Date: 1/24/25 10:59 am From: <lehman.paul...> via groups.io <lehman.paul...> Subject: [SanDiegoRegionBirding] more on the Zoo oriole madness, and miscellanea
As many folks know, the incredible oriole show continues at the coral trees at the San Diego Zoo entrance/parking lot edge, as of this morning, Friday. There are five or six heavily blooming trees, so this spectacle is unlikely to end anytime soon. This morning, all birds were in two blooming trees between the meerkat and hornbill parking signs, but I gather that some folks have had some of the birds well down to the right, near the giraffe sign, which all is impossible to cover simultaneously without multiple observers. Anyway, to repeat something I posted way back at the beginning of this event: by far the best time to see the most birds is starting immediately after the first rays of morning sun strike the trees directly and then for the next up to half hour or so. If you arrive later than that, you will likely see fewer birds and miss some of the species. (One also should go on a clear morning, not when overcast.) Today, the "hot" period was 7:00-7:30 AM. As time goes on, you can watch as orioles peel out of the trees slowly but surely and head back inside the Zoo. Today's haul were the 2 adult male Orchards, the (presumed young male) Scott's, the young male Baltimore, two Hoodeds (one with a weak, partial black throat patch rather than the previous full black throat or no patch), five Bullock's (3 imm males, 2 females), and four Western Tanagers. All present together in the two side-by-side trees for many minutes. Also throw in 10 Orange-crowned Warblers--a species I've noted to be MUCH more numerous than usual this winter, or maybe its just because I spend a lot of time checking corals, pink-flowered eucs, cape honeysuckle, and tipus!! Lastly, a surprise this morning were the total of 52 American Robins coming out of an overnight roost inside the Zoo, as they did in the four digits two years ago but unexpected currently given the decidedly poor showing of them this winter.
Also in Balboa Park this morning was another W. Tanager at Zoro Garden, yet another W. Tanager and yet another "Slate-colored" Junco (record season for them) at the International Cottages, and yet another W. Tanager and two Bullock's Orioles along the west edge of the park.
In other recent miscellanea, there has been a recent mini-surge in the numbers of Nashville and Black-thr Gray Warblers, largely thanks to the discovery of yet more new tipu hotspots. A Red-naped Sapsucker at Sweetwater Summit Campground, a Red-breasted Sapsucker and continuing Hammond's Flycatcher in UTC, another continuing "Slate-colored" Junco at La Jolla Colony Park, Green-tailed Towhee at Doyle Park (west edge), B-t Gray and 2 Western Tanagers in Heritage Park in Chula Vista, and private property Serra Mesa Plumbeous Vireo, Nashville, and 2 B-t Grays.
--Paul Lehman, San Diego
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