Sweetwater Reservoir, miscellanea

Saturday morning, 12 Nov, a visit to Sweetwater Reservoir produced the continuing slug of 150 Gr. White-fronted Geese, 1 imm. Snow Goose, 4 minima Cackling Geese (rare subspecies with the dark purply-brown breast and no neck ring), 15 Canvasbacks, 12 Bonaparte’s Gulls, continuing adult Bald Eagle, and continuing getting late and high (for inland) 325 Western Sandpipers and 2 Semipalmated Plovers. A single Horned Grebe is a scarce but somewhat regular visitor there, as it is on many of the large inland lakes. Two Grasshopper Sparrows are probably annual there in fall and winter but difficult to find when silent.

At Kimball Park in National City there’s a continuing Black-and-white Warbler and female Summer Tanager.

Yesterday, the 11th, the Tierrasanta Painted Redstart and Hepatic Tanager both continued. At nearby Stonecrest, a Hermit Warbler is back for its ca. 4th winter.

On 10 Nov, a Summer Tanager was at the Coronado Marriott hotel.

–Paul Lehman, San Diego