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Anaheim and Carlsbad in August (1 Viewer)

ptickner

Well-known member
It looks like I am going to be in Anaheim and then Carlsbad for a few days during the first week of August. The extended family will be doing a couple of days at Disney, and then Legoland. I'll probably do a day at Disney, but will have a day or day and a half to bird in Anaheim, and then a day or so in Carlsbad.

My target list is still being put together, but looking at a birds of Orange County list, my targets would include California Quail, Heerman's Gull, Thayer's Gull, Surfbird, Elegant Tern, Allen's Hummingbird, Wrentit, California Towhee, Lawrence's Goldfinch, Tricolored Blackbird, California Thrasher, and California Gnatcatcher.

I know this is a pretty broad list, so I am realistically expecting more for general info, such as "go to San Joaquin, or Oak Canyon". Or better yet, if a local birder would like to go out for a day, that would be great. Thanks!

Paul
 
Heermann's gull you should get anywhere along the coast in fair numbers, at least you do further up the coast in LA. Elegant tern would be simple especially if you can get a tern flock/roost -- someone might be able to point you to one, but you get big tern flocks just on the beaches sometimes.

Thayer's is a bit of a long shot and I don't think it is ever a reliable species. I had to go up to Santa Barbara to have any chance at seeing one. That's one of the birds I'd suggest reading up thoroughly on before hand as it is not always an easy ID to make. Lots of people go out looking for them and not properly knowing how to identify them and either miss them or claim a wrong gull.

Cal thrasher, quail, wrentit, Allen's hummingbird and Cal towhee you can get together at any decent chaparral location -- don't know Orange co so can't give specific suggestions.

Cal. gnatcatcher and Lawrence's goldfinch are probably the most difficult two. Lawrence's pops up randomly in small numbers, similar to Thayer's gull, rarely sticks around for longer than a few hours. Cal. gnatcatcher you need specific site directions, but they are incredibly hard to find. I've visited several known sites about 30-40 times each year and I've neither heard nor seen them even in known nesting areas.

Anyway eBird + local advice would be your best bet...but that's what you came here for anyway.
 
Hummingbirds should be all over...

Bolsa Chica for your Terns and other shore birds. Surfbird you will have to find some rocks for, probably not at Bolsa Chica, perhaps Newport Back Bay.

Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Garden has CA Quail and Thrasher fairly reliably.

OC listserv is readable at the ABA link list…
http://birding.aba.org/maillist/CAO
 
Thanks for the replies. I'm sure I'll have some more questions as time gets closer, and I get a more concrete itinerary, as well as figure out what my transportation options will be.

Anybody up for a morning or a day of birding?;)

Also, I have the 1998 version of Brad Schram's ABA guide to So Cal. Do I need to drop the $25 and upgrade to the 2007 version? or is there another book you'd recommend?
 
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I had Gnatcatcher, Thrasher and Wrentit at Crystal Cove State Park, apparently the site of choice for European visitors, albeit in December. The Towhee is abundant, Heermann's Gull will be easy. I saw Allen's Hummingbird in Huntington Central Park.
 
Crystal Cove is a great recommendation, I always forget about it.

I may well be up for a birding outing or two at the time. It will depend on my availability.
 
I may well be up for a birding outing or two at the time. It will depend on my availability.

Fantastic. I'll keep in touch as time gets closer. I've had some good birding days at home in CO with birders I've met through BirdForum, so it would be fun to do so on somebody else's turf.
 
Thayer's Gulls and Surfbirds are probably not going to be in that area in August. They tend to arrive later in the year.
 
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