new Lucy’s Warbler, Vermilion Flycatcher explosion, misc.

This morning, 12 Dec, there’s a new (second) Lucy’s Warbler in town, this one in Nestor in some pink-flowered eucalyptus bordering an apartment complex parking lot. If anyone wishes to search for a Lucy’s, best to try for the one continuing along the south side of Howard Lane Park in San Ysidro. Also in Nestor today were two Yellow Warblers and a B-t Gray. At the TRV sod farm area 7 Mountain Bluebirds continue on the sprinkler heads (often in the northeast corner), and a bizarre-looking very leucistic Killdeer has returned for a second winter, having wintered last year in the western TRV.

While birding/scouting my CBC area in the Nestor/Imperial Beach area the past couple weeks, as well as birding in several adjoining areas (e.g., TRV), I have seen a total of 11 Vermilion Flycatchers. That got me to look at eBird data in the county and add all the coastal-slope Vermilions since 15 November. Drum roll, please. ………total of 51 (FIFTY-ONE). This species really has done a major job of increasing over the past number of years. In addition, two birds in the mountains are currently in the Lake Henshaw area, where the species also breeds. A few in the desert, as usual.

Paul Lehman, San Diego