Geronimo!

California Thrasher!

The great West can be daunting.  It's even more intimidating when one treks the vast desert alone.  I purchased water and all kinds of rations just in case my car decided to act up.  Cell phones don't work in certain areas and the landscape changes from Sonoran desert into the sandy Imperial Dunes near Yuma.  Eventually the driver reaches the forgotten lands of the Salton Sea full of pesticides, agricultural lands and the infamous Sonny Bono wildlife preserve.  Even further, one must cross the great mountains of rock and alpine shrubs.  Then begins the descent into the crowded urban area known as San Diego. I summoned the courage of the great Indian spirit, Chief Geronimo.  As I shouted his name, I took the plunge one last time into the area known as San Diego!

Bushtit

The end of the year would bring me once more back into Southern California to clean up most of the endemics found in this area.  However this trek was made alone since Pat had to work.  The year is winding down fast and I needed to find more birds! So I went into some of the most eccentric places around SoCal.

White-crowned Sparrow

I hit 4 major places.  The Salton Sea. The Tijuana Estuary.  Discovery Lake of San Marcos. And Lindo Lake of Lakeside.

California Towhee

Within the recently burned city of San Marcos, I found an oasis known as Discovery Lake.  There I witnessed mothers running with their children on the trails listening to annoying songs like, "Let It Go!"  Go ahead and click on the link.  I dare you:)  I was trying to listen to the lesser known "California Thrasher" song.  According to birders, it's one of California's better tunes...even topping the Momma and Papa's "California Dreamin!"

Discovery Lake was a pretty amazing area full of incredible birds!  I think I spent the entire morning there birding.  I heard the California Quail but I never saw them.  I heard all the other birds and DID see them.  Sometimes you just have to learn to "Let It Go, Let It Goooo!"  I had that damn song stuck in my head all day!

Wrentit

Another new bird for me was the Wrentit.  I'm never sure about these combo names in the bird world.  So what is it?  More Wren or more Tit?  Either way, I thought it would be harder to ID.  It wasn't.  The call was distinct and the bird was much larger than the Bushtits also found in the area. 

Brants

After getting a visual on 2 out of the 3 life bird targets, I decided it was time to move south to the Chula Vista area for the Brants.  I met up with friends Libby and Bonnie at their place and walked along the waterfront enjoying their company while of course observing the birds!

Surf Scoters

We were super thrilled to spot Surf Scoters.  I don't know why they are so cool, but they are.  Their bill is so strange and colorful!

Scaly-breasted Munia

And then there were these birds!  The Scaly-breasted Munia were almost on every one of my counts this last time.  I would hear them squeek and I'd think, "Are those strange Cedar Waxwings calling?" They can also sound like mice! Then they'd fly up and remind me that they're taking over Southern California.  And as for parrots!  A month ago I reported on the Red-crowned and Lilac-crowned Parrots of Orange County!  Well they are around the San Diego area as well.  I sometimes forget that there are parrots around those parts.  When it finally registers inside my tiny little brain, they are flying over my head!  

This was my road trip song to keep me going.  I want to let everyone know that I'll be catching up with you all soon.  I've been on the road way too much these past two weeks trying to keep up with the end of the 2014 year:) I'll carry on with my report from the other two areas next week. And when I'm feeling intimidated by the challenge, I just have to remember to say, "Geronimo!" 

California Dreaming

Over the past weekend, I felt a strong urge to go to California.  So we got into our car and drove.  I had mapped out this trip a couple months in advance.  The purpose?  To find the wild and feral populations of exotic birds that have spread throughout the Southern California region.  While we were there, we would also study the rare California Gnatcatchers that lived in the preserve by our nearby hotel. 

Before I begin with this incredible bird list, I'd like to clarify a birding rule of mine.  In the United States, we have a very important organization known as the ABA or the American Birding Association.  While I do not always follow their rules, I do understand them.  They are the organization that tells birders which birds "count" and which ones "don't".  Over the years, invasive non-native species(to the US) like the House Sparrow, Monk Parakeet, Rock Pigeon, European Starling, Eurasion collared dove, Muscovy Duck, Rosy-faced Lovebird and many others have been added onto the lists and now "count" for birders. But ONLY if you go to the areas where they "count".  For example, you can only count a Rosy-faced Lovebird in Maricopa County, Arizona.   There are strict birders who only bird according to the ABA list.  Anything off that list is not worthy of their effort nor time.  And while that's certainly one way of looking at the birding world, it isn't necessarily mine. 

