I feel like I should be exploring more new places and habitat like the Dorothy Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary, Huntington Library and Gardens, Santa Cruz Island, the Sanata Ana River, or Yorba Linda. But why when I’m still finding life birds within casual walking distance of my apartment?
Last Sunday (June 8) I once again joined the Sea & Sage Audubon’s Monthly bird walk at San Joaquin Wildlife Refuge led by Chris Obaditch. We pulled over 50 species in about 3 hours from 8:00 A.M. to 11:00 A.M. including Yellow-breasted Chat, American Avocet (with chicks no less!) and American White Pelican.
However the best bird for me was #433, Bell’s Vireo. There are maybe several dozen breeding pairs at San Joaquin right now so they aren’t hard to find. However I didn’t know this bird’s call, and it looks a lot like a warbling Vireo, so I’d missed it. However Chris found them again and again in the northern part of the refuge.
We also relocated the California Thrasher that had been missed on the census a few days earlier. The most unusual bird for the area was a possible Western Scrubjay that I missed. It was heard more than seen, and I’m afraid it’s not a call I know. (Now if a Blue Jay showed up, that I’d recognize.)
Looking at the list later, there were also Wrentits that I missed. Like Marsh Wrens, Wrentits are heard frequently and seen almost never. Unfortunately, unlike Marsh Wrens, I don’t really know what a Wrentit sounds like. I really have to learn that call before it’s too late.
My species count was 47, and there were maybe six other species seen by other people that I missed:
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