Birds to know in San Diego: Cuyamaca Rancho State Park

This is the final post of the monthly series of common San Diego birds. We head into the oak-covered foothills of the mountains, south of the town of Julian.

Lake Cuyamaca

Stonewall Mine

Over 95% of the conifers in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park were incinerated by the 2003 Cedar Fire. The few pines remaining, such as at Stonewall Mine and Paso Picacho Campground, host some pine mountain birds such as found at Palomar Mountain: Steller's Jay, Pygmy Nuthatch, Hairy Woodpecker, Mountain Chickadee. [Pronunciation: kwee-ah-MAHK-ah]

Vegetation has started returning to the burned upper reaches of the mountains, first with grasses, small bushes, and then oak trees. Even pine and cedar are beginning to sprout. Oaks in some of the lower valleys were spared. But it will be decades or even a century before the forests return to their glory, assuming rainfall amounts of the past return from the recent decades of drought. The cycle of fire keeps changing woodlands and forests back to grasslands. Then a succession of plant communities grow back until the next fire. A general warming climate, though, means larger and more frequent fires and less woodlands.

Most of the birds featured in this post are especially common in the open oak foothills throughout the county, now typified by Cuyamaca Rancho State Park.

Red-shouldered Hawk. Rancho Bernardo, California. December 8, 2013. Greg Gillson.

Red-shouldered Hawk
That hunch-backed hawk sitting on the telephone line is a Red-shouldered Hawk; Red-tailed Hawks rarely perch on telephone lines. The California subspecies has this rusty orange chest and barred belly as an adult; Eastern birds are paler and less marked on the underparts. Frequently the loud keer-keer-keer-keer-keer-keer-keer-keer call attracts your attention to this bird. Similar San Diego birds: Red-tailed Hawk.

Nuttall's Woodpecker. Lake Hodges, California. February 2, 2014. Greg Gillson.

Nuttall's Woodpecker
This little woodpecker is widespread throughout San Diego County except for the desert. Indeed, it is found throughout most of California wherever there are oak trees. However, except for birds in extreme northern Baja, it is entirely restricted to California. It often gives its brief rattly call when as it flies to the next tree on its feeding route. Similar San Diego birds: Downy Woodpecker, Ladder-backed Woodpecker.

Western Bluebird. Julian, California. July 3, 2015. Greg Gillson.

Western Bluebird
The friendly little Western Bluebird may be found in some open residential lawns and city parks chasing bugs, but is most abundant in grasslands edged with oaks. Bluebirds nest in old woodpecker cavities. Is it more than coincidence that bluebird numbers in San Diego have increased along with Nuttall's Woodpeckers in the past 25 years or so? Similar San Diego birds: Western Scrub-Jay.

Wild Turkey. Julian, California. July 5, 2015. Greg Gillson.

Wild Turkey
Introduced unsuccessfully to the county several times in the past, a release of birds from Texas in 1993 finally took hold. These huge birds are now widespread in the mountains and inland foothills. Rather than being really "wild" they are more self-domesticating--thriving in parks and at the edge of residential areas where they cannot be hunted. Similar San Diego birds: none.

Oak Titmouse. Hot Springs Mountain, California. April 13, 2014. Greg Gillson.

Oak Titmouse
Well named, this little relative of the chickadee is found throughout the county foothills where there are extensive larger native oaks. Its former name was Plain Titmouse. And, except for a little crest, that is an apt name, too, for this plain little pale gray-brown bird. It gives husky chickadee-like calls, in addition to clear whistled song notes, thus sometimes it's a bit tough to tell whether you are hearing the titmouse or the Mountain Chickadee unless you actually see the calling bird. Similar San Diego birds: Bushtit, Mountain Chickadee.

Turkey Vulture. Ramona, California. February 1, 2015. Greg Gillson.

Turkey Vulture
Soaring unsteadily across the summer skies, the vulture is a familiar bird across North America. Feeding on roadkill or other dead animals they do look like black turkeys when on the ground. While widespread in summer, nests are hard to find because they choose to nest in caves and rocky crevices on steep mountain slopes. In winter they are more restricted to the interior of the county, away from the desert, high mountains, city, and immediate coastline. Similar San Diego birds: Red-tailed Hawk.

