San Diego City – downtown rarities

Posted on December 7, 2012 by Gary Nunn

[All photographs copyright, Gary Nunn 2012] – The cool foggy morning kept the birds actively feeding and low in trees this morning at the Marston House in Balboa Park. This warbler put in an appearance in the tiny tree over the birdbath right outside the house and allowed some close photography. Reported yesterday as a Black-throated Green Warbler it appears to be a hybrid Hermit X Townsend’s Warbler of some degree. Looking most like a Hermit Warbler in fact, it may be a parental backcross of such a hybrid with Hermit Warbler. The quite strong streaked markings on the underparts and patchy dark auricular seems to indicate some Townsend’s Warbler mixed in to the parentage. Most importantly this bird has a clean white vent area, unlike Black-throated Green Warbler which shows off light yellow patches on the vent sides.

Hybrid Hermit X Townsend’s Warbler – Balboa Park, San Diego 07 Dec 2012

I only planned on looking for the Red-necked Grebe but navigating through downtown San Diego to the Seaport Marina I noticed many warblers in the planted trees. After finding the grebe I took off with Peter Ginsberg and Terry Hunefeld to search through Pantoja Park right there in the marina district. The oldest park in downtown San Diego – established in 1850 – had a few nice birds! In among a warbler flock was this perky and bright Chestnut-sided Warbler. This bird appears to be an adult male in basic plumage. The flanks have quite strong chestnut marks (covered over by fluffy white belly feathers in most of the photographs), the upperparts are a bright green, and the uppertail coverts and marginal wing coverts have extensive black centers.

The Red-necked Grebe was hunting small fish beneath rocks right at the marina side. We watched it catch a small fish almost coot like as it splashed around with its large lappet feet. Silent for a long time it suddenly let out a loud cluck sound – grebe vocalization!

Weekend highlights – Point Loma and Coronado Island 01-02 Dec 2012

Posted on December 2, 2012 by Gary Nunn

An early morning venture out to Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery revealed possibly the same Pacific Wren Troglodytes pacificus, located on the east side just behind the wall in the eucalyptus grove, that I originally found here on 20 Oct 2012. I faintly heard its chatter alarm call from a distance down in the gulley, so decided to go over and take a closer look. It popped up quickly and loudly protested my presence!

Pacific Wren – Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, Point Loma, San Diego – CA 01 Dec 2012

I heard it call a couple times, but then it came closer to me giving the typical sharp sounding single or fast double scold note. As it approached very close the next time I obtained a recording of the call which can be listened to below.

This female Sharp-shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus appeared pumping its wings in flight as it flew across a small gap between pine trees. Luckily it perched on an open bough in full view allowing this quick distant photograph before it quietly slid out the back of the pine tree. This species can be so difficult to approach! I always ask myself when assessing a small Accipiter – does the appearance of the head and face remind me of a miniature looking Northern Harrier head? If it does then most likely you are looking at a Sharpie. The tiny stubby bill, positioned lower on a flatter face, really changes the look of this species compared to a Cooper’s Hawk. The smaller Sharp-shinned Hawk also has a pronounced white eye-brow, particularly prominent on the individual below, and skinnier delicate looking legs.

Sharp-shinned Hawk female – Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery – 02 Dec 2012

Palm Warbler – Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, San Diego, CA – 01 Dec 2012

Pine Warbler – Coronado Island, San Diego, CA – 01 Dec 2012

I came across this Baltimore Oriole Oriolus galbula along the east perimeter trail of Point Loma Nazarene University, Point Loma, San Diego. It was attracted to my pishing and I managed a few photographs before it took flight. The tapered rectrices seem to indicate this is a hatch year bird. It could be either a male or darkly colored female. The head is freshly molting to black plumage but the feathers have fine orange fringes which give it a peppered or patchy coloration. The two white contrasting wing bars can be seen on the greater and median coverts and may indicate this is a female.

