[All photographs copyright, Gary Nunn 2014] – Early morning birding at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, Point Loma can be a lot of fun when tired well traveled migrants seem to be around every corner. Most of the best birds this morning I found within a fifty yard radius of my favorite “hot” Chinese Elm in the southeast section of the cemetery. There is just something irresistible to birds about this tree! I think it is the cacophony of squabbling House Finches that attracts other birds, and the proximity to some nice weed patches in the manicured lawns. Good finds this morning included a female Scarlet Tanager Piranga olivacea seen just after dawn. At first glance I thought it was a Western Tanager over my head and, after quickly moving out from under the tree, was pleasantly surprised to see it had no wing bars. The photographs show clearly the “tomial tooth” on the cutting edge of the upper mandible, a morphological feature not found in the Summer Tanager. Next was a well behaved Brewer’s Sparrow Spizella breweri making its distinctive warbler-like “tisip” call. And while watching the Brewer’s Sparrow a male Dickcissel Spiza americana settled in the tree right in camera frame! This bird was missing its tail for some reason and when it flew into the tree I thought for a moment it was a giant Ammodramus sparrow! Later on in the northwest section of the cemetery, on the west side, the “whit” call of an Empid got my attention and I soon had great looks at a Dusky Flycatcher Empidonax oberholseri actively feeding and calling frequently from the fence-line, grave markers, and low hanging tree branches. This bird showed off classic tail flicking motion upwards only, a short primary projection, worn looking plumage, the overhanging hooked nail of the upper mandible, and plenty of “whit” calls as it actively moved around. My first day field testing my new Nikon EDG 7×42 binoculars worked out pretty well!

Scarlet Tanager female – Point Loma, San Diego County, California 02 Oct 2014 (© Gary Nunn)

Scarlet Tanager female – Point Loma, San Diego County, California 02 Oct 2014 (© Gary Nunn)

Scarlet Tanager female – Point Loma, San Diego County, California 02 Oct 2014 (© Gary Nunn)

Dickcissel – Point Loma, San Diego County, California 02 Oct 2014 (© Gary Nunn)

Dickcissel – Point Loma, San Diego County, California 02 Oct 2014 (© Gary Nunn)

Brewer’s Sparrow – Point Loma, San Diego County, California 02 Oct 2014 (© Gary Nunn)

Brewer’s Sparrow – Point Loma, San Diego County, California 02 Oct 2014 (© Gary Nunn)

Dusky Flycatcher – Point Loma, San Diego County, California 02 Oct 2014 (© Gary Nunn)

Dusky Flycatcher – Point Loma, San Diego County, California 02 Oct 2014 (© Gary Nunn)

Dusky Flycatcher – Point Loma, San Diego County, California 02 Oct 2014 (© Gary Nunn)

Dusky Flycatcher – Point Loma, San Diego County, California 02 Oct 2014 (© Gary Nunn)