Field Trip Report – Huntington Beach Central Park & Bolsa Chica Lagoon, Sat. 10/10/09

There must have been thousands of Boy Scouts, parents and support staff in the park with their tents, Coleman stoves, tables and numerous who-can-shout-the-loudest events. Birding was a bit difficult, and we failed to find any sign of the Lucy’s Warbler, American Redstart, Ovenbird and No. Waterthrush which were sighted earlier in the week near the “culvert”, now the epicenter of the jamboree. So it goes. Just as we were leaving, a Worm-eating Warbler sighting was reported from the lake’s west side.

Chestnut-sided Warbler in Eucalypt (Guy Commeau photo)

Despite huge crowds gathered there for a cross-country race, we scoured the eucalypt foliage until we found a large flock of warblers busily gleaning insects. We counted ten warbler species, including the much-desired Worm-eating, seen only by alert birder John Vanderhorst, and a surprise Chestnut-sided in its blandest fall plumage (see Guy’s photo above). Reenergized by lunch, we headed to Bolsa Chica Lagoon to check out the shorebird flocks. Two adult Reddish Egrets, apparently now long-term lagoon residents, danced in the shallows, seeking fish. Temperatures ranged from 65 to 72 and the weather was beautiful.

Trip List HCP Trip List     Bolsa Chica Lagoon
Canada Goose                                 American Wigeon
Gadwall                                              Mallard
American Wigeon                         Ruddy Duck
Mallard                                              Pied-billed Grebe
Northern Shoveler                       Eared Grebe
Ruddy Duck                                    Western Grebe
Pied-billed Grebe                          White Pelican
Eared Grebe                                    Brown Pelican
Double-crested Cormorant      Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron                          Great Blue Heron
Snowy Egret                                    Great Egret
Turkey Vulture                              Snowy Egret
Red-shouldered Hawk                Reddish Egret (2)
Red-tailed Hawk                            Green Heron
American Coot                               Turkey Vulture
California Gull                                Northern Harrier
Ring-billed Gull                              Red-tailed Hawk
Rock Pigeon                                    American Coot
Mourning Dove                              Black-bellied Plover
Black-chinned Hummingbird  Semipalmated Plover
Anna’s Hummingbird                  Killdeer
Allen’s Hummingbird                  Willet
Nuttall’s Woodpecker                 Whimbrel
Downy Woodpecker                    Long-billed Curlew
Northern Flicker                           Marbled Godwit
Western Wood-Pewee                Ruddy Turnstone
Hammond’s Flycatcher              Sanderling
Black Phoebe                                  Western Sandpiper
Say’s Phoebe                                   Dunlin
Warbling Vireo                              Dowitcher – sps.
Western Scrub-Jay                      Ring-billed Gull
American Crow                              Western Gull
Bushtit                                               California Gull
House Wren                                    Caspian Tern
Ruby-crowned Kinglet               Forester’s Tern
Hermit Thrush                               Rock Pigeon
Northern Mockingbird               Belted Kingfisher
European Starling                         Black Phoebe
Orange-crowned Warbler          Say’s Phoebe
Nashville Warbler                         American Crow
Yellow Warbler                              Savannah Sparrow
Chestnut-sided Warbler Song Sparrow
Yellow-rumped Warbler             42 species
Black-throated Gray Warbler
Townsend’s Warbler
Worm-eating Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Wilson’s Warbler
Spotted Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Western Tanager
Black-headed Grosbeak
Red-winged Blackbird
Brewer’s Blackbird
House Finch
Lesser Goldfinch
House Sparrow
Nutmeg Mannikin
60 species