My criteria for "counting" a bird is a bit different. If the bird is not an escapee and has proven to breed and thrive in numbers, I will count it. Surprisingly, all of the birds featured today are countable in several areas around the US while others may join the list soon.  As a side note, ABA allows for the Spotted Dove to still be counted around the Los Angeles area while it appears that much of their population has almost disappeared!  I found one recent report around the LA area.  So what happens when these feral birds have a fallout?  Do they also fall off the ABA list? 

Red-lored Parrot

Anyhow, let's get started. I was absolutely excited to find wild parrots flying free around the Orange County and the San Diego area.  

Let's begin with the Lilac-crowned Parrot below.

Lilac-crowned Parrot

This was a parrot at the top of my list.  It's disappearing from the wild in its native home of Mexico due to poaching and habitat loss.  Surprisingly, this bird has been around for quite some time in Southern California where it has sustained a slowly growing population.  The flocks are large and loud! Often they will be mixed in with their closely related cousins, the Red-crowned Parrots. Oh yes....another one of those almost cryptic species!

Red-crowned Parrot

The Red-crowned Parrot is now the only ABA countable parrot in California. It can also be counted in Texas. Their numbers have grown substantially over the past years in California, Texas and Florida.  Again this parrot is also from the Mexican region where it is also listed as endangered. However this parrot is not doing well. Its numbers have severely decreased in many parts along the Atlantic slope of Mexico. Will these parrots eventually only survive in the US?  Only time and conservation efforts will tell. 

Northern Red Bishop

Let's head over to Africa.  One bird that is being considered as an addition to the ABA list is the Northern Red Bishop.  In the Orange County area, these finch-like birds are common around parks and stream areas.  They are actually considered weavers and prefer grassy areas near water sources.  There are now feral populations in Southern California, Texas, Puerto Rico and several other Caribbean islands.  This is a stunner for sure!

Scaly-breasted Munia

Now this bird was JUST added to the ABA list.  This spice finch(formerly known as the Nutmeg Mannikin) now goes by the name Scaly-breasted munia.  Often they are heard quickly flying over your head but on a very special day, we noticed sparkles of raspberry purple coming from the reeds along an estuary.  When I got the binos on the bird, I was able to count 4 of them!  This is a stunning bird from India and Sri Lanka.  Its numbers have taken off and now these birds can commonly be seen at almost any locale you visit!

Egyptian Goose

Two birds considered for the ABA list were a bit surprising for me.  In Florida, the Egyptian Goose can be counted.  In California, more research needs to be done on this bird but they seem to be expanding their range.  Soon this bird may be "countable" on that precious ABA list.  We were lucky to spot two that flew into the woods and ponds we were scouting.  

Indian Peafowl....for now

Now this bird I've always wondered about.  I saw reports of these birds known as Indian Peafowl.  What in the world were they?!!  Turns out that the Indian Peafowl also goes by the general public name of Peacock! Except that Peacock refers to the male of the Peafowl!   Yes, these birds may also be added soon to the ABA list in California as they are breeding and expanding their range in wild areas.  However, the Indian title may be dropped and Common added instead.  

Pin-tailed whydah

Finally,  I had to end on one of my favorites.....the Pin-tailed whydah.  If I didn't have my ears, I wouldn't have been able to locate these tiny birds.  In fact,  they acted like little mice crawling through the grass.  This is a bird from Africa but now has established itself in places like Southern California and Puerto Rico.  During breeding season, the male develops a long tail that will make your jaw drop.  A field mark to help ID these little birds in their non-breeding plumage is that red bill. 

Birds are amazing creatures and I hope you enjoyed this inner city world travel.  Southern California is a strange place to bird.  It's saturated with buildings and people but if you look hard in between the cracks, you'll discover some hidden gems. 

I'll have more next week for you all on the native Californian species that we observed around Orange County and San Diego.  Until next time......

For more about other amazing birds from around the world, check out Wild Bird Wednesday!