SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MBWEEK SUMMARY
January 16 - 24, 2016
Despite our various ailments – Bernice’s bad back, Suzanne’s bum leg, my injured hand, and even Pete’s defective tripod head – we managed to come up with a most successful California trip. Of course, it was easy enough to forget our aches and pains with such pleasant weather while we were there, as the highs ranged between the mid-60s and low 70s each day. And consider all those birds we came up with as we had our highest species number ever for this MBWeek: a grand total of 204 officially, plus 2 “non-countable” parrots, Around 80 of these were non-Minnesota birds (i.e., absent, accidental, or casual in the state), and everyone (except me) had at least one lifer or two – more typically a dozen or two.
Of course, the Streak-backed Oriole in Yuma was the most significant rarity we saw, but there were numerous other highlights. Some of my favorites: the concentration of 450 Black-vented Shearwaters swimming offshore in La Jolla as 2 Brown Boobies roosted on a nearby cliff, with one of these especially photogenic….that handsome dark-morph Ferruginous Hawk sharing a hillside with a Golden Eagle at San Jacinto Wildlife Area….a Black Oystercatcher and Surfbird on the same jetty at the mouth of the San Diego River ….the Mountain Plovers spotted in the distance along with many dozens of closer Long-billed Curlews in the fields by the Salton Sea….our successful day in the San Jacinto Mountains, with both Williamson’s and Red-breasted sapsuckers plus a White-headed Woodpecker….my tips from Brennan and Paul leading us to the pair of California Gnatcatchers by the Malcolm X Library and the Scaly-breasted Munia mania by the Fashion Valley Mall….our studies of both “Sage” Sparrow species near Borrego Springs and at Obsidean Butte….and the hordes of Lawrence’s Goldfinches waiting for us at the ballfields back in Imperial Beach.
Itinerary
January 16 – Arrival & meet in San Diego around noon; Tecolote Nature Center and Marsden House; first of 3 nights in San Diego, first of 3 dinners at Junk House.
January 17 – Navarro Canyon, Lake Murray, Malcolm X Library gnatcatchers, Chula Vista Bayfront Park, Otay Valley Rd greenbelt, Dairy Mart Pond, Tijuana Slough visitors center, and Imperial Beach Sports Park.
January 18 – La Jolla, Rimini Road in Del Mar, San Diegito River mouth, San Elijo Lagoon visitors center, back roads to Fairbanks Ranch, Lindo Lake, and Shelter Island.
January 19 – Munia search along San Diego River by post office and Town & Country Hotel, Robb Field/Dog Park/south jetty, Peace Rock cormorants, Shelter Island, and Marsden House; travel to Hemet via Mountain View Park in Escondido and Live Oak Park in Fallbrook; first of 2 nights in Hemet, dinner at Sweet Baby Jane’s.
January 20 – McCall Park, Idyllwild Nature Center, Idyllwild Co Park, and Hurkey Cr campground in San Jacinto Mts; Bridge Street, San Jacinto Wildlife Area, and Dunlap Street; split up for dinner.
January 21 – Travel to El Centro via Borrego Springs area (visitors center, alleged thrasher sites by the WTP, Old Springs Road, and Rockhouse Road), and Poe & Vendel Roads at south end of Salton Sea; first of 2 nights in El Centro, dinner at Kennedy’s.
January 22 – Salton Sea & vicinity: New River at Carter Road, sea wall access points via Lack Road, Obsidean Butte, Sonny Bono NWR visitors center & Rock Hill Trail; plover search along Kalin Road & vicinity, and Willard Road feeders in Brawley; dinner at Johnny Carino’s / Famous Dave’s.
January 23 – Riverside Park and West Wetlands Park in Yuma; return to San Diego via Fig Lagoon, Sunset Avenue ballfields, and Sweetwater River; final night in Chula Vista, dinner at Black Angus / La Quinta.
January 24 – Those with afternoon flights home to Chula Vista Bayfront Park, 7th Street mudflats, Tijuana Slough visitors center, and Cabrillo National Monument.
