A warm day turned warmer as 21 adults and a 21 month old toddler traipsed around the ponds and fields of Whelan Bird Sanctuary. Pretty interesting vocallizations coming from the little one who was incredibly well-behaved and fun to be around. Missing in action: White-tailed Kite and Northern Harrier, plus lots of other birds. But our count was good. We need some information for ebird, please: Horned Grebe, Bell’s Vireo, Vesper Sparrow. Anyone want to volunteer? Any pictures? I know we didn’t get one of the Vesper and only two or three of us saw it, I just got the outer tail feathers, never the face. Best of the day was the great looks of the Sora in full morning sun with bright green backgrounds. I am sure we will soon see some snaps on our website.

Thank you for all your sharp eyes and keen ears in helping to find so many birds.
Sally Sanderson

Whelan Lake, San Diego, US-CA
Sep 28, 2013 8:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Protocol: Traveling
3.0 mile(s)
Comments:     This was a Palomar Audubon sponsored bird walk. We did not count
the number of each species observed.
75 species

Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)  X
American Wigeon (Anas americana)  X
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  X
Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors)  X
Cinnamon Teal (Anas cyanoptera)  X
Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata)  X
Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca)  X
Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris)  X
Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis)  X
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)  X
Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus)  1     Bird was among Eared Grebes on largest
lake.
Eared Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis)  X
Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis)  X
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  X
Great Egret (Ardea alba)  X
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)  X
Green Heron (Butorides virescens)  X
Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)  X
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)  X
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)  X
Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii)  X
Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)  X
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)  X
Virginia Rail (Rallus limicola)  X
Sora (Porzana carolina)  X
Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata)  X
American Coot (Fulica americana)  X
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)  X
Western Gull (Larus occidentalis)  X
Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)  X
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  X
Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus)  X
Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna)  X
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon)  X
Nuttall's Woodpecker (Picoides nuttallii)  X
Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)  X
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)  X
Western Wood-Pewee (Contopus sordidulus)  X
Pacific-slope Flycatcher (Empidonax difficilis)  X
Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans)  X
Say's Phoebe (Sayornis saya)  X
Cassin's Kingbird (Tyrannus vociferans)  X
Western Kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis)  X
Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus)  X
Bell's Vireo (Vireo bellii)  1     I will try to get details from the two
birders that spotted it.
Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus)  X
Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica)  X
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)  X
Common Raven (Corvus corax)  X
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)  X
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)  X
Bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus)  X
House Wren (Troglodytes aedon)  X
California Gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica)  X
Wrentit (Chamaea fasciata)  X
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  X
California Thrasher (Toxostoma redivivum)  X
Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)  X
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  X
Orange-crowned Warbler (Oreothlypis celata)  X
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)  X
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata)  X
Black-throated Gray Warbler (Setophaga nigrescens)  X
Wilson's Warbler (Cardellina pusilla)  X
Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus)  X
California Towhee (Melozone crissalis)  X
Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus)  1     Bird was spotted in high grassy area
between ponds. White outer tail feathers. Very furtive. No pictures.
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  X
White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys)  X
Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana)  X
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  X
Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta)  X
Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus)  X
House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus)  X
Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria)  X

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S15276011