Date: 8/13/25 12:40 pm From: Dominik Mosur via groups.io <dominikmosur...> Subject: [SFBirds] WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH Corona Hill and misc. observations
Late this morning , while walking one of the regular routes around Corona Heights Park, I heard the distinctive nasal calls of a White-breasted Nuthatch directly above my head coming from a Metrosideros tree at the corner of Roosevelt and 15th St.s.
Looking up I got point-blank looks at a heavily molting WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH. There seems to be a region wide irruption of this typically coastally scarce species, with this being the 4th one recorded in SF the past month. It was also quite a relief to my sanity as I had thought I'd been hearing a White-breasted Nuthatch calling from the north side of Corona Hill all the way back to Friday 7/18 (and as recently as yesterday) and it was great to have the confirmation that my ears aren't completely shot and I haven't lost it yet.
A few other signs of migration picking up (albeit still quite slowly):
Northern Harrier - fly by over Corona Hill during a skywatch on 8/6 kicking off the raptor watching season. This bird was also seen by Keith Maley over Mount Davidson (about 12 minutes later)
Belted Kingfisher - out of habitat bird on the move flew down Portola Drive this morning (8/13) in the mist
Northern Flickers - dispersing birds showing up on Mount Davidson and at Laguna Honda Reservoir the first week of August
Western Wood-pewee - first of "fall" migrant was near the Archery Range in West Golden Gate Park 8/10
Western Flycatcher - first of "fall" for Corona Hill 8/12
Violet-green Swallows - locally breeding birds at sites like Pine Lake seemed to have cleared out after the 3rd week of July. Flocks of migrants were noted from Corona Hill on 8/6 (35) and 8/8 (8)
Orange-crowned Warblers - apparent migrants on 8/6, Corona Hill (2) and at Hoover Middle School (1)
AMERICAN REDSTART - saw the "molt migrant" which appeared on 7/3 still at the same spot near Pine Lake on 8/7 at which time it had dramatically changed appearance into almost complete "definitive(?)" plumage. This bird was reported again the next day but I haven't caught up with it since despite making several concerted efforts the last few days, so presumably it has moved on
Western Tanager - first of "fall" on Corona Hill 8/12
Lazuli Bunting - first of "fall" on Corona Hill 8/2
