Date: 1/12/26 12:13 pm From: Jonathan Feenstra via groups.io <feenstra...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] CA Aqueduct Big day 2026
Birders:
Next Monday, 1/19/26, is the "California Aqueduct Big Day," an annual survey of all birds using the California Aqueduct across the Antelope Valley from the I-5 to Hesperia. My rough calculation from Google Earth puts the Aqueduct through the Antelope Valley at approximately 100 miles long with a total surface area of about 950 acres, making it a major body of water in the area, and the only open water for miles in some areas. Perhaps with the exception of the inlet of Quail Lake, the Aqueduct and its 60-something road crossings get very little coverage - the only other checklists at each crossing are usually just from previous Aqueduct Big Days. So, that's where you all come in. We could use a few more volunteer surveyors.
Ideally, you'd be willing to hike the bank for about 6 miles (less if I can muster more volunteers), but after several years of doing this, we've found that's about what a birder can comfortably walk in a morning. For example, for the past several years, Naresh Satyan and I hiked from 300th Street West to 170th Street West leaving a car in the middle. With enough people (14 walkers, to be exact) we should be able to do something similar for the entire thing. Please let me know (reply to me directly, not to the listserve) if you're interested and where you'd be most interested to walk (no guarantees that you'll get it, but it gives me an idea).
Date: 1/8/26 8:00 am From: Thomas Benson via groups.io <tbenson...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] Southeastern CA RBA: January 8, 2026
RBA
* California
* Southeastern
* January 8, 2026
* CASE26.01.08
This is the Southeastern CA weekly RBA summary. We cover Imperial, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties. California Bird Records Committee review species are denoted by asterisks. To report a bird POST TO INLANDCOUNTYBIRDS (https://groups.io/g/inlandcountybirds). If there is some reason that you cannot post there, please e-mail or call/text Tom Benson at <tbenson...> or (909) 648-0899.
A BROWN PELICAN was seen at Lake Havasu Jan 6-7 (Brett Garner).
A *THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD* continued at Bellevue Memorial Park through Jan 6 (Adam Panto).
A BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER continued at Chino Creek Wetlands through Jan 4 (Marlon Harrington).
RIVERSIDE COUNTY
A RED-THROATED LOON continued at Lake Perris through Jan 2 (Bob Packard).
A TROPICAL KINGBIRD continued at Demuth Park through Jan 7 (Noreen Weeden).
A TROPICAL KINGBIRD was seen at Mecca Land Hunt Club on Jan 3 (Steve Myers).
Two STELLER'S JAYS of the "Southwestern Interior" group continued at Palo Verde Ecological Reserve through Jan 3 (Lucas Stephenson).
A WOODHOUSE'S SCRUB-JAY continued at Palo Verde Ecological Reserve through Jan 3 (Tom Benson).
A WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH of the "Interior West" group was seen at Palo Verde Ecological Reserve on Jan 3 (Lucas Stephenson).
A PRAIRIE WARBLER was seen just south of Mayflower Park in Blythe on Jan 3 (Lucas Stephenson).
IMPERIAL COUNTY
Two *MEXICAN DUCKS* were seen along Harris Road in Imperial on Dec 5 (Lucas Stephenson).
A TROPICAL KINGBIRD continued along Alcott Road in Niland through Dec 4 (Tom Benson).
Up to 12 *CAVE SWALLOWS* continued at the Earthrise Nutritionals algae farm in Calipatria through Jan 6 (Connor Cochrane).
A LAPLAND LONGSPUR and a THICK-BILLED LONGSPUR continued near Earthrise Nutritionals algae farm through Jan 5 (Brian Browne).
A GRASSHOPPER SPARROW continued in Bard through Jan 1 (Marty Freeland).
A *CHIHUAHUAN MEADOWLARK* continued in Bard through Jan 5 (Connor Cochrane).
A CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER was seen at Picacho SRA on Jan 1 (Emmett Iverson).
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Birds included in this weekly summary are those that are considered casual or of less than annual occurrence in San Bernardino, Riverside, or Imperial Counties, or in some cases regionally within these areas. If you do find or see something of interest, whether it be a geographical or seasonal rarity, evidence of local range expansion, or a novel breeding record, I'd recommend sharing that information with the CBRC, North American Birds subregional editors, or regional listservs as appropriate. Information for contacting these entities is available below.
