mt. woodson (2/23)

yesterday, my cousin and i decided to hike mount woodson, in poway. it's a nice hike, a little over 7 miles, with about 2500(?) feet of vertical gain. we are planning on climbing mt. whitney next year, and this was an initial step toward getting in shape. we were figuring out where we were physically, so that we'd know how much work we need to put in.


cool weather and recent rains made for a beautiful hike. fresh shoots sprouted out of every crevice on the boulder strewn mountain. the charred skeletons of manzanitas and scrub oaks were bursting at ground level with new life, nourished by rain water and nutrients released by past fires. the whole mountain was a granite wonderland, full of oddly shaped monoliths. weird holes, bored into the rocks by countless years of erosion by rain and wind were a constant source of wonderment. the sight of house sized boulders, split in half, and rearranged by gravity allowed us to play amateur geologists, pointing out the paths of fallen giants and theorizing as to how and when such a thing could have happened. it was also my first experience with that sqishy death trap of the movies: quick sand. all in all a very physically and mentally enlightening experience.

though it wasn't the primary reason for my trip, thanks to my cousins recommendation that i bring my binos, i was able to do some birding. i added three new year birds (new year total: 140) on the hike: ROCK WREN, RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROW, WHITE-THROATED SWIFT, and CLIFF SWALLOW.

CLIFF SWALLOW:

a four plover day (2/17)

the tijuana river is unknown to most people (even in san diego) - it's no mississippi or colorado - but for san diego birders, it's a huge attraction and an important birding area. this little river flows out of tijuana, mexico, across the international border, and into the pacific ocean at imperial beach, about a quarter-mile into south-western san diego county. as it approaches the pacific it slows to a crawl and spreads out like a giant, soggy picnic blanket, creating a sprawling coastal wetland complex. there are willow and cottonwood lined stream, acres of salt marsh, and long stretches of open beach which guard back shore dunes. besides numerous mammals, reptiles, and invertebrates, the area supports at least three federally endangered bird species (CALIFORNIA LEAST TERN, WESTERN SNOWY PLOVER, and LIGHT-FOOTED CLAPPER RAIL), and various other bird species that are nearly extirpated from san diego county. because of the size of the site, the variety of habitats found there, and it's situation along the coast it is a focal point for migratory birds from around the world. unfortunately, the river is surrounded on all sides by military bases, agricultural lands, and housing. almost all of the beach side is walled off by a large, sandy dyke, which protects the surrounding homes, and estuary form the sea (though the estuary really wouldn't need to be protected if there were no homes there...) it's still a damn good place to bird though, and honestly, the agricultural lands and military airport probably attract and support a greater variety of birds than the area otherwise would, since they are basically grassland-esque habitats, which, as far as i know, don't occur in that location naturally. but i could be wrong. anyway...

today, i decided to go down to the tijuana river valley to look for two PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVERs that have been reported there with regularity over the last week or so. i was not the only one with this idea. when i parked on sea coast drive and exited my car i saw an elderly couple exiting the park with binoculars swinging around their necks. a quick glance atop the dykes revealed a party of four more birders, outfitted with scopes and other gear heading in the same direction i'd planned on. i decided to catch up, hoping to take advantage of their superior fire power, and scavenge a look through their scopes (i'm scopless, remember). turns out they were birding acquaintances of mine, and we all ended up birding the place together for about two hours, with scoping galore. we had hoped for a 5 plover day, but we struck out on the two PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVERs, and only had KILLDEER, SEMI-PALMATED PLOVER, SNOWY PLOVER (year bird 134 for me), and BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER.
about the time i decided to leave, two more birders showed up to compliment our crowd, which had shown up to compliment two others (that's 9 birders total in case you weren't counting). it was like a little impromptu amateur ornithologists summit on the beach. well, i had to get off to school so i skipped out on the crowd, made my way back to the car, and left.

SNOWY PLOVER:


on the way home i stopped by the i.b. sports park to try to pick up the HAPATIC TANAGER that has been overwintering there, that i have failed to see on three occasions. well, that little red bastard was there this time, and i got quite a good look at him, as he was very active. a joy to watch. this 'lifer' brought my sd county list to 241 species, and my year list to 136 species (i also picked up AMERICAN PIPIT today, at the tj river).

HEPATIC TANAGER:

recently....

it's the time of year when we students, if dedicated, must swap out our accoutrements of leisure for those of a more responsible life. school has started up again, and homework assignments and semester projects are coming down the pipeline. for me, this means i'll be spending less time birding, and more time sweating over a computer. i've put away my binoculars and bird books (to a great degree), in exchange for books and backpacks. but, i've also added another activity to the rotation, in my quest to be a more well-rounded person... i recently dusted off my road bike, and started the painful journey toward becoming a competent rider again. biking is a pastime i very much enjoy, though not nearly as much as birding. it is equally rewarding, if only in a different manner. it remains to be seen, however, how successful i'll be at sticking to the program, and balancing birding with biking. i'm not sure how i'll be able to ride my bike while there are birds in view, without having to stop and seriously lament the fact that i don't have binos with me. who knows, maybe i'll create some hybrid of the two, and learn to enjoy them both at once - doubtful. the impetus for my long overdue return to riding (before i moved to new zealand i was logging around 60 miles a week) is a trip to yosemite that is on the horizon. if one is not so inclined, there is no need to get in shape to experience yosemite. but, since i like the idea of testing myself physically on the many hikes the place has to offer, and getting out of the valley floor, onto the barely less-beaten track, i find it necessary. the hike to the top of yosemite falls (the highest waterfall in n. america!) is no joke. though i plan on devoting an entire day or two to serious birding - PILIATED WOODPECKER, AMERICAN DIPPER, and other very interesting birds can be found there - this trip is primarily a bonding experience for friends both old and new. so, it will include much hiking, and i don't want to be left in the dust.

in other news: this week i had two very uneventful birding trips. one to imperial beach, the other to the san dieguito lagoon. despite the extreme lack of variety in bird life, i was able to get two new birds for the year: GREEN HERON, and NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW.


GREEN HERON