Bird photos:San Diego, California Bird photos

Birding on the warm side of the Dec/Jan Cold Wave

Photos of over 75 bird species of San Diego and Southern California. 

Birding in California during my three week stay in Escondido and Ramona. The temps most days were about 10 degrees above normal with average day time temps of high 60's to high 70's with a highs of 80 degrees (though evenings and early mornings were cool). All this while back home, and across much of the country record lows and ice storms were the beast of burden. Special thanks goes out to my wife Barbara, for feeding the wild birds in our backyard while I was in California. 

Walked the road and trails at Ramona Grasslands Preserve.

Viewed many Western Meadowlarks. Also, thanks to a birder (Iris Kilpatrick) who stopped along the road and guided me- I was able to view a Bald Eagle nest (She had sighted the Bald Eagle earlier.) And I was able to view a Ferruginous Hawk she ID'd for me. See some of her California bird photos at the bottom of this posting.

Read more about the Bald Eagles nesting at Ramona, CA @ http://ramona.patch.com/groups/around-town/p/bald-eagles-nesting-on-grasslands-preserve

Map of San Diego County Birding Hot Spots: https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=112790893377775883827.00044214b7c31ce3db25a&dg=feature

SPECIAL NOTE: Below my Palomar Audubon Society walk and bird photos, VIEW  

PHOTOS  of the following birds taken by by Iirs Kilpatrick:

  

Acorn Woodpecker American Kestrel American Wigeon

Ash-throated Flycatcher Bewick's Wren

Black-headed Grosbeak

Blue Grosbeaks

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Blue-winged Teal

Brown Pelican Bufflehead

Burning Owl

California Quail

California Thrasher

California Towhee Canvasback

Canyon Wren

Cassin's Kingbird Chipping Sparrow Cinnamon Teal Crested Duck Cooppr's Hawk

Dark-eyed Junco Domestic duck

Ferruginous Hawk Gadwell Gila Woodpecker Golden-crowned Sparrow Green-winged Teal

Horned Lark House Wren Lark Sparrow Lawerence's Goldfinch

Lazuli Bunting Lesser Goldfinch Lesser Scaup Lincoln's Sparrow

Loggerhead Shrike Mallard

Mountain Chickadee Muscovy duck Northern Flicker Northern Pintail Northern Shoveler

Nutmeg Mannikin Nuthall's Woodpecker Orange-crowned Warbler

Osprey

Pacific-slope Flycatcher

Peregrine Falcon

Phainopepla

Prairie Falcon Redhead

Red-shouldered Hawk

Red-shouldered Hawk - Western version

Red-tailed Hawk Ring-necked Duck

Roadrunner Ruby-crowned Kinglet Ruddy Duck White duck Rufous-crowned Sparrow Savannah Sparrow

Say's Phoebe Song Sparrow

Spotted Towhee

Steller's Jay

Tri-colored Blackbird

Western Grebe

Western Kingbird

Western Meadowlark

Western Scrub Jay Western Tanager White-crowned Sparrow Wood Duck

Zone-tailed Hawk Here is a preview...

 

On Saturday Jan. 4, I joined a group on a Palomar Audubon Society-walk at Dixon Lake in Escondido. http://palomaraudubon.org/ The Audubon folks and the guests were all great folks to bird with. 

Greg Thomas- See Birds R Us on Facebook.  https://www.facebook.com/search/1380869638825528/photos-of

                                                                 

                                             Canvasback







                                   

                   


    


Sumac drew many birds including California Thrasher.

Counting up the sightings. Some 41 species for the group. See the listing @ http://palomaraudubon.org/field-trip-ebird-report-dixon-lake-jan-4-2014/  The Ruby Crowned Kinglet,  California Thrasher, and Wrentit were among my favorite sightings. Also happy to see some Vermont homeys like Hermit Thrush, Yellow Rumped Warbler, and Northern Flicker. 

I returned to Dixon Lake alone a day after the Audubon walk and picked up a few birds I had not seen the day before including these.

California Towhee

                                                                     Red Breasted Sapsucker

 Western Scrub-Jay 

Prior to the Audubon walk, I visited Lake Hodges.

                                 Too many Grebes to count. This one is a Western Grebe.  

                       

Least Sandpiper                                 

A cute couple. 

 This Black-necked Stilt kept just out of camera range. I followed it about for quite a while as it kept walking just a little faster than me, finally getting a few photos of this seemingly camera shy gal.

                                             

                                             I was being watched, just as I was watching. Say's Phoebe
                                                                         





                                                         White crowned sparrow.

                                                         Hidden in the reeds, thinking I could not see it.
                                         

                                     This Black Phoebe was spying on me, I think.







 These birds were viewed at downtown San Diego near the Midway aircraft carrier.                                                                 

                                                                                                                                  I think your mystery gull seen in downtown San Diego is an immature Heermans’s Gull: gorgeous and unusual-looking gulls. The immatures are uniformly dusky brown with buff edges to the wing tips, black legs, and a two-toned bill. ~Maeve

                               


  Brown Pelican

Well the first thing you know, Jed's a millionaire
Kinfolk said Jed move away from there
Said California is the place you need to be
So they loaded up the truck and moved to Beverly
Hills, that is
Swimmin' pools, movie stars
 and lots and lots of BiRdS

                                                                                       My thoughts were with folks back home

But as they say, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. I enjoyed the summer like weather. 

