2008 Contra Costa County Big Year List
| Overall Count |  |
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| Participants | Seen? | Month | Location (for unusual species) | First Observer |
| Overall Count | |
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| Participants | Seen? | Month | Location (for unusual species) | First Observer |
| Swans, Geese, Ducks | ||||
| Greater White-fronted Goose |
x |
1 |
|
|
| Snow Goose | x | 1 | Richmond Pkwy/ Giant Hwy | Bob Dunn |
| Ross's Goose | x | 1 | Clifton Court Forebay | Denise Wight |
| Brant | x | 1 | Miller Knox | Nel Benningshof & Nick Despota |
| Cackling Goose | x | 1 | Dutch Slough & Jersey Is. Rd | Denise Wight |
| Canada Goose | x | 1 | ||
| Tundra Swan | x | 1 | Clifton Court Forebay | Denise Wight |
| Wood Duck | x | 1 | ||
| Gadwall | x | 1 | ||
| Eurasian Wigeon | x | 1 | Point Isabel | Joyce Rybandt |
| American Wigeon | x | 1 | ||
| Mallard | x | 1 | ||
| Blue-winged Teal | 6/4 | 6 | Heather Farm | Hugh Harvey |
| Cinnamon Teal | x | 1 | ||
| Northern Shoveler | x | 1 | ||
| Northern Pintail | x | 1 | ||
| Green-winged Teal | x | 1 | ||
| Canvasback | x | 1 | ||
| Redhead | x | 10 | Clifton Court Forebay | Bingham Gibbs et al |
| Ring-necked Duck | x | 1 | ||
| Greater Scaup | x | 1 | ||
| Lesser Scaup | x | 1 | ||
| Surf Scoter | x | 1 | ||
| Black Scoter | 3/19 | 3 | Richmond Harbor | Jeff Hoppes |
| Harlequin Duck | 3/25 | 3 | Brickyard Cove | Jerrie Arko |
| Long-tailed Duck | x | 1 | Richmond Harbor | Bob Battagin |
| Bufflehead | x | 1 | ||
| Common Goldeneye | x | 1 | ||
| Barrow's Goldeneye | x | 1 | Benicia Bridge | Kirk Swenson |
| Hooded Merganser | x | 1 | Jewel Lake | many |
| Common Merganser | x | 1 | ||
| Red-breasted Merganser | x | 1 | ||
| Ruddy Duck | x | 1 | ||
| Pheasant, Grouse, Quail | ||||
| Ring-necked Pheasant | x | 1 | ||
| Wild Turkey | x | 1 | ||
| California Quail | x | 1 | ||
| Loons | ||||
| Red-throated Loon | x | 1 | ||
| Pacific Loon | x | 2 | Point Richmond | Bob Lewis |
| Common Loon | x | 1 | ||
| Grebes | ||||
| Pied-billed Grebe | x | 1 | ||
| Horned Grebe | x | 1 | ||
| Red-necked Grebe | 3/19 | 3 | Richmond Harbor | Jeff Hoppes |
| Eared Grebe | x | 1 | ||
| Western Grebe | x | 1 | ||
| Clark's Grebe | x | 1 | ||
| Pelicans | ||||
| American White Pelican | x | 1 | ||
| Brown Pelican | x | 1 | ||
| Cormorants | ||||
| Brandt's Cormorant | 7/4 | 7 | Brooks Island | Steve Glover; Denise Wight |
| Double-crested Cormorant | x | 1 | ||
| Pelagic Cormorant | x | 1 | Carquinez Bridge | Kirk Swenson |
| Herons & Egrets; Ibis | ||||
| American Bittern | 5/18 | 5 | Jersey Is. Rd | Paul Schorr |
| Great Blue Heron | x | 1 | ||
| Great Egret | x | 1 | ||
| Snowy Egret | x | 1 | ||
| Green Heron | x | 1 | Mountain View San., Martinez | Denise Wight |
| Black-crowned Night-Heron | x | 1 | ||
