SO disappointed at Tijuana. So FEW birds, and without a scope it's pretty hard to watch all those far-flung birds :sobbing: And had to trek fairly a long distance to arrive at the river mouth as well.
Yes did spot a pair of Surf Scoter, but it's not like I haven't seen it before; maybe I'm too spoiled experiencing the bliss at Malibu Lagoon and Bolsa Chica; I wasn't even that impressed with Salton Sea, so you know how GOOD those two locations are for Waterbirds.
And probably a small herd of Least Terns, or juvenile Terns, with only partially covered black head 'caps'. Some Terns were whirling around the Imperial Beach Pier(it was swarming with fishermen lol).
There were some birds out at sea, but again, without scope, hard to tell. Cormorants, Brown Pelicans, Gulls were there, but were there Shearwaters? Can't say.
Beach itself was populated by Gulls and Willets? They were busy tracking the waves and probing the briefly exposed surface.
The saving grace was a herd of Dolphins. That's really all lol.
Likewise, at Tijuana Slough Visitor Center. The staff said it's the time of the year, she said last bird walk wasn't too successful either. Maybe I should visit during the winter. Oh did hear a Ridgeway Rail(she said there were 200 breeding pairs! Damn impressive, but one can actually SEE those easily at Bolsa Chica; again, I'm spoiled lol).
And I did find one unusual specie, a hawk with a face like an owl, improbably not that far from the Snowy or Great Egrets; consulting various guides, I'd say it's a White Tailed Kite or a Northern Harrier. If it's NH, my first sighting, probably. Did take a pic and upload on my birding blog, so you can't have a look.
Also, I swear I had a glimpse of a Sandhill Crane or a Wood Stork, but it quickly disappeared from my view, so can't say.
Likewise, South SD Bay National Wildlife Refuge and South Bay Marine Biological Study Area didn't impress me that much. Sure there were some shorebirds, and there were some Terns and even Skimmers at the river from the end of 10th street, but again, saw those aplenty at Bolsa Chica lol.
What saved me the day, was Chula Vista Nature Center(Now Living Coast Discovery Center)! There was a Sea Turtle aquarium at the entrance(those were huge), and some volunteers were showing Western Screech Owl and a Burrowing Owl to visitors(Patricia told me one can see Burrowing owls at nearby Brown Field Municipal Airport! At La Media road? Should try next time).
And then, got offered a free bird guide tour, one on one, intimate tete-a-tete, with a volunteer, French woman, Patricia S(you have to pay an admission ticket-to explore the building inside- to participate in a bird tour lol, found out only later). By chance she was scheduled to give one, and I was the only participant lol.
She first kindly ushered me through the birding cages outside(normally you have to pay to enter) to let me view a Juvenile Yellow-crowned Night-Heron! It's actually so similar to Black-crowned juvenile, so she said one can only be sure after they mature lol. She said Green Herons are also being spotted now regularly, which was rare before. Spotted a Ruddy Duck as well.
She's actively involved with all kinds of wildlife projects, and recommended iNaturalist to me to upload pics and receive comments(if one can't identify those birds)! Why haven't I known that sooner lol. She also guides a bird tour at the Camarillo Monument! She said it's so unique, it being on the Flyway for many passerines...Friday 1-2pm, so I should take it some time, maybe during the Fall, sooner or later. That's the only significant birding spot around SD which I haven't explored lol(as I said, I was 'evicted' in February when I came there early, by an indignant guard haha).
This must be it?
http://www.nps.gov/cabr/planyourvisit/event-details.htm?eventID=723954-307230
She also mentioned a birding movie, forgot the exact title, we were interrupted by a bird lol and forgot about it, should ask her next time.
Anyway, spotted so many interesting species, including improbably, a Common Nighthawk!!! It being around 11am, we marveled at it, because those usually are active from dusk. It was swooping very low with an impressive speed. Also spotted a Northern Harrier, Egrets including Reddish(again, spotted this at Bolsa Chica before lol), and a White-faced Ibis(also spotted at BC), an Osprey, Black-bellied Plovers, Willets, Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Godwits, Western Sandpipers, Sanderlings(she said she recognized the voice, I of course marveled that she recognized it at all lol)?, Mourning Doves(she said there's a nest), Cliff Swallows, a Song Sparrow, AND the coup de grace, a LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE!!!! I was so delighted, because I wanted to spot it after my first sighting around the Salton Sea area. A pity that my camera battery died at the start of this tour, ugh(and my battery charger was stolen at McDonald's when I found out that I left it charging and hurriedly came back after eating breakfast :sobbing: ). She lamented not finding a Mockingbird, but I saw it at the South SD Bay Natl Wildlife Refuge(and those are PLENTY around my home anyway lol), so...
So glad to have met her and have a wonderful birding experience! Heartily recommend the site and her bird tour. If you want to go inside the building and see the exhibits and various shows(including feeding eagles and such), you have to pay a hefty fee, but you can explore the outside trails on your own, it's complimentary.
After that on the way home, briefly visited San Elijo(a Double-Crested Cormorant at the river near the Nature Center on Manchester Ave. swallowed a Speckled Sanddab? whole lol, it was protruding sideways in its neck), Batiquitos Lagoon(this really briefly. The Gabbiano Way trail doesn't really have much, as in this time as in February. Other portions of the river has more, but had no time to explore), and Buena Vista Lagoon. There heard a Ridgeway Rail and a Common Yellowthroat, saw like 3 Mallards, and one adult Pied-billed Grebe and two juveniles, one was really attached to the adult. I think I spotted a Western/Clark's Grebe afar on the lagoon, as well.
That's it, very anticipating my next visit to Cabrillo(Cemetery is especially good, she said), guided by Patricia!
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