Please submit your documentation of all California Bird Records Committee review species (denoted by asterisks) to CBRC Secretary Tom Benson at <secretary...> or via the CBRC website: https://www.californiabirds.org/report_sighting.html
CBRC review species and birds of local or seasonal rarity should be reported to the North American Birds (https://www.aba.org/north-american-birds/) county coordinators. They are:
IMPERIAL COUNTY: Guy McCaskie, <guymcc...>
INYO COUNTY: Chris and Rosie Howard, <chris93514...>
KERN COUNTY: Kelli Heindel-Levinson, <kkheindel...>
RIVERSIDE COUNTY: David Rankin, <david.rankin...>
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY: Alexander E. Koonce, <sandy_koonce...>
************
Other dying birding listservs that occasionally include reports of birds in southern California are:
A schedule of San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society field trips is available on the SBVAS website at https://www.sbvas.net/field-trips
************
Bird status and distribution references that every southeastern California birder should own:
Birds of southern California: status and distribution (1981), by Kimball L. Garrett and Jon L. Dunn
Birds of the Salton Sea: status, biogeography, and ecology (2003), by Michael A. Patten, Guy McCaskie, and Philip Unitt (update: https://archive.westernfieldornithologists.org/archive/V56/56(2)-p126-p142.pdf)
Birds of the Lower Colorado River Valley (1991), by Kenneth V. Rosenberg, Robert D. Ohmart, William C. Hunter, and Bertin W. Anderson
I wish to thank the 19 participants who found 135 species on the Elsinore CBC that was held on 12/27/25. This is lower than our last years total of 143, but higher than our average of 130 species. It was as always, a fun day of counting birds.
Good birding to all of your in 2026
Julie SzaboWildomar, CA
Date: 1/5/26 7:37 pm From: Tom Benson via groups.io <thomasabenson...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] Tricolored Blackbirds in downtown San Bernardino
About a month ago, I thought I saw a Tricolored Blackbird mixed in with a flock of other blackbirds at the San Bernardino courthouse parking lot north of Meadowbrook Park. Despite repeated visits to the parking lot, I was either unable to relocate the flock or not able to study it carefully until today, January 5. The flock of 150+ blackbirds was composed primarily of Brewer's Blackbirds and Brown-headed Cowbirds, but also a small number (12-15) of Tricolored Blackbirds. Unlike the other two species, which consisted of both males and females, there were only females of the Tricolored Blackbirds that I could tell. Today's flock was attracted to some bird seed scattered in the parking lot. If you wish to look for these and employ the same technique, I'd recommend doing so in the actual park to avoid attracting the attention of the parking lot security.
https://ebird.org/atlascalifornia/checklist/S292617594 Tricolored Blackbird is a declining species in California. While there have been regular reports of this species in the upper Mojave River Valley and the San Jacinto Valley, this is apparently the first sighting of this species on the coastal slope of San Bernardino County since 2021, though limited observer effort or lack of scrutiny of blackbird flocks may be a factor in the dearth of reports.
Tom BensonRedlands, CA
Date: 1/3/26 11:24 am From: Pema Zonglo via groups.io <Pemazonglo...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] CAVE SWALLOW at Kent Sea Tech
[Edited Message Follows]
Hi all,
During the North Salton Sea CBC, Tony Metcalf, Joshua Joun and I observed a CAVE SWALLOW headed directly due north at Kent Sea Tech during our CBC about 30 minutes ago. Kent Sea Tech is not publicly accessible but the bird flew in from the north and headed directly back to the north, likely viewable on the berm along the road. So far, only a single bird was observed but we are keeping an eye out for more.
note:
Please do not enter, even if the roads are accessible.
Date: 1/3/26 9:19 am From: Pema Zonglo via groups.io <Pemazonglo...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] CAVE SWALLOW at Kent Sea Tech
Hi all,
During the North Salton Sea CBC, Tony Metcalf, Joshua Joun and I observed a CAVE SWALLOW headed directly due north at Kent Sea Tech during our CBC about 30 minutes ago. Kent Sea Tech is not publicly accessible but the bird flew in from the north and headed directly back to the north, likely viewable on the berm along the road. So far, only a single bird was observed but we are keeping an eye out for more.
Date: 1/1/26 3:35 pm From: Tom Benson via groups.io <thomasabenson...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] Fw: California’s First Statewide Breeding Bird Atlas Launches today, January 1, 2026
San Bernardino, Riverside, and Imperial County birders:
I encourage all of you to join the California Breeding Bird Atlas project as described by Van Pierszalowski below. As three very large counties with relatively few active birders, you have the opportunity to make significant contributions to this project with some slight modifications to your regular birding activities. Even if you only document breeding behavior at home, in your neighborhood, or at your local patch, you will be providing much needed data for these counties. If this is something you might be interested in, please join the project and watch the tutorial video. Thank you.
