Date: 8/21/26 8:22 pm From: Ryan Winkleman via groups.io <rswinkleman...> Subject: [OrangeCountyBirding] Orange County RBA: August 21, 2026
* California
* Orange County
* August 21, 2026
* CAOC26.08.21
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
White-winged Dove
*PURPLE GALLINULE*
American Oystercatcher
Ruff
Northern Fulmar
Neotropic Cormorant
Little Blue Heron
Bank Swallow
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Green-tailed Towhee
Summer Tanager
A WHITE-WINGED DOVE was in residential Laguna Beach from August 15 to
August 20.
A first-county record juvenile *PURPLE GALLINULE* continued in Pond C of
the San Joaquin Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary in Irvine through August 21.
An AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER continued to be reported at Dana Point Harbor in
Dana Point through August 21.
The ancient RUFF continued in the Upper Santa Ana River through August 20.
A NORTHERN FULMAR was photographed offshore on August 20.
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 LITTLE BLUE HERON continued at the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in
Huntington Beach through August 21.
A BANK SWALLOW was apparently present at the San Joaquin Marsh and Wildlife
Sanctuary in Irvine from August 15 through August 20.
A YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD was at the San Joaquin Marsh and Wildlife
Sanctuary in Irvine on August 16.
A GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE was reported to be at Burris Basin and the Upper
Santa Ana River in Anaheim on August 21.
A SUMMER TANAGER continued at Mile Square Regional Park in Fountain Valley
on August 19, while another was at the Turtle Rock Community Park in Irvine
on August 17.
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
