Lesser Florican - August 2023

Total Pageviews

Wednesday 13 January 2016

California - Day 14 - 25/1/16

A much better day today full of highlights and an unforgettable black and white bird seen in the afternoon.
I started at Tijuana reserve south of San Diego where I aimed to clear up on a few targets, and this happened within a few hours. Also at high tide all of the Ridgeway's Rails had been pushed up to be in full view allowing a decent count. 
I drove north and re-visited Laguna Niguel Park where a Northern Parula was found three days ago, but no luck with this, though I wasn't disappointed when at the time for some random reason I was thinking about the Sussex Black-and-White Warbler, a Black-and-White Warbler appeared right in front of me. I was in complete shock but thankfully the bird wasn't bothered by me and I was able to watch this little critter acting like a Creeper for over half an hour. 
Last site was a park in LA where an unexpected lifer in the form of a Lark Sparrow greeted me.
With an hour left to dark, I rushed down to Newport Beach for my last spectacular sunset of the trip. 
Night in SE Los Angeles. 

Tijuana Estuary Reserve
Marsh Wren - 1
Ridgeway's Rail - 13 (a terrific count)
Blue-winged Teal - 6
Little Blue Heron - 4
Northern Harrier - 3
Cassin's Kingbird - 2
Savannah Sparrow - 10
Lawrence's Goldfinch - 15
Yellow-crowned Night Heron - 6

Laguna Niguel Park
American Goldfinch - 1
Nuttall's Woodpecker - 2
Red-shouldered Hawk - 1
Black-and-White Warbler - 1
Townsend's Warbler - 4
Empidonax Flycatcher sp. - 1 though presumed Gray Flycatcher. 

Carl Thornton State Park
Vermilion Flycatcher - 1 1w
Lark Sparrow - 1
Northern Flicker - 1
Western Bluebird - 6
Lesser Scaup - 15
Cedar Waxwing - 1

Newport Beach
Glaucous-winged Gull - 1

 Little Blue Herons at Tiguana
 Lawrence's Goldfinch
 Ridgeway's Rail at Tiguana - high tide is the best time to get these Rails as they all get pushed out of the marshy areas
 Yellow-crowned Night Heron at Tiguana
 this was my only American Goldfinch of the trip

Black-and-White Warbler at Laguna Niguel - a major highlight of the trip
 Lark Sparrow at Carl Thornton
 Western Bluebird
Northern Fliker


my last sunset - was worth rushing through the traffic to catch the last ten minutes