Birding at Irvine Regional Park

Acorn Woodpecker up a tree by the parking lot at Irvine Regional Park in Orange, California.

After going on the monthly walk at Santiago Oaks Regional (see A Walk at Santiago Oaks Regional Park ), I went a short distance to Irvine Regional Park in Orange, California. It was pretty close. I parked in the parking lot past the lake and walked back to the lake. I was thinking of it anyway, but someone at the park told me that they had recently seen about 4-5 Red-Shouldered Hawks there. I have been trying to get more pictures of the Red-Shouldered Hawk. The Red-Shouldered Hawk is more of a woodlands bird. Unlike the Red-Tailed Hawk which perches on a high, exposed perch like a light pole or dead tree and looks out over a field, the Red-Shouldered Hawk perches in the midst of the branches of trees in a woodlands. Both hawks eat rodents among other things.

Beautiful Oak Woodlands.

The oak woodlands were filled with the sounds of woodpeckers calling and pecking. As I approached the lake, quacking and whistling were added to the mix. At the lake were Mallards, American Coots, Redheads, Ring-necked Ducks, and Wood Ducks. Luckily, there were no paddle boats out yet.

Redhead and a Mallard.


There were lots of ducks out on the larger part of the lake where they have the paddle boats.

Two male Ring-necked Ducks on the left and a female right.


The Ring-necked Duck is a mostly fresh water duck which dives under the water for food. No dabbling for this duck.

Trio again.

I like the Ring-necked. It reminds me of a Scaup, but there are lots of differences. The bill for one and the pattern of the white and black for another. And the Ring-necked Duck actually has a thin, cinnamon ring around its neck, but it usually can't be seen. Watch one when it is doing a lot of diving. That seems to be when I see it most because its neck is stretched out farther than when it is floating on the lake.

Female Wood Duck.

There are quiet a few Wood Ducks in the park. They eat acorns and other food.

Female (hen) with male (drake) Wood Duck.

The male Wood Ducks are handsome fellows. Many people are unaware that they can be seen at several Orange County areas including Irvine Regional Park and Craig Regional Park in Fullerton.

This Acorn Woodpecker has his mouth full of an acorn--He is trying to find the perfect hole in which to stuff it. Looks like he has a very long bill.

I heard a really loud raucous. It was a Red-Shouldered Hawk up in a tree by the lake. He was calling constantly at a high volume. They are one of the most vocal hawks we have. Them easy to spot. My source on the Santiago Oaks walk was right--there were Red-Shouldered Hawks here at Irvine Regional Park. Not surprising, since as I said, they like woodlands.

Blurry shot of the Red-Shouldered Hawk taking off. I knew it would since there was a child banging on the tree.


Then I heard a ruckus of another kind. A Nuttall's Woodpecker. It was moving up a sycamore tree.

Nuttall's Woodpecker being very cooperative.


I walked over by the pony rides and heard the Red-Shouldered Hawk again.

Red-shouldered Hawk calling loudly. He or she attracted several birders and photographers.

By the time I got there he had attracted a few birders and photographers.

Mockingbird in the midst of a berry feast.


There were other birds there are well. A Northern Mockingbird feeding on berries. And several Western Bluebirds . This was the first time I had seen them since late summer.

A male Western Bluebird.

I had things to do, so I headed back to the car.

Acorn Woodpecker.

A Granary Tree that bears the marks of decades of Acorn Woodpeckers and acorns.


I passed lots of Acorn Woodpeckers and a scarred granary tree full of decades of holes and stuffed with acorns. It was something to see.

Acorn Woodpecker


Then back on the road and back to all the work that waited for me.

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A Walk at Santiago Oaks Regional Park

An Acorn Woodpecker --see the stiff tail feathers common to all woodpeckers?

I debated with myself about going on the walk. Organized walks can be of varying quality, but Sea and Sage walks are usually good. Also I had been on this walk before and the leader is very good. So I got up early and headed out to Santiago Oaks. Santiago Oaks Regional Park as you might guess has Oaks. It is also full of Acorn Woodpecker--Melanerpes formicivorus . Other woodpeckers abound in this park as well and we saw many of them on this walk.



Sapsucker. The question of the day is which kind of Sapsucker is it? Yellow-bellied or Red-naped?

We spent a lot of time at the pepper tree looking at this sapsucker. Boy, was it hard to get a look at. Fast moving and near the trunk, it was often blocked by leaves. "For more on this sapsucker see my post Sapsucker, Which Sapsucker Are You?"

Northern Flicker. Red-shafted. Has red wing linings as well as a red under tail.

We had a great day for woodpeckers. We saw Acorn Woodpecker , a Norther Flicker, Nuttall's Woodpecker, Yellow -bellied or Red-naped Sapsucker, and a possible Downy Woodpecker.

Stream.

There are streams the run through Santiago Oaks.

Nice grassy area.

Lots of trees and some green areas. But most areas are wild, not lawn type of grass.

Horehound makes good cough drops.

There was a big plant near the beginning of the walk. The horehound above is used in making cough drops and home remedies. I once misspelled it for a class. A rather embarrassing error. "Wrong kind of hore, Karen." Oops.


There are beautiful places to walk in Santiago Oaks Regional Park.

The walk ran from 7:30AM to about 10:00AM. It was a great day for woodpeckers.

Nuttall's Woodpecker on a pine tree.