Song Lyrics being played outside the San Diego airport as I was departing:
 "It's not having what you want, its loving what you've got. 

Going to soak up the sun, before it goes down on me..."

Bird Photos below taken by Iris Kilpatrick of California.

Please advise me if I have incorrectly labelled the ID of any of the birds shown below. 

                                     California Thrasher

"{H}ere's a brown pelican and a California Thrasher.  You can post any of these photos on your blog if you wish.  If you have any requests for bird photos from this area, please let me know!  I have falcons, roadrunners, meadowlarks, California quail  - shots of most of the species found here." Iris Kilpatrick

Ferruginous Hawk

                                             

                                       Dancing Grebes

DUCKS
Taken at Lindo Lake, Lake Poway, Dixon Lake, Lake Hodges, Santee Lakes, Lake Jennings


Wood Duck

Northern Pintail

Ruddy Duck

White Duck

Lesser Scaup

Redhead

Northern Shoveler

Cinnamon Teal

Ring-necked Duck

Muscovy Duck

Bufflehead

Canvasback

Blue-winged Teal

Gadwall

American Wigeon

Green-winged Teal

Mallard

Crested Duck

    Domestic duck, descended from the Mallard.






American Kestrel

                                               
                                                @ Rangeland Road

                                          Peregrine Falcon

                                  Lake Poway and Barnett Ranch Preserve in Ramona




Prairie Falcon
                                            UP, 

                                                              UP, 

                                               AND AWAY

                                           Oh, to soar like a bird

                                            Rangeland Rd Grasslands

                               
                             

 

   Canyon Wren

Bewick's Wren

Ramona Grasslands, Growing Grounds Nursery Escondido hiking trail.

Cactus Wren

Along side highway 78 near the San Diego Wild Safari Park

House Wren

Ramona Grasslands and Barnett Ranch Preserve, Ramona

    House Wren's frequently take up residence in a bird box close to our kitchen window in the spring. Their long (2-3 second) song makes them a great backyard bird. See some of the bird boxes I have installed @ http://litterwithastorytotell.blogspot.com/2012/04/bird-nest-box-vacancies.html  Bernie

Rock Wren? ID?

 El Capitan

                                     
  OSPREY

Shock and Awe 

@ LAKE POWAY

Roadrunners at Lake Hodges

No doubt on the look out for Wilie E. Coyote.

One of my (Bernie) favorite sightings at Ramona Grasslands, the Western Meadowlark.

             Its such a beautiful morning in sunny California.
                                   Just makes you want to sing your heart out.




The Western Meadowlarks (above) and Horned Larks (below) photos were taken at the Ramona Grasslands.

                            Here I come,  I'm coming to find you

                                                 Now where did you go?

                        With hardly a tree in sight, one can hide in only so many places.
         

                                              OH, there you are, you spooked me.





                              Hats off to you, dear sir, ...and to you madam.

Its a family affair

Two heads are better than one when it comes to watching over the little ones.

California Quail

doing the two-step

                       Lake Jennings and Ramona Nursery along Highland Valley Road





California Towhee seen almost anywhere and in every season in California.

 Spotted Towhee

                                                                                     Ramona Grasslands Preserve

                                              Mountain Chickadee  William Heise Park, Julian, CA



Western Scrub Jay

                                        Ramona Grasslands, the fence in my side yard, Ramona (Iris K.)




Steller's Jay

                                                                 William Heise County Park, Julian.





Gila Woodpecker 

                                              Dixon Lake Park




Nuthall's Woodpecker

                                                                        Ramona, some in my back yard. Iris K. 









Acorn Woodpecker

William Heise County Park in Julian

I watched as Acorn woodpeckers stored large nuts into single nut sized holes in a tree. Also viewed a stump about four feet high and about five feet in diameter that was chalk full of embedded nuts-presumably stashed there by Acorn Woodpeckers. I could not pull out the nuts. I was told that the nuts dry up and then become easier to pull out. Also this process brings in insects which the Acorn Woodpeckers and other birds take advantage.  Bernie







Zone-Tailed Hawk

  Lake Ramona Cliffs




Red-tailed Hawk

Juveniles and Dark morphs Redtails

Red-shouldered Hawk

Red-shoulder Hawk-Western version

Ramona (Dos Picos Park) and near my house on wires and telephone poles, and

in Escondido (Highland Valley Road).

Northern Harrier

Lake Hodges Preserve, the trail that starts near the Ed Brown Senior Center

Cooper's Hawk 

(Adults and juveniles)

In my back yard, Lake Jennings, Lake Hodges, and Luelf Pond Preserve. Iris K.

Tri-colored Blackbird

Lazuli Bunting

Ramona Grasslands Preserve

Ruby-crowned Kinglet
This bird never sits still.

