1/4/13 - San Jacinto Wildlife Area 

I will do a more detailed discussion of our first trip to SJWA, but for now, I wanted to share with our dear family back East, photos of the Bobcat, and a Golden Eagle and Bald Eagle! And of course, Steven and the wide open spaces of the SJWA.

Bobcat

Bobcat

Golden Eagle

Bald Eagle

Bald Eagle

Steve

1/4/13 - San Jacinto Wildlife Area - Take Two

It actually is nice going back in my memory to the first visit to the San Jacinto Wildlife Area in January of this year. Looking at the photos again and remembering the sight and feel of the place. It is very majestic standing there surrounded by the snow covered mountains with birds of prey everywhere you look. And to think of it, if I were a bird of prey, that is where I would be - in the midst of so much water fowl to easily pick up!  Here are some photo highlights of the birds we spotted on our first trip to SJWA.

Red-tailed Hawk

Dowitcher

Black-necked Stilt

Greater Yellowlegs

Marsh Wren

Black-necked Stilt

Dowitchers

Northern Flicker

Northern Shoveler

Northern Harrier

Northern Harrier

Northern Harrier

Savannah Sparrow

Pipit

Red-winged Blackbird

1/2/13 - Lake Skinner Biking

We absolutely love this park. It is a mix of wilderness and groomed lawns. There are dirt trails and paved trails. Boating and fishing on a huge lake. The water in the lake is drinking water for the surrounding areas, so there is no swimming or body contact with the water allowed, and no water ski jets. The water is blue and clean. There is a RV camping area also. This place is a pretty well-kept secret, in that you don't see hordes of people there, at least not this time of year.  We have not been here in the Summer, but are planning on it. On this visit we took our new bikes. For me it was a great, quiet area to learn how to shift again.

The Arrival

The Pride

First Rest

Together

All Mine!

Western Bluebird, one of Steven's fav birds

Western Bluebird

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Lincoln's Sparrow

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Great-tailed Grackle, Female

Pied-billed Grebe

Happy Birding!

11/24/12 - Another Trip to Prado Regional Park

Our Prado visit on November 24, 2012 was a memorable one for us. This was the first time we spotted the wintering Tropical Kingbird, a rarity for the location. This bird had been found previously by other birders and reported to ebird.com, but this was the very first time Steven and I had found a rarity. We had gone there specifically to see if we could locate this bird, and walked around for a long time, hours, that day trying to find it.  It was not until we had given up, and were heading back to the car, that Steven pointed and told me to take photos of a bird at the top of a bare tree.  Wouldn't you know it - Tropical Kingbird - reported to ebird.com and verified.  Hence, Steven has become our spotter.  He points out birds that I don't even see sometimes.  Pics from the trip:

Tropical Kingbird

Song Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Common Yellowthroat

Song Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Night Heron, juvenile

Spotted Sandpiper

American Coot (Rescued by Steven from hook and fishing line)

Vermilion Flycatcher, Female

Vermilion Flycatcher

Western Grebe

Happy Birding!

11/22/12 -Thanksgiving 2012 Visit to Desert Breeze Park in Chandler Arizona

We love to visit my sister Mary and my niece Denise and her children at any time, but especially for Thanksgiving. Our Thanksgiving visit in 2012, our first year of birding, also gave us the opportunity to spot birds in another State. Desert Breeze Park is only two minutes from my sister's home. It is surprising large for being in the middle of a residential area, with a small man-made lake that is stocked for the local fishermen. Again, another very pretty park, that we will definitely go to again next time we are there. Below are a couple of the pics from this visit.

Verdin

Verdin

Great-tailed Grackle Female

Curved-bill Trasher

Eurasian Collared Dove

Great-tailed Grackle

Mourning Dove

Northern Mockingbird

Bronzed Cowbird

Great-tailed Grackle

Happy Birding Always!