Date: 1/16/26 11:21 pm From: Ryan Winkleman via groups.io <rswinkleman...> Subject: [OrangeCountyBirding] Orange County RBA: January 16, 2026
* California
* Orange County
* January 16, 2026
* CAOC26.01.16
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
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Western Cattle-Egret
Bald Eagle
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Tropical Kingbird
Eastern Phoebe
Cassin’s Vireo
Plumbeous Vireo
Grasshopper Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Green-tailed Towhee
Baltimore Oriole
Tennessee Warbler
American Redstart
Northern Parula
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Pine Warbler
Grace’s Warbler
Both immature LITTLE BLUE HERONS continued at Bolsa Chica Ecological
Reserve in Huntington Beach this week.
A TRICOLORED HERON continued at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in
Huntington Beach through January 15.
At least one WESTERN CATTLE-EGRET continued at Bolsa Chica Ecological
Reserve in Huntington Beach through January 15, with several reports of two
birds.
BALD EAGLES were reported all over the coastal area this week.
A YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER continued at the Olinda Ranch Neighborhood Park
in Brea on January 15.
A TROPICAL KINGBIRD continued at the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in
Huntington Beach through January 16.
An EASTERN PHOEBE continued at Harriett Wieder Regional Park in Huntington
Beach on January 13.
A CASSIN’S VIREO was at Twila Reid Park in Anaheim on January 12.
PLUMBEOUS VIREOS were along Aliso Creek in Laguna Woods on January 13 and
at Pepperwood Park in Irvine on January 13 and 14.
Multiple wintering GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS were at Quail Hill in Irvine on
January 16.
A VESPER SPARROW continued along the Arroyo Trabuco Wilderness in Rancho
Santa Margarita through January 15.
A GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE was near the little basin area at the west end of the
Borrego Trail in Lake Forest on January 15.
A male BALTIMORE ORIOLE continued at Pepperwood Park in Irvine through
January 16.
TENNESSEE WARBLERS continued at East Bluff Park in Newport Beach on January
11 and at Marina Park in Seal Beach on January 12. Another was at MacKenzie
Park in Laguna Hills on January 11.
A male AMERICAN REDSTART continued at Huntington Central Park East in
Huntington Beach through January 15, while another male continued at Haven
View Park in Huntington Beach on January 10.
A NORTHERN PARULA continued at Huntington Central Park West in Huntington
Beach through January 13.
A CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER continued at Gibbs Park in Huntington Beach
through January 14, while another was at Rossmoor Park in Rossmoor on
January 15.
A very drab immature female PINE WARBLER first found at Good Shepherd
Cemetery in Huntington Beach on November 14 was refound on January 12 and
continued through the next day.
A GRACE'S WARBLER was reported to be continuing at Memory Garden Memorial
Cemetery in Brea on January 12.
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
