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Posts Written By: russadmin

Oak Titmouse in Encinitas

Oak Titmouse in Encinitas
By – 3:38 pm
Yesterday morning, 5/16, I observed an Oak Titmouse in the riparian/eucalyptus stand near the northern terminus of Lone Jack Road, south of the intersection with Lone Hill Lane. I also checked the hill near the One Oak development (north of Rancho Summit Drive) for migrants after seeing 6 Wilson’s warblers and a warbling vireo coming up a draw in the hillside during a mid-morning hike on Friday. Nothing of interest early on Sunday so adding this to the list to check during spring 2023.Betsy Miller VixieOlivenhain

Black Swift, Encinitas, 17 May

Black Swift, Encinitas, 17 May
By – 2:42 pm
To add to Paul’s migrant list, this morning (17 May) Patti Koger and had a Black Swift aerial  feeding near a White-throated Swift and swallows just  east of Coastal Roots Farm along Quail Gardens Drive, Encinitas, just after the coastal  marine layer cleared and the sun came out (about 11:15 am).  These aerial feeders  soon moved  further away from us to the east  over the Quail Garden Lane ridge, in the direction of the Encinitas Ranch Golf Course area.   

Susan Smith 
Seiurus Biological  Consulting 

Del Mar, CA 

seiurus@…

migrant landbird status, lingering waterfowl

migrant landbird status, lingering waterfowl
By – 10:22 am
The last good push of migrants was last Thursday and Friday, with mostly residual hangers-on since then, in ever-decreasing numbers. The most numerous species, in decreasing abundance, seemed to be Wilson’s Warbler, Warbling Vireo, Yellow Warbler, Western Tanager, Townsend’s Warbler, Swainson’s Thrush, and Hermit Warbler, with a sprinkling of Western Wood-Pewees, Willow, Pacific-slope, & Hammond’s Flycatchers, Western Kingbirds, Black-headed Grosbeaks, and Lazuli Buntings. One Olive-sided Flycatcher today on Point Loma. Larger numbers of western migrants seemed to pass through the county last year this late in May (and even into the beginning of June), but that seemed unusually late.Lingering non-breeding waterfowl seem to be especially scarce this year. Be aware that the female scaup that is sometimes associated with the long-staying male Greater at Lake 4 at Santee Lakes has yet to be identified with certainty, so best to report it as Greater/Lesser until such time–if ever–that it’s ID is more certain!–Paul Lehman, San Diego

Re: Yellow-throated Vireo; Carlsbad 15MAY2022

Re: Yellow-throated Vireo; Carlsbad 15MAY2022
By – 2:55 pm
A couple of birders have tried to re-find the bird without success (to my knowledge). If anyone wants more specific location information please contact me offline. The location is at the intersection of Aston (not Ashton) and Rutherford (east side) in Carlsbad. It was seen in tipus and jacaranca trees in parking lot.Photos of the bird are in the follow ebird report.https://ebird.org/checklist/S110268056Tito GonzalezCarlsbad, CA

Palm Warbler – Point Loma

Palm Warbler – Point Loma
By – 8:49 am
This morning during a break in the fog there was a PALM WARBLER in a silk oak along the alley between DuPont and Warner in the Silvergate neighborhood of Point Loma. Alex AbelaSan Diego

San Diego pelagic trip results, May 14th

San Diego pelagic trip results, May 14th
By – 5:19 am
The San Diego pelagic trip on 14 May aboard “Legacy” and sponsored by Buena Vista Audubon Society took place under beautiful sea conditions. We explored out to the western edge of San Diego County waters. The light seas provided for fine looks at virtually all species and for excellent photographic opportunities. The biggest surprise was the loose group of 3 breeding-plumaged Black Terns at the inside of San Diego Trough. eBird lists with lots of photos will be posted in the next couple days. Offshore totals for the day were as follows:Brant 16 (northbound)Red-necked Phalarope 170Red Phalarope 18 (incl. in full breeding plumage)Pomarine Jaeger 2Cassin’s Auklet 29Scripps’s Murrelet 68 (excellent total, and incl. large chicks)Sabine’s Gull 2Heermann’s Gull 5Western Gull 180California Gull 15Herring Gull 1 (getting late; first-cycle)BLACK TERN 3 (breeding plumage; 17.8 mi off Point Loma)Least Tern 25 (good number well offshore)Royal Tern 2Elegant Tern 350Pacific Loon 31 (northbound flocks)Northern Fulmar 8 (starting to look worn and tattered)Pink-footed Shearwater 38Sooty Shearwater 48Black-vented Shearwater 3Ashy Storm-Petrel 4 (good comparisons with Blacks)Black Storm-Petrel 300Brandt’s Cormorant 1Brown Pelican 180Great Blue Heron 1passerine sp. 1The next scheduled pelagic trip is Sunday, 12 June. Please come join us!–Paul Lehman, Dave Povey, Nancy Christensen, Pete Ginsburg, Matt Sadowski, et al.

