Also see the summary of the 2018 MBWeek
and the PHOTO GALLERY following the 2024 summary.
(The 2018 MBW summary was not combined with the AZ summary,
unlike the other recent CA MBWeeks.)
__________
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MBWEEK SUMMARY
January 13 - 21, 2024
By my count we “officially” came up with an even 200 species in all – which, unfortunately, means no fair counting those intriguing, entertaining, but non-established Burrowing Parakeets. This is only the second or third time we’ve ever reached the plateau of 200 on this MBWeek, which is just a few species shy of our highest total of 204 in 2016. (Our count in 2019 was 202 species, but that trip ended in Phoenix and included 11 AZ-only birds.)
I’m not quite sure why we did so well, since there were hardly any unexpected rarities to inflate the numbers. I suppose we were assisted somewhat by the consistently nice weather (at least until our last Saturday) with highs generally in the 60s, little wind, and no rain. Only the last day or so were less than ideal as some rain moved in, but the MBW ended before things got wet enough to cause some serious flooding in San Diego.
As is the case on every tour, we didn’t find a few birds we would have liked to see, although there weren’t that many I’d describe as things we should have seen but didn’t. So, I wouldn’t say that we “missed” the Little Stint and Pacific Golden-Plover since the odds of finding them were quite low. It was disappointing not to find Wandering Tattler, Red-masked Parakeet, Tropical Kingbird (though Val and Kevin finally did on Sunday), Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, LeConte’s Thrasher, and Golden-crowned Sparrow, since we spent time looking for them – but that’s about it.
Certainly, the birds we did find far outweighed those we didn’t, and where do you start trying to single out a few highlights among 200 species? The place to begin might be to consider the birds that we normally don’t see in MN, and there were no fewer than 80 of these “non-Minnesota” species. My personal favorites would have to include those basically found only in CA: i.e., Wrentit (especially at Tecolote Nature Center), California Gnatcatcher and Thrasher, Scaly-breasted Munia (also at Tecolote, and at Lake Murray), and Tricolored Blackbird (our first being fed hand-outs next to night herons and pigeons at Lindo Lake).
Also, in and around San Diego, the birding was especially memorable on the Peninsula Trail at San Elijo Lagoon, where an out-of-place Red Phalarope, plus Ridgway’s Rail and Nelson’s Sparrow all provided us with unexpectedly open views. And, though not yet “countable”, those impressive Burrowing Parakeets put on quite a show for us in that National City neighborhood. Then, as we made one last stop on Rangeland Road (more Tricoloreds and even Snow Geese) before heading for Hemet, a handsome dark-morph Ferruginous Hawk took awhile before finally giving us good enough looks to reveal its identity.
Our day in the San Jacinto Mountains was about as good as it gets woodpecker-wise, as we found all three sapsuckers (Red-naped, Red-breasted, Williamson’s), plus a pair of White-headed Woodpeckers. Borrego Springs and vicinity was next as we turned up Bell’s and Black-throated sparrows, soon after a thrasher had appeared elsewhere and proved to be an out-of-range California Thrasher rather than a hoped-for LeConte’s. A couple of Mountain Plovers and lots of Burrowing Owls (14 of them along a couple of roads in one area on one afternoon) were our best finds at the Salton Sea. Then it was back to San Diego via a Lawrence’s Goldfinch flock and a nice assortment of other birds at Pine Valley County Park, and on our last afternoon a long-sought and rain-soaked Eurasian Wigeon on the San Diego River finally emerged into view.
Our itinerary and logistics worked out well and were as successful as the birding – although we could have done without that guy at the Alamo counter and his insurance nonsense, and I’m pretty sure Google Maps was not even close to finding us the best route to Hemet.
Itinerary
Jan 13 – All arrived at SAN by 12:30 pm; afternoon at Robb Field & vicinity and first of 3 nights in Chula Vista.
Jan 14 – La Jolla seawatch, San Dieguito River trail (for gnatcatchers), Peninsula Trail at San Elijo Lagoon, Lindo Lake, Lakeside parrot roost, and Lake Murray (for munias).
Jan 15 – Poggi Creek greenway, Tijuana Valley Community Gardens, Tijuana Slough NWR, Imperial Beach bikeway shorebirds, National City parakeets @D Ave & 2nd St, briefly to Hotel del Coronado & Shelter Island en route to Sunset Cliffs cormorant rock, and return to Robb Field.
