2013 My San Diego County Big Year - Week 4

Jan 22

A Curlew Sandpiper was reported in Imperial Beach but I didn’t get down there in time to have much time to find it before the sun set.  I just hope that the bird sticks around until the weekend.

Curlew Sandpiper

Imperial Beach 7th St

Species to Date – 190

Jan 23

At lunch today I chased after a Solitary Sandpiper that had been reported not too far from my office.  I got a bird in the scope and just as I was getting a good look at it the mass of birds got startled and took flight.  When they settled I scoped through them quickly but wasn’t able to find the one I was looking for.  I had to leave to get back to the office so that I can afford the rest of this year.

Rancho Santa Fe Polo Club, La Jolla Cove

Peregrine Falcon

Species to Date – 190

Jan 24

A good friend called to say she was making an unexpected trip to San Diego to look for a reported rare bird.  After work I plowed through the golf tournament traffic and joined Jennifer R at the southern end of San Diego.  As the light was fading we noticed a bunch of shorebirds flying and one had a solid white rump.  We raced down to where they landed and found our target, a CURLEW SANDPIPER!  A lifer for Jennifer and a totally surprising species for January.  It doesn’t get a whole lot better than birding with a friend and sharing great birds and good food.

Imperial Beach 7th St

Little Blue Heron

Curlew Sandpiper, Merlin

Species to Date – 192

Jan 25

I squeezed in a bit of birding with Jennifer before she headed up to Los Angeles for a conference and before I met my wife for her doctor’s appointment.  In the rain at Otay Lakes we found a wintering Bay-breasted Warbler but missed the Prairie Warbler.  The Clapper Rail that has recently moved in called from the reeds plus we had a California Gnatcatcher right next to where we parked.  Off to Greenwood Cemetery.  Jennifer found all three of her targets: Pine Warbler, Plumbeous Vireo and Grace’s Warbler.  From where I was standing I could hear the Pine Warbler and see it moving through the branches but I wasn’t able to see it clearly enough to count it.  Damn.  Time to time leave and be a dutiful and loving husband.  But I’ll trade any bird for my wife.  On the way home I made a brief stop along the San Diego River where I ran into Jim P who pointed out the target, a sleeping Wilson’s Snipe.

Lower Otay Lake, Greenwood Cemetery, San Diego River

Plumbeous Vireo, California Gnatcatcher, Clapper Rail, Wilson’s Snipe

Hermit Warbler

Species to Date – 196 

Jan 26

A day of birding with my wife is my absolute favorite way to spend a day.  It rained almost all day but we found pockets of temporary dryness.  The now-resident Cackling Goose was taking a nap at the library when we arrived.  We had plenty of other ducks but the rain drops started to grow in size so we headed off without looking for any landbirds.  We headed over to La Jolla where I added a Pelagic Cormorant to my year list but the waves were crashing heavily against the rocky coastline and we were not able to find either Wandering Tattler or Surfbird.  In Imperial Beach we saw the multiple-year winter male Hepatic Tanager as we walked up to the blooming Coral Tree where it likes to spend part of its day.  

Scripps Ranch Library, La Jolla Children’s Pool, Mission Bay, Imperial Beach Sports Park, Rohr Park, San Diego River

Cackling Goose, Pelagic Cormorant, Hepatic Tanager

Red-necked Grebe

 Species to Date – 199

Jan 27

Barbara C and I spent today chasing after some of the wintering rarities we hadn’t yet found.  We were joined in the morning by Elizabeth C who helped us find a Pine Warbler in one of the residential areas of Coronado.  Elizabeth’s ears also found a wintering Wilson’s Warbler in the same block as the Pine Warbler.   Even though I already had the Curlew Sandpiper for the year, Barbara still needed it so we went over to 7th Street.  It took a while to finally find it but that gave me the chance to add a few year birds.  Barbara paid me back by helping me find a bird she already had on the year.  We walked about a half-mile along the bay in downtown San Diego before I heard Barbara yelling my name.  With the Midway in the background I was finally able to photograph the Red-necked Grebe that had been moving around the bay since December.  At Pantoja Park I found a Hermit Warbler but once again I was not able to find either of my other warbler targets.

Coronado, Imperial Beach 7th St, Pantoja Park, Sunnyslope Park, San Diego Bay, Morley Field

Pine Warbler, Wilson’s Warbler, Barn Swallow, Tree Swallow, Red Knot, Ruddy Turnstone, Hermit Warbler, Red-necked Grebe

Species to Date – 207 

2013 My San Diego County Big Year - Week 3

Jan 13

Large-billed Savannah Sparrow

After posting my last update I stepped outside before going to bed and a Barn Owl flew over the backyard and called repeatedly.  It has been a few weeks since I have seen one at the house.  Over the past few years up to three would fly over the yard at any given time, and I would hear both types of calls.  It’s nice to know at least one is still in the neighborhood.

Barn Owl

Species to Date – 162

Jan 15

Short-eared Owl

I had a little bit of time before attending the monthly SDFO meeting so I stopped at Famosa Slough and added one bird to my year list.  Not a species I feared missing on the year but still nice to get that tick.  Most importantly, I was out birding, not at the office behind a desk.

