Date: 10/31/25 5:51 pm From: Ryan Winkleman via groups.io <rswinkleman...> Subject: [OrangeCountyBirding] Orange County RBA: October 31, 2025
Happy Halloween!
* California
* Orange County
* October 31, 2025
* CAOC25.10.31
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
Stilt Sandpiper
Common Loon
Northern Fulmar
Manx Shearwater
Neotropic Cormorant
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Plumbeous Vireo
*OLIVE-BACKED PIPIT*
Green-tailed Towhee
Tennessee Warbler
American Redstart
Northern Parula
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Palm Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
A STILT SANDPIPER was at the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Huntington
Beach on October 28.
A COMMON LOON was at Burris Basin on October 31.
NORTHERN FULMARS were reported several times this week offshore.
A MANX SHEARWATER offshore on October 26 was one of few for the county.
A NEOTROPIC CORMORANT was at Mile Square Regional Park in Fountain Valley
on October 26.
An adult LITTLE BLUE HERON continued at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in
Huntington Beach through October 31.
A TRICOLORED HERON continued at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in
Huntington Beach through October 30.
PLUMBEOUS VIREOS were reported from Gilman Park in Fullerton from October
25 through October 31, from Woodbridge North Lake in Irvine on October 25
(continuing from October 21), from Tustin Heritage Park in Tustin on
October 30, from Tri-City Regional Park in Placentia on October 26, and
from Westminster Memorial Park in Westminster on October 31.
In what will undoubtedly be the highlight of southern California’s fall
period (sorry everybody else!), an *OLIVE-BACKED PIPIT* was at Gilman Park
in Fullerton from October 25 through October 31. This is the second record
for Orange County and only the third record for California. What is even
more remarkable is that this bird is only about 7 miles away and 2 cities
over from the one that Jeff Bray found in 2014.
A GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE was at Crescent Bay in Laguna Beach on October 31.
A TENNESSEE WARBLER was at George Bellis Park in Buena Park (Jonathan
Rowley left Fullerton??? That’s like me leaving Rancho Santa Margarita!) on
October 28.
A male AMERICAN REDSTART continued at Huntington Central Park East in
Huntington Beach through October 25.
A NORTHERN PARULA was in the little ditch at Russell Cook Park in San Juan
Capistrano on October 27.
A CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER was at Eucalyptus Park in Cypress on October 29.
A BLACKPOLL WARBLER was at Woodbridge North Lake in Irvine on October 25
and 26.
A PALM WARBLER was at Westminster Memorial Park in Westminster on October
31.
A SCARLET TANAGER, a species with records that are few and far between in
Orange County, was at Westminster Memorial Park in Westminster on October
29 and 30.
A ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK was at Gilman Park in Fullerton on October 27.
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
