As the fall migration season kicks into gear, time to muse over what's Hot and What's Not this early season in California in 2021. Last year, some of the "Hot" species during the early fall migration period included Baird's Sandpiper, Purple Martin, Brewer's Sparrow, and Green-tailed Towhee--for some at least in parts of coastal southern California. But often such surges are just single-year events. This year, one group clearly on the move are nuthatches, with a fair number of White-breasteds turning up at unusual sites already beginning in mid-July; however, that movement seems to have stalled since early August, and almost no new wayward individuals have appeared since then, but with a few continuing birds still present. A few lowland Red-breasted Nuthatches have been reported during the past month, which may portend a fall/winter irruption. But best of all was the Pygmy Nuthatch in lowland coastal San Diego County, where casual, yesterday--possibly a harbinger of an unusual lowland push White-winged Doves certainly seem to be in well-above-average numbers this month in much of coastal southern California. It's been a great migration for Red-necked Phalaropes, with individuals and flocks found much more commonly on many inland bodies of water where otherwise locally scarce. Here in San Diego County there have even been two separate individuals photographed on backyard swimming pools! About the only place one has not yet occurred is in my toilet bowl. Black Terns, which have been in long-term decline, seem somewhat up this year. And it seems like better than average numbers of coastal Bank Swallows to date. The next few weeks will certainly shed additional light on what else is hot, or not, in Fall 2021.

--Paul Lehman, San Diego