American Avocet

Species to Date – 163

Jan 19

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Missing out on a reported Red-necked Grebe was not a promising start but fortunately it wasn’t an omen for the remainder of the day, taken up mostly by a walk I led for San Diego Audubon at the Salt Works on south San Diego Bay.  What a day!  Thirty-nine people joined me on the 5-mile walk around the outer dikes.  We had multiple Short-eared Owls and a surprise Burrowing Owl.  Spotting multiple Short-eared Owls on all three walks I’ve led thus far this winter didn’t diminish the enjoyment of watching them again today.  What a delight to see the looks of glee on the younger birders as they saw these owls for the first time.  We also found 3 subspecies of Savannah Sparrow including the sought after Large-billed.

Harris's Hawk

After the walk I went over to the backyard of a private residence where a Black-throated Blue Warbler is wintering.  Tt took another an hour and a half of patient waiting before the female appeared on her usual branch and started eating from an orange.

I finished off the day with an Eastern Phoebe that had been reported previously.

Pantoja Park, Salt Works, Mission San Diego De Alcala

Eastern Phoebe, Costa's Hummingbird, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Greater Scaup, Common Goldeneye, Red-breasted Merganser, Clark's Grebe, Short-billed Dowitcher, Burrowing Owl, Short-eared Owl, Reddish Egret, White-throated Sparrow

Species to Date – 175

Jan 20

Burrowing Owl

Barbara C and I spent the day chasing after some wintering birds in the higher parts of the county.  As birding often goes, we missed some of our targets but were able to find many others.  Just after sunrise in Jacumba, we had clear skies at 24 degrees.  Yes, 24 degrees and it felt every bit that cold to this SoCal-blooded birder.  When it’s that cold I think the “F” stands for something besides Fahrenheit.  Luckily this target was reported to be very shy but would come reliably to a feeder at the end of a driveway so we sat and waited in the car.  An hour and half later, lots of everyday birds had emptied the feeder, we were freezing and the Evening Grosbeak had yet to arrive.  Time to move on.

As we hoped, one of the Harris’s Hawks that have made their home in southeast San Diego County for the past few years was very near the tree it nested in last summer.  Now I was starting to warm up a little bit.

Belted Kingfisher

Through the Cuyamaca Mountains we added some everyday birds that were very nice to encounter since they were our firsts of the year.  We did miss the hoped-for Williamson’s Sapsucker but had good luck with most of our targets.

Along Rangeland Road in Ramona we spotted all the usual suspects.  Best in my book was the nice view of a male Mountain Bluebird, though some may argue that the nesting Bald Eagle should take top prize.

Jacumba, Rancho Cuyamaca SP,  Santa Ysabel Mission, Rangeland Rd, Mesa Grande Rd

Vesper Sparrow, Mountain Bluebird, Lewis's Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Steller's Jay, Mountain Chickadee, Pygmy Nuthatch, Canvasback, Harris's Hawk, White-winged Dove, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, American Robin, Brown-headed Cowbird, Pine Siskin, VIrginia Rail

Species to Date – 190

2013 My San Diego County Big Year - Weeks 1 & 2

I decided about twelve days into 2013 to do a San Diego County Big Year. Here is a recap of what I have done to this point in the year.

Jan 1

Sooty Shearwater

I spent New Year's Day on the annual San Diego Field Ornithologists pelagic trip, kicking off 2013 as I have each of the last few New Years: with some of my favorite birds and people.  Finished off Day 1 of 2013 by adding regular winter visitors to our backyard.

San Diego Bay and offshore waters, my house

Brant, Mallard, Lesser Scaup, Surf Scoter, Bufflehead, Red-throated Loon, Pacific Loon, Common Loon, Pied-billed Grebe, Eared Grebe, Western Grebe, Northern Fulmar, Sooty Shearwater, Short-tailed Shearwater, Black-vented Shearwater, Brandt's Cormorant, Double-crested Cormorant, Brown Pelican, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Osprey, Sharp-shinned Hawk, 

Northern Fulmar

American Coot, Spotted Sandpiper Black Turnstone, Bonaparte's Gull, Heermann's Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Western Gull, California Gull, Herring Gull, Royal Tern, Pomarine Jaeger, Parasitic Jaeger, Common Murre, Cassin's Auklet, Rhinoceros Auklet, Rock Pigeon, Anna's Hummingbird, Cassin's Kingbird, American Crow, Western Bluebird, Yellow-rumped Warbler, House Finch, House Sparrow

Species to Date - 46

Jan 2

Back to work on the 2nd day of the year but still able to add a few species on my 2013 year list.  The great thing about the calendar flipping is that even common birds are good.

American White Pelican, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Mourning Dove, Nuttall's Woodpecker, Common Raven, Cedar Waxwing, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco

Species to Date -56

Jan 3

My only new addition for the year is one that I am surprised took me this long to tally.  Normally I have one in my yard everyday but it decided to take an extended New Year holiday.