South San Diego Bay nesting update 5-14-22

South San Diego Bay nesting update 5-14-22
By – 8:58 am
I received a couple questions this week so thought it may be worthwhile posting an update on waterbird nesting status in South San Diego Bay. At least at the sites I’m involved at, snowy plover numbers appear average to slightly below average, with success so far limited at least in part to predation. Stilt and avocet nest numbers appear below average.  Although numbers appear to have picked up at some sites yesterday, conferring with other monitors, least tern numbers remain low at all sites around San Diego and Mission Bays, nest initiations delayed, nest numbers low, and colony attendance low, suggesting issues with local prey fish availability. Forster’s tern numbers appear low and they are just beginning to initiate nests.Elegant tern numbers fluctuated widely early in the season, nest initiation was delayed, but over the past couple weeks adult numbers established above average and over 17220 nests were documented this week in South SD Bay.Royal terns appear possibly heading toward another record-breaking year with over 500 nests already established.Caspian tern numbers are notably low and nesting has been delayed and is just beginning with only 2 nests as of this past week.Gull-billed terns were also delayed in initiating nests, but are up to 30 nests this week in South SD Bay, and at least 1 to 2 pairs continue to be seen regularly in the Mission Bay/Robb Field area.Double-crested cormorant nest numbers in South SD Bay are well below average at only 29, but some are still under construction.For at least the 4th year now, a Canada goose pair is also nesting in South Bay.  At least 15 osprey nests have been established in the east and south bay, with most in the National City Marine Terminal area, most currently with chicks on the verge of fledging, but the earliest nests have already fledged young and the latest nests still have small to medium chicks.Robert PattonSan Diego, CA 

Buena Vista Audubon sponsored pelagic birding May 14th.

Buena Vista Audubon sponsored pelagic birding May 14th.
By – 4:12 pm
Hello all,We have a near perfect ocean forecast for tomorrow’s pelagic trip. “winds less than 10kts. and 2-3 ft swell at 8 seconds, 1-2 ft. wind wave”.Sometimes actual conditions don’t match the forecast. I just  checked the local buoys and they seem to support the forecast “combined wave currently of 3 ft. at 8 seconds”. So if you’ve been one of those waiting for just the right conditions. Tomorrow just might be your day!.We have 12 spots available, on a limited load of no more than 55. That on an 80 ft. boat. So, we have a light load with nice conditions, if you’d like to join us, book now by calling 619 224-3383, or book directly at www.sdwhale.com. The price is $155Lastly, if you wake up in the morning and suddenly have the urge to go. Come down to Seaforth Sportfishing Landing, in Mission Bay by 6-6:30 a.m. and see me.Don’t miss out!Dave Povey

Spring tipu madness, Wilson’s Warbler glut

Spring tipu madness, Wilson’s Warbler glut

By – 10:27 am
A reasonable flight of passarines this morning at several coastal sites although not as many as yesterday at Mount Soledad, but same composition, with most common species at the latter site being 80 Wilson’s warblers and 40 warbling vireos, then smaller numbers of Townsend’s and Yellows and miscellaneous. Also the continuing Golden-crowned Sparrow. This spring throughout the county certainly has seen very impressive numbers of Wilson’s warblers, perhaps even record high numbers, and also well above average numbers of Warbling Vireos.Normally tipu trees are best and birdiest between about October and January, but in the last couple weeks or more it has become apparent that they have lots of food and lots of birds this spring, which is unusual. Not only here in San Diego County, but elsewhere in Southern California as well, including currently up in Santa Barbara. Dan King had a phenomenal number of birds this morning in a tipu parking lot in Sorrento Valley. And a couple of us checked a couple lots in UTC and in each lot had something like 20 Wilson’s and several each Warbling Vireos and Yellows and Townsends. So, think good tipu parking lots such as in Encinitas and Carlsbad and Del Mar and La Jolla that produced some of our rarities this past fall and winter, and certainly worth keeping an eye on them for another month through vagrant season till mid June.Paul Lehman, San DiegoSent from the all new AOL app for Android

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