Birding the Valley with Luke Tiller

We started the trip from 5:30am, driving from Pasadena to Antelope Valley.

And I left my bino in my car -_-  So embarrassing: we were laughing all the time! That must be one infamous anecdote in the annal of Pasadena Audubon birding...!

So had to rely on Luke's 'largess', borrowing his $2k Zeiss binocular, and also his scope. Instead he used my sunblock. I blame him, how can a birding professional not have a backup bino.. :p

Anyway, 1st saw a Swainson's Hawk on a pole near Rancho Sierra. Quite big!

Then my first trip to Rancho Sierra golf course, quite good. Lawrence's Goldfinch and Lesser Nighthawk were big finds, 1st for the year(not lifebirds though). I thought LENI usually comes out at dusk(Encanto Bridge is a reliable location during the warmer months), so was surprised when it was flying in broad daylight. Did see Common Nighthawk flying at north San Diego, but that species is more diurnal.

Piute, thanks to Luke spotted a Black Tern, lifer! So managed to one-up him; LA county lifebird at 361, to Luke's 360! Of course Luke is a far better birder, him traveling pretty much everywhere as a professional birder. He leads Panama birding tour as well.

Aside from it, not much productive, Apollo Park was a dud as well(could study Bell's Sparrow at length though, didn't know it had such a long tail. At times it looked like a Sage Sparrow, face color not being especially dark). But my target species was Black Tern anyway, so a satisfying trip. Birding Piute without a bino, what an interesting and embarrassing experience! I fear I won't hear the end of my faux pas..