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Eurasian Widgen
Eurasian Widgeon seen at CBC at el Camino Golf Course easily visual with binoculars on pond next to Hooters parking lot. Gray flanks really make it stand out. Female Hooded Merganser also at west end of pond
Andy Brumbaugh Carlsbad
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FW: Pelagic portion of Oceanside's CBC
David Povey <dpovey@...>
My apologies for the garbled mess this post turn into. I think the gremblins or N. Koreans got me. I tried to clean it up a bit, see below.
From: SanDiegoRegionBirding@... [mailto:SanDiegoRegionBirding@...] On Behalf Of 'David Povey' dpovey@... [SanDiegoRegionBirding]
Sent: Sunday, December 28, 2014 6:14 PM To: sandiegoregionbirding@... Subject: [SanDiegoRegionBirding] Pelagic portion of Oceanside's CBC
Matthew Binns, Jimmy McMorran, Bruce Rideout, and I did the pelagic portion of the Oceanside CBC. Beautiful conditions though the forecast was dire. Highlights were; Black-vented Shearwater 86 Brown Booby 2 We actually had three separate sightings. The first bird an all dark juvenile southwest of the O-side pier. A sub adult Brown Booby, with some white on the breast, was seen west of the Carlsbad power plant. The third Brown Booby sighting was of a very similar plumage bird to the number two Brown Booby. We' hoped that photos would be conclusive as to whether we were seeing the second bird again or perhaps a third. Nothing of any help so we felt best to stick with two for the count. I am fairly sure they are the first for Oceanside's CBC. Pelagic Cormorant 1 A lone bird on the rock jetty well back in the Marines portion of the harbor. Surfbird 4 Outer side of the north jetty. Wandering Tattler 2 on the jetties Red Phalarope 14 scattered Pomarine Jaeger 1 this bird in nearly black plumage Common Murre 1 north of power plant Ancient Murrelet 8 We had three single birds come into the gull flocks. One so close I had to back the boat up to see it. We also had two pairs of birds, seen at close range. We may have had a couple more escape our a bility to positively Id. them. Cassin's Auklet 84 Bonaparte's Gull 230 Thayer's Gull 1 1st. winter bird just south of the harbor Glauucous-winged Gull 2 both 1st. winter notes. Brandt's Cormorants were in big numbers here, about 600. Most years going back into the 1970's that species has often numbered less than 20 here, with a low count of 1 and high of 77. Heermann's Gulls also seemed in strong numbers, California Gulls, on the other hand, numbers seemed low today. Pacific White-sided Dolphin, Common Dolphin and California Sea Lion were seen. Surface water temps remain warm 59.5 to 63.1.
Dave Povey
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Borrego Eurasian Wigeon
Robert Theriault
For the record, the Eurasian Wigeon first found by Mr. Lehman at the Springs on 14 Dec 2014 was still present with a flock of over 200 American Wigeons today (28 Dec). Bob Theriault, Borrego Springs.
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Re: Pelagic portion of Oceanside's CBC
Jimmy McMorran
Hi Birders. Here are a few photo's from the "Pelagic" portion of the the Oceanside CBC. I took very few photos this day. Matthew and Bruce took tons of photos during the trip so likely have much better images available. There is a dark Jaeger in the mix of these photos chasing a Heermann's Gull, and for ID purposes on this individual, see the pale base of the the primary coverts of this "Pomarine" compared to that of "Parasitic" among other features seen in the field. A BIG THANK-YOU to Dave Povey, for having us aboard!! Good Birding, Jimmy McMorran Leucadia, CA
On Sun, Dec 28, 2014 at 6:13 PM, 'David Povey' dpovey@... [SanDiegoRegionBirding] <SanDiegoRegionBirding-noreply@...> wrote:
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Escondido CBC
Nancy Christensen
Spent the morning birding at the Safari Park. The only rarities my team picked up were a juvenile Snow Goose, a few Allen’s Hummingbirds, and a female Orchard Oriole.
