Sandpipers and Snipes  — Family Scolopacidae

Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca

The Greater Yellowlegs is one of San Diego County’s most widespread shorebirds, found at reservoirs and small ponds inland as well as along the coast.  It seldom gathers in flocks, however.  It is common as a fall migrant, generally uncommon as a winter visitor and spring migrant, and rare as a nonbreeding summer visitor—during an interval barely four weeks long from late May to mid June.

Winter: The Greater Yellowlegs is widespread in San Diego County’s coastal wetlands, especially those with extensive tidal mudflats.  Numbers along the coast range up to 30 in the east basin of Batiquitos Lagoon (J7) 15 February 1998 (R. Campbell), 18 at San Elijo Lagoon (L7) 23 December 2001 (E. Garnica), 25 in and near the south San Diego Bay salt works in December 1993 (Stadtlander and Konecny 1994), and 10 in the Tijuana River estuary (V10) 24 January 1998 (B. C. Moore).  On the basis of monthly counts 1973–83, the November–April average at San Elijo Lagoon was 4.3 (King et al. 1987); on the basis of weekly counts 1993–94, the December–February monthly averages in and near the salt works were 7 to 17.

            The Greater Yellowlegs can be just as numerous inland, even far inland, as along the coast.  From 1997 to 2002, our inland counts in winter ranged up to 20 at Whelan Lake (G6) 21 January 1998 (D. Rorick), 10 in San Pasqual Valley (J12) 26 February 1999 (D. and D. Bylin), 20 at Lake Henshaw (G17) 29 December 1997 (J. O. Zimmer), and 13 at Barrett Reservoir (S19) 2 February 2001 (R. and S. L. Breisch).  The Escondido Christmas bird count averages 4.8, the Lake Henshaw count 4.4.  In elevation winter records range up to about 4000 feet, exceptionally to about 4600 feet in Lost Valley (D20; one on 21 January 2000, J. M. and B. Hargrove).  In the Anza–Borrego Desert there are four winter records of single birds on ponds in the Borrego Valley, just one during the atlas period, in Borrego Springs (G24) 9 February 1998 (P. D. Ache).

Migration: The Greater Yellowlegs is one of the earliest migrants to return in “fall,” even before the summer solstice.  Our earliest apparent migrants 1997–2001 were seven at the upper end of Sweetwater Reservoir (S13) 17 June 1999 (P. Famolaro) and one at Chollas Reservoir 18 June 1998 (P. Unitt).  Fall migrants are regular by the first week of July and peak in September, according to weekly censuses in the salt works 1993–94, where Stadtlander and Konecny (1994) recorded a high 46 on 15 September 1993.  At San Elijo Lagoon, King et al. (1987) recorded the peak monthly average of 15 in August and September.

            In spring, migration takes place from March to mid May.  Its amplitude at that season is less than in fall, though a concentration of 45 was at Bonsall (F8) 3 April 1998 (L. Gammie).  Our latest spring migrants were one at the upper end of Lake Sutherland (J17) 17 May 2000 (J. O. Zimmer) and four at the upper end of Lake Hodges (K11) 18 May 1997 (E. C. Hall).  In the Borrego Valley the Greater Yellowlegs is more frequent in migration than in winter, though still rare, from 25 September (1999, one at Borrego Springs Country Club, G24, P. D. Jorgensen) to 3 May (1997, one at the Borrego Springs sewage ponds, H25, H. L. Young, M. B. Mosher).

            During the atlas period, we had 12 reports of single Greater Yellowlegs between 21 May and 12 June, evidently summering.  Most of these were coastal but one was at O’Neill Lake (G6) 12 June 2001 (P. A. Ginsburg), another at the east end of Lake Hodges 3 June 1997 (E. C. Hall).  Much larger numbers of summering birds occur occasionally on south San Diego Bay, however: up to 40 in June 1987, 62 on 15 June 1991 (R. E. Webster, AB 41:1487, 1987; 45:1161, 1991), and 26 on 12 June 1989 (Macdonald et al. 1990).

Conservation: With its less social habits and more diverse habitats, the Greater Yellowlegs has sustained its numbers better than have some other large shorebirds.  Over the second half of the 20^th century there was no trend in the species’ numbers in San Diego County.  Loss of tidal mudflats and seasonal wetlands in floodplains may have been offset by importation of water and creation of ponds and reservoirs.

Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes

The Lesser Yellowlegs is much less conspicuous and usually less numerous than its larger relative, the Greater Yellowlegs.  In San Diego County, the Lesser is fairly common in migration but rare in winter; California is the northern limit of the species’ winter range.  For habitat, the Lesser Yellowlegs prefers salt marshes, brackish coastal lagoons, and shallow freshwater ponds.  It is much less frequent inland than the Greater.

Migration: The Lesser Yellowlegs is most numerous in San Diego County as a fall migrant.  It arrives rarely as early as 29 June (1977, one at the San Dieguito River mouth, M7, P. Unitt), regularly in early July.  Numbers peak in August and September, then drop in October.  Spring migration begins in late February, as indicated by two in southwest Escondido (J10) 19 February 1998 (O. Carter) and six at the Santa Margarita River mouth (G4) 25 February 2000 (P. A. Ginsburg).  Most spring migrants pass through in March and April; from 1997 to 2001 our latest date was 25 April (2001; one at Daley Ranch, H11, A. Mauro).  On their monthly surveys of San Elijo Lagoon (L7) 1973–83, King et al. (1987) found the Lesser Yellowlegs twice in May, latest one on 4 May 1975.  The only records of oversummering Lesser Yellowlegs are of one near Imperial Beach (V10) 17 June 1987 (R. E. Webster, AB 41:1487, 1987) and two at San Elijo Lagoon 1 June 2000 (A. Mauro).

The lagoons of northern San Diego County are the species’ favored sites.  At San Elijo Lagoon, King et al. (1987) found an average of 10 in August and September and an average of 7.5 in March and April.  Their fall maximum was 44 on 12 September 1976, spring maximum 37 on 1 April 1979.  Along the coast of southern San Diego County the Lesser Yellowlegs is uncommon; in surveys of south San Diego Bay and the salt works, neither Macdonald et al. (1990) nor Stadtlander and Konecny (1994) found more than six per day.

Inland the Lesser Yellowlegs is scarcer still and found mainly in floodplains and at reservoirs near the coast.  Eight in Ysidora Basin (F5) 12 April 1998 (R. E. Fischer) was our largest count during the atlas period.  On the coastal slope our most inland site for the Lesser Yellowlegs was Ramona (K15), with three on 19 March 1999 and one on 20 April 1998 (M. and B. McIntosh).  At the east end of Lake Hodges (K11), K. L. Weaver noted up to six on 6 August 1981.  There are three records from the Borrego Valley, of one at the Roadrunner Club (F24) 17 April 1991 (A. G. Morley), one at the Ram’s Hill ponds (H25) 24 April 1994, and one at the Borrego sewage ponds (H25) 21 March 1999 (P. D. Jorgensen).

Winter: From December through mid February atlas observers reported no more than two Lesser Yellowlegs per atlas square per day.  Macdonald et al. (1990) reported up to four around south San Diego Bay 6 February 1989.  Totals on San Diego Christmas bird counts range up to nine, though they average 2.1.  The Rancho Santa Fe count averages 1.8, the Oceanside count 0.7.  Thus, contrary to what I reported previously (Unitt 1984), the Lesser Yellowlegs now winters in the north county lagoons just as often as often as around San Diego Bay.  During the atlas period, 18 of 24 winter reports were in the north county.  The only inland area where we found the species 1997–2002 was San Dieguito Valley (M8), with three sightings of single individuals.  There are just two other inland winter records, of one in San Pasqual Valley (J12) 4 January 1997 (P. Unitt) and one on the Anza–Borrego Christmas bird count 30 December 1990.

Conservation: The winter range of the Lesser Yellowlegs may have spread north into California in the 20^th century, though this inconspicuous species could have been overlooked.  Grinnell and Miller (1944) listed only three winter records for California, and the one from San Diego County (Michael 1935b) was more likely of misidentified Greater Yellowlegs.  Nevertheless, in San Diego County wetlands attractive to the Lesser Yellowlegs have been much reduced, especially freshwater wetlands in floodplains near the coast.

Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus

The Spotted Redshank is a shorebird of the Old World, seldom seen in North America.  Of the five records for California, one is from San Diego County.

Migration: San Diego County’s Spotted Redshank was photographed in percolation basins just west of O’Neill Lake, Camp Pendleton (E6), 19–23 May 1989 (E. Dore, AB 43:396, 538, Pyle and McCaskie 1992).

Solitary Sandpiper Tringa solitaria

The Solitary Sandpiper is a sandpiper of fresh or brackish water only, found mainly on ponds, lakeshores, and sluggish streams, especially where these are overhung by vegetation.  In San Diego County it is principally a fall migrant, uncommon to rare.  There are just a few records for winter and spring.

Migration: Because of its preference for fresh water, the Solitary Sandpiper occurs widely over San Diego County’s coastal slope.  Most records, though, are from the coastal lowland, where the suitable habitat is concentrated.  The Tijuana River valley yields the largest numbers, up to 10 on 4 September 1998 (P. A. Ginsburg).  The species has been found up to Lake Henshaw (up to three on 12 August 1985, R. Higson) and Lake Cuyamaca (one on 12 August 1986, D. B. King).  The only fall record for the Anza–Borrego Desert is of one in the Borrego Valley 26 September 1991 (M. L. Gabel).

            The Solitary Sandpiper passes through San Diego County mainly in August and September.  Extreme dates are 14 July (2000, one in Santa Maria Valley west of Ramona, K13, P. M. von Hendy) and 18 October (1975, one at Otay Mesa, V13, AB 30:126, 1976), except for a late straggler at Upper Otay Lake (T13) 20 November 1999 (P. Unitt, NAB 54:105, 2000). 

            Three spring sightings during the atlas period were unexpected.  Two Solitary Sandpipers were in the estuary of Aliso Creek (F4) 31 March 2001 (B. Anderson, K. Estey, J. M. Roberts), one was at a vernal pool in the Santa Maria Valley west of Ramona (K13) 24 April 1999 (F. Sproul), and one was along San Ysidro Creek at the Pacific Crest Trail (G20) 27 April 1999 (L. J. Hargrove).  In the Borrego Valley, one was at the Ram’s Hill sewage pond (H25) 4–10 April 1994 (ABDSP database).  The three earlier spring records for San Diego County, listed by Unitt (1984), fall within the range of dates of the more recent ones.

           

Winter: The winter records of the Solitary Sandpiper in San Diego County probably represent only two individuals.  One was in the Tijuana River valley 28 February–13 April 1988 (F. Dexter, AB 42:321, 481, 1988).  Another apparently returned repeatedly to Santee Lakes (O12/P12), being reported 6 March 1990 (C. G. Edwards, AB 44:329, 1990), 21–23 March 1992 (AB 46:480, 1992), and 8–14 February 1995 (NASFN 49:197, 1995).

Conservation: Like other shorebirds preferring fresh water, the Solitary Sandpiper has lost much habitat with the decline of agriculture and the spread of cities.  Muddy ponds seldom fit in a landscape being managed ever more intensively.

Taxonomy: All specimens of the Solitary Sandpiper collected in California, including the one from San Diego County (southeast San Diego, S10, 1 September 1931, SDNHM 15606), are of the western subspecies T. s. cinnamomea (Brewster, 1890).  It has the spots on the upperparts deeper buff than in the more eastern nominate subspecies, which should occur occasionally as a vagrant but has yet to be recorded in California.

Willet Catoptrophorus semipalmatus

The Willet is one of the more abundant shorebirds along San Diego County’s coast, especially around south San Diego Bay and in the Tijuana River estuary, where it can be seen in flocks of hundreds, often with Marbled Godwits.  The population wintering in the county as a whole is about 2500 to 3000, and even larger numbers occur in fall migration.  Dozens of nonbreeding birds remain through the summer.  Tidal mudflats and salt marshes are the Willet’s primary habitats, though the species is fairly common on beaches, lagoons and rocky shores as well.

Winter: From 1997 to 2002, our numbers of the Willet in the Tijuana River estuary (V10) ranged up to 700 on 3 December 1999 (B. C. Moore), numbers in south San Diego Bay at Chula Vista (U10), up to 630 on 16 December 2000.  In weekly surveys in and near the salt works 1993–94, Stadtlander and Konecny (1994) found numbers from December to February averaging around 600 to 750.  Numbers elsewhere around San Diego are also substantial, with up to 200 in the Paradise Creek marsh, National City (T10), 6 March 2000 (T. A. Godshalk), 138 around North Island (S8) 18 December 1999 (R. T. Patton), and 150 in northeastern Mission Bay (Q8) 29 December 1998 (J. C. Worley).

