California Birding

a specialpublication from

GUIDE TO SOUTHERN

• Birding festivals• E-resources• Hotspots• Must-see birds• Stories about birding

in SoCal

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Southern California

Birding Hotspots

Hotspots listed in order of species count according to eBird.

GUIDE TO NORTH CALIFORNIA BIRDING was produced by the staff of Bird Watcher’s Digest.For Bird Watcher’s Digest subscription information, call us toll-free at 1-800-879-2473 or visit birdwatchersdigest.com.

1. Salton Sea (342)

2. Death Valley National Park (337)

3. Galileo Hill, Silver Sad-dle Ranch and Club (restricted access) (324)

4. Huntington Central Park (319)

5. San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary (317)

6. Point Mugu Naval Air Station (restricted access) (307)

7. San Jacinto Wildlife Area (307)

8. Malibu Lagoon (306)

9. Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve (294)

10. Piute Ponds (permit

required) (294)

11. Desert Center—Lake Tamarisk (293)

12. California City Central Park (290)

13. China Lake Wildlife Sanctuary (290)

14. Hansen Dam (286)

15. Harper Dry Lake (283)

16. Oso Flaco Lake (283)

17. Devereux Slough (282)

18. Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery (281)

19. Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve (280)

20. Frank G. Bonelli Region-al Park (277)

21. Deep Springs College (restricted access) (272)

22. Ken Malloy Harbor Re-gional Park (272)

23. Santa Clara River Estuary (272)

24. Peck Road Water Conser-vation Park (271)

25. Sycamore Canyon (Ven-tura County) (267)

26. Point Dume (264)

27. Pismo State Beach (263)

28. Madrona Marsh (262)

29. Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge (restrict-ed access) 261

30. Ballona Freshwater Marsh (260)

Table of Contents

California Birding Festivals 2

Birding the Coachella 4 Valley, by Marjorie Knorr

California Birding 8 Resources

Must-see Birds of 9 Southern California

Santa Maria Valley-Style 10 Birding, by John M. Deacon

Birding the Salton Sea 14 by Kayak, by Chuck Graham

Rediscovering 18 California’s Desert Wetlands and Plains, by Jerry Uhlman

Birding the California 26 Missions, by Jeanne M. Le Ber and Ray Smith

Lucky you!By land area, California is the

third-largest state, but no other U.S. state can boast the habitat diversity found in the Golden State: the highest peak in the Lower 48 (Mount Whitney); the lowest elevation in North Amer-ica (Death Valley); 3,427 miles of Pacific coastline (parts sandy, others rocky); year-round snow-capped mountains; the lush Cen-tral Valley; and the arid Mojave Desert.

California has two endemic bird species (found in California and nowhere else): island scrub-jay and yellow-billed magpie, and several other species that are easiest to find in California, such as Allen’s hummingbird, Nuttall’s woodpecker, oak titmouse, and

California towhee. Take a pelagic trip somewhere between Eureka and San Diego for an even longer list of possibilities. In fact, the official California bird checklist shows 666 species, more than any other state. In such a vast and diverse area, even a list of 30 hotspots barely skims the surface.

We hope this Guide to South-ern California Birding will help you find some amazing birds. The hotspots shown on the map boast the highest species tallies in Southern California, but there are hundreds of others. Wherever you’re headed in SoCal, odds are, there’s good birding nearby.

Have fun!

Dawn HewittEditor, Bird Watcher’s Digest

So You’re Birding in Southern California?

Birding Hotspots and Species Count

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California Birding Festivals

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• Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival, mid-Jan-uary, Morro Bay, morrobaybirdfestival.org

• Snow Goose Festival of the Pacific Flyway, late January, Chico, snowgoosefestival.org

• San Francisco Bay Flyway Festival, mid-February, Vallejo, sfbayflywayfestival.com

• San Diego Bird Festival, late February, San Diego, sandiegoaudubon.org/events/bird-festival

• Godwit Days Spring Migration Bird Festivals, mid-April, Arcata, godwitdays.org

• Owens Lake Bird Festival, late April, Lone Pine, friendsoftheinyo.org/ owens-lake-bird-festival

• Point Reyes Birding and Nature Festival, late April, Point Reyes Station, pointreyesbirdingfestival.org

• Mono Basin Bird Chautauqua, late June, Lee Vining, birdchautauqua.org

• San Francisco Bay Osprey Days Festival, late June, Vallejo, sfbayospreydays.org

• Monterey Bay Birding Festival, late September, Watsonville, montereybaybirding.org

• Lodi Sandhill Crane Festival, early November, Lodi, cranefestival.com

• Central Valley Birding Symposium, late November, Stockton, cvbirds.org/events/symposium/

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Birding the Coachella ValleyM a r j o r i e K n o r r

WWhen the weather cools, the bird population in the Coachella Val-ley soars—not just with snowbirds pulling their RVs or motor homes from the frigid North, but with the feathered variety as well. And why not? Winters here are delightful, with temperatures hovering around 70° Fahrenheit.

Located in southern California, 150 miles east of Los Angeles, the valley stretches from an elevation of more than 2,000 feet at Banning Pass down to 237 feet below sea level at the Salton Sea. The Sea of Cortez once filled this big ditch; now it is a natural flyway for migrants from Mexico (part of the Pacific Flyway) as well as catch basin for storm-borne pelagic accidentals.

The Coachella Valley is part of the Colorado Desert, just below the Mojave. The dominant habitat here

is the desert scrub, characterized by creosote bush, salt bush, and oth-er chaparral. Several natural palm oases plus the Salton Sea enrich the avifauna.

On a sunny January morning at the Salton Sea, thousands of gulls and shorebirds screech and call as they swoop along the shoreline. And at least 800 showy white pelicans line up to sun themselves—like a bunch of bathing beauties posing at the beach. These winter migrants come here each year to escape the cold northern climate.

And so do I. We chose the small town of Desert Hot Springs, nine miles north of Palm Springs, as a ru-ral winter-home site with wide-open skies and unobstructed views of Mounts San Jacinto and Gorgonio, the two highest mountains in south-ern California—not to mention that

there are roadrunners, cactus wrens, mockingbirds, and several species of hummingbird in our backyard. From my patio, along with incompa-rable sunsets, I see eagles and hawks soaring on updrafts along the Little San Bernadino Mountains.

We’re close to several desert oases, with winter migrants from Arizona and Mexico offering some of the best winter birding in the country. As soon as we arrive in the winter, we drive a few miles to Morongo Preserve, an incredibly lush riparian oasis in the desert. To me, nothing compares with the thrill of seeing vermilion flycatchers there.

Along with other birders, I’m drawn to the valley by its best feature—the variety of habitats, ranging from the Lower Sonoran to Hudsonian life zones. Where else in the country can you watch spoon-

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bills (at the Salton Sea) and an hour later, see rosy finches in the snow on Mt. San Jacinto? According to Kurt Leuschner, founder and president of Desert Cities Bird Club, more than 350 species have been observed in the Coachella Valley.

The following highlights some of the hotspots to hit while birding the Coachella Valley.

Coachella Valley PreserveThe centerpiece of this preserve,

Thousand Palms Oasis, is a true palm oasis and was the setting for several Cecil B. DeMille 1920s silent film ep-ics starring Rudolph Valentino. These days you are more likely to see rare birds. The raison d’être for the 20,000-acre Nature Conservancy property is the habitat of the threatened Coach-ella Valley fringe-toed lizard. The preserve includes 15 to 20 miles of hiking trails, with diverse bird watch-ing. There is no entrance fee.

Birds to be encountered include verdin, phainopepla, vermilion fly-catcher, cactus wren, hooded oriole, Bullock’s oriole, Gambel’s quail, black-throated sparrow, American kestrel, greater roadrunner, black-tailed gnatcatcher, Say’s and black phoebe, common yellowthroat, bur-rowing owl, great horned owl, long-eared owl, barn owl, western screech-owl, poorwill, lesser nighthawk, common raven, western bluebird, cedar waxwing, northern mocking-bird, and Le Conte’s thrasher.

The preserve is located at 29200 Thousand Palms Canyon Road, Thousand Palms, California 92276. For further information, visit coachellavalleypreserve.org or call (760) 343-1234.