Orange-crowned Warbler

Please help ID me!
Found at the Tijuana Estuary
"The Tijuana Estuary is the largest coastal wetland in Southern California and it is located on the international border between the U.S. and Mexico." http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=669

Phainopepla

                                                                           El Capitan Preserve, Lakeside




Northern Flicker

My Favorite Vermont  backyard bird (pls don't tell the other birds, as I like them all). Bernie

Ramona Grasslands 




Dark-eyed Junco

                                  William Heise County Park, Julian and Ramona Grasslands
 

                                                   Meat, its whats for dinner.






Pacific-slope Flycatcher

                                                                                                                    Lake Poway




Ash-throated Flycatcher

                                                                          Ramona Grasslands Preserve and Mission Hills Preserve




Western Kingbird

Lake Hodges, Ramona Grasslands







Western Tanager 

April and May (2013) at Lake Jennings in Lakeside, Ramona Grasslands, and Mission Trails.








Say's Phoebe

                                                                                                     Lake Hodges Preserve





Burrowing Owl
2013 Audubon California Bird of the Year
Ramona Grasslands

                                              Just another day at the beach-without the water.
                                                   You won't catch me with my head buried in the sand.






Great Horned Owl

                                                                              Lake Jennings in Hermit Cove






Blue-gray Gnatcatcher?

                                                                                                                            Taken at Lake Hodges Preserve

Nutmeg Mannikin taken on Highland Valley Road near Lake Hodges - the Growing Grounds Preserve in Escondido, part of theSan Dieguito River Park coast to crest trail system.

http://www.sdrp.org/trails.htm  I have shots of mule deer and coyotes from there as well! Iris K. 

During August of 2013, the California Bird Records Committee (CBRC) ratified the Nutmeg Mannikin (Lonchura punctulata) as an established exotic in California.
http://blog.aba.org/2013/09/aba-adds-nutmeg-mannikin-981.html

Loggerhead Shrike
Here's a photo of a Loggerhead Shrike, a natural killer but beauty here at the Ramona Grasslands.  These were taken at Lake Hodges. Iris K. 







Blue Grosbeaks
at Lake Hodges

                         This town is only big enough for one of us partner.                                    

Black-headed Grosbeak - female

Black-headed Grosbeak
Pair_Male and Female

Black-headed Grosbeak
Male

Taken in my back yard (Ramona) and at William Heise county park (Julian) except the photos of both sexes together was taken at the Growing Grounds hiking trail in Escondido. Iris K. 

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Lake Poway trail and Mission Trails Old Dam Preserve (Escondido)






White-crowned Sparrow

Ramona Grasslands, Lake Hodges, Lake Poway, Dixon Lake

         Don't you love seeing pairs, together. These two, like the best of us, are either having a spat or just need some time out. Or maybe they are simply looking out for each other. Another one of the joys of watching birds-personifying their behavior.





Lark Sparrow

Ramona Grasslands Preserve





Rufous-crowned Sparrow

Lake Poway

Lincoln's Sparrow

Ramona Grasslands Preserve




Savannah Sparrow

Ramona Grasslands Preserve, Barnett Ranch Preserve


Song Sparrow

Lake Hodges, Lake Poway, Ramona, Lake Murray



Chipping Sparrow

                                             Me thinks there is a lovely lady nearby.

          Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in Point Loma and Lake Jennings, Lakeside

Lawerence's Goldfinch

                                                 What

might he

                           be looking for?

Now we know what he was looking for. And he found her.

                                    You take the high road, and I'll take the low road, and will both meet in...

                                                  we'll meet on that cow farm, you know the one.

On a cow farm fence along highway 79 traveling to Lake Henshaw just before the casino turn-off and that address is25575 California 79, Santa Ysabel, CA.  Lake Henshaw is on Highway 76. This is the only time and place that I've seen this species!  They were mixed in with a flock of Lesser Goldfinches. Iris K. 






Lesser Goldfinch

                                  Thistle dee, and Thistle do

                                                       Thistle seed helps                                                        

                                                                       keep the whistle sharp and clean.

At various hiking locations around San Diego - Mission Trails, Santa Ysabel, Lake Henshaw area, Lake Hodges, Ramona Grasslands, Dixon Lake just pretty much anywhere year round but most abundant in Spring and early Summer. Iris K.



I think Cassin's Kingbird and not Western.  
Taken at Lake Hodges
Iris K.

Please leave a comment if you have a favorite among the bird photos shown here.

Iris Kilpatrick- Birder and photographer     http://sandiegobirdspot.com/

New Calif bird species. http://blogs.kqed.org/science/2014/08/04/theres-a-new-bird-species-in-california-sort-of/

Bird Checklists of the US. Birding hotspot locations by state. By NPWRC

FOR VERMONT BIRD PHOTOS INCLUDING BIRD BOXES and one bird story, LOOK UNDER MY (BERNIE) TABLE OF CONTENT http://litterwithastorytotell.blogspot.com/p/contents.html under Birds, birding, and critters. Select postings as desired.