It Began with a Horseshoe

Our good fortune started with finding a horseshoe. How many times have you found one in your life? For me? Never! It was a good beginning to the week.

When you get to know your local birds and what habitat they reside in, you can almost guarantee that you will find them in their favorite spots. These beautiful California Scrub-Jays (Aphelocoma californica) are a perfect example. Whenever I travel down to Garner Valley, I know that I will see at least a few of these birds. They usually have an acorn in their beak as they fly to a spot to stash them in the ground.

Then there are the moments when you see a familiar bird like this Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) in a unique location. However, bird chasing occurs when you get a tip to see a rare or unexpected bird. We received a tip that a couple of really neat birds were in Garner Valley so off I went to find them yesterday. No guarantees, of course, since birds are quite mobile.

Imagine looking for a couple of unique birds in this location. It certainly is a beautiful spot to spend the morning no matter the outcome.

Luck was on my side. This lone Lewis's Woodpecker (Melanerpes lewis) caught my eye. These quiet woodpeckers are irruptive visitors which means you never know when one will show up. Like Acorn Woodpeckers (Melanerpes formicivorus), they eat acorns during the fall and winter but they are masters at catching aerial insects from open snags such as this one.

While admiring this woodpecker, six Red Crossbills (Loxia curvirostra) landed in a puddle at my feet. Trust me, that has never happened to me before! Notice the curved crossed bills on these birds. They are able to open closed pine cones with these superb "tools" and extract seeds with their tongues.

As for my horseshoe, I'm keeping it turned up so the luck won't fall out as recommended by my dear cowgirl friend.

Click on photos to enlarge.

Photos and content by Robin Roberts.

From Snow to Sand - Part 2

Bighorn sheep 

Snow is great but it sure is fantastic to be able to head to the desert to enjoy a break from the cold.

What a magnificent sight to see a bighorn sheep on a rocky ridge!

We chose to hike the 6 mile Eisenhower trail which only has access through the Living Desert. The trail passes through a flat, open sandy area with lots of Creosote bushes and green limbed Palo Verde trees. From there, you enter a rocky desert wash which seasonally fills with water before drying up for the majority of the year.

As you climb to the 1000ft peak, the views become filled with the snow-covered mountains that we temporarily escaped for the day.

There are quite a lot of desert hikes one can take in the winter. A good place to start is by joining hiking groups through the Friends of the Desert Mountains in Palm Desert. While you are at it, you can become a volunteer with the group and participate in a wide variety of activities including citizen science monitoring, trail maintenance, and educational activities. Go to desertmountains.org to learn more. This organization is vital in the preservation of the desert and their efforts support conservation and research in the desert.

Costa's Hummingbird (Calypte costae)

There are a lot of special birds that make the desert their home. One which I admire is this hummingbird. In contrast to the Anna's hummingbird's bright red gorget, Costa's gorget is a brilliant purple when the light hits it. We found one guarding a little patch on the trail.

Verdin (Auriparus flaviceps)

Another favorite resident of mine is this small active yellow-headed bird. It is a little bit smaller than a mountain chickadee. It was busy foraging in creosote bushes early on in the trail.

Say's Phoebe (Sayornis saya)

At the peak of the mountain, we found this phoebe flycatching.

Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus)

We didn't see this classic desert icon on this hike but I saw one a week or two earlier in the desert so I had to include it! The roadrunner is one of the most famous birds in the country thanks to Wile E Coyote and Looney Tunes. Enjoy!

Click on photos to enlarge.

Photos and content by Robin Roberts.

From Snow to Sand - Part 1

Exactly one week ago, we had another snowy blast. We have had both a white Thanksgiving and a white Christmas! It is always a welcome sight since it helps replenish the forest after a dry summer and fall.

Our goal is to get on a trail while the snow is fresh. Our Viking friends would be proud of our choice of a picnic site in the snow. However, they are much tougher than us!

Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus)
Winter storms are a challenge for our resident birds but most of them are resilient survivors. Some have cached away food for tough times like these clever woodpeckers.

Some birds deal with the cold nights by roosting together in nest cavities. You may notice some birds using one of your birdhouses for a winter home at night.

Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna)
If you feed the birds in the winter, be sure to knock the snow and ice off of the feeders every day and replace the froze hummingbird nectar. These birds amaze me! I was totally relieved when I discovered our resident hummingbird reappear after a couple of brutal days!

The melting of snow has encouraged birds to enjoy a proper "bath" to preen their feathers.

As lovely as the snow can be, there gets to be a point when you want a break from shoveling and icy driveways. What do you do if you live in Idyllwild? Head to the sand. Look for part 2.

Photos and content by Robin Roberts.
Click on photos to enlarge.