This is the last post in this series. To view all of them from the start click on this link...
Birds to know in San Diego: introduction

Birds to know in San Diego: any city park with a pond

We continue our monthly series of common San Diego County birds. This month we choose a city park with a pond--any city park with a pond will do. It could be anywhere: Lindo Lake at El Cajon, Santee Lakes at Lakeside, Lake Murray near La Mesa, Dixon Lake in Escondido. It just needs a pond, lawns, palm trees, and hedges and you'll find these common San Diego birds. In fact, all these species have increased in population due to the urbanization of the former native chaparral and sage-scrub landscape in the county. City parks, golf courses, cemeteries, and greenways are where you'll find these birds.

Kit Carson Park, Escondido.

Grab a picnic lunch and visit a nearby park and find these birds. If you need a couple of suggestions, I have written birding site guides to Dixon Lake and also Kit Carson Park.

Black Phoebe. Santee Lakes, California. October 11, 2013. Greg Gillson.

Black Phoebe
The perky little Black Phoebe darts out to catch a flying bug, then returns to its perch with a bob of the tail. While often found on fence lines along grassy residential lawns, they are just as likely at the edge of a small pond or ditch. They are "preadapted to urbanization" according to Philip Unitt (2004 San Diego County Bird Atlas), and San Diego is a "Black Phoebe paradise," the population tripling in San Diego in 40 years from the 1960's. They are quite talkative, singing a "fee-bee, fee-bew" song and giving a sweet sharp "chip" call note. Similar San Diego County birds: none.

Great-tailed Grackle. Santee Lakes, California. October 11, 2013. Greg Gillson.

Great-tailed Grackle
Large, loud, bold, and slightly obnoxious, the Great-tailed Grackle is at home in city parks and strip mall parking lots within a short commute from fresh water. Nearly as long as a crow, this large Mexican blackbird was first found in San Diego County in 1977. It spread quickly during this time. For instance, it reached Oregon in 1980. Distribution is still spotty, but it continues to increase. Similar San Diego County birds: Brewer's Blackbird, American Crow.

Cassin's Kingbird. San Ysidro, California. March 2, 2014. Greg Gillson.

Cassin's Kingbird
Here is another bird that has increased in numbers over the past 50 years. Cassin's Kingbird is more common on the coastal slope than Western Kingbirds; Western Kingbirds are more common in the drier inland valleys and desert. And, unlike the Western Kingbird, Cassin's Kingbirds are common all year round. They are found in tall open trees (palms and eucalyptus), thus are found in ranch areas, golf courses, and parks. Similar San Diego County birds: Western Kingbird.

Hooded Oriole. Dixon Lake, Escondido, California. April 6, 2014. Greg Gillson.

Hooded Oriole
Perhaps no other bird in California is so associated with palm trees. These birds arrive in San Diego county in late March and remain through August, returning to Mexico for the winter. Because the non-native Mexican fan palms are planted in coastal slope residential areas, this is where the birds are most common. However, there are also a pair or three of Hooded Orioles at each oasis in the Anza-Borrego Desert that contain California fan palm--the only native palms in California. They strip the fibers from the fan palm fronds and weave a basket nest in the tree. The San Diego Bird Atlas (1997-2002) found 39 nests, 28 were in fan palms, 1 in Canary Island date palm, and most of the rest in eucalyptus. See my previous post on palm trees in San Diego. Similar San Diego County birds: Bullock's Oriole.

American Coot. Dos Picos Park, Ramona, California. November 28, 2014. Greg Gillson.

American Coot
These waterbirds (not ducks) are found across North America south of the taiga (boreal forest) wherever there are shallow vegetated ponds. They nest in San Diego County, but even more are found in winter. At that season they especially congregate where they can graze on grass. So city parks and golf courses with ponds are favored or even overrun, turning the lawns to mud and filling the air with their grunting calls. Similar San Diego County birds: none.

California Towhee. Palomar Mountain, California. July 13, 2014. Greg Gillson.

