Date: 4/30/25 8:58 pm From: Kent Forward via groups.io <kforward...> Subject: [pen-bird] Lazuli Buntings and more 4/30/2025
Good Evening Birders,
I've been able to get out recently and enjoy some spring migration birding in San Mateo County. A highlight today was seeing 4 lovely adult male LAZULI BUNTINGS recently arrived along the first stretch of Pomponio Creek Road. Seems a very reliable spot through the years for this species in the county. Earlier in the day a treat was seeing BANK SWALLOWS flying above the bluff above the west end of Cove Beach at Ano Nuevo SP (Malia and Chris had also noted them there yesterday), no doubt soon moving into their nesting colony above the beach at that location. Also, seeing some migrating shorebirds on the beach progressing into their breeding plumage was a treat (Dunlin, Western Sandpiper, etc.), some photos of that action in my checklist:
https://ebird.org/checklist/S231332389 Also of note today was a pleasant surprise of seeing a good number of RED-NECKED PHALAROPES in the ocean just offshore of Gazos Creek State Beach. This scene repeated itself later at Pigeon Point, so a nice pulse of that species coming through at the moment.
It seems to be an uncommonly good spring for eagles in the county, or I'm just having more luck than usual? On April 25th I had 2 adult GOLDEN EAGLES soaring over Lobitos Creek Cut-off road. Individual adult BALD EAGLES were noted on April 4th soaring above Burleigh Murray SP, April 27th over Pomponio SB, and April 28th over Edgewood Park.
This past Sunday a stroll up Old Woman's Creek Road yielded quite a surprise, a female WILD TURKEY emerged with at least 15 very recently fledged chicks! I've never seen Wild Turkeys on that road in all the years of birding there, let alone so many recently fledged tiny chicks, many of whom were still having difficulty walking, tumbling to the ground, only to get up again and give it another try! Learning to walk before they can fly!
Happy Migration,Kent ForwardEl Granada
