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Local Trip Listing:

To jump to trip details, click on the trip name below.

For a complete San Diego County bird checklist click here

Saturday, February 6
Lake Morena

Saturday, February 13
San Elijo Lagoon

Saturday, February 20
Penasquitos Canyon

Monday, February 22
Kit Carson Park

Saturday, February 27
Borrego Desert

March 2010

Monday, March 8
Dairy Mart Pond

Saturday, March 13
Marian Bear Natural Park

Saturday, March 20
San Dieguito County Park

Saturday, March 27
Otay Valley Regional Park

Winter-Spring 2010

Field Trips Chair, Claude Edwards (e-mail or phone (619) 282-8687). Please call to assure the trip is not cancelled. All trips are open to the public at no charge. The Thomas Guide is used to provide trip locations for most of the trips below. Please carry water, snacks, sunscreen, binoculars and a hat. Hiking shoes are recommended for all trips. Fire, floods, road closures and other unexpected events can change our locations. Rain cancels.

Note: Tecolote Canyon birdwalks take place on the 4th Saturday of each month led by volunteer Anitra Kaye. They start at 9 am from the Tecolote Nature Center, Thomas Guide 1268, F-2, (858) 581-9959.

February

Lake Morena County Park (Thomas Guide 1296 - right side, Grid D-5)
Saturday, February 6, 8 to 11 am
Leader: Rich Breisch (858) 278-6280

Lake Morena County Park is surrounded by the Cleveland National Forest and skirted by the Pacific Crest Trail.  The lake is a reservoir favored by bass fishermen.  The habitat includes chaparral and oak woodlands.  The lake is a wintering ground for waterfowl.  Likely birds include Western Bluebird, California Quail, woodpeckers, wrens, wintering sparrows, and raptors. Go east on Interstate-8 and exit at the Buckman Springs rest stop. Go south on Buckman Springs Road (County Route S-1) for 5 miles, turn right onto Oak Drive, and continue to the community of Morena Village .  At the T intersection, turn right and follow Lake Morena Drive into the park.  A day use parking permit is available for $3 at the rangers' office, which is our meeting place.  Parking is free for county residents aged 62+.  Allow 1½ hours travel time from San Diego .  Restrooms and water are available.

San Elijo Lagoon (Thomas Guide 1167: Grid E-5)
Saturday, February 13, 8 to 11 am
Leader: Wayne Harmon, (858) 488-2250

The San Elijo Lagoon is the best-known and most-visited of the several lagoons on our county's north coast. It features several different types of habitat for seeking birds and birding is worthwhile there all year long. It can be very rich with waterfowl, waders, and shorebirds, as well as woodland birds such as sparrows, flycatchers and hummingbirds. Generally easy walking. From Interstate-5, exit at Lomas Santa Fe Drive and go west. Proceed to Rios Avenue . Turn right and go to the end of the road. Birding will take place along dirt trails through riparian and sage scrub vegetation to viewing spots along the lagoon's shoreline. No restrooms.

Birding by Sound Peñasquitos Canyon (Thomas Guide 1189: Grid C-7) Saturday, February 20, 8 to 11 am
Leader: Claude Edwards, (619) 282-8687

Birding by sound is a fun and challenging way to find and identify birds. This is an excellent opportunity to learn some bird sounds and increase your identification skills. This part of Peñasquitos Canyon supports willows, live oaks, sage scrub and grassland. Expected birds include scrub jay, Nuttall's woodpecker, red-shouldered hawk, and house wren. Most ly flat ground. From Interstate-15, exit at Mercy Road and go west to Black Mountain Road . Turn right and get into the left turn lane onto Canyonside Park Drive, past fenced baseball fields. Meet in the last, or western-most, parking lot. Restrooms available.

