3/11/2022
The only life bird Mary really wanted to see while here in the Valley was the Bat Falcon, so we arranged to meet at the entrance to Santa Ana around 6:30 am. I actually got there a little early (enough to hear a Pauraque coming from the VC area), but the fog was pea soup! Another guy had actually beat me there (it was just starting to get light), and as more birders trickled in I set up my stool to watch the falcon’s favorite pole, adding a Killdeer and a distant chorusing Chachalaca to the list. Terry and Mary actually wheeled in without my noticing (I didn’t recognize their jeep) and before I knew it there was Mary at my elbow! J No falcon yet, and we overheard another lady wondering if she had actually seen the bird flying around the parking lot in the dark wheeling after insects (yes, like a little bat)! No one would know for sure, of course, and the little guy never came in (although a Kestrel got everyone excited for a minute J)! We gave him until almost 8:00, chatting with other birders and reviewing good restaurants (was still pea soup by then), and while Terry went to get the jeep for Mary, I headed for the restrooms after dropping off my stool and picking up some water.
There was a couple of volunteers and rangers there, so I informed the guy that I had requested a scooter when I called a couple of days ago (the volunteer insisted he get the red one, which is newer and has a better battery J). So he retrieved that, Terry gave him his driver’s license, and we started off, but then reneged when we remembered that the volunteer was getting ready to put food out, so we went back (she said, “That was quick!”) and enjoyed the feeders for about 15 minutes along with those preparing to go on the bird walk! Besides the usuals, a brilliant male Hooded Oriole showed up (that was more exciting to some than the Altamira), and a cute little Inca Dove with no tail worked the tray! Just before we left someone had spotted the Carolina Wren close at hand under a bush, and with a little patience, he finally came out and gave us a look!
Mary and Terry enjoy the feeder birds...
We snuck by the bird walk while their orientation
was underway, and while on the tour road a Gray Hawk whistled in the distance! We headed
up onto the levee where another pretty Altamira Oriole was up on a tree, and an
immature Cooper’s Hawk was in another just as we took the ramp down to the
roundabout! It was actually quite pleasant
with no wind, and a little ways down the trail we spotted a Long-billed
Thrasher singing out in the open (as they’re prone to do this time of
year)! Titmice were calling and singing
all over, but only gave brief views, while Olive Sparrows lisped close at hand,
but never showed themselves.
Hitting the trail!
Young Cooper's Hawk
We soon reached Willow Lake, where I glimpsed a
White Pelican sailing through the trees and a mob of Snowy Egrets flying into
the further lake. We enjoyed a little
flotilla of Least Grebes while Pied-billed chuckled unseen, and also calling
unseen were several Soras, and at least two Least Bitterns cackling at each
other! There and at the blind we had all
three teal feeding alongside the Shovelers, two nice Common Gallinules, both White
and White-faced Ibis, and both Great and Snowy Egrets. (Terry saw a kingfisher blast by but he wasn’t
sure what kind…)
Checking out Willow Lake
We then picked our way along the Tower Trail
(thankfully dry, as the scooter never would have made it were it muddy). We had another thrasher along here, and once
on the pavement I pointed out the famous Hawk Tower where the Bat Falcon was
first rediscovered during the Santa Ana CBC.
We then strolled down the tour road where I showed them the snag that
the falcon decided to perch on right next to the road that same day, totally
oblivious to all the excited birders! On
the way back we spotted a tremendous kettle of Turkey Vultures rising into the
fog, and Terry found one of the tree snails that the Hook-billed Kites dine
on! We then poked down the levee,
spooking the same Cooper’s Hawk, but it started misting again, so we headed
back. But just before we turned down the
tour road towards the parking lot we saw a couple of birders working a flock in
a tree on the other side of the canal, which included a pretty Yellow-throated
Warbler in addition to a Ruby-crowned Kinglet and a couple more Altamiras and
Kiskadees!
Terry and Mary enjoy a singing Long-billed Thrasher (below)!
When we did get back, the Visitor Center was abandoned L, so I called dispatch, and
they sent a young firefighter over to open the door so we could drop off the
scooter and get Terry’s license! He
shared a little of his story, how he often traveled with other firefighters to
other parts of the country to help in times of need, including in my old
stomping grounds in San Diego, and Mary and Terry’s home state of Montana! After that we spent a few more minutes at the
feeders (where a White-tipped Dove got up on the log and a Clay-colored Thrush “tuck-tucked”
unseen) and discussed birding stops on their way back to Montana before Terry
announced that they really needed to let their dog out J, so we kissed goodbye and
headed our separate ways with 46 species for the morning! Bird list:
Blue-winged Teal
Cinnamon Teal
Northern Shoveler
Mottled Duck
Green-winged Teal
Plain Chachalaca
Least Grebe
Pied-billed Grebe
Inca Dove
White-tipped Dove
Common Pauraque
Sora
Common Gallinule
American Coot
Killdeer
American White Pelican
Least Bittern
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
White Ibis
White-faced Ibis
Turkey Vulture
Cooper's Hawk
Gray Hawk
Golden-fronted Woodpecker
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
American Kestrel
Great Kiskadee
White-eyed Vireo
Green Jay
Black-crested Titmouse
Verdin
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Carolina Wren
Long-billed Thrasher
Clay-colored Thrush
House Sparrow
Olive Sparrow
Hooded Oriole
Altamira Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Great-tailed Grackle
Orange-crowned Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow-throated Warbler
Northern Cardinal
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