May 2022 - Page 5 of 5 - San Diego Field Ornithologists

Indigo Bunting has returned to Bird and Butterfly Garden

Indigo Bunting has returned to Bird and Butterfly Garden
By – 3:42 pm
This morning Sara and I birded the Bird and Butterfly Garden and found the returning Indigo Bunting. He was north of the garden (northwest of the blooming Silk Oak trees) out in an area we couldn’t get to due to dense vegetation. He was perched up on a dead twig above the bushes. I shot a few photos of him, which are in our ebird report, but he was really too far away for my camera to get a decent picture. The garden was quite birdy this morning. The Silk Oak trees were brimming with warblers, Western Tanagers, Black-headed Grosbeaks, and Hooded Orioles. We saw a few Swainson’s Thrushes and Warbling Vireos as well. The main drip was a busy place too.ebird report: eBird Checklist – 4 May 2022 – Tijuana River Valley Regional Park–Bird & Butterfly Garden – 35 species (+2 other taxa)eBird Checklist – 4 May 2022 – Tijuana …Marcie MasonClairemont

Lingering Bald Eagles, thoughts on Mounts Helix / Soledad

Lingering Bald Eagles, thoughts on Mounts Helix / Soledad
By – 9:25 am
Monday morning the 2nd, there is what are presumably late-lingering wintering single Bald Eagles at both Sweetwater Reservoir (immature) and Lower Otay Lake (adult). Very rare this late away from the various known regular breeding and summering sites in the county such as Lake Henshaw, Lake Wholford, Rangeland Road, and Lake Cuyamaca. Also at Lower Otay today are lingering single Ring-necked Duck and Glaucous-winged and Herring Gulls–not a real surprise here.Over the past several years, Mount Soledad has proven to be a rather reliable spot for Black Swifts during May with the appropriate weather conditions, and a spot worth checking for Broad-winged Hawks in spring and especially fall. It is quite likely that both those species could also be found at the same seasons from the top of Mount Helix.Paul Lehman, San DiegoSent from the all new AOL app for Android

Nazca update

Nazca update
By – 10:11 am
Around 9:50 a.m., at least the sub-adult Nazca booby was flying around the middle of South San Diego Bay due east of the end of Attu Avenue and heading south again. And in case anyone was wondering, yes indeed there is a banana boat moored at the Dole facility just north of the Coronado bridge!!!Paul Lehman, San DiegoSent from the all new AOL app for Android

2 Nazca Boobies over the salt works

2 Nazca Boobies over the salt works
By – 9:16 am
At 9:10 a.m. Sunday morning, two Nazca Boobies appeared flying in from the north over the salt works ponds at the end of 10th and 13th, where they circled around once and then headed back north up the east edge of the Bay toward Chula Vista. One full adult and one sub adult.Also at the salt works this morning are 325 Red knots, almost all in full stunning breeding plumage, as well as 600 Sanderlings some of which are also in full breeding plumage which makes them look very different from in basic plumage, and a number of breeding plumaged Dunlin. Still one gambel’s white-crowned sparrow remains in the TRV. Yesterday up on Mount Helix there was a singing Cassins Vireo and a migrant Phainopepla.Paul Lehman, San DiegoSent from the all new AOL app for Android

Palm Warbler @ Bird and Butterfly

Palm Warbler @ Bird and Butterfly
By – 8:01 am
The Palm Warbler continues up in the silk oaks at the BBG if you don’t mind picking through a sea of Townsend’s Warblers. No sign of the Indigo Buntings yet.Andrew NewmarkChula Vista, CA