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San Diego has so much going for it. There are stunning seashores, a plethora of fantastic meals and drinks, a mess of household enjoyable areas, a world-renowned zoo, and one of many largest birding festivals within the US. My household visited San Diego yearly as a part of a Disneyland-SoCal Highway journey to flee the wet Christmases at house close to Portland, Oregon. We might stroll the Pacific Seaside promenade, see Shamu at Sea World (that is earlier than Blackfish, thoughts you), and pattern scrumptious Mexican meals in Previous City San Diego.
My relationship with San Diego has developed since changing into a birder. In our early birding days, Erik and I had one in all our most hilarious bird-related fights whereas taking a look at a flotilla of geese in Mission Bay yelling at one another about discipline marks earlier than realizing we have been taking a look at two totally different geese. On one other journey, just a few birders by accident woke us up as they have been staking out a vagrant Prothonotary Warbler which occurred to be final seen in a tree simply above our tent. So, it has gone from a ravishing place for a quick respite from the Pacific Northwest to a premier birding location that we have been fortunate sufficient to weasel a recurring guiding spot on the San Diego Birding Pageant, securing our likelihood to get just a little vitamin D after we want it essentially the most.
Every year, the San Diego Audubon Society hosts their annual birding competition within the third week of February. With all kinds of discipline journeys, glorious guides, and a stable vendor expo, it’s no marvel that it attracts so many birders. The competition headquarters is situated on the southwest facet of Mission Bay, overlooking a marina with close by Black-crowned Evening Herons and steadily performs host to a number of falcon species, and a brief stroll to the San Diego River. This makes it a first-rate spot for bicycle-birding, our area of interest on the competition. Driving round Mission Bay and again to the headquarters alongside the San Diego River can garner us about sixty-five species over the 10-mile bike trip. Granted, it’s a giant county spanning many alternative habitats, however San Diego County garners 515 species.
A number of issues that I really like about San Diego is that the group couldn’t be higher. There’s a main airport close to downtown AND that main airport occurs to be one of many best airports to navigate. It’s in a serious metro space with many eating places and lodge choices. Lastly, implausible birding websites should not an enormous distance away. The Salton Sea might be one of many furthest locations you would possibly take into account visiting whereas there and it’s roughly a 2 ½ hour drive from San Diego – which many birders would possibly take into account a day journey.
Though my birding is often restricted to a motorcycle trip round Mission Bay on my annual journey to San Diego, we handle to squeeze in some visits to different birding websites, eat tasty meals, and pattern the cocktail and beer scene. Listed below are just a few of my favourite gems that you simply would possibly take into account trying out.
Mission Bay provides over a dozen miles of pedestrian entry alongside its shores. Traditionally, it was an unlimited marshland full of shallow waters, a plethora of waders and shorebirds, and tall grasses. Humankind has since modified the panorama right into a leisure wonderland with open water for boating, fishing, and jet skis with an expansive spoils pile on the south facet known as Fiesta Island that has entry for off-leash canines, seashore recreation, and extra. Efforts have been made to return Mission Bay to its wildlife roots which might be witnessed from the Kendall-Frost Marsh Protect on the northwest nook with a number of companies working to replant and handle for wildlife, together with the Ridgway’s Rail. We recurrently discover Snowy Egrets, scope out Brant, and shorebirds.
By bicycle, the route round Mission Bay might take hours with common stops for birding. One in every of my favourite stops is alongside the San Diego River the place you possibly can see Little Blue Heron, all three recurrently occurring teal species, and a wide range of shorebirds relying on the tide degree. Lately, there was a Burrowing Owl hanging round that’s straightforward to identify amongst the riprap close to the river mouth.
San Elijo Lagoon is a county park north of San Diego and is likely one of the area’s largest wetlands. At slightly below 1,000 acres of reserve property with a number of habitat sorts, it hosts a range of crops and animals. The paths fluctuate from boardwalks alongside the tidally influenced estuary to slim canyons to hikes by means of scrub. Because it flows into the Pacific Ocean, the twice-daily tide combats the freshwater drained by means of the rain-fed creeks and different drainage. Though the property has seen human impacts, there have been latest efforts to enhance water high quality and restore this vital habitat.
Whether or not you desire a brief stroll or an extended hike, San Elijo Wetland can provide that. Once I visited, it was wet and a trek by means of a doubtlessly slippery canyon gave the impression of I might find yourself within the hospital, so we ventured alongside the raised boardwalk. A number of rain showers handed which prompted us to run for the character middle and canopy. In between showers, we have been in a position to go examine a bit and we discovered just a few Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, fishing Osprey, and chickadees.
La Jolla Cove has so much occurring. Multi-million-dollar properties, fancy eating places, rugged swimming, California sea lions, and close-up seems at some birds. The cove itself is a small seashore surrounded by sandstone cliffs and a pure platform the place the ocean lions haul out. As you strategy, the mixed odor of seabird excrement and sea lions fills the air.
The La Jolla Cove is a superb hotspot for all. Not solely are you able to see cormorants, turnstones, and pelicans up shut and private, however as it’s on a degree, it’s a great spot to scope out pelagic species. Apart from birds, there’s fascinating geology, simply viewable wildlife, and a mess of different points of interest that can curiosity the non-wildlife lovers at your get together.
San Diego has a lot to see and do. There’s a range of city birding websites that provide you with a glimpse of the wild in amongst the hustle and bustle of one in all California’s most numerous cities and give you the convenience of doing just a little birding on non-birding journeys. Each time I go to, there’s something new to discover, and retains me coming again for extra. What are a few of your favourite San Diego city birding websites?
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