Date: 11/23/24 9:01 am From: <lehman.paul...> via groups.io <lehman.paul...> Subject: [SanDiegoRegionBirding] Black Scoters and Pheasants
First off, some comments on the recent flurry of reports of Ring-necked Pheasants from Kitchen Creek Road, and I also gather potentially some birds being seen around Ramona: these birds are all either escaped pets or purposeful recent releases for hunting purposes. These are not wild birds, these are not an established population, they're not even a potential established population. As such, they are certainly not "countable" under any rules established by eBird or other entities. Obviously if one just wants to see a pretty male pheasant running around outside of a cage, they can go there and look. But to save anybody gas and time who was not aware of their true status......
Saturday morning there are at least three Black Scoters in their usual area on South San Diego Bay, somewhere between Coronado Cays to the west and the Chula Vista bayshore near the new convention center building project on the east. Which side to scope from depends in part on the lighting and just the luck of where the birds are on a given day. You certainly want to go when it's calm conditions and good lighting, high overcast being the best. A good scope and lots of patience is required. There are lots and lots of Surf Scoters to sift through. Also, the usual Green Sea Turtle or two sticking their heads out of the water periodically.
Still present today is the female Rose-breasted Grosbeak in the northwest section of the TRV Community Gardens. Yesterday there was a Prairie Falcon at Sweetwater Reservoir and a female Summer Tanager at Hilltop Park in Chula Vista.
Paul Lehman, San Diego
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