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Monthly Archives: February 2026

Hotspots for eBird bar charts March 1 – 7

10:30 pm

Greetings,
This past week all non-restricted spots on the first list were visited (including Azalea Glen, which is now free of snow and (mostly) free of trees blocking the trail)! There are now two more hot spots with 100% complete bar charts!
Additionally, one of the “gap” spots on Mt Laguna yielded only the second report of Mountain Bluebirds on Mt Laguna this season, up on the rarely birded Garnet Peak! I remember this species being one of the birds I was especially excited about finding early on when I got into birding (and am still always happy to see them).
By request to lengthen the first list, I’m modifying the inclusion criteria to extend the list up to 10 entries (instead of only to 5) with hotspots that need 11-15 weeks.
Going forward, the first list will be sorted by weeks remaining and that number will trail the hotspot name in the list. In the linked map, I’ll be indicating the “stretch goal” hotspots (11-15 weeks) with a darker marker.
Hotspots nearing bar chart completion:

Laguna Mtns.–Pine Creek Rd. near S1 – 2
Palomar Mtn.–Observatory Campground – 2
Palomar Mtn.–Thunder Spring/Upper Doane Valley Loop – 4
San Onofre SB – 4
Legoland California – 6
Horse Ranch Creek Open Space – 10
Santa Ysabel OSP–east – 11
Sweetwater Park – 11
Oak Grove (SD Co.) – 12
Snapdragon Stadium – 12

Hotspots with 3+ week bar chart gaps:

Laguna Mtns.–Thing Valley/Desert View Rds.
Laguna Mtns.–Burnt Rancheria Campground
Horsethief Canyon Trail
Roadrunner Park
Hilltop Community Park (Rancho Peñasquitos)
Sunrise Hwy–mile 14.5 pullout
Agua Hedionda Lagoon–boat ramp
Camp Pendleton–Macs Road Ponds (restricted access)
Encinas Creek–Hidden Valley Rd.
San Diego NWR–McGinty Mountain Trail
Spooners Mesa
Black Mountain Ranch Park
Sage Canyon Park
Palomar Mtn.–East Grade Road
Chase Field
Camp Pendleton–Santa Margarita River mouth (restricted access)
Emerald Hills Park
Otay River Valley–east of 125
Encinas Creek–Laurel Tree Ln.
Grantville Neighborhood Park

Cheers,

—
Ruslan Balagansky
San Diego (Mira Mesa), CA

Black-and-white Warbler at San Elijo

12:06 pm

I just found a Black-and-White Warbler on the nature center trail, behind the Water Means Life sign, where the American Bittern was seen. It appeared to be a male, and it was working the willows just above the brackish water. Maddeningly, fighting Mallards
spooked it deeper into the swampy interior before I could photograph it. Our SD Bird Festival group did not come over here today, but perhaps we can stop here tomorrow. 

Chris McCreedy
North Park

Chris McCreedy

Southwest Riparian Bird Recovery Coordinator

American
Bird Conservancy | cmccreedy@…

Research Associate

Point
Blue Conservation Science | cmccreedy-RA@…

415.717.7426

Miscellaneous continuing birds, Monday

11:09 am

Early Monday morning, the Tricolored Heron was present in the marsh next to Emory Cove but then flew north toward Coronado Cays. The Black and white Warbler continued in the Bird and Butterfly Garden, where also a Golden crowned Sparrow, and the White-throated Sparrow continued in the northwest section of the Community Gardens. After being MIA for an hour, the Bay breasted Warbler appeared in its beloved northeast corner of Berry Park, where there is now a pair of Vermilion Flycatchers. The silly White-winged Scoter continues two miles up the Sweetwater River channel just down river from the 2nd Avenue bridge, hanging out with a couple Surf Scoters.

Paul Lehman, San Diego 

Re: Hotspots for eBird Bar Charts Feb 22 – 28

8:33 pm

For anyone considering Azalea Glen, I just went there today, but found the trail almost impassable. A downed euc is blocking the trail right after the trailhead, in addition to the trail being covered in melting snow. So it may be better to wait until the end of the week before attempting this one. Perhaps the tree will be cleared back then, or at least it probably won’t be surrounded by slushy/icy snow by then, making it easier to climb over/under it. Note that this obstacle isn’t mentioned on the park website so don’t interpret the absence of a closure notice to mean it’s been cleared.
Instead, I hiked to Cuyamaca Peak on Lookout Rd, not realizing that that is a different hotspot (not much reception up there to check). It was also covered in snow, but doable with care taken to not lose your footing. I was rewarded with many actually visible Fox Sparrows!

Bay-breasted Warbler #3!, Nashville Warbler #31, Cape May

8:58 am

Birding on Otay Mesa on Sunday morning when all the truck traffic is at a minimum. Found a new Bay-breasted Warbler in a few tipus and pines at the edge of one of the many truck warehousing parking lots. Beautiful aesthetics!  
32.558410,-116.928404

Another dull bird like the other two in town this winter.
This site is several blocks east of the Cape May Warbler spot, which continues extremely cooperative today and is getting brighter plumaged by the day, just like the Solana Beach bird. Also found a new Nashville Warbler much closer to Brown Field in a different warehousing site, which makes 31 Nashvilles for the winter season since early December, which sets a new county winter record. Also two BT Grays. Yellow-headed Blackbird continues at the Siempre Viva pond right after dawn, but only a couple snipe were visible, as the water levels went up with the recent rains. 
Paul Lehman, San Diego

Hotspots for eBird Bar Charts Feb 22 – 28

11:13 pm

Greetings,
We’re finishing off this past week with at least one rarity (Neotropic Cormorant at Otay today).
Next week we have a longer list, including two hotspots that only this coming week for 100% bar charts (indicated in bold red text).
Hotspots nearing bar chart completion:

Barnett Ranch Preserve – 1
Cuyamaca Rancho SP–Azalea Glen Trail
Encinitas Viewpoint Park
Hilleary Park
Lopez Ridge Park
NAS North Island–O St. path, golf course, ponds (restricted access)
San Vicente Reservoir
Sunset Drive Area–eucs & riparian
Torrey Hills Mesa – 1

Hotspots with 3+ week bar chart gaps:

Laguna Mtns.–Thing Valley/Desert View Rds.
Laguna Mtns.–Burnt Rancheria Campground
Roadrunner Park
Scripps Ranch Community Park
Cuyamaca Rancho SP–Cold Stream Trail
Self-Realization Fellowship (Encinitas)
Carmel Knolls Park
Calzada Del Bosque / Chino Farms area
Spooners Mesa
Palomar Mtn.–East Grade Road
Camp Pendleton–Santa Margarita River mouth (restricted access)
Berry Street Park
Barona Resort & Casino
Bonsall–Old River Rd.
Emerald Hills Park
Otay River Valley–east of 125
Laguna Mtns.–Garnet Peak
Cristianitos Regional Trail
Glen Abbey Cemetery
Eucalyptus County Park
Laguna Mtns.–Sheephead Mtn. Rd. pullout

Cheers,

—
Ruslan Balagansky
San Diego (Mira Mesa), CA

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