Date: 9/21/25 6:58 am From: Ryan Winkleman via groups.io <rswinkleman...> Subject: [OrangeCountyBirding] Orange County RBA: September 21, 2025
* California
* Orange County
* September 21, 2025
* CAOC25.09.21
This is the Orange County, CA weekly Rare Bird Alert (RBA) and local events
summary. California Bird Records Committee (CBRC) review species are
capitalized and marked with asterisks below. All documentation of review
species should be forwarded to the CBRC secretary, Tom Benson, at
<secretary...>
BIRDS MENTIONED
White-winged Dove
Stilt Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Sabine’s Gull
Black Tern
Neotropic Cormorant
Little Blue Heron
Western Cattle-Egret
Zone-tailed Hawk
Dusky Flycatcher
Tropical Kingbird
Plumbeous Vireo
Yellow-green Vireo
Bank Swallow
Purple Martin
Brewer’s Sparrow
Green-tailed Towhee
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Tennessee Warbler
Lucy’s Warbler
Virginia’s Warbler
American Redstart
Northern Parula
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Dickcissel
WHITE-WINGED DOVES were reported from Fairview Park in Costa Mesa on
September 15 and from San Juan Capistrano on September 14.
A STILT SANDPIPER presumably continued at the San Joaquin Wildlife
Sanctuary in Irvine on September 16.
As many as three PECTORAL SANDPIPERS were reported to be at the San Joaquin
Wildlife Sanctuary in Irvine through September 20.
A SABINE’S GULL was photographed from the Newport Pier on September 19.
A BLACK TERN was photographed around the San Juan Creek Mouth in Dana Point
on September 20.
NEOTROPIC CORMORANTS continued on the Santa Ana River and at Mile Square
Regional Park in Fountain Valley, while several were apparently at Craig
Regional Park in Fullerton.
A YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON was at the San Joaquin Marsh Reserve in Irvine
on September 3.
An adult LITTLE BLUE HERON continued at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in
Huntington Beach through September 20.
A WESTERN CATTLE-EGRET was at the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary in Irvine
on September 16.
A ZONE-TAILED HAWK was photographed over the Harbor Lawn-Mt. Olive Memorial
Park in Costa Mesa on September 20.
A DUSKY FLYCATCHER was reported to have returned to Veeh Ranch Park in
Laguna Hills on September 19.
A TROPICAL KINGBIRD was photographed at the Naval Weapons Station Seal
Beach on September 19.
A PLUMBEOUS VIREO was photographed in Huntington Central Park in Huntington
Beach on September 20.
A YELLOW-GREEN VIREO found on September 20 was the third record for
Huntington Central Park in Huntington Beach. The bird was consistently
found in the trees in the southeast side of Talbert Lake.
A BANK SWALLOW was at the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary in Irvine on
September 14.
A PURPLE MARTIN was at Harriett Wieder Regional Park in Huntington Beach on
September 18.
A BREWER’S SPARROW was at Huntington Central Park West from September 14
through September 17. Another was at Irvine Lake on September 14.
A GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE was at Overlook Park in Huntington Beach on September
14.
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS continued on the Upper Santa Ana River and Irvine
Lake this week.
Yet another(!) TENNESSEE WARBLER was in residential Laguna Niguel on
September 18. This is apparently the most reliable place in the county for
this species. Another was near the Gothard Lot(?) at Huntington Central
Park in Huntington Beach on September 20.
A LUCY’S WARBLER continued in the Nature Center at Mile Square Regional
Park in Fountain Valley on September 14.
A VIRGINIA’S WARBLER continued at Gilman Park in Fullerton through
September 14. Another was at Irvine Lake the same day and two were reported
from the Gothard eucalyptus trees at Huntington Central Park in Huntington
Beach on September 15, one of which apparently continued through September
18.
An AMERICAN REDSTART was in the island at Huntington Central Park in
Huntington Beach from September 15 through September 20.
A NORTHERN PARULA continued at Gilman Park in Fullerton through September
14.
A CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER was around ballfields 1 and 2 in the southeast
corner of Mile Square Regional Park in Fountain Valley on September 14.
A BLACKPOLL WARBLER was near the Gothard Lot at Huntington Central Park in
Huntington Beach from September 17 through September 20.
A ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK was reported from Mason Regional Park in Irvine on
September 14.
A DICKCISSEL was along the fence line at Harriett Wieder Regional Park in
Huntington Beach on September 18.
LOCAL EVENTS
Note: We will no longer be listing individual trips on this weekly email.
For a complete up-to-date list of current field trips, please visit the
webpage on Sea and Sage’s website:
https://seaandsageaudubon.org/field-trips/.
The Orange County RBA and events summary is produced weekly by Ryan
Winkleman. Sightings of rare birds can be posted to the OrangeCountyBirding
listserv, emailed directly to Ryan Winkleman (rswinkleman@ <rswinkleman@...>
gmail.com), and/or submitted to eBird (http://ebird.org/content/ebird). Any
supporting details (descriptions, photos, audio recordings, etc.) of rare
sightings that are not already disclosed on the listserv or on eBird should
also be emailed to Ryan Winkleman separately for consideration to be
mentioned in the current quarterly report for North American Birds.
Those sightings that are included in this summary generally include those
that are considered rare (regionally or seasonally) for Orange County based
on "The Birds of Orange County: Status and Distribution" (Hamilton and
Willick), "Birds of Southern California" (Garrett and Dunn), and/or more
contemporary changes in local or regional status and distribution. Rarities
that regularly or seasonally occur at a particular location, such as
annually wintering rarities on Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge, may or
may not be included in this digest, but reports of these same species
occurring at other, atypical locations throughout the county may be
included. We don't include hybrids, subspecies, introduced or exotic birds,
or in most cases and for no real reason, geese. All bird reports are vetted
to the extent possible prior to each publication, but in the interest of
sharing information, the accuracy of any given report cannot always be
guaranteed, nor can the presence of any given bird for those who choose to
chase after them.
Information on upcoming local events can be viewed on the Sea and Sage
Audubon website (http://www.seaandsageaudubon.org/). Sea and Sage Audubon
is based out of the Audubon House at the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary in
Irvine. They sponsor a number of public field trips, special birding
events, conservation lectures, and social gatherings throughout the year.
Information regarding upcoming local events should be considered accurate
at the time of this posting. However, for the most current information
please refer to the field trip list on the Sea and Sage Audubon website at
https://seaandsageaudubon.org/field-trips/. It is also recommended that you
refer to that website immediately prior to engaging in any field trip to
confirm that trips are still occurring. If you know of additional upcoming
events that are not sponsored directly by Sea and Sage Audubon, please
email Ryan Winkleman for inclusion. #RBA
