results of today's 14 May 2018 San Elijo monthly bird count

Thanks to 12 participants for conducting the 14 May 2018 San Elijo Lagoon monthly bird count: Steve Brad (beach/offshore, West Basin, nature center site); Elizabeth Venrick, Alys Arenas (Pole Rd);  Jayne Lesley, Steve Perry, Don Johnson, Lisa Heinz (CBS= Rios to freeway); Kathy Aldern, Kevin Pickard, Patti Koger (EBS = La Orilla to Sta Inez); Gretchen Nell (EBE = Stonebridge Mesa); Robert Patton (EBNW = dike; EBNE = Escondido Cr; Cardiff Cove, I-5 fill).

Although we missed the recent significant migrant warbler fallout, there was still nice diversity.  Late-lingering blue-winged teal and American wigeon were noted, black skimmers were courting in the west basin, a willow flycatcher and unidentified Empid sp. were reported on the Rios trail just west of I-5, a Bell’s vireo along Escondido Cr, a pair of horned larks were in dune vegetation on the beach side of Hwy 101, and most subareas noted Wilson’s warblers with relatively high numbers along the Rios trail.

98 species were recorded: pied-billed grebe, western grebe, brown pelican, double-crested cormorant, Brandt’s cormorant, great blue heron, great egret, snowy egret, green heron, black-crowned night-heron, white-faced ibis, mallard, blue-winged teal, cinnamon teal, gadwall, American wigeon, ruddy duck, osprey, white-tailed kite, Cooper’s hawk, red-shouldered hawk, red-tailed hawk, American kestrel, California quail, Ridgway’s rail, American coot, black-bellied plover, semipalmated plover, killdeer, black-necked stilt, American avocet, willet, whimbrel, long-billed curlew, Heermann’s gull, ring-billed gull, California gull, western gull, Caspian tern, royal tern, elegant tern, Forster’s tern, least tern, black skimmer, rock pigeon, mourning dove, white-throated swift, Anna’s hummingbird, Allen’s hummingbird, Allen’s/rufous hummingbird sp., Nuttall’s woodpecker, downy woodpecker, western wood-peewee, willow flycatcher, Empidonax sp., Pacific-slope flycatcher, black phoebe, Say’s phoebe, ash-throated flycatcher, Cassin’s kingbird, western kingbird, horned lark, tree swallow, northern rough-winged swallow, cliff swallow, barn swallow, California scrub jay, American crow, common raven, bushtit, Bewick’s wren, house wren, marsh wren, California gnatcatcher, Swainson’s thrush, wrentit, northern mockingbird, California thrasher, European starling, Bell’s vireo, warbling vieo, orange-crowned warbler, yellow warbler, common yellowthroat, Wilson’s warbler, yellow-breasted chat, western tanager, black-headed grosbeak, spotted towhee, California towhee, Belding’s savannah sparrow, song sparrow, red-winged blackbird, brown-headed cowbird, hooded oriole, house finch, lesser goldfinch, American goldfinch, house sparrow, scaly-breasted munia.

The next San Elijo monthly bird count will be Monday 11 June. 
R. Patton
San Diego, CA

Source: SanDiegoRegionBirding Latest Reports