Blue Waves

Today we close out our 3rd and final trek to Ventura, California.  The whole purpose of our trek was to escape the Arizona heat, enjoy the ocean and learn about the Yellow-billed Magpie.  This was a bird I remembered back in the 90's when I lived in the south bay of the San Francisco area. Now as a birder, it was time to go back and have some wine with a friend and rediscover this magpie I first discovered in my backyard when I lived in San Jose. 

And while we had the magpie on our lists, we couldn't stay too far from the ocean.  For an Arizonan, the closest place to find a Yellow-billed Magpie is in the Ventura area.  This is the southern most range for this species.  About 60 miles east of Ventura in the wine country of Los Olivos at the famous Zaca Station Road, we had a lovely time birding along this beautiful road of oak scrub and vineyards. We stopped at one of the places to do some wine tasting.   

The weather was perfect and the wine was great.  And oh yeah, the magpies were a blast!  They reminded me of the Common Mynas that dominate the Hawaiian landscape.  

After we had a lovely time in wine country with great views of the magpie, we headed back to the ocean to enjoy the cooler temps and of course, the beach. 

What a thrill!  Our return trek took us to Santa Barbara.  And it was the last part of our fun California adventures in Ventura. 

Turnstone numbers were great and wonderful views of these 2 species were fantastic!

During our treks to various beach spots, we noticed more Black Turnstones than Ruddy Turnstones.  All the turnstones were mixed in together running around "rock piers" and the sandy beaches not caring that people, pets and kids were also sharing the beach. 

Our missions to the beaches, island and vineyards were a success. 

Any time I bird California, I break down the treks to certain areas.  San Diego and Imperial Beach are wonderful for lots of great birds while Orange County is great for the exotic parrots and a trek out to Catalina Island for the Spotted Doves.  LA is another trip with a trek to the LA Gardens and surrounding areas. Spotted Doves, in smaller numbers, can also be found there, but they are much more enjoyable to find on Catalina Island.  Plus you get a pelagic with that boat trek out of Dana Point, also a great spot to bird. Then there is the Ventura area that we just covered. And all along the coast, there are other great places with specialty birds during certain times of years like in Monterrey.  California is HUGE and it's always fun birding this state.  If you plan well, you won't find yourself on the road all the time and instead, you'll spend most of your time enjoying some quality birding.  

That's how I have dealt with California over the years.  Living in the Bay Area in the 90's, I discovered it was frustrating to try and do too much over a larger area because the traffic killed a lot of precious day outings.  So my attitude is to divide and conquer.  Take it all in over mini vacations over time.  That way you get to enjoy California for everything it offers. So like our trek out to the vineyard, one needs to let that wine breathe. California is wonderful when you slowly enjoy the moments.  Don't rush through it. 

We did try for an unexpected rarity in Santa Barbara, the Curlew Sandpiper.  We had a lot of great birds along the beach, but we often had a lot of distractions.  We didn't find the Sandpiper due to runners flushing the peeps but we did see so many wonderful ocean birds. Plus the beaches there were really really nice. 

The drive was fun as it usually is from Phoenix to Ventura.  It's like a racetrack and always seems to fly by quickly. We wanted to stay a little longer.  The cool ocean temps were so nice.  We're back in Tucson now but I see blue waves happening again very soon.  
 

The year 2020 has been an incredible year here in Arizona.  The devastations that have happened around us environmentally have driven birds into our state from other places.  That report will be coming.  I also hit another landmark for Arizona.  While it hasn't been the year of the lifer, it has been a solid year of birding in Arizona and specifically for Pima County.  Until next time.....

Blue Dreams

I sat thinking for a month what I wanted to do for my fall break.  Originally, I had wanted to do a spiritual retreat at a monk sanctuary in Guatemala, but that will have to wait.  October is a very special month for me.  It's the month of beginnings and reflective work.  If I couldn't lose myself to chants and birds in Antigua; I would have to think about the next spiritual place that makes me feel whole as a person.....and in the US.  Oregon and Washington were too far to drive.  But the coast of Southern California was close enough to spend some quality time with birds that I don't often get to see. 

Celeste and Cheroot joined me for the second time this year to do some very special birding in another part of Southern California.  And it wasn't just birding.  My only expectations were to find the endemic Yellow-billed Magpies and get photos of them.  Each day was meticulously crafted for maximum ocean use. We stayed in Ventura near the beach in a very questionable hotel. However, everything was within a mostly 10 minute driving distance.  

We arrived on Sunday in the early afternoon. Our Sunday and Monday rules were to have fun on the beach.  Tuesday was a trek out to the beautiful Santa Cruz Island.  Wednesday was a short drive to wine country and magpie land.  And then Thursday, we needed to get home.  It was so fast!