| White-faced Ibis | 5/15 | 5 | Richmond Wastewater | Jim Roethe |
| American Vultures | ||||
| Turkey Vulture | x | 1 | ||
| Kites, Hawks, Eagles | ||||
| Osprey | x | 1 | Clifton Court Forebay | Denise Wight |
| White-tailed Kite | x | 1 | ||
| Bald Eagle | x | 1 | Lafayette Reservoir | Denise Wight |
| Northern Harrier | x | 1 | ||
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | x | 1 | ||
| Cooper's Hawk | x | 1 | Kern St; Richmond | Nick Despota, Nel Benningshof |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | x | 1 | ||
| Swainson's Hawk | 4/20 | 4 | Marsh Creek | Denise Wight and Steve Glover |
| Red-tailed Hawk | x | 1 | ||
| Ferruginous Hawk | x | 1 | Bruns Road | Pat Bacchetti |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 12/20 | 12 | Byron | Denise Wight |
| Golden Eagle | x | 1 | Alhambra Valley Road | Denise Wight |
| Falcons | ||||
| American Kestrel | x | 1 | ||
| Merlin | x | 1 | ||
| Peregrine Falcon | x | 1 | ||
| Prairie Falcon | x | 1 | Marsh Creek Road | Denise Wight |
| Rails | ||||
| Clapper Rail | x | 1 | Denise Wight | |
| Virginia Rail | x | 1 | ||
| Sora | x | 1 | Point Edith | Denise Wight |
| Common Moorhen | x | 1 | ||
| American Coot | x | 1 | ||
| Cranes | ||||
| Sandhill Crane | x | 1 | Holland Tract | Denise Wight |
| Plovers | ||||
| Black-bellied Plover | x | 1 | ||
| Semipalmated Plover | x | 1 | ||
| Killdeer | x | 1 | ||
| Oystercatchers, Stilts & Avocets | ||||
| Black Oystercatcher | x | 1 | ||
| Black-necked Stilt | x | 1 | ||
| American Avocet | x | 1 | ||
| Sandpipers | ||||
| Greater Yellowlegs | x | 1 | ||
| Lesser Yellowlegs | 3/20 | 3 | Point Isabel | Jennifer Rycenga |
| Willet | x | 1 | ||
| Wandering Tattler | 8/17 | 8 | Ferry Point Park | Bob Dunn |
| Solitary Sandpiper | 4/20 | 4 | Jersey Island Road | Denise Wight; Steve Glover |
| Spotted Sandpiper | x | 1 | ||
| Whimbrel | x | 1 | ||
| Long-billed Curlew | x | 1 | ||
| Marbled Godwit | x | 1 | ||
| Ruddy Turnstone | x | 1 | Brickyard Cove, Point Richmond | Bob Lewis |
| Black Turnstone | x | 1 | ||
| Surfbird | x | 2 | Richmond Harbor | Don Murphy |
| Red Knot | x | 1 | Richmond Shoreline | Denise Wight |
| Sanderling | x | 1 | ||
| Western Sandpiper | x | 1 | ||
| Least Sandpiper | x | 1 | ||
| Sharp-tailed Sandpiper | 10/11 | 10 | Point Isabel | Alan Krakauer |
| Dunlin | x | 1 | ||
| Short-billed Dowitcher | 8/17 | 8 | Richmond Shoreline | Bob Dunn |
| Long-billed Dowitcher | x | 1 | ||
| Wilson's Snipe | x | 1 | Richmond Shoreline | Denise Wight |
| Wilson's Phalarope | 8/3 | 8 | Richmond Shoreline | Denise Wight |
| Red-necked Phalarope | 8/3 | 8 | Richmond Shoreline | Denise Wight |
| Red Phalarope | x | 2 | Richmond Wastewater Facility | Jim Roethe |
| Gulls & Terns | ||||
| Bonaparte's Gull | x | 1 | ||
| Heermann's Gull | x | 8 | Point Molate | Denise Wight |
| Mew Gull | x | 1 | ||
| Ring-billed Gull | x | 1 | ||