            In northern San Diego County the Willet is much less abundant, as shown by the averages of 93 for the Oceanside Christmas bird count 1976–2002 and 74 for the Rancho Santa Fe counts 1980–2003 versus 1219 for the San Diego count 1953–2002.  The species’ primary sites in the north county during the atlas period were the east basin of Batiquitos Lagoon (J7; up to 139 on 27 December 1997, F. Hall) and Los Peñasquitos Lagoon (N7; up to 80 on 5 December 1999, D. K. Adams).

            Inland, the Willet is rare.  In winter, it is known inland only in the coastal lowland.  Our nine winter records from fresh water 1997–2002 ranged in number up to five at the Dairy Mart pond, Tijuana River valley (V11) 20 December 1997 (G. McCaskie) and extended inland as far as San Pasqual Valley (J12; one on 2 January 1999, M. Cassidy, the only Willet found on an Escondido Christmas bird count), the upper end of Lake Hodges (K11; one on 13 December 1999, B. C. Moore), and Lower Otay Lake (U13; one on 14 February 1999, J. R. Barth).

Migration: For many shorebirds the interval between spring and fall migration is brief, but for the Willet it is one of the briefest, perhaps only two weeks.  Along the coast, because of the prevalence of summering birds, the arrival and departure of migrants is obscured.  Nevertheless, migrants may arrive as early as 19 June and are numerous by the end of June.  Even three at Barrett Lake (S19) 10 June 2001 (R. and S. L. Breisch) must have been early fall migrants.  By 1 July migrants are returning in large numbers.  A female Willet nesting at Lakeview, southeastern Oregon, was banded and radio-tagged 31 May 1999, suffered predation of her clutch of eggs between 11 and 14 June, departed on 23 June, and was seen at Mission Bay 8 July (J. Plissner, L. Johnson).  Monthly surveys of San Elijo Lagoon (L7) 1973–83 found Willet numbers peaking in August and September (King et al. 1987), whereas weekly surveys of the San Diego Bay salt works 1993–94 found them peaking in October and November, with a maximum of 1385 on 3 November 1993 (Stadtlander and Konecny 1994).

            In spring, in contrast to fall, there is no distinct peak of migration.  Occasional migrants may still be moving as late as 29 May (Unitt 1984), but the surveys of San Elijo Lagoon and the salt works found Willet numbers to be at their lows for the year in May as in early June.

Migrating Willets have been recorded a few times in the foothills and desert as well as nearer the coast.  Richard and Susan Breisch noted Willets twice at the east end of Lake Morena (S22/T22), 12 July and 2 August 1997, while the Anza–Borrego Desert State Park database has records from the Borrego Palm Canyon campground (F23) 25 April 1985, the Roadrunner Club, Borrego Springs (F24), 28 March 1994, and from a gravel pit along Highway S2 near the Imperial County line (Q29), miles from any water, 19 August 1975.

             

Conservation: The development of Mission and San Diego bays eliminated much prime Willet habitat.  Christmas bird count results, however, show no trend in the species’ numbers over the final quarter of the 20^th century.

Taxonomy: The Willet consists of two well-marked subspecies.  The larger and, in breeding plumage, less heavily marked C. s. inornatus (Brewster, 1887), breeding in the intermountain region and northern Great Plains, is the subspecies wintering in California. 

Wandering Tattler Heteroscelus incanus

Of San Diego County’s shorebirds, the Wandering Tattler is the most restricted to rocky shorelines, though the rocks may be breakwaters of riprap as well as natural formations.  The tattler is an uncommon migrant and winter visitor to San Diego County, occurring mainly from August to April.

Winter: San Diego County’s two principal areas of natural rocky shoreline, La Jolla and Point Loma, are the tattler’s principal sites.  At La Jolla (P7), our counts from 1997 to 2002 ranged up to six on 24 February 2002 (K. L.Weaver).  Around La Jolla, the tattlers are found regularly from Torrey Pines State Reserve (N7) to Pacific Beach (Q7).  At Point Loma (S7), our counts during the atlas period ranged up to only five on 20 December 1997 (M. W. Klein), but totals on San Diego Christmas bird counts range up to 25 on 20 December 1980, and much of the tattler habitat on Point Loma is outside the count circle.  Small numbers of tattlers are regular on Zuñiga Jetty at the mouth of San Diego Bay (S8; up to four on 16 December 2000, seven on 18 December 1976, D. W. Povey), occasional on the breakwaters at the mouth of Mission Bay (R7; up to two on 26 February 2000, V. P. Johnson).

            In northern San Diego County the Wandering Tattler is regular only on the breakwaters for the Oceanside harbor (G4/H5).  From 1997 to 2002 our maximum counts here were of only two individuals; totals on Oceanside Christmas bird counts average 1.9 and range up to five on 22 December 1979.  One tattler was at the mouth of Agua Hedionda Lagoon (I6) 26 December 1998 (C. Sankpill); another was at the mouth of San Elijo Lagoon (L7) 30 December 1998 (R. T. Patton).

            Within Mission and San Diego bays the Wandering Tattler is rare.  During the atlas periods the only records were both from Mission Bay (Q8), of single birds 13 December 1998 (J. C. Worley) and 1 January 2002 (G. C. Hazard).  Neither Macdonald et al. (1990) nor Stadtlander and Konecny (1994) found the tattler on their regular surveys in south San Diego Bay.

Migration: Dates for the tattler in San Diego County range from 12 July (1999, one on the breakwater for the harbor at Camp Pendleton’s Camp Del Mar, G4, P. A. Ginsburg) to 22 May (1971, one at Shelter Island, S8, A. Fries).  Though most immature Wandering Tattlers remain through the summer in their winter range (Gill et al. 2002), the only records of oversummering birds in San Diego County remain the three listed by Unitt (1984).

Conservation: The installation of breakwaters gave the Wandering Tattler a little additional habitat in San Diego County.

Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius

After the Greater Yellowlegs, the Spotted is the most widespread sandpiper in San Diego County, found widely inland as well as along the coast.  It is not gregarious, however, so it is generally uncommon in winter, fairly common in migration.  It is seldom found on tidal mudflats, preferring instead lakeshores, freshwater ponds, brackish lagoons, rocky ocean shores, and sandy beaches.  The Spotted is the only sandpiper that nests in San Diego County, albeit in small numbers.  The county’s breeding records are the southernmost for the species.

Winter: Because of its diverse habitats, the Spotted Sandpiper is widespread on San Diego County’s coast, though its density in winter is low.  In San Diego Bay, the Spotted Sandpiper is more numerous on the sandy and riprap-lined shores of the north bay (up to seven on the waterfront of downtown San Diego, S9, 20 December 1998, Y. Ikegaya) than on the mudflats of the south bay [no more than four per day reported by atlas observers, Macdonald et al. (1990), or Stadtlander and Konecny (1994)].

            Wintering Spotted Sandpipers are more numerous inland than along the coast.  The largest numbers, up to 21 on 26 December 1999, have been found at Lake Hodges (K10; R. L. Barber).  Other sites of notable concentrations from 1997 to 2002 were Lake Henshaw (G17; up to eight on 21 December 1998, S. J. Montgomery), along San Marcos Creek near Questhaven Road (J8; up to 10 on 23 December 2000, J. O. Zimmer), and Sweetwater Reservoir (S12; up to nine on 19 December 1998, P. Famolaro).  The Spotted Sandpiper is regular at Lake Morena (T21/S21/S22), with up to four on 24 February 2002 (R. and S. L. Breisch), but at 3000 feet this is the highest elevation where we found the species in winter.

            The Spotted Sandpiper is a rare winter visitor to ponds in the Borrego Valley with one or two recorded on 11 of 19 Anza–Borrego Christmas bird counts 1984–2002.  During the atlas period our only winter record from this area was of one in the north Borrego Valley (E24) 19 December 1999 (P. R. Pryde).

Migration: The Spotted Sandpiper’s migration schedule cannot be established precisely because of the small number of summering birds.  Nevertheless, fall migrants arrive in July, exceptionally as early as 30 June (1978, one at the San Diego River mouth, R7, C. G. Edwards).  Their peak is in September or October, with up to 17 at San Elijo Lagoon 10 September 1978 (King et al. 1987) and 17 at Batiquitos Lagoon (J6/J7) 27–28 October 1997 (Merkel and Associates 1997).  Four fall records for the Anza–Borrego Desert include four birds at an ephemeral pond in Mortero Wash Narrows (R29) 22 August 1991 (M. C. Jorgensen).

            Spring migration takes place mainly from mid April to mid May.  Spring migrants are widespread, occurring occasionally as high as 5400 feet at Big Laguna Lake (O23; two on 10 May 1997, M. R. Smith) and at isolated desert oases like Carrizo Marsh (O29; one on 27 April 2000 and 11 May 2001 (M. and P. D. Jorgensen).  Ten at Sweetwater Reservoir 23 April 1998 (P. Famolaro) was our largest spring concentration during the atlas period.   Spring dates for the Anza–Borrego Desert, where summering is implausible, run as late as 22 May 2001 (one in Borrego Springs, G24, P. D. Ache).

Breeding distribution: Confirmed nesting sites for the Spotted Sandpiper in San Diego County are at a borrow pit in the San Luis Rey River between the aqueduct and Gomez Creek (D10; chick with adult 22 June–4 July 2000 (C. M. Manning), the upper end of Lake Hodges (K11; pair with young 26–30 July 1981 and 16–25 July 1982, G. McCaskie, K. L. Weaver, AB 36:1016, 1982; nest with eggs 3 June 1997, E. C. Hall), San Elijo Lagoon (L7; three pairs and two young 6 June 1982, D. Parker, AB 36:1016, 1982; three pairs nesting in summer 1983 D. King, AB 37:1027, 1983; nest with eggs 14 July 1986, S. and J. Gallagher, AB 40:1255, 1986), and the south end of El Capitan Reservoir (O16; pair with chicks 9 July 2001, R. T. Patton, J. R. Barth, P. Unitt).  Also, in the Tijuana River valley, a pair "appeared to be defending a territory" 9 June 1984 (J. Oldenettel, AB 38:1062, 1984).

            One surprise of field work for this atlas was the number of locations for possibly breeding Spotted Sandpipers: at least 18.  In addition to the sites of confirmed nesting listed above, these included Wynola (J19; agitated pair 15 May 1999, S. E. Smith), the borrow pit in the Sweetwater River bed at Dehesa (Q15; pair 6 May and 1 June 1999, W. E. Haas), San Diego River in Mission Valley just east of Highway 163 (R9; pair 15 May 1997, J. K. Wilson; up to four on 10 and 15 May 1991, P. Unitt), and the upper end of Lake Morena (S22; up to three on 30 May 1999, R. and S. L. Breisch).

 

Nesting: The Spotted Sandpiper nests in a scrape on the ground, screened by low vegetation and lined with nearby grass (Oring et al. 1997).  The limited data from San Diego County indicate the species lays here from at least mid May to late June.  The Spotted Sandpiper’s habit of polyandrous mating, well studied in Minnesota, may be less prevalent in an area like San Diego County, marginal to the species’ range, where the nesting population is sparse.

Conservation: The Spotted Sandpiper’s breeding in San Diego County is recent, reported first in 1981.  The creation of reservoirs and ponds (including the borrow pits left by sand mining in riverbeds) probably allowed the sandpiper to extend its breeding range south to San Diego County.  Nevertheless, a few possible breeding sites are along undammed wilderness creeks, especially San Mateo Creek (B3; one on 27 May 2001, P. Unitt) and the west fork of the San Luis Rey River in Barker Valley (E16; one on 30 May 1999, R. Bergstrom).  The same reservoirs and ponds allow the Spotted Sandpiper to winter more widely inland than under primitive conditions.

Upland Sandpiper Bartramia longicauda

Unlike other sandpipers, the Upland Sandpiper avoids water; rather than probing mud, it plucks insects from grass.  It breeds largely in central North America and reaches California only as a vagrant.  There is only one record for San Diego County.

Migration: The single Upland Sandpiper known from San Diego County was photographed on the sod farm at the east end of the Tijuana River valley (W11) 19–23 October 1999 (G. McCaskie, NAB 54:104, 105, 2000, Rogers and Jaramillo 2002).  The 10 other fall records for California are all for August and September.

Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus

The Whimbrel can be seen along San Diego County’s coastline year round but is by far the most common in fall migration, July through September.  The number remaining through the winter is on the order of 100 to 200.  The Whimbrel prefers tidal mudflats but also uses salt marshes, sandy beaches, and rocky shorelines.  More than 5 miles inland the species is rare and seen only during migration.