Bird List (boldface species = a subjective list of sought-after specialties, rarities, and other
highlights)
Greater White-fronted Goose (Lindo Lake)
Snow Goose
Ross's Goose
Brant (best Sunday morning at 7th Street)
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Gadwall
Eurasian Wigeon (in fading light after a long walk on our last afternoon)
American Wigeon
Mallard
Blue-winged Teal
Cinnamon Teal
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Canvasback
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Lesser Scaup
Surf Scoter
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
California Quail (McCall Park)
Gambel's Quail
Ring-necked Pheasant (heard-only)
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
Eared Grebe
Western Grebe
Clark's Grebe (Fig Lagoon; also at 7th Street Sunday morning)
Black-vented Shearwater (450 counted by 10s at La Jolla)
Brown Booby (2 roosting with cormorants at La Jolla)
Brandt's Cormorant (some displaying their electric-blue throat pouches)
Neotropic Cormorant (Fig Lagoon)
Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant (4 at Peace Rock along Sunset Cliffs Blvd)
American White Pelican
Brown Pelican
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Reddish Egret (stake-out at Chula Vista Bayfront Park)
Cattle Egret
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (still roosting in those pines in Imperial Beach)
White-faced Ibis
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
White-tailed Kite (especially cooperative near Fairbanks Ranch)
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Ferruginous Hawk (incl a beautiful dark-morph at San Jacinto Wildlife Area)
Golden Eagle (also at San Jacinto Wildlife Area)
Ridgway’s Rail (best at Chula Vista and San Elijo Lagoon)
Sora
Common Gallinule
American Coot
Sandhill Crane
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
Black Oystercatcher (a nice surprise seen from Dog Park)
Black-bellied Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
Mountain Plover (6 or so distantly near Kalin Rd)
Spotted Sandpiper
Wandering Tattler (La Jolla)
Greater Yellowlegs
Willet
Lesser Yellowlegs
Whimbrel
Long-billed Curlew (impressive numbers near Salton Sea)
Marbled Godwit
Ruddy Turnstone
Black Turnstone (best at La Jolla)
Surfbird (also seen from Dog Park on the jetty)
Stilt Sandpiper
Sanderling
Dunlin
Least Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Long-billed Dowitcher
jaeger, sp. (mostly leader-only at La Jolla)
Laughing Gull (also staked-out at Chula Vista)
Heermann's Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Western Gull
California Gull
Herring Gull
Thayer's Gull (first-winter bird along the Salton Sea seawall)
Glaucous-winged Gull
Caspian Tern
Forster's Tern
Royal Tern
Black Skimmer
Rock Pigeon
Band-tailed Pigeon (especially at Live Oak Park)
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Common Ground-Dove
White-winged Dove
Mourning Dove
Greater Roadrunner
Burrowing Owl (we couldn’t stop taking photos)
Anna's Hummingbird
Costa's Hummingbird (still reliable at 467 Willard)
Allen's Hummingbird (easier to find than usual)
Belted Kingfisher
Acorn Woodpecker
Gila Woodpecker
Williamson's Sapsucker (female at Hurkey Creek; also seen here in 2013)
Red-breasted Sapsucker (Idyllwild Co Park)
Ladder-backed Woodpecker (mostly leader-only in Yuma)
Nuttall's Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
White-headed Woodpecker (again at Idyllwild Nature Center)
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon (finally at Cabrillo Sunday morning)
Prairie Falcon (Mountain View Park)
(Yellow-headed Parrot / not “countable” at Imperial Beach Sports Park)
(Lilac-crowned Parrot / Lindo Lake; also “non-countable”)
Black Phoebe
Say's Phoebe
Vermilion Flycatcher (with the Lawrence’s Goldfinches)
Cassin's Kingbird
Thick-billed Kingbird (back again in Chula Vista)
Loggerhead Shrike
Steller's Jay
Western Scrub-Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Horned Lark
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Mountain Chickadee
Oak Titmouse (especially at Live Oak Park)
Verdin
Bushtit
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Pygmy Nuthatch (lots in the San Jacinto Mts)
Rock Wren
Marsh Wren (the Western form - soon to be split?)
