Rufous-capped Warbler, Elegant Trogon, Buff-collared Nightjar

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A very productive day and night of birding along the border in Santa Cruz County, with 83 species.

Peña Blanca Canyon:

The canyon continues to be one of the best places to get views of ELEGANT TROGON. We had multiple great looks today.

Hummingbird numbers in the canyon are phenomenal at the moment, with dozens of migrant BROAD-TAILED HUMMINGBIRDS passing through, along with breeding BROAD-BILLED, a migrant RUFOUS and a couple of COSTA’S HUMMINGBIRDS.

We heard a RUFOUS-CAPPED WARBLER calling but were unable to locate it. We did see a few MONTEZUMA QUAIL, BLACK VULTURE, GRAY and ZONE-TAILED HAWKS, calling NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL, PACIFIC-SLOPE, DUSKY-CAPPED, ASH-THROATED and BROWN-CRESTED FLYCATCHERS, HUTTON’S VIREO, LUCY’S, BLACK-THROATED GRAY, TOWNSEND’S, HERMIT, and WILSON’S WARBLERS, PAINTED REDSTART, GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE, HEPATIC and WESTERN TANAGERS, and HOODED, BULLOCK’S and SCOTT’S ORIOLES.

Peña Blanca Lake:

We eventually got to see an elusive RUFOUS-CAPPED WARBLER, below the dam.

A pair of COMMON BACK HAWKS is also nesting in the general vicinity at an undisclosed site.

Also around the lake we found a couple of pairs of CINNAMON TEAL, NEOTROPIC CORMORANT, two GREAT EGRETS, multiple GREEN HERONS, GRAY and ZONE-TAILED HAWKS, SPOTTED SANDPIPER, BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD, ARIZONA WOODPECKER, CASSIN’S VIREO, a nice MacGILLIVRAY’S WARBLER, and SUMMER TANAGER.

Ruby Rd:

Driving west, we found GRAY HAWK by the roadside, and a pair of ‘AZURE’ EASTERN BLUEBIRDS in one of the regular spots for this distinctive subspecies, a potential ‘split’.

Confluence of California Gulch & Warsaw Canyon:

Before dusk we were able to locate PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER, ‘AUDUBON’S’ YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, RUFOUS-WINGED SPARROW, SUMMER TANAGER, and HOODED ORIOLE. We couldn’t rustle up a Five-striped Sparrow this evening, and the same was true of BLACK-CAPPED GNATCATCHER until it was almost dark, at which point a silent male appeared briefly before going to roost.

After dark we got good views of a male BUFF-COLLARED NIGHTJAR, as well as hearing ELF OWL.

Sycamore Canyon:

The parking area produced great views of ELF OWL, while we heard WHISKERED SCREECH-OWL, GREAT HORNED OWL, and COMMON POORWILL calling.

On the way home we saw ANTELOPE JACKRABBIT, GRAY FOX, STRIPED SKUNK and COLLARED PECCARY (JAVELINA) along the road to end a fine day.