Hi, Birders,
It was another great day at San Jacinto Wildlife Preserve–a bit cool in the morning but sunny with zero wind at eight and up to 5 miles an hour by noon cooling us down a bit. And plenty of birders, maybe 40, and birds, 70 species reported. A light sprinkling of snow on the high mountains added to the scenery.

It was no ordinary birdwalk. To start, instead of getting together in a circle and identifying ourselves, etc. we hopped in our cars and sped up Davis Road to the gate which closes the road to through traffic. We hopped out of our cars and went hunting for the Bendire’s Thrasher, a rare bird in this part of the world and a life bird for many in the group.

There is frequently controversy regarding eagle sightings. Is it a Golden, a Bald, or some other raptor? We had three opinions on the large raptor we spotted on a rock some distance from the thrasher location. I saw no gold on the head and neck area, which is a sure ID marker for a Golden Eagle in any plumage from juvenile to adult. When the bird was in the air and soaring, the wings were nearly flat out, indicative of a Bald Eagle, Goldens soar with a slight dihedral, and Red-tailed Hawks do, too. I feel that two Red-tailed hawks flew by the large raptor prompting it to take off. Later I spied two red-tails on rocks on the northern side of the V-shaped valley. So, there were three raptors in my opinion.  A good picture or two would help with this and perhaps prove me wrong or confirm my Bald Eagle ID. If you have one, send it on to the group.

The Walkleys went off on their own and came across two Ring-necked Pheasants. Ironically in my car and at lunch, we were talking about pheasant sightings in the past, usually a lone bird looking for his companions and hiding in bushes or rushes or sometimes out in the open in a mown field.

We had a dearth of birds flying over us–almost no ibis, no gulls, just a few raptors but we had an abundance of flycatching type birds. I think the Loggerheads, Say’s Phoebes, and Black Phoebes were undercounted. Great views of Sora and Snipe and Vermillion Flycatchers. Also, the White-tailed Kite, a most beautiful bird, a favorite of mine.

Check out our list with lots of fabulous photos here: https://ebird.org/checklist/S202872004

Thanks for all your help in finding the birds and taking photographs. And special thanks to Steve Ellis for getting the scoop on the thrasher and keeping the list.  There will be another trip to SJWA in the spring, so stay tuned.
Respectfully submitted,
Sally Sanderson