Date: 11/7/25 3:57 pm From: Ann Kramer via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Where would you go ...
I agree with you, Chuq, about California. I didn't realize how rich it was
until I moved away. Especially nice places for photography too.
BTW, San Jacinto Wildlife Area is in Riverside County, actually the city of
Lakeview off the Ramona Expressway exit on the 215 Freeway.
You may be thinking of the San Juaquin Marsh and Wildlife area in Orange
County,which has great birding although it doesn't even compare to Bolsa
Chica Ecological Reserve, which is a Mecca for several types of Terns
Egrets, Pelicans and a variety of raptors. I saw my firstWhite-Tailed Kite
there. There is also an active Heron rookery at Bolsa Chica. A lot of
people miss Huntington Park, but they have a ton of bluebirds, hummingbirds
and ducks. A nesting Vermillion Flycatcher was the star when I was there
in April.
Good to know about Fort Flagler. thanks. This time of year I've found the
beach area rich with specialty ducks, like Harlequin's.
ann
On Fri, Nov 7, 2025 at 2:41 PM Chuq Von Rospach <chuqvr...> wrote:
>
> Chuq, You took me back to my earlier birding days at the Lodi Sandhill
>> Crane Festival, which I think I attended twice. Although as a
>> photographer, I found Consumnew better for images, the trips out to Staten
>> Island with the sunset fly in's were thrilling.
>>
>
> My pleasure. I think it gets overlooked as we chase exotics, but
> California is really an amazing place to bird, and many parts of it have
> been very committed to green space protection so there are some really nice
> places to bird in mostly urban locations like Silicon Valley.
>
> (And in retrospect, I didn’t even mention some of the amazing
> local/regional species, like Yellow-Billed Magpie!)
>
> I lived not too far from San Jacinto Wildlife Area. On an Audubon field
>> trip, the trip leader said it was the best birding in Southern California,
>> and it doesn't disappoint.
>>
>
> I was born and raised in SoCal, grew up 20 minutes from Disney. I didn’t
> take up birding until long after I moved to Silicon Valley, but I was down
> there many times visiting family, and I’lll agree, this is a really nice
> and diverse location to explore and often has some nice rarities hanging
> out. (For those curious, it’s in Orange County in the Irvine area). I’ll
> also recommend the Newport Back Bay location and Dana Point Harbor, which
> often has hundreds of Brown Pelicans hanging out there.
>
> chuq
> (Just back from Fort Flagler and did not disappoint. The Black Bellied
> Plovers have arrived for the winter)
>
> ---------------------------------------
>
> Chuq Von Rospach (http://www.chuq.me)
> Silverdale, Washington
> Birder, Nature and Wildlife Photographer
>
> Email me at: <chuqvr...>
> Mastodon: @<chuqvr...>
>
> Stay Updated with what I'm doing: https://www.chuq.me/6fps/ > My latest e-book: https://www.chuq.me/ebooks >
>
