Hi Friends,

On Saturday December 22, fifteen birders walked around the Tijuana Estuary National Wildlife Reserve. The weather was perfect, a crisp, clear winter day. We found 57 bird species. Probably, the best birds of the day were the Merlin, Yellow-crowned Night Herons, and the Ridgeway’s Rails. It was fun watching several Northern Harriers hunt for food. 

Here is our list:

Gadwall
American Wigeon
Mallard
Northern Schoveler
Northern Pintail
Bufflehead
Pied-billed Grebe
Eared Grebe
Western Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Brown Pelican
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Northern Harrier
Red-tailed Hawk
Ridgway’s Rail
American Coot
Killdeer
Greater Yellowlegs
Willet
Whimbrel
Marbled Godwit
Dowitcher sp.
Ring-billed Gull
Western Gull
California Gull
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Mourning Dove
Anna’s Hummingbird
Rufous/Allen’s Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
American Kestrel
Merlin
Black Phoebe
Say’s Phoebe
Cassin’s Kingbird
American Crow
Marsh Wren
Bewick’s Wren
California Gnatcatcher
Hermit Thrush
Northern Mockingbird
American Pipit
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow-rumped Warbler
California Towhee
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Western Meadowlark
House Finch
House Sparrow


JIM BECKMAN,  trip leader