Birding Big Morongo Preserve

Big Morongo Canyon Preserve  - Morongo Valley Ca.  Audubon Society identifies it as one of the most important avian habitat areas in California.

I was birding with Cathy who has an in-depth knowledge of Big Morongo.  Our first sighting was a pair of soaring Cooper's Hawk.  Eventually one settled on the high point of a distant deciduous tree.  By carefully peering at the photo you may be able to see the Cooper's Hawk in the center.

Big Morongo offers six trails.  With an excellent chance of seeing a Long-eared Owl, we chose the Marsh Trail (below) that wends it's way along a stream and through a marshy area.  Stately Fremont Cottonwood, Red Willow, thorny Mesquite, and California Fan Palm with its dense skirt of fronds, provide a plethora of feeding and nesting opportunities for numerous species of birds.  A long-eared Owl would be a first sighting for both of us.

A few years ago fire burned 2,000 acres of the Big Morongo Preserve.  Last year's rain had been very helpful in the restoration of the wetlands.  Burned Willow and Cottonwood were showing signs of life.  Young Fan Palms were emerging from the wet marsh.

Thorny Mesquite, appearing singed and lifeless was sprouting new life on its blackened limbs.  The Mesquite's mistletoe had also come to life, as it had produced tiny red berries, a primary source of food for the Phainopepla.

In the preserve, the Phainopepla's diet consists primarily of mistletoe berries and insects - males are shiny black, females charcoal grey.  Both have red eyes and a handsome crest.  Their call is one plaintive note.  We had the good fortune of seeing several of these beauties. 

Phainopepla have a symbiotic relationship with desert mistletoe.  After eating berries the Phainopepla defecates.  The fertilized deposit, more than likely, landsingon a branch or twig, eventually growing into a clump of mistletoe, thereby guaranteeing a food supply and a cozy place to nest.

Male guarding his mistletoe.

The Long-eared Owl - Dan, the preserve's owl person had a nesting female Long-eared Owl in his scope.  She was looking directly at us.  She was a beauty!  Dan said the owl pair were not bothered by the people on the boardwalk.  Directly across from the nest was a bench.  Distance from bench to nest about 40 feet.  To say we had a memorable sighting is an understatement. 

Other birds along the Marsh Trail Boardwalk were Oak Titmouse, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, a mixed flock of Lesser Goldfinch, Bushtit, Ruby-crowned Kinglet.  In other areas of the preserve were Mourning Dove, Costa's Hummingbird, and a small flock of White-winged Dove. 

Our last sighting of the day was a special, seldom seen, Gray Catbird.  They are related to Mockingbirds and share similar vocal abilities.  Among their songs is a catty mew.  It had a black cap and under tail feathers were reddish.

Birding the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve was rewarding and fun.  I'm already looking forward to the next time. 

Birding Big Morongo Canyon Preserve

 The Morongo Canyon Preserve is located directly off of the Twentynine Palms Highway (Hwy 62) in the high desert town of Morongo Valley, California.  The Preserve is a 31,000 acre native plant and wildlife habitat, situated in the transition zone between the high Mojave Desert and the lower Colorado Desert section of the Sonoran Desert.  In other words, it is in the semi-high desert .

Natural Springs, when not suffering from drought, feed a desert oasis of native California Palm, Cottonwood, Willow, Mesquite, extensive patches of Alkali Goldenbush, (below) and a riparian habitat that create a cool and moist environment for birds, wildlife, and birders.  The Preserve is well known among the bird watching world; over 247 different species have been observed at Big Morongo.

 The weather was perfect for birding, a slightly warm morning accompanied by a cooling breeze.  Anticipating the temperature to be hot, Cathy, my Palm Springs friend, and I were delighted at the coolness.  Is Cathy looking at a bird?  No!  It's was a tiny bright green grasshopper.  In some areas birds were a bit sparse.

