Date: 11/17/24 2:28 pm From: sbreslochness via groups.io <pacificgoldenplover...> Subject: [OrangeCountyBirding] Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Olinda Ranch Neighborhood Park, Brea, 11/17/24
Birders:
After leading an audubon birdwalk that could charitably be described as "desultory" in terms of bird abundance and diversity, I decided to check in on Olinda Ranch Park, the small park just north of Carbon Canyon road that's visible from the entrance of the regional park. I immediately found the birding more interesting than earlier in the morning, and after about 15 minutes found an immature Yellow-bellied Sapsucker in a tipu tree on the west side of the park. It had an almost entirely white throat, with olive, rather than white mottling on the back, and no trace of red on the nape. I watched and photographed it for a few minutes, and got a recoding of it giving an interesting whining call, rather unlike the "purr" that I usually expect from sapsuckers. Cadeo and Mallika showed up a few minutes later after I posted about it on discord, and we refound it around the middle of the park, first in a pepper tree on the slope north of the basketball fields, then in a tipu south of the basketball fields. So it seems to range around within the park at least a little bit. Ebird list with photos can be found here. ( https://ebird.org/checklist/S202842052 )
I was pleasantly surprised that it was relatively cooperative (for a sapsucker that is). I wasn't able to stay too long (on my to-do list today is to cure a ballot for what is currently the closest congressional race in the country), but the park was fairly birdy, despite the breeze, and this particular city park has certain characteristics that suggest good vagrant potential (good amount of dense understory, sandwiched between a birdy regional park to the south and extensive open space to the north, as well as possibly the highest density of tipu trees anywhere in the county).