Big Morongo CanyonBig Morongo is actually just above

the Colorado Desert and includes two desert vegetation zones, the Mojave and the Sonoran. Stop at the kiosk at the entrance to the park’s trail system for a checklist and infor-mation about recently seen birds.

This desert springs ecosystem and the Mojave Riparian Forest are considered to be some of the best habitat for birds in California. The preserve offers food, incredi-bly lush cover, and water to many resident and migrant species, includ-ing several rare ones. Least Bell’s vireo and the vermilion flycatcher, brown-crested flycatcher, and Lucy’s warbler are known to nest at the preserve. Birding here is best in early or late winter, to catch fall or spring migrants. A system of trails and boardwalks winds through the park, including an all-access trail.

This verdant riparian preserve lies at the north end of the Coachella Valley. Take highway 62 (29 Palms Highway) north form Interstate 10, about 10 miles. At the northeast end of the town of Morongo Valley, turn right onto East Drive. After about

200 yards, turn left into the Big Mo-rongo Canyon Preserve. Visit bigmorongo.org or call (760) 363-7190 for additional information.

The Living DesertIf time is a factor, you definitely

should consider a trip to the Liv-ing Desert, where it is possible to see many typical desert species in a short time. This 200-acre desert wildlife and botanical park harbors an astonishing variety of life from the world’s deserts, and a 1,000-acre wilderness preserve lies adjacent to the exhibit portion.

Bird walks are offered, or stroll any of the six miles of hiking trails on your own and see phainopepla, black-throated sparrow, verdin, cactus wren, black-tailed gnatcatch-er, and roadrunner. Some of these species nest among the beautiful desert gardens.

The Living Desert is located at 47-900 Portola Avenue, Palm Desert, California 92260. Call (760) 346-5694 or visit livingdesert.org for more information.

Coachella Valley Wild Bird CenterLocated in Indio off of Interstate

10, the Wild Bird Center is a bird rehabilitation facility located in a lush area on the Valley Sanitary Dis-trict 12-acre pond. The three hab-itats—open field, pond, and ripar-ian wash—lie in the Pacific flyway

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and attract more than 110 species through the year including hawk, warbler, blackbird, and a good vari-ety of water birds: duck, cormorant, rail, sandpiper, phalarope, stilt, loon, egret, grebe, and gull.

The center offers guided bird walks from 8 to 10 a.m. the first Saturday of each month from October through May. There is no admission charge.

The Wild Bird Center is located

at 46500 Van Buren, at the corner of Cabazon, in Indio, California 92201; phone (760) 347-2647 for further information.

Top of the TramThe Palm Springs Tram, located

a 10-minute drive west of downtown Palm Springs, takes you to an entirely unexpected snowy subalpine zone at the top of Mt. San Jacinto, the steepest escarpment in the country. In 15 minutes the cable car rises through five life zones (Sonoran to Hudso-nian) to Mt. San Jacinto State Park at 8,516 feet. The temperature drops 30 to 40 degrees, so dress accordingly. The views alone are worth the trip, but you will also find Clark’s nut-cracker, Steller’s jay, white-headed woodpecker, and red crossbill.

Located at One Tramway Road, Palm Springs, California. Visit pstramway.com or call (760) 325-1391 for more information, includ-ing open hours and prices.

Lake Hemet in Garner ValleyAnother good place for montane

species is Lake Hemet in Garner Valley, eight miles south of the mountain town of Idyllwild. At least one bald eagle winters there each year. Other species to look for are Williamson’s sapsucker, pinyon jay, and many waterfowl.

Follow Highway 74 west from Palm Desert for 36 miles to reach Lake Hemet.

Salton SeaAt 360 square miles, this is Cali-

fornia’s largest lake entirely within its borders—and a major stop on the Pacific flyway for migratory birds. It is unique—an oasis in the Colo-rado Desert—and certainly one of the outstanding birding spots in the United States.

Salton Sea Park Superintendent Steve Horvitz says four million birds, representing at least 380 species, use the Salton Sea during migration from November to April, including some that may not be found anywhere else in Cali-fornia. Kurt Leuschner says the Salton Sea is “clearly the best place in the Coachella Valley for winter birding.”

Common sightings include brown and white pelican and water birds such as shoveler, pintail, teal, mallard, willet, avocet, black-necked stilt, Canada goose, and snow goose. Sandhill cranes at the south end of the sea are a winter specialty, and many raptors soar over adjoining agricultural fields.

Migratory species that can be seen include great and snowy egrets, reddish egret, and several species of gull and tern. Winter storms in the Sea of Cortez some-times force birds from Mexico northward to the sea. Roseate spoonbills, magnificent frigate-birds, and wood storks are regu-lars, while flamingos and blue-foot-ed boobies also have been seen.

Vermilion flycatcher.

Cactus wren.

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Recently, the Salton Sea has had more than its share of ecolog-ical problems. Several years ago a million or so eared grebes suffered a major die-off, caused by a toxin produced by the algae they eat, and large numbers of brown pelicans died from a botulism outbreak. In spite of this, Horvitz believes the sea has gotten bad press. “The ma-jor problem is (rising) salinity, not pollution, and the worst is over;” he says. “The Salton Sea Authority is slowly solving the problem.”

Anyone interested in the fascinat-ing natural history of the Salton Sea

should take a ranger-guided bird- watching tour in the state-owned boat. The Saturday and Sunday tours are given twice daily in winter by reservation. January and Febru-ary are the best months for birding here. For a checklist and map to the best birding areas, stop at the visitor center. Full hookups are available for 15 campsites.

The Salton Sea State Recreation Area Visitor’s Center is located on the west side of Highway 111, 15 miles south of Interstate 10, at 100-225 State Park Road, North Shore, California. Phone (760)

393-3052 or visit www.parks.ca.gov/saltonsea for more information.

Indian CanyonsJust minutes from downtown

Palm Springs, three palm oases owned by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians offer good birding. Offices are located at 600 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs, California 92262, and you can also call (760) 325-3400 or visit indian-canyons.com for more information.

To reach the oases from Palm Springs, drive south past Ramon Road on South Palm Canyon Drive and follow the signs. A $6 entrance fee gets you and your car into the Indian canyons where the Cahuil-las maintain miles of public trails in Palm, Murray, and Andreas canyons.

True palm oases are rare and they are among the great beauty spots in the western United States. While hiking beside clear perennial streams, you will see the largest number of native palm trees in the world.

Wintering birds are attracted to the abundant water and food in the canyons. Bluebirds feed on the palm fruits, and hummingbirds search for flowers. Anna’s and Costa’s hummingbirds crowd the feeders around the trading post between November and May.

Gambel’s quail.

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Resources• Official California Bird Checklist:

californiabirds.org• Statewide birding email list:

groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/CALBIRDS/info• California Audubon: ca.audubon.org• California Birding, by Joe Morlan:

fog.ccsf.edu/~jmorlan/rare.htm• KCET’s “Where to go Birdwatching in Southern

California”: tinyurl.com/kcet-scbirding• Birds of Orange County: nathistoc.bio.uci.edu/birds

Birding Trails• Klamath Basin Birding Trail:

klamathbirdingtrails.com/index.shtml• California Redwoods Birding Trail:

californiaredwoodbirdingtrail.org• Eastern Sierra Birding Trail:

easternsierrabirdingtrail.org/• Basin & Range Birding Trail:

tinyurl.com/BaRaBiTr

California Birding Resources

California thrasher.

Bell’s sparrow.

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¤ California quail ¤ Mountain quail ¤ Brandt’s cormorant ¤ Pelagic cormorant ¤ California condor ¤ White-tailed kite ¤ Black oystercatcher ¤ Western gull ¤ Black swift ¤ Anna’s hummingbird ¤ Costa’s hummingbird ¤ Allen’s hummingbird ¤ Nuttall’s

woodpecker ¤ Pacific-slope

flycatcher ¤ California

scrub-jay

¤ Island scrub-jay (endemic)

¤ Yellow-billed magpie (endemic)

¤ Oak titmouse ¤ Pacific wren ¤ California

gnatcatcher ¤ Wrentit ¤ California

thrasher ¤ Le Conte’s

thrasher ¤ California towhee ¤ Bell’s sparrow ¤ Tri-colored

blackbird ¤ Plus many pelagic

species

Must-see Birds of Southern California

Nuttall’s woodpecker.