Winter: Wintering Whimbrels are generally uncommon in San Diego County, though widespread along the coast.  Kjelmyr et al. (1991) estimated the number wintering as high as 10–100 only in the Tijuana River estuary (V10/W10); at other sites they estimated fewer than 10.  On counts of south San Diego Bay in November 1988 and February 1989 Macdonald et al. (1990) found no more than four, whereas monthly averages of weekly counts of the salt works (U10/V10) 1993–94 were never more than 10 (Stadtlander and Konecny 1994).  Nevertheless, larger concentrations are occasional: 50 along the Silver Strand (T9), 31 in the salt works 15 December 1993 (Stadtlander and Konecny 1994), 30 in the Tijuana River estuary (V10) 20 December 1997 (W. Mittendorff).  From 1953 to 2002 the San Diego Christmas bird count averaged 21, with a range from 3 to 85.

            In the north county wintering Whimbrels are even less numerous.  The Rancho Santa Fe and Oceanside Christmas bird counts both average seven to eight.  Monthly surveys of San Elijo Lagoon (L7) 1973–83 yielded a November–January average of only 0.3 (King et al. 1987).  With the restoration of tidal flow to Batiquitos Lagoon (J6/J7) the Whimbrel has become more frequent there with up to 20 on 9 February 1998 (B. C. Moore).

            The Whimbrel’s only regular winter site inland is the San Dieguito Valley (M8), with up to 20 on 22 December 2000 (P. Unitt).  One flying over eastern Carlsbad (J8) 7 December 1999 (J. O. Zimmer) was exceptional.

Migration: On their journey south, Whimbrels arrive in San Diego County in the first week of July and build to a peak in late July and early August.  Concentrations of over 50 are unusual, though the Whimbrel is most common as a fall migrant.  King et al. (1987) reported a maximum at San Elijo Lagoon of 230 on 6 August 1978; Macdonald et al. (1990) found up to 151 around south San Diego Bay 27 August 1988.  In spring, the main migration route passes east of San Diego County through the Salton Sea, so not much of a peak is evident at that season.

            Migrating Whimbrels are rarely seen inland.  In fall, all records are still in the coastal lowland, e. g., three at Sweetwater Reservoir (S12) 27 July 2001 (P. Famolaro).  In spring, there are records for both the coastal lowland, inland as far as the southwest corner of Santa Maria Valley (L13; one on 14 April 2001, K. J. Winter), and five for the Anza–Borrego Desert, undoubtedly of birds straying west of the main migration corridor through the Salton Sea: two at Middle Willows, Coyote Creek (C22), 29 April 1997 (P. D. Jorgensen), one at Borrego Springs (G24) 25 April 1998 (P. D. Ache), one at Culp Valley (G23/H23) 30 April 1983 (ABDSP database) and 7 May 1995 (M. L. Gabel), and one at Carrizo Marsh (O29) 13 April 1994 (P. D. and M. C. Jorgensen).  In spring, inland records range in date from 29 March (2000, one at Sweetwater Reservoir, P. Famolaro) to 7 May and in number up to six on Otay Mesa (V13) 29 April 2000 (N. Perretta).

            Small numbers of nonbreeding Whimbrels summer regularly along San Diego County’s coast, with up to five at Batiquitos Lagoon 7 June 1998 (C. C. Gorman), eight around south San Diego Bay 24 June 1988 (Macdonald et al. 1990), 10 in the salt works in June 1994 (Stadlander and Konecny 1994), and 10 in the Tijuana River estuary 27 June 1998 (C. G. Edwards).

Conservation: The Whimbrel suffered considerably less than North America’s two other curlews, the Long-billed and Eskimo, during the era when the birds were hunted commercially.  Over the last half of the 20^th century there has been little change in the Whimbrel’s abundance in San Diego County, though habitat has been reduced, especially inland.  The Whimbrel’s winter range may have extended north to include southern California in the early 20^th century; winter records were almost unknown before about 1920 (Grinnell et al. 1918, Stephens 1919a, Willett 1933). 

Taxonomy: All of North America’s brown-rumped Whimbrels are best called N. p. hudsonicus Latham, 1790, the Hudsonian Curlew (Patten et al. 2003).  Five vagrants of the partially white-rumped N. p. variegatus (Scopoli, 1786), breeding in east Asia, have been seen in the western conterminous United States, the southernmost at China Lake, Kern County, California (Heindel 1999).  The Hudsonian Curlew was long considered a species distinct from the Whimbrel of the Old World and may be so again.

Long-billed Curlew Numenius americanus

North America’s largest shorebird, the Long-billed Curlew, has two main habitats in San Diego County: tidal mudflats and open grassland.  It is primarily a migrant and winter visitor, but small numbers remain along the coast through June, the brief interval between spring and fall migration.  The curlew’s population has been reduced greatly, first by uncontrolled hunting, then by loss of habitat in both the breeding and winter ranges, until its total numbers at the beginning of the 21^st century were estimated at about 20,000.

Winter: The most consistent sites for wintering Long-billed Curlews in San Diego County are south San Diego Bay and the Tijuana River estuary.  From 1997 to 2002 our counts in these areas ranged up to 54 along the Chula Vista bayfront (U10) 15 December 2001 (C. H. Reiser) and the 26 in the Tijuana estuary (V10) 18 December 1999 (A. DeBolt).  A count of 127 along the north edge of the salt works 10 December 1988 (Macdonald et al. 1990) was exceptional; weekly surveys of the salt works 1993–94 yielded no more than 21 December–February and no more than 23 at any season.  Kjelmyr et al. (1991) rated the winter abundance of the curlew at Mission Bay and the San Diego River flood-control channel at 10–100, but during the atlas period our maximum counts in this area ranged up to only 10, as in the flood-control channel (R8) 28 December 1999 (S. D. Cameron).

            In northern San Diego County the Long-billed Curlew is generally scarce; in most years a dozen individuals or fewer are scattered among the various lagoons.  The opening of Batiquitos Lagoon (J7) to the tide led to a spike in curlew numbers there, with up to 40 on 26 December 1998 (R. Stone).  At other north county sites our counts during the atlas period ranged up to 12 at Agua Hedionda Lagoon (I6) 28 December 1999 (R. Gransbury) and seven at Los Peñasquitos Lagoon (N7) 26 December 1999 (B. C. Moore).  A total of 93 on the Rancho Santa Fe Christmas bird count 20 December 1992 was exceptional.

            San Diego County’s only remaining upland habitat the curlew uses with any regularity is on Otay Mesa (V13/V14).  We found the species here in three of the five winters of the atlas period, in both natural grassland and fallow agricultural fields.  Numbers ranged up to 180 one mile east of the Otay Mesa border crossing (V14) 22 December 1998 (M. Fugagli) and 86 one mile west of the crossing 25 December 2001 (P. Unitt).  Two of 18 Escondido Christmas bird counts 1986–2002 yielded three near Fenton Ranch, San Pasqual Valley (K13), 2 January 1987 (C. G. Edwards) and one there 29 December 1990 (M. B. Stowe).

           

Migration: Fall migrant Long-billed Curlews begin arriving in July, if not late June, and their numbers peak in August and September.  Seven fall migrants were inland at Lake Henshaw (G17) 5 September 1978 (B. Cord); one was at Lake Hodges (K11) 15 August 1982 (K. L. Weaver).  There is no clear peak of migration in spring. Three records inland are of spring migrants, of one at Lake Henshaw 12 May 2001, three at the upper end of Lake Morena (S22) 16 May 1998 (R. and S. L. Breisch), and one at De Anza Country Club, Borrego Springs (F24), 22 May 1967 (ABDSP database).

            The number of Long-billed Curlews failing to migrate and remaining to summer is small.  During the atlas period we noted up to three at Los Peñasquitos Lagoon 5 June 1999 (K. Estey), four at the Sweetwater River mouth (U10) 10–14 June 1998 (B. C. Moore), and seven in the Tijuana estuary 27 June 1998 (C. G. Edwards).  The largest number of summering curlews recorded is 24 around south San Diego Bay 24 June 1988 (Macdonald et al. 1990).

Conservation: Hunting for the market took its toll on the Long-billed Curlew in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries; Stephens (1919a) called the species “formerly abundant.”  Development of San Diego and Mission bays and urbanization of grasslands near the coast has eliminated most of the curlew’s habitat in San Diego County.  San Diego Christmas bird counts, however, suggest that the number wintering in the remaining habitat on San Diego Bay has remained fairly static since the 1950s.

Taxonomy: The Long-billed Curlew has been divided into two subspecies on the basis of bill length.  The difference is apparently insufficient for a taxonomic distinction, though a definitive analysis remains to be published.

Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica

The Bar-tailed Godwit is primarily a species of the Old World.  Though it breeds on the coasts of western Alaska, its migration crosses mainly the western half of the Pacific Ocean.  In California it is casual, recorded 28 times through 2002, mainly in the northern half of the state.  In San Diego County there are only two well-supported records.

Migration: San Diego County’s first Bar-tailed Godwit was on the beach at the Hotel del Coronado (T9) 4–27 November 1981, where it foraged with turnstones in the kelp washed ashore (B. Shear; Binford 1985).  The second was in the flood-control channel at the mouth of the San Diego River (R7) 4–5 September 2000 (J. Martin; McKee and Erickson 2002); both identifications were supported with photographs.

Taxonomy: Even in the lack of specimens the birds in San Diego County were identifiable as the east Siberian and Alaskan subspecies L. l. baueri Naumann, 1836, by their mostly brown axillars and barred lower backs.

Marbled Godwit Limosa fedoa

The Marbled Godwit is one of the dominant shorebirds along San Diego County’s coast, especially around San Diego and Mission bays and in the Tijuana River estuary.  In terms of biomass, in winter the Marbled Godwit is probably the dominant shorebird.  Though the species is principally a winter visitor, with usually around 2500 to 3000 annually, several hundred remain through the summer.

Winter: As a winter visitor to San Diego County, the Marbled Godwit is almost exclusively coastal.  Tidal mudflats and salt marshes are its primary habitats, though smaller numbers are regular on sandy beaches, in brackish lagoons, and on rocky ocean shores.  Weekly surveys of the salt works 1993–1994 found an average of about 800 to 1000 in fall and winter and a maximum of 1300 on 26 January 1994 (Stadtlander and Konecny 1994).  Quarterly surveys of other parts of south San Diego Bay 1988–89 found a maximum of 526 on 29 November 1988 (Macdonald et al. 1990).  An estimate of 5000 along the Chula Vista bayfront 16 December 2000 (B. C. Moore) is exceptional; a tenth of this is more typical for the area.  Other areas important to the species are the Tijuana River estuary (V10; up to 500 on 3 December 1999 and 24 January 1998, B. C. Moore), North Island (S8; up to 471 on 19 December 1998, R. T. Patton), and northeastern Mission Bay (Q8; up to 340 on 29 December 1998, J. C. Worley).

            In northern San Diego County’s lagoons the godwit is less numerous and less consistent.  Winter counts as high as 124 at Batiquitos Lagoon (J7) 27 December 1997 (F. Hall) and 70 at Los Peñasquitos Lagoon (N7) 5 December 1999 (D. K. Adams) are unusual.  The Oceanside Christmas bird count averaged 79 from 1976 to 2002; the Rancho Santa Fe count averaged 43 from 1980 to 2003.

            On inland ponds and lakes wintering godwits are now rare.  From 1997 to 2002 we recorded them only nine times, and the only counts of over 10 were of 20 at O’Neill Lake (E6) 14 December 1997 (B. C. Moore) and 15 in Otay Valley (V11) 19 December 1998 (P. Unitt).  Two at the east end of Lake Hodges (K11) 9 December 1997 (E. C. Hall) were unusually far inland.

Migration: The Marbled Godwit’s migration in San Diego County is partially masked by the abundance of nonbreeding summering birds, probably immature.  Monthly averages of weekly counts in the salt works 1993–94 show a fairly smooth change from a maximum in November to a minimum of about 300 in June.  At San Elijo Lagoon, in contrast, on the basis of monthly counts 1973–83. King et al. (1987) found godwit numbers to reach their annual low from November to January.  The subtlety of difference between the species’ plumages means that differences in the migration of adults and immatures are poorly known.  Nevertheless, adults whose attempt to breed failed probably begin arriving in late June while immatures are still arriving in December (Gratto-Trevor 2000).  Inland, fall migrants are more frequent than winter visitors, though still uncommon.  In the early 1980s at Lake Hodges, K. L. Weaver recorded the species 15 August–5 October with a maximum of 15 on 29 September 1985. A unique spring record there is of two on 7 June 1987 (K. L. Weaver). The surveys of San Elijo Lagoon and the salt works suggest a minor peak of spring migrants in March or April.  Most godwits probably commute between California and the Great Plains with only one stop along the way, at Great Salt Lake (Shuford et al. 2002).

