A Sparkle of Gold

The colors of Autumn are quickly changing. The Rabbitbrush that was full of Monarchs a week ago is now empty of these beautiful butterflies.

The deep purple thistle blooms are becoming feathery white and full of seeds.

There are fewer dragonflies patrolling but there is one I saw recently that was captivating.

Flashes of gold caught my eye. When the wind forced it to land on a stem, I was able to "capture" its amazing sparkling wings of gold.

 The gold is more subtle in the Golden-crowned Sparrow. This winter resident has just arrived.

I spotted a couple of them in a berry filled bush. You can see from his red-tinged beak that he is enjoying those berries!

 Since we keep a small water fountain for the birds, lots of birds visit us for a drink. Birds that don't eat birdseed will come for much needed water. The latest arrival has been the elusive Hermit Thrush.

The more commonly seen Yellow-rumped Warblers have also arrived at our bird bath. The change of season has brought changes to the warbler's plumage but he is still recognizable when he takes flight.

Trees, flowers, butterflies, dragonflies, birds.... I hope you can enjoy the changing colors that surround you! Remember water in your backyard helps the local wildlife a lot!!

Glimpse of a Bobcat

It's been months since I've seen a bobcat so it was pretty exciting to catch a glimpse of one under our porch recently.

When he emerged from his shelter, he had his eyes on something of extreme interest.

Almost immediately, I heard the alarm call of a squirrel in the overhead tree.

In response, this squirrel who was headed for the bobcat changed his route and leapt into the tree.

The bobcat spotted my curious eyes. The chance encounter only lasted a few minutes. Off he went to new hunting grounds. The Steller's Jays started their alarm calls as he departed. It's not easy for a bobcat to sneak around with the sentries of the forest on duty.

Birding at Sea

Whales, dolphins, sea lions, flying fish and numerous pelagic birds such as Black-footed Albatross, Brown Booby, Black-vented Shearwater and Arctic Tern are a few of the magnificent creatures that you have a chance to see in their natural setting if you spend the day out on the ocean.

You need to be willing to get up super early. I thought birders were the earliest risers. Not so! When we lined up to board the 85ft ship for a day at sea before dawn, fishermen had already unloaded their catch for the day. The fish were lined up, weighed and photos were being taken of prized trophy fish.

 Before living in California, I had never gone on a Pelagic birding trip. Living in the mountains surrounded by deserts is great but I do miss the ocean so I jumped at the chance to join a birding trip on the ocean at the recent Western Field Ornithologist conference.

Some birds can be only seen if you go out to sea. The goal of these types of trips is to see Pelagic birds that live far off the coast. All other sightings are a bonus. Be forewarned, you may get a "gift" from a seagull overhead which happened to me immediately or you may get seasick if there are lots of waves and unpleasant smells. Fortunately, we were all spared from that unpleasant experience.

Black-vented Shearwater

Black-footed Albatross

The Black-vented Shearwater, Arctic Tern, Brown Booby and huge Black-footed Albatross came close enough to the boat to get a close look. Most of what I saw is captured in memory only since it is incredibly difficult to get photos of fast moving birds aboard a moving boat. There were unexpected surprises as well.

 Sea Lions lounging on the buoy were pretty easy to photograph but there were other moments that were only captured in my mind.

Seeing a Hump-backed whale shoot its entire body like a rocket followed by white foamy waves after his reentry into the water is something I'll never forget. Another is the Flying fish which unexpectedly propels its body at top speed above the surface of the water for several feet before disappearing into the deep blue water. A pod of at least 30 grey and white dolphins playfully followed alongside the boat for a brief exciting period of time before leaving us.

 Of all these memorable experiences, one chance encounter will stand out. A tiny Ruby-crowned Kinglet lost his navigation during his migration journey. These little birds do not normally cross huge bodies of water. He found our boat about 20 miles off the coast and flew into the cabin above the deck where the pilot and leader of the trip were guiding our ship.

 This little bird was lucky because it had landed on board a boat full of kind hearted people including a few with experience handling birds.The kinglet was fed water on the edge of a popsicle stick. He reluctantly relented and drank some drops of water before resting in a discarded lunch box that we used as a makeshift cage until we returned to land. He survived the 6 hour return journey and was placed in the cover of a shrub where he had a second chance of life.

Sunset at Point Loma

It was an amazing day! Being able to view pelagic birds that can only be seen from the ocean, whales defying gravity with their propulsion above the water, fish shooting themselves across the surface of the water and the survival of a lost songbird were incredible experiences.

Brown Pelican

 If you get the opportunity, I highly recommend it! Remember to watch out for overhead seagulls dropping gifts!

On the Border

On the border of California and Mexico are some great places to go birdwatching - Tijuana River Estuary and Imperial Beach

Thankfully, in the 70's and early 80's, dedicated people worked hard to save this area from following the fate of the majority of salt marshes in Southern California. Today, it provides critical habitat for 370 species of migratory and resident birds.

From sunrise to sunset, a group of us explored trees, blooming flowers, ponds, mudflats, marsh grass, ocean water, skies and sandy beaches.

 

The estuary provides food and a nesting spot to threatened and endangered birds as well. We came across a few threatened Western Snowy Plovers in the sand.

Near the Western Snowy Plovers, a few equally adorable Semipalmated Plovers were resting. During breeding and nesting, it is essential to keep a distance from these birds. They lay their eggs on the open sand and are quite vulnerable to predation from natural sources as well as the unexpected, like a curious dog, feral cat or kite flying overhead.

 

While walking on the beach, I was surprised to see a  Mexican bullring at the edge of the water.

A more pleasant discovery was the protected refuge found on the Coronado Islands in Mexico.

 The Yellow-crowned Night Heron is rarely seen anywhere in California but a few have made their home in this estuary. This juvenile sat motionlessly while I took his photo. 

 

 

Watching the Long-billed Curlew probing in the mud, the Marbled Godwit scouring the beach and the Willet eating a crab reminded me of the abundant salt marsh found along the Georgia coast that needs diligent protection.

At the end of the day as we were leaving the beach, two endangered Belding's Savannah Sparrows perched on a boulder in the dimming sunlight - A great memory to end the day on the border.