Hiking Treasures

Whenever I go for a hike, I'm appreciative of the life and views around me. Sometimes though, I get an extraordinary surprise which I now call a hiking treasure.

Bobcats try to keep hidden from humans. They have an uncanny ability to know they are being watched even when you are motionless and faraway. Important for survival, I'm sure! A few days ago, I came upon this beautiful bobcat on a new hike.

He didn't spend too much time letting me admire him once he saw me. This is usually the view I get when I spot one of these secretive creatures.

 Mule Deer, on the other hand, spend a little more time standing motionless once they are spotted.

Manzanita or "little apples" is a common hardy shrub in chaparral country. Until this year, I didn't know that it attracted hummingbirds when it is blooming. Someone close to me described these blooms as upside down hummingbird wine goblets. Perfect!

I was excited to get this photo of an extremely fast female Rufous Hummingbird that was buzzing through the Manzanita blooms.It paused just long enough for me to "capture" it. This hiking treasure is only here for a short time since its destination is Washington state or Canada.

If you have been following my blog lately, you may remember that Anza-Borrego Desert has had an influx of White-lined Sphinx Moth caterpillars this Spring contributing to the huge number of Swainson's Hawks taking respite on their migration northward.

While eating lunch outside the other day, I saw something flying over the flowers that seemed most unusual. It hovered over the flowers like a hummingbird drinking with a super long proboscis that looked like a beak... It turns out this is a mature White-lined Sphinx Moth. Quite beautiful!

There's one elusive mammal that lives here that most people have never seen. We see its tracks occasionally in the sand or snow so we know it lives here. It is the ultimate master at staying hidden from humans...The Mountain Lion...This photo was taken from my trip to the zoo :) I don't plan on seeing one in the wild. Enjoy your hiking treasures!

Mountains in Early Spring

Symbols of Spring have been growing over the last 2 weeks.

For me, the daily return of the Mountain Quail is a sure sign that Spring is here. These birds are highly elusive as they go up and down the mountain slopes and they have been missing from our yard for months. Not anymore! The male announces their early morning arrival with a call that carries through the forest.

Spring migration is full of surprises. Recently, I saw a Common Loon, a rare visitor to Lake Hemet, on a "rest" day before he continued his journey northward for the summer.

Being at the right place at the right time makes it possible to get a glimpse of birds that are passing through and/or that spend most of their time hiding in open grasslands like the Lark Sparrow, Horned Lark and Western Meadowlark.

For most people, lizards aren't a symbol of spring but since we live in  lizard country, it is for me. With the recent warm, sunny days, colorful lizards like this Western Fence lizard have been showing their impressive colors during their pushup display. I discovered that a pair of Alligator lizards are living under our wood pile and mating was on their agenda.

 Blooming flowers and butterflies are iconic symbols of Spring. You need to look at details when naming a bird or butterfly. This Anise Swallowtail on the Lilac looks almost identical to the Western Tiger Swallowtail.

The last couple of weeks, I've seen lots of different birds like these House Finches carrying nesting material to their new homes.

Spring migration is exciting because each day you have the chance to see a new, brightly colored bird either on its way to its breeding ground or to set up a summer home nearby. Today, I saw my first Bulloch's Oriole of the season for a moment before it disappeared into the sage.

Along with the oriole, the king of birds has returned! Six Western Kingbirds arrived for the summer exactly one year to the day as last years' arrival! Although one last snowy blast is predicted for tonight up here in the mountains, Spring is here!

Kayaking in the Bay

Living in the mountains gives us the chance to hike a lot! We love hiking so we have NO complaints! Kayaking which we also love, on the other hand, has become a rare event. Unfortunately, our kayaks have become wall decorations. This weekend, however, we left our hiking boots behind and headed for some saltwater.

 The beautiful rocky shores and crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean are too intimidating for me since I haven't paddled in over a year.

 

Wildlife along the shore is fun to watch. We saw a momma Sea lion being trailed by a pup interested in nursing. That was a first for me.

 If you ever return to your car and find it has clumps of unexplained greenery on the roof, it may have been the earlier site of one gull trying to "woo" another one. Initially, we saw two gulls with beaks full of greenery strutting on the grass near the parked cars. Then, the one with the fullest beak flew on the roof of a car where an observant female gull was standing. He dropped his offering at her feet and then they proceeded to head bob and go beak to beak. Quite a new one for me! Wish I had recorded it!

Back to kayaking, yes, we put our boats in salt water. We found a sheltered bay where we could paddle and practice the strokes our inspirational kayak friends/instructors taught us back in the southeast on the Atlantic Ocean and beautiful tidal marsh. When you are in a quiet kayak, you can observe all the wildlife along the shore. It's fantastic!

Back at home now, the kayaks are drying in the sun and the lizards are chasing each other around them.

I'm trying to figure out how to prevent the boats from becoming another wall decoration.....

Life on the Rocky Pacific Coast

Laguna Beach like alot of towns along the coast of California has spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean. People come for the beauty,swimming, paddleboarding, kayaking, scuba diving, etc.

Some come to see the Sea Lions and whales. This time of year migration of whales is occurring.

We came, primarily, to see the wintering birds along the coast before they return to the far north for breeding. Migration is filled with danger and uncertainty for all the creatures that attempt it each year. Some are successful, others are not.

Incoming waves forced this Surfbird to perch on a rock close enough for us to get a good look at him. Soon he will begin the 3,720 mile flight which will take him to the high mountains  in Alaska to breed. Quite difficult to fathom the extremely long path before him!

 Whimbrels are shorebirds that also will travel to Alaska.

Interesting to learn that some birds remain residents year round while others choose to migrate. The Allen's Hummingbird with its golden-orange flashes of color is one of those birds.

The last bird that caught my attention as the sun was setting was a single Clark's Grebe. This bird will not be migrating north. As we watched him swim back and forth in a small pond, he sent out a loud call that carried through the refuge. For those of us watching, we hoped the sound could be heard by his future mate.

Soaring Hawks and Fat Caterpillars

Back to the blooming desert....

The flowers are still blooming; the caterpillars are fattening up and the Swainson's Hawks are on the move.

These beautiful hawks winter in South America and travel thousands of miles north in the Spring. Some are dark and others are light. When they fly directly overhead, they are easier to identify.

When they are spots in the sky, it is harder to distinguish them from other birds like this Red-tailed Hawk which sometimes joins the kettle of Swainson's Hawks. However, the official counters at the Hawk Watch don't seem to have any trouble even when they are mere specks.

Hawks aren't the only ones feasting on caterpillars. This Horned Lark enjoyed one before I "caught" him.

It is an exciting time in the desert! Wildflowers and masses of migrating hawks! Tonight I heard over 600 hawks have arrived from the south....Tomorrow will be a great day to be on a hawk watch!

Snowy Mountains

Winter returned this weekend! Snow clouds hid the mountains from sight for three days.

Once the storm had passed, we could see the mountains and trees covered in snow. 

The only way to get up some of the trails now is by snowshoe. No complaints.

Enjoy while it lasts! Spring is coming.

I