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Monthly Archives: November 2022

Franklin’s Gull, misc high totals

Franklin’s Gull, misc high totals

By {authorlink} – 1:19 pm

The Franklin’s Gull found earlier this morning (Weds) by Michelle Haglund at the San Diego River mouth mudflats, as viewed from Robb Field, was still present just before noon–although the tide was coming in and would soon drown most of said mudflats. This bird is an adult, and thus is NOT the same bird seen yesterday by Dan King flying south past Torrey Pines, as that bird was a first-year. In contrast the Long-tailed Duck which flew south past La Jolla yesterday in the AM was in the same male plumage as the bird seen later in the day off Silver Strand State Beach, so it may or may not be the same individual.
With the finding of a few more White-throated Sparrows and Summer Tanagers over the past few days, the fall (Sep-Nov) totals for those two species in the county sit at 36 White-throated Sparrows and 61 Summer Tanagers. Both are by far new seasonal records.
Seems to be the usual uptick in finding Bullock’s Orioles and Western Tanagers in late Nov versus what one can see between mid-Oct and mid-Nov. Seems to be the case every year.
Yesterday’s morning totals of 5000 Pacific Loons and 4000 Surf Scoters heading south past La Jolla are illustrative of what is migrating by in November and early December on probably quite a few days.
–Paul Lehman, San Diego

Flock of Robins Mt Soledad

Flock of Robins Mt Soledad
By {authorlink} – 12:44 pm

Following a recent email about flocks of American Robins, there is currently a flock in the Summit neighborhood of Mt Soledad, in pines and eukes at the intersections of caminitos Manresa, Val verde and velez. No binoculars on me but they can be heard in 6 trees and occasionally a few will fly and change trees. Sounds like the typical size flock that seems to pass through every year, about 2 dozen or more.

Ethna

Re: Long Tailed Duck, Silver Strand

Re: Long Tailed Duck, Silver Strand
By {authorlink} – 11:52 pm

After an extensive photo review, it appears the female Black Scoter was just a convincing Surf. There’s probably a Black Scoter somewhere amongst the hundreds of Surfs off Silver Strand right now, though. I didn’t make it too far south of Coronado Cays Blvd.; the rare scoters hung out about a half mile south of there last winter.

The Long-tailed Duck however is real, and looks to be a basic plumage male, albeit missing the namesake long tail.

Nick Thorpe
University Heights

Lake Henshaw

Lake Henshaw
By {authorlink} – 2:05 pm

Lake Henshaw scope from SE corner this morning, (Tuesday 29 Nov), approximately 50 Greater White-fronted geese, 11 Snow geese, a White faced ibis, Least sandpipers, LB dowitchers, Wilson’s snipe in small numbers…
CK Staurovsky

San Diego County

Long Tailed Duck, Silver Strand

Long Tailed Duck, Silver Strand
By {authorlink} – 1:38 pm

There’s a Long-Tailed Duck in with a large flock of Surf Scoters at Silver Strand beach, here: (32.6222725, -117.1401257)

There is at least one female Black Scoter here as well, way north along the edge of the navy beach property. Possibly another near the Long-tail.

Great time for my camera to be dead


Nick Thorpe
University Heights

Torrey Pines Seawatch – Franklin’s Gull, etc.

Torrey Pines Seawatch – Franklin’s Gull, etc.
By {authorlink} – 11:04 am

Highlighting a seawatch at Torrey Pines beach this morning was a first-winter Franklin’s Gull heading south just beyond the surfline at 8:40 a.m., so it might be worth keeping eyes out at likely spots along the coast in case the bird decides to take a break on the beach later today. 

 

There were also good numbers of Pacific Loons and Surf Scoters – Paul counted approximately 4,000 of the former and 3,000 of the latter from La Jolla during his watch, which started earlier in the morning than mine.  He also had a Long-tailed Duck go past La Jolla at 7:25 and I had an adult male Black Scoter go past Torrey Pines at 8:30. 


Dan King
San Diego

North American Birds – Fall Migration 2022

North American Birds – Fall Migration 2022
By {authorlink} – 5:51 am

County Coordinators/Contributors:

The Fall Migration Season (1 August through 30 November 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 2020). Reports of species included on the California Bird Records Committee (CBRC) review list

http://www.californiabirds.org

must be accompanied by documentation (written description, photographs, etc.).
Similar documentation should also accompany reports of species unusual for the location or season. Full names, with all initials, should be used in the reports (this reduces the potential for different observers having the same initials, 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 by 19 December 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)

cyanolyca818@…


David Rankin (Riverside County)

david.rankin@…

 

Kelli K. Heindel (Kern County)
kkheindel@…

Chris and Rosie Howard (Inyo County)
chris93514@…  

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.