Fledgling Birders at Kit Carson Park (Thomas Guide 1150: Grid C-2)
Monday, February 22, 8 to 11 am
Leader: Gary Grantham, (858) 635-6635

Kit Carson Park is a multi-use recreation site on the south edge of the city of Escondido . A creek flows southward through willow and sycamore woodland, past grass lawns with scattered trees, and a small pond at its center. Birding here is good all year aided by a good network of trails. Hawks, woodpeckers, ducks, warblers, bluebirds and sparrows are among the birds to be seen. Easy walking. Exit Interstate15 at Via Rancho Parkway . Go east past the shopping mall and continue as the road bends north. Turn left at the third entrance into the park, at a stoplight and a fire station. Turn right at the end of the drive and meet at the El Arroyo Picnic Area. Restrooms available

Borrego Desert Birding (Thomas Guide 410: Grid B-8)
Saturday, February 27, 8 to 11 am
Leader: Jay Keller (619) 282-8687

The Anza-Borrego Desert has a distinctive selection of birds. This field trip will focus on finding some of the familiar resident species, including cactus wren, verdin, white-winged dove and phainopepla, as well as winter visitors such as Brewer's and sage sparrows. Different locations may include seeing desert wildflowers. Bring water and snacks to keep up your energy. Varied but easy walking. Find your way to Borrego Springs and meet at the east side of Christmas Circle, the roundabout at the center of town. Restrooms available.

March

Fledgling Birders, Dairy Mart Ponds (Thomas Guide Page 1350, Grid D-4)
Monday, March 8, 8 to 11am
Leader: Gary Grantham, (858) 635-6635

The Dairy Mart Pond is a regularly-visited location surrounded by willows and patches of cattails situated along the northern edge of the Tijuana River Valley. Associated vegetation makes it difficult to see much of the pond itself but many kinds of birds can be found along dirt trails around it. Birding is typically productive, from ducks and hawks, to flycatchers and warblers, to sparrows and finches, many of which will be vocalizing.
Take Interstate-5 south to the Dairy Mart Road exit. Turn right on Dairy Mart Road. Go past the first concrete bridge and park in the open dirt area beside the Tijuana River Valley sign on the right side of the road. No facilities.

Marian Bear Natural Park (Thomas Guide Page 1228, Grid C-7)
Saturday, March 13, 8 to 11 am
Leader: Jack Friery, (619) 218-7342

Marian Bear Memorial Natural Park is a long and narrow open space area within San Clemente Canyon , bordered by State Route 52 on its north side. Tall and mature oaks and sycamores grow high above a strip of willows along a seasonal creek. Adjacent slopes support coastal sage scrub, chaparral and grassland. Typical species include red-shouldered hawk, oak titmouse and spotted towhee along with summer visitors, black-chinned hummingbird, ash-throated and Pacific-slope flycatchers, and black-headed grosbeak, which also nest here.
From State Route 52 exit at Regents Road and go south to the ramp into the park. Follow the ramp around and turn right, underneath the road. Park at the far end of the dirt lot, to the east of Regents Road, adjacent to the public restroom.

San Dieguito County Park (Thomas Guide Page 1167, Grid J-5)
Saturday, March 20, 8 to 11 am
Leader: Robert Patton, (858) 560-0923

This is an attractive and enjoyable place for birding with a mixture of native chaparral, oaks and sycamore trees alongside planted eucalyptus, sweet gum, alders, pines and bamboo. Expected birds to be seen are year-round species such as Nuttall's woodpecker, scrub-jay, and towhees, plus migratory birds on the move, ash-throated flycatcher, black-headed grosbeak, Wilson's warbler, and western tanager, among others.
From Interstate-5 exit at Lomas Santa Fe Drive . Go east for about 2 miles to El Camino Real. Turn left and go about ½ mile and park on the dirt shoulder on the left side of the road. Meet at the entrance. Restrooms available.

Otay Valley Regional Park (Thomosa Guide Page 1310, Grid C-6)
Saturday, March 27, 8 to 11 am
Leader: John Walters

The Otay Valley Regional Park stretches between south San Diego Bay to the Otay Lakes , between the cities of San Diego and Chula Vista . A managed dirt road runs east-to-west through most of the park providing access to small ponds, willow woodland, and sage scrub habitats. Typical birds include Nuttall's woodpecker, Bewick's wren, American coot and California thrasher, as well as migratory visitors such as ash-throated flycatcher, warbling vireo, blue grosbeak, and more.
From Interstate-5, exit at Main Street and go east about 1 mile to Broadway, at the second traffic light. Turn right / south and go about ½-mile to the Otay Valley Regional Park parking lot, just past a traffic light and beside the ranger's building and public restroom.

April

Wilderness Gardens County Park
Saturday, April 3

Rice Canyon, Chula Vista
Saturday, April 10

Sweetwater River Valley
Saturday, April 10

Fledgling Birders at Old Mission Dam
Monday, April 12

Guided Bird-A-Thon
Saturday, April 17