinator and handles logistics for Birders’ Exchange, and is always prominent as ABA Events bringing warmth and personality in her role as “ABA Adjutant”.

Bill Stewart is the Director of Partnerships and Marketing for the ABA and a birder for over 37 years.  Bill also serves as the Coordinator for the ABA’s Young Birder Programs and Camps.  For the past eight years, Bill has served as the Conservation Chair for the Delmarva Ornithological Society and is the Founder and Director of the Delaware Bird-A-Thon, the Wilmington Peregrine Falcon Webcam Project and the Lights Out! Wilmington initiative. Currently serving on the Board for the Friends of the Migratory Bird/Duck Stamp, he was awarded the 2010 Conservation Champion Award from the USFWS and the 2010 Citizens Award from the US Dept. of Interior for his bird conservation efforts.  In his free time, Bill likes to spend time with his five children, grandson and do a little surfing.

John Puschock manages #ABArare for the ABA, and is a frequent participant in rare bird forums around the web and has knack for gathering details necessary to relocate birds. He has been a birder since 1984 and now leads tours for Bird Treks, as well as for his own company Zugunruhe Birding Tours. He has led tours to locations across North America, from Newfoundland to New Mexico and from Costa Rica to Alaska. He specializes in leading tours to Adak in the Aleutian Islands.

Southeastern Arizona is home to many resident species of breeding sparrows and a favored location for migrants to overwinter. We will visit semi-desert grasslands and riparian woodlands to observe the behavior and habitat selection of over 20 species of sparrows, towhees, and longspurs. Daily outings will be followed by classroom presentations on identification, vocalizations, ecology, natural history, and conservation. Potential highlights include Cassin’s, Rufous-winged, Black-chinned, and Baird’s Sparrows and Chestnut-collared and McCown’s Longspurs. Other birds of interest that may be seen include Ferruginous Hawk, Scaled Quail, Bendire’s Thrasher, and Mountain Plover.

Note: Significant increase of the price of gasoline MAY require a fuel surcharge of up to $25 per person
Workshop Details: Visit http://www.aplomado.com/IFO_sparrow_workshop.html for additional details and the December 2012 IFO species list.

To see some of the highlights from last year see the Summary and Species List:
Winter Sparrows IFO Dec 2012 Summary
Winter Sparrow IFO Dec 2012 Species List

Schedule

About the Instructor

Homer Hansen has been birding for nearly two decades in the southwest and grew up surrounded by Sandhill Cranes in winter and Cassin’s Sparrows in summer. He is a native of Willcox, Arizona and has been the chairman of the annual Wings Over Willcox Birding & Nature Festival for over a decade. Homer is the author of the G.I.S.S. Series bird identification guides and is a regular presenter and trip leader for birding festivals, Audubon societies, and birding organizations. Homer also instructs numerous birding workshops on sparrows, raptors, flycatchers, warblers, birding by ear, and bird ecology, including the Moving to Mastery courses for the Tucson Audubon Society and the Southwestern Sparrows IFO for the American Birding Association. Homer loves the outdoors and watching birds, and especially enjoys the challenges of complex identifications and learning about the nature of birds. Homer earned his B.S. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology from the University of Arizona and now is the president and owner of Aplomado Environmental providing services to characterize and remove contaminants from soil and groundwater.

When:

Mississippi Kite migration will be well under way in late April

Migration is at its best in April along the Gulf Coast and there’s no better spot to take it all in than Corpus Christi. Join ABA members and staff for thrilling field trips in search of migrants and Texas specialties. Hawk migration should be going strong as well and part of our purpose at this event will be to raise some money for hawk research. More information on field trips and the itinerary is coming soon….

Buff-breasted Sandpiper is one of a great array of shorebird species that move through central Texas in April (Photo © Tom Johnson)

Featured Speakers:

Gerrit Vyn records the flight call of the Spoon-billed Sandpiper

Gerrit Vyn is a multimedia producer and staff photographer at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Recent work has found him documenting the last remaining Spoon-billed Sandpipers in the Russian Far-east, as well as wildlife poaching in China, and the breeding behavior of birds on Alaska’s Yukon Delta. Gerrit’s images appear regularly in books, magazines, websites and multimedia productions.  He was the primary image provider for the 2009 and 2011 State of the Birds reports that were delivered to the Obama administration and congress by a coalition of leading environmental organizations. He has produced two CD compilations, Voices of North American Owls and Bird Songs of the Pacific Northwest, and is an affiliate of the International League of Conservation Photographers. Gerrit will present a talk on his expedition to capture the first ever high quality media of the critically endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper in Chukotka, Russia.

