San
Diego Bird Festival
"Hometown 100"
Feb.
09,
2002
Guide - Bob
Miller
A whirlwind tour of San Diego County with 24 adventurous birders looking
for at least 100 species!
106 species (list follows at end
of page)
For more festival pictures
click HERE
"Salton
Sea Sojourn" trip click HERE
Click on
thumbnail pictures for full-sized shots.
Swamp Sparrow
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At 0630 we
were on our way! Our first stop was Lindo Lakes where the highlights
were Vermilion Flycatcher, American White Pelican, this Swamp
Sparrow and a Peregrine Falcon. Off and running we headed up El
Monte Canyon.
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The Santa Anna winds were
really kicking up and keeping the birds down. We missed on a few
our our hoped for birds here but did get Oak Titmouse,
White-breasted Nuthatch, Western Bluebird and Western Scrub-Jay. |
El Monte County
Park
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El Monte County
Park
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Wrentit were
heard up the hillside but with the wind whipping every leaf we did
not get an eye on them. We had our only American Robin here too.
No time to dawdle we hit the road! |
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The top end of El Monte Canyon was very windy but it did not keep
this American Kestrel from the hunt. Hermit Thrush and
White-throated Swift were nowhere to be seen.
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American Kestrel
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Back down the hill we hit
Santee Lakes for some good birding. It was hard to keep up the pace
and move on while looking at great birds like these Wood Ducks and
this Hooded Merganser.
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Wood Duck
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After a fine picnic lunch and a few more stops
down the back side of Santee Lakes we were on our way to the San
Diego River flood control channel across from Sea World.
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Female Hooded Merganser
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San Diego River at Sea World
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Lots of waterfowl and shorebirds here, we were
getting very close to our 100 mark! Feeling a little mischievous,
I sprang a little surprise on the group. I announced that we would
walk down a little way and see the Burrowing Owl.
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Blue-winged Teal, at our feet, in the channel were
just the diversion I needed! After about five minutes, I asked if
anyone had seen the Burrowing Owl yet. No? Well here, let me turn
the scope around and.......there it stood, not 30 feet away and
could care less about us!!
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What Burrowing Owl?
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OH!!
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With time running out, we headed to Quivira Basin where we hit our
100 and then some! Cattle Egret, Snowy and Semi-palmated Plover
and Sanderling. We pulled into the festival headquarters at three
on the dot!! A final going over of the list and we had 106 for the
"Hometown 100"!
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