Santa Ana NWR, 7/20/07

Nothing exciting at warm, humid, muddy Santa Ana NWR but still an interesting morning. The female Northern Pintail has spent the summer at Pintail Lake (of course!). Had a young Yellow-green Vireo and three Black-and-white Warblers on the trail into Pintail Lakes. Four Clay-colored Robins from parking area and old manager's residence area and three calling Northern Beardless Tyrannulets along the entrance road were expected. Had an adult Gray Hawk from the hawk tower. Lots of Orchard Orioles and three young Baltimore Orioles (that's what I'm, calling them)were also around the hawk tower.

Most birders think fall migration happens in September and October. But it starts a lot earlier. I always think of July 4 as the start of fall migration. This was one of three Black-and-white Warblers already headed south.



Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 4
Fulvous Whistling-Duck 6
Mottled/Mexican Duck 9
Northern Pintail 1
Plain Chachalaca 4
Pied-billed Grebe 1
Neotropic Cormorant 4
Great Egret 2
Little Blue Heron 1
Tricolored Heron 4
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 3
Turkey Vulture 19
Gray Hawk 1
Harris's Hawk 2
Swainson's Hawk 1
Common Moorhen 2
American Coot 3
Long-billed Curlew 1
White-winged Dove 100
Mourning Dove 5
White-tipped Dove 1
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 10
Groove-billed Ani 10
Buff-bellied Hummingbird 2
Ringed Kingfisher 1
Green Kingfisher 1
Golden-fronted Woodpecker 14
Ladder-backed Woodpecker 5
Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet 3
Brown-crested Flycatcher 4
Great Kiskadee 1
Couch's Kingbird 20
White-eyed Vireo 5
Yellow-green Vireo 1
Green Jay 8
Bank Swallow 20
Cliff Swallow 20
Cave Swallow 10
unidentified swallow 100
Black-crested Titmouse 8
Carolina Wren 3
Clay-colored Robin 4
Northern Mockingbird 6
Long-billed Thrasher 3
European Starling 2
Black-and-white Warbler 3
Common Yellowthroat 1
Olive Sparrow 10
Northern Cardinal 3
Dickcissel 3
Red-winged Blackbird 10
Great-tailed Grackle 15
Bronzed Cowbird 10
Orchard Oriole 12
Hooded Oriole 1
Altamira Oriole 1
Baltimore Oriole 3
Lesser Goldfinch 1
House Sparrow 8