Perfection?  Coffee and fresh clam chowder on the beach. Or how about a misty coastal fog that blankets the beaches?  We walked the beach for miles.  Sometimes we sat and observed people.  Other times I got up close and personal with some shorebird favorites. There were so many birds along the Venturan coast.  

During our stay, we met birders who also had similar ideas about escaping the Arizona heat and it really was refreshing to bird all day long. But unlike the other birders, we weren't really chasing any new birds.  If fact, there weren't any lifers on the list.  I just needed the ocean and a magpie shot which really makes the birding stress free. 

Birds are incredible.  While we have Long-billed Curlews in Arizona, this species makes for a better observation here along the coast. 

People walked the beaches, but the birds didn't seem too concerned.  Sometimes they would just come within a foot of us if we stood or sat still.  It was here that we were able to witness a little courtship display between the curlews below.  It was very beautiful.  Their wings half raised and flutter beat at the same time in a tight formation.  

We watched these birds forage around the beach for sand crabs and fleas. There were plenty of insects as well zipping around the seaweed. 

Meanwhile Cheroot was discovering sea weed on the beach.  There were piles of them. Sometimes he'd pick a kelp branch up and run with it.  Never have I seen him so happy running along the waves.  Being that he's also blind, he was shocked when a wave went a little too far and wet his paws. I don't think he minded too much.  

In fact, much of our sightings were quality bird observations.  Often, we'd just sit and watch the birds up close. Our rare bird sighting happened in the gardens of the Channel Islands Tourist center on the beach.  There we spied a Black-and-White Warbler.  I can NEVER find them here in AZ but if I go to Ventura, I magically will find one.  This was my second rare Black-and-White Warbler in Ventura.  And I've only been to Ventura twice.  So I'm a magnet for that warbler there.  Anywhere else?  Forget about it. 

 The ocean called us.  And we listened carefully. There were seals.  There were whales and foxes and deer.  And at times, we stopped at places like a fresh produce stand where we bought a huge bag of sweet oranges for 5 dollars.  I also purchased 3 punnets of strawberries.  I also learned some new English from Celeste.  She is of course from the first age of proper English speakers.  Americans are savages in every way possible and I clearly have a limited vocabulary set. A PUNNET is the little green basket that holds strawberries and other goodies. OH! And I bought a huge bag of avocados for 5 bucks!  Anyhow, I brought my magic cooler that keeps everything nice and cold and was able to get them back home in pristine condition. I wish we had produce stands like this in Tucson!  

These kinds of stands are possible thanks in part to the hard working hispanic population in and around Ventura.  It reminded me of the markets in Mexico and it was wonderful.  

Everything was dog friendly for the most part. Sometimes, you have to return to a place to absorb the things you missed the first time. Over the next couple blogs, we'll rediscover why I love birding Ventura so much.  But we'll be visiting new locations that I had never visited before.  We'll stop at Prisoner's Harbor on Santa Cruz Island.  Several years ago we camped at Scorpion Campground.  Then we'll have some wine with a magpie outside of Ventura.  Until then, stay safe.

Coastal Desires

Living in the desert makes me yearn to be near the ocean when I have the opportunity.  I guess I was also chasing Rock Sandpipers along the Oregon coast near Tillamook even if it was a little early for their arrival. It was more about enjoying the cold ocean wind.  Autumn colors. Ocean. Coffee. And birds. 

Tillamook is relatively close to Portland.  It's an hour and something drive through beautiful misty coastal rain forest to the rocky Oregon shoreline. Between the rain and dark conditions, it was a challenge to find birds.  

Beautiful Portland from on top of a dormant volcano

I often forget that most of the country is cold outside of Tucson.  It's refreshing to be surrounded by misty gray skies. I'm not a fan of gray skies for more than a couple days, but I do love how they can make one sleepy and tired all the time.  It's great "sleeping in" weather. 

Varied Thrush are absolutely beautiful but you would never know it from the dark conditions they like inhabit

As I drove along the magical highway 6 from Portland, I'd find opportunities to stop and explore for a quick bird count in a nearby campground or parking lot. The lighting inside some of these old forest areas made taking photos difficult. The habitat though was truly unique and much different from the birding in Arizona. 

I hit the peak time of autumn and everything around me was full of color.  Leaves were falling. And I felt very happy. 

Black Turnstone

When I arrived at the ports along the coast, I could see a very turbulent ocean with lots of high winds.  The birding was still better here along the ocean than it was inland as there had been nonstop rain. Along the coast, other than the winds, it was pretty decent birding weather. I searched coves that were calm and protected from the wind. And sure enough, I'd find all the shorebirds huddled together. 

Surfbird

Originally I had planned to hike along the beach to count gulls but the waves were out of control and the tide was high. I scanned around harbors for Marbled and Ancient Murrelets but again, the water was too rough.  It's amazing anything can survive those chaotic waves. 

At one location, I enjoyed watching sandpipers huddle together. The wind was so loud that the birds were not spooked by my movement. I enjoyed long looks at these birds until a Peregrine Falcon flew over and caused chaos. 

