BIRDQUEST2004

We left San Diego on the morning of the 24th and took the long way around Los Angeles.  It doesn’t matter what time or what road the traffic is horrible going though LA.  If the GPS says 1 hour, figure it will take you two.

Following highway 8 east, we stopped at Kitchen Creek Road but not much was happening there and drove a few backroads looking for Lawrence’s Goldfinch, Mountain Quail and Bell’s Sparrow.  You would have though it was the night before Christmas, nothing was moving.  Only thing I saw at the Bell’s Sparrow spot was a Brewers Sparrow.

Brewer’s Sparrow

Later in the day we stopped at Anza-Borrego and even the water hole didn’t produce any birds.  On the way out of town we did spend a few minutes looking at the over 20 metal statues in the fields.

I’d like to say that the rest of the day was spent wandering around and seeing lots of things but the temperature hovered between 106 and 110 F (41-43 C).  Brutal even without humidity.

On arriving at Obsidian Butte, I took a chance and drove the road instead of walking.

The first bird I saw was a Yellow-legged Gull, walked over to the shore got a photo and we got out of there.  The smell and heat were just too much for us both.

Even the Gulls were panting from the heat.

Or were they just laughing at me?

 

Yellow-footed Gull – Life Bird – #701

The hottest spot of the day was Palm Desert, it was 114 F (45.5 C).

The rest of the day Sue and I, did some sightseeing and traffic fighting but managed to arrive at Ventura in time for a good meal and rest up for the coming day.

Ciao for now.

 

I met Dan in the lobby early the next morning,  grabbed a coffee and drove over to Mission Bay for our trip out to 9 and 30 mile banks in search of seabirds.

We had booked a 10 hour trip with:     http://www.socalbirding.com

I’d hoped for a possible Tropicbird and any of the 3 Storm-Petrels (Least, Black and Ashy) but as pelagics go, you just never know what can show up, if anything at all.

The seas were calmer than I had ever experienced before, this was my 7th pelagic trip, and by far the easiest on the stomach (never really been bothered by motion sickness, lucky I guess).

I pick up 2 life birds on this trip Black-venter Shearwater – Life Bird #700 and Black Storm-Petrel – Life Bird #701.

Below are the photos in the order I took them.

Black-footed Albatross

 

Imagine being 15 miles out in the ocean and having a White-winged Dove fly by.

Common Dolphins

Black Storm-Petrel

Brown Booby Adult

Leach’s Storm-Petrel – (chapmani) – no white on tail

Western Gull’s,  followed us most of the day, the crew (BJ Stacey, more on him later) chummed popcorn all day to attract the gulls behind the boat.

Not really sure on this one?

Pink-footed Shearwater

Juvenile Sabine’s Gull

Parasitic Jaeger

Brown Booby Sub-Adult

Pink-footed Shearwater – best photo to date

California Gull – 1st year ?

Black-vented Shearwater

I hate gull ID’s

Adult Brown Booby

1st year Glaucous-winged

At the end of 10 hours, I finished with 2 ABA life bird and it but I met new friend BJ Stacey.  We both share a common interest, a love of seeing and photographing, anything to do with nature.  That day on the boat we became fast friends and if you want to see how much of a fanatic he is visit the link below.

http://www.inaturalist.org/people/finatic
I may not have seen the Tropicbirds or the Laysan Albatross but I enjoyed a day with my good friend Dan Brown, fellow dark camera and lens user extraordinaire and met a few new friends.

http://www.naturestoc.smugmug.com

Ciao for now…