Ive had Antillean Nighthawk be suggested on Merlin at Mile Square Park!

   
    
     
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Thanks all. I dont list on Merlin alone and did not list the bird Monday, just sharing as a potential data point.
I fully agree on the limits of Merlin, it offered up Black-and-rufous Warbling Finch in the same area!
Drew Hatcher Orange

   
    
     
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Sorry to hijack this thread, but this is as good an opportunity as any to point out to everybody that birds identified by Merlin Sound ID only should not be reported on eBird checklists or otherwise unless independently verified by the birder either visually or through a diagnostic vocalization *in the field*. Unfortunately, Merlin has a bad habit of misidentifying common birds, and there has been a spate of eBird checklists in Orange County lately with multitudes of birds reported with only the comments that they were identified by Merlin, many of which were rarities. Merlin does have its upsides, but I feel that there are too many people who consider its identifications to be the final word or the gospel or whatever you want to call it. They're not. I've run personal tests against it myself and it was pulling out random rarities that I know were not there. This is not to discourage people from using Merlin Sound ID, although I personally am not a fan due to the amount of misuse that I see, but all users of this app should always try to independently verify any bird reported on it for themselves. Scanning the list of birds at the end of a recording and adding them on to an eBird checklist, especially any birds that weren't actually detected in the field by the observer, should not be done and is not how the app was intended to be used.
Thank you, Drew, for taking the ID with a grain of salt. I was recently told by Sherry Meddick that Merlin Sound ID misidentifies Lazuli Buntings as Indigo Buntings nearly every day at her house in Silverado Canyon.

I will now step down from my soapbox...

   
    
     
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Hi all,
Should be noted that the songs of Indigo and Lazuli Bunting are very similar.
Regards, Ed Stonick
Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone
   
    
     
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Merlin identified the call/song of an INBU on Monday 5/15 at Oak Creek Golf Club in Irvine between Sand Canyon and Jeffrey, north of Irvine Center. Did not get eyes on it however, for what it's worth. Very birdy place with lots of trees, several ponds and a riparian feature, but green fee is $$$$.
Drew Hatcher Orange

   
    
     
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Birders:
While conducting a site visit at the Parkside Restoration area by Bolsa Chica, I was trying to lay glass on a singing yellow-breasted chat when a male INDIGO BUNTING flew across my field of view and perched for about a minute in a bare shrub. I was able to get some photos before he flew into the weeds. I have not relocated him at this time.

The spot i viewed him from is a public-access concrete path at gps point(33.7086903, -118.0395428). This spot is easily accessible from the end of goldenrod circle.
The bird was in the scrubby weedy area in front of the eucalyptus trees to the west. Needless to say, do NOT attempt to trespass the gate, stay on the path itself.

good birding,
Samuel Bressler
Fullerton

RBA

* California * Orange County * September 1, 2022 * CAOC22.09.01
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
Bairds Sandpiper Red-billed Tropicbird Reddish Egret Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Zone-tailed Hawk Gray Flycatcher Cassins Vireo Purple Martin Northern Waterthrush Indigo Bunting
A BAIRDS SANDPIPER was at Bolsa Chica Wetlands in Huntington Beach on August 31. Seen in the back area around the oil fields off of Springdale.
A RED-BILLED TROPICBIRD (not a White-tailed Tropicbird, for which there is only one California record and it just so happened to be in Orange County!) was photographed at sea about 1 mile off Dana Point on August 27.
A REDDISH EGRET was a quick and rare sighting at San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary on August 28. Seen on Pond 1.
YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS continued at many locations this past week including Dana Point Harbor, Upper Newport Bay, and the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary.
A juvenile ZONE-TAILED HAWK was at Huntington Central Park in Huntington Beach on August 27.
A GRAY FLYCATCHER continued around the area of the secret garden at Huntington Central Park in Huntington Beach on August 27 and apparently also on August 26.
A CASSINS VIREO was reported at Huntington Central Park in Huntington Beach on September 1.
An adult male PURPLE MARTIN was photographed flying over Mason Regional Park in Irvine on August 25.
A NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH continued at the Talbert Lake area at Huntington Central Park in Huntington Beach through September 1. There was one report of two birds present simultaneously.
A female-type INDIGO BUNTING was present at Mile Square Regional Park in Fountain Valley on August 29.