Least Sandpiper

I'll admit that sandpipers are not my most favorite shorebirds to observe.  I like them, but I often see them through a scope.  And that's rather boring.  In this situation, I was able to get a few feet above them and see their field marks better. 

Two slightly larger Western Sandpipers sandwich a Least Sandpiper

A new storm was heading my way and the waves began to hit the shoreline harder. I carefully walked out onto the point keeping my eyes out for rogue waves. 

A bird that I don't often get to see, the Black Turnstone, was a thrill to observe. 

And who doesn't love a cool looking Surfbird?  I hadn't been expecting this species up in Oregon.  For some reason, I think of them as a Southern California/Mexico bird, but their range extends from the top of North American to the southern tip of South America.  That's pretty amazing. 

The rain began to fall and the waves were now crashing against the shore and getting me wet.  At one point, I put the camera away and tried to not get pushed around by the strong winds.  

The highway back to Portland is absolutely beautiful.  There's also a chance for birders to spy Mountain Quail and Sooty Grouse. My last lifer for the trip was the sneaky Mountain Quail.  

Mountain Quail refused to pose for the camera. 

I'd like to thank Khanh and Robert for their hospitality.  It was the break I needed.  Next week we head back to Arizona for some birding with friends.  Until next time.....

Overpopulated

After our trek to the botanical gardens, we went for lunch and then breathed deeply.  Our next life bird, the Black Turnstone, was going to be a challenge.  It wasn't finding the bird that was the challenge as it was more about finding the patience to get to the area! 

Surbird(left) and Ruddy Turnstone(right)

I have never been in a more crowded space than Los Angeles.  Well one could argue that Mexico City as well as many other urban spaces are just as bad. I don't know.  LA traffic is the worst. To get to our location, Marina Del Rey, we had only to go 14 miles.  It was the longest 14 miles I have ever driven.  Everywhere we turned there were people.  Every inch.  Every space.  Full of people. 

Spotted Sandpiper

Micheal said that this would be a bad place to escape from the zombie apocalypse. I agree.  He bases our birding locale safety on Walking Dead standards. It took us TWO hours to drive fourteen miles.  Our birding destination, however, was pretty amazing.  But the trek getting there was not. 

The WHOLE walkway was like this the ENTIRE time. 

Once we found a parking spot, we mentally unwound and stretched out. That in itself was a miracle!  Why??  Well, everywhere we turned there were bikers, skaters, walkers, runners, fisher folk, and drivers! Some listened to 80's boardwalk music! We ran into one birding couple from Vermont who declared there were no birds in the area, but they were stuck in a bad spot afraid they'd be hit by oncoming traffic. And I don't blame them. There was very little room to bird.  One wrong turn and we would have smacked into someone.  So the challenge was to tune out all the noise pollution and watch out for the traffic. As for the Vermont couple? They gave up and left.

Caspian Tern

Okay, enough complaining:) You've been warned.  Just know that birding this spot along the Ballona Wetlands area is one of LA's best birding hotspots.  

 I had a lot of special challenges for this trek.  One was capturing cormorants in their breeding plumage.  Cormorants can be tricky, but they are really beautiful birds when breeding season arrives. 

There were birds everywhere and it was difficult to focus.  The weather was gorgeous and there certainly was a lot happening around us.  Normally when people see the common Double-crested Cormorant above, they just think, "Meh."  But I dare you to look at them in their breeding plumage.....

Double-crested Cormorant

They have orange faces with "ears" and some even come with whiskers!

Brandt's Cormorant

The blues of the Brandt's Cormorant mesermize. Their sapphire eyes and chin are gorgeous. 

Pelagic Cormorants

And then there's the deep purples of the Pelagic.  Their breeding color preference?  Red. It was a real treat to see these birds up close and personal.  Stunning birds!

Of course, SoCal winter birding would be incomplete without the sighting of a beautiful Surf Scoter. 

Surf Scoter

Eventually we found a quiet causeway and walked out towards the ocean.  There, on the rocks, we found our lifer Black Turnstones.  I couldn't believe our fortune!  

Black Turnstone

We enjoyed our views of the birds and then slowly walked back to our car at sunset.  Instead of watching birds, we sat and watched the people.  Many wore headphones and seemed to need their space.  

Personal space.  There is nothing quite like it, especially when there is constant noise all around you. We left Los Angeles for the last time.  I will never be coming back here again.  We have two more return treks left for Southern California(outside the LA area) before we start heading up into the Pacific Coastal regions. Here is my ebird report from the Ballona Wetlands area. 

Our journey required us to visit one last space.  And it was absolutely gorgeous and far away from the urban sprawl.  Next week we explore the beautiful Santa Catalina Island for another exotic bird, the Spotted Dove.  For you ABA listers out there, this one is countable.  So stay tuned for more....