California Towhee
You'd think that a species apparently so dependent on coastal sage scrub and chaparral habitats wouldn't do so well with urban sprawl and habitat fragmentation. But this large brown sparrow adapts well to residential life, as long as there's open ground to scratch for food and dense hedges to hide and nest in. Rather reclusive, the loud, hard "chink!" call gives its presence away. It feeds on the ground often out in the open near a dense tangle of shrubs where it scoots away at the first sign of danger. Similar San Diego County birds: Rufous-crowned Sparrow, California Thrasher, juvenile Spotted Towhee.

Birds to know in San Diego: introduction

Next: Birds to know in San Diego: Cuyamaca Rancho State Park

Birds to know in San Diego: Palomar Mountain

We head up into the mountains of the North County as we continue our monthly series of common San Diego birds.

In 2003 the Cedar Fire burned over 280,000 acres of San Diego County. Much of it was in the forested mountains. Nearly all the conifers (>95%) were lost in the Cuyamaca Mountains. In order to grow back they need at least 18 inches of rain annually. They haven't been getting that much in recent years--so conifers may be permanently gone in many places where they were found formerly. One area of forest that was spared in 2003 and again in 2007 fires was Palomar Mountain State Park and the nearby observatory.

Palomar Observatory

Coulter Pine, Incense Cedar, Canyon Live Oak, Black Oak make up most of the larger trees in this forest. Several campgrounds are here and this is a popular place to visit in summer at 6000 feet elevation. Snowfall is regular in winter, though doesn't often remain on the ground very long.

I visited Palomar Observatory in April 2015 and wrote about it here.

In September 2016 I wrote a birding site guide to Palomar Mountain Sate Park.

Here are some common birds to know from the forests of Palomar Mountain.

Acorn Woodpecker. Palomar Mountain, California. July 13, 2014. Greg Gillson.

Acorn Woodpecker
This brash, noisy woodpecker is common in oak groves, and is especially common in the oak-pine forests surrounding Palomar Mountain. Birds spend their days placing acorns into holes they drill in the dead branches of their granary trees. That way they'll have food for winter. As the acorns dry, they shrink and become loose. So the birds move them to slightly smaller holes and wedge them in tightly so they will be more difficult for squirrels to remove. They are constantly adding, testing, and moving acorns. This bird was the inspiration for Woody Woodpecker! Similar San Diego birds: Nuttall's Woodpecker.

Band-tailed Pigeon. Julian, California. July 3, 2015. Greg Gillson.

Band-tailed Pigeon
Here is another bird that feeds on acorns in the foothills and mountains. It also eats elderberries. Both of these are abundant at Palomar Mountain. I didn't know this until researching, but Palomar Mountain is evidently named for these birds (paloma means dove in Spanish). The deep cooing these birds make is often mistaken for owls, though pigeons do not coo at night. These birds also rely on mineral springs and fly every day to drink from them. Similar San Diego birds: Eurasian Collared-Dove, White-winged Dove, Mourning Dove, Domestic Pigeon.

Dark-eyed Junco. Palomar Mountain, California. July 13, 2014. Greg Gillson.

Dark-eyed Junco
Most people with backyard feeders in North America know this bird--often called "Snow Birds" by those who don't know the junco name. However, in San Diego it is more restricted to oak woodlands and higher mountains, generally above 1500 feet elevation (Unitt 2004). Various subspecies of "Oregon" Juncos with black-headed males (as depicted above) are most common. In winter, Gray-headed Juncos, Pink-sided Juncos, and Slate-colored Juncos are rare, more frequent in the mountains. Similar San Diego birds: None.

Mountain Chickadee. Palomar Mountain, California. July 13, 2014. Greg Gillson.

Mountain Chickadee
This is the only California chickadee found south of Santa Barbara County. I was surprised to find Mountain Chickadees regularly in lowland towns in northern San Diego County. The San Diego County Bird Atlas found one pair breeding near Fallbrook (Unitt 2004). However, in recent years they seem regular throughout the year (albeit in very small numbers) in backyards in Vista, San Marcos, and Escondido. Here is eBird May and June records for past 10 years. Similar San Diego birds: Oak Titmouse (habitat, behavior, and husky "chick-a-dee" calls similar)

Steller's Jay. Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, California. 22 March, 2015. Greg Gillson.