We saw one active Nuttall's Woodpecker. He was all over this pine tree in a matter of a few minutes.

On top of a pine cone.

Hanging from a pine cone.

Back on top.

Wood rat's nest.

Above is a big mess of stuff looks like a nest of some sort, and it is. A wood rat's nest. The wood rat's nest is also called a midden. The wood rat is also called a pack rat and gathers and saves objects it finds. It likes shiny objects. A famous wood rat in literature is Templeton from the novel and movie "Charlotte's Web." Templeton's pack rat behavior is an important element of the story. Wood rats are nocturnal.

This is a White-Tailed Kite. They hover while looking for prey.

A White-tailed Kite was hunting in a hilly area covered in a lot of grass. I was tempted to stay, but I didn't know the way back, and so had to move on.

Anna's Hummingbird on a perch as usual--surveying the area.

Pleasant walk.

Walking through Santiago Oaks was fun. Click here to see a map of the trails.

On the way back to the parking lot, we crossed another creek.

Interesting stepping stones.

We saw quite a few birds.

Going on a walk with a guide through Audubon and other organizations can have some real positives.

Positives:

1) You have lots of eyes looking and sometimes you will see a bird that you alone would have missed.

2) You have a more experienced birder leading the group, and he or she will know more than most birders will. The leader is often familiar with bird sounds as well and will hear the bird before you see it.

3) The leader will be more familiar with the area and will know where certain birds might be found.

The positives of Sea and Sage Audubon's Santiago Oaks walk far outweigh the negatives. Biologist Linette Lina leads the walks. She knows birds. She knows bird sounds, habitats, familiar haunts of a particular bird, and knows how to explain it all. So although the group may send some birds flying for cover, the leadership of the walk can't be beat. It starts early at 7:30AM on the first Saturday of the month. It is over by about 10:00AM. On a relatively early walk, you are likely to see more animals as well as birds. Once when I went on the walk, we saw deer. I have heard that another time they saw a bobcat.

I left Santiago Oaks and went a short way to Irvine Regional Park to see if I could find the Red-Shouldered Hawks a couple was talking about having seen there not too long ago. (See my post Birding at Irvine Regional Park .) You can pick up a lot of information from the other people on a bird walk.

So when you are thinking of a walk, remember that going on an organized walk can be a fun way to go birding in Orange County.

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How to Find a Rare Bird

Snow Goose at Carr Park in Huntington Beach

Seeing a rare bird in Orange County, California is not as hard as you might think. First, you have to know the birds that are Orange County Residents or who regularly spend part of the year here. Why do rare birds end up in Orange County or anywhere for that matter? Well, although we may not know all the answers, we do know some reasons for rare birds landing in places we don't expect them to be. Some rare birds like the American Bittern winter here in small numbers and can be seen if you look in areas like the places they are normally found. Some birds get off schedule and touch down in a place they don't usually stop off at and just stay. Some touch down for a few days on the way to somewhere else like South America or Canada. Some like the Eurasian Wigeon (who starts migration up north were North America and Russia are close together) get on the wrong flyway and just end up in the wrong place. In addition, stormy weather, extreme heat, or strong winds can send a bird off course away from its usual stomping grounds. Some birds like the Cattle Egret wander and appear sporadically in areas with little rhyme or reason. It may be food, weather, or something we do not even understand.

If you want to see a rare bird, follow these steps:

Bald Eagle from the OC Zoo at Irvine Regional Park in Orange, California.

1) Check the rare bird alert. See what's flying into Orange County. Go to those places it has recently been seen and see if it is still there.

Eurasian Wigeon at Huntington Central Park in February--either wintering or headed south.

2) If you have a rare bird that you want to see, then do an advanced search for the species on the Orange County Rare Bird Alert. Discover where and when it has appeared in the past. Try to be there in similar times. For example, Snow Geese and Bitterns most often appear in winter. So if you want to see them, the best bet is in winter. Find out its preferred food and habitat. If it is a wetlands bird, then look in wetlands habitats. In other words, look for places that are very much like its normal habitat.

Ross's Goose in the San Fernando Valley

4) Pray. There are no guarantees with rare birds. Persistence is what pays off. If you are out in the field often birding, you will most likely see more rare birds than if you are watching videos.

Reddish Egret at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve .

Spotting a rare bird is I would say 60% knowledge about the species and 40% serendipity.

American Bittern at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve

There is great birding out there even if you are looking at really familiar birds. Don't become immune to the beauty of a Spotted Towhee or a Willet. They are just as amazing in their own ways as a Redstart or an American Bittern. No matter what birds you see, whether resident birds or rare birds, have fun birding in Orange County!






OC Birder Girl Links


Reddish Egret--A Rare Bird

The Rose-breasted Grosbeak--A Rare Bird

Birding Hot Spots in Orange County, California

Beginning Birders in Orange County

Birding Code of Ethics from American Birding Association

About Binoculars

Orange County Bird Checklists

Parts of a Bird

Pishing

Bird Guide Reviews

External Links

ebird

Online real-time checklist from Cornell.

Orange County Rare Bird Alert

Sea and Sage Audubon: Information on Rare Bird Alerts

List of rare bird alert resources.

What to Do When You See a Rare Bird: Reporting Your Observations to the IBRC

This is a great article by Portneuf Audubon Society in Idaho that has practical application for all birders. Just make sure you report to the rare bird alert in your area and not in Idaho.

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