Date: 10/9/26 7:04 pm From: Ryan Winkleman via groups.io <rswinkleman...> Subject: [OrangeCountyBirding] Orange County RBA: October 9, 2026
* California
* Orange County
* October 9, 2026
* CAOC26.10.09
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
Pacific Golden-Plover
Sabine’s Gull
Common Tern
Least Storm-Petrel
Cocos Booby
Neotropic Cormorant
Little Blue Heron
Reddish Egret
Western Cattle-Egret
White-headed Woodpecker
Tropical Kingbird
Plumbeous Vireo
Clark’s Nutcracker
Evening Grosbeak
Cassin’s Finch
Brewer’s Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Green-tailed Towhee
Baltimore Oriole
Scott’s Oriole
Black-and-white Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
American Redstart
Northern Parula
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Palm Warbler
An AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER was reported continuing from Dana Point Harbor in
Dana Point on October 6.
A PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER, continued at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in
Huntington Beach through October 10 in the Least Tern nesting area.
SABINE’S GULLS were offshore on October 3 and October 6.
COMMON TERNS were at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Huntington Beach and
at Dana Point Harbor in Dana Point through October 3, and also at the San
Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary in Irvine through October 6.
LEAST STORM-PETRELS were seen offshore in great numbers on October 3.
Several COCOS BOOBIES were offshore on October 3.
NEOTROPIC CORMORANTS continued on the upper Santa Ana River in Anaheim and
A LITTLE BLUE HERON was reportedly continuing at the Bolsa Chica Ecological
Reserve in Huntington Beach through October 8.
A REDDISH EGRET at Burris Basin in Anaheim on October 5 was a great patch
bird for locals, as this species is increasingly seen away from its Bolsa
Chica stronghold.
WESTERN CATTLE-EGRETS were reported from Upper Newport Bay Ecological
Reserve in Newport Beach on October 3 and from Bolsa Chica Ecological
Reserve in Huntington Beach on October 4.
A WHITE-HEADED WOODPECKER was photographed at Rush Park in Rossmoor on
October 9. This is the fifth record for Orange County, the first since
2002, and the only OC record that’s not in the Santa Ana Mountains. The
bird was not refound after its initial appearance.
TROPICAL KINGBIRDS were at Huntington Central Park in Huntington Beach on
October 6 and at Fairview Park in Costa Mesa on October 8.
PLUMBEOUS VIREOS were at the Los Pinos coulter pine grove on October 4, at
Woodbridge North Lake in Irvine on October 6 and 7, at Irvine Regional Park
in Orange on October 6, and at Rush Park in Rossmoor on October 9.
CLARK’S NUTCRACKERS continued at Munhall Saddle/Los Pinos trailhead and in
the surrounding area through October 3. It does not appear that anybody has
reported any lists from this location in eBird since October 4, so
presumably the birds are still there despite not being reported for nearly
a week now. Another bird was found at Ralph B. CLARK Regional Park in Buena
Park on October 4.
A TOWNSEND’S SOLITAIRE was reported from the Big Canyon area of the Upper
Newport Bay Ecological Reserve in Newport Beach on October 6.
EVENING GROSBEAKS continued at Munhall Saddle/Los Pinos through October 4.
See previous note regarding eBird checklists.
CASSIN’S FINCHES continued at the Munhall Saddle/Los Pinos area through
October 4. Again, see previous note regarding eBird checklists…or don’t! I
won’t know and don’t care. Another bird was reported from the Huntington
Central Park Urban Forest in Huntington Beach on October 4.
A BREWER’S SPARROW was photographed at the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary
in Irvine on October 3.
A VESPER SPARROW was at Huntington Central Park West in Huntington Beach on
October 4.
A GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE was at John Baca Park in Huntington Beach on October
4. Another was reported from Overlook Park in Huntington Beach on October 7.
An adult male BALTIMORE ORIOLE (M-BAOR) presumably returned to Pepperwood
Park in Irvine on October 7.
An adult male SCOTT’S ORIOLE was at Ramakrishna Monastery in Live Oak
Canyon on October 9.
A BLACK-AND-WHITE warbler continued at Huntington Central Park in
Huntington Beach from September 27 through October 5.
A TENNESSEE WARBLER was in residential Laguna Niguel on October 6, while
another was in the Mason Regional Park Wilderness Area in Irvine on October
9.
An immature male AMERICAN REDSTART was at Huntington Central Park West in
Huntington Beach from October 4 through October 7.
A CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER continued at Huntington Central Park in Huntington
Beach through October 5.
A BLACKPOLL WARBLER was in residential Laguna Niguel on October 6.
A PALM WARBLER was reported from Huntington Central Park in Huntington
Beach on October 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/.
BIRDING WORKSHOPS AND CLASSES
Sylvia Gallagher will run her Birds of Southern California workshop from
October 6 to December 17. Those interested in enrolling in it can send in
the reservation form located here, if there are still spaces available:
https://seaandsageaudubon.org/events/birds-of-southern-california/.
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 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. 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.
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. #RBA