LOCAL EVENTS
For a complete up-to-date list of current field trips, please visit the webpage on Sea and Sages website: https://wp.seaandsageaudubon.org/home-sas/field-trip-2/#FTSchedule
The next bird walk at San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary in Irvine will take place on September 11 from 8:00am to 11:00am.
The next bird walk at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Huntington Beach will take place on September 15 from 8:00am to 12:00pm.
The next bird walk at Carbon Canyon Regional Park in Brea will take place on September 18 from 8:00am to 12:00pm.
The next Upper Newport Bay pontoon boat trip will be on September 21 from 8:15am to 11:45am.

BIRDING WORKSHOPS AND CLASSES
Sylvia Gallaghers Birds of Southern California introductory visual workshop will begin this October, with enrollment beginning in September. Refer here for more info: https://wp.seaandsageaudubon.org/home-sas/birding-classes/#Intro2022 .
****************************************************
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 ( jbray3928@... ) 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 or 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 https://wp.seaandsageaudubon.org/home-sas/field-trip-2/#FTSchedule . 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
--
Jeff Bray
Irvine, CA

Birders,
A female-type Indigo Bunting is in the Nature Area at MSRP. Feeding in canopy of tall eucalyptus in SE corner of Nature Area. Very difficult to find and clear views near impossible. First encounter at 9:40 was brief and suggestive only. Didnt see it again until 12:25 when it returned to same tree for confirming views. At least three Lazulis in the area.

Tom Wurster
Garden Grove

RBA
* California * Orange County * September 26, 2019 * CAOC19.09.26 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
Ruff *RED-FOOTED BOOBY* Reddish Egret Cattle Egret Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Swainson's Hawk Cassins Vireo Mountain Chickadee Brewers Sparrow Black-throated Sparrow Green-tailed Towhee Yellow-headed Blackbird Northern Waterthrush Black-and-white Warbler Tennessee Warbler Lucys Warbler *MOURNING WARBLER* American Redstart Blackpoll Warbler Indigo Bunting
A RUFF continued on the upper Santa Ana River through September 21, where it has been continuing downstream of Lakeview Avenue again.
A *RED-FOOTED BOOBY* was photographed off of Dana Point on September 23. This is a review species, meaning documentation of any sightings should be forwarded to Tom Benson at secretary@... .
An out-of-place, inland REDDISH EGRET continued in San Diego Creek in Irvine through September 19. It is usually seen somewhere along the creek between Main and Barranca.
At least one CATTLE EGRET continued at San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary in Irvine through September 22, with reports on the ponds and along San Diego Creek. A bird described at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Huntington Beach on September 24 could not be confirmed.
At least two YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS continued at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Huntington Beach through September 24 (usually around the "pocket pond" and the Wintersburg Channel), and at least two birds were at Dana Point Harbor through September 21 (usually near the Nordhavn building and in the large magnolia trees across the street).
Two SWAINSON'S HAWKS continued to be observed in Seal Beach along the I-405 right-of-way through September 25. They are typically found perching on lampposts, flying over Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach, or flying over Old Ranch Golf Course/Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base and can be seen pretty reliably from the Seal Beach Tennis Club parking lot when they are around. Please note that we are in active fall migration for this species, and that observers and eBird reporters should be extremely careful to identify the individual birds on or around the base if seen. We are very interested in determining when our local birds leave, so if you cannot see a leg band or surmise from behavior that a given bird(s) is one of the summer 2019 birds, please do not assume that it is, and please make notes regarding as such. A third, intermediate (rufous morph) bird was also photographed over Russell Cook Park in San Juan Capistrano on September 21.
A likely bright male CASSIN'S VIREO was photographed along the west end of "the island" at Huntington Central Park in Huntington Beach on September 21. While initially identified as a candidate for Blue-headed Vireo, the non-unanimous consensus among experts (obviously not either of us!) was that the bird was probably a bright fall male Cassin's Vireo.
A MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE at a private residence in Laguna Niguel was quite coastal for this species, although a known location as well.
A BREWER'S SPARROW was photographed at Huntington Central Park in Huntington Beach on September 23 and continued through September 25. It has been found generally on the lawn east of "the island."
A BLACK-THROATED SPARROW was photographed at Fairview Park in Costa Mesa on September 21 at approximate coordinates 33.664826, -117.939434.
A GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE continued in the desert section of the Nature Area in Mile Square Regional Park in Fountain Valley on September 21, and another bird was found at Pond D of San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary in Irvine on September 22.
A YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD was seen at Anaheim Coves Park in Anaheim on September 20.
A NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH continued in Huntington Central Park in Huntington Beach through September 20, where it was most recently found by the bandstand on the south end of Talbert Lake.
A BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER was at a private residence in Laguna Niguel on September 21 (McNab has such a cool yard list).
A TENNESSEE WARBLER found at Gilman Park in Brea on September 19 continued through September 24 along the creek.
A LUCY'S WARBLER found at Gilman Park in Brea on September 22 continued through September 25 at the watering hole.
A likely *MOURNING WARBLER* was at Huntington Central Park in Huntington Beach on September 21. The bird was seen on the southwest side of Talbert Lake, between the bandstand and the garden in the weedy understory below the fallen willow on the lawn. However, it has not been seen since it was first found. The unanimous consensus among all experts who have weighed in on the photos that were taken is that it is likely a Mourning Warbler. If accepted by the CBRC, it would be the first since 2000, and only the third record for OC ever. If the bird is refound, please send all documentation to Tom Benson at secretary@... .
A female-type AMERICAN REDSTART found at Gilman Park in Brea on September 16 continued through September 25. Another female-type bird was reported on September 25 from somewhere at Huntington Central Park in Huntington Beach.
A BLACKPOLL WARBLER found at Gilman Park in Brea on September 22 continued through September 25. Just a note that if you are seeing a black and white bird it is probably a Black-throated Gray Warbler, NOT a Blackpoll Warbler. If you make this identification mistake, heaven help you if Jeff sees your eBird reports before I do, because he is ruthless once he gets upset about a bird ID.
An INDIGO BUNTING found at Gilman Park in Brea on September 19 continued through September 22.

