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Monthly Archives: February 2022

NAB – Winter 2021-2022

NAB – Winter 2021-2022
By – 7:30 pm
County Coordinators/Contributors:The Winter Season (1 December 2021 through 28 February 2022) is ended, and we solicit reports for inclusion in the Southern California Region of NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. Reports should be arranged with species in the taxonomic order followed by the American Ornithologists Union (Check-List of North American Birds 1998 and all Supplements) and the American Birding Association (7th edition of the ABA Checklist, 2009 revised through the 28th Report). Reports of species included on the California Bird Records Committee (CBRC) review list http://www.californiabirds.orgmust be accompanied by documentation (written description, photographs, etc.).Similar documentation should also accompany reports of species unusual forthe location or season. Full names, with all initials, should be used in thereports (this reduces the potential for different observers having the sameinitials, and makes it simpler to acknowledge contributors) – John P. Doe in lieu of John Doe.Reports should be sent to the appropriate County Coordinators (listed below)or directly to Guy McCaskie, on or before 21 March 2022. NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS cannot exist without your input.David Compton (Santa Barbara County)davcompton60@…  Tom M. Edell (San Luis Obispo County)tedell@…  Kimball L. Garrett (Los Angeles County)kgarrett@…  David Rankin (Riverside County)darkfirefalcon@…  Kelli Heindel-Levinsonkkheindel@… Chris and Rosie Howard (Inyo County)chris93514@… Adam Searcy (Ventura County)serpophaga@…Alexander E. Koonce (San Bernardino County)sandy_koonce@…  Guy McCaskie (San Diego and Imperial County)guymcc@…  Ryan S. Winkleman (Orange County)rswinkleman@…  We thank you in advance for your time and effort.Guy McCaskie and Kimball L. Garrett..   

‘new’ Tropical Kingbird and miscellanea

‘new’ Tropical Kingbird and miscellanea

By – 9:48 am
On Monday the 28th, there’s a Tropical Kingbird in the southern and central sections of Kimball Park in National City, using some of the same perches a bird used there way back on 19 November, so presumably the same individual. Today at 8AM  it especially liked utilizing the tall light standards around a couple of the playing fields, as well as the trees next to the pedestrian foot bridge over the drainage channel. Also today, 1 of the 2 Mountain Bluebirds that wintered near Hilltop Park in Chula Vista continued. Yesterday, the 27th, the returning, wintering Hammond’s Flycatcher continued in Liberty Station. And on 26 Feb, a wandering around the oh-so-aesthetic wharehousing streets and plethora of trucks near the border truck crossing on Otay Mesa produced ca. 10 Wilson’s Snipe at the Siempre Viva X La Media pond, and the nearby streets of Kerns and Melksee are lined with lots and lots of alder trees and also has a weedy storm-water retention basin, both of which look like they could have reasonable potential during migration and early winter, and on this day produced a “Sooty” Fox Sparrow and Western Tanager. Over at Sunnyslope Park there were 3 Bullock’s Orioles and a Western Tanager, continuing.–Paul Lehman, San Diego

Re: More Burrowing Parrots

Re: More Burrowing Parrots
By – 7:06 am
This morning, 28 Feb, four Burrowing Parakeets continue at Clevland Ave & 16th St in National City. They showed up at 6:37 and stayed for about 15 minutes before they flew off.Paul MarvinOtay Mesa

More Burrowing Parrots

More Burrowing Parrots
By – 9:11 pm
Dear friends,Since my observation on 14 November 2021 of 3 Burrowing Parrots excavating cavities in a dead Canary Island date palm near the intersection of 32nd St. and Clay Ave. in Barrio Logan, I haven’t seen the birds again in a couple of passes by the site, including today. But today 27 February 2022 I found another pair, at the intersection of Cleveland Ave. and W. 16th St. in National City. At first the birds were perching on the electrical wires, vocalizing and socializing. But then one flew to the top of, you guessed it, a leafless dead Canary Island date palm. And then the birds disappeared inside a cavity in the trunk. So now along with a pair Andrew Newmark saw excavating in Chula Vista, this makes at least 3 prospective nests of the Burrowing Parrot–all in dead leafless Canary Island date palms. So if you see such trunks, it may be worth watching them to discover whether they are being used by Burrowing Parrots–and whether, as it establishes itself around San Diego, the species is making an adaptive shift away from the banks in which it nests in its natural range in Chile and Argentina.On the trunk the Burrowing Parrots were entering in National City, a white sign with the word “wrong” in large black letters has been posted. Are the parrots trying to say to anyone who would remove their dead tree that it is the “wrong” tree for removal?!?!Good birding,Philip UnittSan Diego