Tom BensonRedlands, CA
Hi Birders, Tomorrow marks the launch of California’s first statewide Breeding Bird Atlas, a community-powered initiative to document breeding birds across the state and generate the science needed to guide habitat protection, restoration, and long-term conservation planning for decades to come. This landmark effort is being led by California Bird Atlas (CBA), an independent nonprofit, in collaboration with state agencies, thousands of volunteers, and dozens of partner organizations. All birders are now officially invited to join the project by visiting the new California Bird Atlas eBird website. Simply click “Join Project” (or “Log In to Join Project”) and you will automatically be able to contribute checklists to the Atlas project. The Atlas is fully integrated with the eBird mobile app. If you submit checklists on mobile, this Quick Start Tutorial video provides a brief overview. If you use the website, you can submit checklists to the Atlas project by clicking Submit from the CBA eBird site. Please visit the About page for resources, basic guidance, and everything you need to begin contributing to this statewide initiative. We encourage all checklists submitted year-round to be entered through the Atlas project, even if they don’t include breeding behavior. While we are still a few months from peak breeding season, you can learn more about species with a history of breeding in January in California by reading this article. We will be growing our team, expanding resources, and continuing to build this grassroots movement in the coming months. As we launch, early donations are especially impactful — supporting training, field tools, and outreach in the first critical months. We’re a nonprofit, and every contribution is tax-deductible and genuinely appreciated. If you have the means, please consider making a gift today to help the Atlas start strong — your support right now truly matters. Donate here. With gratitude and excitement for what we’ll build together, Van Pierszalowski
Executive Director,California Bird Atlas (CBA)email: <van...>
Date: 1/1/26 3:27 pm From: Thomas Benson via groups.io <tbenson...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] Southeastern CA RBA: January 1, 2026
RBA
* California
* Southeastern
* January 1, 2026
* CASE26.01.01
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
This is the Southeastern CA weekly RBA summary. We cover Imperial, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties. California Bird Records Committee review species are denoted by asterisks. To report a bird POST TO INLANDCOUNTYBIRDS (https://groups.io/g/inlandcountybirds). If there is some reason that you cannot post there, please e-mail or call/text Tom Benson at <tbenson...> or (909) 648-0899.
Birds mentioned:
Red-throated Loon
Least Flycatcher
*THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD*
Tropical Kingbird
Steller's Jay
Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay
*CAVE SWALLOW*
*CHIHUAHUAN MEADOWLARK*
Black-throated Blue Warbler
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
A *THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD* continued at Bellevue Memorial Park through Dec 28 (Elliott Steinfels).
A *THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD* continued in Alta Loma through Dec 29 (Tom Benson).
A BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER continued at Chino Creek Wetlands through Jan 1 (Jhoneil Centeno).
RIVERSIDE COUNTY
A RED-THROATED LOON continued at Lake Perris through Dec 27 (Kathy Snyder).
A LEAST FLYCATCHER was seen at Palo Verde Ecological Reserve Dec 21-30 (Adrian Hinkle).
A TROPICAL KINGBIRD was seen at Demuth Park on Dec 28 (Stephen Spector).
Two STELLER'S JAYS of the "Southwestern Interior" group continued at Palo Verde Ecological Reserve through Dec 30 (Elliott Steinfels).
A WOODHOUSE'S SCRUB-JAY continued at Palo Verde Ecological Reserve through Jan 1 (Naresh Satyan).
IMPERIAL COUNTY
Up to nine *CAVE SWALLOWS* continued at the Earthrise Nutritionals algae farm in Calipatria through Dec 31 (Emmett Iverson).
A *CHIHUAHUAN MEADOWLARK* continued in Bard through Dec 27 (Lucas Corneliussen).
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Birds included in this weekly summary are those that are considered casual or of less than annual occurrence in San Bernardino, Riverside, or Imperial Counties, or in some cases regionally within these areas. If you do find or see something of interest, whether it be a geographical or seasonal rarity, evidence of local range expansion, or a novel breeding record, I'd recommend sharing that information with the CBRC, North American Birds subregional editors, or regional listservs as appropriate. Information for contacting these entities is available below.
