Date: 7/1/25 10:19 am From: <lehman.paul...> via groups.io <lehman.paul...> Subject: [SanDiegoRegionBirding] Nazca Booby, Indigo Bunting situation
This morning, Tuesday, at 7:09AM, an adult or almost-adult Nazca Booby appeared at the La Jolla seawatch associated with a large feeding frenzy going on a bit offshore. It stayed only a minute and then disappeared, either landing on the water or escaping out the back. Not sure if this could be the same individual of approximately the same age seen by others a few days earlier.
Yesterday, Charlie Jackson and friend had at least one brownish Indigo Bunting just a little to the north of the long-staying territorial male Indigo at Lake Hodges. There remains some question as to whether there is one or two brownish birds. Photo of one shows a wash to blue to some of the brown, something actually possible in female Indigos. (A first-year male should have much more extensive, and brighter, blotchy blue overall.) This is sort of akin to some female Summer Tanagers having a fair bit of reddish wash to the plumage. Anyway, if someone is looking for a challenging project, it would certainly be worth exploring the bright male's territory and just to the north, and see exactly how many birds are involved and what might be going on in the private lives of Indigo Buntings. For photos of the various buntings there, see Charlie's eBird list:https://ebird.org/checklist/S255729525
--Paul Lehman, San Diego
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