Date: 1/3/26 11:39 am From: Ryan Winkleman via groups.io <rswinkleman...> Subject: [OrangeCountyBirding] Orange County RBA: January 3, 2026
* California
* Orange County
* January 3, 2026
* CAOC26.01.03
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
American Oystercatcher
Laughing Gull
Neotropic Cormorant
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Western Cattle-Egret
Bald Eagle
Zone-tailed Hawk
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Tropical Kingbird
Hammond's Flycatcher
Western Flycatcher
Plumbeous Vireo
Townsend's Solitaire
Clay-colored Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Baltimore Oriole
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Northern Parula
Grace's Warbler
An AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER or hybrid was seen off of the Ocean Institute
part of Dana Point Harbor on December 31.
A LAUGHING GULL was off of Newport Pier on January 2.
The new trash birds NEOTROPIC CORMORANTS continued around the county this
week.
Two immature LITTLE BLUE HERONS continued at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve
in Huntington Beach this week. Apparently the adult bird was not seen.
A TRICOLORED HERON continued at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in
Huntington Beach through January 3.
At least one WESTERN CATTLE-EGRET continued at Bolsa Chica Ecological
Reserve in Huntington Beach through January 2. One was reported from
adjacent Harriett Wieder Regional Park on January 3.
BALD EAGLES were reported from Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Huntington
Beach, Fairview Park in Costa Mesa, and the Upper Newport Bay Ecological
Reserve in Newport Beach this week.
A ZONE-TAILED HAWK was reported from the Esencia Sports Park in Rancho
Mission Viejo on December 28.
A YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER continued at the Olinda Ranch Neighborhood Park
in Brea on December 28.
A TROPICAL KINGBIRD was at the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Huntington
Beach from December 30 through January 1.
A HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER was in residential Fullerton on December 27.
A WESTERN FLYCATCHER was on the Oso Creek Trail in Mission Viejo on
December 28.
PLUMBEOUS VIREOS were at La Palma Park in Anaheim, Riverdale Park in
Anaheim, and residential Fullerton on December 27.
A TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was at West Coyote Hills Tree Park (weird name) in
Fullerton from December 27 through December 29.
A CLAY-COLORED SPARROW continued in residential Buena Park through December
28.
A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW continued at Aldrich Park at UC Irvine on December
27.
A VESPER SPARROW was at the Brea Sports Park in Brea on December 28.
Male BALTIMORE ORIOLES were at Mason Regional Park in Irvine on December 30
and at Harper Park in Fullerton on January 2 and 3.
BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLERS continued at the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary in
Irvine on December 27 and at Rancho Serrano Park in Lake Forest on December
30.
A male AMERICAN REDSTART continued at Huntington Central Park East in
Huntington Beach through January 2. A presumed immature male was across the
street at HCP West on the same day, and another bird was at Buffalo Hills
Park in Newport Beach also on January 2.
A NORTHERN PARULA continued at Huntington Central Park West in Huntington
Beach through January 2.
A GRACE'S WARBLER was at Memory Garden Memorial Cemetery in Brea from
December 27 through January 3.
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 or to Samuel Bressler (
<pacificgoldenplover...>) 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. I 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 if it has not been photographed, nor can the continuing 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.
It is recommended that you refer to that website immediately prior to
engaging in any field trip to confirm that trips are still occurring. #RBA