Steller's Jay
This black-headed jay with the sweeping crest is common in pine and oak woodlands at higher elevations. If you picnic at a mountain campground you are likely to be accosted by begging Steller's Jays. This bird has a name that drives certain precise people (a.k.a. the "spelling police"--who me?) crazy. The bird is named after Georg Wilhelm Steller from birds he collected and brought back on the Vitas Bering expedition from Russia to Alaska. Thus, it may be a stellar jay, but it's name is Steller's Jay. Similar San Diego birds: Western Scrub-Jay.

Yellow-rumped Warbler. Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, California. 22 March, 2015. Greg Gillson.

Yellow-rumped Warbler
This is perhaps the most abundant winter visitor to San Diego County. It is found from lowlands to higher mountains, September to May. It is an extremely rare breeder on a few peaks that reach above 5000 feet. Winter birds are paler and streaky showing only a hint of the breeding plumage. Eating insects in summer, they switch to fruit and berries (even poison oak berries!) in winter and are thus able to remain in more northerly climes than other warblers. Birds breeding in northeastern Alaska and east of the Rocky Mountains have white throats; Western birds have yellow throats and were formerly described as separate species--Myrtle and Audubon's Warblers, respectively. Similar San Diego birds: Townsend's Warbler.


Birds to know in San Diego: introduction

Next: Birds to Know in San Diego: Any City Park with a Pond

Birds to know in San Diego: Crown Point and Mission Bay

We continue our monthly series of common San Diego birds by visiting Mission Bay, including Fiesta Island and Crown Point Park. At Crown Point Park on the north side of the bay, you drive into the parking lot and walk the manicured sandy beaches. On Fiesta Island, on the south side of Mission Bay you drive almost 2 miles around and pull over on the edge of the road anywhere to scope out the birds on the more muddy shores.

I wrote a birding site guide to Crown Point Park in January 2014. You might want to view that, too.

Crown Point Park

Here are some of the common birds you should know on Mission Bay in San Diego.

Brant. Chula Vista, California. January 30, 2016. Greg Gillson.

Brant
About 750-1500 of these small marine geese wintered in Mission Bay and San Diego Bay at the end of the 20th century (Unitt 2004). To my eye, there are at least that many birds now. In the photo above you can see their favorite food--eel grass--as one blade dangles from the bill and another is draped across its back. They are present here from November through March, though a few individuals fail to migrate in spring to their breeding grounds to the Arctic coastline. Similar San Diego birds: Canada Goose, Cackling Goose.

Osprey. Rocky Point, Sonora, Mexico. May 11, 2007. Greg Gillson.

Osprey
These fish-eating hawks are regular year round in small numbers at coastal estuaries and inland lakes. They make very large stick nests on tall platforms near, or over, water. They may be seen hovering over water and making strafing runs with talons cutting the water, then carrying their prey away on long bent wings. Similar San Diego birds: Red-tailed Hawk.

Great Blue Heron. Lake Henshaw, California. December 27, 2015. Greg Gillson.

Great Blue Heron
This tall gray heron is familiar to most people in North America. Numbers remain similar in San Diego County all year, but they spread out in winter, farther away from their limited number of nesting colonies. They are found near fresh water shores, but also hunt for rodents and amphibians in bare or short grassy fields. Similar San Diego birds: Little Blue Heron.

Black-bellied Plover. Crown Point, Mission Bay, California. February 16, 2015. Greg Gillson.

Black-bellied Plover
Found on tidal mudflats and even open beaches, Black-bellied Plovers are rather common from fall through spring. Even summering non-breeding birds are not unusual. They are especially numerous in August and September when juveniles arrive from the Arctic. The eponymous black belly, chest and face is a feature of the spring adult breeding plumage. Similar San Diego birds: Red Knot, Killdeer, Short-billed Dowitcher.