California scrub-jay.

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Santa Maria Valley-Style Birdingj o h n M . D e a c o n

WWhere the heck is the Santa Ma-ria Valley, and why would a birder care? First, the Santa Maria Valley is about halfway between two of the best birding spots in the United States. Seventy miles north of Santa Barbara and forty miles south of Morro Bay, the Santa Maria Valley is uniquely situated to provide access to both of those amazing birding locales. Second, the Santa Maria Valley area is an incredible birding area in its own right: Just ask birders from San Luis Obispo County and Santa Barbara. Although those folks definitely appreciate the birding op-portunities in their home areas, you will often find them in and around the Santa Maria Valley. They often refer to the Santa Maria Valley as the “frontier,” because only a few local birders work the Santa Maria Valley area, in spite of the numerous local birding opportunities.

The Santa Maria Valley shares many of the characteristics that make Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo such great birding locales. Being 15 miles from the Pacific Ocean and 10 miles from oak wood-land habitat, with plenty of grass-land and sage habitat in between, provides a varied environment that attracts birds during all seasons

and from everywhere in the United States.

Where to GoOne of the best birding spots in

the Santa Maria Valley is the sew-age-treatment plant. Nonbirders laugh, but birders know that these facilities attract many species of ducks and sandpipers (and preda-tors such as peregrine falcons and burrowing owls). Many water-treat-ment plants throughout the United States are no longer accessible to the public, but the Santa Maria Water Treatment Plant welcomes birders. The employees are genuinely inter-ested in what is being seen at their location and just request that you sign in and follow basic safety guide-lines. Regularly occurring birds in-clude black-necked stilt, greater and lesser yellowlegs, peregrine falcon, blue-winged teal, northern pintail, and Bonaparte’s gull. Rarer birds reported at this location include Baird’s sandpipers, ruff, and wood duck. But, day-to-day, you never know what species will be flying over and decide to stop at this treatment plant for a time.

The Rancho Guadalupe Coun-ty Park and Dunes is a relatively unknown treasure. The dunes system

is rugged and the beach untamed. Fishermen dot the surf line, and only the bravest surfers venture to this area. Sandpipers abound along the shoreline, but the Santa Maria River Estuary is the birding gem here. Numerous species of ducks, sandpipers, and terns can be easily viewed with a spotting scope and binoculars. Brown and white peli-cans are common. Protected least terns and snowy plovers nest in the dunes and are easy to find in spring and summer. Also in spring and summer, royal, elegant, and Cas-pian terns are relatively easy finds. During fall and winter, ruddy ducks, northern pintails, brant, and Canada geese are almost certainties. Keep your eyes open for white-tailed kites and osprey.

Moving inland, the Barka Slough area (also referred to as San Antonio Road) is excellent for blue gros-beaks, Lazuli buntings, grasshop-per sparrows, and yellow-breasted chats during spring and summer. In spring, just about any western warbler is a possibility. A pair of American kestrels has nested almost every year in the old windmill south of San Antonio Road between High-way 135 and Highway 1.

(continued on page 12)

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If You GoThe Santa Maria Valley is an

attractive destination for bird watch-ers. From a coastal climate that wine growers love to quaint hotels that won’t break the bank to signature barbecue that’ll have visitors wanting seconds, guests are sure to fall in love with the area at first sight.

Where to StayThe Santa Maria Valley is a

welcoming and easy to get to desti-nation. After a day of exploration, birders can rest comfortably in one of Santa Maria’s hotels or motels, which are generally more afford-able than in Big-City, California. A Central Coast landmark is the Santa Maria Inn, a charming and elegant English-style hotel that was estab-lished in 1917. Known as a historic landmark and a celebrity retreat, the hotel offers beautiful guest rooms

and luxury suites. Along with the hotel’s romantic atmosphere, the Garden Room Restaurant serves delicious Californian cuisine.

Eat and DrinkAnother historic gem of the area

is the famous Santa Maria-style barbeque, a 150-year-old tradition consisting of a beef tri-tip recipe grilled over coals of native red oak.

The authentic barbecue style is served in several Santa Maria restau-rants, including the Hitching Post and Shaw’s Famous Steakhouse & Tavern. Oak-grilled meats have been served for generations at Jocko’s. This old Santa Maria-style steak-house is a national destination where cowboy boots are welcome.

It’s not all about the meat in Santa Maria Valley. The biggest and bright-est strawberries are grown in the area year-round due to the California Central Coast climate. The freshest

fruits, vegetables, and greens are sold in roadside stops and farmers markets.

Acclaimed Wine Growing RegionThe rare transverse geography

makes the Santa Maria Valley a unique wine-growing region. It is one of six federally recognized American Viti-cultural Areas within Santa Barbara County. With more than two centuries of experience in growing grapes, local wineries make complex and flavorful wines. The wine-tasting experience in the Santa Maria Valley is truly a hidden treasure. Visitors will discover longtime producers such as Cottonwood Canyon Vineyard & Winery, Cambria Winery & Vineyard, Rancho Susqouc Winery, and Foxen Vineyard. Visitors are likely to meet the wine makers themselves due to the approachable and unpretentious nature of the area. After a day seeking birds, guests will be able to sip and swirl wine while enjoying the expansive val-ley views. —J.M.D.

Baird’s sandpiper. Blue-winged teal.

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Jim May Park is relatively new but has proven to be a great inland site. Bell’s vireo, northern waterthrush, common gallinule, and eastern phoebe are some of the best birds reported at this location in recent years. Many birders bragged about the “phoebe trifecta” in 2015. The eastern, black, and Say’s phoebecould all be seen within a few min-utes while birding at this location.

Farther east is the rugged and

Peregrine falcon.

Black-necked stilt.

beautiful Colson Canyon. Wild turkeys, yellow-billed magpies, and tricolored blackbirds can regularly be seen along the route to Colson Canyon. Once you get to Colson Canyon, roll down your windows and slowly work your way up the five-mile unimproved road. It is a rough drive. Trucks or high-clear-ance vehicles are recommended. Acorn woodpeckers, white-throated swifts, and Lawrence’s goldfinch-es are all relatively easy to find at the right time of year. Wrentits (a western-coastal specialty) are almost a certainty as well as California thrashers.

Many birders that come to Cal-ifornia are targeting four species: wrentit, yellow-billed magpie, Cali-fornia thrasher, and chestnut-backed chickadee. The easiest spot to see (and hear) the wrentit is in Colson Canyon. On the way to Colson Canyon, yellow-billed magpies are almost always spotted south of the intersection of Clark Avenue and Dominion Road just east of Santa Maria. Colson Canyon is also very good for California thrashers. Listen for its wandering song, similar but scratchier and more hoarse than its close relative the northern mock-ingbird. The easiest, and most

certain spot to see and hear the chestnut-backed chickadee is at Oso Flaco Lake in the western portion of Southern San Luis Obispo County. The walk through the willows and poison-oak-lined path on the way to the lakes almost always yields the chestnut-backed chickadee as well as common bushtits, Wilson’s and other warblers, and the season-appropriate thrushes (hermit in the winter and Swainson’s in the spring and sum-mer). Recently, a pair of least bitterns successfully bred in the reeds along the boardwalk on the way to the beach. In season, soras, Virginia rails, short-billed dowitchers, and least terns can be seen here.

The Santa Maria Valley is a perfect “anchor location” for a birding trip to the central coast of California, close to the birding meccas of Santa Barba-ra and Morro Bay but also a birding hotspot in its own right. Hotels are much less expensive in the Santa Ma-ria Valley, and its Santa Maria-style barbecue makes it a must-visit loca-tion. And don’t forget the birds!

Now retired, John Deacon has been birding for more than 45 years and enjoys birding in the USA and Costa Rica. In 2013 he did a Big Year while still working.

