October 13, 2021
Apart from a couple of folks on horseback, my sister and I had San Jacinto Wildlife Area to ourselves last Thursday. A wide dirt road, advertised as an auto tour at the front entrance, wraps around the property and begs to be birded by car. We spent the afternoon following the road up to countless marshes and grasslands, stopping every fifteen feet or so to identify the surrounding birds. What fun!
A side note for any first time visitors: there are a couple of different entrances, one of which was locked when we tried to enter. Save yourself a few minutes of confusion and input the following address into your GPS device rather than typing in “San Jacinto Wildlife Area.” If not using GPS, be sure to enter near the intersection of Davis Road and Ramona Expressway.
17050 Davis Road
Lakeview, California 92567
We didn’t make it far before spotting an American Kestrel perched on a snag in the center of an otherwise barren dirt valley. His prey, a rodent-sized dragonfly, is clenched in his talons in the photograph above. He consumed the insect within seconds, nervously looking up between bites to protect his catch.
White-faced Ibises are absolute show-stoppers. Their red eyes, decurved bills, and metallic-green backs look especially unreal with the help of a little sunshine.
Another (much louder) red-eyed bird was nearby, causing a ruckus with his ear-piercing calls and flashy, black neck bands.
At one point we stopped to watch several Cassin’s Kingbirds flutter around, permitting brief views of their white chins and white-tipped tails before hopping out of sight.
The Savannah Sparrow’s scientific name (Passerculus sandwichensis) is a mouthful. Its genus, Passerculus, is derived from Latin meaning “little sparrow.” The species name, sandwichensis, refers to Sandwich, Unalaska, where the species was first described. These “little sparrows” posed with their heads at the perfect angle for quick views of the vivid yellow stripes above their eyes.
Time to nerd out on geese! A mixed-species flock of geese foraging in tall grass towards the end of the auto tour was the cherry on top of bird sightings for the day. I wrote the birds off as Greater White-fronted Geese and Canada Geese before noticing white neck collars, short necks, and stubby bills on a few— all field marks for Cackling Geese.
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Gone Birdin' 