RBA
* California * Orange County * February 23, 2023 * CAOC23.02.23
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
*MEXICAN DUCK* Solitary Sandpiper Lewiss Woodpecker Brown-crested Flycatcher Tropical Kingbird Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Mountain Bluebird Varied Thrush Clay-colored Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Green-tailed Towhee Black-and-White Warbler American Redstart Chestnut-sided Warbler Palm Warbler
The presumed *MEXICAN DUCK* continued at Carr Park in Huntington Beach through February 20.
A SOLITARY SANDPIPER was at Quail Hill Trailhead (ponds) in Irvine on February 21 and 22.
A LEWISS WOODPECKER continued at Irvine Regional Park in Orange around Parking Lot Q through February 22.
The BROWN-CRESTED FLYCATCHER continued at the Chrisanta Drive spot in Mission Viejo through February 19.
A TROPICAL KINGBIRD continued in the oil field area below Overlook Park in Huntington Beach through February 21.
A SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER was found in the oil field area below Overlook Park in Huntington Beach on February 17 and continued through February 19
At least 8 MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS continued in the grasslands at Fairview Park in Costa Mesa through February 20.
A VARIED THRUSH continued around Lot M at Irvine Regional Park in Orange through February 22.
A CLAY-COLORED SPARROW continued at Clark Regional Park in Buena Park through February 20.
A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW continued at Irvine Regional Park at Lot P on February 21. Another bird was at a private residence in Orange on February 18. Yet another bird was seen at the streakout spot for the Chestnut-sided Warbler, near the Costco in Irvine (Technology) on February 19.
A VESPER SPARROW continued at Irvine Regional Park in Orange on February 20.
A GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE continued at Lot M at Irvine Regional Park in Orange through February 23. Another bird was photographed near Overlook Park in Huntington Beach on February 20.
A BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER continued at Huntington Central Park in Huntington Beach through February 20, with another continuing at Aurora Park in Mission Viejo through February 19.
An AMERICAN REDSTART was at Laguna Niguel Regional Park in Laguna Niguel on February 23.
A CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER continued in Irvine in the vegetation just east of the Costco Tire Center, behind the air stations, through February 19.
A PALM WARBLER was at Mason Regional Park in Irvine on February 20 and 21.

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 Upper Newport Bay bird walk will take place on February 26 from 8:00am to 11:00am.
The next San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary bird walk will take place on March 12 from 8:00am to 11:00am.
The next Bolsa Chica Wetlands bird walk will take place on March 16 from 8:00am to 12:00pm.
The next Carbon Canyon Regional Park bird walk will take place on March 19 from 8:00am to 12:00pm.

BIRDING WORKSHOPS AND CLASSES
Bill Clark will host an introductory raptor workshop from March 4-5 and an intermediate/advanced workshop from March 11-12. You can sign up with the form here: https://wp.seaandsageaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/RaptorID-workshop.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 ( 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

The SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER was present again this morning at Harriet Wieder Park. Like yesterday it was flycatching from the electric wires strung around the Thomas oil lease area below Overlook Drive. And like yesterday it was present for only a short time.

It was not present when I first arrived around 7am. By 8am I hadn't seen it so sauntered off. When I came back to the area at 8:45am I saw it flycatching from the electric wires and utility poles. It was distant but clearly identifiable as it moved all around the oil production area. A bit before 9:30am it flew up, headed up over the bluff, then east over the homes along Overlook, then veered southeast before I lost sight of it somewhere over Garfield x Edwards streets.

Given its appearance in the oil field yesterday at about 10am, this morning's brief appearance from 8:45-9:20, and its absence thereafter both days indicates it came from elsewhere to forage. 8-10am so far seems to be the magic window when it appears.

Bolsa Chica and Harriet receive a lot of coverage so I doubt it has been there all season and gone unnoticed. It is likely casually wandering through during the day so encounters may be hit-and-miss. Based on its direction of departure this morning my guess is it is wintering at the Seacliff golf course. Unfortunately that golf course is mostly surrounded by private homes inside gated communities so no way to ascertain if it is indeed there. The best bet is to keep checking the oil production area for its fleeting appearances.