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Birding the Salton Sea by Kayakc h u c K G r a h a M

IIt felt like kayaking in a land that time forgot. As we paddled across the Salton Sea during our kayak-ing and bird-watching excursion, glass-smooth conditions pre-vailed. The only distinct sounds on the water were thousands of American white pelicans. Feeding, frolicking, and preening in the shallows, they were enjoying their winter stopover in this accidental man-made habitat as pink and or-ange hues swept across the Santa Rosa Mountains to the west.

Depending on your point of

view, the Salton Sea can be a dis-mal, lifeless wasteland or a vibrant desert oasis for 400 bird species seeking refuge here each winter. California’s largest lake was cre-ated in 1905, when the Colorado River swelled and breached levees and dikes, its overflow collecting in a lowland area with no drainage. We were paddling 228 feet below sea level in what was once known as the Salton Sink directly above the San Andreas Fault.

Deemed the next Las Vegas in the 1940s and ’50s, the Salton

Sea had a resort-like atmosphere. Water skiing, fishing, and boating were favorite pastimes. There was a time when 400,000 boats used the sea each year. More people visited the Salton Sea than Yosemite National Park. But over the de-cades, the Salton Sea has endured more flooding, thwarting further development. Because there are no outlets for floodwaters, the Salton Sea has become 25 percent saltier than the Pacific Ocean. High salin-ity levels on occasion have induced mass die-offs of fish and birds. A

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Once, several species of fish lived in the sea, but tilapia has proven to be the only fish able to tolerate such high salinity. Eventually the 110-mile shoreline lost its luster—for most humans.

However, the lake still holds a certain allure, and it remains one of the best birding locales in North America. We paddled and explored its mud-cracked shorelines littered with dead fish, while scattered flocks of western sandpipers and black-necked stilts foraged in the crunchy

brine. Eighty to ninety percent of the entire American white pelican population winters on the Salton Sea. Statuesque great blue herons and great egrets stood motionless in the shallows waiting patiently to skewer a tilapia swimming beneath them.

Soaking in the Salton SeaDiversity of bird life is what

makes the Salton Sea so attrac-tive to bird watchers. Kayaking around the entire lake exposed us to throngs of American

wigeons, northern pintails, long-billed dowitchers, and least sandpipers, along with herring and ring-billed gulls. When we camped along its shores, we saw ferruginous hawk, white-tailed kite, and red-shouldered hawk. We spotted burrowing owls sev-eral times close to our camps.

The desert flora of creosote bush and cholla cactus was alive with Say’s phoebe, horned lark, verdin, cactus wren, ruby- crowned kinglet, American pipit, and yellow-rumped and

Flocks of double-crested cormorants, gulls, and shorebirds are common sights at the Salton Sea.

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orange-crowned warblers.Continuing southward, we

pushed our kayaks into the silky smooth water just east of the sand dunes between a covey of long-billed curlews and American avocets feeding in the brine-covered rocks. Nearby was an abandoned military test site. It appeared post-apocalyp-tic. A long, black point extended far off the site and out to sea. At least a mile offshore it slowly began to move, almost rolling, as the desert played tricks on squinting eyes. Then in a massive flurry of black, thousands of double-crested cormorants took flight, running on water, flapping furiously for lift off all in one direction. We

soon discovered that the cormorants were the current keepers of the aban-doned U.S. Navy site.

Established in the 1940s, the test base was involved with the Manhat-tan Project and atomic testing. Today it looks like it didn’t survive a nuclear blast. Guano-covered pilings still stand, now prime nesting and roost-ing habitat for hordes of cormorants.

Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge

Paddling nine miles east, we skirted around Mullet Island, an extinct vol-cano, and the edge of the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). The refuge hosts an estimat-ed 30,000 snow, Ross’s, and Canada

geese in winter and 60,000 ducks from November through February. State endangered species and subspecies we observed on the refuge included the southern bald eagle, peregrine fal-con, California brown pelican, Yuma clapper rail, and desert pupfish. A significant Yuma clapper rail popu-lation nests on the refuge. Sensitive species utilizing the refuge also include the fulvous whistling duck, wood stork, mountain plover, western snowy plover, burrowing owl, and white-faced ibis.

Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR was designed to reduce waterfowl depreda-tion to adjacent croplands. Manage-ment practices benefit the high con-centration of waterfowl and shorebird species that flock each winter to the

Say’s phoebe. Horned lark.

Wood stork.Fulvous whistling duck.

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refuge. They include an intensive farming program that involves co-operative farmers growing crops for waterfowl consumption during the winter. The refuge also manipulates water levels in ponds to provide ideal habitat for shorebirds and waterfowl. The refuge extends a couple of miles into the lake, and aircraft are required to steer clear of the vast throngs of avian species that winter on Califor-nia’s southeastern corner.

More recently, the refuge manage-ment staff has become involved with fish and wildlife disease and con-taminant issues. The refuge routinely surveys the Salton Sea for dead or dying fish and wildlife. Such animals are removed from the area in order to

prevent the spread of disease; carcass-es are sent to the lab for investigation.

On our last night on the Salton Sea, we camped on a sandy finger where the Alamo River and the Salton Sea converge. We barely had to leave our tents to absorb the in-tense bird life surrounding us. Flocks of American avocets and western sandpipers tiptoed in front of us. A platoon of American white pelicans flapped their creamy-white wings, bathing in a fading sunset. Bird activ-ity lasted well into the night, lulling us to sleep during a cool, crisp night on the Colorado Desert.

For More InformationThe best time to visit the Salton Sea

is in the winter, when daytime tempera-tures are mild to warm. Evenings can reach freezing. Fall through spring is also the best time for bird watching. The Salton Sea is on the Pacific Fly-way and is one of the most important winter stopovers for migratory birds.

The Salton Sea State Recreation Area is on the northeastern shore of the lake. This is currently the best, most convenient place to leave your vehicle and start paddling, if you are so inclined. Call the park office at (760) 393-3052, or visit parks.ca.gov.

Contact the Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR at (760) 348-5278, www.fws.gov/refuge/sonny_bono_salton_sea/

Originally published in Bird Watch-er’s Digest.

American avocet. American white pelican.

White-faced ibis. Ferruginous hawk.

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WWhen you drive through central California, you’re struck by the vastness of agribusiness. Thousands of acres of orchards, cotton fields, and row crops are planted throughout the entire length of the San Joaquin Valley. It’s obvious that irrigation has made the desert bloom as far as the eye can see: miles of human-made canals and pipes and circular streams of water endlessly arching over lush cash crops. This used to be a desert and high plains wilderness area, crossed by river and wetlands before a succession of explorers, ranchers, and farmers forever left their marks on the landscape.

Explorers in the early 1800s encountered flocks of waterfowl so dense that the sky grew dark when the birds rose from wetland pools. The plains on either side of the val-ley were a sanctuary to high-country species of plants and animals that thrive in arid terrain but also rely

on wetlands for sustenance. What habitat is left for birds and other wildlife along this portion of the Pacific flyway?

You have to search for remnants of the grasslands and wetlands in the valley and plains. Nearly 4 million acres of wetlands in California have been lost to development and agricul-ture, roughly 95 percent of the historic wetland acreage. Urban growth, toxic drainage, and a shrinking water sup-ply threaten to continue this devastat-ing loss.

But those wondrous wetlands and wilderness areas are there if you take the time to explore the far corners of this changed ecosystem. A thin chain of national, state, and private wildlife refuges stretches along the valley like a dark green necklace—Gray Lodge, Sacramento, Colusa, Sutter, San Luis, Merced, and Kern. These tiny islands in an ocean of agricul-ture and urban development support

many hundreds of bird, animal, and plant species. During the winter, nearly two million waterfowl briefly stay on valley preserves along the Pacific flyway.

Two unique areas—less than 50 miles apart—near Bakersfield will give you a glimpse of bygone days before human intervention: the wet-lands of Kern National Wildlife Ref-uge, and the high wilderness plains of the Carrizo Plain Natural Area.

Kern National Wildlife RefugeAt dawn you can hear the refuge

awakening. As you walk along berms between the impoundments filled with submerged vegetation, the geese and ducks become noisier, obviously displeased by your intrusion into their tranquil corner of the refuge.