| California Gull | x | 1 | ||
| Herring Gull | x | 1 | ||
| Thayer's Gull | x | 1 | Clifton Court Forebay | Denise Wight |
| Western Gull | x | 1 | ||
| Glaucous-winged Gull | x | 1 | ||
| Glaucous Gull | x | 2 | Richmond Landfill | John Luther |
| Caspian Tern | x | 2 | Nick Despota, Nel Benningshof | |
| Elegant Tern | 7/4 | 7 | Brooks Island | Steve Glover; Denise Wight |
| Forster's Tern | x | 1 | ||
| Least Tern | 4/20 | 4 | Denise Wight; Steve Glover | |
| Black Skimmer | x | 1 | Meeker Slough | Claire Murphy |
| Alcids | ||||
| Common Murre | 7/4 | 7 | Brooks Island | Steve Glover; Denise Wight |
| Pigeon Guillemot | x | 1 | Brooks Island | Bob Lewis |
| Pigeons & Doves | ||||
| Rock Pigeon | x | 1 | ||
| Band-tailed Pigeon | x | 1 | ||
| Eurasian Collared-Dove | 5/12 | 5 | Bethel Is/ Willow Road | Bob Dunn |
| Mourning Dove | x | 1 | ||
| Barn Owls | ||||
| Barn Owl | 2/9 | 2 | Lafayette | Maury Stern |
| Owls | ||||
| Western Screech-Owl | x | 1 | Briones RP | Bob Lewis; AAS Class |
| Great Horned Owl | x | 1 | ||
| Burrowing Owl | x | 1 | Clifton Court Road | Pat Bacchetti |
| Short-eared Owl | 10/12 | 10 | Point Isabel | Laura Look |
| Northern Saw-whet Owl | x | 9 | Moraga | Lisa Hug & Denise Wight |
| Goatsuckers | ||||
| Lesser Nighthawk | 7/5 | 7 | Byron Sewage Ponds | Steve Glover; Denise Wight |
| Poorwill | 4/25 | 4 | Tilden Skyline Trail | Bob Brandriff |
| Swifts | ||||
| Vaux' Swift | 4/20 | 4 | Bay View | Denise Wight; Steve Glover |
| White-throated Swift | x | 1 | East of Briones Reservoir | Nick Despota, Nel Benningshof |
| Hummingbirds | ||||
| Black-chinned Hummingbird | 4/26 | 4 | Mitchell Canyon | Denise Wight |
| Anna's Hummingbird | x | 1 | ||
| Costa's Hummingbird | 6/12 | 6 | Lafayette | Maury Stern |
| Calliope Hummingbird | 4/13 | 4 | Mitchell Canyon | Denise Wight; Mark Rauzon |
| Rufous Hummingbird | 3/20 | 3 | Huckleberry Preserve | Bob Battagin |
| Allen's Hummingbird | x | 1 | Jewel Lake | Denise Wight, AAS Class |
| Kingfishers | ||||
| Belted Kingfisher | x | 1 | ||
| Woodpeckers | ||||
| Lewis's Woodpecker | 9/23 | 9 | Lafayette | Don Lewis |
| Acorn Woodpecker | x | 1 | ||
| Red-breasted Sapsucker | x | 1 | ||
| Nuttall's Woodpecker | x | 1 | ||
| Downy Woodpecker | x | 1 | ||
| Hairy Woodpecker | x | 1 | ||
| Northern Flicker | x | 1 | ||
| Pileated Woodpecker | x | 1 | Redwood Regional Park | Ron Barklow |
| Flycatchers | ||||
| Olive-sided Flycatcher | 4/18 | 4 | Tilden RP | Denise Wight |
| Western Wood-Pewee | 4/24 | 4 | Mitchell Canyon | Bob Lewis |
| Willow Flycatcher | 6/9 | 6 | Lime Ridge | Denise Wight |
| Hammond's Flycatcher | 4/11 | 4 | Mitchell Canyon | Denise Wight |
| Dusky Flycatcher | 4/13 | 4 | Mitchell Cyn | Mark Rauzon |
| Pacific-slope Flycatcher | x | 2 | ||
| Black Phoebe | x | 1 | ||
| Say's Phoebe | x | 1 | ||
| Ash-throated Flycatcher | 4/15 | 4 | Lime Ridge | Maury Stern |