Roger Schoedl
Huntington Beach

I am sorry. The area the Scissor-tailed is seen is from Overlook Park/Harriet Weider. Coordinates are from where I was standing. This is 6 houses heading south from Overlook (from the fire station).
Shirley Reynolds
Lake Forest
--
Shirley Reynolds
Lake Forest

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 100 yards south of Overlook at 33.6907, -118.0181 looking SW over oilfield ponds. Also seen well by Jim Kendall.
Shirley Reynolds
Lake Forest
--
Shirley Reynolds
Lake Forest

RBA * California * Orange County * July 1, 2021 * CAOC21.07.01
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
Blue-winged Teal Northern Shoveler Glaucous-winged Gull Black Tern Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
BLUE-WINGED TEALS were reported at Bolsa Chica Wetlands in Huntington Beach as well at San Joaquin Marsh in Irvine. While very unexpected, this species has bred in the county on a couple occasions in the past, so summering pairs are always worth monitoring. A female NORTHERN SHOVELER is presumably attempting to summer at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Huntington Beach and was last recorded on June 22. A BLACK TERN was at Bolsa Chica Wetlands in Huntington Beach on June 27. A GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL was at Bolsa Chica Wetlands in Huntington Beach on June 27. Perhaps a summering bird in the area. A YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON was at Newport Back Bay in Newport Beach on June 27 and again on June 30. Often seen around the Big Canyon Parking Lot. A SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER at Newport Back Bay in Newport Beach on June 27 was the first OC record since 2013. It was seen near the Big Canyon Parking Lot and despite many looking, the bird was only seen for a brief time by the initial observers and was never found again. What a jerk! LOCAL EVENTS
All Sea and Sage Audubon sponsored field trips have been canceled due to cautionary measures regarding the coronavirus. Naturalist-led walks are expected to resume in fall 2021.
BIRDING WORKSHOPS AND CLASSES
Sea and Sage is hosting a series of week-long nature day camps for kids ages 10-15 in July. Please contact Bev Spring at gpsyb@... for more information.
*****************************************************
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 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

--
Jeff Bray
Irvine, CA

I've been up and down the Prima Deshecha trail in SJC yesterday and today (Apr. 17th and 18th) on my bike and haven't refound the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. The mustard is very high. Or maybe my squeaky brakes scared it away.
Moro Rogers Dana Point

RBA

* California

* Orange County

* April 18, 2019

* CAOC19.04.18

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

Calliope Hummingbird

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

Plumbeous Vireo

Horned Lark

Bells Sparrow

Yellow-headed Blackbird

Black-and-white Warbler

Palm Warbler

A CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD was found at Moulton Meadows Park in
Laguna Beach on April 14. As many as 3 other birds were seen well up Silverado
Canyon around Big Cone Springs on April 14.

A SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER was reported from the Prima
Deshecha Trail above the west side of Prima Deshecha Landfill in San Juan
Capistrano on April 16, near GPS: 33.488972, -117.632222. The closest point of
public access to this location is from the south, near the intersection of
Portico Del Norte and Camino Del Los Mares. From there, its about a mile hike
to the GPS location given by the observer.

PLUMBEOUS VIREOS continued to be seen in the county this
week, including one along the riparian habitat parallel to University Drive at
Mason Regional Park in Irvine through April 13, a new one at Fairhaven Memorial
Park in Santa Ana on April 15 and another new one at Bommer Canyon in Irvine on
April 17.

HORNED LARKS were in Chino Hills State Park (Coal Canyon) on
April 14.

Two BELLS SPARROWS were seen in Chino Hills State Park (Coal
Canyon) on April 14.

YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS were reported from Newport Back Bay
on April 17, and at San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary in Irvine on April 14.

A BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER continued at Modjeska Park in
Anaheim on April 16.

A PALM WARBLER continued at Pond D at San Joaquin Wildlife
Sanctuary in Irvine on April 16.

LOCAL EVENTS

ORANGE COUNTY SPRING COUNT 2019

What is the OCSC

The OCSC (Orange County Spring Count) is part of a
nationwide migration count, similar to a Christmas Bird Count, but timed to the
opposite half of the migration cycle. Again this year the OCSC is being
expanded to try to capture more of the birds that migrate through the county.
Sea and Sage is encouraging birders to participate anytime during the months of
April and May. This will allow us to see and count more of the species that
migrate through the county. Again, this year we will try to focus on the best
areas for birds since comprehensive coverage of the entire county is not a
realistic goal.

How you can participate:

One of the objectives of Environment for the Americas (the
sponsor of the hemisphere wide count) is to enter all of the data into eBird.
This means that it is very simple to participate.

All of the regularly scheduled bird counts in April and May
will be included in the OCSC. The dates do not need to change.

I will also include the checklists from all of the Sea and
Sage field trips in Orange County held during April and May.

**Many of you already use eBird. You can enter your Spring
Count data directly into eBird for any birding that you do during April and
May. You dont have to send tally sheets to anyone. All that is needed is to
share the eBird check list with the Sea and Sage Audubon eBird account. (The
eBird user name is sea_sage_aud).

If you dont currently use eBird, you can sign up. Its
free! www.ebird.org

A goal for the OCSC is to count all the Top 100 Hot Spots
shown in eBird. It does not matter how many times a particular spot is covered.
Users of the eBird data can sort that out.

UPCOMING EVENTS THAT DO NOT REQUIRE ADVANCE RESERVATIONS

The monthly Upper Newport Bay Bird Walk will take place on
April 28 from 8:00am to 11:00am. Meet at the Big Canyon parking lot.

UPCOMING EVENTS THAT REQUIRE ADVANCE RESERVATIONS

The next amazing Sea and Sage Spring Pelagic trip will take
place on Saturday, May 4. Spots are
still available! If youre interested, please e-mail Nancy Kenyon:
nancykenyon@...

More info here: http://seaandsageaudubon.org/FieldTrips/Trips/Pelagic/PelagicTrips.html

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

--
Jeff Bray
Irvine, CA

Here are the coordinates of the area where I saw the Scissor-tailed. 33.488957, -117.632212

Moro Rogers Dana Point

toggle quoted message . . .

I was out biking on the Prima Deshecha Trail around noon and a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher flew right across my path. Clearly saw a pale kingbird-like body and a crazy long tail. It may not be chaseable in all that high mustard but I'll probably be biking that way again tomorrow so I'll keep my eyes out for it.
Moro Rogers Dana Point

This post is a bit long but it summarizes my OC big year for 2013.  I am back home in the northeast (2014 has started out much colder for me), and so this report is somewhat delayed. 

The preliminary count for my OC big year is 322 NIB 328 ABA, which ties Pike's old record of 322NIB and also includes the recently added Nutmeg Mannikin.  I had a nice rush of birds in late December that was made up of an American Redstart, Varied Thrush, Brown Booby, Lapland Longspur, and a Tundra Swan.

December 31st was spent looking for some recent rarities reported on the inland CBC (Mtn Blubird, Orchard Oriole) but my best bird of the day was the continuing ZONE-TAILED HAWK along the Puma Ridge trail at Irvine Regional Park (this seems to be the best spot to see this bird in the county from ~10am-3pm).  An afternoon pelagic trip out of Long Beach ended up going in the wrong direction (towards Palos Verdes) but produced some nice views of 7 Grey Whales and 2 Fin Whales (http://www.flickr.com/photos/77523243@N00/11700564044/) and a memorable last sunset of the year (http://www.flickr.com/photos/77523243@N00/11700434583/in/photostream/).

