On Saturday, Feb 1, at dawn, a bright (very orange) female BALTIMORE ORIOLE was sunning itself at 7AM at Rohr Park, with kingbirds near the top of the very large, half-dead eucalyptus on the golf course next to the Rohr basketball courts. It then flew down in to the bottlebrush bordering the courts, and then to another nearby eucalyptus where it loosely joined 2 adult male BULLOCK'S ORIOLES. Some of you likely remember that these bottlebrush is exactly where a female Baltimore wintered in 2011-2012, but which was not seen last winter or earlier this winter. But a reasonable chance it is the same bird..... just like this winter's Northern Parula, which was missed last year but wintered the year before (2011-2012) in the same trees, so likely the same bird. And speaking of the male NORTHERN PARULA, it continued today, seen in the eucalyptus to the northeast of the 'historical house.' Also a single GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET in the tipu trees on the lawn to the east of the house; and the returning BLACK-THR. GRAY WARBLER continues in the tipus in the main parking lot.

Nearby, at Sweetwater Reservoir, there was an adult male COMMON MERGANSER and large numbers of several other species including 110 American White Pelicans, 500 Western Grebes, 200 Eared Grebes, and 400 Double-cr Cormorants. Also several Barn Swallows with the many Trees, and a Caspian Tern was probably an "early spring" arrival.

A new YELLOW WARBLER is along Hotel Circle North, and the SWAMP SPARROW continues in Tecolote Canyon.

--Paul Lehman, San Diego