Sewer Ponds to Cow Patties

Beautiful Garner Valley! A couple of families have been ranching in this area for decades. Thanks to their hard dedication to the land and to their unique way of life, we pass this beautiful landscape with grazing cattle on the way up to Idyllwild. It's not an easy life especially when you have to deal with wildfires and mudslides.

I've been getting to know other places like Garner Valley better now since my favorite trail is still closed. That has been a good thing. Otherwise, I'd never see Jack Rabbits leaping across a field.

Grazing cattle means you have to watch out for lots of cow patties! The Western Bluebirds take full advantage of this little perch to look for insects. I watched them go from patty to patty looking for the next morsel to grab.

Open land like this is a perfect hunting ground for the Loggerhead Shrike. 

I'm sure he would have liked skewering these lizards but they weren't within his sights.

The other place I've been exploring is the sewer ponds. If you are a birder, you know this isn't a bad thing. For the rest of you, don't worry. I'm doing fine. On one side of the dirt road, you can see the aftermath of the fire but on the other side of the road, it is untouched. Perfect for birds. They still can find seeds from the plants on one side and lots of insects on the other side plus a bit of water ranging from clear to green in between.

We have been finding all kinds of neat birds in this hidden spot like this Red-breasted Sapsucker.

This Red-tailed Hawk let me know what he thought of my visit the other day. It's a bit blurry but imagine how cool it was to have a Red-tail screeching at me.

Plenty to eat...

and drink...

and drink. This is the secretive little Wrentit that you usually hear but don't see.

Bushtits are always foraging together in a flock and they barely have time to rest. It was fun to catch these two for a moment before off they went with the flock again.

So, I bet you are having second thoughts about sewer ponds and cow patty fields now, right?

This was the best sight for me today, though. New growth shooting up from under charred trunks. Signs of hope and renewal coming out of the ash.

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