Conservation: In spite of market hunting in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, loss of much breeding habitat on the Great Plains, and loss of much winter habitat in California, evidence for change in the Marbled Godwit’s numbers in San Diego County is slight.  Torrey (1913) wrote that on San Diego Bay “I have seen godwits and willets together lining the grassy edge of the flats for a long distance, and so densely massed that I mistook them at first for a border of some kind of herbage.  Thousands there must have been; and when they rose at my approach, they made something like a cloud.”  San Diego Christmas bird counts since 1954, however, show no clear trend.  One more recent change, however, is a decrease in the godwit’s occurrence inland, as seasonal wetlands in floodplains have been lost to development.

Taxonomy: All specimens of the Marbled Godwit from San Diego County in the San Diego Natural History Museum are nominate L. f. fedoa (Linnaeus, 1758), breeding on the northern Great Plains.  The shorter-winged L. f. beringiae Kessel and Gibson, 1989, breeds on the Alaska Peninsula and has been reported in winter no farther south than San Francisco Bay.

Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

Turnstones got their name from their habit of foraging by flipping pebbles, looking for invertebrates hiding beneath them.  In San Diego County, however, it is in sea lettuce on the mudflats around San Diego Bay or in kelp washed up on beaches that the Ruddy Turnstone is most likely to be seen rummaging.  Breeding in the arctic, the Ruddy Turnstone is a locally common migrant and winter visitor along San Diego County’s coast.  Small numbers of nonbreeding birds remain through the summer.

Winter: The Ruddy Turnstone occurs along most of San Diego County’s coast but is concentrated on the mudflats around San Diego Bay (70 on 15 December 2001, M. Bache).  Rocky shorelines are also one of the Ruddy Turnstone’s regular habitats (25 at La Jolla, P7, L. and M. Polinsky).  The Ruddy Turnstone is far less numerous in northern San Diego County: though the San Diego Christmas bird count averages 86 (1954–2002), the Oceanside count averages 5.2 (1976–2002), the Rancho Santa Fe count 4.4 (1980–2003).  From 1997 to 2002 our highest winter counts in northern San Diego County were of 13 on the jetty at Camp Del Mar (G4) on 20 January and 14 February (P. A. Ginsburg).

Migration: Fall migrants begin arriving in July but are not clustered in a distinct seasonal peak.  In spring, by contrast, there is a distinct peak in April.  In and near the San Diego Bay salt works, on weekly surveys 1993–94, Stadtlander and Konecny (1994) had their highest count of 50 on 14 April 1993.  Ruddy Turnstones heading north clear out in early May; late records of migrants are of one at La Jolla 7 May 2000 (L. Polinsky) and three in definitive alternate plumage at the south end of San Diego Bay 9 May 1978 (P. Unitt).

            Modest numbers of nonbreeding Ruddy Turnstones summer in San Diego County, mainly on San Diego Bay.  Macdonald et al. (1990) tallied 28 on 24 June 1988, whereas Stadtlander and Konecny (1994) charted up to 21 in June 1993.  The largest number of summering birds reported there is 100 in 1987 (R. E. Webster, AB 41:1487, 1987).  In northern San Diego County summering turnstones are rare.  On the basis of monthly counts 1973–83, King et al. (1987) recorded an average of 0.4 from May to August.  During the atlas period our only summering turnstones in the north county were four on the jetty at Camp Del Mar 3 July 1999 (P. A. Ginsburg).

            The only inland records are from Lake Hodges (K10/K11), of one 26 September 1982 (K. L. Weaver, AB 37:224, 1983) and one 14 August 1987 (G. McCaskie, AB 42:135, 1988).

Conservation: San Diego Christmas bird counts show no trend in Ruddy Turnstone numbers, but counts of migrants as high as 500 in the early 1960s have not been repeated since.  Like many shorebirds, the Ruddy Turnstone lost much habitat with the development of San Diego and Mission bays.  The cleaning of kelp and other debris from beaches also deprives the turnstone of opportunity to forage. 

Taxonomy: Nominate A. i. interpres (Linnaeus, 1758) is the subspecies of Ruddy Turnstone migrating along the Pacific coast of North America.

Black Turnstone Arenaria melanocephala

Rocky shorelines are the Black Turnstone’s principal habitat, where it is more common than the Ruddy Turnstone.  It is less numerous but still fairly common on tidal mudflats and beaches.  The Black Turnstone occurs in San Diego County as a migrant, winter visitor, and rare nonbreeding summer visitor.

Winter: In San Diego County the Black Turnstone is strictly coastal, concentrating in the two regions of rocky shore, La Jolla (O7/P7/Q7; up to 25 on 20 January 2000, L. Polinsky) and Point Loma (S7; up to 44 on 16 December 2000, M. W. Klein).  At times, the Black Turnstone is common also in Mission Bay (R8, 50 on 24 December 1997, P. Unitt; Q8, 30 on 4 and 20 January 1998, B. C. Moore).  In San Diego Bay it occurs on both breakwaters (S8; 24 on 16 December 2000, D. W. Povey) and mudflats (T9; 25 on 19 December 1998, N. Osborn).

            In the north county the Black Turnstone is uncommon to rare, restricted largely to the breakwaters at the mouths of lagoons and the Oceanside harbor.  From 1997 to 2002 our highest count in this region was of six at San Elijo Lagoon (L7) 22 December 2000 (G. C. Hazard).  The Rancho Santa Fe Christmas bird count averages 3.5, the Oceanside count only 0.8.

Migration: Black Turnstones begin arriving in mid July and depart largely by early May, though a few stragglers have been seen until early June (Unitt 1984).  No distinct peaks of migration have been reported, but a count of 79 in the San Diego Bay salt works (U10/V10) 3 November 1993 was exceptionally high (Stadtlander and Konecny 1994).

Summering nonbreeders do not remain on rocky shorelines but they do in small numbers on San Diego Bay.  Macdonald et al. (1990) reported two on 24 June 1988; Stadtlander and Konecny (1994) had up to 10 in June 1994.  During the atlas period our only records of probably summering Black Turnstones were of one at North Island (S8) 27 May 2000 (R. T. Patton) and five on the jetty and Camp Del Mar (G4) 3 July 1999 (P. A. Ginsburg), though these could have been a late spring migrant and early fall migrants, respectively.

Conservation: The Black Turnstone’s minor gain of habitat in the form breakwaters and riprap is overshadowed by the loss of mudflats around Mission and San Diego bays.

Surfbird Aphriza virgata

The Surfbird is one of the characteristic birds of rocky shorelines, taking advantage of jetties and breakwaters at least as much as natural rock formations.  Occasionally it visits sandy beaches, mainly during migration.  In San Diego County, it is a locally common migrant and winter visitor, most abundant during spring migration.

Winter: Primitively, the rocky shores of La Jolla (P7) and Point Loma (S7) were the Surfbird’s main habitat in San Diego County.  From 1997 to 2001, our winter numbers in these habitats were up to eight at La Jolla 15 December 1999 (L. Polinsky) and seven at Point Loma 20 December 1997 (M. W. Klein).  We found even greater numbers, however, on breakwaters of riprap: 45 at the entrance to Mission Bay (R7) 1 January 1999 (P. Unitt); 19 on Zuñiga Jetty at the entrance to San Diego Bay (S8) 15 December 2001 (D. W. Povey).  Unexpected were 21 feeding with turnstones on mudflats at the southeast corner of Mission Bay (R8) 24 December 1997 (P. Unitt).  The jetties for the harbors at Camp Del Mar (G4) and Oceanside (H5) give the Surfbird its only winter habitat in northern San Diego County.  Our maximum here during the atlas period was five at Camp Del Mar 20 January 2000 (P. A. Ginsburg).  On Oceanside Christmas bird counts 1976–2002, where the count of Surfbirds on the jetties is exhaustive, the average is 0.9 and the maximum is six on 21 December 2002.  Wintering Surfbirds are irregular on the beach at Coronado (T9) with up to nine on 16 December 2000 (N. Osborn).

Migration: During the atlas period our dates for the Surfbird ranged from 31 July (2001; two at Camp Del Mar, P. A. Ginsburg) to 28 April (2001; 15 at La Jolla, L. and M. Polinsky), the expected spread.  No peak of fall migrants is known, but the Surfbird is considerably more numerous as a spring migrant than in winter, beginning in late March (100 at La Jolla 25 March 2000, L. and M. Polinsky).  Our highest count was of 130 at La Jolla 15 April 1999 (J. R. Barth).  Spring migrants show up occasionally at sites where the species does not winter, as did eight on the jetty at Camp Surf near Imperial Beach (V10) 24 March 2001 (T. Stands) and six on the beach at Encinitas (K6) 15 April 2001 (E. Garnica).

            Though the Surfbird migrates overland from the Gulf of California to the Pacific coast, this migration apparently takes place largely over northern Baja California.  There are no inland records for San Diego County, and the Surfbird is rare at the Salton Sea (Patten et al. 2003).

            There are six records of summering Surfbirds in San Diego County, of one near Imperial Beach (V10) 26 June–16 July 1983 (R. E. Webster, AB 37:1027, 1983), one on San Diego Bay 12 June 1985 (R. E. Webster, AB 39:962, 1985), and three on south San Diego Bay 24 June–3 July 1988 (J. O'Brien, AB 42:1340, 1988), plus three listed by Unitt (1984).

 

Conservation: The installation of breakwaters gave the Surfbird additional habitat in San Diego County.  The species’ frequency on the Oceanside Christmas bird count is on the increase, perhaps the result of invertebrates colonizing the breakwaters.

Red Knot Calidris canutus

In California, the Red Knot has a remarkably circumscribed distribution: it winters in numbers at only a few sites, the tidal mudflats of San Diego and Mission bays prominent among them.  The total wintering in San Diego County is about 400 to 700, perhaps less in some years.  During migration the knot is more widespread and abundant than in winter, occurring at times in flocks of hundreds on San Diego Bay and in flocks of dozens elsewhere along the coast.

Winter: The Red Knot’s preference for tidal mudflats in winter is even stricter than that of the Short-billed Dowitcher.  As a result, knots concentrate around San Diego Bay.  The mudflat at the west end of the D Street fill, between the Sweetwater River estuary and the Sweetwater River channel (T10), is an especially favored site (up to 258 on 18 February 2000, R. T. Patton; Macdonald et al. 1990).  The species occurs around the bay, however, often in association with large flocks of Short-billed Dowitchers.  It is regular also in the Tijuana River estuary (V10; 73 on 19 December 1998, R. B. Riggan), in the San Diego River flood-control channel (R8; 30 on 7 December 1997, B. C. Moore), and in Mission Bay (Q8; 120 on 21 December 1998, J. C. Worley).

            The estimate of 400–700 for the county’s winter knot population comes from a convergence of atlas results, focused studies of San Diego Bay (Macdonald et al. 1990, Stadtlander and Konecny 1994), and Christmas bird counts.  The maximum on any San Diego Christmas bird count was 935 on 17 December 1977.  Kjelmyr et al. (1991) estimated the numbering of wintering knots at 100–1000 at both San Diego and Mission bays.

            In northern San Diego County, however, wintering knots are very rare.  We had no records from 1997 to 2002.  Five on 4 January 2003 were the first ever on a Rancho Santa Fe Christmas bird count.  The Oceanside count has recorded the knot on only three of 28 counts 1976–2002, with two individuals on each occasion.  In 10 years of monthly counts at San Elijo Lagoon 1973–83, King et al. (1987) found no knots from November to April.

Migration: From 1997 to 2001 our dates for migrating knots ran from 12 July (1999, two at the Santa Margarita River mouth, G4) to 21 May (2001, five at the same locality, P. A. Ginsburg).  Earlier records extend from 5 July to 21 May (Unitt 1984).  At San Elijo Lagoon, King et al. (1987) found the knot to be most frequent in September (average 7.4), whereas in and near the south San Diego Bay salt works, Stadtlander and Konecny (1994) found the fall peak in October, with a high count of 706.  The latter study also recorded a strong spring peak in April and May, with maximum counts between 400 and 425 in both months.  Along the Chula Vista bayfront, Macdonald et al. (1990) recorded numbers higher than in winter during both spring and fall migration, with a maximum of 425 on 14 April 1989.  A single knot at Lake Hodges (K11) 7 September 1979 (AB 34:201, 1980) is still the only one reported inland.

