August 3, 2008: Birding San Diego County, California

Spent another day birding with BJ Stacey. We started the day birding further east in San Diego County, out in the Cleveland National Forest Area. Then he showed me some places in South Bay in Imperial Beach, and we went to Delta Beach on Coronado for the rare Red-Necked Stint. We saw it, but it was too far for me to get a photo! Another lifer we saw was a California Thrasher, but I also missed the photo of that!

Kitchen Creek Road in Cleveland NF, East San Diego County (Link) Above and Below: Rufous Crowned Sparrow

Some cool trees
Phainopepla (above and below)

Western Scrub Jay Orange Crowned Warbler

Photos from the Cibbets Flat Campground area on the road Blue Darter Steller's Jay

Western Tanager

Above and Below: Lawrence's Goldfinches

Nice Jimson Weed shot

Pacific Slope Flycatcher

Cholla

Band-Tailed Pigeon (Descanso, Calif.)

Cuyamaca Rancho State Park (Paso Picacho Campground) (link)

Above and Below: Pygmy Nuthatch

White-Breasted Nuthatch Say's Phoebe

American Crow

Above and Below: California Ground Squirrel

Pacific Slope Flycatcher

Acorn Woodpecker

White-Headed Woodpecker

Behr's Metalmark

South Bay - Imperial Beach (link)

Willet

Savannah Sparrows

Double-Crested Cormorant

Little Blue Heron

Delta Beach - Silver Strand Highway - San Diego (Bayside) (link)

Part of this area is restricted, for the endangered Least Tern

Jackrabbit

A varied group of sandpipers

Long-Billed Curlew

Black-Bellied Plover

Marbled Godwit and Short Billed Dowitcher

Lesser Yellowlegs and Wilson's Phalaropes

A view of San Diego from the beach

Flyover Western Gull

A worn looking Lesser Yellowlegs
San Diego River Channel Birding

Whimberel

Snowy Egret

TODAY'S LOCATIONS (INTERACTIVE)

June 17, 2007: Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, San Diego County, California (LONG POST - 47 PHOTOS, 34 BIRD/ANIMAL)

Today's birding outing, and hike was at Cuyamaca Rancho State Park (wiki), about 40 miles east of San Diego, in the San Gabriel Mountains. Below are some birds on the drive up California Route 79 to the park, also some shots at the Paso Picacho Campground, and Lookout Road trail to the top of Cuyamaca Peak (6512' ASL). This was a long, semi-tough hike!

Park Trail Map (PDF)

Cuyamaca Mtn and Decanso Weather

One gets to the park leaving San Diego, heading east on Interstate 8. Exit on CA Rte 79 going north, at the town of Decanso. First, some pictures along this route.
Above and below: Red-Shouldered Hawk in Decanso

Decanso Acorn Woodpecker

Western Scrub Jay (in Decanso)

Red-Tailed Hawk (also in Decanso) Lark Sparrow on the road to Cuyamaca Black-Chinned Sparrow (on the drive up)

Some burned out areas on Route 79 on the drive up

Nice Violet-Green Swallow

These photos are at Paso Picacho Campground, and the nearby Azalea Glen Trail:

Black-Chinned Hummingbird

Lawrence's Goldfinch

White-Tailed Kite (bad photo, but it is the only one I have!)

Brown-Headed Cowbird

White-Breasted Nuthatch

Above and 3 Below: Anna's Hummingbird

Costa's Hummingbird American Crow

House Wren

Lesser Goldfinch
Lookout Fire Trail Photos:

Lazuli Bunting

empid Flycatcher (Dusky?)

Ash-Throated Flycatcher

Black-Chinned Sparrow

Lazuli Bunting

Indian Paintbrush bloom

Wild Mustard

Sweet Pea

female Lazuli Bunting

Western Bluebird

Lupine

A view of the trail, near the summit.

another unid empid Flycatcher

a very sad looking Mountain Chickadee

more Wild Mustard

A view of Cuyamaca Lake from near the top

Utilities on the top of Cuyamaca Peak

Nuttall's Woodpecker

Swainson's Thrush

The trail goes through several burn areas from the 2003 fires

Wild Mustard in the burn area

Ash-Throated Flycatcher

Indian Paintbrush

California Sister

Acorn Woodpecker in the Paso Picacho Campground

INTERACTIVE MAP: SAN DIEGO TO CUYAMACA STATE PARK