Brian Sullivan

Brian Sullivan is project leader for eBird, and photographic editor for the Birds of North America Online at the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. An expert lecturer on hawks, he is a co-author of The Crossley ID Guide: Raptors, and the forthcoming Princeton Guide to North American Birds. Brian is also co-authoring a book with George Armistead to be published by Princeton titled Essential Birding. He served as photographic editor for the ABA’s journal North American Birds from 2005-2013. As part of Team Sapsucker, Brian was on the record-setting Big Day on April 25th, 2013 that racked up an amazing 294 in one day in Texas.

Jeff Kimball

Jeffrey Kimball has made a career in film as a music supervisor/executive on films including A Bronx Tale and Good Will Hunting. In 2012 he debuted a documentary on HBO, Birder’s: The Central Park Effect which he wrote, directed and produced. Jeff will air this film and discuss how and why he made this insightful movie about birders.

Long-billed Curlews will be part of the migration frenzy (Photo © G. Armistead)

White-tailed Hawk
(Photo © Tom Johnson)

Hooded Warbler is a common migrant through the Gulf Coast of Texas in April
(Photo © Tom Johnson)

When:

The City of Brotherly Love is the birthplace of our nation, but also the birthplace of bird study in North America. Join Pennsylvania natives Ted Floyd and George Armistead as they retrace the steps of luminaries such as Audubon, Wilson, Cassin, Say, and Bond (yes, James Bond!), among others. We’ll examine the rich history of this area and of course go birding too, as this IFO program visits a variety of birding and historical sites.

Birding at Barnegat Light, NJ. Note the flock of shorebirds against the rocks (below Patti’s hand) contained over 100 Purple Sandpipers.

Philadelphia is a great base for birders, and the month of March is the bridge from winter to spring on the mid-Atlantic coastal plain, and our visit is timed to take advantage of this. While covering the hallowed grounds of our birding forefathers, we shall search for signs of spring such as the first Ospreys, nesting Bald Eagles, and the “peenting” and twisting of an American Woodcock in display. And, symbols of winter shall persist too, with Purple Sandpiper, Great Cormorant, and a great array of seaducks and gulls providing targets to search for and pick through. Join us for a 5-day jaunt to Philly, a city chock-full of history, culture, good eats, and great birding.

Reserve your spot now, call (800) 850-2473 or email Nancy Hawley (nhawley@aba.org).
See the summary blogpost from our 2013 Cradle of American Ornithology IFO Program.

The archives at the Academy of Natural Sciences are home to an abundance of historical treasures.

Other pre/post-trip attractions:

Philadelphia is the 5th most populous city in the U.S., hosting many attractions in addition to those featured in this IFO program. For those wishing to extend their visit beyond the IFO program, there are excellent historical sites such as Independence Hall and Valley Forge, and great museums including the Franklin Institute, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the new Barnes Foundation, the Rodin Museum, and the Mütter Museum, among many others. For people who enjoy food there is a tremendous array of dining options.

Instructors:

George Armistead is a lifelong Philadelphian, an associate at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, and the events coordinator for the ABA. A birder since the age of 9, few people know the city and its birds the way George does. Though he has guided trips on all seven continents, there is nothing he enjoys more than sharing his hometown with fellow birders. (Just be careful not to disparage his beloved Philadelphia Phillies too much!).

Bert Filemyr Bert Filemyr is an active birder both in the Delaware Valley and throughout North America.  He has birded extensively in 49 of the 50 states, as well as many of the Canadian provinces. Retired from his teaching career, he pursues his passion for birding while researching topics related to early American ornithology.  He currently serves as treasurer and webmaster of the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club (DVOC) and was a member of the championship Nikon/DVOC World Series of Birding Team, the Lagerhead Shrikes. He recently co-authored, along with Jeff Holt, “The Composite Prints of Audubon’s Birds of America”.

Ted Floyd grew up in Pittsburgh, then did a stint in Philadelphia during his early adulthood. While there, Ted did a memorable Philadelphia big year (which you’ll hear about!) and was broadly engaged in the fascinating birding subculture of the City of Brotherly Love. Ted is the author of more than 100 magazine and journal articles, and is the author of three recent books, including an ABA title, Let’s Go Birding! While a fan of all kinds of birding, Ted is especially fond of listening to the nocturnal flight calls of migrating songbirds.