            Knots in nonbreeding plumage summer regularly on San Diego Bay, in numbers of up to 125 on 15 June 1978 (P. Unitt), at least 100 through summer 1987 (G. McCaskie, AB 41:1487, 1987), and 65 at the Sweetwater River mouth 24 June 1988 (Macdonald et al. 1990).

Conservation: Because much of the Red Knot’s population stages in migration at just a few sites, it is of more conservation concern than many shorebirds (Harrington 2001).  Though the numbers of knots in San Diego County are lower than those of many other shorebirds, the importance of San Diego in a statewide context looms comparatively large.  San Francisco Bay is the only wetland in California besides San Diego and Mission bays where Kjelmyr et al. (1991) estimated a wintering population as high as 100–1000.  Development of San Diego and Mission bays, however, has already eliminated a large fraction of the bays’ original tidelands.

Taxonomy: Most of the Red Knots occurring in California are apparently C. c. roselaari Tomkovich, 1990, which breeds on Wrangel Island and in northwestern Alaska (Patten et al. 2003).

Sanderling Calidris alba

Everyone who goes to a beach in San Diego County is familiar with the Sanderling, scurrying back and forth on the beach with each advance and retreat of a wave.  It winters commonly on beaches, less so within the lagoons and bays and on rocky shores.  In migration the number of Sanderlings using these other habitats increases. 

Winter: The Sanderling is common all along San Diego County’s coast, with up to 200 between the mouths of Horno and Las Pulgas canyons (E3) 16 February 1998 (R. and S. L. Breisch), 359 at Cardiff State Beach and San Elijo Lagoon (L7) 23 December 2001 (E. Garnica), and 302 at North Island (S8) 24 February 2000 (R. T. Patton).  Away from the beaches, the Sanderling is less abundant.  For example, our highest count in the east basin of Batiquitos Lagoon (J7) was eight on 5 December 1997 (C. C. Gorman).  Inside Mission Bay (Q8), our counts ranged up to 40 on 5 February 1999 (E. Wallace); inside San Diego Bay, up to 27 at Coronado (S9) 20 December 1997 (R. T. Patton).  In south San Diego Bay, Macdonald et al. (1990) found up to 35 on the mudflat adjacent to the D Street fill (T10) 22 November 1988.  On weekly surveys in and near the salt works December 1993–February 1994, Stadtlander and Konecny (1994) recorded up to about 25.

Migration: In San Diego County, Sanderlings begin arriving in numbers in late July.  Most depart in mid May, with a few migrants still moving through late May.  Inside northern San Diego County’s lagoons, the Sanderling is most abundant in fall migration.  At San Elijo Lagoon King et al. (1987) found the peak to be in September, with a maximum of 590 on 7 September 1980.  In and near the salt works, however, Stadtlander and Konecny (1994) found the fall peak in October.  In 1978 I noted the peak of spring migration in early May (Unitt 1984), but in the salt works in 1993 Stadtlander and Konecny (1994) found a sharp peak in March, with up to 267 on 7 March.

            Substantial numbers of Sanderlings in nonbreeding plumage remain through the summer on sandy beaches (50 at Pacific Beach, Q7, 15 June 1998, E. Wallace).

            San Diego County’s five inland records of the Sanderling are all of fall migrants, at Lake Hodges (K10/K11; 17 August 1979, AB 34:201, 1980; 18 September 1982, R. E. Webster, AB 37:224, 1983) and Lake Henshaw (G17; 4 October 1982 and 7 October 1983, R. Higson, AB 37:224, 1983; 38:246, 1984; 26 July 1998, R. A. Hamilton, FN 52:503, 1998).

Conservation: Because most Sanderlings are dispersed along beaches rather than clumped into wetlands, they seem less vulnerable to habitat loss than other most other shorebirds.  Nevertheless, the habitat may be degraded from the Sanderling’s point of view when kelp is cleaned off the beaches.

Semipalmated Sandpiper Calidris pusilla

The Semipalmated and Western Sandpipers are very similar and have often been confused.  Detection of the Semipalmated as a rare but regular fall migrant in coastal southern California began only when the identification criteria were well publicized in the late 1970s.  In San Diego County, the Semipalmated Sandpiper has been seen mainly in wetlands of fresh or brackish water; it avoids the tidal mudflats of San Diego and Mission bays.

Migration: Since 1978, when it was first identified here, the Semipalmated Sandpiper has been found nearly annually in San Diego County, with up to six in the Tijuana River valley 10 August 1980 (AB 35:226, 1981) and three at Batiquitos Lagoon (J7) 15 August 1987 (J. O’Brien).  The atlas period from 1997 to 2001 seems to have been typical, yielding four sightings, all of single birds at San Elijo Lagoon (L7): 26 August 1999 (P. A. Ginsburg), 10 August 2000 (G. McCaskie), 21 August 2000 (J. C. Worley), and 22 September 2001 (G. McCaskie).  Published dates range from 28 July (1991, Batiquitos Lagoon, G. McCaskie, AB 45:1161, 1991) to 24 September (1983, Tijuana River valley, R. E. Webster, AB 38:246, 1984).  All records so far have been of juveniles, all within 5 miles of the coast, except for one at the upper end of Lake Hodges (K11) 29 August 1981 (K. L. Weaver).

Western Sandpiper Calidris mauri

The Western Sandpiper is by far the most abundant shorebird along San Diego County’s coast.  The number wintering in the county is roughly 10,000 to 15,000, and even larger numbers pass through in migration.  Tidal mudflats are the sandpiper’s preferred habitat, used by flocks of thousands.  The species is also common in brackish lagoons, uncommon on beaches and rocky shores, and variably common on lakeshores.  Though there are several sites of greater importance to the Western Sandpiper than San Diego County’s coastal wetlands, San Diego and Mission bays rank among the top dozen sites for the species in California.

Winter: The Western Sandpiper’s primary wintering sites around San Diego are northeastern Mission Bay (Q8; 5000 on 21 December 1998, J. C. Worley), south San Diego Bay (U10/V10; 7885 on 1 December 1993, Stadtlander and Konecny 1994), and the Tijuana River estuary (V10/W10; 1200 on 16 December 2000, S. Walens).  In the north county the principal sites are the Santa Margarita River estuary (G4; 300 on 25 February 2000, P. A. Ginsburg), Agua Hedionda Lagoon (I6; 300 on 22 January 2000, P. A. Ginsburg), Batiquitos Lagoon (530 in the west half, J6, 15 January 1999, M. Baumgartel; 1000 in the east basin, J7, 5 January and 9 February 1998, B. C. Moore), and San Elijo Lagoon (L7; 456 on 22 December 2000, G. C. Hazard).  The Western Sandpiper occurs at all coastal wetlands except Buena Vista Lagoon (H5/H6), where there are no longer suitable mudflats.  Yet it occurs regularly in small numbers on rocky shorelines, with up to 12 at Point Loma (S7) 19 December 1998 (M. W. Klein) and six at La Jolla (P7) 28 December 1998 (L. and M. Polinsky).

            Inland, wintering Western Sandpipers are much outnumbered by Least Sandpipers.  Large numbers of the Western are known only at Lake Hodges (K10/K11; up to 50 on 9 December 1997, E. C. Hall) and Sweetwater Reservoir (S12/S13; up to 150 on 16 December 2000, P. Famolaro).  Smaller numbers are regular in the lower San Luis Rey River valley, with up to 22 at Whelan Lake (G6) on 17 December 1997 (D. Rorick).  Elsewhere inland, from 1997 to 2002, we found no more than 10 wintering Western Sandpipers.  The only sites above 1500 feet elevation where we encountered wintering Western Sandpipers were the upper end of Lake Morena (S22; two on 5 December 1999, R. and S. L. Breisch) and Lake Henshaw (G17), where the species is regular in small numbers, up to six on 18 December 2000 (J. Coker).  Reports of larger numbers on Lake Henshaw Christmas bird counts in 1982 and 1999 are probably based on misidentified Least Sandpipers.  In the Anza–Borrego Desert two or three were found at the Borrego sewage ponds (H25) on Christmas bird counts in 1987 and 1989; one was at Borrego Springs (G24) 27 February 2001 (P. D. Ache). 

Migration: Western Sandpipers begin arriving in late June, becoming common by the beginning of July.  A count of 474 on south San Diego Bay, mainly between the salt works and Chula Vista Wildlife Reserve (U10), 24 June 1988 is unusually high for so early in migration (Macdonald et al. 1990).  Early arrivals are adults; juveniles begin arriving at the end of July.  Both King et al. (1987) at San Elijo Lagoon and Stadtlander and Konecny (1994) in the salt works found the Western Sandpiper’s fall migration peaking in October.

            The species’ spring migration through San Diego County takes place mainly in March and April.  On their weekly surveys of the salt works 1993–94, Stadtlander and Konecny (1994) recorded their maximum of 8010 on 3 March 1993.  A peak in early or mid April is probably more typical.  By the second week of May, most migrants have continued north.  Our latest date for the Western Sandpiper during the atlas period was 9 May; Stadtlander and Konecny did not record the species at all in May or June.  Nevertheless, birds in breeding plumage, presumably still heading north, have been seen as late as 5 June (Unitt 1984).

            Inland, the Western Sandpiper is more widespread and numerous in both spring and fall migration than in winter (up to 80 at Lake Hodges 27 April 1997, E. C. Hall; 800 there 24 August 1985, K. L. Weaver).  In the Anza–Borrego Desert the Western Sandpiper occurs as a rare spring migrant, mainly at artificial ponds, from 21 March (1999, four at the Borrego sewage ponds) to 8 May (1994, one at the same site, P. D. Jorgensen).  Desert records are of 10 or fewer except for 70 along Coyote Creek (D23/D24) 17 April 1991 (A. G. Morley).

            Summering Western Sandpipers in nonbreeding plumage are generally rare and confined to tidal mudflats.  Numbers as high as 46 on south San Diego Bay 17 June 1987 (R. E. Webster, AB 41:1487, 1987) and 50 in the Tijuana River estuary 6 June 1998 (B. C. Moore) are exceptional.  At San Elijo Lagoon, King et al. (1987) noted only two Western Sandpipers in June in 10 years of surveys 1973–83; one was there 13 June 1998 (B. C. Moore).

Conservation: Though abundant, the Western Sandpiper is vulnerable because of its concentrating in migration at a few staging sites such as San Francisco Bay and the Copper River delta, Alaska (Wilson 1994).   The relative importance of San Diego County to the species may have been greater before so much of the mudflats of San Diego and Mission bays were filled for development.

Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla

San Diego County’s smallest sandpiper is also one of its most widespread, being common at wetlands inland as well as those along the coast.  Though often found near or in mixed flocks with the other common small sandpiper, the Western, the Least differs slightly in its microhabitat.  The Least Sandpiper prefers higher, drier mudflats, wading less in water and soft mud than does the Western Sandpiper.  In San Diego County the Least is a migrant and winter visitor occurring mainly from early July to early May.

Winter: Along San Diego County’s coast, the Least is generally outnumbered by the Western Sandpiper, especially on the tidal mudflats of San Diego and Mission bays so favored by the Western.  Nevertheless, the Least may winter in large numbers; counts as high as 600 in the east basin of Batiquitos Lagoon (J7) 2 January 1998 (C. C. Gorman), 500 along the Chula Vista bayshore (U10) 16 December 2000 (B. C. Moore), and 738 in the Tijuana River estuary (V10) 19 December 1998 (R. B. Riggan) are exceptional.  On weekly counts in and near the salt works 1993–94, Stadtlander and Konecny (1994) found numbers from December to February varying from almost none to about 220.  In February 1989, Macdonald et al. (1990) found about 275 in San Diego Bay outside the salt works.  On the basis of monthly surveys of San Elijo Lagoon (L7) 1973–83, King et al. (1987) recorded an August–February average of 65. 

            Inland the Least Sandpiper winters on both small temporary ponds and the shores of larger reservoirs.  Sites of especially large numbers inland are Lake Henshaw (G17; 270 on 21 December 1998, S. J. Montgomery), Lake Hodges (K10; 208 on 22 December 2000, R. L. Barber), El Capitan Reservoir (N16; 185 on 2 January 2002, J. R. Barth), and Sweetwater Reservoir (S12; 250 on 20 December 1997, P. Famolaro).  The natural seasonal wetlands most frequented by the Least Sandpiper are in the San Pasqual Valley (J12; 125 on 3 January 1998, P. Unitt) and San Dieguito Valley (M8; 125 on 28 February 1999, R. T. Patton).  The sandpiper’s use of these wetlands is subject to variation in rainfall, as suggested by the wide variation in the species’ numbers on Escondido Christmas bird counts, from 129 in the wet winter of 1997–98 to zero on 4 of 18 counts 1986–2002.  The Least Sandpiper winters regularly up to 3000 feet elevation around the upper margins of Lake Morena (S21/S22/T22; up to 80 on 23 January 2000, S. E. Smith), but our only winter record at a higher elevation was of one about 4000 feet in the Manzanita Indian Reservation (R25) 22 January 2000 (J. K. Wilson).

