preliminary results of Rancho Santa Fe Christmas Bird Count Sat 22 Dec 2018

Thanks to all who participated in today's Rancho Santa Fe area Christmas Bird Count.  Preliminary results indicate 187 species recorded (plus 3 subspecies, a hybrid, & 2 additional species seen count week but not on the day of the count), below our previous maximum count of 202 species but above our average of 174.
I'll leave it to those who found rarities to post descriptions or corrections (post-compilation continuation of birding added to the list & several have already been posted to eBird), but notable species reported (pending review) included cackling geese in Fairbanks Ranch pastures & San Dieguito Resevoir, a wood duck in Poway, male Eurasian wigeon at San Elijo Lagoon to the SE of Ocean Cove & Manchester Ave, a hybrid American-Eurasian wigeon at San Dieguito Lagoon, canvasback & hooded mergansers at multiple locations, common goldeneye in Poway & Lake Miramar, a horned grebe in San Dieguito Lagoon, a brown booby off Cardiff, a Buller's shearwater off Torrey Pines, least bittern at San Dieguito Resevoir & Lake Miramar, an adult reddish egret & adult yellow-crowned night-heron near the Del Mar Public Works facility at San Dieguito Lagoon, a juvenile reddish egret at San Elijo Lagoon just east of the remnant dunes on the east side of Highway 101, a zone-tailed hawk over Felicita Park, red phalarope off Torrey Pines, first cycle glaucous-winged gull at Lake Miramar, Caspian tern & Cassin's auklet off Torrey Pines, pomarine & parasitic jaegers off Torrey Pines & Cardiff, red-naped sapsucker in Harmony Grove, a Pacific-slope flycatcher at SD Botanical Gardens, barn swallows at Torrey Pines & San Dieguito Lagoon, mountain chickadees in Harmony Grove & Encinitas, red-breasted nuthatch at Harmony Grove, yellow warblers in Encinitas & Felicita Park, myrtle yellow-rumped warblers in Encinitas & Penasquitos Canyon, palm warbler & northern waterthrush in San Dieguito river valley, hermit warbler at SD Botanical Garden, American redstart at Lake Hodges Bernardo Bay trail, painted redstart in Encinitas, Wilson's warblers at SD Botanical Gardens & Olivenhain, western tanagers in Encinitas, SD Botanical Gardens, & Penasquitos Canyon, green-tailed towhee in a private yard in Cardiff, brief glimpses of a Nelson's sparrow at San Elijo Lagoon at the NW end of the little peninsula NW of Rios Ave (area posted as closed due to construction & group had permission to access but noted with no construction on weekend that multiple other walkers/joggers were in area), large-billed savannah sparrow along utility access road NW of Rios Ave (currently closed to public), Harris' sparrow at private yard in Saber Springs, white-throated sparrow in Olivenhain, orchard oriole at SD Botanical Gardens, Bullock's orioles at SD Botanical Gardens & in Sun Valley area of Solana Beach/Rancho, purple finches at Hilltop Park in Rancho Penasquitos, escapee pin-tailed whydah in Penasquitos Canyon.  (I apologize for any mistakes or omissions). 
Thanks again to all who participated & congratulations on a successful count.
Happy holidays & happy birding!
Robert Patton
San Diego, CA
Source: SanDiegoRegionBirding Latest Reports