It Never Rains in Southern California

After our birding trip to Costa Rica we still had ten days to spare before returning home to the Philippines. There were still places in the greater Los Angeles area that I wanted to visit for some bird photography. However, we kept getting predictions that it will be raining. For almost a week, we did not plan any birding sortie afraid that we would be caught in a downpour. But guess what, it never rained during those days, well, maybe a short shower and it was at night.

Friday, and once again, the weather forecast was for some rainfall to occur. But I was determined. If it rains, then we'll let it, but for today let us go birding, I told my wife with such determination that she had no choice but to say yes.

It was a beautiful sunny day as we entered the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area. We headed to the Nature Center and I got one of my target birds quite easily - the Cactus Wren.

Unfortunately, that was the only bird we saw there. We then proceeded to the lake for some water birds. I was still roaming around looking for some birds other than Coots and Mallards when Cynthia approached me and showed a couple of pictures. I was like: Where did you get these? And she held me by my elbow, turned me around, and pointed to the merganser. "The White-fronted Goose was by the picnic tables," she said.

Greater White-fronted Goose 

Red-breasted Merganser. Very rare to see them on the shore.

From there we went to the levee where the Rock Wrens were usually found. A few hundred meters and still no wren. Cynthia did not want to go any further because 1) it was getting too hot and without any tree cover it will get worse (wasn't rain predicted today?) and 2) the area across the trail had been cordoned off in preparation for the upcoming Renaissance Fair next month thus the possibility of seeing birds had been greatly reduced.

On the way out I saw a Common Starling. I wanted to take photos of this fast spreading introduced species, so I parked and fulfilled my desire.

Although there weren't as many birds as we had experienced here in prior times, I was still glad that we had an opportunity to practice our hobby. That despite the threat of rain.

Didn't these weather forecasters know that it never rains in Southern California? Have they even heard the song?

Two Wrens Make It Right

I’m thinking of taking up astronomy. After all, among the local birding circles I am getting to be known lately as the “big dipper”. Since finding the Lucy’s Warbler a month ago (thanks to the help of Steve and Becky) I have dipped consistently at finding the uncommon migrants that passed through the greater Los Angeles area. Missed the Brewers Sparrow, the Northern Waterthrush and Black-throated Sparrow at Peck Pit and the warblers at Laguna Tams. I didn’t even bother to chase the rarities at HCP. And of course, the bird that holds a certain degree of schadenfreude for me – the Solitary Sandpiper - from everywhere!

So I considered my visit to Santa Fe Dam last Tuesday as my “physical exercise” (yeah, right! uh-huh). As was expected, I dipped miserably on the Vespers and Grasshopper Sparrows. At least I got the White-fronted Geese – now even a blind birder, if ever there was one, could not miss these birds. My day, however, was made right by the unusual cooperativeness of wrens. Two kinds, actually. The Rock and the Cactus.

First off, as I was traversing the path along the spillway, two, count ‘em, two, Rock Wrens were busily hunting for food a few feet away from me. They just did their thing, completely oblivious of me as if I was merely a part of the landscape. This was one of those rare moments that I don’t mind being treated like dirt. A couple of hundred feet up the path, another Rock Wren was basically doing the same thing.



Checking the grassy area just below the spillway for the uncommon sparrows and seeing nothing but the (ho-hum) Savannahs and White-crowneds, I returned trudgingly and perspiringly to the parking area. (Oh look, there’s those White-fronted Geese again, whopee!). I drove over to the other side of the park where the nature center was and hoped I won’t be mobbed again by vicious Ravens like my last visit there.

Just a few feet off the bicycle path I noticed a Cactus Wren building a nest! A little bit unusual for that to happen in October, I mused. But opportunity presented should be opportunity taken. And so for a good half-hour, I waited (the wren would fly off away from sight and would return minutes later with nesting stuff in its beak) and watched from a distance the untiring efforts of the this wren in building its home. In the blistering heat of the noonday sun even! After this, I continued on the trail and was surprised to find two, count ‘em, two, more Cactus Wrens playing tag ahead of me.

Now who says two wrens don’t make it right?



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