Itinerary:

Day 1 (Weds):

Meet & greet dinner at 7pm

Day 2 (Thurs):

6:30am—depart for Tinicum NWR

1130am—depart for lunch in town

1:15pm—depart for Acad. Nat. Sci. of Phila. visit

4:15pm—depart for American Woodcock search

6:45pm—picnic dinner

Day 3 (Fri):

5:30am—depart for Barnegat, breakfast in route

Noon—restaurant lunch on NJ shore

2pm—bird Brigantine NWR

5pm—return to Philly

Day 4 (Sat):

7am—depart for Bartram’s Garden

11am—depart for lunch.

1:30pm—visit Mill Grove, Audubon Center

6:45pm—Farewell dinner

Day 5 (Sun):

6:30am—Morning birding at site TBD in Philly area

11am—Arrive at Philadelphia Airport

(schedule flights home 1pm or later)

When:
Tour 1: September 25-October 2, 2013 (2 spots left)
Tour 2: September 18-25, 2013 (2 spots left)
Where:

Contact Nancy Hawley at nhawley@aba.org to reserve a spot now, or call her at (800) 850-2473, X234.

It’s jackpot birding! In the tradition of Attu, the greatest vagrant birding spot in the ABA Area, we offer this hunt for rarities at the remote Alaskan outpost of St. Paul Island. Featured prominently in the Discovery Channel’s TV show “Deadliest Catch”, the Pribilof Islands are smack in the middle of the Bering Sea, and represent the only land around for about 50,000 square kilometers. Though rugged and rocky and amid a severe climate, the archipelago is a haven for birds. The signature species is the Red-legged Kittiwake which is essentially seen no where else in North America.  Other seabirds abound as well including a variety of seaducks, and a number of alcids (auks) are possible such as Horned and Tufted puffins, several auklets, and Ancient Murrelet.

A mixed flock of Red-legged and Black-legged kittiwakes lift off at St. Paul Island. (Photo by Scott Schuette)

This photo of a Pine Bunting by Doug Gochfeld was taken last fall at St. Paul Island. Doug, Scott and several others endeavored a Big Day on the island and were rewarded for their efforts with this striking bird. It represents just the third record for the ABA Area, and the first away from Attu.

‘Til recently, St. Paul Island was known primarily as a spring/summer destination for birders, but increasing coverage in the fall has yielded some amazing, stunning vagrants. It is these rare birds that will be the focus of this intense birding tour. Guides Doug and Scott, with help from participants, will spend the days checking all of the island’s best spots for vagrant birds. The island offers a range of activities for birders. For intrepid hikers there are remote sites only accessible on foot. For the less mobile there are also an abundance of good birding sites that have held many rarities over the years. One never knows where the birds will show up, however, and there may be instances where a hike is the only way to access an area holding a certain bird. The island and our guides can accommodate birders at varying degrees of mobility, but participants should be prepared to walk a mile or two each day, while people who enjoy hiking would have the chance to do even more than that. In spite of the remote location, the food and lodging are really quite nice. So just because the birding is hardcore, does not mean we will be roughing it. Each day holds ample opportunity to rest up and warm up at at the King Eider Hotel, if one desires.

The Pribilofs have hosted over two dozen first-ever ABA Area records, and with some real luck we could add to that total (fingers crossed!). Of course nothing is guaranteed in birding, and rarities are so-named for good reason, but this particular window of time has proven excellent for vagrant-hunters in the little amount of time that it has been investigated. If you are up for an adventure to an unforgettable destination, join us for some hardcore birding at one of the most choice vagrant spots in all of the ABA Area.

Price includes: Flight from Anchorage to St. Paul Island, lodging on St. Paul, all meals on the island, and all guiding/transportation while there.  Thus the trip begins and ends in Anchorage. Excludes: Alcohol, snacks, and tips while on the island, and any expenses while in, or in transit to, Anchorage.

To get a sense of the species possible on St. Paul in the autumn (specifically Sept/Oct) check out this eBird list of sightings. Also note the list at the bottom of the page of rarities seen over the past two fall seasons.

ITINERARY:

Veteran rarity-hunters Doug & Scott pause from birding at St. Paul Island’s Southwest Point. Behind them are cliffs frequently referred to as “kittiwake condo” for the large number Black-legged and Red-legged kittiwakes that nest there.

Doug Gochfeld was the swing counter (counting the Hawkatch, the Seawatch, and the Songbird Morning Flight) in Cape May during the falls of 2009 and 2010. He then spent fall of 2011 and the entire 2012 season at St. Paul, uncovering scads of vagrants. Since starting on St. Paul he has joined Leica’s Pro Staff, and is a guide at ABA Events.

