Hepatic Tanager, miscellanea

Hepatic Tanager, miscellanea
By – 1:12 pm

Today, 25 Oct, a late Olive-sided Flycatcher was in San Ysidro. An adult male American Redstart continues in Coronado, and 25+ Gr. White-fronted Geese continue on the North Island golf course. A hormonally-challenged Red Knot at the Salt Works was in full alternate plumage, apparently being in reverse timing of molt–something I’ve seen in a few other shorebirds over the many years, with individuals in breeding plumage in late fall and winter (e.g., Dunlin, Red-necked Phalarope).

Yesterday, on a personal note, I was slightly amused to see FIVE species of vireos in one day: Philadelphia, Yellow-green, Plumbeous, Warbling, and Hutton’s.

An adult male Hepatic Tanager is back for at least its fifth winter in Tierrasanta. The situation is a bit “sensitive” as the site involves the bird’s night-time roost and is adjoining private homes. I absolutely do NOT wish a regular visitation by birders, many pointing cameras in the direction of homes, nor some folks who are impatient or need the perfect photo so repeatedly use playback at the site where the bird overnights. Thus, we have kept the site under wraps in the past. But I am willing to show the bird to people on a one-time basis who need it as a lifer or at least as a county bird. But NOT just for a year bird or to get more photos of an Hepatic Tanager. I would do this late in the day, at about the time the bird returns to the roost site–so currently after 5PM. To avoid issues of rush-hour traffic, I’d do it on a weekend. So…..if you indeed would like to see this bird as a lifer or a county bird, please contact me privately, and we’ll see about looking for it around 5PM+ this coming Saturday, the 29th. You would need to agree to keep the site “hidden” and not to return. If things work out OK, then I could offer another visit or two later this winter as well. Presumably almost everyone has seen the Hepatic that has wintered the past several years in North Clairemont, but maybe a few folks have fallen through the cracks.

–Paul Lehman, San Diego