Date: 10/17/25 6:23 pm From: Ryan Winkleman via groups.io <rswinkleman...> Subject: [OrangeCountyBirding] Orange County RBA: October 17, 2025
* California
* Orange County
* October 17, 2025
* CAOC25.10.17
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
Neotropic Cormorant
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Broad-winged Hawk
Zone-tailed Hawk
Tropical Kingbird
Dusky Flycatcher
Cassin’s Vireo
Plumbeous Vireo
Yellow-green Vireo
Bank Swallow
Clay-colored Sparrow
Bobolink
Black-and-white Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
American Redstart
Magnolia Warbler
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Dickcissel
A NEOTROPIC CORMORANT was at Centennial Regional Park in Santa Ana on
October 12.
An adult LITTLE BLUE HERON was reportedly continuing at Bolsa Chica
Ecological Reserve in Huntington Beach through October 16.
A TRICOLORED HERON continued at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in
Huntington Beach through October 16.
In what is turning out to be a better-than-average season for BROAD-WINGED
HAWKS, one was seen flying over Irby Park in Huntington Beach on October
15, while another was photographed sitting in a tree at Mason Regional Park
in Irvine on October 16.
A ZONE-TAILED HAWK presumably returned to Lake Forest, where it was
photographed over Rimgate Park on October 16.
A TROPICAL KINGBIRD reportedly continued at Huntington Central Park East in
Huntington Beach through October 17, while another continued at the golf
course near the Aliso Creek mouth on October 12.
A DUSKY FLYCATCHER continued at Veeh Ranch Park in Laguna Hills through
October 15.
There were reportedly two CASSIN’S VIREOS at Rimgate Park in Lake Forest on
October 17.
A PLUMBEOUS VIREO continued at Pepperwood Park in Irvine through October
13, while another continued at Huntington Central Park East in Huntington
Beach through October 12.
A YELLOW-GREEN VIREO continued at Huntington Central Park in Huntington
Beach through at least October 12.
A BANK SWALLOW apparently continued at Arbor Park in Seal Beach through
October 13.
CLAY-COLORED SPARROWS were at Castaways Park in Newport Beach on October
12, Huntington Central Park East in Huntington Beach on October 13, and
along San Diego Creek outside of the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary in
Irvine on October 13.
A BOBOLINK continued at Castaways Park in Newport Beach on October 14.
A BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER continued at Huntington Central Park East in
Huntington Beach through October 15, while another was hanging around the
Audubon House at the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary in Irvine on October 12.
A TENNESSEE WARBLER continued at Huntington Central Park East in Huntington
Beach through October 16, while another was at Gibbs Park in Huntington
Beach on October 15 and 16.
A male AMERICAN REDSTART continued at Huntington Central Park East in
Huntington Beach through October 17.
A MAGNOLIA WARBLER continued at Huntington Central Park East in Huntington
Beach through October 12.
A ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK was at Huntington Central Park East in Huntington
Beach through October 15.
A DICKCISSEL continued at Huntington Central Park East in Huntington
through October 14. Another was at Castaways Park in Newport Beach on
October 15 and 16.
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
