Dateline: 6 March 2025
Just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip. A trip to Buddy Todd Park last week in Oceanside, California. Top reason to visit California for birding (& fun fact!): more species include ‘California’ in the name than any other US state, @ seven including California Quail, California Condor, California Gull, etc. (Fun fact: #2 is Hawaii at five.)
Anyway, kicking off content from BirdingPI.com’s recent “late winter get out of Erie County week” the best way possible, with a beautiful male Allen’s Hummingbird:
Buddy Todd Park – a hilltop oasis in suburban northern San Diego County. Lots of trees, lots of grass, & a perimeter that includes natural coastal chaparral hillside. Plenty of Dark-eyed Junco, goldfinch, & Western Bluebird activity, not to mention Yellow-rumped Warbler:
Species note: this is the “Audubon’s” sub-species of Yellow-rumped Warbler, w/ distinctive yellow throat. Yellow-rumped Warblers at Presque Isle State Park, on the other hand, are typically “Myrtle” sub-species w/ white throat.
Species note: this is the “Oregon” sub-species of Dark-eyed Junco (note the contrasting dark hood), found mostly in western US.
View north-ish from the park, w/ nearby neighborhood, San Luis Rey River, and USMC Camp Pendleton in the distance:
[Editor’s note: thought we were getting rid of honorific bird names. (Regardless of who “Allen” is/was, “Allen’s Hummingbird” is an awful name.) Please use “Western Sunflame” going forward.]