Please submit your documentation of all California Bird Records Committee review species (denoted by asterisks) to CBRC Secretary Tom Benson at <secretary...> or via the CBRC website: https://www.californiabirds.org/report_sighting.html
CBRC review species and birds of local or seasonal rarity should be reported to the North American Birds (https://www.aba.org/north-american-birds/) county coordinators. They are:
IMPERIAL COUNTY: Guy McCaskie, <guymcc...>
INYO COUNTY: Chris and Rosie Howard, <chris93514...>
KERN COUNTY: Kelli Heindel-Levinson, <kkheindel...>
RIVERSIDE COUNTY: David Rankin, <david.rankin...>
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY: Alexander E. Koonce, <sandy_koonce...>
************
Other dying birding listservs that occasionally include reports of birds in southern California are:
A schedule of San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society field trips is available on the SBVAS website at https://www.sbvas.net/field-trips
************
Bird status and distribution references that every southeastern California birder should own:
Birds of southern California: status and distribution (1981), by Kimball L. Garrett and Jon L. Dunn
Birds of the Salton Sea: status, biogeography, and ecology (2003), by Michael A. Patten, Guy McCaskie, and Philip Unitt (update: https://archive.westernfieldornithologists.org/archive/V56/56(2)-p126-p142.pdf)
Birds of the Lower Colorado River Valley (1991), by Kenneth V. Rosenberg, Robert D. Ohmart, William C. Hunter, and Bertin W. Anderson
Date: 12/30/25 9:47 am From: Bill Deppe via groups.io <bdeppe...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] Mojave River Vallley CBC
The Mojave River Valley CBC was held on Saturday, December 27th. Fifteen volunteers found 104 species of birds. Our numbers are generally down from historical highs when there were some ag areas in the valley and the local lakes and ponds were attracting more birds. Standouts included a Wilson's Warbler, a couple of Pygmy Nuthatches, four Barn Swallows, a few Allen's Hummingbirds, and a great collection of geese. 2500+ California Gulls were reported on Spring Valley Lake. A Varied Thrush at Mojave Narrows Regional Park was seen before and after the count but missed on the day of.
Date: 12/25/25 6:31 pm From: Thomas Benson via groups.io <tbenson...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] Southeastern CA RBA: December 25, 2025
RBA
* California
* Southeastern
* December 25, 2025
* CASE25.12.25
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
This is the Southeastern CA weekly RBA summary. We cover Imperial, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties. California Bird Records Committee review species are denoted by asterisks. To report a bird POST TO INLANDCOUNTYBIRDS (https://groups.io/g/inlandcountybirds). If there is some reason that you cannot post there, please e-mail or call/text Tom Benson at <tbenson...> or (909) 648-0899.
The *THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD* continued at Bellevue Memorial Park through Dec 21 (Kathy Snyder).
A BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER continued at Chino Creek Wetlands through Dec 23 (Sam Talarigo).
RIVERSIDE COUNTY
A RED-NECKED GREBE was seen at Salt Creek Beach on Dec 19 (Charity Hagen).
A RED-THROATED LOON continued at Lake Perris through Dec 25 (Kevin Montufar).
Two STELLER'S JAYS of the "Southwestern Interior" group continued at Palo Verde Ecological Reserve through Dec 18 (Charity Hagen).
Up to two WOODHOUSE'S SCRUB-JAY continued at Palo Verde Ecological Reserve through Dec 21 (Owen Sinkus).
IMPERIAL COUNTY
Two WOOD DUCKS were seen along Garst Road on Dec 21 (James Earles).
A TROPICAL KINGBIRD continued at the intersection of Alcott Road and Hwy 111 in Calipatria through Dec 22 (Jim Holmes).
Up to 24 *CAVE SWALLOWS* continued at the Earthrise Nutritionals algae farm in Calipatria through Dec 25 (Karen Pinckard).
A SPRAGUE'S PIPIT was seen near the intersection of Wiest and Yocum Roads in Calipatria on Dec 20 (Lucas Stephenson).
Up to three THICK-BILLED LONGSPURS and a LAPLAND LONGSPUR continued near the Earthrise Nutritionals algae farm through Dec 23 (Sylvia Afable).
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Birds included in this weekly summary are those that are considered casual or of less than annual occurrence in San Bernardino, Riverside, or Imperial Counties, or in some cases regionally within these areas. If you do find or see something of interest, whether it be a geographical or seasonal rarity, evidence of local range expansion, or a novel breeding record, I'd recommend sharing that information with the CBRC, North American Birds subregional editors, or regional listservs as appropriate. Information for contacting these entities is available below.
