Date: 1/16/25 10:48 am From: <lehman.paul...> via groups.io <lehman.paul...> Subject: [SanDiegoRegionBirding] A (sort of) new birding spot: Snapdragon Stadium area
For those of you tired of birding the same old spots, here's a possible "new" location for most of you to add to your collection that might be worth a visit in fall and winter.....
Thursday morning, a quick early-morning visit to Admiral Baker Rec Area ("Slate-colored" Junco) and the SD Mission (adult male Purple Finch, continuing Yellow Warbler & Western Tanager) was followed by a longer visit to a site I had yet to ever visit: the park around Snapdragon Stadium ("SDSU Mission Valley River Park"). A very few people have been checking here a bit the past couple years. At first glance, much of what one sees from a distance are sterile-looking grass recreation fields (which did have one large flock of pipits), but there is very extensive plantings of scattered young trees and lots of lots of good weedy areas and overgrown storm-water retention basins, running a LONG ways from Fenton Parkway/Ikea store in the west to I-15 in the east. I had the most birds at the two ends, near Ikea and especially in the eastern section near and beyond (east of) the stadium trolley station. Several roving medium-sized flocks of Yellow-rumps contained plenty of yellowthroats and smaller numbers of gnatcatchers, Lincoln's Sparrows, etc. The habitat looks perfect in fall and winter for things like Palm Warbler, rare sparrows, etc. My only rarity today was a Nashville Warbler feeding in stalky weeds near the trolley station. Anyway, something to consider for a morning visit in fall and winter when the stadium is not in use.
--Paul Lehman, San Diego
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