The sentinels, who will see you before you see them, thrust their heads into the air and honk at a low pitch. Then, as you approach, their

Rediscovering California’s Desert Wetlands and Plains

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honks become more strident. Flocks of ducks, which spook easily, fly out of the shallow water with rapid wing-beats toward a safe nearby impound-ment and become dots in the sky.

At some point along the pathway, you cross their comfort zone and the flock of geese takes to the air, float-ing upward, whirling around in small spirals that become larger and larger, until the sky is filled with white black-tipped wings and deafening high-pitched screams.

You soon pass beyond their terri-

tory. The ducks have flown in a wide arc and return to settle in the impound-ment again. The flock of geese, too, begins to slowly flutter downward in crisscrossing spirals. They noisily rearrange themselves in the marsh grass to feed again, only a few hun-dred yards from where they started. Early morning calm returns, following a ritual played out endlessly across the lakes and impoundments along the flyway.

Kern NWR, the most southerly in the Central Valley, was established

in 1960 to create a wetland habitat for migrating birds. It is a haven for waterfowl and boasts a bird check-list of 211 species. Of the 15 species of waterfowl that usually visit the refuge from Canada and Alaska, the following are the most numerous during winter months: cinnamon teal, green-winged teal, northern shoveler, mallard, northern pintail, and ring-necked duck.

During spring, rare tricolored blackbirds and white-faced ibis are among the refuge’s breeding inhabi-

Biologists from Kern National Wildlife Refuge paddle to one of the tricolored blackbird colonies on the ref-uge. Tricolored blackbirds have established nesting colonies on Merced, Colusa, Delevan, Bitter Creek, and Kern National Wildlife Refuges.

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tants. A small cottonwood and willow grove provides a nesting and roosting habitat for red-tailed hawks and great horned owls.

At Kern, as in all valley refuges, water conservation and reclamation are very important to habitat manage-ment. Where the Kern River wetlands flowed through the valley 200 years ago, roughly 2,000 acres are flooded and managed as marsh from October through March. The water is delivered from the California aqueduct, and intensive management of the surface water includes adjusting impound-ment levels through the use of pumps, canals, dikes, and levees.

The refuge has several extensive tule, or cattail, marsh habitats, which are managed by controlled burning, mowing, and disking. Several moist soil refuge units are planted to raise swamp timothy, millet, and spike rush for wintering waterfowl. The crop and habitat management benefits not only a variety of waterfowl but also three endangered species: blunt-nosed leop-ard lizard, Tipton kangaroo rat, and San Joaquin kit fox.

To get close to the refuge’s water-fowl, your trek through Kern will be a six-mile automobile loop trail around two of the largest impoundment pools. The trail entrance is to the left (south) of the visitor center. Stop at the center to pick up the helpful pamphlets “Kern National Wildlife Refuge Use Information and Tour Route Guide,” “Kern National Wild-life Refuges,” and a bird checklist.

Just inside the entrance to the auto-mobile trail you’ll find artificial bur-rowing owl dens. These dens provide nesting space for owls when natural holes are unavailable. Burrowing owls usually take over the holes of other burrowing animals and excavate them to suit their own tastes.

If you visit early in the morning, wa-terfowl will usually be widely dispersed throughout the two pools. However, by late morning and afternoon you’re more likely to find ducks and geese along the western side of the impoundments near the closed sections of the refuge (3.6 miles from the entrance). The western side of the trail is the best place to find least and American bitterns, as well

as green herons and black-crowned night-herons.

Watch for raptors over the refuge, where red-tailed hawks are common, and ferruginous and rough-legged hawks are seen occasionally. Golden eagles and peregrine falcons are infre-quent visitors to this area.

In the fields along the northern stretch of the trail, look for horned larks and American pipits. Near the end of the auto route you’ll encounter the cottonwood and willow grove, your best bet to find songbirds and warblers. Although Kern refuge is not a particularly good habitat for warblers, orange-crowned and yel-low-rumped warblers can be found in the winter, and Wilson’s and Townsend’s warblers in the spring.

The wooded grove is also a good spot to look for black phoebes, Nut-tall’s woodpeckers, wrens, and logger-head shrikes. Just beyond the grove is a good example of infestation by salt cedar, an invasive plant that consumes large quantities of water but is of little value to wildlife. Efforts are under way to control this pest.

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Your drive through Kern refuge will demonstrate its value as a prima-ry stopover for wintering waterfowl along the Pacific flyway. It is also an excellent example of recovered wet-lands in an area where a slow-moving Kern River once thrived and pro-vided wetland habitat to waterfowl. To glimpse the plains before human intervention, you must travel to nearby Carrizo Plain.

Exploring Carrizo Plain by automo-bile is easy to do. To reach the Carrizo Plain Natural Area from Kern refuge, drive south 20 miles on Interstate 5 to the intersection of State Route 58, just west of Bakersfield. Climb up the Temblor Range on SR 58 to the small town of California Valley. There, Soda Lake Road heads south for nearly 50 miles through grasslands to join SR 166/33 for points east and west. Your drive through Carrizo Plain Natural Area will be memorable.

Carrizo Plain Natural AreaOn a crisp, clear winter morn-

ing above the Carrizo Plain Natural Area, I stood alone surveying the vast grasslands as far as the eye could see. Coyotes barked and howled to each other across the desert floor just below me. I could hear the sandhill cranes’ deep-throated hoots as they stood on the shore of Soda Lake getting ready to fly into the hills for another day foraging.

When you first reach the Carrizo Plain, it looks desolate and lifeless. Atop the Coastal Range, the plain is nestled between the Temblor Range to the northeast and the Caliente Moun-tains southward. This is a different kind of wilderness—a grassland plain, a place that demands that you move slowly and pay attention in order to dis-cover and experience the complexity of the habitat and the abundance of birds.

You need to watch closely for the many birds that share the grassland with its plentiful flora and fauna. Throughout the year, 183 species of birds either migrate through or in-habit the grassland plain. In fact, the Carrizo Plain is a 250,000-acre basin that supports the largest number of threatened and endangered species in California: giant kangaroo rat, blunt-nosed leopard lizard, San Joaquin antelope squirrel, San Joaquin kit fox,

and California jewel flower. Not long ago pronghorn antelope and tule elk were reintroduced to the area, and they can often be seen grazing among the grasses and desert wildflowers.

In spring, wide-open fields and mountainsides are a profusion of ocher, purple, pink, blue, and fiery red wildflowers. More than a dozen types of flowers fill the plain, includ-ing blazing starts, fiddlenecks, lupine, suncup, California poppies, desert candles, and Jared’s peppergrass. Even in the wintry fallow fields plants bloom, and the hillsides are covered with brightly colored meadowlarks, finches, and bluebirds that fill the air with their songs.

Looking across the Carrizo Plain, I could almost imagine it undisturbed,

reaching back to the days when Chumash, Tocut, and Salinan peo-ples moved with their herds across the grasslands. The Carrizo Plain is the largest remaining example of the San Joaquin Valley grasslands as they existed 300 years ago. Although some relics of agricultural, mining, and oil drilling ventures have yet to disappear, the plain remains open and relatively free of human intervention. It is ad-ministered by The Nature Conservan-cy, the Bureau of Land Management, and the California Department of Fish and Game.

Between the mountain ranges two prominent geographical features domi-nate: the San Andreas Fault at the foot of the Temblor Range, and Soda Lake. The San Andreas Fault, roughly 800

Burrowing owl.

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several excellent resources: a map of the Carrizo Plain, a checklist of birds, and a pamphlet titled “Two Self-Guid-ed Geologic Auto Tours.”

Take time to explore Painted Rock behind the education center, a short, well-marked hike into the hills. Paint-ed Rock has pictographs that were probably used by prehistoric Native Americans for religious ceremonies. These fascinating paintings are ab-stractly stylized images that may have been made by shamans to communi-cate with the spirit world.

