Santa
Cruz Island & San Gabriel Mts.
Oct
23-24, 2003, hot & sunny
- narrated
by Henry Detwiler
The continuation of Geoff and Kitty Buell's trip through southern California,
with a boat trip to Santa Cruz Island, and a drive up Hwy 2 in the San
Gabriel Mts.
166
species total (over 6 days)
Click on
thumbnail pictures for full-sized shots.
|
Black Oystercatchers
Whimbrel
|
Before we left on our cruise to the island, we
checked out the coastline close to the harbor. We were happy
to see a small flock of five Black Oystercatchers and a solitary
Whimbrel. Out in the harbor, a Pelagic Cormorant flew by,
while Double-crested Cormorants and Brown Pelicans sat sentry-like
on the breakwater. Before long it was time to catch our 9:00am
boat to Santa Cruz Island, in the Channel Islands National Park.
|
|
On the trip over we spotted a Rhinoceros Auklet and
a Black-vented Shearwater; on the trip home we added two Fulmars, a
Pink-footed Shearwater, and a Red Phalarope. We also had great
looks at dozens of Common Dolphins.
|
Kitty & Geoff Buell
|
Santa Cruz Island from
Scorpion Harbor |
The shoreline of Santa Cruz Island is mostly cliffs, and were
spotted with cormorant and pelican nests. Harbor Seals used
the rocks at the base of cliffs to haul out and sun
themselves.
|
|
We landed at Prisoner's Harbor, where the Island
Scrub Jays came out to meet us. This fresh-water stream
provided great habitat for Yellow-rumped, Orange-crowned, and
Wilson's Warblers. |
Santa Cruz Island
|
|
|
Allen's Hummingbird on Santa
Cruz I.
|
Also in the streamside, Jeff found this blooming
tree full of Allen's Hummingbirds. We got the first of two
Red-breasted Sapsuckers here. The island also provided good
lucks of: Golden-crowned Sparrow,
|
|
That evening we drove back to LA, enduring another
long commute on the 101. On Friday morning we headed out to
Temple City, where we witnessed the awesome spectacle of hundreds
of screeching Red-crowned Parrots careening about the
neighborhood. At the same time we watched the sun rise
through a huge cloud of smoke to the east, caused by one of the
San Bernardino wildfires.
|
Red-crowned Parrot
|
|
Band-tailed Pigeons in the
San Gabriels
|
We had no luck with Spotted Doves, but started
seeing Band-tailed Pigeons even before we left the city. Up
in the San Gabriel Mountains we saw many more.
|
| Acorn Woodpeckers have to be the most visible
& numerous member of the Picidae family in California. At Jackson Lake, northeast
of San Bernardino, we were very happy to see over a dozen Acorns,
a Northern Flicker, five Lewis's Woodpeckers, two Red-necked
Sapsuckers, and one Red-breasted Sapsucker. |
Acorn Woodpecker at Jackson
Lake
|
|
Lewis's Woodpecker
|
Red-naped Sapsucker at
Jackson Lake
From here we
headed back to Palm Springs and said our goodbyes. It had
been a fantastic trip!
|
|
