Today 26 Palomar Birders consumed 48 doughnut holes and 3 quarts of pink lemonade as sustenance while they scoured the Whelan Lake Bird Sanctuary. For an early Autumn day, it was a good count: 67 Species. Of these 46 were spotted by The Big Sit contingent perched for the count on the shores of beautiful Whelan Lake. These birders had a little competition from a hungry coyote prowling the water’s edge on the far shore. Three deer chose to go for a swim during the walk. A Cooper’s Hawk put on an impressive chase to a dozen Phalarope, but to no avail. It was a great day in the neighborhood for a walk in the park, with a perfect temperature.
Here is our count, with the birds discovered by The Big Sit denoted with an asterisk:

SWANS, GEESE & DUCKS
* Wood Duck
* Mallard
* Cinnamon Teal
* Northern Shoveler
* Green-winged Teal
* Bufflehead
* Rudy Duck
GREBES
* Pied-billed Grebe
* Horned Grebe
* Eared Grebe
BITTERNS & EGRETS
* Great Egret
* Snowy Egret
Green Heron
* Black-crowned Night-Heron
AMERICAN VULTURES
* Turkey Vulture
HAWKS & FALCONS
* Northern Harrier
* Cooper’s Hawk
* Red-shouldered Hawk
* Red-tailed Hawk
* American Kestrel
RAILS, COOTS & STILTS
Sora
* American Coot
* Black-necked Stilt
SANDPIPERS & PHALAROPES
Greater Yellowlegs
Spotted Sandpiper
* Red-necked Phalarope
PIGEONS & DOVES
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Morning Dove
HUMMINGBIRDS
* Black-chinned Hummingbird
* Anna’s Hummingbird
* Allan’s Hummingbird
KINGFISHERS
* Belted Kingfisher
WOODPECKERS
* Nuttall’s Woodpecker
* Downy Woodpecker
TYRANT FLYCATCHERS
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
* Black Phoebe
Say’s Phoebe
Cassin’s Kingbird
JAYS & CROWS
* Western Scrub-jay
* American Crow
* Common Raven
SWALLOWS
* Tree Swallow
* Barn Swallow
BUSHTITS
* Bushtit
WRENS
House Wren
Marsh Wren
KINGLETS & GNATCATCHERS
* Ruby-crowned Kinglet
MOCKINGBIRDS & THRASHERS
* Northern Mockingbird
* California Thrasher
STARLINGS
European Starling
TOWHEES & SPARROWS
* Orange-crowned Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-and-White Warbler
* Common Yellowthroat
* Wilson’s Warbler
TOWHEES & SPARROWS
* Spotted Towhee
* California Towhee
Savannah Sparrow
* Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
ORIOLES & BLACKBIRDS
Red-winged Blackbird
FINCHES & ALLIES
* House Finch
* Lesser Goldfinch
* American Goldfinch

Leader: Doug Walkley