The oriole was seen along the Heart of Africa trail in an area with many Cape Honeysuckle bushes. She was feeding vigorously on a small honeysuckle. Along the trail there is a pruned honeysuckle hedge about waist high (currently has very few blooms on it). Behind the hedge there are small unpruned bushes which have many blossoms. That’s where she was feeding. I was not quick enough to recognize what I was seeing and did not get any photos.
Nancy Christensen Ramona
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Pt. La Jolla – photos of Ancient Murrelets, 28 Dec 2014
Gary Nunn
Continuing with the local sightings today of this species there were two ANCIENT MURRELET which passed very close around Pt. La Jolla this morning. I managed some nice photographs of the two birds considering the land based observation position! First one seen at 7: 45 a.m. and the second at 8:30 a.m. Also present were five Black Turnstone and one Wandering Tattler directly on the rocks outside the Bridge Club. A single BROWN BOOBY headed south outside the kelp, although I was not looking earnestly for boobies and it is quite possible I missed others.-- Gary Nunn, Pacific Beach
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Pelagic portion of Oceanside's CBC
David Povey <dpovey@...>
Matthew Binns, Jimmy McMorran, Bruce Rideout, and I did the pelagic portion of the Oceanside CBC. Beautiful conditions though the forecast was dire. Highlights were;
Black-vented Shearwater 86 Brown Booby 2 We actually had three separate sightings. The first bird an all dark juvenile southwest of the O-side pier. A sub adult Brown Booby, with some white on the breast, was seen west of the Carlsbad power plant. The third Brown Booby sighting was of a very similar plumage bird to the number two Brown Booby. We' hoped that photos would be conclusive as to whether we were seeing the second bird again or perhaps a third. Nothing of any help so we felt best to stick with two for the count. I am fairly sure they are the first for Oceanside's CBC. Pelagic Cormorant 1 A lone bird on the rock jetty well back in the Marines portion of the harbor. Surfbird 4 Outer side of the north jetty. Wandering Tattler 2 on the jetties Red Phalarope 12 scattered Pomarine Jaeger 1 this bird in nearly black plumage Common Murre 1 north of power plant Ancient Murrelet 8 We had three single birds come into the gull flocks. One so close I had to back the boat up to see it. We also had two pairs of birds, seen at close range. We may have had a couple more escape our ability to positively Id. them. Cassin's Auklet 84 Bonaparte's Gull 230 Thayer's Gull 1 1st. winter bird just south of the harbor Glauucous-winged Gull 2 both 1st. winter
notes. Brandt's Cormorants were in big numbers here, about 600. Most years going back into the 1970's that species has often numbered less than 20 here, with a low count of 1 and high of 77. Heermann's Gulls also seemed in strong numbers, California Gulls, on the other hand, numbers seemed low today.
Pacific White-sided Dolphin, Common Dolphin and California Sea Lion were seen.
Surface water temps remain warm 59.5 to 63.1.
Dave Povey
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tufted duck
phil Pryde
The Tufted Duck was briefly seen this (Sunday) morning at approx. 11:10 a.m., in the farthest agglomeration of Lesser Scaup and Ring-neck Ducks in Upper Otay Reservoir. It was scoped by experienced birder Al Borgardt who with his wife Helga visits San Diego every winter from Calgary to see what's new in America's Birdiest County. He had a good look at it and its tuft, clearly visible in his scope, and I had a briefer look at the tuft, before the TUDU decided to rotate 90 degrees so the tuft was no longer visible. Al thinks he flew in with a large group of his Aythya friends that arrived from Lower Otay about 11:05 (sorry about that, Dave and Leslie). A scope is definitely needed to locate this guy.
Phil Pryde San Diego
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Mission Hills: cont. Plumbeous V - 12/28/14
Steve Ritt
The apparently-only-cooperative-during-mid-day Plumbeous Vireo continued across the street from 3282 Reynard Way at 1 PM today.