Black Skimmer. Crown Point, Mission Bay, California. February 16, 2015. Greg Gillson.

Black Skimmer
This is one odd bird. They are superficially gull-like, with long pointed wings, short legs, and webbed feet. Males are about 20% larger than females. The knife-like lower mandible is much longer than the upper mandible. They skim the quiet shallows of the bay with the lower mandible partially submerged, snagging fish near the surface. Unique in the bird world, their pupils are cat-like vertical slits, perhaps to provide exposure protection from the sunny beach sand. They were first recorded in San Diego County in 1971, expanding their range from Mexico. 300-400 pairs nest at the salt works in south San Diego Bay in May and June. At other seasons these birds hang out on Mission Bay. Similar San Diego birds: None, really.

Ring-billed Gull. Lindo Lake, California. February 9, 2014. Greg Gillson.

Ring-billed Gull
This rather small gull is widespread near water in the county, west of the desert and below the mountains. While common in estuaries along the coast, they avoid the open ocean. They are regular July-April, though some non-breeders also spend the summer along the coast. Similar San Diego birds: California Gull, rare Mew Gull. Immature gulls of most species have ringed bills at some point in their development (see adjacent immature Ring-billed Gull in above photo).

Long-billed Curlew. Coronado, California. March 2, 2014. Greg Gillson.

Long-billed Curlew
The long bill on this largest of North American sandpipers is truly amazing. The male may have a bill of only 4-1/2 inches, while the female may have a bill 8-1/2 inches long (like the bird in the photo above). Crabs and marine invertebrates are its preferred food, so they are found primarily in the lagoons and bays. These cinnamon-colored birds nest in grasslands in west-central North America. A very few non-breeders spend the summer. However, as short-range migrants they are found commonly from July-May, so it seems they are here year-round. Similar San Diego birds: Whimbrel, Marbled Godwit.

Birds to know in San Diego: introduction

Next: Birds to know in San Diego: Palomar Mountain

Birds to know in San Diego: Oceanside Pier

We head to the beach as we continue our monthly series of common San Diego birds. The Oceanside Pier is a tourist and fishing destination overlooking a popular surfing and sun bathing beach.

So, what common birds might you see walking out the Oceanside Pier or along similar sandy beaches and overlooks in San Diego County?

Elegant Tern (Royal Terns left and right foreground). Oceanside, California. December 29, 2013. Greg Gillson.

Elegant Tern
These are the common summer and fall terns along the beaches of southern California. You can see them plunge-diving for anchovies in the shallow waters near shore. Most (150,000 pairs) breed on Isla Rasa, in Mexico's Gulf of California. However, during warm water years, up to 70% of the population may summer in California, especially in San Diego Bay. In such years 50,000 pairs, or 1/3 the total breeding population may nest in California. (Story here.) Similar San Diego birds: Royal Tern, Caspian Tern, Forster's Tern, Common Tern.

Young Brown Pelican. Oceanside Pier, California. May 26, 2014. Greg Gillson.

Brown Pelican
This bird is emblematic of the poisoning of the environment with the pesticide DDT. After DDT was banned in the 1970's the population of California Brown Pelicans recovered quite nicely. However, it is still vulnerable to oil spills and chemicals that make their way into the food chain. They are also quite sensitive to any disturbance on their breeding islands--even boats approaching too closely to the islands may cause them to abandon their nests. At other times of the year they are much more tolerant of people. There are about 300 nesting pairs on the Coronado Islands off Tijuana, Mexico. And the number of nesting pairs on the Channel Islands off Ventura, California varies from 4000-6000 nesting pairs. No pelicans nest in San Diego County, though. Similar San Diego birds: Brown Booby.

Heermann's Gull. San Diego Bay, California. March 8, 2015. Greg Gillson.

Heermann's Gull
This gull is different from all others in North America in several ways. The tail is black--even as an adult, the underparts are smoky-gray, the bill is red, and the legs are black. These birds are the constant companions of Brown Pelicans. Rarely will you find one without the other.  The pelicans dive down into the water for fish. These gulls grab any fish the pelicans bring up that might spill out of their throat pouch. Similar San Diego birds: None as adults. The all-dark juveniles may be hidden among other similar juvenile gulls such as California Gulls. Juveniles also may appear and behave similar to Parasitic Jaegers.

