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San Luis Rey River mouth, Oceanside Harbor

and Loma Alta Creek

Sept. 13, 2016

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Even though the weather forecast suggested the possibility of “drizzle,” we decided to go ahead with our birding excursion.  As it turned out, the dark coastal marine layer didn’t even mist on us.  Toward the end of our field trip, the sun broke through the clouds.  As for the birds, we did surprisingly well -- identifying 40 species at the San Luis Rey River mouth, Oceanside Harbor and Loma Alta Creek.  Highlights included watching at least a half-dozen Sora Rails – a species that typically hides among dense stands of marshy reeds. We also saw a number of Common Gallinules, Caspian and Elegant Terns, Great Blue Herons, Snowy and Great Egrets, and a female Black-crowned Night-Heron and a male Green Heron.  Shorebirds included a Marbled Godwit, a Solitary Sandpiper and a Semipalmated Plover, several Avocets and Black-necked Stilts, and small flocks of Western and Least Sandpipers.  At our last birding spot along Loma Alta Creek, we enjoyed an excellent view of a female Belted Kingfisher, before we headed to nearby Beach Break Café for a delicious lunch.

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BIRDS IDENTIFIED--40 SPECIES

 

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Pied-billed Grebe – (San Luis Rey River & Loma Alta Creek)

Double-crested Cormorant – (SLR & Oceanside Harbor)

Mallard – (SLR & LAC)

American Coot – (SLR & LAC)

Common Gallinule – (SLR)

Brown Pelican – (OH)

Heermann’s Gull – (OH & LAC)

Western Gull – (SLR)

California Gull – (OH)

Ring-billed Gull – (SLR & LAC)

Caspian Tern – (SLR)

Elegant Tern – (SLR)

Great Blue Heron – (SLR, OH & LAC)

Green Heron – 1 – (LAC)

Black-crowned Night-Heron – 1 female – (SLR)

Snowy Egret – (SLR, OH & LAC)

Great Egret – (SLR, OH & LAC)

Sora Rail – (great views of a few) (SLR & LAC)

American Avocet – (SLR)

Black-necked Stilt – (SLR & LAC)

Semipalmated Plover – 1 – (SLR)

Killdeer – 2 – (SLR)

Marbled Godwit – 1 – (SLR)

Solitary Sandpiper – 1 – (SLR)

Spotted Sandpiper – 1 – (SLR)

Least Sandpiper – (SLR)

Western Sandpiper – (SLR)

Belted Kingfisher – 2 – (LAC)

Mourning Dove – (SLR & LAC)

Rock Dove – (OH & LAC)

Black Phoebe – (SLR)

Crow – (SLR & LAC)

Marsh Wren – (heard only) – (SLR)

Western Bluebird – (LAC)

Common Yellowthroat – (SLR & LAC)

Great-tailed Grackle – (SLR)

Red-winged Blackbird – (SLR)

Song Sparrow (SLR)

House Finch – (LAC)

House Sparrow – (LAC)


           

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