The day started out overcast and was sunny and warm later in the morning. 23 birders joined us for this walk. The highlight of the walk was outstanding view of a rare Tri-colored Heron actively feeding. It hunts with its body low & parallel to the water with his head slightly turned. Not rare, but we had a close view of a Least and Western Sandpiper next to one another. I hope someone will send me a photo to use for showing the differences between these similar peeps. Other notable sightings were a Eurasian x American Wigeon hybrid, Wilson Snipe, Sora, Little-blue Heron, and Redhead. I need a photo of the Tri-colored Heron for eBird and would appreciate any of your photos from the walk to share online in PAS photo albums. Between the San Diego Estuary & Mudflats (Robb Field) we saw 68 species.

San Diego Estuary – 55 Species
Blue-winged Teal
Cinnamon Teal
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Eurasian x American Wigeon (hybrid)
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Redhead
Lesser Scaup
Bufflehead
Ruddy Duck
Pied-billed Grebe
Eared Grebe
Western Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Osprey
Red-tailed Hawk
Sora
American Coot
Killdeer
Long-billed Curlew
Marbled Godwit
Least Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper
Short-billed/Long-billed Dowitcher
Wilson’s Snipe
Willet
Western Gull
California Gull
Caspian Tern
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
Mourning Dove
Burrowing Owl
Anna’s Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
American Kestrel
Black Phoebe
Say’s Phoebe
Cassin’s Kingbird
American Crow
swallow sp.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow-rumped Warbler
White-crowned Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Western Meadowlark
House Finch
Scaly-breasted Munia

San Diego Mudflats (Robb Field) – 34 species
Brant
Double-crested Cormorant
American White Pelican
Brown Pelican
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Osprey
Red-tailed Hawk
Black-bellied Plover
Snowy Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
Whimbrel
Long-billed Curlew
Marbled Godwit
Ruddy Turnstone
Least Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper
Short-billed/Long-billed Dowitcher
Ring-billed Gull
Western Gull
California Gull
Forster’s Tern
Royal Tern
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
Merlin
Say’s Phoebe
American Crow
White-crowned Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow

Leader: Jeff Ebright