Date: 7/12/25 2:24 pm From: Florence Sanchez via groups.io <sanchezucsb11...> Subject: [sbcobirding] Shorebirding at Coil Oil Point and Sands Beach, July 11 & 12
I never got around to posting a report for yesterday, so this will cover two days of early morning birding just after low tide. I had been over a week since I last checked these beaches, and I found some changes. indicating more movement of migrating shorebirds.
Yesterday, I discovered a few more black bellies among the small Black-bellied Plover flock, and I had a good number of Western Sandpipers on the beach and then in the dunes. These birds were focussed on only one thing--eating a much as they could as fast as they could, which made me feel they were tanking up before moving on. I also had 6 Least Sandpipers feeing in the kelp up on the shore--nice adult birds with really crisp brown plumage. Somehow I missed the Forester's Tern that was reported yesterday approximately during the time I was there.
While there, I checked out the Dune pod and thought there was some nice exposed mud all around the perimeter of the pond, there was not a single shorebird in sight, not even a Kildeer. On my way out, I checked Devereux Slough and found another group of 30 Western Sandpipers feeding along the mucky water near the Cormorant roosts. I have good views through the scope and was able to confirm that all the birds were Westerns in adult breeding plumage.
This morning, it was much the same population oof shorebirds with the exception of Western Sandpipers--not a one in sight! I suspect the groups I saw yesterday may have indeed moved on during the night. I looked for a Forester's Tern but did not see one during the time I was there. What was impressive this morning was the large flock of Heerman's Gulls resting on the beach. I counted close to 200 gulls when walking past the flock on my way up the beach; their numbers had swelled to almost 300 when I passed them again on my way out. Most were adults, but there were several individuals in first-year dark plumage (I did not take the time to see if any were fresh, this year's birds) and at least 2 second-year birds that were starting to lose their gray head feathers.
Nick reported finding 42 Whimbrels yesterday. We have had large numbers of this species and Long-billed Curlews through out the summer. I haven't be reporting numbers but in my notes, I see my highest count so far for Whimbrels is 38.
Florence Sanche
