RBA

* California
* Orange County
* July 18, 2019
* CAOC19.07.18

This is the Orange County, CA weekly Rare Bird Alert ( RBA ) and local events summary. California Bird Records Committee (CBRC) review species are capitalized and marked with asterisks below. All documentation of review species should be forwarded to the CBRC secretary, Tom Benson, at secretary@... .

BIRDS MENTIONED

Northern Pintail White-winged Scoter Band-tailed Pigeon Reddish Egret Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Swainson's Hawk Yellow-breasted Chat Wilson's Warbler
A pair of summering NORTHERN PINTAILS continued at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Huntington Beach on July 12.
A male WHITE-WINGED SCOTER was seen in the nearshore area in a small flock of Surf Scoters between Huntington Beach and Newport Beach on July 17.
An adult BAND-TAILED PIGEON was unexpected immediately on the coast at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Huntington Beach on July 11.
An out-of-place REDDISH EGRET was photographed in San Diego Creek in Irvine on July 15. This is not only an unusual location being away from any of our known spots, but it's also pretty darn far inland for this species. On top of that, from photographs the bird appears to be a Hatch Year (HY) bird, which is even more unusual given we are in the middle of July.
An immature YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON was reported at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Huntington Beach on July 17 in the vicinity of the tide gate. Word is that it has been around for the last week or so.
In what is sure, once again, to be the highlight of the summer, a pair of SWAINSON'S HAWKS was found in Seal Beach on July 11. They have been most regularly seen hanging out along the I-405 right-of-way on poles or flying over Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach, but have also been seen on the Los Alamitos side of the freeway as well. From comparing photographs, it seems likely that one of the birds is the returning light morph bird from last year, although its mate appears to be probably a different bird this year. An official stakeout hotspot has been created at the Seal Beach Tennis Club parking lot.
A YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT was an unexpected bird in the "pocket pond" at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Huntington Beach on July 12.

Two WILSONS WARBLERS continued to be seen at San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary in Irvine through July 16. These appear to both be bachelor adult males.
LOCAL EVENTS

UPCOMING EVENTS THAT DO NOT REQUIRE ADVANCE RESERVATIONS

The monthly Bird Walk at Bolsa Chica Wetlands in Huntington Beach will take place on July 18 from 8:00am to 12:00pm. Meet atHarriet Wieder Park.
The Upper Newport Bay Bird Walk will take place on July 28 from 8:00am to 11:00am. Meet at the Big Canyon parking lot.
UPCOMING EVENTS THAT REQUIRE ADVANCE RESERVATIONS

The summer pelagic trip will take place on July 20 and still has room. Please e-mail Nancy Kenyon ( nancykenyon@... ) if youre interested in going. Details here: http://www.seaandsageaudubon.org/FieldTrips/Trips/Pelagic/PelagicTrips.html
The Upper Newport Bay pontoon boat trip on August 23 is full, but you can email Nancy Kenyon at nancykenyon@... if you want to be on the waitlist.

BIRDING WORKSHOPS AND CLASSES

None taking place.

*****************************************************

The Orange County RBA and events summary is produced weekly by Ryan Winkleman and Jeff Bray in collaboration with Doug Willick. Sightings of rare birds can be posted to the OrangeCountyBirding listserv, emailed directly to Jeff Bray ( jbray4913@... ) and/or Ryan Winkleman ( rswinkleman@... ), and/or submitted to eBird ( http://ebird.org/content/ebird ). Any supporting details (descriptions, photos, audio recordings, etc.) of rare sightings that are not already disclosed on the listserv or on eBird should also be emailed to Ryan Winkleman separately for consideration to be mentioned in the current quarterly report for North American Birds.

Those sightings that are included in this summary generally include those that are considered rare (regionally or seasonally) for Orange County based on "The Birds of Orange County: Status and Distribution" (Hamilton and Willick), "Birds of Southern California" (Garrett and Dunn), and/or more contemporary changes in local or regional status and distribution. Rarities that regularly or seasonally occur at a particular location, such as annually wintering rarities on Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge, may not be included in this digest, but reports of these same species occurring at other, atypical locations throughout the county may be included. We don't include hybrids, subspecies, introduced or exotic birds, or in most cases and for no real reason, geese. All bird reports are vetted to the extent possible prior to each publication, but in the interest of sharing information, the accuracy of any given report cannot always be guaranteed, nor can the presence of any given bird for those who choose to chase after them.

Information on upcoming local events is taken largely from the Sea and Sage Audubon website ( http://www.seaandsageaudubon.org/ ). Sea and Sage Audubon is based out of the Audubon House at the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary in Irvine. They sponsor a number of public field trips, special birding events, conservation lectures, and social gatherings throughout the year. Information regarding upcoming local events should be considered accurate at the time of this posting. However, for the most current information please refer to the field trip list on the Sea and Sage Audubon website at http://www.seaandsageaudubon.org/FieldTrips/FieldTripSchedule.html . It is also recommended that you refer to that website immediately prior to engaging in any field trip to confirm that trips are still occurring. If you know of additional upcoming events that are not sponsored directly by Sea and Sage Audubon, please email Ryan Winkleman and/or Jeff Bray for inclusion. # RBA

--
Ryan Winkleman
Rancho Santa Margarita