Western Gull. La Jolla, California. November 2, 2013. Greg Gillson.

Western Gull
This large dark-mantled gull is the only nesting gull in San Diego County, though many other gulls winter. This species rarely ventures more than 5 miles inland (a bit farther in the south county--to Lake Murray). The beach and harbor areas are its main haunts. Similar San Diego birds: California Gull, Herring Hull, Glaucous-winged Gull.

Snowy Egret. Oceanside Pier, California. September 28, 2014. Greg Gillson.

Snowy Egret
This smaller egret with the "golden slippers" is the most common of several white egrets and herons in San Diego County. They are found along the shores of larger lakes, rivers, and estuaries--even standing out on the kelp beds a half mile offshore! They follow anglers on the pier, probably more interested in the bait than the caught fish that are probably too large to swallow. Similar San Diego birds: Great Egret, Little Blue Heron (immature), Cattle Egret.

Double-crested Cormorant. San Elijo Lagoon, California. August 3, 2014. Greg Gillson.

Double-crested Cormorant
These dark waterbirds have yellow bare skin on their throats throughout the year. They dive for fish and sometimes swim mostly submerged with only their heads and longer necks sticking out of the water. Like pelicans they are totipalmate--there are webs between all four toes, not just the front three as ducks, gulls, and loons. Their plumage is not completely waterproof. So you may see them on the water's edge with their wings open, drying them in the sun. These birds are found in salt and fresh water across North America, and are the only cormorants likely to be found away from the immediate coastline. Similar San Diego birds: Brandt's Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant.

Rock Pigeon (Domestic Pigeon). Newport, Oregon. March 31, 2013. Greg Gillson.

Rock Pigeon
These birds have been domesticated for thousands of years. They were originally domesticated for food, but in North America they are primarily "pets." Many are feral, nesting on ledges on urban buildings. Many are also found in rural farmlands. Similar San Diego birds: Eurasian Collared-Dove, Mourning Dove, Band-tailed Pigeon.


Birds to know in San Diego: introduction

Next: Birds to Know in San Diego: Crown Point and Mission Bay.

Birds to know in San Diego: Anza-Borrego Desert

We continue our monthly series of common San Diego birds by heading east over the mountains to the Anza-Borrego Desert.

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Visitor Center.

Most desert birds are adapted to thrive in dry, hot conditions where other birds would suffer. Thus, except during spring migration--or in irrigated residential landscapes, most birds found in San Diego's desert are different than elsewhere in the county.

Here is my birding site guide to Mesquite Bosque and Borrego Springs WTP. Here is my birding site guide to the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Visitor Center.

Phainopepla. Mission Trails Park, San Diego, California. May 10, 2015. Greg Gillson.

Phainopepla
The male is sleek and glossy black with a red eye, bold white wing patches visible in flight, and a perky crest. How cool is that! The female is grayer, without the wing patches, but otherwise similar. They give a soft imitable whistled "whit" call. They feed on mistletoe berries and flycatch for insects and are quite common and widespread across the desert, especially in winter. They may breed March-May in the desert and then move westward into grassy canyons with sycamore and oak and more mistletoe. Here they may breed a second time before returning to the desert for the fall and winter. Similar San Diego birds: None in desert habitats. Steller's Jay in mountain forests.

Costa's Hummingbird on Ocotillo. Tamarisk Grove, Anza-Borrego Desert, California. January 26, 2014. Greg Gillson.

Costa's Hummingbird
This is the expected desert hummingbird, though Anna's also occur--especially in residential areas with non-native flowering plants. The male's purple gorget covers the entire head and the throat spurs droop well away from the body (Pete Dunne calls it a "'Fu Manchu' mustache"). The brilliantly jewelled-colored throats of hummingbirds are created by refraction; the actual throat feathers are black, as can be seen above when the angle is not right. Females of all hummingbirds are rather similar green above and white below and hard to tell to species. Similar San Diego birds: Anna's Hummingbird, Black-chinned Hummingbird.