One Yellow-headed Parrot was in Ocean Beach, which I had never noticed there before. Steve Ritt San Diego, CA
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Scripps Ranch
Gary Grantham
Went for a walk with the grandkids during half time of the horrible Charger game in our South Scripps Ranch neighborhood. The best birds was small flock of PINE SISKINS (life bird # 129 for Kyler) feeding on Liquid Amber seed balls. This is only the third time in the past 10 years I have seen siskins in our neighborhood. We had several HERMIT THRUSHES as well, along with the usual suspects. Gary Grantham Scripps Ranch
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Short-eared Owl up north, 9 Vermilion Flycatchers, continuing Tufted Duck
On my way to my count area this morning for the Oceanside CBC, I had a Short-eared Owl on a fence post Next to a short grassed field. Location is tough for me to give exactly but I took the Gopher Canyon Rd. exit, turned right and then continued north on the frontage road to the first stop sign. I turned left there and somewhere around a mile or so ahead, there is an open field area on the right with short grasses and this is the area where it was. It did spook when I tried to stop the car so it may be helpful to at least be prepared to stop before you get right on top of it. We had a great CBC today at the now closed San Luis Rey gold course. We had a total of 9 Vermilion Flycatchers and other birds which I'm sure they will write about later. We also had one of the many Varied Thrushes. After getting home, I drove to Upper Otay again and Thomas Meyers used my scope to re-locate the Tufted duck they had earlier and I got some decent looks and record shot only photo's of it. Mark Stratton North Park
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oriole trifecta in s. Carlsbad
Paul Lehman
On the Oceanside CBC first thing this morning (Saturday), I returned to the Seascape Apartments at the corner of Camino de las Ondas and Seascape Dr., off Poinsettia Lane, in s. Carlsbad, to get the imm male ORCHARD ORIOLE for the count. Between 7-7:45AM I managed to see three individual orioles of three species, and none of them Bullock's! A female HOODED ORIOLE in the blooming eucs along the north side is probably the same female Hooded that has wintered here the past two winters. And today around 7:20-7:40AM I had the young male ORCHARD traveling around in the close company of a female BALTIMORE ORIOLE in pink-flowered eucs at the southeast corner of the complex near the swimming pool and right over a blue collection box for used clothing and shoes. A female Baltimore wintered here two years running but was missed last year, but it is likely the same individual back again for now at least its fourth year. For those interested in trying for these birds, early in the AM between 6:50-8AM is strongly recommended, as orioles tend to be much harder to find later in the day in winter. Also a WILSON'S WARBLER along the west side of the apts and a Merlin that was very dark and probably of the locally-rare Pacific NW subspecies suckleyi. A COSTA'S HUMMINGBIRD and NASHVILLE WARBLER continue in and around the La Costa Resort; as do a BULLOCK'S ORIOLE and 2 WESTERN TANAGERS and a new YELLOW WARBLER in the pink-flowered eucs and community garden at the Carlsbad City Hall/Library area on Carlsbad Village Raod. Up to 6 HOODED MERGANSERS are on the small pond on Paseo del Lago, off Palomar Airport Road/Camino Vida Roble, as some are every winter--early morning best, before they get disturbed. And 2 VARIED THRUSHES continue in the southwestern section of Buddy Todd Park in Oceanside.
--Paul Lehman, San Diego
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Lewis's Woodpecker
Gail
One individual perched at top of mature coast live oak in Dawson-Los Monos Canyon Preserve in Vista-restricted access.
D. Gail DeLalla Solana Beach Gail
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Vehicle access to Upper Otayfor Tufted Duck
Doug Aguillard
For those of folks who are older, officially handi-capped or unofficially handi-capped, or whatever reason. If you have not gone to see the Tufted Duck at Upper Otay Lake due to the long uphill walk, I have made arraignments with the City Lake staff to have the gate along Otay Lakes Road. Staff will open the gate at 6:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m., (maybe even 3:00 p.m. on this coming Wednesday, December 31 (New Years eve). The gate is normally close to vehicular traffic for the winter season I do not recommend driving all of the way to the lake's edge as we do not want to scare the bird away (if it's there), and it may even be real muddy and would hate for you to get stuck in the mud. Doug Aguillard San Diego, CA dwaguillard@... cby 391
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Ramona Pond
Nancy Christensen
There were 4 Common Mergansers at Ramona Pond this noon. Relatively light for other species: White Pelican, Northern Shoveler, Coot, Green-winged Teal, Ruddy Duck. Not much else.