Unfortunately, drought and fire had taken a toll on the vegetation, but the hardy plants, especially the Mesquite and the California Palm, were coming back to life.

Best birds on our walk were Black-and-White Warbler and a male and female Phainopepla, the male was in flight, the female perched on a twig.  We were alerted to their presence by a one syllable call, similar to a whistle.  A primary source of food for the Phainopepla are mistletoe berries.  Both the Cottonwood and Mesquite trees are hosts to the parasitic mistletoe.

The Black-and-White Warbler was active in a blooming patch of Alkali Goldenbush that was humming with insects.

 Two feeding stations in the Preserve gave birders a chance to sit comfortably while practicing the art of birding.   Feeders held seeds, peanuts and suet; Hummingbirds had their choice of several feeders, and for birds with a sweet tooth, such as Woodpeckers, Orioles, and Tanagers, a hanging basket with a bowl of grape jell; water stations used by both birds and wildlife were numerous.  In the above photo, the black object keeps the squirrels out of the feeders. 

It was tremendous fun birding the feeders.  A few of the birds we saw were Black-chinned Hummingbird, Mountain Chickadee (uncommon), White-breasted Nuthatch, Fox Sparrow, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and one very special bird.

We were sitting, chatting with other birders (above photo), enjoying the little brown, grey, and black and white birds when suddenly there appeared at the grape jelly feeder, a brilliantly red, Summer Tanager (photo below)  Well, that made our day - a first sighting for both of us. (the man in the center is using a monocular.)

Birding the Big Morongo Preserve was a rewarding experience that I hope to repeat next spring when Vermilion Flycatchers arrive to nest in the Cottonwoods.


The Big Morongo Preserve is included in the 154,000 acre Sand to Snow National Monument.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sand_to_Snow_National_Monument

Birding Southwestern Arizona

Saguaro Cactus - White Tank Mountain Park, Arizona

My trip to Arizona was for a visit with family and a little birding.

                   View from Goat Camp Trail
White Tank Mountain Regional Park - The largest park in Maricopa County covers 29, 572 acres over 45 miles.  The range rises sharply from its base of 1400 feet to its highest peak (Barry Goldwater Peak) at 4,083 feet.  Climbing Barry Goldwater Peak was a bit beyond my capabilities.  I took the leisurely Goat Camp Trail with high hopes of seeing a few desert birds.  

Before I stepped on to the trail, I heard a Cactus Wren.  It took several minutes to locate the little darling, as there were many cacti.  Success at last.  A Cactus Wren was singing from a rather hefty Saguaro.  Although the Saguaro has a prickly nature, it plays host to a variety of animals. The Gila Woodpecker excavates nest cavities.  When the Woodpecker abandons the nest, an Elf Owl, Screech Owl, Purple Martin, Finch, or Sparrow may take up residence.  White-winged Dove, occasional visitor to the Central Coast, feast on the Saguaro fruits; Lesser Long-nosed Bat feeds on the nectar and pollen.  The Saguaro is a valuable asset to desert creatures.
               
The temperature was warm, 92° - 95° (33 C - 35C).  Fortunately, the birds cooperated - Curved-billed Thrasher, Costa's Hummingbird, Canyon Towhee, Gila Woodpecker (heard, not seen).  Upon leaving the park a Roadrunner sped across the road.

 Avondale Arizona - The tiny, 2oz Verdin is prolific.  Nearly every Palo Verde tree has a Verdin nest (photo taken in my brother's front yard).  It's light and cheerful song can be heard from dawn to dusk. 

While cruising through the agriculture areas of Avondale I was amazed to see an Osprey (common on Moro Bay) perched on a utility pole.   Although the Osprey possesses specialized characteristics that assist it in catching fish, they will also, on occasion, prey on small critters such as rodents and birds.  While looking at the Osprey a flock of Yellow-headed Blackbirds took flight from one of the fields.