Baltimore Oriole – Point Loma Nazarene University, San Diego, CA – 02 Dec 2012

Western Scrub-Jay – Point Loma Nazarene University, San Diego, CA – 02 Dec 2012

“Audubon’s” Yellow-rumped Warbler – Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, San Diego, CA – 01 Dec 2012

Winter Wren at the Gilbert Water Ranch

Posted on November 24, 2012 by Gary Nunn

[All photographs copyright, Gary Nunn 2012] – I am a big fan of wrens so when a Troglodytes species was reported by local birder Magill Weber at the Gilbert Water Ranch, Phoenix, AZ I headed over there to see if I could relocate it. The directions were accurate and within a minute of getting to the Honeybee Camp, at the north end of pond 2, up popped this strident calling little Winter Wren Troglodytes hiemalis. It called almost constantly during the time it was visible. The call was the characteristic deeper and sharp cluck, repeated quickly when excited, of this eastern species.

The scold or alarm call of this wren species is distinctive and quite a bit richer in overall harshness, or complexity you could say, than its congener the Pacific Wren. To my ear the Winter Wren sounds more like a cluck sound than a chip sound. I found some good calls on Xeno-Canto that are well matched to the bird seen and heard today. Here is a very close match to the sound it made:

Long range identification – McCown’s Longspur

Posted on November 21, 2012 by Gary Nunn

[All photographs copyright, Gary Nunn 2012] – Back on Monday 19 Nov 2012 I made a trip out to Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in the late afternoon. The light was fading quickly and the wind blowing cold from the north when I heard a strange flight call and spotted a passing bird way up high overhead. I trained the camera on it and took some photographs as it flew away strongly to the northeast into the twilight. At the time I could not really discern much viewing it on the camera back. I had forgotten about these photographs until I saw the eBird report of a McCown’s Longspur seen at Fiesta Island, Mission Bay, San Diego on Tuesday 20 Nov 2012. Sometimes the rare bird is already in your camera but you just don’t realize it! One could argue this is a stretch of the imagination, but when magnified – I agree they are horrible quality, I think it is possible to see the distinctive tail pattern and shape of a McCown’s Longspur!

What makes me think this is a McCown’s Longspur? Really? From these horrible photographs? I think the tail provides the most evidence – it is quite short, wide (bulges a bit wider even near the end, almost lobed you could say), has a graduated notch, and it is white with a black terminal band. The single pair of black central rectrices (r1) are visible, but only on the right side. The wing shape and size is also recognizable. I looked at a lot of longspur photographs lately and the long expansive wings are very distinctive in this group of birds. The wing shape also has a characteristic angle along the trailing edge near to the junction of the secondaries and primaries. I think this feature can be seen in the top photograph, as well as the great relative length of the primaries. The primary feathers of McCown’s Longspur are very long, almost reaching the tail tip in perched birds in fact. Hardly visible at all, are the pale margins to the greater coverts on the last photograph. Finally the bird is stout bodied and has quite a heavy looking bill from the angles which it is visible.

For comparison here is a link to a flock of McCown’s Longspur in flight. Picking among the birds frozen in flight you can find well matched examples of the general shape of the bird, the tail shape and color pattern and how it is notched.

Weird warbler – hybrid Myrtle X Townsend’s?

Posted on November 18, 2012 by Gary Nunn

[All photographs copyright, Gary Nunn 2012] – This warbler was first found by Barbara Carlson and Christine Harvey at the junction of San Fernando and Lawrence Streets in the La Playa neighborhood of Point Loma, San Diego on 18 Nov 2012. Shortly after it was found I went over to the location and obtained some close photographs as it preened and then foraged in small pepper trees. The bird had a structure much like Townsend’s Warbler but looked a bit “off” for that species in my opinion. One immediate difference, apart from the obvious absence (mostly) of yellow in the plumage, was the well defined grey auricular coloration merging without interruption to the nape. It was not separated from the nape by a lighter colored posterior auricular frame, forming a dark auricular patch, like that of Townsend’s Warbler. Also the white throat had below it a dusky gray bib, sort of like a faded “Myrtle” (Yellow-rumped) Warbler. It does seem to have a faint yellow patch on the breast side too – weird. Perhaps the most noticeable difference though came from its call – a low and syrupy churp quite unlike the emphatic sharp chit call of Townsend’s Warbler. In my opinion it sounded very similar to the call of a “Myrtle” (Yellow-rumped) Warbler.

