The San Dieguito Monthly Bird Count identified 84 species in August, including 1 new species! This brings the cumulative total to 231 species. Click here for the PDF document with the detailed monthly results through August 2016.

The Wood Stork was the new species seen during the August bird count. It is listed as a Threatened species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. According to the Audubon Guide to North American Birds, the Wood Stork is the only native stork to North America and breeds primarily in Florida. Some Wood Storks from western Mexico are seen at the Salton Sea and other parts of the U.S. Southwest. The featured photo of a Wood Stork was taken by Joan Gellatly and was found on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology All About Birds website.

According to bird count leader Jayne Lesley, other species of interest included: 4 Black Storm-Petrels seen over the ocean, a Roadrunner family in the Dust Devil Nature Trail area, returning Kingfishers, lingering Least Bell’s Vireos, and an assortment of blackbirds at Del Mar Horsepark (200+ Tricolored Blackbirds, Brewer’s Blackbirds, Red-winged Blackbirds, and Cowbirds).

Click here for more information about the San Dieguito Lagoon Bird Surveys.