Skip to main content

Monthly Birding Hotspot

Birding

September 2023: Your Neighborhood Park!

Fall is the time that migrants start pushing through, and you may see increased activity. BirdCast data from last year's fall migration shows that nearly 20 million birds flew over San Diego County between the months of August and November 2022. Though many are passing through, some stop to rest. Migrants need to rest to refill their energy stores. Songbirds tend to like areas with mature trees providing shelter, insects to eat, and a safe place to rest. Shorebirds and waterfowl will come to estuaries and waterways. Do you have a city or county park in your neighborhood? Take an early morning or evening stroll to look for migrating birds, and log what you see in eBird!

 

 

Happy Summer! The hot temperatures may be keeping some of us indoors, but in the evenings, it gets nice and cool, and the beach is oh-so-inviting.

The Hotspot of the Month for August  is your own back yard! Did you know that eBird has a way for you to keep track of the birds who come to your yard? Just define your "patch" in eBird and start logging. Over time, you may see how the cast of characters changes throughout the year, and even begin to predict what you'll see. When do the orioles show up at your feeder? When is your first Rufous Hummingbird of the year? eBird provides a support page if you have questions on how to get started.

 

Photo by Karen Straus

Filling Data Gaps while Doing Things We Love

eBird is looking to fill gaps in their dataset! If you've ever looked at the hotspot map, you may have noticed that they have color-coded the hotspots. Red or orange or hotspots are areas that have lots of species diversity, derived from many checklists over time. Hotspots with a green or blue tag have fewer birds in each checklist, (though the overall checklist may be just as rich over time).  When looking for a place to bird, you may be more inclined to select an area with a red or orange flag, because: more birds! But we want you to know that the green and blue sites are important too, and deserving of your love.

We know that birds are everywhere, and we'd like to help people get into the habit of reporting what they see, no matter where they are. Let's help eBird collect a richness of data in the places we live our lives.

Each month, we will highlight a birding location in San Diego County, and ask our supporters to get out there and record as many species as they can using eBird. By recording bird sightings in these areas, you are helping us gather more information about the species that frequent these areas.

Getting Started with eBird

  1. You will need an active eBird account - sign up here.
  2. There are two ways to record birds in the field - eBird Mobile or via the website.
  3. Create a personal list in the hotspot location using the instructions above, and then share to "SDASBirdingHotspot."

See below for step-by-step instructions:

Need more help? Take the eBird Essentials course for free here, and check out this short video with a step-by-step guide on how to report your bird sightings on eBird, in English, Spanish and now in Mandarin.

Spread the word!

Submit your photos to our staff at conservation@sandiegoaudubon.org, and use the hashtags #SDAudubon and #BirdingHotspot on your social media posts. You can also tag our Instagram page.

Past Birding Hotspots

  • August 2023: Your Own Backyard!
    • Happy Summer! The hot temperatures may be keeping some of us indoors, but in the evenings, it gets nice and cool, and the beach is oh-so-inviting.

      The Hotspot of the Month for August  is your own back yard! Did you know that eBird has a way for you to keep track of the birds who come to your yard? Just define your "patch" in eBird and start logging. Over time, you may see how the cast of characters changes throughout the year, and even begin to predict what you'll see. When do the orioles show up at your feeder? When is your first Rufous Hummingbird of the year? eBird provides a support page if you have questions on how to get started.

  • July 2023: Your Favorite Beach
    • Happy Summer! The hot temperatures may be keeping some of us indoors, but in the evenings, it gets nice and cool, and the beach is oh-so-inviting.

      Why not go for a sunset walk on your favorite beach, and log your birds while you do it? 

      The Hotspot of the Month for July is "your favorite beach." Here are a few spots we like. Sunset is late in the evening, so you can really get the most out of your beach walk, and maybe even spot a few surprises.

      Seacoast Drive/Imperial Beach  32.5713909,-117.1317007
      Ocean Beach 32.7439999,-117.2552126
      Mission Beach 32.78282,-117.254273 
      Moonlight State Beach 33.0480961,-117.2982895
      Carlsbad State Beach 33.1486905,-117.3474169

  • June 2023: Balboa Park
    • Balboa Park is a true gem in San Diego. We've chosen the Central Area hotspot, which has 140 species logged from over 950 checklists submitted over all time. From this central location you can visit many of the attractions available in Balboa park, birding all the way. There is something for everyone at Balboa park: cultural museums, nature experiences, music and dance performances. High in the canopy you may see or hear warblers or vireos. Several kinds of flycatcher make the park their home. Nuttall’s Woodpecker can be seen playing hide and seek around the trees. Bring a picnic or grab a lunch there.