Jan 16 – Tecolote Nature Center (Wrentits and munias), Campland area at Mission Bay, Celia Vista’s parakeet-less neighborhood, Harry Griffen Park, return to Lindo Lake, Rangeland Road, and drive to Hemet; night in Hemet.
Jan 17 – San Jacinto Mts near Idyllwild (especially for woodpeckers): McCall Park, Idyllwild Nature Center & County Park, and Hurkey Creek County Park en route to night in Borrego Springs.
Jan 18 – Borrego Springs area of Anza-Borrego State Park: Clark Dry Lake thrasher flats, state park visitor center & campground, sea monster sculpture et al, and former sewage ponds sparrow flats; travel to Salton Sea and a Mountain Plover field near Calipatria on Bowles Rd; first of 2 nights in Brawley.
Jan 19 – Salton Sea: Vendel Road, Seawall from Young Rd to Obsidean Butte, Sonny Bono NWR headquarters, Garst Rd wetlands, the mud pots, the flagpole (!), and return to Bowles Rd and vicinity (mostly for Burrowing Owls).
Jan 20 – Return to San Diego via Riverview Cemetery, Fig Lagoon, and Pine Valley County Park; rainy afternoon at Lake Murray, Old Sea World Dr (for the wigeon), Crown Point area, and north jetty in Mission Beach; final night in Chula Vista.
Jan 21 – Brief returns to Poggi Creek and Tijuana Valley park & gardens, and one final birding stop at Cabrillo National Monument (for species #200) before returning to SAN and the flight home for most.
Bird List (boldfaced species = “non-MN” birds: i.e., Casual, Accidental, or absent in MN)
Snow Goose
Ross's Goose
Greater White-fronted Goose
Brant
Cackling Goose
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Blue-winged Teal
Cinnamon Teal
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
Eurasian Wigeon
American Wigeon
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Redhead
Lesser Scaup
Surf Scoter
Bufflehead
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
California Quail
Gambel's Quail
Wild Turkey
Pied-billed Grebe
Eared Grebe
Western Grebe
Rock Pigeon
Band-tailed Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Common Ground Dove
White-winged Dove
Mourning Dove
Greater Roadrunner
White-throated Swift
Anna's Hummingbird
Costa's Hummingbird
Allen's Hummingbird
Ridgway's Rail
Virginia Rail
Sora
Common Gallinule
American Coot
Sandhill Crane
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
Black Oystercatcher
Black-bellied Plover
Killdeer
Semipalmated Plover
Mountain Plover
Snowy Plover
Whimbrel
Long-billed Curlew
Marbled Godwit
Ruddy Turnstone
Black Turnstone
Surfbird
Stilt Sandpiper
Sanderling
Dunlin
Least Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper
Long-billed Dowitcher
Wilson's Snipe
Spotted Sandpiper
Willet
Greater Yellowlegs
Red Phalarope
Heermann's Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Western Gull
California Gull
Herring Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Forster’s Tern
Royal Tern
Black Skimmer
Pacific Loon
Black-vented Shearwater
Brandt's Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Neotropic Cormorant
American White Pelican
Brown Pelican
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Reddish Egret
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
White-faced Ibis
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
White-tailed Kite
Golden Eagle
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Bald Eagle
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Ferruginous Hawk
Great Horned Owl
Burrowing Owl
Belted Kingfisher
Acorn Woodpecker
Gila Woodpecker
Williamson's Sapsucker
Red-naped Sapsucker
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Nuttall's Woodpecker
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
White-headed Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Peregrine Falcon
(Burrowing Parakeet)
Red-crowned Parrot
Lilac-crowned Parrot
Cassin's Kingbird
Gray Flycatcher
Black Phoebe
Say's Phoebe
Vermilion Flycatcher
Bell’s Vireo
Loggerhead Shrike
Steller's Jay
California Scrub-Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Verdin
Mountain Chickadee
Oak Titmouse
Horned Lark
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Bushtit
Wrentit
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Cedar Waxwing
Phainopepla
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Pygmy Nuthatch
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Black-tailed Gnatcatcher
California Gnatcatcher
Rock Wren
Bewick's Wren
Marsh Wren
California Thrasher
Sage Thrasher