Please submit your documentation of all California Bird Records Committee review species (denoted by asterisks) to CBRC Secretary Tom Benson at <secretary...> or via the CBRC website: https://www.californiabirds.org/report_sighting.html
CBRC review species and birds of local or seasonal rarity should be reported to the North American Birds (https://www.aba.org/north-american-birds/) county coordinators. They are:
IMPERIAL COUNTY: Guy McCaskie, <guymcc...>
INYO COUNTY: Chris and Rosie Howard, <chris93514...>
KERN COUNTY: Kelli Heindel-Levinson, <kkheindel...>
RIVERSIDE COUNTY: David Rankin, <david.rankin...>
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY: Alexander E. Koonce, <sandy_koonce...>
************
Other dying birding listservs that occasionally include reports of birds in southern California are:
A schedule of San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society field trips is available on the SBVAS website at https://www.sbvas.net/field-trips
************
Bird status and distribution references that every southeastern California birder should own:
Birds of southern California: status and distribution (1981), by Kimball L. Garrett and Jon L. Dunn
Birds of the Salton Sea: status, biogeography, and ecology (2003), by Michael A. Patten, Guy McCaskie, and Philip Unitt (update: https://archive.westernfieldornithologists.org/archive/V56/56(2)-p126-p142.pdf)
Birds of the Lower Colorado River Valley (1991), by Kenneth V. Rosenberg, Robert D. Ohmart, William C. Hunter, and Bertin W. Anderson
Date: 12/24/25 3:52 pm From: Daniel Stoebel via groups.io <dstoebel...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] Claremont CBC results
The Claremont Christmas Bird Count was held on Saturday, December 20th, 2025. This count is centered at the intersection of Mills Ave and Mt. Baldy Road in Claremont, and is about half in LA County and half in San Bernardino County.
A total of 139 species were seen on the count, which is near the long-term average for number of species of this circle.
We had four new countable species on this CBC, which is great for a count in its 54th year. Those count firsts were:
Common Poorwill in San Dimas Canyon
Neotropic Cormorant, Lesser Black-backed Gull, and Northern Waterthrush at Bonelli Regional Park
We also had our first Swinhoe’s White-eyes, which have only been present in the area for the last few years.
Other species of note for our count were:
Snow Goose, Ross’s Goose, Marsh Wren, and Summer Tanager at Bonelli
Vermilion Flycatcher- a new high total for the count of 5, with 3 at Bonelli and 2 at Bellevue Cemetery
Painted Redstart at San Dimas Canyon Park
Thick-billed Kingbird at Bellevue Cemetery
A few species that we usually see but missed on count day included Rock Wren, Northern Pintail, and White-throated Swift
Thank you to all of counters who made this count a success!
Date: 12/21/25 8:36 pm From: Tom Benson via groups.io <thomasabenson...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] Redlands-Mill Creek CBC results
The Redlands-Mill Creek CBC was held yesterday, Saturday, December 20, 2025. Thirteen individuals in eight groups participated in the count, recording 3483 birds of 117 species, with one individual/group not yet reporting.
Some highlights from the day included:
18 Common Goldeneye - Greenspot Reservoir2 Northern Harrier - El Dorado Ranch Park and upper Santa Ana River (mountains)1 Bald Eagle - Yucaipa Regional Park1 Northern Saw-whet Owl - Yucaipa Ridge1 Belted Kingfisher - Crafton Hills Reservoir1 Lewis's Woodpecker - El Dorado Ranch Park1 Ladder-backed Woodpecker - Mill Creek ponds1 Marsh Wren - Greenspot Reservoir1 American Dipper - upper Santa Ana River (mountains)3 Mountain Bluebird - El Dorado Ranch Park3 White-throated Sparrow - Yucaipa Community Park, Mill Creek Visitors' Center, and Mountain Home Village3 Townsend's Warbler - upper Santa Ana River (mountains), Bearpaw Ranch, and Yucaipa Regional Park
Some misses of species known or likely to be in the count circle included: Greater Roadrunner, White-throated Swift, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Hutton's Vireo, Cactus Wren, Black-throated Sparrow, Bell's Sparrow, and Great-tailed Grackle.
Thanks to all those who participated.