Bewick's Wren (also at Cabrillo Sunday morning, finally)
Cactus Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
California Gnatcatcher (thanks to a tip from Brennan Mulrooney)
Black-tailed Gnatcatcher
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Wrentit (best at Tecolote)
Western Bluebird
Mountain Bluebird (San Jacinto Wildlife Area)
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
California Thrasher (best at Tecolote and Cabrillo)
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
American Pipit
Cedar Waxwing
Phainopepla (especially around Borrego Springs)
Orange-crowned Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Townsend's Warbler
Hermit Warbler (stake-out in Del Mar)
Green-tailed Towhee (2 at Tijuana Slough Sunday morning)
Spotted Towhee
California Towhee (widespread)
Abert's Towhee (Salton Sea & vicinity)
Chipping Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
Black-throated Sparrow
Sagebrush Sparrow (all seemed to be Sagebrush around Borrego Springs)
Bell's Sparrow (nicely teed up for some at Obsidean Butte)
Savannah Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Summer Tanager (in the Hermit Warbler area)
Red-winged Blackbird
Tricolored Blackbird (especially at Lindo Lake)
Western Meadowlark
Brewer's Blackbird
Great-tailed Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Streak-backed Oriole (certainly worth the side trip to Yuma)
House Finch
Purple Finch
Lesser Goldfinch
Lawrence's Goldfinch (probably the most I’ve ever seen at one time)
House Sparrow
Scaly-breasted Munia (thanks to a tip from Paul Lehman)
* * *
WINTER CALIFORNIA PHOTO GALLERY
Eurasian Wigeon, Sweetwater River, 2014
California Quail, McCall Park, 2016
Blue-footed Booby, Lake Skinner, 2014
Brown Booby, La Jolla, 2016
Brandt's Cormorants, La Jolla, 2013
Heermann's Gull with Brandt's Cormorants, La Jolla, 2018
Anna's Hummingbird, La Jolla, 2014
Burrowing Owls, near Salton Sea, 2016
Yellow-footed Gull, Rock Hill Trail, 2010
Surfbird, San Diego River north jetty, 2014
Barn Owl, Sonny Bono NWR Visitors Center, 2014
Lewis's Woodpecker, Mountain Center, 2018 (Scott Clark photo)
Ridgway's Rails, Tijuana Slough, 2014
Mountain Plover, near Salton Sea, 2019
Williamson's Sapsucker, Hurkey Creek Campground, 2016 (Jeff Stephenson photo)
Allen's Hummingbird, San Elijo Lagoon, 2011
Costa's Hummingbird, Borrego Springs, 2018
Greater Pewee, Balboa Park, 2018 (Jeff Stephenson photo)
Sagebrush Sparrow, near Borrego Springs, 2016 (Laura Erickson photo)
Phainopepla, Anza-Borrego State Park, 2011
Thick-billed Kingbird, Chula Vista, 2014
California Gnatcatcher, San Diego, 2016 (Jeff Stephenson photo)
Wrentit, Cabrillo National Monument, 2011
California Thrashers, Tecolote Nature Center, 2018 (Jeff Stephenson photo)
Sage Thrasher, Carter Rd. along New River, 2013
Red-throated Pipit, Imperial Beach, 2010
Painted Redstart, Crown Point Park, 2018 (Scott Clark photo)
Streak-backed Oriole, Yuma AZ, 2016 (Laura Erickson photo)
Townsend's Warbler, Nestor Park, 2018
Scaly-breasted Munia, Tecolote Nature Center, 2019 (Nancy Henke photo)
Black Oystercatcher, La Jolla, 2018
Ash-throated Flycatcher, Montclair Park, 2018
Oak Titmouse, Mountain Center, 2018
White Wagtail, Prado Regional Park, 2018 (Jena Highkin photo)
Bell's Sparrow, near Borrego Springs 2018 (Jena Highkin photo)
WINTER CALIFORNIA MBWEEK Summary
January 20 - 28, 2018
With the sole exception of that Red-throated Pipit (which some Red-faced Birders from MN couldn't find), it was a quite eventful and successful MBWeek. The weather was generally pleasant (especially so on Monday, considering the foot or more of snow which buried much of MN that day), and the traffic was navigible for the most part – except on our drive to La Jolla and back, and Tuesday's excursion to see the wagtail. We came up with a total of 195 species (plus two other possibles at the Idyllwild Nature Center), a few less than our average, but when there are so many staked-out rarities around it takes time to pursue them all. Indeed, we came up with no fewer than 17 "write-ins" on the checklist (!), but our focus on these rarities was at the expense of a few expected birds we mostly (or entirely) missed – e.g., roadrunners, small loons, kites, and bushtits
