Hi Friends,

Eleven birders met up on Saturday morning for fun walk on Palomar Mountain. The weather
was very pleasant and we found 31 bird species. The best bird of the day has to be a
beautiful bright male Purple Martin. The bird flew over Doane Pond with a female bird,
but to our surprise, he stopped and perched himself on a close-by telephone wire.
We all got really good looks at the Martin that is usually seen flying in the distance. This bird
was a life bird for several of the birders. And to those who had seen a Purple Martin in the past,
they commented that this particular bird gave them best opportunity ever of seeing the bird
in full breeding plumage, perched, and at such a short distance. Here’s our species list:

Mallard
Pied-billed Grebe
Red-tailed Hawk
American Coot
Band-tailed Pigeon
Anna’s Hummingbird
Acorn Woodpecker
Nuttall’s Woodpecker
Western Wood-Pewee
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Black Phoebe
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Steller’s Jay
California Scrub-Jay
American Crow
Purple Martin
Violet-green Swallow
Mountain Chickadee
Oak Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
House Wren
Wrentit
Western Bluebird
American Robin
Common Yellowthroat
Spotted Towhee
Song Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
Purple Finch
Lesser Goldfinch

Jim Beckman trip leader