Black Phoebe

Species to Date -  57

Jan 4

A few more regular wintering birds added for the year.

House Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Species to Date -  59

Jan 5

Cooper's Hawk

Time to do some land birding in the new year.  I decided to stay close to home and focus on the inland lakes around my house.  Not a great day for the American Coot.  I found an unreported juvenile Bald Eagle carrying a coot.  And later in the day I watched a Cooper's Hawk carry a coot up into a tree.

Lindo Lake, El Capitan Reservoir, El Monte County Park and Santee Lakes

Greater White-fronted Goose, Canada Goose, Wood Duck, Cinnamon Teal, Northern Shoveler, Green-winged Teal, Redhead, Ruddy Duck, Least Bittern, Green Heron, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Sora, Common Gallinule, Killdeer, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Belted Kingfisher, 

Bald Eagle

Northern Flicker, Red-crowned Parrot, Bushtit, White-breasted Nuthatch, Marsh Wren, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, Orange-crowned Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Red-winged Blackbird, Brewer's Blackbird, Great-tailed Grackle, Lesser Goldfinch, American Goldfinch, Acorn Woodpecker, Western Scrub-Jay, Oak Titmouse, Wrentit, Spotted Towhee, Ring-necked Duck, Bald Eagle, Rock Wren, California Towhee, Lark Sparrow,California Quail, Bewick's Wren, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Hooded Merganser, Turkey Vulture, Cooper's Hawk

Species to Date -  106

Jan 6th 

Bay-breasted Warbler

I decided to start chasing after some of the wintering rarities in San Diego County along with exploring some unknown/under-birded areas in hopes of finding something new.  Some nice birds with a few of the rarities thrown in.

Lower Otay Reservoir, Otay Mesa, Nestor Park and Pantoja Park

Snow Goose, Ross's Goose, Bay-breasted Warbler, Prairie Warbler, White-tailed Kite, Northern Harrier, Horned Lark, American Pipit, Savannah Sparrow, Western Meadowlark, Allen's Hummingbird , Vermilion Flycatcher, American Redstart, Townsend's Warbler, Summer Tanager 

Species to Date -121

American Redstart

Jan 9

Although I had to leave on a business trip to Las Vegas I managed to squeeze in a bit of productive birding. The best thing was finally seeing one of my county nemesis birds, Nelson's Sparrow.

Nelson's Sparrow

Mission Bay--Kendall-Frost Marsh

Blue-winged Teal, Northern Pintail, Willet, Marbled Godwit, Say's Phoebe, Nelson's Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow 

Species to Date -129

Jan 11

Peregrine Falcon

After returning from my Vegas conference I had enough light to do a bit of birding close to my house.  In a nearby riparian area I saw a sparrow and upon pishing it out into the open, I discovered a Swamp Sparrow.  Normally a great bird but I have already seen it in the county for the new year.  Most years I'm happy to see one anywhere in the state but this winter they have been seen in large numbers across the state.  Still, I added a couple of new species for the year.

Mast Park

Peregrine Falcon, Hermit Thrush

Species to Date -131

Jan 12

Common Mergansers

My wife joined me today to look for raptors and mergansers.  Somewhere along the way I decided that I would do a San Diego County Big Year.  I have not set my sights on breaking Jay Keller's 2012 record of 370; I simply want to set a reasonable challenge for myself and test my birding skills.  State and/or ABA goals are a bit too time-consuming and expensive to take at the moment.  I do hope to reach 350 (and above?) before the calendar turns to 2014.

Ramona Grasslands Preserve, San Pasqual Battlefield, Lake Wohlford

Ferruginous Hawk, American Kestrel, Loggerhead Shrike, Tricolored Blackbird, Long-billed Dowitcher, White-faced Ibis, Cactus Wren, Common Merganser, Forster's Tern, Vaux's Swift, White-throated Swift

Species to Date - 142

Jan 13

Grace's Warbler

Having decided to take on the challenge of a Big Year, I needed to get to work on chasing all of the wintering rarities.  I started out with 3 targets but only ended up finding one, and that due to Barbara C calling me over after she had spotted the Grace's Warbler.  From there I was able to find most of my other targets for the day.  The only miss was a Tropical Kingbird but I found the rarer Thick-billed Kingbird.  I should have plenty of other chances to get a Tropical Kingbird this year.  Then as I was getting ready to head home for the day I got a call from Jay K who had found a Palm Warbler.  There are a  few others in the county this winter but I went for this one and found it exactly where he had it a few hours before.

Thick-billed Kingbird

Greenwood Cemetery, Sweetwater River, San Diego Polo Club, San Dieguito Lagoon, Fiesta Island, Border Field SP

Red-breasted Nuthatch, Grace's Warbler, Eurasian Wigeon, Horned Grebe, Little Blue Heron, Black-necked Stilt, Greater Yellowlegs, Black-bellied Plover, Thick-billed Kingbird, Pacific Golden-Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Sanderling, Long-billed Curlew, Western Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Dunlin, Black Skimmer, California Thrasher, Palm Warbler

 

Pacific Golden-Plover

 Species to Date - 161