Leading our list of highlights had to be the staked-out Nazca Booby which we spotted in San Diego Bay just a few minutes before sunset after driving there directly from the airport – a life bird for everyone (myself included), and species #710 on the all-time MBW list! On our first few days in and around San Diego, we also had: both Scissor-tailed Flycatcher and Thick-billed Kingbird in the Poggi Creek greenbelt, plus a pair of California Gnatcatchers in some nearby scrub; great looks oystercatchers, tattlers, and turnstones at La Jolla; a Painted Redstart at Crown Point Park; a handsome Eurasian Wigeon on our second try at the Sweetwater River; and there was even time to find Ridgway's Rails, Scaly-breasted Munias, Allen's Hummingbirds, California Thrashers, Tricolored Blackbirds – and to make about six pipitless visits to Berry Park!
On Day Four we left town and headed for Hemet via a long but worthwhile detour to Prado Park. After some initial delays due to some disorienting preparations for a race in the park, we found our way to the White Wagtail's favorite spillway just as the bird appeared for us out of nowhere. (On the April 2017 MBWeek, this species had been #709 on the MBW composite list.) We then spent the next day in the San Jacinto Mts. above Hemet where we found an amazing concentration of birds at Mountain Center. Here were the first of 3 Lewis's Woodpeckers (0 is normal) along with an endless parade of Mountain Chickadees, Pygmy Nuthatches, Oak Titmice, and others. Next was an equally amazing showing of woodpeckers at nearby Idyllwild and the vicinity of Hemet Lake: two more Lewis's, no fewer than 7 White-headeds (!), an unexpected Red-naped Sapsucker, plus a Red-breasted, and more Nuttall's. There were even some Lawrence's Goldfinch at Lake Hemet, though our views weren't the best.
Anza-Borrego State Park followed, with Long-eared Owls found roosting despite the vague directions (and they were quite a highlight even though they're regular in MN), a male Costa's Hummingbird that couldn't have been more cooperative, and we carefully stalked some Sagebrush Sparrows into view before heading to El Centro and the Salton Sea. Birding at the Sea and vicinity was on the slow side (e.g., no Mountain Plovers or rare gulls), but we successfully found and surrounded a Bell's Sparrow, and we also saw Abert's Towhee, a few Burrowing Owls, and some impressive flocks of Long-billed Curlews by the dozens.
Our MBWeek ended back in San Diego, where, of course, we had to make two more attempts at that pipit – which may have been last seen two days before. Though unsuccessful at Berry Park, we had Black-throated Gray and Townsend's warblers, and out-of range Baltimore Oriole and Summer Tanager at nearby Nestor Park; there were simultaneous views of Tropical Kingbird and Greater Pewee at Balboa Park (two more write-ins); both Gray and Ash-throated flycatchers together at Montclair Park; and finally good views of Wrentits at Tecolote Nature Center where we only heard them days before.
Itinerary
January 20 – All arrived at SAN by 3:00pm; successful booby search in San Diego Bay @Attu Avenue access and Loews Coronado Bay Resort; first of 3 nights in Chula Vista, and dinner at La Quinta.
January 21 – Berry Park (repeatedly, in vain), Nestor Park, Imperial Beach night-heron roost, Tijuana Slough NWR, 7th Street tidal flats, Poggi Creek greenway & gnatcatcher scrub, Hilltop Park, and Sweetwater River; dinner at Black Angus.
January 22 – La Jolla, San Diego River N jetty, Robb Field tidal mudflats, Balboa Park, Crown Point Park, Tecolote Nature Center, and Berry Park; dinner (and lost credit card) at Galley-at-the-Marina.
