Tijuana River Mouth and Imperial Beach Sports Park – 7/1/2018

Hi,

I did the slog down the sand to the Tijuana River Mouth from the south end of Seacoast Drive in Imperial Beach mid morning yesterday (7/1). Lots of ELEGANT TERNS making the trip back and forth from the Salt Works for fish. Carrying fish on the way back, so must be feeding young. Lots of WILLETS. Very few SNOWY PLOVERS. No chicks. Not a large number of LEAST TERNS either. I counted 13 adults and 3 chicks. Had one REDDISH EGRET down near the river mouth. It was distant, hanging out near where the Cormorants, Pelicans, and Gulls were on the interior side. Needed my scope to ID it. Couple of GULL-BILLED-TERNS. Several LONG-BILLED CURLEW, WHIMBREL and MARBLED GODWITS No peeps or other smaller Shorebirds. There was a YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERON visible from the dune. Never seen one that far south before. It was on the west bank of a wide section of channel in the estuary.

I also stopped by the Imperial Beach Sports Park.
The nest trees were quite active. A pair of Snowy Egrets were feeding at least one smallish young in a nest in the tree near the road. There was a recently fledged Night Heron out and about, and other juveniles up in the tree by the bathroom. A few adult Yellow-crowned Night Herons, and one Black-crowned were also in the tree by the bathroom. There was a pair of Little Blue Herons, but I don't know if they had a nest. Seems likely if they were hanging around there.

Lists and photos:

River Mouth and walk:
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S46921969

Sports Park:
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S46923602

If anyone knows whether the juvenile Night Heron that was standing in the small tree in my photos from the Sports Park is Yellow-crowned or Black-crowned, please let me know. I'm leaning towards Yellow-crowned, but I'm really not sure about it.

Lisa Ruby
Sabre Springs

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Lisa Ruby
Sabre Springs
Source: SanDiegoRegionBirding Latest Reports