One Thing I Like About Irvine
It’s definitely nice being in a new location this year where I can see almost 50 species in under two hours on a casual stroll after work in early April. Where I come from back in Brooklyn, that would take quite a bit longer, 50 isn’t really possible this time of year. I can’t imagine what migration will be like out here.
Thursday I added three species to my walking BGBY list: Clark’s Grebe, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, and Caspian Tern. I find that if I visit each site about once a week, I’m virtually guaranteed to add something new. Daily visits don’t always turn up new birds though. It helps that there are about 4 distinct habitats within easy walking distance of me: urban park, freshwater marsh, canyon scrub, and coastal inlet.
Friday I wasn’t even explicitly birding. I just ran out into Mason Park to grab a few quick insect photos to try a new camera, and I still added one more bird for the year: Ash-throated Flycatcher.
My year BGBY total is now at 89 species, or 87 if you don’t count Egyptian Goose and Swan Goose. Then again, I don’t have Rock Pigeon and House Sparrow yet, and they have to be around here somewhere. :-)
The weekend I spent further away from home, so I didn’t add any BGBY species. However I did get 4 life birds at three locations. More on that soon.