January 23 – Return to Hilltop Park and Sweetwater River, Lindo Lake, El Paso St & Ramona Grasslands Preserve, Prado Regional Park, San Jacinto Wildlife Area & Bridge Street; first of 2 nights in Hemet, and dinner at Sweet Baby Jane's.
January 24 – McCall Park, Mountain Center, Idyllwild Nature Center & County Park, Hemet Lake, and Hurkey Creek Campground; pizza dinner challenge at Quality Inn.
January 25 – Fairview Road in Hemet; drive to Anza-Borrego State Park's Tamarisk Grove, Yaqui Well, Borrego Springs WTP flats, park visitors center, Roadrunner Club, and Old Springs Road flats; drive to El Centro for first of 2 nights, and dinner at Court Room.
January 26 – Salton Sea & vicinity: Worthington, Carter and Cady roads, Brawley, the seawall, Obsidean Butte, Sonny Bono NWR visitors center, Garst, Noffsinger and Sinclair roads; dinner at Guadalajara.
January 27 – Return drive to San Diego, again to Berry Park (where else?), Nestor Park, Tijuana Slough, Dairy Mart Road, Balboa Park, Montclair Park, Tecolote Nature Center, and Attu Avenue; night in Chula Vista, and dinner (and found credit card) at Galley-at-the-Marina.
January 28 – Departures for home.
Bird List
• Boldfaced species = "non-Minnesota" birds (i.e., absent, Accidental, or Casual in MN
• R = "write-in" species and other rarities not to be expected annually
Snow Goose
Ross's Goose
Greater White-fronted Goose R (Lindo Lake)
Brant
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Blue-winged Teal
Cinnamon Teal
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
Eurasian Wigeon R (again at Sweetwater River)
American Wigeon
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Lesser Scaup
Surf Scoter
Bufflehead
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
California Quail (mostly heard at McCall Park)
Gambel's Quail
Pied-billed Grebe
Eared Grebe
Western Grebe
Rock Pigeon
Band-tailed Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Common Ground-Dove
White-winged Dove R (Brawley)
Mourning Dove
Greater Roadrunner (only 2 brief sightings)
Anna's Hummingbird
Costa's Hummingbird (Borrego Springs and Brawley)
Allen's Hummingbird (best at Tecolote)
Ridgway's Rail (again at Tijuana Slough)
Sora
Common Gallinule
American Coot
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
Black Oystercatcher (great views at La Jolla)
Black-bellied Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
Whimbrel
Long-billed Curlew (dozens in fields around the Salton Sea)
Marbled Godwit
Black Turnstone
Surfbird (distant view at the north jetty)
Sanderling
Dunlin
Least Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Long-billed Dowitcher
Wilson's Snipe
Spotted Sandpiper
Wandering Tattler (La Jolla)
Willet
Greater Yellowlegs
Heermann's Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Western Gull
California Gull
Herring Gull
Caspian Tern
Forster’s Tern
Royal Tern
Black Skimmer (Crown Point Park)
Common Loon
Nazca Booby R (we arrived to see it just before sunset!)
Brandt's Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant (distant view at the north jetty)
American White Pelican
Brown Pelican
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron R (Robb Field mudflats)
Reddish Egret R (N end of Garst Rd)
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron R (roosting again in Imperial Beach)
White-faced Ibis
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
White-tailed Kite (only one seen briefly)
Bald Eagle R (Hemet Lake)
Northern Harrier
Cooper's Hawk
Harris's Hawk R (near Ramona)
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Ferruginous Hawk (Bridge Street)
(Northern Pygmy-Owl?) R (heard by Idyllwild Nature Center)
Burrowing Owl
Long-eared Owl R (roosting at Yaqui Well)
Belted Kingfisher
Lewis's Woodpecker R (3 of them!)
Acorn Woodpecker
Gila Woodpecker
Red-naped Sapsucker R (unexpected at Idylllwild Co Park)
Red-breasted Sapsucker (Hurkey Creek campground)
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Nuttall's Woodpecker
(Downy Woodpecker?) R
Hairy Woodpecker
White-headed Woodpecker (total of 7!)
