The date: 2/11/2026
The week number: 7

The walk number: 1857
The weather: 58 F; cloudy

The walkers: Alan Cummings, Kevin Kan, Eric Warren,

Wan-Ying Kan, Calvin Kan, Ellen Yu, Chip O’Connor, John Beckett

The birds (27)

No. First Name Last Name Prob

3	Red-whiskered	Bulbul	0.75
6		Bushtit	1
3	American	Crow	1
1	Mourning	Dove	1
5	House	Finch	1
2	Lesser	Goldfinch	1
2	Red-shouldered	Hawk	0.25
1	Red-tailed	Hawk	0.50
3	Anna’s	Hummingbird	1
2	Selasphorus	Hummingbird	0.38
15	Dark-eyed	Junco	1
3	Ruby-crowned	Kinglet	1
2	White-breasted	Nuthatch	0
3	Black	Phoebe	1
1	Band-tailed	Pigeon	1
12	Common	Raven	1
6	American	Robin	0.75
1	Red-naped	Sapsucker	0
3	Oak	Titmouse	0.38
2	California	Towhee	0.62
2	Turkey	Vulture	0.50
1	Orange-crowned	Warbler	0.25
1	Townsend’s	Warbler	0.75
10	Yellow-rumped	Warbler	1
20	Cedar	Waxwing	0.62
8	Acorn	Woodpecker	1
1	Bewick’s	Wren	0.50

Walk lasted between 12:00 and 14:06

We observed 27 species, 13 of which were 100% probable. I don’t know if the 13 one hundred percenters is a record or not. That is a good question for Chip and Wan-Ying. Chip can throw Claude at it and Wan-Ying can throw herself at it. We also had two zero percenters, the White-breasted Nuthatch and the Red-naped Sapsucker, two of my favorites. What were the highest percenters we missed? Two at 75%, the Western Bluebird and the Mallard. Mallard? Seriously? I can’t remember when we last saw a Mallard. But 75% means we saw it this week 7 for 6 of the last 8 years. Hard to believe, so I checked. And, indeed 75% is correct. We saw one or more Mallards on week 7 every year from 2018-2023.

So, on a different subject, I haven’t talked about the rules of the Caltech bird walks in these reports ever, as far as I know. So, it’s time. So here are my comments about the rules.

I make up all the rules.
The rules are not written down.
The rules can change depending on my mood or if I have my wits about me.
If I forget a rule, ask Viveca; she knows the rules.

Everyone have a nice Valentine’s Day tomorrow. You can participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC); it starts today and runs through the 16^th. Here’s a link to more information:

https://www.birdcount.org/

Alan,

2/13/2026