Vol. 18 No. 4 (1987)

A group of volunteers conducted monthly bird surveys at San Elijo Lagoon, San Diego County, California, over a ten-year period from November 1973 to October 1983. This paper summarizes the data gathered during those surveys and includes non-count records from before, during, and after the survey period to provide a comprehensive picture of the lagoon's avifauna through April 1987. The large number of surveys (120), conducted on a regular basis, allows for a quantitative assessment of each species' status.

The Lewis' Woodpecker (Melanerpes lewis) breeds throughout western North America in open Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa) forests, logged or burned coniferous forests, open riparian woodlands, and oak (Quercus spp.) woodlands (Bent 1939; Snow 1940; Bock 1970; Jackman 1974). Features of each habitat include an open tree canopy, snags, and a shrub understory (Bock 1970; Jackman 1974; Sousa 1983).

The Ancient Murrelet (Synthliboramphus antiquus) occurs casually in interior western North America, with records as far inland as the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes region (A.O.U. 1983). There are no previous records of this species from New Mexico (Hubbard 1978; New Mexico Ornithological Society 1962–1985); however, the eventual occurrence of S. antiquus in New Mexico might have been expected, given the proximity of specimen and sight records in Colorado (Bailey and Niedrach 1967), Utah (Behle and Perry 1975), and Nevada (Monson and Phillips 1981).

The American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus) breeds along the American Atlantic coast from Massachusetts south to Argentina, and along the Pacific coast from central Baja California south to Chile (A.O.U. 1983).

Taylor and Forsman (1976) reported recent range extensions of the Barred Owl (Strix varia) in western North America. Boxall and Stepney (1982) described the species’ distribution and status in Alberta. Shea (1974) summarized sightings, a photographic record, and several vocalization records of Barred Owls in western Montana but collected no specimens. Although published nesting records are not available, D. Flath (pers. comm.) stated that breeding is occasionally reported for the Blackfoot, Bitterroot, and Flathead River valleys (see also Skaaret et al. 1985). Marks et al. (1984) reported prey identified from 37 Barred Owl pellets from western Montana.

To study the use of Jumping Cholla cacti (Opuntia fulgida) by birds for nesting, I searched a 200-square-meter area at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona, in April 1987. It was also my aim to find out if nesting birds select particular heights of cacti. Sixty-three bird species breed in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument (Huey 1942; Groschupf et al. 1987).

Have you noticed you've been getting issues of Western Birds more frequently than usual in recent months? Editor Philip Unitt has done an excellent job of speeding up the rate of publication in order to get the journal back on schedule.

Compiled by Mildred Comar