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Monthly Archives: December 2020

Agua Hedionda Lagoon area CBC highlights (American Redstart)

Max Leibowitz, my mom, and myself covered the Agua Hedionda north area (main lagoon, residentially areas around, much of Tamarack Beach) and finished the day with 94 species. An early seawatch produced nothing too interesting, but there was at least 40 Black-vented Shearwaters milling about offshore, and a good count of at least 29 Heermann's Gulls which is the highest total I've had on the count in four years. The Pelagic Cormorant continues to feed/roost in the west basin of Agua Hedionda Lagon. While scoping the central basin of the lagoon at the end of Harbor Dr, seven Swinhoe's White-eyes flew by and briefly landed in a eucalyptus before continuing on. There was a lone Canvasback on the main east basin of the lagoon, and at least four Ridgway's Rails were present in the marsh (two visible, another two calling). 

The best bird of the day was a female-type American Redstart at Chase Field (off Chestnut Ave, barely within our count area). It was foraging entirely on the south side of the park, in the trees bordering Palm Avenue. There was also a returning Black-throated Gray Warbler (the second of the day, the first in a residential area), Townsend's and Orange-crowned Warblers, a kinglet, and numerous Yellow-rumped Warblers. This tiny greenspace, which is almost entirely ball fields but bordered with trees, always has a surprising number of warblers. Pictures will be up on ebird.

Ryan Andrews
Valley Center
Source: SanDiegoRegionBirding Latest Reports

Tundra swan on La Costa resort

The tundra swan reported earlier today is roosting on a pond on the La Costa Omni golf course. Not visible from outside the course. I was able to walk up within 6 feet of it and took a bunch of cell phone photographs.

Stan Walens, San Diego
Dec. 26, 2020, 11:15 am
Source: SanDiegoRegionBirding Latest Reports

Plumbeous Vireo at Sunset Ball Fields, TJRV, Saturday morning

Birded the Sunset Avenue Ball Fields in the Tijuana River Valley on Saturday morning, December 26, 2020.  A Plumbeous Vireo was in the large sycamores and the other small trees that parallel the south side of Sunset Avenue.  Other interesting birds in this areas included 2 Monk Parakeets, 2 male Lawrence's Goldfinches, and the continuing female Vermilion Flycatcher.  Lat/long coordinates for the large sycamore are: 32.55805, -117.07718.

Jeremiah Stock
Santee, CA
jscls@… 
Source: SanDiegoRegionBirding Latest Reports

bullocks oriole carlsbad

there were 2 together  at 904 Seascape drive.carlsbad  They were on both sides of street but mostly on the east side next to the apts,, did not vocalize much .   Hopefully they  will be there tomorrow  
photos on my ebird report

https://ebird.org/checklist/S77966127

merry christmas

steve brad
leucadia
Source: SanDiegoRegionBirding Latest Reports

Grace's Warblers, Tricolored Heron numbers?, misc.

All three of our recent wintering Grace's Warblers in the county came back this year, all since October: Villa La Jolla Park in La Jolla for its fourth year, Crest Canyon in Del Mar for its fourth year, and Crest Drive in Encinitas for its third year. I saw the Del Mar bird again today. The Encinitas bird was last reported on 6 Dec, but the La Jolla bird has not been reported since the very end of Oct. Anyone tried for it much since then?

I've spent the past several days scouting in the Rancho Santa Fe and Oceanside CBC circles–mostly in coastal residential areas and small parks–without very much success. Had yet another dark-lored White-crowned Sparrow, on 24 Dec in residential Carlsbad, plus a returning Yellow Warbler at the Oceanside sewage treatment plant, and a couple Bullock's Orioles in s. Carlsbad. Swinhoe's White-eyes were at several sites between Solana Beach and Carlsbad.

Both the adult and immature Reddish Egrets and the young Snow Goose continue on 24 Dec in the San Diego River mouth area, and there appears to be some question as to exactly HOW MANY Tricolored Herons are in that area (San Diego R. channel/Famosa Slough/Mission Bay), so observers should carefully study and photograph the plumage (age) of whatever individual(s) they see there. (And presumably an additional bird is still along the Chula Vista bayfront as well.)

–Paul Lehman, San Diego
Source: SanDiegoRegionBirding Latest Reports

Re: San Diego River Snow goose, Burrowing Owl. Tricolor Heron

Burrowing Owl, very cooperative, and two Tricolored Herons — one adult, one juvenile, the latter foraging aggressively, like a Reddish, 4 p.m. today, Dec. 24, as the sun set — same location as reported by Mike Witmer, north of NW baseball field. Will have photos on eBird at some point.
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Larry Edwards
San Diego, CA
Source: SanDiegoRegionBirding Latest Reports

Hammond's – follow'up

Folks, sorry for the apparent ID error from Dec 21, thanks to Paul Lehman for his follow-up on this-

I had consulted on-line Aud Field Guides for audio reference, 'Call #2' for Dusky seemed to me like a good match, with nothing else very close… A further reference check, however, DOES indeed seem to show a Hammond's call fairly similar to this (e.g. Stokes/Western audio, for Hammond's, two call notes just at the very end of that 40-sec or so audio)

Just quick FYI :-/

Paul Chad
Source: SanDiegoRegionBirding Latest Reports

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher at Dairy Mart Pond December 23, 2020

This afternoon, December 23rd, at about 3:30, a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher was in a bare tree just south-west of the main Dairy Mart Pond parking lot. It was repeatedly hawking insects and displaying the spectacular tail when turning sharply. I haven’t seen one here for a while, it may be a new bird or a returning bird that has been in areas not covered recently.

Dan Jehl
San Diego
Source: SanDiegoRegionBirding Latest Reports

LeConte's Thrashers at Old Spring Lake, Borrego Springs

Hi all,
Spent 3 days in the Borrego Springs area where, after many years of similar fruitless searches, I finally got to observe LeConte's Thrashers. I observed two birds interacting at Old Spring Lake O.S. I parked at the trail head/info sign and walked approximately 200 yards south. After 15 minutes of standing in a brisk cold breeze while scanning the habitat, I heard a "wheep" repeated several times, which allowed me to track the bird to a low bush, where it was perched up. It dropped to the ground, spent several minutes dashing between bushes, and then encountered a second thrasher. They looked at each other briefly then one chased the other into a bush. One bird left to feed on an open area for perhaps 2 minutes. I lost track of the second bird. My ebird report with 3 photos decent enough for ID, is here: https://ebird.org/checklist/S77901291

I'd like to thank all who have posted to ebird and reports here over the years that finally got me this amazing experience. It was Nancy's post from this weekend that got me in the right place at the right time, so a special thank you to her.

Happy Holidays,
Steve Perry
Solana Beach

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Steve Perry
Solana Beach, CA
Source: SanDiegoRegionBirding Latest Reports

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