Gone Birdin'

January 21, 2021

I recently embarked on a “lake crawl” involving three birding hotspots, one of which I was familiar with (Lindo Lake) and two new ones (Lake Murray, Santee Lakes). These three locations are easily accessible and sometimes produce rarities without having to go far. At the very least, I wanted to pay them a visit since they are mentioned so frequently in San Diego County birdwatching alert emails.  

The day of the “lake crawl” was windy, cold, and cloudy. I almost talked myself out of going, making up excuses about how the lighting wouldn’t be suitable and how I probably wouldn’t see birds because it was supposed to rain. I went anyway and, as these things usually go, it was a marvelous day for birding.

Lake Murray

Identifying birds of prey can be tricky because of the subtle differences in plumage and body shape between species. Turkey Vultures have a striking two-toned appearance which makes them relatively easy to identify, even from a distance. When I looked up and saw a dark raptor with white flight feathers soaring above Lake Murray, I immediately thought Turkey Vulture. Their talons differ from other raptors in that they are blunted and not adapted for grasping prey. This contributes to their obligate scavenger behavior, meaning they only eat things that are already dead. To make up for their lack of sharp talons, they have a keen sense of smell and wings optimized for low-soaring. According to studies published thus far, they’re the only vultures in North America who utilize their sense of smell for foraging.  

California Towhees have a relatively small range, residing year-around along the Pacific Coast. Most of the times I’ve seen them they’ve been foraging solitary on the ground, exposing their rust-colored faces and rumps. 

I was elated to find a male and female Scaly-breasted Munia perched near a section of scrub-shrub habitat. These birds remain a popular cage bird but are also naturalized in coastal California, the Dominican Republic, and the Gulf Coast. The idea that this species is native to southern Asia but managed to establish successful populations around the world after escaping cages fascinates me. 

Santee Lakes

Next stop: Santee Lakes. This location is only a few miles north of Lake Murray, so definitely still “in-town.” Santee Lakes is comprised of seven lakes total, but from what I could see, it looked like there was a fee for car access to Lakes 2-7. I parked at the front entrance of the park and walked to Lake 1 to check it out. A flock of Northern Shovelers caught my eye. 

I love the way Northern Shovelers’ green heads contrast against their white and rust undersides… and those yellow eyes! The Northern Shovelers at Santee Lakes (approximately 30 of them) were swimming with their heads submerged in the lake. It was to the point where finding a moment where one had its head raised was difficult. I laughed at the thought of them having their “heads buried in the water” instead of the sand, as the old saying goes.

While sitting against a tree photographing the Northern Shovelers (or at least trying to), a Snowy Egret approached and stood within two feet of me. It was a bit unsettling how comfortable the bird was in my presence, as I’m used to seeing these birds in more of a wild setting. I will say… I can’t complain about the photo opportunities. Those bright yellow feet against their black legs remind me of yellow rain boots and are a great ID tool. 

My first memory of a Double-crested Cormorant was years ago with my sister at Chaparral Park in Scottsdale, Arizona. We noticed lanky, dark birds standing like statues with both wings extended; I remember thinking they looked really goofy. We located them in my field guide and read something along the lines of, “‘Wing-spreading’ is a technique Double-crested Cormorants use to dry their feathers after swimming, as they lack waterproof feathers” (Cornell Lab of Ornithology). The bird on the left in the picture above is exhibiting wing-spreading behavior. 

Around sunset I found a flock of Double-crested Cormorants roosting in a single tree by the water. Cormorants, egrets, and herons spend most of their time on land or in water, so they looked a bit out of place sitting in a tree. Not to mention, watching their crash landings onto branches was an experience in and of itself. 

American Coots are widespread across North America and I’ve observed my fair share of them, yet I’m enthralled at each encounter by their ruby red eyes and fleshy, chicken-like feet. 

Lindo Lake

Lindo Lake is a lovely neighborhood lake with no shortage of birds. The last time I was there I was drawn to a large number of Red-crowned Parrots vocalizing outside of a house abutting the lake. Their call is a surprisingly loud squeaky-toy noise and they seem to feed off of each other once one starts calling out. I wonder if the person who bought that house realized a local flock of parrots would have an affinity for the tree in their front yard. I’d consider it good luck. 

The Snowy Egret photographed above had noticeably erect feathers, a visual display of aggression, after warding off other birds from eating his food. They are combative when it comes to obtaining and protecting food sources. One second they’ll be viciously hunting, fending off any species within a stone’s throw away, and the next second they’re standing peacefully in the sand staring off into the sunset. They’re funny birds who I think of as the similar-looking Great Egrets’ little punk cousins. 

The differences in appearance between immature and adult Black-crowned Night Herons, photographed above, are dramatic. Although not seen on this particular day, a bird called a Yellow-crowned Night Heron occurs primarily in eastern North America but sporadically creeps into the West. Juvenile Black-crowned Night Herons and juvenile Yellow-crowned Night Herons look almost identical, but can be differentiated by the Yellow-crowned’s all-black bill. 

Common Gallinules resemble American Coots in their chicken-like body structures, but have beautiful orange shields on their foreheads with matching bills. As if their bills weren’t enough of an identification tool, the bold white stripe along the sides of their wings is a nice giveaway as well. 

There are two species of pelicans in North America: the American White Pelican and the Brown Pelican. Luckily, they look different enough that discerning between the two is fairly simple. The American White Pelican’s plumage is stark white with jet-black flight feathers. On the other hand, Brown Pelicans are all dark with either brown (Atlantic Coast) or bright-red (Pacific Coast) skin on their throat pouches.  

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