Notes about your surroundings

Rare birds--Spring got off to a slow start, as far as local birders are concerned. But in the last few days of April and on into early May, rare bird sightings suddenly took off around the county, according to the monthly report compiled by Doug Willick for the National Audubon Society.

At Huntington Central Park on May 7, eight black swifts were seen, as was a male purple martin. Black swifts are seldom seen in migration, and have never before been spotted at the heavily birded park. Purple martins have seriously declined in numbers throughout California (another purple martin was seen April 10 at Upper Newport Bay).

Two adult reddish egrets have turned up in the county. One was spotted during a shorebird census at the Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge on April 24, and a second bird has been seen at Bolsa Chica starting April 29.

Some other April and May sightings: merlins at Peter’s Canyon Regional Park, a flock of Pacific golden plovers wintering in Seal Beach, great-tailed grackles at Huntington Central Park and a white-throated sparrow in Chino Hills State Park.

The April 30 Audubon Bird-A-Thon turned up some highlights as well: a zone-tailed hawk over Santiago Oaks Regional Park, a northern fulmar swimming off the end of the Newport Pier, along withseveral parasitic jaegers flying nearby.

Trail day--Volunteers are needed for a special trail maintenance day Saturday, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Aliso and Wood Canyons Regional Park. Registered volunteers will get T-shirts for taking part, so call ahead to REI, one of the event’s sponsors, at (714) 543-4142.