Thanks to all who sent great information on
birding spots near Laguna Beach/Newport Beach.
Sharing some sightings/experiences:

First - IT IS HOT!!! So Cal is having a hot spell
and it has been in the high 80's or 90's every
day. Inland even hotter with over 100 in the
"valley" so not the best of conditions (at least
for me and I believe for the birds as well)

Second - Yes the beaches are lovely, but I am so
glad I did take up chance early in my life to
work here. SOOOOOOO many people, traffic, etc.
Also it is just impossible for me to orient as
mostly everything is the same...same arid hills,
gated communities, highways, shopping centers etc
etc. Do prefer Seattle - even if it too has
changed so much in recent years.

Third - BIRDS and BIRDERS - I spent two hours plus
at Bolsa Chica (north of Newport Beach at
Huntington Beach), two separate visits to Back Bay
in Newport Beach, an Hour at Irvine Lake inland a
bit and another hour at Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary
(pretty close to Irvine Lake). In all of that
time, I did not meet/see another birder. Lots of
walkers, photographers, runners, and bikers but
nobody with even binoculars let alone a scope
(which BTW I did not bring and really missed).
Some sightings:

Back Bay (Newport Beach) - great area with some
good birds but very frustrating in that it is a
large area with to me poor access and most of the
birds were pretty far off, often too far to
discern through my 8.5X binoclulars. Beautiful
and in the morning especially spectacular light.
Birds included Great and Snowy Egrets, Black
Crowned and Great Blue Herons, Whimbrel, Long
Billed Curlews, Willets (hundreds), Dowitchers
(few), and a scattering of peeps (only identified
Western as others were simply too far off),
Killdeer, Pied Billed Grebes, Mallards and a
SIngle Coot. NO blackbirds of any kind (ok -
crows), Song Sparrows, Northern Mockingbird,
Anna's Hummingbird (many), Common Yellowthroat
(many, many), no terns, few gulls and that's about
it. I am sure that a more thorough (and scope
aided) study would have produced more. Also I only
birded from the south (east?) side of the area and
as I said the access was challenging.

On the other hand...BOLSA CHICA was fantastic!!!
Great birds, great access, great diversity, great
photo ops etc. Birded in early morning and can
report the following: Double Crested Cormorants
and Brown Pelicans, Caspian Terns and many Elegant
and Forster's Terns, TWO Least Terns (late for the
area but clearly identified with a direct
flyover), Black Skimmers (gorgeous birds), many
Western and Heerman's Gulls (and others I did not
identify...lazy...) a single Great Egret but many
Snowies, two close up Black Crowned Night Herons,
AND a single Reddish Egret!! Shorebirds included
both Western (hundreds) and Least Sandpipers
(some), both Greatter and Lesser Yellowlegs (a
few), Black Bellied and Semipalmated Plovers
(dozens), Killdeer, Short Billed Dowitchers (25+),
Whimbrel (50+), Willets (100+), Marbled Godwits
(30+) and Long Billed Curlew (30+). There may have
been others scattered in the groups but especially
without a scope, I did not work every bird. In
the nearby chaparral, reeds and fields, I had many
Kestrels, two Red Shouldered Hawks, an Osprey and
an Immature White Tailed Kite!!! plus House Wren,
House Finch, Crows, Raven, a single Wrentit,
several Black Phoebes, Mourning Dove and Rock
Pigeon, many Anna's Hummingbirds and numerous
Savannah Sparrows (Belding's). I probably walked
three miles and really loved the area. It would
be fun to visit in spring and when waterfowl are
present.

Irvine Lake is a large ugly lake in the middle of
dry country - private, pay to access. I walked in
early and covered only a small area. Spoke to
someone later who said that birders do come often
and drive in and see "lots of birds". I was
immediately greeted by 4 Acorn Woodpeckers and a
Nuttall's WP, numerous noisy Great Tailed
Grackles, many crows, a dozen or so Scrub Jays and
at least 25 Turkey Vultures (on the ground, in the
air, on telephone poles and in trees), two Robins
(only ones of the trip) and Brown/California
Towhees. Other birds were a Red Tailed Hawk,
California Quail, 30+ mallards, a Pied Billed
Grebe and a couple of Coots (not including me)
many Great Blue Herons, and a handful each of
Snowy and Great Egrets, three Black Crowned Night
Herons (in trees in great light), Killdeer,
Spotted Sandpiper and Lesser Yellowlegs, Band
Tailed Pigeons and Mourning Doves, a single
Anna's, Orange Crowned Warbler and Common
Yellowthroats, House Finch and 2 Lesser
Goldfinches. As I was leaving I found both Western
and Cassin's Kingbirds in the trees around the
boat house.

I then journeyed on to Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary -
hard to find, hard to get to and mostly
disappointing with a couple of notable
exceptions. The place opens at 9 and I got there
around 8 (I had started early at the Lake). Met a
nice staff member who suggested hiking the trail
across the road until they opened. As we spoke at
least 6 hummingbirds strafed us and I figured it
was going to be a great day (they are known for
their hummers). I also walked "the neighborhood"
and was amazed at the number of Acorn Woodpeckers
- at least 20. The trail walk was disappointing -
very quiet. Managed a Pacific Slope Flycatcher,
Black Phoebe, California and Spotted Towhee
(many), Scrub Jays, Lesser Goldfinch, House Finch
and an Orange Crowned Warbler plus Raven and
several Mourning Doves. I had hoped for much
more. Then I got into the Sanctuary and while I
found many hummingbirds, few were at the feeders
and the same was true for other birds - maybe it
was the squirrels. I did see a single Black
Chinned and a single Allens and a single Rufous
but the others were all Anna's. At the feeders
the only birds were a single Oak Titmouse, a
single WHite Breasted Nuthatch, many Scrub Jays
and House Finches and that's it. There were many
(40+) quail - all California (I had hoped/dreamed
of Mountain or Gambells). Things did not seem to
be picking up so I left earlier than I had
expected. I walked the trail again - just hoping
for SOMETHING and was rewarded with a California
Thrasher and a single Phainopepla - apparently a
fairly common bird.

So that's it for the trip - would have been nice
to meet up with some locals - but did not happen.
All in all good birds and Bolsa Chica was a real
treat. Still - get me back to Seattle and out of
here...

--
Blair Bernson
Seattle