Date: 2/28/26 10:27 pm From: Ryan Winkleman via groups.io <rswinkleman...> Subject: [OrangeCountyBirding] Orange County RBA: February 28, 2026
* California
* Orange County
* February 28, 2026
* CAOC26.02.28
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
Bald Eagle
*CRESTED CARACARA*
Hammond’s Flycatcher
Cassin’s Vireo
Plumbeous Vireo
Brown Creeper
Grasshopper Sparrow
Clay-colored Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Black-and-white Warbler
Northern Parula
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
NEOTROPIC CORMORANTS continued along the Upper Santa Ana River in Anaheim
this week, as well as at Tri-City Regional Park in Placentia and the San
Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary in Irvine.
At least one immature LITTLE BLUE HERON continued at Bolsa Chica Ecological
Reserve in Huntington Beach through February 28.
A TRICOLORED HERON continued at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in
Huntington Beach through February 28.
A BALD EAGLE continued on the coast at Huntington Central Park in
Huntington Beach on February 28.
A *CRESTED CARACARA* was photographed apparently in a grassy field in the
vicinity of the Magnolia Wetlands in Huntington Beach on February 28.
A HAMMOND’S FLYCATCHER was possibly continuing in Hiltscher Park in
Fullerton on February 24.
A CASSIN’S VIREO was at Riverdale Park in Anaheim on February 28.
A PLUMBEOUS VIREO continued at Pepperwood Park in Irvine on February 22.
A BROWN CREEPER was in the pine trees at the north end of Campus Village at
UCI on February 26.
GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS continued wintering at Quail Hill Preserve in Irvine
through February 26.
A CLAY-COLORED SPARROW continued in residential Buena Park on February 23.
A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW was in residential Rancho Santa Margarita on
February 22.
A BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER was reported from residential Laguna Woods on
February 22.
A NORTHERN PARULA continued at Huntington Central Park West in Huntington
Beach on February 23.
A CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER continued at Gibbs Park in Huntington Beach on
February 25.
A BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER continued at Brenner Park in Buena Park
through February 28.
A male ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK was at Riverdale Park in Anaheim from
February 22 through February 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/.
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
