Date: 9/4/26 9:52 pm From: Ryan Winkleman via groups.io <rswinkleman...> Subject: [OrangeCountyBirding] Orange County RBA: September 4, 2026
* California
* Orange County
* September 4, 2026
* CAOC26.09.04
This is the Orange County, CA weekly Rare Bird Alert (RBA) and local events
summary. California Bird Records Committee (CBRC) review species are
capitalized and marked with asterisks below. All documentation of review
species should be forwarded to the CBRC secretary, Tom Benson, at
<secretary...>
BIRDS MENTIONED
*PURPLE GALLINULE*
American Oystercatcher
Ruff
Baird's Sandpipers
Sabine's Gull
Black Tern
Arctic Tern
Common Tern
Leach's Storm-Petrel
Townsend's Storm-Petrel
Least Storm-Petrel
Cocos Booby
Neotropic Cormorant
Little Blue Heron
*GREATER PEWEE*
Bank Swallow
Black-throated Sparrow
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Northern Waterthrush
Lucy's Warbler
Virginia's Warbler
A first-county record juvenile *PURPLE GALLINULE* continued in Pond C of
the San Joaquin Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary in Irvine through September 3,
with currently no reports today.
An AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER continued to be reported at the Dana Point Harbor
through August 29.
The geriatric RUFF continued in the Upper Santa Ana River through August 31.
Two BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS were on the east side of Irvine Lake on August 30.
Three SABINE'S GULLS were reported offshore on August 29.
Up to two BLACK TERNS were present at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in
Huntington Beach through August 30.
Two ARCTIC TERNS were offshore on August 29.
COMMON TERNS were at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Huntington Beach and
along the Newport Harbor jetty.
A large number of LEACH'S STORM-PETRELS were offshore on August 29.
Four TOWNSEND'S STORM-PETRELS offshore on August 29 were OC's third through
sixth records since the first record only in 2022.
Several LEAST STORM-PETRELS were offshore on August 29.
A COCOS BOOBY was offshore on August 29, with another reported on September
3.
NEOTROPIC CORMORANTS continued on the upper Santa Ana River in Anaheim as
well as at Mason Regional Park and the San Joaquin Marsh and Wildlife
Sanctuary in Irvine. A bird photographed at Upper Oso Reservoir in Mission
Viejo on August 30 was a first for this part of Orange County.
A LITTLE BLUE HERON continued at the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in
Huntington Beach through September 2.
A *GREATER PEWEE* at Huntington Central Park in Huntington Beach on August
29 and the morning of August 30 was only the sixth record for Orange County.
A BANK SWALLOW continued the San Joaquin Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary in
Irvine through August 29, while another was at Arbor Park in Seal Beach
from August 31 through September 3.
A BLACK-THROATED SPARROW, which some say is the Best Sparrow, was just
north of the camping area at Irvine Lake on August 30. Another was along
the fenceline north of the baseball fields at University High School
🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮👎👎👎👎👎👎 in Irvine on September 1 and 2.
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS continued on the Upper Santa Ana River in Anaheim
through August 30.
A NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH presumably returned to Bartlett Park in Huntington
Beach from September 1 to September 3, where it was found along the pond
edge.
A LUCY'S WARBLER was in the eucalyptus trees at the library at Huntington
Central Park in Huntington Beach on September 4.
A VIRGINIA'S WARBLER was in the Nature Area at Mile Square Regional Park in
Fountain Valley on September 3 and 4.
LOCAL EVENTS
Note: We will no longer be listing individual trips on this weekly email.
For a complete up-to-date list of current field trips, please visit the
webpage on Sea and Sage’s website:
https://seaandsageaudubon.org/field-trips/.
The Orange County RBA and events summary is produced weekly by Ryan
Winkleman. Sightings of rare birds can be posted to the OrangeCountyBirding
listserv, emailed directly to Ryan Winkleman (<rswinkleman...>),
and/or submitted to eBird (http://ebird.org/content/ebird). Any supporting
details (descriptions, photos, audio recordings, etc.) of rare sightings
that are not already disclosed on the listserv or on eBird should also be
emailed to Samuel Bressler (<pacificgoldenplover...>) separately for
consideration to be mentioned in the current quarterly report for North
American Birds.
Those sightings that are included in this summary generally include those
that are considered rare (regionally or seasonally) for Orange County based
on "The Birds of Orange County: Status and Distribution" (Hamilton and
Willick), "Birds of Southern California" (Garrett and Dunn), and/or more
contemporary changes in local or regional status and distribution. Rarities
that regularly or seasonally occur at a particular location, such as
annually wintering rarities on Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge, may or
may not be included in this digest, but reports of these same species
occurring at other, atypical locations throughout the county may be
included. We don't include hybrids, subspecies, introduced or exotic birds,
or in most cases and for no real reason, geese. All bird reports are vetted
to the extent possible prior to each publication, but in the interest of
sharing information, the accuracy of any given report cannot always be
guaranteed, nor can the presence of any given bird for those who choose to
chase after them.
Information on upcoming local events can be viewed on the Sea and Sage
Audubon website (http://www.seaandsageaudubon.org/). Sea and Sage Audubon
is based out of the Audubon House at the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary in
Irvine. They sponsor a number of public field trips, special birding
events, conservation lectures, and social gatherings throughout the year.
For the most current information please refer to the field trip list on the
Sea and Sage Audubon website at https://seaandsageaudubon.org/field-trips/.
It is also recommended that you refer to that website immediately prior to
engaging in any field trip to confirm that trips are still occurring. #RBA