The program took a break between Jan 2022 and June 2023.

  • December 2021: Marian Bear Park
    • Marian Bear Memorial Park is one of the oldest open space parks in the County, and is an important part of the Multiple Species Conservation Plan, which seeks to protect wildlife and connected habitat throughout the region. We have been teaming up with our Friends of Rose Creek and Friends of Rose Canyon to prevent the addition of three highway lanes adjacent to the park in SANDAG's upcoming Regional Transportation Plan. Many members of the community got involved by signing a petition that is no longer active but please head out to the park for the chance to see Acorn Woodpeckers, Northern Flickers, CA Towhees and more.
  • November, 2021: Bay Shore Bikeway
    • The Bay Shore Bikeway makes its way through Coronado, along the Silver Strand, through the communities of Imperial Beach and Chula Vista and back into Downtown San Diego. We have been working to restore coastal sage scrub habitat in many of these neighborhoods, and the route runs alongside CA Least Tern nesting sites. Birders spotted Belted Kingfishers, Sanderlings, Dunlin, and Ring-billed Gulls.
  • October, 2021: Balboa Park
    • The jewel of San Diego's park system, birders explored the numerous gardens of Balboa Park to spot birds such as a Hermit Thrush, Dark-eyed Junco and Townsend's Warbler.
  • September, 2021: Manzanita Canyon
    • Birders explored Manzanita Canyon in City Heights. If you start at the trailhead, you'll walk right past our first native seed library, built and stocked with free native seeds six months ago. Birders spotted a Nuttall's Woodpecker, CA Scrub-Jays, Bewick's Wrens and more.
  • August, 2021: Tijuana Rivermouth
    • Birders took in the variety of sea and shorebirds at the Tijuana River Mouth, where the Tijuana River lets out into the sea. The area is adjacent to numerous wildlife refuges, with the potential to spot migratory CA Least Terns or resident Western Snowy Plovers.
  • July, 2021: Swiss Park
    • Birders checked out Swiss Park in the Otay Valley Regional Park, which also fell along the route of our "Bird y Bike" event in celebration of Latino Conservation Week.
  • June, 2021: Ramona Grasslands
    • Several birders checked out the Wildflower Loop in the Ramona Grasslands, an important area for a number of predatory birds including the declining Golden Eagle. Twenty-two birds were seen, including the American Kestrel, Turkey Vulture and both the Red-tailed and Red-shouldered Hawk, but alas, no Golden Eagles.
  • May, 2021: San Diego River
    • Volunteers participated in the San Diego River Park Foundation's River Days event and helped to collect information about how shore and seabirds interact with dogs and people along the river channel. A total of six lists were submitted, with 53 species seen including Black Skimmers, Marbled Godwits, and Red-Necked Phalaropes. Each of these species relies on the river to feed and rest, and many have migrated thousands of miles in between their nesting and wintering grounds.
  • April, 2021: Lake Hodges
    • Lake Hodges is an important nesting area for Clark's and Western Grebes, who often rush over the water. We are working to advocate for these nesting birds, who have been impacted by shifting water levels. A total of 6 checklists were submitted by volunteers, with 68 species reported. This includes Bald Eagle, American Avocet, Cactus Wren and White-faced Ibis.
  • March, 2021: Otay Valley Regional Park
    • We are working to restore habitat and support monarch butterflies, birds and other pollinators in this regional park. A total of 9 checklists were submitted by volunteers, with 42 species reported. This included Bufflehead, Hermit Thrush, California Towhee and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher.
  • February, 2021: Northeast corner of Mission Bay
    • In celebration of Love Your Wetlands, supporters birded nearby the Kendall-Frost Marsh and the northeast portion of the Bay. A total of 13 checklists were submitted by volunteers, with 89 species reported. This included Black Skimmer, White-tailed Kite, Chestnut-Collared Longspur, Cinnamon Teal and Peregrine Falcon.

OUR PARTNERS

  • USFWS logo
  • City of San Diego

  • County of San Diego
    County of San Diego
  • State Coastal Conservancy
  • SANDAg transnet logo
    SANDAg transnet logo
  • Malk Nature Fund
  • Coastkeeper
    Coastkeeper
  • UCNRS logo
  • Americorps
  • Room & Board
    Room & Board
Close