Date: 10/17/26 9:48 am From: Ryan Winkleman via groups.io <rswinkleman...> Subject: [OrangeCountyBirding] Orange County RBA: October 17, 2026
* California
* Orange County
* October 17, 2026
* CAOC26.10.17
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
Pectoral Sandpiper
Sabine’s Gull
Black Tern
Arctic Tern
Common Tern
Cocos Booby
Neotropic Cormorant
Little Blue Heron
Reddish Egret
Western Cattle-Egret
Zone-tailed Hawk
Tropical Kingbird
Yellow-throated Vireo
Plumbeous Vireo
Pinyon Jay
Clark’s Nutcracker
Evening Grosbeak
Vesper Sparrow
Green-tailed Towhee
Baltimore Oriole
Scott’s Oriole
Magnolia Warbler
Palm Warbler
Canada Warbler
Painted Bunting
An AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER was reported continuing from Dana Point Harbor in
Dana Point through October 14.
A PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER continued at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in
Huntington Beach through October 15 in the Least Tern nesting area.
A PECTORAL SANDPIPER was at Upper Oso Reservoir in Mission Viejo on October
11.
A SABINE’S GULL was offshore on October 10.
A BLACK TERN was reported from the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary in Irvine
on October 15.
At least one ARCTIC TERN was flying around in the Upper Newport Bay
Ecological Reserve in Newport Beach on October 11.
COMMON TERNS continued along the coast this week.
A COCOS BOOBY was observed flying offshore from Little Corona Beach on
October 11, while another was on the jetty at Dana Point Harbor from
October 13 to October 15.
NEOTROPIC CORMORANTS continued on the upper Santa Ana River in Anaheim
through October 15.
A LITTLE BLUE HERON was continued at the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in
Huntington Beach through at least October 11.
A REDDISH EGRET continued well inland at Burris Basin in Anaheim through
October 15.
Up to two WESTERN CATTLE-EGRETS were on the Lower Santa Ana River on
October 10 and 11.
A ZONE-TAILED HAWK was photographed flying over the hills in the vicinity
of Portola Parkway and SR-133 in Irvine on October 13.
TROPICAL KINGBIRDS were at Huntington Central Park West in Huntington Beach
on October 10 and at the Costco in the Fullerton Town Center on October 13
and 14.
A YELLOW-THROATED VIREO was at Russell Cook Park in San Juan Capistrano on
October 10 and 11, in the trees on the far eastern end just before the
horse stables.
A PLUMBEOUS VIREO continued at Pittsford Park in Lake Forest through
October 13, while another was at Twila Reid Park in Anaheim on October 15.
A PINYON JAY photographed flying over the Munhall Saddle on October 14 was
the first record for Orange County, and its 510th species.
A CLARK’S NUTCRACKER continued at the Munhall Saddle/Los Pinos trailhead
and in the surrounding area through October 14.
EVENING GROSBEAKS continued at Munhall Saddle/Los Pinos through October 10.
A VESPER SPARROW was at Pittsford Park in Lake Forest on October 10.
A GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE continued at Overlook Park in Huntington Beach on
October 10.
An adult male BALTIMORE ORIOLE (M-BAOR) continued Pepperwood Park in Irvine
on October 11.
A MAGNOLIA WARBLER was in the street trees on the east end of Russell Cook
Park in San Juan Capistrano from October 14 through October 17.
A PALM WARBLER was on the fields at Cook La Novia Park in San Juan
Capistrano on October 14 and 15.
A CANADA WARBLER was in residential Huntington Beach on October 10.
A female PAINTED BUNTING was photographed along the Santa Ana River just by
Arevalos Park in Huntington Beach on October 11.
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 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