            In the Anza–Borrego Desert wintering Least Sandpipers are rare, reported only from sewage ponds in the Borrego Valley (H25).  From 1997 to 2002 our only record was of up to four from 23 to 30 January 2000 (P. D. Jorgensen).  On Anza–Borrego Christmas bird counts 1984–2002 the species has been found in 7 of 19 years, with six or fewer except for 28 on 24 December 1989.

Migration: In San Diego County, fall migration of the Least Sandpiper begins in early July, exceptionally late June.  The numbers build to a peak in October that is not much higher than the level maintained through the winter.

In spring, migrants appear occasionally on creeks where they do not winter, e.g., five in Marron Valley (V16) 7 April 1999 (D. C. Seals), 12 along Banner Creek (K21) 22 April 1999 (P. K. Nelson), and three at Lower Willows, Coyote Creek (D23), 15 April 1987 (A. G. Morley).  The last provided the only desert record away from artificial ponds, where spring counts range up to 40 at Borrego Springs (G24) 25 April 1998 (P. D. Ache).  Stadtlander and Konecny (1994) encountered a pulse of spring migrants in the salt works on 21 April 1993, yielding their maximum count of 375.  In spite of a peak of spring migration in mid to late April, the numbers of Least Sandpipers drop abruptly in early May.  Stadtlander and Konecny (1994) did not encounter the species in May or June.  From 1997 to 2001 our dates for migrants ranged from 3 July to 3 May; previously I reported 28 June–8 May (Unitt 1984).

            Summering Least Sandpipers average fewer than one per year and are known only from the coast.  In 10 years of surveys of San Elijo Lagoon King et al. (1987) found just one, and the only record published in American Birds and its successors since 1981 is of one near Imperial Beach (V10) 8 June 1987 (R. E. Webster, AB 41:1487, 1987).  The only one reported during the atlas period was at Los Peñasquitos Lagoon (N7) 4 June 2000 (K. Estey).

Conservation: Human modification of the environment has both created and destroyed habitat for the Least Sandpiper, as for many water birds.  Reservoirs offer new habitat, but most of the tidelands and nearly all of the seasonal wetlands in floodplains have been lost.  San Diego County’s Christmas bird counts imply considerable chaotic variation in the Least Sandpiper’s numbers and local distribution from year to year but no clear trend.

Baird’s Sandpiper Calidris bairdii

Breeding in the Arctic and wintering in South America, Baird’s Sandpiper migrates principally along the east flank of the Rocky Mountains.  As a result it is rare in San Diego County; almost all occurring here are juveniles in fall migration.  Baird’s Sandpiper prefers fresh or brackish water; it is not expected on tidal mudflats.

Migration: Baird’s Sandpiper is seen most regularly at northern San Diego County’s coastal lagoons and in the Tijuana River valley.  High counts for these areas are four at the Santa Margarita River mouth (G4) 25 August 1998 (P. A. Ginsburg) and six at the sod farm in the Tijuana River valley (W11) 13 September 2001 (B. Foster).  Though reports inland are fewer, the largest concentrations of Baird’s Sandpipers recorded in San Diego County have been at Lake Henshaw (G17): by far the largest was of 92 on 2 September 1985 (R. Higson, AB 40:158, 1986).  In the early 1980s, K. L. Weaver found Baird’s Sandpiper almost annually at the east end of Lake Hodges (K11) with up to four on 22 September 1985. Regular surveys of inland reservoirs in fall (not part of the atlas study) might reveal Baird’s Sandpiper to be more frequent there than along the coast.

            The earliest fall record of Baird’s Sandpiper in San Diego County is the only record of an adult, at Batiquitos Lagoon (J7) 11–14 July 1982 (G. McCaskie, AB 36:1016, 1982).  Juveniles begin to appear shortly after this date, however, their frequency peaking in late August and early September.  The latest apparently valid date is 29 October (1964, one in the Tijuana River valley, AFN 19:79, 1965).

Conservation: Over the last quarter of the 20^th century, muddy ponds, irrigated pastures, and temporary wetlands in coastal San Diego County have been reduced, eliminating many sites where Baird’s Sandpiper formerly occurred.

Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos

Every fall a few Pectoral Sandpipers visit San Diego County’s coastal marshes, where they keep to well-vegetated areas and avoid open mudflats.  The largest numbers, however, are seen at fresh water, in wet pastures or on lakeshores.  Nearly all Pectoral Sandpipers seen in San Diego County are juveniles.

Migration: The Pectoral Sandpiper has been found at most of San Diego County’s coastal wetlands.  Since the 1990s it has generally been seen singly (or in flocks with other shorebirds), though larger numbers occurred in the past, up to 20 at San Elijo Lagoon (L7) 11 October 1963 and 10 October 1965 (G. McCaskie).  The former flooded pastures in the Tijuana River valley were a draw to Pectoral Sandpipers, yielding up to 40 on 22 September 1984 (G. McCaskie, AB 39:102, 1985).  Farther inland, the species has been reported less frequently, but Lake Henshaw (G17) has had numbers as large as 36 on 17 September 1977 (P. Unitt) and 23 on 20 September 1984 (R. Higson, AB 39:102, 1985).  Covering the upper end of Lake Hodges regularly through the early 1980s, K. L. Weaver found the Pectoral Sandpiper only in 1982 with a maximum of eight on 26 September. The only fall record for the Anza–Borrego Desert is of one at the Borrego sewage ponds (H25) 9–15 October 1990 (A. G. Morley).

            Adult Pectoral Sandpipers have been seen in San Diego County at San Elijo Lagoon 29 June 1977 (E. Copper, AB 31:1190, 1977) and at Los Peñasquitos Lagoon 23 July 2000 (S. E. Smith, NAB 54:423, 2000), providing the earliest fall records.  But not until late August, with the arrival of juveniles, is the species expected.  It is most frequent in September and October.  The latest reliable date is 18 November (1983, one photographed at Lake Henshaw, R. Higson, AB 38:246, 1984); 25 November seems too late a date for the five reported on that date at Mission Bay in 1955 (AFN 10:57, 1956).

            In spring, the Pectoral Sandpiper reaches California only casually, and there are just two spring records for San Diego County, of one at the Borrego sewage ponds 15 April 1991 (A. G. Morley) and another at Lindo Lake, Lakeside (O14), 10–11 May 2000 (N. Osborn, NAB 54:327, 2000).

Conservation: The decrease in Pectoral Sandpiper numbers in San Diego County since the early 1980s is likely due to local habitat changes.  The elimination of pastures and the reduction of irrigation in the Tijuana River valley have decreased that area’s attractiveness to fresh-water shorebirds.

Sharp‑tailed Sandpiper Calidris acuminata

 

Though it is known to breed only in Siberia and to winter only in Australasia, the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper is a regular fall vagrant along the Pacific coast of North America.  But its frequency on this continent decreases from north to south, and there are only three records for San Diego County.

 

Migration: Anthony (1922) collected a juvenile, California’s second Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, at Mission Bay 16 September 1921 (SDNHM 2255; specimen label says 15 September).  Another juvenile at Border Field State Park (W10) 27 October–2 December was photographed (E. Copper, AB 32:258, 1978).  A Sharp-tailed Sandpiper at Batiquitos Lagoon (J7) 24–25 July 1988 stands as virtually the only adult recorded along the Pacific coast (J. Oldenettel, G. McCaskie, AB 42:1340, 1988).

Dunlin Calidris alpina

Though sometimes seen in large flocks on San Diego and Mission bays and in the Tijuana River estuary, the Dunlin is outnumbered there by the Western Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher, Marbled Godwit, and Willet.  The shifting of flocks and annual irregularity make the Dunlin’s abundance difficult to assess, but the number wintering in San Diego County at the beginning of the 21^st century was about 750 to 1000.  The Dunlin’s arrival in fall, beginning in September, is later than that of other shorebirds because, unlike the others, virtually the entire North American population remains in Alaska and northern Canada to molt before heading south.

Winter: The Dunlin’s primary habitats in San Diego County are the tidal mudflats of San Diego and Mission bays, the San Diego River flood-control channel, and the Tijuana River estuary.  From 1997 to 2002 our largest concentration was of 300 on the mudflat at the west end of the D Street fill in the Sweetwater River estuary (T10) 18 December 1999 (P. Unitt).  Macdonald et al. (1990) found this site and the northern margin of the south San Diego Bay salt works (U10; 160 on 10 December 1988) to be the foci for Dunlins on San Diego Bay.  Stadtlander and Konecny (1994), on their weekly surveys in and near the salt works 1993–1994, found huge variation in the number of wintering Dunlins, from almost none on one survey in February 1993 to about 950 on 26 January 1994.  The numbers on San Diego Christmas bird counts have also fluctuated wildly, from a high of 4146 on 26 December 1970 to a low of 7 on 19 December 1998.  Whether these differences are due to actual variation or to flocks simply being missed because of incomplete coverage of the bayfront is unclear.

            Away from San Diego Bay, our numbers of wintering Dunlins during the atlas period ranged up to 50 in the Tijuana River estuary (V10) 16 December 2000 (A. DeBolt), 133 in northeast Mission Bay (Q8) 21 December 1998 (J. C. Worley), 100 at Agua Hedionda Lagoon (I6) 26 December 1998 (P. Unitt), and 50 at the Santa Margarita River mouth (G4) 27–29 January 1999 (P. A. Ginsburg).  In the north county the Dunlin’s numbers are at least as variable as in the San Diego area.  Both the Oceanside and Rancho Santa Fe Christmas bird counts occasionally miss the species.  On the basis of monthly surveys 1973–83, King et al. (1987) reported an October–April average at San Elijo Lagoon of 13.

            On fresh water wintering Dunlins are rare.  From 1997 to 2002 our only sightings of more than single individuals were of ten and five at Sweetwater Reservoir (S12) on 20 December 1997 and 18 December 1999, respectively (P. Famolaro), and eight flying up the Sweetwater River near Bonita (T12) 16 December 2000 (G. C. Hazard).  Eighteen years of Escondido Christmas bird counts have yielded only a single Dunlin, 29 December 1990.  The species has turned up on 3 of 22 Lake Henshaw counts; the only record of more than a single individual was of eight on 3 January 1981.  The only record for the Anza–Borrego Desert  is of one at the Borrego sewage ponds (H25) 19 December 1999 (H. L. Young, M. B. Mosher).

Migration: Dunlins, already in winter plumage, begin arriving in numbers in late September.  Previously I reported the species’ span of dates in San Diego County as 13 September–22 May (Unitt 1984), and in their surveys of San Diego Bay Macdonald et al. (1990) did not extend this span.  At San Elijo Lagoon, King et al. (1987) had an earliest date of 4 September 1977.  A molting adult—not juvenile as originally published—at Batiquitos Lagoon (J6/J7) 2 September 1993 (P. A. Ginsburg) was unusual enough to merit notice in American Birds (48:152, 1994).  Stadtlander and Konecny (1994), however, reported arrival in August and plotted counts during that month ranging as high as about 50, suggesting misidentification.  Fall migration peaks in October and November, and during these months the Dunlin is fairly common inland (Unitt 1984).

            Spring migration takes place largely in March and April, with few birds left by 1 May.  Stadtlander and Konecny (1994) reported none in May.  During the atlas period our latest Dunlin was one at Batiquitos Lagoon 4 May 2001 (C. C. Gorman).

            There are just four records of the Dunlin summering in San Diego County: one from the San Diego River mouth 9 July 1982 and three from San Diego Bay, 15 June 1976, 6–18 July 1982, and (up to five individuals) 9–22 June 1984 (AB 30:1003, 1976; 36:1016, 1982; 36:1016, 1982; 38:1062, 1984).

Conservation: Because of great annual variation, it is difficult to say whether the changes in Dunlin numbers on San Diego Christmas bird counts constitute a trend.  But figures of over 1000 were frequent in the late 1960s and 1970s, whereas from 1981 to 2002 the count did not yield more than 500.  Like other shorebirds, the Dunlin lost much habitat with the development of the bays.

Taxonomy: Dunlins migrating along the coast of California, including all specimens from San Diego County, are C. a. pacifica (Coues, 1861), distinguished by its relatively long bill and gray streaks on its flanks (Browning 1977, Unitt 1984).

Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea

 

The Curlew Sandpiper reaches the west coast of North America as a vagrant from Asia.   The 26 records for California through 2000 encompass fall, winter, and spring.  But the three for San Diego County are all of adults early in fall migration.

Migration: One was photographed at San Elijo Lagoon (L7) 4 July 1981 (Binford 1985), another was seen there 9 August 2001 (A. Mauro, M. B. Mulrooney, D. V. Blue; Garrett and Wilson 2003), and another was seen at the Santa Margarita River mouth (G4) 10 July 1996 (C. G. Edwards, McCaskie and San Miguel 1999).

Stilt Sandpiper Calidris himantopus

 

The Stilt Sandpiper migrates largely via central North America in spring, the Atlantic coast in fall, and is rare along the Pacific coast, occurring mainly in fall.  In San Diego County, on average, one or two sightings are reported per year.  The Salton Sea represents the northern tip of the Stilt Sandpiper’s normal winter range, but there is only one winter record for San Diego County.  The Stilt Sandpiper typically associates with dowitchers in shallow brackish or fresh water.

 

Migration: Though the Stilt Sandpiper has been reported from many of San Diego County’s coastal wetlands, the locations where it is most frequent are Batiquitos Lagoon (J6/J7), San Elijo Lagoon (L7), and the Tijuana River valley.  The sites farthest inland are Lake Hodges (K10/K11; up to two on 15 September 1985, K. L. Weaver) and Lower Otay Lake (U13/U14; 22 August 1974, AB 29:121, 1975).  From 1997 to 2001 records were of one at the Santa Margarita River mouth (G4) 21–25 August 1998 (P. A. Ginsburg), one (the same?) at sewage ponds just inland of there (G5) 30 August 1998 (R. E. Fischer), two at San Elijo Lagoon 22 July 1998 (R. T. Patton), four there 30 September 2000 (E. C. Hall, NAB 55:103, 2001), and one at the northeast corner of Mission Bay (Q8) 31 October 2001 (J. C. Worley).  The highest count ever was of up to six at San Elijo Lagoon 21 September–9 October 1992 (P. A. Gins­burg, AB 47:149, 1993).  Stilt Sandpiper occurrences range from 22 July (1998, San Elijo Lagoon, R. T. Patton), to 20 November (1987, Chula Vista, C. G. Edwards, AB 42:135, 1988) and peak in September.

 

Winter: The one Stilt Sandpiper recorded in San Diego County in winter was at San Elijo Lagoon 21–22 February 1982 (T. Meyer, AB 36:331, 1982).

Buff-breasted Sandpiper Tryngites subruficollis

The Buff-breasted Sandpiper is one of those shorebirds that breeds largely in arctic Canada and migrates largely down the middle of the continent.  It is rare on either coast; almost all seen in California are juveniles in fall migration.  Nineteen Buff-breasted Sandpipers have been seen in San Diego County, on grass or dry mud.  This rather short-billed species does not probe wet mud.

Migration: Of San Diego County’s 19 Buff-breasted Sandpipers, all have been in the Tijuana River valley except one at the upper end of Buena Vista Lagoon (H6; on land subsequently developed into a shopping center) 16 September 1967 (AFN 22:90.1968), one at Batiquitos Lagoon 8 September 1991 (Patten et al. 1995b), two at the upper end of Lake Hodges (K11) 2–3 September 1978 (Binford 1983), and one at North Island Naval Air Station (S8) 19 October 2001 (R. T. Patton).  Dates range from 26 August (1991, Patten et al. 1995b) to 25 October (1990, Heindel and Garrett 1995), except for a late straggler 4–7 December 1993 (P. Chad, NASFN 48:248, 1994).  All of San Diego County’s Buff-breasted Sandpipers have been juveniles, except for an adult 26 August–7 September 1991.

Ruff Philomachus pugnax

 

Though primarily a species of the Old World, the Ruff is a regular rare migrant and winter visitor to North America.  About 30 have been found in San Diego County, from 1962 through 2002.  In this region, tidal mudflats, brackish lagoons, pastures, and fields of sod have all been habitat to the Ruff.

Winter: Only four individual Ruffs are known to have wintered in San Diego County, but one of these returned to the shore of San Diego Bay at Chula Vista (U10) for eight consecutive years, 1984–1991.  The other winter records are from the Tijuana River valley 2 November 1968–6 April 1969 (AFN 23:108, 521, 1969) and 16–31 December 1989 (J. Oldenettel, AB 44:329, 1990) and from the south San Diego Bay salt works and nearby beach of the naval radio-receiving facility (U10/V10) 25 October 2002–30 March 2003 (D. M. Parker, G. McCaskie, NAB 57:257, 2003).  One at Batiquitos Lagoon (J7) 31 March 1990 (D. R. Willick, AB 44:496, 1990) and California’s first Ruff, in the San Diego River flood-control channel (R8) 30 March 1962 (McCaskie 1963, SDNHM 30290), may have been winter visitors or spring migrants.

Migration: It is as a fall migrant that the Ruff is most frequent in San Diego County.  All records are coastal except for one from Lake Henshaw (G17) 4–6 October 1982 (R. Higson, AB 37:224, 1983).  The earliest fall record is from the Tijuana River valley 26 June 1983 (G. McCaskie, AB 37:1027, 1983).  The bird wintering at Chula Vista was found as early as 15 July in 1984 and 19 July in 1989 (AB 39:103, 1985; 43:1368, 1989).

Short-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus griseus

The Short-billed Dowitcher is a major constituent of the shorebird flocks on the tidal flats around San Diego.  The winter population is around 2000, and even larger numbers are seen in migration.  Migrants use freshwater ponds, lakeshores, and brackish lagoons as well as tidal mudflats, but wintering birds are rare in northern San Diego County’s lagoons and absent from fresh water, making the two dowitchers’ winter distributions somewhat complementary.  The difficulty in distinguishing the two species in the field, however, still clouds our understanding of their relative status.

Winter: The mudflats of south San Diego Bay are the Short-billed Dowitcher’s center in San Diego County.  Macdonald et al. (1990) counted up to 431 along the Chula Vista bayfront (T10/U10) 29 November 1988, while Stadtlander and Konecny (1994), on weekly surveys in and near the salt works (U10/V10), recorded a December–February maximum of about 700 and averages of 200 to 450.  Large numbers also winter in the Tijuana River estuary (V10), with up to 670 on 19 December 1998 (R. B. Riggan), and northeastern Mission Bay (Q8), with up to 300 on 18 December 1998 (J. C. Worley).

            At northern San Diego County’s lagoons the Short-billed Dowitcher is rare in winter.  Some may be overlooked, but the Long-billed Dowitcher outnumbers it greatly.  On the basis of monthly counts 1973–83, King et al. (1987) reported an average of 3.7 from November to April at San Elijo Lagoon (L7).  Numbers as high as 25 (possibly including some Long-billed) at Agua Hedionda Lagoon (I6) 24 January 1999 (P. A. Ginsburg), 24 at Batiquitos Lagoon (J6/J7) 7 January 1997 (Merkel and Associates 1997), and 13 at Los Peñasquitos Lagoon (N7) 7 January 2001 (D. K. Adams) were unusually large for winter in this area.  Agua Hedionda is more attractive than the other lagoons because, being dredged, it resembles the bays.  The deepening and opening of Batiquitos Lagoon in the mid 1990s converted that previously unsuitable site into possible winter habitat for the Short-billed Dowitcher.

Migration: Adult Short-billed Dowitchers begin arriving in the last week of June and are common by the first week of July.  Juveniles beginning arriving in late July.  Macdonald et al. (1990) recorded a fall peak of 1194 around south San Diego Bay on 27 August 1988, while Stadtlander and Konecny (1994) found dowitchers’ peak abundance at the salt works in October, with up to 1156 on 27 October 1993.  The latter study found the peak of spring migrants to be smaller (maximum about 470 in April 1993), but Macdonald et al. (1990) counted 3376, most along the Chula Vista bayfront, on 10 April 1989.  Most depart by early May.  Some nonbreeding birds remain through the summer, mainly on south San Diego Bay (250 through June 1987, AB 41:1487, 1987; 84 on 24 June 1988, Macdonald et al. 1990) and at the Tijuana River estuary, irregularly in the north county.  The only records of summering Short-billed Dowitchers in the north county 1997–2001 were of four at the Santa Margarita River mouth (G4) 15 June 1997 (B. Peterson) and two at the San Dieguito River mouth (M7) 5 June 2000 (D. R. Grine).

            In contrast to winter, during migration the Short-billed Dowitcher is common at the north county lagoons and regular at freshwater ponds in the coastal lowland.  King et al. (1987) reported an average of 18 at San Elijo Lagoon in September and October, Merkel and Associates (1997) 126 at Batiquitos Lagoon 3 April 1997.  The only record for the Anza–Borrego Desert is of one at the Borrego sewage ponds (H25) 30 September 1992 (A. G. Morley).

Conservation: Kjelmyr et al. (1991) listed San Diego Bay as one of six coastal estuaries in California with 1000 or more wintering dowitchers.  Before so much of the tidal mudflats of Mission and San Diego bays were filled, the area’s importance to the Short-billed Dowitcher was probably even greater.

Taxonomy: Limnodromus g. caurinus Pitelka, 1950, which breeds in southern Alaska, is the subspecies wintering commonly along the California coast.  On the basis of its smaller size, a juvenile from Whelan Lake (G6) 24 September 1961 (A. M. Rea, SDNHM 3098) is L. g. hendersoni Rowan, 1932, breeding in central Canada.  In breeding plumage hendersoni has more rufous and less spotting on the underparts, but in juvenile plumage it differs only in size.

Long-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus scolopaceus

The Long-billed Dowitcher is one of the more common shorebirds in San Diego County on fresh water, surpassed inland only by the Least Sandpiper and Killdeer.  It is even more common in coastal estuaries, but it is scarce on the tidal mudflats of San Diego and Mission bays sought by the Short-billed Dowitcher.  The Long-billed arrives later in the fall than the Short-billed, and, unlike the Short-billed, rarely remains as a nonbreeding visitor through the summer.

Winter: The Long-billed Dowitcher occurs in equal abundance both along the coast and inland.  Along the coast, the main sites are the San Diego River flood-control channel and Famosa Slough (R8), with up to 185 at the latter 6 January 2000 (J. A. Peugh), and the north county lagoons, with up to 310 at Batiquitos (J7) 2 January 1998 (C. C. Gorman) and 297 at San Elijo (L7) 23 December 2001 (E. Garnica).  The Long-billed Dowitcher frequents the channels within the marshes in the estuaries of the Tijuana and Sweetwater rivers but avoids the open tide flats of San Diego Bay preferred by the Short-billed Dowitcher.  Nevertheless, the two species have ample opportunity to mix.

            Inland, the Long-billed Dowitcher occurs both around reservoirs and in shallow ponds or wetlands wet only during winter rains.  Large concentrations in the former habitat are 309 at Lake Hodges (K10) 22 December 2000 (R. L. Barber) and 160 on the north side of Lake Morena (S21) 23 January 2000 (S. E. Smith).  Large concentrations in the latter habitat are 100 at the Dairy Mart pond, Tijuana River valley (V11) 16 December 2000 (G. McCaskie) and 36 in San Dieguito Valley (M8) 28 February 1999 (R. T. Patton).  Lake Morena, at 3000 feet elevation, was the highest site where we noted wintering dowitchers.  One at Borrego Springs (G24) 23 February 1998 (P. D. Ache) was most likely an early spring migrant.

Migration: A few migrant Long-billed Dowitchers may arrive by late June, but the bulk of adults begins arriving in late July, that of juveniles, in late August.  Thus the fall migration of the Long-billed is later than that of the Short-billed.  Spring migration extends from late February, as suggested by the record from Borrego Springs, to early or mid May.  Our latest spring date from 1997 to 2001 was 11 May (1999, three at Buena Vista Lagoon, H6, M. Freda; nine at San Elijo Lagoon, M. B. Stowe).  Unlike the Short-billed, the Long-billed has no strong peaks of migration in San Diego County.

            The Long-billed is far less frequent than the Short-billed as a nonbreeding visitor through the summer.  Nevertheless, there are a few records: one on south San Diego Bay and one at the Tijuana River mouth 9 June 1984 (R. E. Webster, G. McCaskie, AB 38:1062, 1984), two at the Sweetwater River mouth (U10) 24 June 1988 (Macdonald et al. 1990), one at Batiquitos Lagoon 5–7 June 1998 (F. Hall, C. C. Gorman).  From their monthly surveys of San Elijo Lagoon 1973–83, King et al. (1987) reported an average in June and July of 1.2.

