Grace's Warblers, Tricolored Heron numbers?, misc.

All three of our recent wintering Grace's Warblers in the county came back this year, all since October: Villa La Jolla Park in La Jolla for its fourth year, Crest Canyon in Del Mar for its fourth year, and Crest Drive in Encinitas for its third year. I saw the Del Mar bird again today. The Encinitas bird was last reported on 6 Dec, but the La Jolla bird has not been reported since the very end of Oct. Anyone tried for it much since then?

I've spent the past several days scouting in the Rancho Santa Fe and Oceanside CBC circles–mostly in coastal residential areas and small parks–without very much success. Had yet another dark-lored White-crowned Sparrow, on 24 Dec in residential Carlsbad, plus a returning Yellow Warbler at the Oceanside sewage treatment plant, and a couple Bullock's Orioles in s. Carlsbad. Swinhoe's White-eyes were at several sites between Solana Beach and Carlsbad.

Both the adult and immature Reddish Egrets and the young Snow Goose continue on 24 Dec in the San Diego River mouth area, and there appears to be some question as to exactly HOW MANY Tricolored Herons are in that area (San Diego R. channel/Famosa Slough/Mission Bay), so observers should carefully study and photograph the plumage (age) of whatever individual(s) they see there. (And presumably an additional bird is still along the Chula Vista bayfront as well.)

–Paul Lehman, San Diego
Source: SanDiegoRegionBirding Latest Reports