Ferruginous Hawk on Rangeland Road

Ferruginous Hawk. Rangeland Rd, Ramona, California. November 28, 2014. Greg Gillson.

On the edge of the Ramona Grasslands Preserve is a dead end road through pastureland with large scattered boulders. It is a great area for raptors and grassland birds. [Birding site guide here.]

On a quick recent visit I found this Ferruginous Hawk on a power pole. This is a regular wintering species here, October to March.

I love the rufous leg feathers and wing coverts on this prairie loving hawk.

I went birding at San Diguito Lagoon... and all I got was this lousy photo

Red-breasted Merganser. San Diguito Lagoon, San Diego Co., California. November 16, 2014. Greg Gillson.

A couple of weeks ago I visited the San Diguito Lagoon for about an hour. There had been a Pacific Golden-Plover reported there. It is a fairly common rarity--if that makes any sense--reported an average of about 10 times per year.

Well, I didn't see the plover there when I looked. And this merganser pic was the only photograph that was any good of only a very few I took. A female Red-breasted Merganser, a fairly common common bird, rather than a fairly common rare bird.

I had spent the early morning hiking up the Way Up Trail at the Elfin Forest. I don't have to do that again. It was a steep and rocky mile long trail gaining 500 feet elevation with chaparral--a rather common habitat. And fairly birdless. I did manage to hear a Varied Thrush in the parking lot. I should have spent the morning there, along the creek. Varied Thrush is also a rather rare bird with an average of about 10 reports per year. This year, however, they are being reported widely--as are Pine Siskins, though I haven't heard or seen any of these latter birds yet.

Palm trees in San Diego

Fan Palm

The ubiquitous and iconic palm trees that line the streets of towns in southern California are not native. Requiring access to water, they were not widely planted in California until the 20th century.

About 40% of the large ornamental palm trees in the San Diego area of California are Mexican Fan Palms (Washingtonia robusta). The fan palms have large fan-like leaves. The old dead fronds form a skirt that must be cut from the trunk, leaving a rough spiky trunk.

Another 40% are Queen Palms (Syagrus romanzoffiana), native to South America. Queen palms have a soft look due to the droopy leaves. The dead palm fronds trim off completely, leaving a smooth trunk.

Queen Palm

About 10% of large palms in San Diego are Canary Island Date Palms (Phoenix canariensis). The Canary Island date palms have very thick trunks and long, thin, stiff fronds. They are often trimmed so they look like a pineapple. Some of the streets in neighborhoods close to the ocean in San Diego are lined primarily this species.

Canary Island Date Palm

The final 8% or so are King Palms (Archontophoenix cunninghamiana), native to Australia. King Palms look similar to queen palms but have stiff, flat leaves. The dead fronds trim completely, leaving a smooth pale trunk.

King Palm

There are over 2800 species of palm trees, but the 4 species above make up about 98% of all the large palms found in and near the city of San Diego.

Out at Borrego Springs in the desert they grow a lot of edible Date Palms (Phoenix dactylifera). And there is a rare native California Fan Palm (Washingtonia filifera) in some of the nearby desert oases canyons in the Anza-Borrego Desert--the only native palm in California.

Small palms

Not included in the above list of large palms are the Pygmy Date Palms (Phoenix roebelenii), native to Southeast Asia. It is as numerous as all the other palms combined. A cute little palm that barely reaches 7 feet tall is perfect for residential landscaping. They are easy to trim and the seeds aren't as messy as the larger palms--or, rather, the berry-like seeds do not get scattered as widely as the tall palms.

Pygmy Date Palm

Finally, there is the fairly popular Sago Palm (Cycas revoluta), which isn't really a palm at all, but a cycad--an ancient plant form--a gymnosperm related to conifers. Most are smaller, but some reach over 8 feet.

Sago Palm

Thanksgiving visit to the beach: Oceanside, California

Oceanside, California.

I have today "off" from work.... Well, except for opening the clubhouse this morning and then cleaning and opening the pool. And, of course, locking it all up tonight. And then I have to be available for the party in the clubhouse this afternoon and evening. And I have to be reachable in case of any emergencies. Other than that, I mean, I have today off from work.

As proof, I submit the photo above that I took on the beach about 10 o'clock this morning. The beach wasn't crowded even though the temperature was already almost 80 degrees. Seas were very mild, but the young surfers were in force in the shallows.

A group of Royal Terns (below) shared the beach with the morning beach goers.

I'm back home now at noon, listening to the Lions show up the Bears. It is 90 degrees, here, 15 miles inland. Boy, I love living in San Diego!

Royal Terns. Oceanside, California. November 27, 2014. Greg Gillson.

Marbled Godwit at San Elijo Lagoon

Marbled Godwit. San Elijo Lagoon, San Diego Co., California. November 9, 2014. Greg Gillson.

I haven't had much time to watch birds in recent weeks. I did get out for an hour a couple of weeks ago while Marlene was getting a haircut! The low afternoon light was pleasant for this shorebird near the nature center.