It turns out 2020, and to a lesser extent 2021, were pretty decent years for unusual birds in Los Angeles County. Really, only the Glaucous-winged Gull at Piute Ponds, the Greater Pewees in Rustic and Kewen Canyons, and the Neotropic Cormorants at Santa Fe Dam were self-found, and I really hate chasing other peoples' birds, but if it's a new one for me in LA County, I'll go for it.
It was also good rarity-ing outside of Los Angeles, where I rarely venture even before a global pandemic shut down most things. Nevertheless, I made a few exceptions.
![HarlequinDuck_OC_113020-3 Harlequin Duck, Santa Ana River, 10/31/20](http://leaftosser.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/HarlequinDuck_OC_113020-3.jpg)
Harlequin Duck, Santa Ana River, 10/31/20
![Feenstra 2021 Purple Sandpiper, North Shore Marina, Salton Sea, 2/2/21](http://leaftosser.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/PurpleSandpiper_NShoreMarina_020221-9.jpg)
Purple Sandpiper, North Shore Marina, Salton Sea, 2/2/21