The flight photograph below shows what appears to be three colors to the body upper parts with the rump (yellow-green) contrasting with both the back (olive-green to brownish) and upper tail coverts (bluish-grey). I was concerned the back color was an artifact of the light, but it does also contrast with the bluish-grey scapulars that kind of muddle in to the back color if you look carefully. To my eye also the lower back looks green where it borders the rump – that’s four colors on the body upper parts! Many of the feathers of the upper parts appear to have small dark centers. Also visible on the left wing in the flight photograph are the freshly molted greater and median coverts, with just a few retained and more faded looking greater coverts.

The photographs below of the closed left wing show quite well a couple of the freshly molted median coverts poking out from under the fluffy scapulars. The median coverts have wide black bases but the black tapers quickly to a fine central streak. Based on Pyle 1997 this would seem to indicate this is a hatch year (HY) female, or possibly a second year female Townsend’s Warbler.

Perhaps the bright greenish-yellow rump and yellow feathers on the flank sides point to some type of Yellow-rumped Warbler parentage. If this were the case I think the white throat and white supercilium most strongly suggests “Myrtle” Yellow-rumped Warbler as one parental species. Other features clearly resemble Townsend’s Warbler although the face pattern is different from that species in my opinion. The almost complete absence of yellow coloration would also need to be explained.

Could this be a hybrid “Myrtle” Yellow-rumped Warbler X Townsend’s Warbler? Many features of the bird fit one or other of this species pair. In some of my photographs it looks like a Myrtle and in others a Townsend’s Warbler! On several occasions it sat around upright on long legs and preened its chest feathers and I thought it looked just like a Yellow-rumped Warbler. The posture in the photograph above looks just like that species and the stoutness of the bill is striking too. Quite unlike the perched horizontal posture and finer more delicate bill of a Townsend’s Warbler. Very baffling!

I would be interested in hearing what other people think about this warbler. Perhaps someone even encountered a similar looking bird before. So far, my searches on the internet have not yielded anything that looks quite like this bird!

Swamp Sparrow in Jacumba

Posted on November 17, 2012 by Gary Nunn

[All photographs copyright, Gary Nunn 2012] – The wind and cool weather kept the birds quiet at the riparian area on the west side of Jacumba late this afternoon. So I explored a bit downstream from the hot water seeps, getting out of the wind, and found some nice stands of bulrush backed by willows. I made a few pishing sounds and immediately heard a phoebe like call coming from low down in the vegetation. A couple seconds later and up popped just what I was searching for – this richly colored Swamp Sparrow Melospiza georgiana.

The clean gray nape and supercilium and well marked rufous in the crown indicates this is an adult Swamp Sparrow. The small finer looking bill, pale brown upper back color, and brightly colored flanks, point to this being the expected form “Northern” or “Western” Swamp Sparrow to be found wintering in California M.g. ericrypta.

This would seem to be a banner year for this delightful sparrow in San Diego County. The first record of the fall came back on 31 Oct 2012 when one was found by Paul Lehman at Famosa Slough. By coincidence, another individual was also found by Jay Keller today, 17 Nov 2012, at the Bird and Butterfly Garden in the Tijuana River Valley. This brings the Fall 2012 total to three records so far in the county. Perhaps there are more Swamp Sparrows out there to be found!

“Atlantic Brant” flyover at La Jolla Cove

Posted on November 10, 2012 by Gary Nunn

[All photographs copyright, Gary Nunn 2012] – This morning I spotted a lone pale looking Brant making a wide circle into La Jolla Cove. Lucky for me it came back directly over the assembled birders and I obtained these flyover shots as it passed closely overhead. The pale belly contrasting with the dark chest and very small separated white markings only on the neck sides, not forming a collar, indicated this was an adult “Atlantic Brant” Branta bernicla hrota. Not a bad find here in Southern California as it turns out!

