It's been a month since my last blog entry so this one is a collection of favorite sightings from different spots over the last month.
Our last trip to the San Jacinto Wildlife Refuge was so exciting that we decided to visit again. When you leave the congested roads behind and enter this unique haven, you immediately realize the importance of protecting this refuge from encroaching development.
On this trip, we didn't see the "Ferocious Trio" as recorded in the previous blog. Instead, the highlight was a large flock of Mountain Bluebirds. What a sight! These brilliant sky blue birds are so beautiful! Since they breed in higher elevations further north in the Sierra Mts and to the west of us, it is a treat to catch a glimpse of them in the Winter.
Another uncommon bird to see except during the Winter is the Red-breasted Merganser. I unexpectedly came upon one of these birds in a duck pond. I remember my unsuccessful attempts at getting a photo at nearby Lake Hemet a month ago. Yeah!
Another vital place for wildlife conservation is the Tijuana Sanctuary located south of San Diego near the Mexican border. In fact, you can see Mexico and its prominent bullring from the beach.
The highlight of this trip was finding a flock of incredibly cute Snowy Plovers resting in depressions in the sand on the beach. Like many shorebirds that nest in the open, they are extremely vulnerable during breeding.
I've covered cute and colorful. Now, the bold and daring.
I loved seeing these 3 birds - American Kestral, Acorn Woodpecker and Northern Flicker.
The Acorn Woodpecker and Northern flicker kept an eye on the potential "troublemaker" of the neighborhood. When the Kestral flew to another snag, they followed.
A big surprise occurred when I tried to photograph this Western Bluebird. He turned his back on me and started to chase a Whip-tailed Lizard, unsuccessfully. That was a first!
The latest outing was to a rural area north of Barstow where agricultural fields and dairy farms dominate the landscape.
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| White-crowned Sparrow |
One agricultural field growing alfalfa had a hedge of milo. The birds loved it! We saw countless sparrows and meadowlarks feasting on the seed.
This isn't the greatest photo but it has some pretty impressive birds in it. Three Inca Doves and one Ruddy Ground-Dove, a Mexican bird. Birders will be heading to this spot to search for this rare visitor!
Another distant photo of an impressive bird - the Ferruginous Hawk.
It comes for the winter to agricultural fields in California. This was the closest look we had of the largest hawk in North America. We saw this one just before sunset.
Finally, we had our first snowfall on Thanksgiving weekend just as the annual lighting of the Christmas tree in the center of town was occurring. The snow is quickly melting. Our little "Pooh" snowman is now a memory.
This is a good time of year to remember to help our wildlife.
A simple way to help wildlife refuges is to buy a duck stamp. The proceeds help fund these special places.
Click on photos to enlarge.
Photos and content by Robin Roberts.