Verdin. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California. April 27, 2014. Greg Gillson.

Verdin
These small gray desert birds behave like chickadees, though they have larger heads and shorter tails. Only older birds have yellow faces. They move actively through thorny desert scrub. They are quite talkative, with a wide range of loud, high-pitched calls and whistles. This is probably the signature bird of the Anza-Borrego Desert--it is a common resident that is not found in other San Diego County habitats. Similar San Diego birds: None in the desert, but Bushtit, Oak Titmouse.

Black-throated Sparrow. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California. April 27, 2014. Greg Gillson.

Black-throated Sparrow
This handsomely-patterned desert sparrow is very striking. It prefers gravelly slopes with sparse bushes. In San Diego County that is primarily the ocotillo and cholla and barrel cacti at the mountain edges surrounding Borrgeo Springs. It is more often found on the ground than in bushes (except singing males in spring). They often run away on the ground rather than fly. Similar San Diego birds: Black-chinned Sparrow, Bell's Sparrow. Somewhat similarly-patterned to residential House Sparrows.

Cactus Wren. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California. April 27, 2014. Greg Gillson.

Cactus Wren
This aptly-named large wren makes its home right among the spines of cacti and other shrubs of the desert Southwest. You may find them in thick patches of cholla cacti in the Anza- Borrego Desert and in thick prickly pear and cholla in coastal sage scrub habitats nearer the coast. They build football-shaped nests of cactus spines with side entry holes and occupy them year long, not just when nesting. The unique mechanical rolling "chug-chug-chug..." song has made it incongruously into many TV and movie soundtracks in places where Cactus Wrens never occur. Similar San Diego birds: Bewick's Wren, Rock Wren, Canyon Wren, Sage Thrasher.

White-winged Dove. Borrego Springs, California. April 27, 2014. Greg Gillson.

White-winged Dove
These are rather large and obvious desert pigeons, found especially in mesquite and palo verde trees. Locally, these doves are habituated to oases and residential Borrego Springs. Large numbers are found a Vallecito County Park and also the grapefruit orchards north of Borrego Springs. The white wing bars are very obvious in flight, different from all other pigeons in North America. Similar San Diego birds: Mourning Dove, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Band-tailed Pigeon, domestic pigeon.

Greater Roadrunner. Mission Trails Park, San Diego, California. May 10, 2015. Greg Gillson.

Greater Roadrunner
Though most people think of this rather large bird as a desert specialist, it is found in open areas with scattered bushes throughout San Diego county except in urban areas and highest mountains. In addition to true desert, one can find this bird in coastal sage scrub and other chaparral. Nevertheless, it is frequently seen in the Anza-Borrego Desert. And, yes, it frequently runs beside or across the road.  Similar San Diego birds: None. Similar to female Ring-necked Pheasant, but pheasant is no longer found in the county except as occasional escaped cage birds.

Loggerhead Shrike. Borrego Springs, California. March 22, 2015. Greg Gillson.

Loggerhead Shrike
This songbird behaves like a miniature hawk, preying upon large insects, small birds, lizards, and rodents. You can find them in open country where they frequently perch on the tips of saplings, bushes, fence posts, and telephone lines. These birds are typical residents of the Mesquite Bosque of the Anza-Borrego Desert (see site guide). Similar San Diego birds: Northern Mockingbird, American Kestrel.


Birds to know in San Diego: introduction

Next: Birds to know in San Diego: Oceanside Pier

Birds to know in San Diego: San Elijo Lagoon

This is the second post in a monthly series that depicts over 50 common birds in San Diego County. In the first post we discussed some common backyard birds. Now we head to San Elijo Lagoon at Encinitas on the North County coast.

High tide at San Elijo Lagoon, California.

As a salt water lagoon, San Elijo Lagoon fills with ocean water at high tide. At low tide it drains out again. This type of habitat is very rare in California--indeed the world--as these marshes are often drained for the development of this high-priced real estate. Thus, many of the plants and animals living here are endangered. The lagoons are valuable real estate for wildlife habitat, too. But the plants and animals are often out-bid by the people. San Elijo Lagoon is thus a very rare and precious gem.