Scott Schuette began as a guide, working the 2008-2009 seasons before being hired full-time as the director of the St. Paul Island Tour Program. He now ushers hundreds of birders to the island each year, and still relishes the opportunity to guide eager birders to his cherished place of work.

St Paul Island rarities reported to NARBA Sep/Oct of 2011 & 2012, with ABA occurrence code#.

Emperor Goose 2
Mottled Petrel 2
White-tailed Eagle 4
Lesser Sand-Plover 3
Common Ringed Plover 2
Red-necked Stint 3
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper 3
Jack Snipe 4
Common Snipe 3
Willow Warbler 5
Taiga Flycatcher 4
Dark-sided Flycatcher 4
Rufous-tailed Robin 5
Bluethroat 2
Eyebrowed Thrush 3
Siberian Accentor 4
Pine Bunting 5
Rustic Bunting 3
Brambling 3
Eurasian Bullfinch 4
Hawfinch 4

The material for the summary above is from NARBA‘s archives.

When:

On March 2^nd, 1975, it was announced that a Ross’s Gull was present at the Newburyport Harbor in Massachusetts, and birding was changed forever. A first record for the Lower 48, birders came from all over to share the amazement brought by this unique phantom of the Arctic.

A rather pink Ross’s Gull at Point Barrow. (Photo by John Puschock)

It was a lifer for Roger Tory Peterson and even the then-Secretary of the State James Slessinger is rumored to have made the chase to see this bird of legend. It was historic in many ways. That event, in an age when communication was far less fluid, made clear to birders that there was a real birding community. This is one reason the species holds a special place in the hearts of ABA birders. While Ross’s Gulls have since appeared a number of times in the Lower 48, seeing them in their arctic haunts has become more difficult for birders in recent years.

At least until recently… Ross’s Gulls were known among a few scientists to migrate past Barrow, Alaska each fall in some numbers, but few had born witness to the phenomenon or could speak to it. Five years ago John Puschock of Zugunruhe Birding Tours organized the first-ever tour focused on trying to see this spectacle. The trip was an incredible success. Each day he and his cohort saw hundreds of Ross’s Gulls (see video), and one day they estimated seeing over 10,000! Imagine… While subsequent trips haven’t enjoyed quite such an incredible migration, the species is typically seen in good numbers. Last year just two were seen, but according to locals the species being that sparse was anomalous.

A flock (!) of Ross’s Gulls migrates past Point Barrow, the United States’ northernmost point, well north of the Arctic Circle. About 70 individuals can be counted in this image. (Photo by John Puschock)

Add to this, the possibility of seeing Ivory Gull and polar bear, and there is a real chance at a uniquely thrilling arctic experience. Other birds often present include Spectacled, King and “Pacific” Common eiders, Yellow-billed Loon, and also Thayer’s and Slaty-backed gulls and Snowy Owl (see video).

A Polar Bear visits Point Barrow attracted by the smell of a Bowhead Whale carcass. (Photo by George Armistead)

A female Spectacled Eider at Barrow. (Photo by George Armistead)

Price inclusions: Lodging for the nights of Oct. 4th-7th, all food from breakfast on the 5th to breakfast on the 8th, and transportation in and around Barrow.Price exclusions: The tour begins and ends in Barrow, so flight costs are not included in the registration fee. For tips on arranging flights to/from Barrow contact John Puschock (info@zbirdtours.com). As is typical, alcohol is not included, and participants should note that it is not available for sale in Barrow.

Note: This tour may coincide with the native hunt for bowhead whales, and  if so participants may witness butchering activities.

Guides:

John Puschock

John Puschock manages #ABArare for the ABA, and is a frequent participant in rare bird forums around the web and has knack for gathering details necessary to relocate birds. He has been a birder since 1984 and now leads tours for Bird Treks, as well as for his own company Zugunruhe Birding Tours. He has led tours to locations across North America, from Newfoundland to New Mexico and from Costa Rica to Alaska. He specializes in leading tours to Adak in the Aleutian Islands.

Bird List
Species often seen at Barrow in October include:

King Eider
Common Eider
Long-tailed Duck
Harlequin Duck
Rock Ptarmigan
Red-throated Loon
Pacific Loon
Yellow-billed Loon
Black-legged Kittwake
Ivory Gull
Sabine’s Gull
Ross’s Gull
Herring Gull
Thayer’s Gull
Slaty-backed Gull
Glaucous Gull
Parasitic Jaeger
Snowy Owl
Common Raven
American Pipit

Mammals could include:
Beared Seal
Ringed Seal
Spotted Seal
Beluga
Bowhead Whale
Gray Whale
Arctic Fox
Polar Bear