The area around the education cen-ter and Painted Rock is one of three primary birding areas. You’re likely to find loggerhead shrikes and American kestrels quite near the building. Look for prairie falcons, permanent resi-dents in the Carrizo Plain, atop fen-ceposts here and along the auto route. Lark and Savannah sparrows are usu-ally in abundance, and in the winter white-crowned and golden-crowned sparrows are present in good numbers. Bewick’s wrens, California towhees, and California thrashers can often be found in the underbrush.

miles long, is the line where the Pacif-ic and continental plates grate against each other. The valley plate moves northward at about 1½ inches per year; this gradual movement is the source of the quakes that periodically shake California. The fault line runs the 50-mile length of the plain, and Carrizo’s single gravel-and-paved road actually crosses it. It is also clearly visible near Wallace Creek, accessible by foot.

Soda Lake is the drainage basin for the plain, which gets about 8 to 10 inches of rain annually. The lake evaporates during the dry season, and the crust becomes a white, salty pow-der. Soda Lake is the winter migratory stopping point for thousands of sand-hill cranes and shorebirds.

About eight miles south of Cali-fornia Valley, you will encounter an overlook that gives a panoramic view of Soda Lake. This is a good place to use your spotting scope to observe sandhill cranes that roost on the lake. They’re on the scene from mid-De-cember through the end of February, and the best time to find them is at dawn or dusk when the birds fly into

the surrounding fields to forage during the day.

Beyond the overlook, Simmler Road turns left through the saltbush marsh to Wallace Creek, probably the best spot to see the effects of the San Andreas Fault. Earthquakes have dramatically shifted the surface plate along the creek. A short trail leads to the “stream offset,” one of the best examples in the world of how plate movement can instantly alter the course of a waterway.

Continue along Soda Lake Road and look for several short access tracks that head left to the lake. If you walk to the shore you may have startlingly close views of black-necked stilts and American avocets in late summer and early winter. These birds, along with long-billed curlews, seek out submerged vegetation and the tiny aquatic animals that live in the muddy shallows.

A mile farther along Soda Lake Road is the Goodwin Education Cen-ter, staffed with very helpful volun-teers from early December through May. This is a good spot to pick up

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Two miles past the education center the road becomes gravel, and the fields along both sides of this stretch can be a treasure trove of bird life. Look for mountain and Califor-nia quail, greater roadrunner, both Say’s and black phoebes, western kingbird, and ash-throated flycatcher. I recall an early morning when these fields were dotted with western meadowlarks, mountain bluebirds, and purple finches as far as I could see into the hills. The air was filled with echoing bird song, the only sound that carried across the grassland. I discovered that moun-tain bluebirds hover while hunting, like an osprey or kestrel, be-fore streaking down to snag an insect in midair.

Keep an eye out for raptors. Besides prairie falcons, you are likely to see red-tailed hawks, northern harriers, and, if you’re lucky, a golden eagle. During the winter, bald eagles and white-tailed kites are often spotted over the grasslands. A few endangered California condors have been reintroduced not far from the Carrizo Plain, but seeing one overhead is not very likely.

Farther along the road, KCL Camp is the second birding spot worth exploring. This primitive campground on the ruins of an old ranch house has the only wooded vegetation along the auto route. Its stand of juniper trees and bushy understory is a perfect place to stop and bird in earnest. You’ll find that the fields are covered with tumbleweeds and short grasses.

Walking through the fields around the camp, you will likely encounter LeConte’s and California thrashers, log-gerhead shrikes, spotted and California towhees, horned larks, greater roadrunners, and Lawrence’s goldfinches. Although warblers aren’t plentiful on the Carrizo Plain, yel-low-rumped and orange-crowned warblers are not uncom-mon here. Black-throated gray and MacGillivray’s warblers occasionally are seen in the campground area.

In winter, look for American pipits, western meadow-larks, mountain bluebirds, dark-eyed juncos, and white and golden-crowned sparrows. The KCL Camp is one of the few places where woodpeckers can be found with any certainty, such as hairy, red-breasted sapsucker, and north-ern flicker. Several owls are permanent residents, including western screech-owl, great horned, and burrowing.

Heading south over the last fiew miles of Soda Lake Road, you’ll see graphic evidence of the San Andreas Fault, where cracks and water erosion have caused several large chasms along the road. You will encounter the last birding hotspot after the road becomes paved again, just before reaching Elkhorn Road. On your left is a small basin, hold-

ing Sag Pond. Park at the pull-off, next to the interpretive sign.

Depending on the water level, Sag Pond can be a busy birding place. Long-billed curlews, black-necked stilts, American avocets, greater yellowlegs, and killdeer are

frequent visitors. Wintering ducks include northern pintail and cinnamon teal. Horned larks and

American pipits inhabit the surrounding hills, and Savannah, sage, and lark spar-

rows can be found among the roadside vegetation.

When you reach the far side of the Carrizo Plain you’ll have dis-covered the stillness and wonder of a unique grassland: expan-siveness, brilliant wildflowers waving in the desert wind, and lilting bird song echoing across the fields. You will leave the plain touched by a sense of his-

tory and rewarded by its serene beauty.

Kern National Wildlife Refuge and Carrizo Plain Natural Area are

jewels, mere remnants that give us a glimpse into the past. A late winter

visit to these preserves is refreshing and invigorating to the human spirit.

How to Get ThereBoth the Kern refuge and Carrizo Plain are less than 50

miles from Bakersfield, California. Kern is an easy drive north on I-5 from Bakersfield to State Route 46, east 1.6 miles on SR 46 to Corcoran Road, and 8 miles north to the refuge entrance.

Carrizo Plain is reached by driving west from Bakers-field on SR 58 roughly 30 miles to the village of Simmler. Turn south (left) toward California Valley on Soda Lake Road and drive roughly seven miles to the Carrizo Plain Natural Area entrance. Soda Lake Road spans the length of the Carrizo Plain.

When to VisitPlan your visit during the late winter and very early

spring. February and March bring a combination of good waterfowling in the valley and early spring biding and wildflowers on the high plains.

Avoid both areas during the summer when temperatures are high and refuge impoundments dry. Summer months may bring blowing dust in the plains

Road ConditionsThe auto route at Kern refuge is graveled, but shoulders

can be soft after heavy rains. Generally the roads are well maintained and present no problems.

Soda Lake Road across Carrizo Plain is paved at either end, with a 30-mile stretch of graveled road in between. Although it is well maintained, tracks leading away from Soda Lake Road (either to the lake or the hills) can be treacherous and impassable after heavy rains. A secondary

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road, Elkhorn Road, which parallels Soda Lake Road but leads higher across the eastern portion of the valley, is suitable only for vehicles with high clearance and four-wheel drive. The track from Soda Lake Road to Wallace Creek (Simmler Road) is impassable after heavy rains.

PreparationWhen you visit Carrizo Plain Nat-

ural Area, remember that there are no amenities along Soda Lake Road; re-strooms can be found at the Goodwin Education Center, (805) 475-2131; and pit toilets at the Soda Lake Overlook. Gas up before reaching and crossing the plain, and take water and snacks.

The plain is one of the sunniest places in California, and summer temperatures often exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Even in winter sunscreen is advisable. At night temperatures can dip below freezing.

The Kern National Wildlife Refuge auto tour is open from dawn to sunset.

Where to StayBakersfield is a good choice for a

base. There are a number of national motel chains and restaurants on the western edge of town.

Convenient camping can be found at the Kern River Campground 10 miles from Bakersfield. From down-town Bakersfield, take the Lake

Ming Road exit off the Alfred Harrell Highway to reach Lake Ming. Follow the signs to the campground overlook-ing the Kern River. Atop the Carrizo Plain there are two small and prim-itive campgrounds, KCL Camp and Selby Camp, roughly halfway along Soda Lake Road. There are portable toilets but no water. All supplies and water must be carried in to the camps. Campsites cannot be reserved.

Other Places to VisitThere are a number of interesting

spots to visit west and south of Ba-kersfield in the vicinity of Carrizo Plain. Tule Elk State Reserve is on SR 58, toward the plains. To the south of Carrizo Plain is the Los Padres Nation-al Forest and the San Rafael Wilder-ness Area. Southeast of Carrizo Plain are the Pyramid Lake and Hungry Valley state recreation areas. Although not accessible to the public, the Sespe Condor Sanctuary is located in the Los Padres National Forest, north of the cities of Santa Paula and Filmore.

