FRNC – "Red" Fox Sparrow, Pacific/Winter Wren, Hammond's&Dusky Flycatcher, October 20-21, 2018
Saturday October 20, 2018 visiting out-of-town birder Jon Isacoff found a PACIFIC/WINTER WREN and a "RED" FOX SPARROW at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery close to "the wall" eucalytpus grove area on the east side of the cemetery. Jon's photos can be found in his eBird checklist here https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S49327631
We don't have a voice recording of the wren so is hard to be certain on identity. Looks like it could be Pacific Wren on photo but confirmation by voice would be desirable.
I went down there today October 21, 2018, actually twice, finding no signs of either bird during the morning visit. Later in the afternoon I went back and finally relocated the same "RED" FOX SPARROW now down in the southwest section of the cemetery just near the concrete drain culvert where the pools of water can be found by the fence. I only saw it briefly outside the fence, scuffing around in the leaf litter, before it disappeared away into the bushes. I put some of my photos in an eBird checklist here https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S49360334
On my morning trip to the cemetery I also found two Hammond's Flycatcher, these also reported by Jon Isacoff and other observers, and was surprised to find also a Dusky Flycatcher on the west side just north of the dip area along the fence line. This is a rather late date for this species, so unexpected, but it checked out on voice, behavior, dusky edgings to wing feathers, primary projection – tail flicking up only, "whit" calls, short primary projection, longer tail look to it. Also a strong bill. I will post the photos on a follow up eBird checklist for the morning visit.
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Gary Nunn
you can find me on twitter, @garybnunn
you can find me on twitter, @garybnunn
Source: SanDiegoRegionBirding Latest Reports