weekend miscellanea

Yesterday, the 21st, the Balboa Park GREATER PEWEE was well to the east of its usual area, calling quite a bit at 8AM next to the Organ Pavilion and Palm Canyon in the main central part of the park. Assume it is the same bird! A young male YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER was in the southwest section of the park (full red throat and complete black frame, but still lots of tan-brown mottling to the head and back). A female HOODED ORIOLE is presumably the same bird back for its second winter to the area near the miniature railroad and Art Studios (just south of the main Zoo entrance). A HERMIT WARBLER was north of Marston House, at the north end of the road (7th), overlooking the canyon. Also 1 Bullock's Oriole and total of 5 Western Tanagers scattered in the northern/western park.

Today, Sunday, the continuing Dairy Mart TROPICAL KINGBIRD was present just after dawn at the tops of the larger dead/leafless trees around the "wooded" pond" on the east side of Dairy Mart Road, across the road from the main pond–the third time I've seen it there early in the morning, so it might be roosting there at night. Also a CATTLE EGRET and the usual Least Bittern at the main pond. The PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER continues with the Killdeer flock on the east side of the sod farm. A female VERMILION FLYCATCHER is at the sports park in San Ysidro. Western Tanager at Nestor Park, another Western and a Bullock's Oriole at Sunnyslope Park, Black-thr Gray Warbler at Harborside Park, and an adult male SUMMER TANAGER at Kimball Park in National City, mostly in the eastern 2/3 of the park (check especially the several scattered pink-flowered eucalyptus). Also today, Barbara Carlson photo'd a first-cycle Glaucous-winged Gull at Lake Murray.

–Paul Lehman, San Diego