Here is my birding site guide to San Elijo Lagoon.

Many of the most obvious birds in the marsh have long legs for wading in the water and long bills for probing in the mud.

Marbled Godwit. San Elijo Lagoon, California. March 8, 2008. Greg Gillson.

Marbled Godwit
This large salmon-colored shorebird with the "too long" upturned bill breeds in the northern Great Plains and winters coastally. However, a number of non-breeding birds also summer on the California coast. Thus, Marbled Godwits can be found here throughout the year, though they are most common fall through spring. They prefer salt water, so they are found primarily either on the beach or in the lagoons. Similar San Diego birds: Long-billed Curlew, Whimbrel, Willet, perhaps the much smaller Long-billed Dowitcher and Short-billed Dowitcher.

Ridgway's Rail. Imperial Beach, California. March 2, 2014. Greg Gillson.

Ridgway's Rail
Formerly considered the western subspecies of Clapper Rail, this critically endangered bird is as rare as the saltwater marsh habitat it lives in. Fortunately, where the habitat has been restored these birds are making a strong comeback from the low point in the 1980's. Ridgway's Rails were only re-established in San Elijo Lagoon since 1982. They built to 8 pairs in 1997 but dropped again to only 1 pair in 2000-2001 (San Diego County Bird Atlas. Philip Unitt. 2004.). Rails are secretive marsh dwellers that are usually hard to actually see. But at lower tides birds may be observed crossing shallow channels or foraging for snails at the edge of the cordgrass. Sometimes, if one calls, all the birds erupt in calls throughout the marsh. A dozen birds or more may be heard or glimpsed now in San Elijo Lagoon, especially August through November. Similar San Diego birds: Virginia Rail, Sora, Least Bittern.

Black-necked Stilt. Imperial Beach, California. July 4, 2014. Greg Gillson.

Black-necked Stilt
This black and white wader is graceful and elegant despite the almost impossibly long and shockingly bright coral pink legs. They nest at San Elijo Lagoon and numbers can reach over 100, but they don't usually flock together. They are only slightly less common in winter. They use injury-feigning and distraction displays to lead predators away from the ground-nests and chicks. Similar San Diego birds: American Avocet.

American Avocet. Oceanside, California. May 24, 2015. Greg Gillson.

American Avocet
The stately avocets are often found with Black-necked Stilts year-round in sandy lagoons and shallow wetlands. This species has very long bluish legs and a thin upturned bill. In spring the head and neck sports a soft cinnamon-brown wash that disappears in winter. Semi-colonial; large numbers may flock together in any season. This rather large shorebird defends it nest and territory by screaming and strafing--flying straight at intruders (including people) who have ventured too close. Similar San Diego birds: Black-necked Stilt.

Cinnamon Teal. Chula Vista, California. December 31, 2015. Greg Gillson.

Cinnamon Teal
This tiny little duck with the big bill is regular, but not overly numerous, in quiet, shallow, marshes choked with floating vegetation. It is found year-round in California, but harder to find in summer and early winter. An early migrant; by mid-January the spring migration is noticeable. Similar San Diego birds: The camouflage-patterned females of Cinnamon and Blue-winged Teal are very similar.

Willet. San Elijo Lagoon, California. August 3, 2014. Greg Gillson.

Willet. San Elijo Lagoon, California. December 15, 2013. Greg Gillson.

Willet
This larger shorebird is overall a rather non-descript gray throughout most of the year. In spring, it features a few browner spots and streaks. But when it flies it exposes its striking black-and-white wing pattern. They don't breed here, but a few non-breeding individuals may be found in summer, especially on the open beaches. But it is hard to tell a migrant from a summering bird, as spring migration continues through May and fall migration may begin by late June. Named for it's piercing and loud "Willet!" or "Pill-Will-Willet!" it is often first noticed by its call. Similar San Diego birds: None, really, but perhaps Whimbrel, Red Knot, Black-bellied Plover (bold wing stripe).


Birds to know in San Diego: introduction

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