Tom BensonRedlands, CA
Date: 12/18/25 7:08 am From: Thomas Benson via groups.io <tbenson...> Subject: [inlandcountybirds] Southeastern CA RBA: December 18, 2025
RBA
* California
* Southeastern
* December 18, 2025
* CASE25.12.18
This is the Southeastern CA weekly RBA summary. We cover Imperial, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties. California Bird Records Committee review species are denoted by asterisks. To report a bird POST TO INLANDCOUNTYBIRDS (https://groups.io/g/inlandcountybirds). If there is some reason that you cannot post there, please e-mail or call/text Tom Benson at <tbenson...> or (909) 648-0899.
The *THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD* continued at Bellevue Memorial Park through Dec 11 (Paul Clarke).
A BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER was seen at Chino Creek Wetlands Dec 11-17 (Jhoneil Centeno).
RIVERSIDE COUNTY
A Red-throated Loon was seen at Lake Perris Dec 14-15 (David Rankin).
Two STELLER'S JAYS of the "Southwestern Interior" group and a WOODHOUSE'S SCRUB-JAY continued at Palo Verde Ecological Reserve through Dec 16 (Andrew Howe).
A PACIFIC WREN was seen along Strawberry Creek in Idyllwild on Dec 16 (Adam and Robin Roberts).
IMPERIAL COUNTY
A TROPICAL KINGBIRD was seen at the intersection of Alcott Road and Hwy 111 in Calipatria Dec 16-17 (Christian Schwarz).
Up to 11 *CAVE SWALLOWS* were seen at the Earthrise Nutritionals algae farm in Calipatria Dec 16-17 (Al DeMartini and Terry Brauner).
Two THICK-BILLED LONGSPURS and a LAPLAND LONGSPUR were seen at the Earthrise Nutritionals algae farm on Dec 17 (Dessi Sieburth).
The continuing *CHIHUAHUAN MEADOWLARK* was reported in Bard on Dec 16 (John Sterling).
A CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER was seen at Picacho State Recreation Area on Dec 17 (John Sterling).
An INDIGO BUNTING was reported along Wilkins Road in Niland on Dec 16 (Grigory Heaton).
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Birds included in this weekly summary are those that are considered casual or of less than annual occurrence in San Bernardino, Riverside, or Imperial Counties, or in some cases regionally within these areas. If you do find or see something of interest, whether it be a geographical or seasonal rarity, evidence of local range expansion, or a novel breeding record, I'd recommend sharing that information with the CBRC, North American Birds subregional editors, or regional listservs as appropriate. Information for contacting these entities is available below.
Please submit your documentation of all California Bird Records Committee review species (denoted by asterisks) to CBRC Secretary Tom Benson at <secretary...> or via the CBRC website: https://www.californiabirds.org/report_sighting.html
CBRC review species and birds of local or seasonal rarity should be reported to the North American Birds (https://www.aba.org/north-american-birds/) county coordinators. They are:
IMPERIAL COUNTY: Guy McCaskie, <guymcc...>
INYO COUNTY: Chris and Rosie Howard, <chris93514...>
KERN COUNTY: Kelli Heindel-Levinson, <kkheindel...>
RIVERSIDE COUNTY: David Rankin, <david.rankin...>
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY: Alexander E. Koonce, <sandy_koonce...>
************
Other dying birding listservs that occasionally include reports of birds in southern California are:
A schedule of San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society field trips is available on the SBVAS website at https://www.sbvas.net/field-trips
************
Bird status and distribution references that every southeastern California birder should own:
Birds of southern California: status and distribution (1981), by Kimball L. Garrett and Jon L. Dunn
Birds of the Salton Sea: status, biogeography, and ecology (2003), by Michael A. Patten, Guy McCaskie, and Philip Unitt (update: https://archive.westernfieldornithologists.org/archive/V56/56(2)-p126-p142.pdf)
Birds of the Lower Colorado River Valley (1991), by Kenneth V. Rosenberg, Robert D. Ohmart, William C. Hunter, and Bertin W. Anderson
Date: 12/17/25 9:06 am From: Chris Dean via groups.io <chrisdeanbirder...> Subject: Re: [inlandcountybirds] Cave Swallows continue algae farm
Hi again,
Quantity up to 11 now (perhaps more). Perching on wires and flying around east side.
Chris Dean
Silver Lake
> On Dec 17, 2025, at 8:33 AM, Chris Dean via groups.io <chrisdeanbirder...> wrote:
>
> Hi from Imperial County,
>
> At least three Cave Swallows continue on east side of Earthwise algae farm (Wednesday).
>
> Happy desert birding,
> Chris Dean
> Silver Lake
>
>
>
>
>