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Prairie Falcon (unexpected fly-by on Davis Rd)
Greater Pewee R (Balboa Park)
Gray Flycatcher R (Montclair Park)
Black Phoebe
Say's Phoebe
Vermilion Flycatcher
Ash-throated Flycatcher R (with the Gray Flycatcher)
Tropical Kingbird R (with the pewee)
Cassin's Kingbird
Thick-billed Kingbird R (wintering again at Poggi Creek greenbelt)
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher R (with the Thick-billed)
Loggerhead Shrike
Steller's Jay
California Scrub-Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Horned Lark
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow
Mountain Chickadee
Oak Titmouse
Verdin
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Pygmy Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Rock Wren
Marsh Wren
Bewick's Wren
Cactus Wren
California Gnatcatcher (pair at Otay Valley Park near Poggi Creek)
Black-tailed Gnatcatcher
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Wrentit (finally seen at Tecolote Nature Center)
Western Bluebird
American Robin
California Thrasher (best at Tecolote)
Sage Thrasher R (best at Ramona Grasslands)
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Phainopepla
Scaly-breasted Munia (Hilltop Park)
House Sparrow
White Wagtail R (worth the drive to Prado Park!)
American Pipit (but, alas, no Red-throated)
House Finch
Purple Finch
Lesser Goldfinch
Lawrence's Goldfinch R (Hemet Lake)
Spotted Towhee
California Towhee
Abert's Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Black-throated Sparrow
Sagebrush Sparrow (2 Anza-Borrego spots)
Bell's Sparrow (Obsidean Butte)
Savannah Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow (only twice briefly)
Dark-eyed Junco
Western Meadowlark
Baltimore Oriole R (Nestor Park)
Red-winged Blackbird
Tricolored Blackbird (Lindo Lake)
Brown-headed Cowbird
Brewer's Blackbird
Great-tailed Grackle
Orange-crowned Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Gray Warbler (Nestor Park)
Townsend's Warbler (ditto)
Wilson's Warbler
Painted Redstart R (Crown Point Park)
Summer Tanager R (also at Nestor)
Other sightings:
• Prado Park Spartan Race preparations
• Borrego Springs sculptures (see http://www.abdnha.org/borrego-springs-sculptures-of-
ricardo-breceda.htm)
• Calipatria flagpole
• Westmoreland date shakes
* * *
(Jay Vancura photo)
Our side trip also yielded our only Eurasian Wigeon of the week in Anaheim, as we came up with no fewer than 202 species in all – about normal for this MBWeek. This included 11 Arizona-only species as we headed for Phoenix where the trip concluded. Among these were a Crissal Thrasher in Yuma, both LeConte’s and Sage thrashers in some barren saltbush flats near Tacna, a staked-out Ruddy Ground-Dove just west of Phoenix (along with an unexpected Barn Owl), plus Gilded Flickers and Rosy-faced Lovebirds in Phoenix. In all, we then finished with 86 “non-Minnesota” birds during this birding vacation, which also featured non-Minnesota temperatures in the 70s almost every day – while the lows back home were below zero most days.
Other highliights of our MBWeek included all those requisite and quintessential southern California birds in and around San Diego: Wrentits, California Thrashers, and Scaly-breasted Munias at Telcolote Nature Center; California Gnatcatchers at San Elijo Lagoon; cooperative Ridgway’s Rails and wintering Golden-crowned Sparrows at Tijuana Slough; Tricolored Blackbirds at Lindo Lake and en route to Borrego Springs; and more than the usual number of Allen’s Hummingbirds. Near San Diego as well were distant Black-vented Shearwaters and close Wandering Tattlers at La Jolla, along with staked-out Thick-billed and Tropical Kingbirds elsewhere.
A day based in Hemet was next and highlighted by 8 woodpecker species, including the oft-elusive White-headed and both Williamson’s and Red-breasted sapsuckers. Several montane birds not seen elsewhere on our trip were there near Idyllwild too, and we had time for a side trip to Lake Perris where we had no fewer than 3 out-of-place Pacific Loons (we had seen none along the Pacific shoreline), at least 1,400 Western Grebes with some Clark’s Grebes among them, and an impressive number of Mountain Bluebirds.
