The Carpinteria CBC was held yesterday, December 14, 2024. It was a great day of birding, only slightly dampened by a light afternoon rain. Numbers could change, but as of now we’re on track to report a record 170 species, surpassing the previous high of 168 set last year.
Our team of 60 birders submitted 120 eBird checklists, with highlights including:
- Our count’s first-ever Black-necked Stilt, Short-billed Dowitcher, and Horned Lark
- Eleven species of warblers
- The surprise return of the Greater Pewee from last year’s count
- The male Painted Bunting, which had been a no-show at the Carpinteria Sanitary District for the past two weeks, emerging briefly to be photographed in the afternoon rain
Full details are available in our eBird trip report.
Thank you to everyone who participated, and especially to my co-organizers Laurel Luby, Tom Beland, and Jenny Slaughter. I look forward to birding with all of you again next year!
— John Callender, Carpinteria CBC compiler