Great-tailed Grackle (above) were abundant in the agriculture areas, especially where there were farms and dairies.  On the trip to Arizona I stopped in Blythe Calif., near the Arizona border.  Great-tailed Grackle had set up residence in palms trees that lined the parking area between two fast food establishments.  I have to admit I did leave them a few crumbs.  On the Central Coast Great-tailed Grackle can be found in the Costco parking lot near the food court.              
 

Estrella Mountain Regional Park - 19, 840 acres.  My brother and I walked up the Gila trail.  We saw or heard Cactus Wren, Say's Phoebe, Costa's Hummingbird, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, Gambel's Quail, Red-tailed Hawk, and a male and female Phainopepla (below).

                        Male Phainopepla
The final Arizona bird on my journey was Arizona's state bird, a Cactus Wren.  He was boldly singing from atop a Palo Verde tree at an active Arizona rest stop on Interstate Highway 10; the fact that cars and trucks where coming and going nearby, did not faze the little singer one iota.

Back home - Today, in a Food 4 Less parking lot I saw a flock of Cedar Waxwing.  When you are out and about keep in mind, that birds can often be found in parking lots, highway Rest Areas, and around fast food restaurants.   Happy Spring Birding!


                                        

Birding the Mojave Desert

Last weekend was a birding weekend away from the Central Coast, but not away from the migratory birds that spend the winter on the Central Coast.  I and five friends drove about six hours to Zzyzx and the Desert Studies Center where we would experience "The Birds of the Mojave Desert." (photo - Zzyzx pond, also known as Lake Tuendae) For more information on Zzyzx and the Desert Studies Center, Wikipedia is an excellent resource.  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_Studies_Center

The Desert Studies Center is located 8 miles southwest of the small town of Baker and four miles in from Hwy 15.  As you can see in the above photo, there is a beautiful pond, lined with date bearing palms, many of them Washingtonia filifera, California's only native Palm tree.  The water and the fruit bearing palms are a great attraction to many species of birds.  Late Saturday afternoon we watched a migratory Red-naped Sapsucker feeding on small, yet sweet dates of a native palm. (photo by Judy West)

As we walked from the "Center" to nearby Soda Dry Lake (below photo), we observed Black Phoebe,  Phainopepla, Loggerhead Shrike, Raven, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, Cedar Waxwing.  Leading into a spring hidden in a thicket of Tamarix was a trail of Bighorn Sheep scat.

Saturday was a full day of experiencing "Birds of the Mojave Desert."
Baker town park:  Feeding in the freshly mowed grass was a mixed flock of Pine Siskin, White-crowned Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow,  Lesser Goldfinch, Cow Birds.  Ravens were abundant. 

Shoshone: A beautiful little historic town, with ample spring water. The owner of most of the local property is revitalizing the town with a focus on ecotourism.  Protecting wetlands and riparian restoration is paramount.  On the edge of a new crystal clear town pond we saw a migratory Wilson's Snipe, and Pied-billed Grebe.  In a nearby palm observed a Red-breasted Nuthatch.   Robins were busy on the school Lawn.   For more information on Shoshone and the desert wetlands - http://mojaveproject.org/dispatches-item/reimagining-the-amargosa/

Salt Creek: An important riparian and wetland area; a short walk took us to the wetland where we saw Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and heard Common Yellowthroat, and Marsh Wren. (photo - getting ready to head out on the trail)

China Ranch: A date farm, deep in a canyon near the southern end of Death Valley; we downed delicious date shakes and birdied among the date palms (cloth sleeves protect the ripening fruit from birds).

Desert oases offer migratory birds a place to rest, refuel and ready themselves for the next leg of their journey.   Great sightings of Gambel's Quail. (female Gambel's Quail by Judy West)

The weekend of intense bird studies was fun and informative, and I will have lasting memories of the beautiful and remote oases that give food and shelter to migratory birds, and perhaps to birds that are headed to the Central Coast.