Notes about your surroundings

Rare Bird Sightings--Spring migration is well underway, one of the most exciting times of year for many bird-watchers. Thousands of species are making the flight north from their tropical winter homes, stopping in local parks and back yards.

Most of the expected songbird migrants will arrive between now and early May, according to officials from the Sea & Sage chapter of the National Audubon Society.

And, despite the lull common during the late winter months in bird-watching, there were some sightings of note, chapter officials said.

While several of the most exceptional discoveries in the winter season--including the brown-crested flycatcher, yellow-bellied sapsucker, LeConte’s sparrow and chestnut-sided warbler--did not stick around, others remained for a longer period of time.

These included a zone-tailed hawk in San Juan Capistrano, a field sparrow at Huntington Central Park, a least Bell’s vireo at William R. Mason Regional Park in Irvine, a summer tanager and rose-breasted grosbeak at UC Irvine and a black-chinned hummingbird at the Fullerton Arboretum.

Other noteworthy birds spotted were a Eurasian wigeon that joined American wigeons at Craig Regional Park in Fullerton and a Eurasian green-winged teal at the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary in Irvine.

A Swainson’s hawk seen in Irvine was especially rare; it was either a very early spring migrant or it had been spending the whole winter there, which is unusual because most such hawks spend the winter in South America.

Another bird that may have been an early spring migrant was a sage thrasher spotted at UC Irvine.