Special thanks to the OC birding community as a whole for their support and advice throughout the year.  There are so many people to thank, but Tom Benson was particularly helpful and I wouldn't have found nearly as many species had he not also decided to do a big year (from San Bernardino nonetheless!).  This year list wouldn't have been possible without the help of many other birders as well and there are too many to name individually but everything helped; all the way from Phyllis Anderson showing me a Rose-breasted Grosbeak in her backyard (http://www.flickr.com/photos/77523243@N00/8956399680/in/photostream/), to spotting both whales and birds on near weekly Dana Point Ocean Institute Pelagic Trips.  It's been a great year!

Here is my final checklist (which also includes 10 non-countable birds; Egyptian Goose, Mute Swan, Mandarin Goose, Indian Peafowl, Harris’s Hawk, Mitred Parakeet, Lilac-crowned Parrot, Orange-cheeked Waxbill, Pin-tailed Whydah, & Orange Bishop) which can be downloaded from dropbox;

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/16554933/ebird_US-OCBigYear2013_TAF_list_Final.xls

I saw ~95% of the birds seen in OC this year and reported them all in ebird, so I thought I'd instead list some of the notable misses this year (**seen by Benson);
Manx Shearwater**
Evening Grosbeak
Sage Thrasher**
Black Scoter**
Red-eyed Vireo

Cassin’s Finch**Masked Booby
PyrrhuloxiaPrairie Falcon
Baird’s SandpiperMagnolia Warbler
Painted RedstartScissor-tailed Flycatcher
Flesh-footed Shearwater
Mountain Bluebird

Someone who had more time of their hands (i.e. retired) could probably find more birds in a year, but I probably won't be doing another big year any time soon!  It's interesting how much the county has changed since Pike's last attempt but how loss of habitat has been made up for by advances in technology (internet-enabled phones, ebird, birding apps, instantaneous alerts, etc.) and greater coverage from more birders.  An excellent year in pelagic birding (Red-billed Tropicbird, Craveri's Murrelet, Blue-footed Booby, Brown Booby) and an influx of montane species (Red-breasted Nuthatch, Pygmy Nuthatch, Golden-crowned Kinglet, etc.) were critical in getting such a high year list.

Best of luck to the next Big Year seeker!
Tom Ford-Hutchinson
Irvine, CA

This morning, while preparing for our Monday hike, Dr. Peter Bryant and I first spotted the Little Blue Heron ay UNB by the Back Bay Science Center.
We then went on to the Aliso- Trabuco Trail, where we spotted a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. GPS:
N33°33'15.00"
W117°39'30.00"

It was approximately 1/2 miles from Crown Valley Parkway on the West side of Trabuco Creek, high in the trees.

Picture included were taken by Peter Bryant.

 
Dr. Chuck Nichols, Huntington Beach

Thanks for all the feedback. After looking up the pin-tailed whydah (which was not in my No. America Birding book), I confirmed that it was a pin-tailed whydah that I saw at Craig Regional Park. What a beautiful bird.

Candy Chapman
Tustin, CA

> Sunday, September 15th, at Craig Regional Park in Fullerton, I saw either a fork- or scissor-tailed flycatcher near the big group shelter about 2:30pm. Sadly I did not have my camera, but it was distinctly black and white colored; however I thought I saw an orange-reddish colored beak Has anyone else seen this amazing bird
>
> Thanks,
>
> Candy Chapman
> Tustin, CA
>
>

On Wed, Mar 14, 2012 at 12:13 PM, Christopher Taylor wrote:

> **
>
>
> Saw this come across the wire last night: http://goo.gl/D2g6v
>
> Don't recognize the poster...and two
>

I believe Pin-tailed Whydahs have been misidentified as Scissor-tailed
Flycatchers before.

--
Elliotte Rusty Harold
elharo@...

Saw this come across the wire last night: http://goo.gl/D2g6v

Don't recognize the poster...and two

--
Christopher Taylor
Marina del Rey, CA
http://kiwifoto.com