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Western Bluebird
Mountain Bluebird
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Scaly-breasted Munia
House Sparrow
American Pipit
House Finch
Red Crossbill
Pine Siskin
Lesser Goldfinch
Lawrence's Goldfinch
American Goldfinch
Black-throated Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Brewer’s Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-crowned Sparrow
Bell's Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Nelson’s Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Abert's Towhee
California Towhee
Spotted Towheeq
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
Bullock's Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Tricolored Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Brewer's Blackbird
Great-tailed Grackle
Orange-crowned Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Palm Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Gray Warbler
Townsend's Warbler
* * *
Black Oystercatcher ~ Val Landwehr photo 2024
Yellow-billed Loon ~ Rose Shea photo 2023
Sage Thrasher ~ KRE photo 2013
Lewis's Woodpecker ~ Rose Shea photo 2023
Salton Sea ~ Rose Shea photo 2023
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
Snow Goose
Ross's Goose
Greater White-fronted Goose (Lindo Lake)
Brant
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Blue-winged Teal
Cinnamon Teal
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
Eurasian Wigeon (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 (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 (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 (Robb Field mudflats)
Reddish Egret (N end of Garst Rd)
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (roosting again in Imperial Beach)
White-faced Ibis
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
White-tailed Kite (only one seen briefly)
Bald Eagle (Hemet Lake)
Northern Harrier
Cooper's Hawk
Harris's Hawk (near Ramona)
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Ferruginous Hawk (Bridge Street)
(Northern Pygmy-Owl?) (heard by Idyllwild Nature Center)
Burrowing Owl
Long-eared Owl (roosting at Yaqui Well)
Belted Kingfisher
Lewis's Woodpecker (3 of them!)
Acorn Woodpecker
Gila Woodpecker
Red-naped Sapsucker (unexpected at Idylllwild Co Park)
Red-breasted Sapsucker (Hurkey Creek campground)
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Nuttall's Woodpecker
(Downy Woodpecker?)
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 (Balboa Park)
Gray Flycatcher (Montclair Park)
Black Phoebe
Say's Phoebe
Vermilion Flycatcher
Ash-throated Flycatcher (with the Gray Flycatcher)
Tropical Kingbird (with the pewee)
Cassin's Kingbird
Thick-billed Kingbird (wintering again at Poggi Creek greenbelt)
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (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 (best at Ramona Grasslands)
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Phainopepla
Scaly-breasted Munia (Hilltop Park)
House Sparrow
White Wagtail (worth the drive to Prado Park!)
American Pipit (but, alas, no Red-throated)
House Finch
Purple Finch
Lesser Goldfinch
Lawrence's Goldfinch (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 (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 (Crown Point Park)
Summer Tanager (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
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WINTER CALIFORNIA PHOTO GALLERY
Ridgway's Rail ~ Matt Schaut photo 2024
Red Phalarope ~ Val Landwehr photo 2024
Burrowing Parakeet ~ Val Landwehr photo 2024
Wrentit ~ Matt Schaut photo 2024
Nelson's Sparrow ~ Matt Schaut photo 2024
Borrego Springs ~ Val Landwehr photo 2024
Clark Dry Lake ~ Val Landwehr photo 2024
Red-flanked Bluetail ~ Jay Vancura photo 2019
Idyllwild Nature Cemter ~ Rose Shea photo 2023
California Gnatcatcher ~ Matt Schaut photo 2024
Anna's Hummingbird ~ KRE photo 2014
Allen's Hummingbird ~ KRE photo 2011
Surfbird ~ KRE photo 2014
Heermann's Gull ~ KRE photo 2018
Brown Booby ~ KRE photo 2016
Brandt's Cormorants ~ KRE photo 2013
Burrowing Owls ~ KRE photo 2016
Red-masked Parakeet ~ Jeff Stephenson photo 2023
Thick-billed Kingbird ~ KRE photo 2014
Phainopepla ~ KRE photo 2011
California Thrashers ~ Jeff Stephenson photo 2018
Scaly-breasted Munia ~ Nancy Henke photo 2019
White Wagtail ~ Jena Highkin photo 2018
Red-throated Pipit ~ KRE photo 2010
Tricolored Blackbird ~ KRE photo 2017
