Dearly Bonelli

Another birding hotspot in southern California that had become dear to our hearts is the Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park in San Dimas. The place is huge with a diversity of environments. A lake separates the north and the south sides of the park. More often than not we bird the south side simply because it is bigger.

For our second sortie, we of course chose Bonelli Park. First bird we saw was the American Robin, a can't-miss species here.

Another common bird is the Black Phoebe - not just here but in almost every city park in California.

Woodpeckers are usually not easy to find but somehow this Downy was too busy hunting for insects to be aware of two gawking birders.

Another common park resident is the Western Bluebird.

As we approached the lake, we encountered some shorebirds. The Greylag Goose is so common that birders no longer pay attention to them.

Then there are the Egrets - both Great and Snowy.

Great Egret

Snowy Egret

On the lake itself were several kinds of Grebes including two species that almost look alike it's hard to tell one from the other. The Western and Clark's Grebes - can you tell the difference?

Clark's Grebe

Western Grebe

At the western side of the park, we were lucky enough to see the very uncommon Lawrence Goldfinch albeit from a distance.

There were also blackbirds galore. Both the Great-tailed Grackle and the Red-winged Blackbird reside among the reeds.

Great-tailed Grackle

Red-winged Blackbird

Another beautiful birding day ended before noon. We were all smiles as we said goodbye to our dearly beloved Bonelli Park.