More Wilson’s Snipes at Tecolote Canyon

More Wilson’s Snipes at Tecolote Canyon

By – 8:06 pm
This report is from yesterday (2/26), but I had figured someone else would have reported it by now. Anyway, the monthly San Diego Audubon Tecolote bird walk produced two Wilson’s Snipes in the stream channel about half a mile from the nature center. Since Wilson’s Snipe seems to be the Bird of the Week, I thought I’d point it out. There’s a report on eBird with a couple of photos if you need details.John WaltersBonita, CAjohnfwalters5552@gmail.com

North County Report Updates

North County Report Updates
By – 5:22 pm
After being laid up post-medical procedure for most of January and February, I happily got out to check the early and recent 2022 North County coastal reports this weekend:- Mark, Ian, Patti, and a birder whose name I didn’t get had 17 Wilson’s Snipe at the east end of the horse pastures north of San Dieguito Road and west of the Helen Woodward animal center on Saturday morning around 7:15 AM. These were first reported to this group by Paul Lehman on Friday. Interestingly, my notes show that my first snipe in San Diego County was observed on the east side of Cowles Mountain in Mission Trail Regional Park on January 17, 2012, after becoming familiar with the species in Walla Walla, Washington, during my college years.- The previously reported Northern Parula and Bay-breasted Warbler at the Scripps Medical Complex (477 El Camino Real) in Encinitas did not disappoint, although it took me Saturday and Sunday mornings to get great looks at both. The Townsend’s and Black-throated Gray warblers also put on quite a show!- I checked on the Carlsbad Outlet reports after getting satisfactory views at the Medical Complex. I did NOT find the previously reported Green-tailed Towhee, Tennessee Warbler, or Palm Warbler, and – at least at the time we crossed paths – they had not been seen by Olivia, Kris, Francisco, or Peter. The sounds of scratching around under a shrub turned up a Fox Sparrow. It appears that the tipu trees have been significantly pruned since the previous positive reports. I will check again in the next week or so when I drop off my car for maintenance.- The jetty at South Carlsbad State Beach was pretty quiet, providing time to work on my shaky gull identification. I was excited to see a new-county-list Pelagic Cormorant – and decided I may need to carve out some time to join the La Jolla Seawatch!  As always, it was a joy to cross paths with so many of you. There isn’t much out there that beats watching – or searching for – great birds with great people!Betsy Miller VixieOlivenhain

Update on the North Coast Health Center/bay-breasted warbler.

Update on the North Coast Health Center/bay-breasted warbler.
By – 12:27 pm
Anyone looking for the birds at N. Coast Health Center may want to do it sooner than later. They currently have part of the parking lot north of building C taped off and are preparing to re-pave and paint the parking spaces directly below the Tipu trees where the birds have been seen. 
Cheers,Brandon StidumNormal Heights

Snipe glut

Snipe glut
By – 7:58 am
Friday morning there is a concentration of at least 22 Wilson’s Snipe in a marshy puddly area at the extreme northeast corner of the former Fairbanks Ranch horse pasture complex along San Dieguito Road. One is looking northwest from the edge of the road into this wet area and so the lighting for photos is good in the morning. There is no legal parking along this busy road along this stretch, so the best thing to do is park just to the northeast of there at the little shopping center in Fairbanks Ranch and then walk to the spot, which again is the extreme northeast corner of the former pasture property, now being largely developed, for what I don’t know. The longer one stands there on the side of the road, the more snipe appear out of cover, so the true grand total may even be higher. Don’t wait too long, as the area will clearly dry up more and more over the ensuing days.Paul Lehman, San DiegoSent from the all new AOL app for Android

La Jolla: A dearth of derelict avian detritus

La Jolla: A dearth of derelict avian detritus
By – 11:39 am
First of all: Thanks to the many people who pointed out my solecism yesterday.I typed “dearth,” but I didn’t notice that my grade-school-level spellchecker changed it to “death.”But speaking of death, I got a note from Nancy Richardson today that yesterday she had seen quite a number of wrecked seabirds deceased on the beach at La Jolla Shores. So I headed over there this morning, and walked from the Marine Room to SIO pier: the beach was swept clean, I assume by the maintenance crew, and there was not a single moribund or deceased bird of any kind, and indeed, no piles of seaweed either. I should have checked this beach yesterday afternoon.Other less-well maintained beaches might still have some wrecked birds on them: the Silver Strand; Camp Pendleton, Del Mar, Torrey Pines, TJRV, etc.Who knows what one could find….Stan Walens, San DiegoFeb 24, 2022; 11:35 am

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