In the Borrego Springs area we had our first Costa’s Hummingbird, along with Sagebrush, Bell’s, Brewer’s, and Black-throated sparrows all in one area near the sewage treatment plant. And in and around the Salton Sea a cooperative Red-naped Sapsucker was wintering in Brawley, and we brought our shorebird list up to 23 species with Mountain Plovers in a field near our date-shake break in Westmoreland, an out-of-place Ruff at Unit 1 of the Sonny Bono NWR, and an impressive concentration of Long-billed Curlews in a field along Highway 111.
Itinerary
January 19 - Mid-day arrivals at SAN; afternoon at Tecolote Nature Center and San Diego River/Robb Field; first of 3 nights at Vagabond Inn & dinner at Pizza Nova.
January 20 - La Jolla, San Elijo Lagoon, Lindo Lake, Sweetwater River (wigeon search), and J Street mudflats; dinner at Galley at the Marina.
January 21 - Clark Library @UCLA (for the bluetail), Compton neighborhood in L.A. (Spotted Dove search), Pearson Park in Anaheim (Eur Wigeon), and Tijuana Slough back in San Diego; dinner at Miguel’s.
January 22 - Dog Park, Sunset Cliffs cormorant rock, Hotel Coronado beach, 7th Street mudflats, return to Tijuana Slough, Sunset Ave ballfields, Dairy Mart pond, Eastlake (briefly), and Poggi Creek greenway; afternoon drive to Hemet for first of 2 nights at Quality Inn & dinner at Datillo’s.
January 23 - Morning in Idyllwild area (incl McCall Park and Idyllwild County Park); afternoon at San Jacinto Wildlife Area and Lake Perris; dinner at Sweet Baby Jane’s.
January 24 - Borrego Springs & vicinity in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park; drive to El Centro via plover field @Rutherford & Brandt; first of 2 nights at Comfort Inn & dinner at Chili’s.
January 25 - Brawley & Salton Sea area: Carter Rd, Cattle Call Park, Poe Rd, Vendel Rd (NWR Unit 1), Sonny Bono NWR HQ, Schrimpf Rd, Ramer Lake, and return to Cattle Call Park; dinner at The Courtroom.
January 26 - Drive to Phoenix via Yuma (Riverside and West Wetlands Parks), Tacna-area thrasher flats, Hazen Rd ground-dove yard, Estrella Mountain Park, and Encanto Park; night at Comfort Inn & dinner at Coyote Grill.
January 27 - Departures from PHX.
Bird List
• boldface = “non-Minnesota” species (i.e., Casual, Accidental, or absent in MN)
• AZ = seen only in Arizona January 26 en route to Phoenix
Snow Goose
Ross's Goose
Greater White-fronted Goose
Brant
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Blue-winged Teal
Cinnamon Teal
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
Eurasian Wigeon (en route back from L.A.)
American Wigeon
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Lesser Scaup
Surf Scoter
Bufflehead
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
California Quail (McCall Park)
Gambel's Quail
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
Eared Grebe
Western Grebe (minimum of 1,400 at Perris Lake)
Clark's Grebe (Perris L)
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Inca Dove (AZ)
Common Ground-Dove
Ruddy Ground-Dove (AZ: Hazen Rd stake-out)
White-winged Dove (Brawley)
Mourning Dove
Greater Roadrunner (AZ)
White-throated Swift (best at Sunset Ave)
Anna's Hummingbird
Costa's Hummingbird (again at Borrego Springs)
Allen's Hummingbird (more than usual)
Ridgway's Rail (still “easy” at Tijuana Slough)
Virginia Rail
Sora
Common Gallinule
American Coot
Sandhill Crane
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
Black-bellied Plover
Snowy Plover (Poe Rd mudflats)
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
Mountain Plover (Rutherford & Brandt)
Whimbrel
Long-billed Curlew (largest flock at Schrimpf & Hwy 111)
Marbled Godwit
Black Turnstone
Ruff (NWR Unit 1 @end of Vendel Rd)
Stilt Sandpiper
Sanderling
Dunlin
Least Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper
Long-billed Dowitcher
Wilson's Snipe
Spotted Sandpiper
Wandering Tattler (La Jolla)
