Monday miscellanea

On Monday morning the 30th, the first Common Tern (one-year-old) of the season appeared–at the J Street mudflats, one of their favored summer locales. Also long-staying continuing Reddish Egret and Glaucous-winged Gull. I hear that Nancy C. had a Surfbird there later in the morning, which might be one of the two birds I had seen way back on June 1st at the saltworks but hadn't been able to re-find since, so I assumed those were very late spring migrants…but maybe not. Plumages are reasonably similar (mostly but not quite fully alternate). Over-summering Surfbirds are very rare, but most records indeed come from the mudflats on south San Diego Bay.

In the Tijuana River Valley there was a high total of 55 American Goldfinches at the community gardens–made up of a mix of adults and plenty of youngsters.

The other summering Reddish Egret in town, at the San Diego River mouth, continues today as well. And in the upper section near Friars Road, John Bruin's over-summering pet Redhead continues as well.

–Paul Lehman, San Diego
Source: SanDiegoRegionBirding Latest Reports