San Diego County in California is likely one of the birdiest areas in the USA with 500+ species recorded there. It gives a variety of habitats from the coast, to the desert, to the mountains. Additionally, the climate is fantastic year-round (do concentrate on the overcast, cooler months of “Grey Could” and “June Gloom”). This all contributes to quite a lot of hen life. We had an opportunity to expertise the beautiful climate and hen variety throughout our go to to the realm.
We spent in the future with a implausible native birder. He drove us round all day and was decided to get me my goal birds. We began our day by heading into the mountain space, reaching a top of 5200 ft. We discovered Pygmy Nuthatch, Mountain Chickadee, Band-tailed Pigeon, and White-headed Woodpecker. My non-birder husband, who has a terrific eye, really observed the woodpeckers first and pointed them out to us. Our host joked that he was placing him out of his job. We watched the feminine woodpecker flake bark off a tree to search out grubs to feed her fledgling son. We drove all the way down to decrease elevations for Lawrence’s Goldfinch, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Western Wooden-Pewee, Lazuli Bunting, and White-faced Ibis. We completed the day in a neighborhood park on the lookout for an elusive California Gnatcatcher, which was hanging out with a flock of Bushtits.
My backpack with my hen pins on the Pacific Crest Path marker
Later in our journey, we went out with a hen information. We birded in Kitchen Creek, which is alongside the Pacific Crest Path within the Laguna Mountains. That day I added the next lifers: Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Black-headed Grosbeak, Western Meadowlark, Hooded Oriole, and Bullock’s Oriole. On each days the surroundings was an added bonus. The mountains had been strewn with boulders and the valleys had been inexperienced with citrus and avocado orchards. On the finish of the day, the sundown over the mountains was gorgeous.
Black-headed Grosbeak
We explored some locations on our personal. The Chula Vista Nature Heart is positioned south of town on San Diego Bay. We loved trying on the reveals and happening a tour of the power with a docent. We wandered alongside trails all the way down to the bay. We noticed a Black Skimmer zip by a pair of feeding Lengthy-billed Curlews. Scenic Level Loma gives panoramic views of town, the bay, and the Pacific Ocean. Drive down the hill to go to the Cabrillo Tidal Swimming pools. At low tide, every kind of attention-grabbing creatures are seen. I’m positive that the realm attracts shorebirds throughout migration.
Cabrillo Tidal Pool at low tide
Tijuana Slough is a part of the Tijuana Estuary. It’s an Vital Chicken Space and is as near Mexico as you may get however nonetheless be in the USA. The afternoon we had been there, we frequently noticed US Coast Guard helicopters patrolling the realm. On a visit to San Diego County, be ready to be checked out by the Border Patrol. On the day we had been out with the hen information, we went by one spot test. Later that very same day, a Border Patrol officer observed our parked automobile and got here trying to see who the homeowners had been. These had been positively totally different birding experiences. On the slough, the birds are used to the constantly-circling helicopters and proceed about their day by day lives. I used to be delighted to search out my lifer Clapper Rail. That hen was very cooperative – it stored wandering out and in of the reeds. We additionally noticed American Pipit, Horned Lark, Least Tern, Willet, and a pair of Yellow-crowned Night time-Herons (pictured at starting of article), which had been nesting there for the second yr in a row.
A really productive go to certainly!
Notice: Backpack picture from the Kinrys household. Different photographs from Pexels.com, a web-based supply of copyright-free photographs.