Notes about your surroundings.

Bird Rarities--There were a number of early arrivals during this spring’s migratory season, according to the Sea & Sage chapter of the National Audubon Society.

Species that have had their earliest spring arrivals in the county recorded this year include the least tern, Vaux’s swift, olive-sided flycatcher, Hammond’s flycatcher, MacGillivray’s warbler and black-chinned sparrow.

Other birds of note spotted recently include a white-throated sparrow, seen at the Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary. A black-throated sparrow, a desert species not usually seen near the coast, was spotted in Newport Beach. And a gray flycatcher was seen at Huntington Central Park.

Also, a bird that showed characteristics suggesting that it might be a hybrid between the red-breasted and the red-naped sapsuckers was spotted at Starr Ranch Audubon Sanctuary.