Snowy Plover at Imperial Beach

The beach at the mouth of the Tijuana River is relatively uncrowded compared to most beaches in southern California. As a result, it is Marlene's favorite beach, even though it is a 45 minute drive for us--the farthest beach in San Diego County from our home.

And it has some good birds with the marsh behind the dunes and a trail on top of the dunes. One can walk the dike/dune top and observe marsh birds on one side and the ocean on the other. Site guide here. It is a 1 mile hike from the parking lot to the river mouth.

Both the endangered Least Terns and Snowy Plovers nest on this beach. The terns are present April to August; the plovers are present year-round.

Snowy Plover and Beach Verbena. Imperial Beach, California. July 29, 2018.

1/1250 f/7.1 @400mm ISO 160