Date: 1/30/26 3:30 pm From: Ryan Winkleman via groups.io <rswinkleman...> Subject: [OrangeCountyBirding] Orange County RBA: January 30, 2026
Pretty sad when there are no listserv posts at all for 2 weeks! I guess
everybody was just speechless at my amazing last RBA post???
* California
* Orange County
* January 30, 2026
* CAOC26.01.30
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 x Black Oystercatcher
Neotropic Cormorant
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Western Cattle-Egret
Zone-tailed Hawk
Western Flycatcher
Plumbeous Vireo
Grasshopper Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Baltimore Oriole
American Redstart
Pine Warbler
Black-headed Grosbeak
An AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER OR HYBRID OR WHATEVER was present along the coast
again this week between Dana Point and Laguna Beach.
NEOTROPIC CORMORANTS continued along the Upper Santa Ana River in Anaheim
and at the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary in Irvine.
At least one immature LITTLE BLUE HERON continued at Bolsa Chica Ecological
Reserve in Huntington Beach through January 29.
A TRICOLORED HERON continued at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in
Huntington Beach through January 29, while another one continued in the
Santa Ana River adjacent to the Talbert Nature Preserve on January 25.
At least one WESTERN CATTLE-EGRET continued at Bolsa Chica Ecological
Reserve in Huntington Beach through January 28.
A ZONE-TAILED HAWK was beautifully photographed with expert precision above
my house in Rancho Santa Margarita on January 29.
A PLUMBEOUS VIREO continued at Pepperwood Park in Irvine through January
27. Another was at Schweitzer Park in Anaheim on January 24.
Multiple wintering GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS were at Quail Hill in Irvine on
January 26.
A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW continued in residential Orange on January 28.
A VESPER SPARROW was at the glorious Bommer Canyon in Irvine on January 29,
roundabout on the southwest side of that big old doveweed field.
A male BALTIMORE ORIOLE continued at Pepperwood Park in Irvine through
January 28.
A male AMERICAN REDSTART continued at Huntington Central Park East in
Huntington Beach through January 26, while another male continued at Haven
View Park in Huntington Beach on January 28. A female was at Serrano Creek
Park in Lake Forest on January 27.
A very drab immature female PINE WARBLER continued at Good Shepherd
Cemetery in Huntington Beach on January 25.
A BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK was in residential Laguna Beach on January 27 and
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/.
BIRDING WORKSHOPS AND CLASSES
Sylvia Gallagher’s Learning More California Land Birds Workshop will be
starting in March. Registration doesn’t open until March 2 so I will post
the link when it gets closer!
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