| Tropical Kingbird | 10/11 | 10 | Point Isabel | Jeff Hoppes |
| Western Kingbird | 3/29 | 3 | Kathy Jarrett | |
| Shrikes | ||||
| Loggerhead Shrike | x | 1 | Round Valley RP | Denise Wight |
| Vireos | ||||
| Cassin's Vireo | 4/9 | 4 | Mitchell Canyon | Maury Stern |
| Hutton's Vireo | x | 1 | ||
| Warbling Vireo | 3/20 | 3 | Diablo Foothills | Denise Wight |
| Corvids | ||||
| Steller's Jay | x | 1 | ||
| Western Scrub Jay | x | 1 | ||
| Yellow-billed Magpie | x | 1 | Knightsen Elementary School | Denise Wight |
| American Crow | x | 1 | ||
| Common Raven | x | 1 | ||
| Larks | ||||
| Horned Larks | x | 1 | ||
| Swallows | ||||
| Purple Martin | 7/6 | 7 | Valle Vista | Bob Lewis |
| Tree Swallow | x | 1 | ||
| Violet-green Swallow | x | 1 | McNabney Marsh | Rob Thomas |
| N Rough-winged Swallow | 3/9 | 3 | Heather Farm Park | Fred Safier |
| Cliff Swallow | x | 3 | Heather Farm Park | Fred Safier |
| Barn Swallow | 3/9 | 3 | Heather Farm Park | Fred Safier |
| Titmice, Nuthatches, Chickadees, etc. | ||||
| Chestnut-backed Chickadee | x | 1 | ||
| Oak Titmouse | x | 1 | ||
| Bushtit | x | 1 | ||
| Red-breasted Nuthatch | x | 1 | ||
| White-breasted Nuthatch | x | 1 | ||
| Pygmy Nuthatch | x | 1 | ||
| Brown Creeper | x | 1 | ||
| Wrens | ||||
| Rock Wren | x | 1 | Black Diamond Mine | Jeff Hoppes |
| Canyon Wren | x | 1 | Black Diamond Mine | Denise Wight |
| Bewick's Wren | x | 1 | ||
| House Wren | x | 2 | Valle Vista | Denise Wight |
| Winter Wren | x | 1 | ||
| Marsh Wren | x | 1 | ||
| Old World Warblers, Gnatcatchers | ||||
| DUSKY WARBLER! | 10/9 | 10 | Bay Trail near Costco | Emilie Strauss |
| Golden-crowned Kinglet | x | 1 | ||
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet | x | 1 | ||
| Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | 4/6 | 4 | Black Diamond Mines | Erica Buhrmann |
| Thrushes | ||||
| Western Bluebird | x | 1 | ||
| Townsend's Solitaire | 10/23 | 10 | Lafayette | Jeff Acuff |
| Swainson's Thrush | 4/24 | 4 | Canyon hrd only | Denise Wight |
| Hermit Thrush | x | 1 | ||
| American Robin | x | 1 | ||
| Varied Thrush | x | 1 | Briones RP | Rusty Scalf; AAS Class |
| Wrentit | ||||
| Wrentit | x | 1 | ||
| Thrashers & Mockingbirds | ||||
| Northern Mockingbird | x | 1 | ||
| Sage Thrasher | 11/17 | 11 | Byron Hot Springs Road | Hugh Harvey |
| California Thrasher | x | 1 | ||
| Starlings & Pipits | ||||
| European Starling | x | 1 | ||
| American Pipit | x | 1 | ||
| Waxwings, Silky Flycatchers | ||||
| Cedar Waxwing | x | 1 | ||
| Phainopepla | x | 1 | Black Diamond Mine | Dorothy Furseth |
| Warblers, Tanager | ||||
| Orange-crowned Warbler | x | 1 | Knightsen | Denise Wight |
| Nashville Warbler | 4/11 | 4 | Mitchell Canyon | Denise Wight |
| Yellow Warbler | 4/18 | 4 | Mitchell Canyon | Ted Robertson |
| Yellow-rumped Warbler | x | 1 | ||