The Sequoia National Forest is located northeast of Bakersfield, where you will find Sabelia Lake and the Dome Land Wilderness.

Jerry Uhlman writes, birds, and lives in Richmond, Virginia.

Reprinted from Bird Watcher’s Digest.

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AAs residents of the Great Basin desert state of Utah, Ray and I were look-ing for a bird watching adventure to build our California state bird list. In 2014, we attended the San Diego Bird Festival, and, with the help of knowl-edgeable and skilled festival field trip leaders, we added 49 new birds to that state list. Our California state list stood at 192 species. But we wanted more!

In deciding how to anchor our spring 2016 birding trip, we focused on the California Spanish Missions. The plan would be to follow the migrat-ing birds from south to north along the Pacific Coast, visiting each of the missions, more or less in geographical order. Being budget conscious, we elected to save money on this road trip by tent camping in state parks and commercial campgrounds. As lifelong campers, this seemed reasonable. After all, California was in the middle of a drought, so we would stay dry.

The 600-mile-long California His-toric Mission Trail is located along or

near Interstate 5 and Highways 1, 82, 101, and 37. Popularly known as El Camino Real (The Royal Road), the trail is marked with distinctive com-memorative bell markers. Our zigzag route led us to San Bernardino, south to San Diego, north along the coast to San Francisco and Sonoma, and, finally, to San José.

At the start of the trip, we drove Interstate 15 from Las Vegas into San Bernardino, a journey from brown to green. As we came into the valley, the landscape changed to a brilliant spring green. There was mist in the air: The ocean was near. Our birding adventure included travel on congested interstates, negotiating busy city streets (usually not knowing where we were going), and two-lane byways.

Franciscan missionaries from Spain built the California missions between 1769 and 1823. Father Junipero Serra, a native of Mallorca, Spain, was the driving force in the construction of these structures. His task was to bring

the Catholic faith to the native popula-tions. As we found out, none of these missions have escaped the ravages of time. All of the original churches and facilities were destroyed to some degree by earthquakes or lack of use and upkeep. Today, the Franciscan friars own only four of the missions; six are state parks; one is on the Santa Clara University Jesuit campus (Santa Clara de Asis is the first California mission named for a woman), and one, we were surprised to learn, hosts the Bob Hope Memorial Garden. Many of the missions are functioning parishes, with active congregations.

Welcoming to BirdsWhat we discovered along the

way was that each of the 21 missions and two sub-missions (asistencias) is unique, yet they share features that are favorable to bird watching. Generally, each mission has a water fountain or two, lush gardens, sheltered courtyards, and an historic cemetery: landscapes

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that are attractive to migrating and resident birds. We watched a number of birds drinking and bathing in the water fountains, which sometimes contained koi, other kinds of fish, and water lilies.

Although some missions are located in remote settings, others are in the center of major cities. As a result, we encountered a variety of birds suited to urban, suburban, and rural habitats: western gull, Eur-asian collared-dove, Say’s phoebe, western kingbird, American pipit, house sparrow, western meadowlark, Swainson’s thrush, golden-crowned sparrow, Lawrence’s goldfinch, and hooded oriole, to name a few.

Mission properties generally have an abundance of mature trees that appeal to all sorts of birds. At San Antonio de Pala Asistencia (my favorite mission), a red-naped sapsucker fed and softly drummed in the quiet courtyard. Lo-cated on the Pala Indian Reservation, this is the only mission that primarily serves Native Americans. An adjacent park kept us busy identifying black and Say’s phoebe, cedar waxwing, Ameri-can robin, and yellow-rumped warbler. The only water birds we saw on mission properties were in a pond adjacent to the San Diego mission. Looking over the back fence, we sighted pied-billed

grebe, gadwall, northern shoveler, red-head, and American coot.

We watched an active pair of red-shouldered hawks on their nest atop a palm tree at San Luis Rey de Francia. The hawks were noisy and animated about their nest building. The extensive historic and modern ceme-teries provided convenient perches for the male, who was hunting. The first pepper tree planted in 1830 in Califor-nia still grows on the grounds of this mission.

Cliff swallows make their appear-ance at San Juan Capistrano about March 19. We were too early for their return, and rather than swallows we encountered 500 schoolchildren on a field trip, plus nine species of birds, in-cluding ruby-crowned kinglet, northern mockingbird, western bluebird, and Brewer’s blackbird.

It poured at the KOA in Santa Margarita, but we were rewarded with Ray’s life yellow-billed magpie as we drove towards San Luis Obispo. This mission graces the middle of the city, has an excellent museum, and over-looks a rushing creek. One special bird discovered here was a hermit thrush that was enjoying the rain. Visiting nearby Avila Beach, in the rain, we watched a surf scoter actually surfing in the waves. (Hence its name!)

San Miguel de Arcángel’s on-site vineyard is cared for by the friars, who also grow, harvest, and manu-facture olive oil in small batches. We watched cliff and violet-green swallows swooping over the fields, while lesser goldfinches flitted in the treetops and western meadowlarks sang.

Located near the Fort Hunter Lig-gett military base on the east side of the Santa Lucia Range, the San Antonio de Padua mission is currently under ex-tensive renovation. One of the more re-mote missions, the 80-acre site includes a water mill, a tannery, fields, a water reservoir, and a large cemetery with no headstones. The mission’s painted walls feature birds, some not likely to be seen in the area. We identified 14 species on the wall, including a soaring turkey vulture, a red-tailed hawk, and a great blue heron.

We drove back to the coast over the narrow, steep, and winding Na-cimiento-Fergusson Road. The abrupt descent to the ocean was scary. Along the way, we stopped to watch a number of band-tailed pigeons foraging in the forest.

I insisted on a mission-free day at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. Despite the weather, birding the hiking trails produced acorn woodpecker, chest-nut-backed chickadee, and Steller’s jay; in the early morning, a western screech-owl called. Driving north from Big Sur on Highway 1, we watched a peregrine falcon snatch a small bird right in front of the car. Feathers flew! If we had

San Antonio de Pala Asistencia.

San Buenaventura on an overcast day.

San Miguel Arcángel.

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Name of mission in order visited # species seenSan Gabriel Mission Asistencia . . . . . . . . . . 5San Antonio de Pala Asistencia . . . . . . . . . . 14San Diego de Alcalá . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14San Luis Rey de Francia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24San Juan Capistrano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9San Gabriel Arcángel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12San Fernando Rey de España . . . . . . . . . . . 8San Buenaventura . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Santa Barbara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Santa Inés . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11La Purísima Concepción . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13San Luis Obispo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9San Miguel Arcángel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13San Antonio de Padua . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14San Carlos Borroméo del río Carmelo . . . . 20Nuestra Señora de la Soledad . . . . . . . . . . 11San Juan Bautista . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Santa Cruz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Santa Clara de Asis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8San Francisco de Asis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6San Francisco Solano de Sonoma . . . . . . . 14San Rafael Arcángel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9San José . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

For more information on the missions, see The Spanish Missions of California, by Robert P. Lowman, 2011, Lowman Publishing Company, Arroyo Grande, California.

been one minute earlier or later, we would have missed the action.

It rained at La Selva Beach near Santa Cruz, and it poured so seriously at Big Basin Redwood State Park that it was impossible to set up the tent. So much for staying dry! We sort of slept in the car—not an easy feat for 64 and 74 year olds! Continuing north, we visited San Francisco de Asis (aka Dolores Mission) on a gray Sunday morning. This mission is noted as a filming site for Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo in 1958.

During our 15 days of travel (March 1 to 15), often visiting two missions a day, we identified a total of 59 bird species on mission prop-erties. Twenty of those species were

San Antonio de Pala Asistencia.

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3845 Yaqui Pass Road • Borrego Springs • CA 92004(760)767-0100 • www.lacasadelzorro.com • info@lacasadelzorro.com

Nestled in the outskirts of Borrego Springs, the La Casa Del Zorro Resort & Spa enjoys a unique setting in the midst of the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, a birdwatcher's paradise. The hotel is beautifully appointed, evoking both elegance and comfort, in a relaxed setting. Situated on 42 acres, this premier resort offers serenity, solitude and unassuming luxury. La Casa Del Zorro’s 44 poolside guest rooms marry rustic charm with modern comfort and are complimented by 18 private casitas, each boasting its own private pool or hot tub.

