This morning, March 29, at La Jolla seawatch, I again saw the black-and-white oystercatcher present off-and-on since at least January 19 (eBird). Today I gave it a "Jehl Score" of 30, the minimum for a countable American, which is the same score I gave it when I last saw it here back on February 25; but when we all rated it based on a series of excellent photos during Rick Grove's presentation for SDFO earlier this month I gave it only a 28--worthy of hybrid status. It flew in from the south a little before 9AM with a group of 6 Blacks (in addition to the resident pair of Blacks that doesn't leave the general area), remained for about 15 minutes, and then they flew back south. Over near Goldfinch Point, the incubating Pelagic Cormorant nesting pair initially found by Matt Sadowski continues (the overdue first documented nesting record for San Diego County).
Yesterday, there was a flock of 9 Surf Scoters at Sweetwater Reservoir, which almost certainly represent overland migrants from the Gulf of California heading west toward the coast. And indeed, after being present for an hour, they got up and flew west. Also a spring migrant Greater Scaup. Also had an overland migrant Common Loon at Lake Morena on the 27th, where Margaret Brown had a migrant flock of Brant (from the Gulf of California) on the 28th.
On March 27, a visit to Jacumba found Harris's Hawks building a nest at a new site different from last year's location. Also a pair of American Crows building a nest, the first record of nesting there (a bit east of normal). Also a returning Least Bittern, and the usual colony of Tricolored Blackbirds numbered about 70 birds. A wintering Golden-crowned Sparrow continues and is slightly east of normal.
Paul Lehman, San Diego
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