Date: 5/11/25 6:48 pm From: Conor McMahon via groups.io <conormcmahon22...> Subject: [sbcobirding] Recent spring birds - Chipping Sparrows, Nesting, etc.
Hi all,
This afternoon at Stow Grove I had 2 Chipping Sparrows on the south edge of Cathedral Oaks. Decent numbers of Yellow Warblers singing around the park, and a few Orioles and Western Tanagers mostly in the blue gums also along Cathedral Oaks. Those blue gums have still had the bulk of migrant activity on my last few visits even though flowers are getting pretty scarce in them at this point.
This morning at Elings Park we had one Meadowlark still lingering. Lehman's book says "Away from breeding locales, spring birds are rare in May." The grassland is mostly reduced to very low stubble and *Erodium* weeds following the sheep grazing that's happened out there in recent weeks. A friend tells me that another round of grazing is planned in the fall, although I'm not sure what plant material will be available for the sheep, since not much is likely to grow in the grassland between now and then.
On a trip to Sedgwick yesterday there were lots of singing Lazuli Buntings in various places and the Tricolored Blackbirds still very active around their pond. At least a couple Grasshopper Sparrows singing as well.
Within the last week I've seen fledglings out of the nest for Orange-crowned Warbler, House Finch, Black Phoebe, and of course Juncos. Other miscellaneous nesting activity from Lesser Goldfinch, Cliff Swallow, Bushtits (with an active nest), and Song Sparrows. At Atascadero Creek I heard a single song from a Swainson's Thrush and there's been a persistent Wilson's Warbler singing away there, too, both in areas where they've historically bred.
At Ellwood last week I had a Hermit Warbler in some of the blue gum Eucalyptus west of the butterfly grove. There's been a lot of thinning and restoration replanting out there - it will be interesting to see how all the new plants fare and if that brings in any new birds. On my visit last week there was a lot of very active tree removal with heavy machinery going on despite nesting season.