Willet
Greater Yellowlegs
Bonaparte's Gull
Heermann's Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Western Gull
California Gull
Herring Gull
Caspian Tern
Forster’s Tern
Royal Tern
Black Skimmer
Pacific Loon (3 at Perris L; 0 on the coast)
Common Loon
Black-vented Shearwater (offshore @La Jolla)
Brandt's Cormorant
Neotropic Cormorant (Ramey Lake)
Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant (Sunset Cliffs sea stack)
American White Pelican
Brown Pelican
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron (Robb Field)
Reddish Egret (ditto)
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (Tijuana Slough)
White-faced Ibis
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
White-tailed Kite (also at T Slough)
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Harris’s Hawk (AZ: Encanto Park)
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Ferruginous Hawk (unexpected at McCall Park)
Barn Owl (AZ: Hazen Rd yard)
Great Horned Owl
Burrowing Owl (Salton Sea backroads)
Belted Kingfisher
Acorn Woodpecker
Gila Woodpecker
Williamson's Sapsucker (Idyllwild Nature Center)
Red-naped Sapsucker (Cattle Call Park)
Red-breasted Sapsucker (McCall Park)
Nuttall's Woodpecker
Ladder-backed Woodpecker (AZ)
Hairy Woodpecker
White-headed Woodpecker (McCall Park)
Northern Flicker
Gilded Flicker (AZ: Estrella Mt Park)
American Kestrel
Merlin
(Red-masked Parakeet - non-countable in San Diego)
Rosy-faced Lovebird (AZ: Encanto Park)
Tropical Kingbird (Dairy Mart Pond)
Cassin's Kingbird
Thick-billed Kingbird (still along Poggi Creek)
Black Phoebe
Say's Phoebe
Vermilion Flycatcher
Loggerhead Shrike
Steller's Jay
California Scrub-Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Horned Lark
Tree Swallow
N. Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow
Mountain Chickadee
Oak Titmouse
Verdin
Bushtit
White-breasted Nuthatch
Pygmy Nuthatch
Rock Wren (Borrego Springs area)
Marsh Wren
Bewick's Wren
Cactus Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
California Gnatcatcher (again at San Elijo Lagoon)
Black-tailed Gnatcatcher
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Wrentit (best at Tecolote)
Red-flanked Bluetail (! - see summary)
Western Bluebird
Mountain Bluebird (lots at Perris Lake)
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
California Thrasher
LeConte's Thrasher (AZ: flats NE of Tacna)
Crissal Thrasher (AZ: W Wetlands Park)
Sage Thrasher (AZ: also NE of Tacna)
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Phainopepla
Scaly-breasted Munia (again at Tecolote)
House Sparrow
American Pipit
House Finch
Lesser Goldfinch
Green-tailed Towhee (Tijuana Slough)
Spotted Towhee
California Towhee
Abert's Towhee (best at Sonny Bono HQ)
Brewer’s Sparrow (Borrego Springs WTP)
Black-throated Sparrow (ditto)
Sagebrush Sparrow (ditto)
Bell's Sparrow (ditto)
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow (Tijuana Slough)
Dark-eyed Junco
Western Meadowlark
Red-winged Blackbird
Tricolored Blackbird (Lindo L; en route to Borrego Springs)
Brown-headed Cowbird
Brewer's Blackbird
Great-tailed Grackle
Orange-crowned Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Gray Warbler
* * *
Also see the PHOTO GALLERY
following the summaries of the 2019, 2018, and 2016 MBWeeks.
__________
WINTER CALIFORNIA MBWEEK SUMMARY
JANUARY 19 - 27, 2019
Though it took us most of a day for the round-trip drive to L.A. (and perhaps foregoing a few birds back in San Diego in the process), that Red-flanked Bluetail was an exceptional vagrant we just had to pursue. And we all managed to get views of the bird as it chose to limit its brief appearances to a narrow walkway between two hedges on the day we were there. It’s amazing that Jay was able to get a decent photo of this skulker, which was a life bird for all and #712 on the all-time MBW composite list.
Crissal Thrasher, Yuma AZ, 2019 (Jay Vancura photo)