| Black-throated Gray Warbler | 4/1 | 4 | John Poole | |
| Townsend's Warbler | x | 1 | ||
| Hermit Warbler | 4/18 | 4 | Briones RP | Hugh Harvey |
| Blackpoll Warbler | 10/11 | 10 | Point Isabell | Bob Richmond |
| American Redstart | x | 8 | Tilden Park | Denise Wight |
| CONNECTICUT WARBLER | 10/3 | 10 | Brentwood | window strike |
| MacGillivray's Warbler | 4/18 | 4 | Tilden Park | Denise Wight |
| Common Yellowthroat | x | 1 | ||
| Wilson's Warbler | 3/16 | 3 | Tilden Park | Nick & Nel |
| Yellow-breasted Chat | x | 6 | East county | Denise Wight; Steve Glover |
| Summer Tanager | 8/9 | 8 | Valle Vista | Tim Howe |
| Western Tanager | x | 4 | ||
| Buntings, Sparrows, Grosbeaks | ||||
| Spotted Towhee | x | 1 | ||
| California Towhee | x | 1 | ||
| Rufous-crowned Sparrow | x | 1 | Sibley Volcanic RP | Denise Wight |
| Chipping Sparrow | 4/20 | 4 | Denise Wight; Steve Glover | |
| Clay-colored Sparrow | 11/24 | 11 | Point Isabel | Al DeMartini |
| Vesper Sparrow | 11/2 | 11 | Byron Hot Springs Road | Liz West & Frances Oliver |
| Lark Sparrow | x | 1 | Black Diamond Mine | Denise Wight |
| Sage Sparrow | x | 1 | Mt Diablo | Denise Wight; Ted Robertson |
| Savannah Sparrow | x | 1 | ||
| Grasshopper Sparrow | x | 2 | Point Pinole | Denise Wight |
| Fox Sparrow | x | 1 | ||
| Song Sparrow | x | 1 | ||
| Lincoln's Sparrow | x | 1 | ||
| White-throated Sparrow | x | 1 | Kern Street, Richmond | Nick Despota, Nel Benningshof |
| White-crowned Sparrow | x | 1 | ||
| Golden-crowned Sparrow | x | 1 | ||
| Harris's Sparrow | 11/16 | 11 | Point Isabel | Sheila Dickie |
| Dark-eyed Junco | x | 1 | ||
| Rose-breasted Grosbeak | 8/19 | 8 | Walnut Creek | Roberta Stacey |
| Black-headed Grosbeak | 4/5 | 4 | Jewel Lake | Phila Rogers |
| Blue Grosbeak | 5/6 | 5 | Bethel Island Road | Denise Wight |
| Lazuli Bunting | 4/13 | 4 | Briones Bear Creek | Hugh Harvey |
| Blackbirds | ||||
| Red-winged Blackbird | x | 1 | ||
| Tri-colored Blackbird | x | 1 | Holland Tract | Denise Wight |
| Western Meadowlark | x | 1 | ||
| Yellow-headed Blackbird | 12/26 | 12 | Ironhorse San District, Oakley | Denise Wight; Steve Glover |
| Brewer's Blackbird | x | 1 | ||
| Great-tailed Grackle | x | 1 | Waterfront Road, Martinez | Denise Wight |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | x | 1 | Mt Diablo | Denise Wight; Ted Robertson |
| Hooded Oriole | x | 1 | Concord feeder | Polly Boissevain |
| Bullock's Oriole | 3/15 | 3 | Black Diamond Mine | Bob Dunn |
| Finches | ||||
| Purple Finch | x | 1 | ||
| House Finch | x | 1 | ||
| Red Crossbill | 6/13 | 6 | Lafayette | DuBose Forrest |
| Pine Siskin | x | 1 | Valle Vista | Denise Wight; Ted Robertson |
| Lesser Goldfinch | x | 1 | ||
| Lawrence's Goldfinch | 4/20 | 4 | Lime Ridge | Maury Stern |
| American Goldfinch | x | 1 | ||
| Weavers | ||||
| House Sparrow | x | 1 | ||
| TOTAL | 268 | |||
Last Updated on 1/13/2008
by Bob