Rural Road Birding

Toro Creek Road - The morning was beautiful! We were barely off Hwy One when we began to see flycatchers. Farms on both sides of the narrow road, cattle and horses peacefully grazing in the fields, clusters of huge rocks, tall Eucalyptus and dense Monterey Cypress (below photo) - plenty of habitat for birds to nest and feed.

As we stepped from the car we saw Cassin’s Kingbird perched on barbed wire fencing.  Within a few moments we had identified a Female Hooded Oriole, Say’s Phoebe, Meadowlark, Western Bluebird (photo), Red-winged Blackbird, and Northern Rough-winged Swallow. 

Toro Creek Road has a rich history.  In the year 1857 the Reverend Alden Bradford Spooner, one of the early settlers and the first Protestant Minister in San Luis Obispo, began farming 150 acres of government land about three miles up Toro Creek.  In the good old days, the 20 mile trip into San Luis Obispo, which Spooner made frequently, required an overnight, usually spent at a friend's or relative's house.

Santa Rita Road - The road passes over Santa Rita Creek which feeds into Whale Rock Reservoir, located in the hills above Cayucos.  The area where the road passes over the creek (photo) was our destination.  Not much of the creek can be seen, as surrounding vegetation, such as willow, Sycamore,  Coast Live Oak, Blue Berry Elder, Nettles, and Poison Oak make identification rather challenging, but we persevered. 

Due to the presence of mature oaks, we saw Nuttle's and Downy Woodpecker.  Spotted Towhee was highly visible. (below) I do like birds that are not shy about showing off their beauty.

Heard but not seen, except for a fleeting glimpse, Warbling Vireo, Wilson's Warbler, Pacific Flycatcher, and my recent favorite, the Ash-throated Flycatcher. (below)

I have used this photo several times as it is the only presentable photo I have of this beauty.  This Ash-throated could be related to the one we heard singing, as the photo was taken about a mile from Santa Rita Creek.  We did have a little excitement when a brightly colored American Kestrel took off after a Red-tailed Hawk.  The much smaller Kestrel dove on the Hawk, managing to make contact a few times.  Yeah, for the little guy! 

I do like birding rural roads.  It's as if the birds are waiting for you to come by.  And there is wire fencing and the occasional post to perch on, and there are the creeks where a variety of birds can bath, nest and find insects to feed their nestlings.  

Birding Cottontail Creek Road

 When we first arrived at Cottontail Creek Road we turned East.  A short distance along the road the Creek flows under a small bridge.  From the extremely dense vegetation came a variety of bird songs.  It was rather overwhelming.  Singing was a chorus of Warbling Vireo, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Song Sparrow, and Wilson's Warbler.  Chasing after insects at the creek's edge were two Black Phoebe.  In a nearby field were American Robin and Western Bluebird.  Perched on barbed wire fencing was a Cassin's Kingbird.

 Above the creek was a huge oak were Nuttall's and Acorn Woodpecker and an Oak Titmouse family were active.

The West side of Cottontail Creek Road gently meanders along Whale Rock Reservoir and rolling ranch land dotted with grazing Black Angus Cattle. 
 
We (friend Mike and I) never saw another car nor another person - the only sounds, the birds and the breeze - a birding paradise.  After turning off Old Creek Road the car rumbled over a cattle grate.  In less than a 1/4 mile the reservoir appeared; we pulled over where we could see the gnarly oak trees.  A few years ago I had seen two Bald Eagles perched on the tree; unfortunately no Eagles were visible.

 In the reservoir we saw Coots, and Double-creasted Cormorant.  Overhead dashed Cliff and Tree Swallow.  Mike spotted the Bald Eagle.  Our national bird was soaring above us.  For several minutes we watched it soar.  Oh my gosh, what a treat.  It gained altitude as it soared, eventually disappearing over the hills.  Due to our lofty position above the lake, the only birds we could identify on the reservoir were Western and Pied-billed Grebe and juvenile Double-creasted Cormorant.  We had a marvelous sighting at the old cattle corral of a Red-tailed Hawk coming up from the ground with a snake clutched in its beak.

The most exciting part of the morning was yet to come.   After a couple hours of birding we were ready for a coffee break.  Not wanting to miss anything, we were moving at a snail's pace.  To our left were the hills dotted with rocky outcrops, when what to my eyes should appear but our Bald Eagle perched on an outcrop.  I pulled over, got out of the car.  Walking very slowly managed to get a photo.  Far from perfect, but it is my very first Bald Eagle photo.

I knew as soon as it sensed my presence it would fly off and it did.  Fortunately the Eagle flew down to the water, circled around a few times, dove down to the water, came up empty handed, and once again flew out of sight.  A fitting end to a perfect morning of birding the central coast.