2013 My San Diego County Big Year - Week 5

Jan 29

White-winged Scoter

After work I headed straight out to Coronado Island in hopes of finding a reported rarity.  My biggest worry was if I could make it there before the sun set.  The traffic goddess was on my side today, allowing me to find the White-winged Scoter feeding not far offshore with enough light to snap a few photos.  Heading home I didn’t mind the rush-hour traffic as much as I normally do.

Glorietta Bay

White-winged Scoter

Species to Date – 208

Feb 2

Ferruginous Hawk

My wife and I started the day by heading out toward the mountains.  Just as we were about to hit the freeway I got a call from Matt S about a bird that had been hidden in a restricted area but was now viewable from the outside perimeter.  So we changed directions, headed south, and ran into a few birders who had just seen the Long-tailed Duck.  Within minutes we had the bird in the scope.  Great way to start off the morning but unfortunately it wasn’t an omen for the rest of the day.

We stopped at a birder’s house in Jacumba and waited around without success for almost an hour and half for the target bird to come in to his feeder.  We spent the rest of today outside of San Diego County missing on another target.

Imperial Beach 13th Street, Jacumba

Prairie Falcon

Long-tailed Duck

Species to Date – 209

Feb 3

Once again my wife and I were at Pantoja Park looking for some reported birds that I had yet to see.  Many other birders were there but the birds stayed hidden. 

Barbara C then joined the two of us and we headed back into the mountains.  We went out through McCain Valley in search of some high-quality birds but unfortunately the reports were fly-by sightings and the birds were nowhere to be found.   Really nice area that I plan on visiting again.  Although I didn’t get the targeted birds, I did add two species to my year list, including a Prairie Falcon.

Townsend's Solitaire

We made another stop in Jacumba and watched the same feeder that attracts the Evening Grosbeak, but only attracts it when I’m not there.  On the way home we made a couple of stops.  The best one was the last, where we were chasing a rumor about a bird that I had never seen in the county.  Just off the freeway there is a nice little canyon that I have driven by many times but never looked into, until today.  The three of us were scouring the canyon when Barbara yelled “BJ, get your scope.”  She quickly got the bird in the scope and when I peered in I saw one of my county nemesis birds, a Townsend’s Solitaire.  What a great way to finish off an otherwise slightly unproductive day.

Pantoja Park, Jacumba, Cuyamaca Mountains, McCain Valley

Phainopepla, Prairie Falcon, Townsend’s Solitaire, Downy Woodpecker

Species to Date - 213

 

For a full list of species seen to date