continuing….. ; and Lake Cuyamaca

The theme of the past couple days is “continuing.” Continuing Harris’s Hawks (2) and Ladder-backed Woodpecker at Shelter Valley, continuing White-eyed Vireo along Chollas Creek (now singing consistently only for a short while around first light/dawn), continuing Ring-necked Duck & Bald Eagle at Sweetwater Reservoir, continuing male Vermilion Flycatcher at Rohr Park, continuing Reddish Egrets (2) and summering turnstones and knots on South San Diego Bay.

Also should mention that Lake Cuyamaca is about five times its normal size due to the winter rain runoff, and the huge “new” area is quite shallow and will presumably dry up over the next couple months or so, providing for good shorebird habitat, etc. Best viewing is from all along Highway 79 north of the usual lake and up as far north as the turnoff for Sunrise Highway. Problem is that there is a fair distance to much of the shoreline, so a good scope and lack of heat distortion is needed. But I suspect that if the habitat maintains itself for a good while that there will be interesting shorebirds, herons, waterfowl, grebes, and perhaps things like Black Tern, etc. in the future. (And the cattail habitat at the south end of the regular lake is a sometimes-site for American Bittern.) Most viewing is from various pullouts along Highway 79. But to repeat, some birds will be frustratingly distant.

–Paul Lehman,  San Diego