Hi all:

This morning I visited the Quail Hill Preserve in Irvine, and tallied 20 species in all. The highlights were a white-tailed kite, kiting above the grassy hillside along the south side of the loop trail, and three male blue grosbeaks, in the tall mustard around the SW corner of the loop trail.

Afterwards, I stopped by the El Modena Preserve in Orange (on Cannon Street north of Chapman). There I saw four California gnatcatchers, and five cactus wrens. Two of the wrens appeared to be nesting, ducking continually into the same cactus grove and carrying food.

Yesterday, I took a long hike up the Coal Canyon trail in Chino Hills State Park (south of the 91 freeway). Highlights there included a fair number of Lazuli buntings, in the area where the Coal Canyon Creek (still actively running) passes the main trail head marker; a Merlin, located about midway between the one mile and 1.5 mile markers; a Townsend's solitaire, in the vicinity of the 1.5 mile marker; and two Costa's hummingbirds, near the 2 mile marker. Several black-chinned sparrows were actively singing near the two mile marker, but were too distant to be seen. I did not see or hear any Bell's sparrows there.

Charles Baker
Tustin