follow-up on continuing TRV & south bay rarities 2-20-23
follow-up on continuing TRV & south bay rarities 2-20-23
By {authorlink} – 1:28 pm
Just following up on a couple posts from yesterday:
This morning around 8 am, the saltworks burrowing owl was in full view standing on the expanse of waste salt just north of the east end of the second bridge on the Southbay Bikepath east from 13th St in Imperial Beach (about 20 ft WNW of where it had been reported yesterday, scope suggested). However, on returning at 9:30, it was nowhere to be seen – not surprising given that 66 crows were walking the area.
Around 9:30, the Pacific golden-plover was visible from the bikepath between the two bridges, roosting among the black-bellied plover flock in the shallows of the SE central portion of pond 22 (scope required).
(Once again, the little stint was missed, but the stilt sandpiper and lesser yellowlegs continued in closed portions of the Refuge saltworks pond 15).
Around 11:40 am, Lea Squires and I had at least 7 mountain bluebirds, including 2 brightly colored males, perching on and hawking insects from the 4×4″ posts marking the campsites in the Tijuana River Valley Regional Park Campground. Rather than walking through the campground, we found the area easily viewed by parking either along road shoulder near the western end of Monument Rd or at the Border Field State Park gate parking lot, then walking the wide trail that heads north from the NE end of the parking lot. There are large wooden bollards evenly spaced along the trail to limit vehicle trespass, and by walking to the 8th bollard north from Monument Rd, we had clear views looking east into the NW tent camping portion of the campground where the bluebirds were.
Robert Patton
San Diego, CA
This morning around 8 am, the saltworks burrowing owl was in full view standing on the expanse of waste salt just north of the east end of the second bridge on the Southbay Bikepath east from 13th St in Imperial Beach (about 20 ft WNW of where it had been reported yesterday, scope suggested). However, on returning at 9:30, it was nowhere to be seen – not surprising given that 66 crows were walking the area.
Around 9:30, the Pacific golden-plover was visible from the bikepath between the two bridges, roosting among the black-bellied plover flock in the shallows of the SE central portion of pond 22 (scope required).
(Once again, the little stint was missed, but the stilt sandpiper and lesser yellowlegs continued in closed portions of the Refuge saltworks pond 15).
Around 11:40 am, Lea Squires and I had at least 7 mountain bluebirds, including 2 brightly colored males, perching on and hawking insects from the 4×4″ posts marking the campsites in the Tijuana River Valley Regional Park Campground. Rather than walking through the campground, we found the area easily viewed by parking either along road shoulder near the western end of Monument Rd or at the Border Field State Park gate parking lot, then walking the wide trail that heads north from the NE end of the parking lot. There are large wooden bollards evenly spaced along the trail to limit vehicle trespass, and by walking to the 8th bollard north from Monument Rd, we had clear views looking east into the NW tent camping portion of the campground where the bluebirds were.
Robert Patton
San Diego, CA