LOCAL EVENTS
UPCOMING EVENTS THAT DO NOT REQUIRE ADVANCE RESERVATIONS
The monthly Upper Newport Bay bird walk will take place on September 29 from 8:00am to 11:00am. Meet at the Big Canyon parking lot.
The monthly Nature Walk at San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary in Irvine will take place on October 5 from 9:00am to 10:30am. Meet at the Audubon House.

UPCOMING EVENTS THAT REQUIRE ADVANCE RESERVATIONS
None available at this time.

BIRDING WORKSHOPS AND CLASSES
The introductory visual class Birds of Southern California with Sylvia Gallagher will take place this fall from October to December. Registration has begun. You can see more details here: http://www.seaandsageaudubon.org/Classes/BirdsOfSoCA.pdf .
*****************************************************
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 or 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

While looking throughmy photos at lunch, I photographed the continuing Indigo Bunting as well, which I had not realized at the time. Some photos linked in the eBird list below from the 5 hours we spent at the park this morning. I never saw the Blackpoll... A great morning of birding at this park. Amazing all the birds it pulls in...
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S60028745

Cheers, Jeff Bray Irvine, CA

Tried to attack picture but didn't work. Sorryabout that.

Found down stream a short distance from fallen willow over Creek. In eucalyptus on lower branches. Sandy Remley Orange

Since Grasshopper Sparrows nest on the ground, conceal their nests underneath grasses where they are very difficult to find, and further hide their nests by undertaking indirect flights to and from them, nobody should ever be wandering off official trails into occupied Grasshopper Sparrow habitat blindly looking for the birds during nesting season. To do so is not only dangerous to you, but dangerous to the birds. Anybody caught wandering around off-trail in Grasshopper Sparrow habitat during nesting season risks being publicly shamed on this forum...the birds have it hard enough without people trampling their habitat for photos or whatever.
--
Ryan Winkleman
Rancho Santa Margarita

Hi all,
The indigo bunting appears to have moved on. We looked for the bird in the past few days and it has not been heard or seen. I checked out nearby reserves across the street and freeway, including private areas, and I did not see any sign of it.

For anyone who goes looking for the "shrimp pond" GRSP, please do not walk into the pond area, this is not where that particular male hangs around. There are a lot of squashed toads and trampled vernal pool vegetation because of recent foot traffic into this site, and one birder I talked to said this is where he thought the bird was supposed to be. The individual GRSP in question actually hangs out along the fence posts about 300 feet E of the pond, usually in the low grass on the other side of the fence. Today he was hopping between the fence posts between 8 and 9am at close range.

If you arrive early the birds are usually confiding at this time of the year. I saw at least 8 birds today, with 5 birds visible at once during exceptionally fortunate circumstances. But the point here is that there is no need to cut trails through grassland looking for them. If you cannot find the "shrimp pond" GRSP, there are 2 males that sing close to the trail on the SW side of the reserve, 1 on either side. Even though a lot of the grassland vegetation is not very sensitive at this time of year, it is best to stay on trail. The birds flew across the main walking path multiple times while I was set up there. They are regularly singing in the mustard plants at the moment, which often makes them very visible. No playback is required.

James Bailey
Lake Forest