Date: 7/18/25 11:11 am From: Florence Sanchez via groups.io <sanchezucsb11...> Subject: [sbcobirding] Ocean Beach Park and Santa Ynez River Mouth, July 17
I arrived around 8 a.m. yesterday to overcast skies, little wind, and a full estuary. In spite of the latter, I found a large number of shorebirds working along the edge of the curving estuary channel west of the railroad trestle, though it required a scope to see them well. There were well over 100 Western Sandpipers, with a lesser number of Least Sandpipers and 2 Wilson's Phalaropes hanging around with them. Because of distance, I could not really determine if there might be a Semi-palmated Sandpiper in the mix, though I didn't turn up any when checking out the closer birds.
Interestingly, I had only 1 Black-bellied Plover in the flock, but there were several Semipalmated Plovers on the sandbars as well as some Snowy Plovers and one Snowy chick. Larger shorebirds were limited to a big group of 46 Whimbrel, 8 Willets, and 1 Short-billed Dowitcher. There also was a single Spotted Sandpiper hanging around. The gull and pelican flock on the beach was a little hard to assess properly, but I turned up only expected species, and there was only a single Tern around (Caspian). Surprise waterfowl were 2 female Red-breasted Mergansers hauled out on the sand at the edge of the estuary.
I was also pleasantly surprised to see family groups of both Western and Clark's Grebe, each with chicks in various stages of growth. I also saw at least one juvenile Pied-billed Grebe. Black-necked Stilts apparently nested successfully as I spotted two half-grown chicks on the center island with 2 adults. And speaking of chicks, I spotted a very young juvenile White-crowned Sparrow in the vegetation next to the parking lot. Barn Swallow nesting under the trestle was apparently very successful this year.
I left around 10 a.m. to check out Surf Beach and ocean, then returned to the River for one more look. I also scanned the entire length of the estuary from roadside on the bluff above, hoping for a glimpse of a Reddish Egret perhaps hanging out with the rest of the Heron-Egret clan, but no luck. Best sighting from Surf was a Humpbacked whale leisurely making its way south well off the coast.
Though it was still overcast, heat haze was starting to become a problem after 10:30, so I recommend going early for best observations. My total species account from this location was 46 (this includes landbirds).
Florence Sanchez