Our regular migrant and winter resident form “Black Brant” Branta bernicla nigricans have been arriving into San Diego Bay and Mission Bay where I have lately seen small groups assembling. This is the first “Atlantic Brant” that I have seen in San Diego County and this eastern form of Brant appears to be very rare here in Southern California. In a post to SDBIRDS about this morning’s “Atlantic Brant”, which Paul Lehman also observed, he mentions that there were previous San Diego County records of this subspecies back in the 1970s in the large wintering Brant flocks on SD Bay. Paul only recalls several reports since that time from southern CA, “those coming from spring seawatches in the Santa Barbara area–though worn “Black” Brant at that season are always a possible confusion factor”.

Seaduck bonanza – La Jolla Cove

Posted on November 9, 2012 by Gary Nunn

[All photographs copyright, Gary Nunn 2012] – The stormy weather brought a big movement of birds on the ocean close to shore this morning at La Jolla Cove, San Diego. Just after dawn, in among a large flock of Surf Scoters, the call came out for two White-winged Scoter Melanitta fusca deglandi approaching from the north. Tucked in among Surf Scoters, they skimmed by in the early morning light. These photographs are the best I could obtain at high camera ISO and fast shutter speed in the low light! The two birds appear to be an adult male on the right, the left hand bird could be an adult female in fresh plumage or an immature male, the face is poorly lighted to discern whether it has any pale markings.

This magnified view of the male White-winged Scoter shows off its size, the largest of the scoters. The white patch beneath the eye can just be made out in the photograph and of course the white secondaries are prominent.

Not long after the White-winged Scoters went by I was looking north when a line of Surf Scoters came flying straight towards us with a smaller greyish-white duck in the center – Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis! It passed by at fast speed allowing just a few photographs but luckily it can be seen clearly among the larger scoters. The nice white face with a darker rear cheek patch seems to indicate this is an adult female in winter plumage.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker in Point Loma

Posted on November 2, 2012 by Gary Nunn

[All photographs copyright, Gary Nunn 2012] – This hatch year male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Sphyrapicus varius was discovered by Guy McCaskie on 01 Nov 2012 in the Silver Gate neighborhood of Point Loma, San Diego. It was frequenting several gardens on Albion St. but looked settled on a single cedar tree with a nice array of sap workings already established. Quite difficult to catch out in the open the sapsucker went about its business with dogs, landscapers, and remodeling projects going on all around it!

This Yellow-bellied Sapsucker has quite a lot of retained juvenile plumage which is characteristic of this species at this date on its wintering grounds. In particular the golden tinged feathers on the back creating a “dirty and messed up” look. The body plumage is transitional with a mixture of mostly juvenile and some adult plumage. It will continue first prebasic molt into complete adult plumage by around December. The first prebasic molt of Red-naped Sapsucker is not protracted like that of Yellow-bellied, and is completed on the summer breeding grounds before migration. The nape of this bird clearly has no red feathering which would be expected on any Red-naped Sapsucker at this date.

Some adult feathers are already visible on the face, a kind of colored peppering, including the red throat indicating this is a male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. The wide black frame on the side of the red throat also points to this being a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and not a Red-naped Sapsucker. One thing in common between the two species – the primaries and tail feathers are all newly molted adult feathers.

Sapsuckers are usually pretty quiet in the winter but at one point I clearly heard it making a quiet “mewing” call as it hid behind the cedar trunk. It will be interesting to see if this sapsucker sticks around over the winter and completes first prebasic molt into its more dazzling adult plumage.

Scarlet Tanager in Point Loma

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Gary Nunn

[All photographs copyright, Gary Nunn 2012] – This Scarlet Tanager Piranga olivacea was found by Sue Smith at the junction of Dudley and Albion St. in the Silver Gate neighborhood of Point Loma, San Diego. The lush trees and dense fruiting hedges are perfect here for tanagers and a male Summer Tanager was also seen in the same area. Luckily I was nearby and arrived quickly to find the Scarlet Tanager sitting on an overhead wire right at the street junction.

In the photograph below the retained juvenile greyish wing feathers can be seen on the left wing. This would indicate the bird is a hatch year (HY) individual. This is also supported by the strongly tapered ends of the juvenile tail feathers which would be more square or truncate shaped after first prebasic molt. The bright greenish yellow of the body plumage seems to indicate this is a male.

This is the first Scarlet Tanager reported in San Diego in Fall 2012, unlike last year when we had several reports of different birds beginning around late October.

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