Nancy Christensen Ramona
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Canyon Road Escondido
michaelwienholt@...
Today at 12:30 I found two Varied Thrush silently foraging in oaks on the east side of Canyon Road just beyond Oakmont Assisted Living facility, presumably the same pair reported by Paul Lehman. Further down on the west side at the intersection with Brook Canyon Road, I found a WESTERN TANAGER. An Allen's Hummingbird has been visiting the Cape Honeysuckle in my yard off Mary Lane, seen almost daily since October 13 when it was found by a visiting Rich Hoyer. Michael Wienholt Escondido
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La Jolla, Botanic Gardens 12/26
Carina Graham
I apologize for not reporting this sooner! My dad and I were out yesterday morning at La Jolla Cove. We were there from about 8:30 to 10am, and saw about 15 brown boobies, 2 ancient murrelets, and a single common murre, among others. I feel very embarrassed because when trying to id the common murre, another birder came up and asked us what we were looking at. I accidentally called the bird a booby, and after he walked away I realized my mistake. If it was one of you, I promise I'm not that foolish! Then we headed over to Quail Gardens/SD Botanic Gardens in Encinitas. Right away we spotted the varied thrush in the cork trees of the Mediterranean Gardens, just as reported. More were found at the lawn area nearby, and we counted at least 4 individual birds, 1 male, 2 female, 1 unknown. We wandered around for about an hour and saw bushtits, black phoebe, and a hummingbird that we are leaning towards calling an Allen's. Happy birding to all on the CBC today in Oceanside!
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Tufted duck
Nancy Christensen
The tufted duck was present on Upper Otay Lake this morning in the large flock of scaup and ring-necked Ducks.
Nancy Christensen Ramona A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song. Chinese Proverb
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Red-necked Grebe at Tijuana River mouth
Philip Unitt
Dear friends,
Yesterday, via e-Bird, Daniel Palmer reported a Red-necked Grebe dead on the beach at the mouth of the Tijuana River, 25 December 2014. Early this morning Matt Sadowski picked it up, and Lea Squires brought it to the museum. I prepared the specimen immediately—the first specimen of the Red-necked Grebe for San Diego County and the southernmost ever collected on the Pacific coast. It was starting to decompose so lost a small patch of feathers on the left side of the belly and some feathers on the neck but was not too bad—it could still be sexed (as a female). Because we had no skeletons of the Red-necked Grebe in the collection at all, I saved as much of the skeleton as I could, including the entire left foot and bones of the left wing down to the last phalanx of the left wing. The specimen is now number 54363 in the San Diego Natural History Museum.
With the Masked Booby from Coronado (found originally at Coronado on 21 September, then under care at Sea World, finally died on 1 December when a fishhook lodged in the esophagus ultimately pierced the myocardium), this makes two new first specimens for San Diego County in the past month.
And now let me go wash my hands one more time.
Good birding,
Philip Unitt San Diego
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Tijuana River mouth, north side – Pacific Golden-Plover, 26 Dec 2014
Gary Nunn
There was a single PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER on the north side of the Tijuana River mouth this afternoon at 2 p.m. It quickly flew off north with Black-bellied Plovers and went out of sight, but a flush of all the shorebirds, perhaps by a raptor, sent all the plovers back south and out to the sandbar in the estuary where I saw the bird again about 2:30 p.m. Easily picked out by the rich yellow-gold face and back spots, and smaller size. Nice light for photography in the afternoon. -- Gary Nunn, Pacific Beach
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