Come and enjoy La Casa Del Zorro’s breathtaking scenery and experience the beauty of the Anza-Borrego region’s numerous birding locations.

Borrego Springs

Within a half hour’s drive from the Salton Sea, you will encounter the charming town of Borrego Springs, which lies in the heart of the An-za-Borrego Desert. There you will find the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, the largest state park in California. Five hundred miles of dirt roads, 12 wilderness areas, and many miles of hiking trails provides numerous bird viewing sites. The park is named for Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza and the Spanish word borrego, or “bighorn sheep.” Visitors may have the chance to see roadrunners, golden eagles, kit foxes, mule deer, and bighorn sheep in addition to many more bird species throughout the area’s birding hot spots.

Anna’s hummingbird.

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seen at only one mission, and eight spe-cies were seen at 10 or more missions. The most common birds recorded were the American crow (19 missions), white-crowned sparrow (16), Anna’s hummingbird (15), house finch (14), house sparrow (13), black phoebe (11), rock pigeon (10), and yellow-rumped warbler (10). Two birds with California

in their name showed up only once: California quail at La Purísima Con-cepción and California gull at Santa Barbara. One surprise was a life bird: a Le Conte’s thrasher, at La Purísima Concepción.

Bird checklists were not available for the missions. Only La Purísima Concep-ción had a list, authored by Vernon L.

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San Carlos Borroméo del río Carmelo.

Human and published probably around 1985 (the pam-phlet was not dated). Due to time constraints and weather, our record of birds seen on the mission properties was lacking. In other words, we missed a lot! Despite the unusu-ally wet weather in California, we did okay camping and birding. We had many adventures, met interesting people, and visited new territory.

Returning home, we left the green hills of California, crossed the Sierra Nevada on Interstate 80, where snow was plentiful in the higher elevations, and returned to brown as we descended into the Reno area. The drive across Nevada was pleasant and dry, with lots of sun-shine and cooler temperatures. It was good to get back home to Salt Lake City.

Our trip list resulted in 112 species and brought our total California bird list up to 208, an increase of 16 species. Ray added three lifers and I added two. The best find was a life emperor goose in the fields in the California Delta near Stockton/Lodi. But that’s another story!

Jeanne Le Ber is a retired health sciences librarian. She teaches “Becoming a Bird Watcher” for Osher Lifelong Learning, resulting in more new bird watchers 50 years old and older. Ray Smith is a retired cook and vice-president for the Great Salt Lake Audubon Society. Both have been birders since 1980 and reside in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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Mission San Luis Rey de Francia.

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San Diego Zoo’s Wild SisterThe San Diego Zoo Safari Park attracts animal lovers and conservation-minded visitors seeking experiential sight-

seeing with a plethora of safari tours, educational presentations and a host of animal ambassadors on site. Leisurely and laid-back, the Africa Tram sets a relaxed, comfortable, half-hour pace on the perimeter of open-field enclosures, or visitors may wish to embark on foot throughout the park’s many accessible areas, such as Condor Ridge and Walkabout Australia. Located in Escondido (35 miles northwest of its affiliate, the 100-acre San Diego Zoo), the 1,800-acre park is open every day of the year, including holidays. Visitors are encouraged to plan a minimum of four hours for an enrich-ing experience and to arrive earlier in the day to observe many animals at the height of their activity. Food vendors, gift shops, and disability accommodations are readily available. For more information on park activities, seasonal hours, or specific inquiries, please visit www.sdzsafaripark.org or call (619) 231-1515. —Ryan Holter

Abdim’s stork.

www.sdzsafaripark.org/park-animals-plants

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Known as a leading tech and life science powerhouse, Irvine surprises with the most low tech open space in Orange County! Artfully manicured office parks are surrounded by more than 16,000 acres of preserved natural habitats, including the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary. The 300 acres of restored coastal freshwater wetland offers birdwatchers over 100 different species of birds.

Where Tech Meets Trek.

www.destinationirvine.com/birds

Escape toReddingIf you’re looking to meet a new feathered friend look no farther then Redding – the area is home to 308 bird species, and the area’s public lands make it easy to get the best views. Places like Lassen Volcanic National Park, McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park, Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, and Turtle Bay Exploration Park make for great birding locations – an abundanabundance of wildlife alongside miles of walking and hiking trails makes getting that great picture easy!

VisitRedding.com(530) 225-4100

Photo credit: Danna Dykstra-Coy

Photo credit: Danna Dykstra-Coy

orro Bay, California, located on Highway 1, mid-way between Los Angeles and San Francisco, is home to the Morro Bay National Estuary, an important feeding

and resting area for wintering migrants. Morro Bay is a significant stop along the Pacific Flyway, the bird migration pathway that stretches from Alaska to Central America and is internationally recognized as a Globally Important Bird Area (IBA). Morro Rock is famous for its peregrine falcons, which were part of the recovery of the species from near extinction in the 1970s. Presently, two pairs of peregrines use the rock in unusually close proximity. It’s one of the best places to see peregrine feeding, nesting and fledging behavior. Morro Bay is also one of the best places for viewing sea otters. A small raft of sea otters rests just inside the harbor entrance, close enough to shore for top notch photos.

The Morro Bay Estuary Natural Preserve and its 800-acre wetland are home more than 200 species of land, sea, and shore birds, both migratory and resident and dozens of endangered species. Morro Bay’s diversity of habitats, including miles of pristine beaches, small patches of woodlands, dune habitats, mud flats and salt marshes, makes it a year-round birding extravaganza. All of these reasons make it one of the Audubon Society’s top birding spots in North America.

Winter migrants who rest in Morro Bay include cormorants, gulls, terns, ducks, shorebirds, brown pelicans and raptors. Osprey are regular winter visitors, using the masts of sailboats for perches, piercing the air with their characteristic cries. Great blue herons, black-crowned night herons and great egrets roost all year at the heron and cormorant rookery located near the entrance of the Museum of Natural History in Morro Bay State Park. The Museum of Natural History offers an extensive

is for the Birds

Morro Bay

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Get Active Out on the BayMany water adventures are available in Morro Bay, and kayaking is one of the best ways to see the estuary and all its inhabitants. Kayak and paddleboard tours and rentals are offered by several vendors along the Embarcadero and in the Morro Bay State Park Marina. Electric boat rentals, as well as sunset and brunch cruises are also available, and with Morro Bay’s mild cli-mate, even in winter, it’s a perfect vacation destination any time of year.

collection of mounted bird specimens, as well as docent led outings throughout the area for visitors to learn more about local diversity and birding hotspots.

Photo credit: Danna Dykstra-Coy

Photo credit: Danna Dykstra-Coy

Local Seafood is AbundantThe city of Morro Bay started out as a small commercial fishing village in the 1950s, and over the years became a tourism destination built on an active outdoor lifestyle. Today, Morro Bay is home to a thriving fishing community that employs effective fisheries management. Leading the way in Morro Bay’s sustainable fishing practices is oyster farming. The cold, clean waters of Morro Bay produce two specific kinds: Pacific Gold Oysters and Grassy Bar Oysters, which can be found at seafood markets and restaurants throughout town.

Morro Bay EventsAdventures with Nature – Throughout the year discover over 200 docent-led hikes, classes, and workshops exploring migrating birds, butterflies and all things wildlife and wonderful. Annual Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival – Each Martin Luther King weekend discover four days of birding field trips, lectures, workshops and events.Great Roster of Annual Events – Plein Air Art Festival, Morro Bay Kite Festival, HUGE Citywide Yard Sale, Art in the Park, 4th of July Family Bike Ride & Festival, the fun Cruisin’ Car Show, unique Avocado & Margarita Street Festival, Morro Bay Skateboard Classic, Lighted

Boat Parade and more.Find a Plethora of Competitive Races – From cycling the scenic coast and swimming in the Pacific Ocean, to running 5Ks, marathons and triathlon events on Morro Bay’s pristine beaches, there is something for everyone.

www.morrobay.org

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