Date: 10/4/25 7:44 am From: Ryan Winkleman via groups.io <rswinkleman...> Subject: [OrangeCountyBirding] Orange County RBA: October 4, 2025
* California
* Orange County
* October 4, 2025
* CAOC25.10.04
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
Pectoral Sandpiper
Arctic Tern
Neotropic Cormorant
Little Blue Heron
Western Cattle-Egret
Dusky Flycatcher
Tropical Kingbird
Cassin’s Vireo
Plumbeous Vireo
Yellow-green Vireo
Bank Swallow
Purple Martin
*ARCTIC/KAMCHATKA LEAF WARBLER*
Clay-colored Sparrow
Brewer’s Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Bobolink
Baltimore Oriole
Northern Waterthrush
Black-and-white Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
American Redstart
Chestnut-sided Warbler
A PECTORAL SANDPIPER was at Irvine Lake on September 28.
An ARCTIC TERN was offshore on September 28.
NEOTROPIC CORMORANTS continued at Centennial Regional Park in Santa Ana
through September 30.
An adult LITTLE BLUE HERON was reported to continue at Bolsa Chica
Ecological Reserve in Huntington Beach through October 3.
A WESTERN CATTLE-EGRET continued at the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary in
Irvine on October 1.
A DUSKY FLYCATCHER continued at Veeh Ranch Park in Laguna Hills through
October 1, where it is generally found on the eastern side of the creek
closer to the Athletes First building.
A TROPICAL KINGBIRD was at Huntington Central Park East from September 29
to October 3.
CASSIN’S VIREOS were at Huntington Central Park East in Huntington Beach on
September 29, at Veeh Ranch Park in Laguna Hills on September 28, and at
Eisenhower Park in Orange on October 1.
A PLUMBEOUS VIREO was at Pepperwood Park in Irvine on October 2 and October
3.
A YELLOW-GREEN VIREO continued at Veeh Ranch Park in Laguna Hills on
September 29.
Another BANK SWALLOW was at Arbor Park in Seal Beach on September 28, with
another at Irvine Lake the same day.
A PURPLE MARTIN was at Irvine Lake on September 28.
An apparent *ARCTIC/KAMCHATKA LEAF WARBLER* was at Huntington Central Park
East in Huntington Beach on October 3, in the willows northeast of the
Secret Garden. If accepted by the CBRC, this would be the second record for
Orange County. Note that these two species are virtually indistinguishable
in the field except by vocalization. If the bird is refound, observers are
strongly encouraged to attempt to obtain records of it vocalizing, which
may help narrow down the specific identification to species for the CBRC.
A CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was reported to continue at Veeh Ranch Park in
Laguna Hills on September 29.
A BREWER’S SPARROW was at Irvine Lake on September 28.
A VESPER SPARROW was at Harriett Wieder Regional Park in Huntington Beach
on September 28.
A BOBOLINK was photographed on private property on October 1.
At least one BALTIMORE ORIOLE presumably returned to Pepperwood Park in
Irvine on October 3.
A NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH was at Bartlett Park in Huntington Beach on October
2.
A male BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER continued at Huntington Central Park East in
Huntington Beach through October 4. Another was at Mason Regional Park in
Irvine on September 28.
A TENNESSEE WARBLER continued in residential Laguna Niguel through
September 29. Another was by the tennis courts at Laguna Niguel Regional
Park in Laguna Niguel also on September 29.
A male AMERICAN REDSTART continued at Huntington Central Park West through
September 29, while another male was around the Secret Garden at Huntington
Central Park East on October 3 and 4. A female-type bird was at Eisenhower
Park in Orange from September 30 through October 2.
A CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER continued at Centennial Regional Park in Santa Ana
through September 28.
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...>),
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
