Cactus Wren at San Dieguito River Park

Southeast of Escondido is the San Pasqual Valley. Highland Valley Road skirts the south side of the valley, and the San Pasqual Valley Road (Hwy 78) follows the north side of the valley. Bandy Canyon Road cuts through in the middle, and Ysabel Creek Road bridges the gap.

At the intersection of Bandy Canyon Road and Ysabel Creek Road is the Ysabel Creek Road Staging Area for part of the San Dieguito River Park trail. Just east of this parking area is an acre or so of thick prickly pear cactus.

Prickly pear cactus. Ysabel Creek Road, Escondido, California. April 3, 2016. Greg Gillson.

And, where you find this much cactus you find Cactus Wrens...

Cactus Wren. Ysabel Creek Road, Escondido, California. April 3, 2016. Greg Gillson.

At the other end of Ysabel Creek Road, perhaps a mile away, is the San Pasqual Battlefield Monument and a huge hillside of prickly pear cactus where I've found Cactus Wrens regularly (see this previous post).

So between these two locations you should be able to easily view Cactus Wrens in western San Diego County (at least in the North County). Of course, you may drive eastward over the mountains to the Anza-Borrego Desert and find Cactus Wrens in the cholla cactus there (see this previous post).