Join/Renew (2023 Dues)

Monthly Archives: December 2022

Inca dove still present.

Inca dove still present.
By {authorlink} – 3:51 pm

One still present at northwestern corner of Yaqui Rd and De Anza drive. Flushed from a mesquite tree where it flew to house directly west and perched on metal fence.

Re: Swan at Borrego

Re: Swan at Borrego
By {authorlink} – 1:43 pm

A note about the Tundra Swan weather – it was calm, but it is now quite windy in Borrego Valley.
On Saturday, December 31, 2022 at 11:13:41 AM PST, lehman.paul@… via groups.io <lehman.paul@…> wrote:
Steve Ellis and Bob Theriault are currently looking at an immature swan, either tundra or trumpeter, at the Borrego Springs settling ponds. They’re trying to send photos out and if the bird os identifiable to species, we will let you know. They have backed off so that they don’t at all flush the bird.

Orchard Oriole

Orchard Oriole
By {authorlink} – 1:04 pm

At Rambla De La Flores ball fields. 

From the parking lot go all the way to the end of the ball field eastward. The fence ends & the opening where no trees are growing. There is a soccer goal laying on the ground. Flew to the right from there. The first bird had black under the chin the second bird had no black under the chin. Both together & flew away together. Also a Red-breasted Sapsucker close to the baseball backstop area moving east. 

Tundra Swan at Borrego

Tundra Swan at Borrego
By {authorlink} – 11:50 am

The immature swan at the Borrego Springs settling ponds currently as of 11:45 a.m. Saturday, looks like a Tundra Swan based on the photos that have been sent. (With the caveat that the identification of single immature swans by themselves is not easy and often the subject of debate, but in this case the bird looks perfectly good for a Tundra.)

Swan at Borrego

Swan at Borrego
By {authorlink} – 11:13 am

Steve Ellis and Bob Theriault are currently looking at an immature swan, either tundra or trumpeter, at the Borrego Springs settling ponds. They’re trying to send photos out and if the bird os identifiable to species, we will let you know. They have backed off so that they don’t at all flush the bird.

Orchard Oriole – Rancho Santa Fe

Orchard Oriole – Rancho Santa Fe
By {authorlink} – 9:58 am

This morning, 12/31, there was a young male Orchard Oriole at the western edge of the Rancho Santa Fe sports field along Rambla de los Flores. I last saw the bird around 9:45 feeding along the riparian section in the  sycamores and eucs.

Dan King
Carmel Valley

North County miscellanea (Redstart, Hood Oriole, R-n Grebe)

North County miscellanea (Redstart, Hood Oriole, R-n Grebe)
By {authorlink} – 6:14 am

A more complete report summarizing the Oceanside/Carlsbad CBC held yesterday, 30 Dec, is undoubtedly on its way from the compilers, but I thought I would mention just a few birds here in more detail:
The female American Redstart has returned for its third winter to Chase Field in Carlsbad, which is simply a set of ball fields just west of I-5 between Tamarack Ave. and Carlsbad Village Drive. The bird frequents the fringing trees (e.g., carrotwoods) bordering the outfields, and yesterday it was at the southwest corner of the fields, near the two cement picnic benches. A female Hooded Oriole was at the Omni La Costa Resort, which is actually the SOLE Hooded/Orchard type oriole reported in the entire county this month. And the boat party on the count (Dave Povey et al.) found a Red-necked Grebe in a flock of Western Grebes approximately a mile south of the Oceanside Pier. Given that the Agua Hedionda bird disappeared after early December, it is quite possible that this is the same individual which has relocated to this new location back to the north.
–Paul Lehman, San Diego

SDFO Pelagic cancelled

SDFO Pelagic cancelled
By {authorlink} – 6:07 pm

We have reluctantly decided to cancel the January 1st pelagic for 2023. We have watched the weather forecast and had hoped to see some improvement (as you know, sometimes those forecasts  are wrong!), but  the latest forecast has actually worsened. Winds up to 30 mph, swells of 12+ feet – this is not a good time to venture  offshore. If you sent in a check to reserve a spot, you will be contacted.

 

Wishing everybody a happy and safe start to the New Year. May all your birding wishes come true!

 

 

Nancy Christensen

Ramona

 

Inca Dove Borrego Springs

Inca Dove Borrego Springs
By {authorlink} – 3:00 pm

We went to day to see if the Inca Dove was sticking around in Borrego Springs and although we did not see it (them) we discovered that the house next to the empty NW corner lot on De Anza (1616) has a seed feeder on a low hook out by their back fence.  There were at least 4 Common Ground Doves and 6 or more White-wings there along with numerous other birds.  You can view the feeder from the corner of the empty lot so as not to stand on the golf course and look directly into their backyard.  Also down the road on the other side of the street at 1653 there is a feeder by their driveway under an olive tree.  It had seven Commons and about 8 White-wings.  Out on the golf course under the fruiting olive trees we saw scads and scads of White-wings and not surprising this winter at least 100 Robins.

Alison Hiers
Carlsbad, CA