Today I took advantage of the cool web site that allows traveling birders to contact local birders for advice and even company birding. I found Rob Denholtz on the site, a Capinteria birder who agreed to meet me this AM for birding his “patch” in S. Santa Barbara County.

We met a friend of his, John, briefly at the 8th St Bridge on the Carpinteria Creek and spent an hour or so looking over this spot famous for migrating songbirds. It was overall pretty slow, but it was nice to meet a local, and to figure out how they bird this area. Just walk on the path on the North side of the creek from the bridge to the salt marsh.

Next we went to the Carpinteria Salt Marsh Preserve briefly looking for the Yellow-crowned Night Herons that have been seen there recently. I was told that an increasing rookery of this species, uncommon for this area, is nearby, and they have been roosting and foraging on the creek. Not today.

Next was the best stop of the morning for me. We gained access to the restricted area of the marsh and walked out to the lagoon area. On the way we got Marbled godwit, Willet, Whimbrel and Long-billed Curlew, as well as an immature Loggerhead Shrike which was a first for the location for Rob.

At the lagoon it was fun to see over 80 Western Willets, Caspian and Elegant Terns including an Juv. Caspian, a single BBPL was walking around and another 80 or so flew over the outer beach. I pointed them out and ID’ed them. Rob and the woman we met were skeptical of the long range ID, but I got a photo and sent it to them later. Here is the flock, and two increaingly blurry crops that allow the ID.

The area is really cool and Rob was kind enough to recommend a drive in the afternoon to Canada Larga Rd in Ventura County and the Ventura Settling Ponds. Both areas were cool. The road was high noon timing, so slow overall but very scenic, lots of Western Bluebirds, and the settling ponds is a large area that looks like it could be thick with migrants on a better day. I did get good looks, but no photos of Least Terns, a Forester’s Tern, and a good variety of ducks.

Also saw a pretty big turtle and a cool yellow flower on the salt-marsh plants.

Thanks Rob and Bird Pals.