Date: 6/28/25 8:19 pm From: Conor McMahon via groups.io <conormcmahon22...> Subject: [sbcobirding] Gaviota and Ocean Park - June and July is for Baby Birds
Hi guys,
This morning I walked the riparian corridor around the Gaviota Hot Springs. This is a nice patch of habitat that I don't think gets birded much. Nothing super noteworthy here, but fledgling Yellow Warbler and Song Sparrow were nice. A very friendly (cold) alligator lizard was sunning in the middle of the trail and let me sit very close next to it for a minute or two.
Afterwards, I headed over to Ocean Park. The beach is still closed of course, but from the open parts of the park (including concrete just west of the railroad tracks) I saw a few Least Terns foraging over the estuary, a summering Redhead drake and pair of Red-breasted Mergansers, and singing saltmarsh Savannah Sparrows (I think the populations north of Point Conception aren't considered within Belding's). Fledglings from another Song Sparrow, House Finch, and especially Nuttall's White-crowned Sparrow were fun to see. Barn Swallows look to be nesting on the underside of the railroad bridge.
It's a great season to be out observing fledglings and nesting efforts! A personal project of mine right now is to collect audio recordings of begging calls from fledgling birds. If anyone has existing recordings of fledglings I'd be interested.