Conservation: The Long-billed Dowitcher has taken advantage of new habitat created with reservoirs, but it has suffered loss of considerable habitat because of channelizing of rivers, development of floodplains, and elimination of seasonal wetlands.

Wilson’s Snipe Gallinago delicata

Unlike many members of the sandpiper family, snipes avoid the seashore, seeking fresh or brackish water with low vegetation and soft mud.  Development of the coastal lowland has eliminated most of the seasonal wetlands ideal for snipes, and the species is on the decline in that area.  Wilson’s Snipe is basically a winter visitor to San Diego County, but it has probably nested less than 20 miles north of the county line in the Garner Valley of Riverside County and 50 miles south of the border at Ojos Negros (Huey 1928a).  Thus the few summer sightings in southeastern San Diego County suggest the species could nest there irregularly. 

  

Winter: Wilson’s Snipe is widespread in San Diego County, but its habitat is naturally patchy in this arid region.  Where the rivers have not been channelized, the floodplains of the coastal lowland offer some of the most extensive habitat.  Even there the species is generally uncommon, though concentrations in this zone range up to 25 in San Dieguito Valley (M8) 27 December 1998 (P. Unitt).  Low-lying places in San Diego County’s largest grassland, Warner Valley, are also a center for the snipe and had the largest number noted 1997–2002: 31 in the east arm of the valley along Buena Vista and San Ysidro creeks (G19) 10 December 2000 (R. and S. L. Breisch).  Coastal wetlands attract fewer snipes than those inland, but Los Peñasquitos Lagoon (N7) has the species regularly, with up to 15 on 3 February 2002 and 20 on 3 March 2002 (S. E. Smith, D. K. Adams).  If montane wetlands remain free of ice and snow the snipe may winter on them, with up to six at Lake Cuyamaca (M20) 7 January 2001 (R. B. Riggan) and four at Big Laguna Lake (O23) 18 January 1998 (P. Unitt).  In the Anza–Borrego Desert the snipe occurs at both artificial and natural oases.  It winters regularly at Lower Willows along Coyote Creek (D23), where A. G. Morley has noted up to five per day (Massey 1998).

            The numbers and distribution of the snipe in San Diego County may be expected to vary with the severity of the winter farther north and rainfall locally.  Nevertheless, the number we recorded per hour varied little through the atlas period and was only 8% lower in the very dry winter of 2001–02 than in the wet 1997–98.

Migration: The snipe occurs in San Diego County primarily from early September to early April.  Dates range from 16 August (1964, one at San Diego) and 20 April (1983, one in the Tijuana River valley, G. McCaskie, AB 37:1027, 1983) to at least 6 May (2001, one at Los Peñasquitos Lagoon, D. R. Grine).  One along Buena Vista Creek in Warner Valley (G18) 12 May 2001 (T. Stands, S. Yamagata) could have been summering.

Breeding distribution: Though the snipe is not known to breed in San Diego County, field work for this atlas yielded an unexpected number of sightings in summer.  The only previous summer record was of one at Boulevard (T26) 6 July 1993 (P. Unitt, AB 47:1150, 1993).  The most intriguing reports are from Tule Lake (T27), where J. K. Wilson noted the species repeatedly, with up to three on 21 June and 3 July 2000.  On the latter date, two birds remained together at length, suggesting a pair.  Sites of other summer records, all of single birds, are O’Neill Lake (E6; 2 July 1999, P. A. Ginsburg), Lake Henshaw (G17; 26 July 1998, R. A. Hamilton, FN 52:503, 1998), the upper end of El Capitan Reservoir (N17; 9 July 1999, D. C. Seals), Pine Valley (P21; 5 June 2001, M. B. Mulrooney), and the south side of Corte Madera Lake (R20; 20 June 1998, P. Unitt, FN 52:503, 1998).  Corte Madera and Tule lakes are the most likely nesting sites.

Conservation: Snipe numbers on the San Diego, Rancho Santa Fe, Oceanside, and Escondido Christmas counts all show a trend of decrease.  The San Diego count averaged 46 from 1962 to 1981 but only 2.4 from 1997 to 2001.  Development of floodplains and channelizing of streams eliminate snipe habitat.  Though the upper ends of reservoirs are some of the county’s main snipe sites, the filling of the reservoirs covered former habitat.

            The recent upsurge in summer records probably reflects only attention paid during the atlas period to areas previously poorly known.  Overgrazing, pumping of ground water, and a trend toward a drier climate are bad signs for wetland birds like the snipe.

Taxonomy: With its Eurasian and South American relatives ranked again as full species (Banks et al. 2002), Wilson’s Snipe of North America is left as a monotypic species.

Wilson’s Phalarope Phalaropus tricolor

Most of the world’s Wilson’s Phalarope population stages at a few saline lakes in western North America before migrating to the altiplano of the Andes (Jehl 1988).  San Diego County is thus off the species’ main migration route, but the birds are locally common from mid June through September on brackish lagoons, inland lakes, and above all the salt works at the south end of San Diego Bay.  Yet otherwise they avoid San Diego and Mission bays almost totally.  Spring migrants are uncommon.  Occasional wintering in the salt works ceased in the mid 1980s.

Migration: Wilson’s Phalarope is noted for its early fall migration, begun by adult females, which can depart the breeding range as soon as they lay their eggs, leaving the tasks of incubation and brood rearing to the males.  Arrival in the third week of June is typical; even 15 in breeding plumage at Batiquitos Lagoon (J6/J7) 9 June 1979 (E. Copper) were likely early “fall” migrants.  In the salt works, on the basis of weekly surveys through 1993, Stadtlander and Konecny (1994) found a sharp peak in July, with a high count of 370.  At San Elijo Lagoon (L7), however, on the basis of monthly surveys 1973–83, King et al. (1987) found a peak in August, with a high count of 360 on 5 August 1979.  The differences may be related to different habitat use by adults, which arrive earlier, and juveniles, which arrive later.  Inland, Wilson’s Phalarope is uncommon in fall, frequenting small lakes or mudflats at the upper ends of large reservoirs.  From 1997 to 2002 our maximum inland counts were of six at Tule Lake (T27) 21 June 2000 (J. K. Wilson), 12 at O’Neill Lake (E6) 28 June 2000 (P. A. Ginsburg), and 11 at the upper end of Lake Morena (S22) 2 July 2000 (R. and S. L. Breisch).  The only fall record from the Anza–Borrego Desert is of one at a gravel pit along Highway S2 near the Imperial County line (Q29) 19 August 1975 (M. Getty).

            In spring the species’ numbers are far smaller.  Although Guy McCaskie noted up to 300 in the salt works 5 May 1962, on their weekly counts in spring 1993 Stadtlander and Konecny (1994) observed an average of fewer than 10 Wilson’s Phalaropes, in April only.  Away from the salt works, during the atlas period, our only spring record of more than a single bird away from the salt works was of 20 at Agua Hedionda Lagoon (I6) 30 April 2000 (J. Ciarletta).  In spring Wilson’s Phalarope is rare inland, recorded just at Ramona (K15; one on 30 April 2003, M. B. Stowe) and at the Borrego sewage ponds (H25; three from 15 to 25 April 1987 and on 29 April 1990, A. G. Morley).  The interval 21 March–22 May reported for spring migration by Unitt (1984) apparently still stands.  Records of apparently summering birds are of seven in the salt works 27 May 1979 (M. U. Evans) and single individuals at San Elijo Lagoon 2 June 1974 and 7 June 1981 (King et al. 1987).

Winter: From at least 1960 to 1985 small numbers of Wilson’s Phalaropes wintered occasionally in the salt works; the species was recorded on 8 of 24 San Diego Christmas bird counts 1960–83.  The high count was of eight from 19 January to 1 March 1963 (AFN 17:358, 1963), and the most recent winter record was of two from 14 to 23 February 1985 (G. McCaskie, AB 39:210, 1985).

 

Conservation: Whatever change to the salt works terminated phalaropes’ wintering there, it affected the Red-necked and Wilson’s simultaneously.  At the beginning of the 21^st century, Wilson’s Phalarope seems less numerous as a migrant than in the 1960s and 1970s.  Part of the change may be due to local habitat changes, as few muddy ponds remain in the coastal lowland.  The restoration of tidal flow at Batiquitos and San Elijo lagoons rendered these sites less attractive to Wilson’s Phalaropes.

Red-necked or Northern Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus

The Red-necked Phalarope is an abundant migrant in the south San Diego Bay salt works, a common migrant on the ocean offshore, and common in fall on northern San Diego County’s lagoons.  At other times and places it is uncommon to rare.  The Red-necked Phalarope’s formerly regular wintering in the salt works, like that of Wilson’s Phalarope, ceased in the mid 1980s.

Migration: The salt works are by far the Red-necked Phalarope’s principal site in San Diego County.  In their weekly surveys of the salt works 1993–94, Stadtlander and Konecny (1994) found numbers peaking at about 12,000 on 18 August 1993.  Even their minimum August count reached 4300.  In their monthly surveys of San Elijo Lagoon 1973–83, King et al. (1987) found an average of 250 in September and October and a maximum of 1400 on 4 September 1977.  Only during fall migration is the Red-necked Phalarope regular on inland lakes, with up to seven at Lake Hodges (K11) 18 September 1982 (K. L. Weaver) and 10 at Lake Henshaw (G17) 17 September 1978 (P. Unitt).  The species occurs in fall primarily from mid July (exceptionally 24 June, 1988, two at the northeast corner of the salt works, Macdonald et al. 1990) to October.  The single Red-necked Phalarope reported during the winter atlas season, of one in the San Diego River flood-control channel (R8) 7 December 1997 (B. C. Moore), was evidently a late fall straggler.

            In spring the Red-necked Phalarope is much less common.  In May 1993, Stadtlander and Konecny (1994) found an average of about 700 and maximum of about 1500 in the salt works.  Though spring migrants are often common on the ocean as well, away from the salt works they are rare even at other coastal wetlands.  From 1997 to 2001 there was no spring report of more than eight, and at San Elijo Lagoon King et al. (1987) recorded a May average of only 0.4.  Our only Red-necked Phalarope inland during the atlas period, at the Borrego sewage ponds (H25) 3 May 1997 (H. L. Young, M. B. Mosher) was one of just three recorded in the Anza–Borrego Desert, the others being at the same locality 14 April 1992 and at Lower Willows (D23) 7 May 1988 (A. G. Morley).  Spring dates range from 5 April (1998, eight at Los Peñasquitos Lagoon, N7, D. K. Adams) and 7 April (1998, one at La Jolla Shores, P7, SDNHM 50293) to 23 May (1926, two off Point Loma, S7, SDNHM 10794–5).

Winter: From at least 1953 to 1985 the Red-necked Phalarope wintered fairly regularly in the salt works.  It was recorded on 21 of the 31 San Diego Christmas bird counts 1953–83 with up 230 on 23 December 1967.  Since 1985, however, wintering Red-necked Phalaropes have been found there only once, with six on 16 December 1995.

 

Conservation: The building of the salt works created hypersaline ponds with abundant brine shrimp, ideal staging stops for the Red-necked and Wilson’s Phalaropes.  But why the Red-necked Phalarope’s wintering on the salt works came to an abrupt end is unknown.

Red Phalarope Phalaropus fulicarius

The Red Phalarope is the most pelagic of the three phalaropes, rarely found on land except when driven onshore by storms.  The Red Phalarope’s abundance is notably irregular: usually the species is rare, but large flocks are occasional.  Such concentrations may appear abruptly at any time in fall, winter, or spring.

Migration: In San Diego County the Red Phalarope occurs mainly from October to early May, but dates range from 23 July (1935, “abundant offshore,” Miller 1936) to 29 May (1964, one on San Diego Bay, G. McCaskie).  There are only a few inland records, of scattered single individuals, except on 11 November 1982, when 60 were on Lake Henshaw (G17; G. McCaskie) and over 100 were on Lake Hodges (K10/K11; K. L. Weaver, AB 37:224, 1983).  The only Red Phalarope reported from the Anza–Borrego Desert was near Borrego Springs 7 March 1992 (K. Ellsworth, AB 46:480, 1992).

Winter: The Red Phalarope is just as frequent along San Diego County’s coast in winter as during migration.  From 1997 to 2002 the only significant influx was in early January 2001.  At least 5000 were on the ocean within 5 miles of La Jolla (P7) 1 January 2001 (S. Walens, NAB 55:228, 2001) and 80 were visible from Torrey Pines State Reserve (N7) 7 January 2001 (D. K. Adams).  The species’ irregularity is exemplified by the results of San Diego Christmas bird counts.  The Red Phalarope was noted on 30 of 50 counts 1953–2002 with a median of 2, a mean of 95, and a maximum of 2032, the last on 21 December 1963.