Monday morning, I arrived at Morrison Pond near Bonita just before 6:00AM and the only cormorants present were two Double-cresteds, so I then went at 7:00 a.m. to Sweetwater Reservoir when it opened and did not see the Neotropic there either, with the only small highlight being my first fall migrant Wilson's Phalarope of the season. But then I returned to Morrison at 8:00AM and the Neotropic is indeed now here, perched along the south side of the pond. Given that the bird is an adult, there's a reasonable chance it's one of the couple individuals that were here last year at this same time of year.

I left the garden at 5pm, no sign of the Kite between 3:30 and 5! Perhaps it discovered the wondrous bounty that is Dairy Mart.

Andrew Newmark
Chula Vista, CA

This morning at about 9 o’clock, the subject bird was flying over the community gardens down in Nester and has been located by David Trussell. He is currently still down there in the big center section of the burden butterfly garden watching it.  The bird is still insight as of 1115

At 7:30 the RB grosbeak was found about 100 yards north of Garnet. We saw it from the east side bike path, but bird was across the creek perched in a Eucalyptus tree. It was singing. In the same area, and even on the same branch was a singing swainson’s Thrush.

Nancy Christensen
Ramona


A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song.
Chinese Proverb

First seen yesterday showed up again this morning at 6. Same location back yard of house next to the ball fields.

John Bruin
Bay Park

Originally reported by Matthew Silvia on private property this afternoon (6/18). Joe Alsadi was able to refind it along Rose Creek around 6:00 PM. He was able to hear then view the bird from the East side of the creek (end of Magnolia) singing from the top of a pepper tree right across the creek. Black back and head with white spots in the wings, white belly and red bib. He was then able to get Barb Carlson and I on the bird shortly thereafter (6:45 PM) on the dirt path that is on the west side of Rose Creek and runs under the pepper trees that the bird prefers to sing in when not feeding at Matthew’s feeders.

Today, 18 June, over-summering birds of interest include a male Redhead, which is very rare at this season away from San Dieguito Lagoon, at the "east pond" at Dairy Mart; now three roosting Cattle Egrets at the main Dairy Mart pond; and the continuing singing Indigo Bunting just west of the bird & butterfly garden.

Dear friends,

I just heard from Karyn Sauber that she has a tailless Gray Catbird coming to her home at Canebrake in the Anza-Borrego Desert. Patronizing the bird bath, not surprisingly, in the 113° F heat. She sent me two pictures confirming the identification.

Good birding,

Philip Unitt
San Diego

--
Jean Dittmyer
Jeandittmye@...

Today, June 15, a summering Black Turnstone continues at J Street. Had a total of 5 "Black" Brant on San Diego Bay (1 Chula Vista bayfront, 1 Coronado Cays, 3 Delta Beach) which is more than the usual 2 or so I see per summer on the Bay. A check of several ocean vantage points between Imperial Beach and Coronado produced ca. 250 non-breeding Western Grebes, which is fewer than normal in summer there, and I could not find a single scoter! There was a Red-throated Loon off Coronado; about one per summer is average.

--Paul Lehman, San Diego

--
Jean Dittmyer
Jeandittmye@...

The San Diego pelagic trip on 13 June, sponsored by Buena Vista Audubon Society and aboard "Legacy" out to the 9-Mile and 30-Mile Banks and "the Corner" (up to 35 miles offshore) took place in 3-to-4-fot seas and a nice overcast in the AM and sunshine in the PM. As has been the case in recent times, overall bird numbers and diversity were only so-so, although there were some well seen and photo'd highlights, and there was a good whale show. The best birds were two pairs of CRAVERI'S MURRELETS and a surprise breeding-plumaged BLACK TERN (32.686, -117.652). Also good looks at Scripps's Murrelets, still several late-lingering Northern Fulmars, numbers of Ashy Storm-Petrels, a Brown Booby, and a couple mid-June well-offshore landbirds. One of the Blue Whales put on a good show. Photos will be posted with the eBird reports to appear in the following couple days. Offshore (beyond 2 miles) totals for the day were as follows:

Scripps's Murrelet 11 (a typical "late date")

CRAVERI'S MURRELET 4 (two pairs; one at "the Corner" well seen, the other at NW corner 9-Mile Bank)

Cassin's Auklet 18

Heermann's Gull 2

Western Gull 100

Least Tern 8 (including all the way offshore to the Corner, 33+ miles offshore)

BLACK TERN 1 (feeding adult in San Diego Trough, 23 mi W of Point Loma; some Black Terns are indeed pelagic in non-breeding season, but date locally is somewhat odd for this rare migrant)

Elegant Tern 275

Black Storm-Petrel 250

Ashy Storm-Petrel 12

Leach's Storm-Petrel 1 (briefly seen in L.A. Co. waters)

Northern Fulmar 3 (rare in summer; various color morphs)

Pink-footed Shearwater 1 (low)

Sooty Shearwater 20

Black-vented Shearwater 15

Brown Booby 1 (just inside 9-Mile Bank)

Double-crested Cormorant 1

Brandt's Cormorant 2

Brown Pelican 150

Rufous/Allen's Hummingbird 1 (presumably a post-breeding dispersing Allen's?)

ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER 1 (far offshore at "the Corner"; probably a post-breeding disperser)

Blue, Fin, and Humpback Whales, Common Dolphins, Mola-Molas


--Paul Lehman, Jimmy McMorran, Dave Povey, Bruce Rideout, Justyn Stahl, et al., San Diego