Petrin Tower & Hill

A parallelogram in shape, the funicular soon filled up with schoolchildren and rumbled its way up the hill.

Petrin Funicular

Being on the same cable, the downhill funicular approached, then passed us on a short sweep-out, and we continued up slowly.

Funicular passing tracks

From the station at the top of the hill, a short walk through a little garden brought us to the tower.  Sarah’s no friend to high places, so I went on my own, paying the equivalent of a few dollars to enter the tower.

Petrin Tower

Around and up, around and up it went for quite some time, the views of central Prague opening up all the while.

Central Prague

The views to the northwest (above) were clear, although it was fairly hazy looking toward Old Town (below).

Charles Bridge

Once at the top, I enjoyed the view for a bit, then wound my way back down amid throngs of young ‘uns trying to race each other down the tower.

Prague Castle

Rejoining Sarah we walked along the top of the hill and picked up a path leading down to Malá Strana.

Great Tit / Parus major

Although this seemed like a good place to find urban birds, there were few to be seen other than a few Great Tits (LIFER!).

Hungry Wall

We followed the “Hunger Wall” (1360-1362),  rumored to be a public-works program by Charles IV that provided little or no defensive value to medieval Prague.

Strahov monastery’s tower

We walked past Strahov Monastery (the subject of a future post) and enjoyed more lovely views of Prague Castle and Malá Strana from this lovely green vantage point.

Prague Castle & Malá Strana district

It was un-crowded, and a nice mix of locals and tourists as we strolled downward.

Steps leading down to Malá Strana

We eventually came to the top of a flight of stairs leading down to the residences and embassies of Malá Strana, and soon found our way to our nearby hotel.

Like Kampa Island, Petrin Hill is worth a detour, and provided a welcome break from the more heavily-touristed sights in Malá Strana and Prague Castle.

Fountain

This former residence, built  1632-1630, and in the Wallenstein family until 1945, now houses the Czech senate.

Common Moorhen

Upon entering from the metro, you first see a pretty pond with birds floating around.  Although I was hopeful of seeing some new-to-me birds here, I saw Mallards & Common Moorhens, both of which we have at home.

Mallard

A little farther down is an unusual wall, constructed to look like stalactites in a cave.  This large wall is visible from above, along Prague Castle, and ends in an aviary housing 4 or so large owls(!).  I was curious about the history of this oddity, but wasn’t able to dig up any information on the web as to its age or construction.

Grotto wall

An albino peacock strutted around the gardens, but despite our hopes that it would fan out its tail, it stubbornly refused.

Albino Peacock

More cooperative was a properly-pigmented peacock, which put on a great show of flaring its feathers, shaking them, and strutting its stuff.  The few nearby peahens looks impressed, as did we humans.

Peacock displaying

Due to the Czech senate’s sitting here, the buildings of Wallenstein Palace are not generally open to the public – too bad, as the wiki page hints at large and lovely murals inside.

Czech senate building

But we will have to make do with a view from the outside.

Although it takes just a few minutes to visit, we found Wallenstein Palace to be a nice respite from the hustle and bustle of Mala Strana.

The Vltava River, from Vyšehrad

Vltava pathway

On the east side, from roughly Vyšehrad to the National Theater, a low thoroughfare follows the river, and it is  a very pleasant stroll.

Fishermen on the Vltava

A nice blend of fishermen, locals, and tourists strolled this path on our visit, and an unused room under the street above had been turned into a temporary art gallery.

Mute Swans / Cygnus olor

Aside from the ubiquitous feral pigeons, many Mute Swans lined the shores, obviously accustomed to being hand-fed.  Although these are the same swans one often sees in city parks in the US, they are native to central and western Europe, but introduced in the US.

Common Pochard / Aythya ferina

I saw what I thought was a Redhead, an uncommon duck in the San Francisco area, but when I looked it up upon returning, it turned out I had seen a Common Pochard (LIFER!).  Although they look quite similar and are unsurprisingly in the same genus, their ranges do not overlap at all.

Climbing out of the shadows

In several places, funny statues were attached to the retaining wall.

Rest

Partway down the riverside roadway were several boats and cafes, serving snacks and beer.  This little walk was a pleasant find, with little hint of the hustle and bustle of cars and trams just 30 feet above it.  Definitely check it out if you’re there!

Old meets new, high-wheeler meets latex.

My first Sunday in Prague coincided with the Prague International Marathon.  I was amused to see one fellow, decked out in latex, riding a high-wheeler cycle down the road, enjoying its closure to traffic.

Prague International Marathon

As seems to be the case nearly everywhere, North Africans dominated the leaders group (above).

Askew windows

Tančící dům – The “Dancing House”

One of the landmark buildings on the Vltava’s edge is Tančící dům, the so-called “Dancing House,” designed by Vlado Milunić and Frank Gehry.  I liked its whimsical architecture, especially amid the myriad Nouveau, Gothic, & Baroque facades that Prague is famous for.

Bird over door

Many buildings here are adorned with pretty mosaics, and bird themes, especially owls, were common.

Socialist mural

One building had a lovely series of murals from the early 20th century, depicting happy workers and homemakers.

“Bubble-wrap” building

Next to the National Theater, however, is an obviously Soviet-era building that looks for all the world like a squat mushroom enrobed in plastic bubble-wrap.

Fountain decorations

A small park near the Theater has a lovely ornate fountain with Wenceslas and his horse (not upside-down this time), and the now-familiar bird motifs.

Jackdaw / Corvus monedula

In that park, I found a couple of cooperative Jackdaws (LIFER!) to photograph.  As I’m fond of Corvids generally, I enjoyed watching these alert birds, with their unusual light-colored eyes.

Prague Castle at night

At nighttime, the river has great views of Prague Castle, and plenty of shops (mostly selling tourist junk) and cafes (U Rudolphino was recommended by a colleague, and proved delightfully non-touristy).

It’s definitely worth spending some extra time lingering along the shores of this river that cuts right through central Prague, and except for right near the Charles Bridge, it is not too crowded with tourists.

Vyšehrad cemetery

An interesting factoid about this cemetery is that it contains many authors, composers, businesspeople, and artists from the elite ranks of Czech society, but virtually no politicians, which may say something about how Czechs view their leaders!

Being as it´s full of artists, it is little surprise then that many of the tombstones are unusual and artistic:

Leaning grave marker

Tombstone

Hands

The center of the cemetery is nicely tended, with just the right amount  of overgrown’ness.

Grassy graves

Along the perimeter are much fancier monuments, many featuring very attractive mosaic or fresco pieces on the walls and ceilings.  As is the case in much of Prague, the influence of the Art Nouveau movement can be felt here, with many figures exemplifying the style, one of my favorites.

Art Nouveau monument

Fancy monument

Art Nouveau detail

More Nouveau detail

Trés nouveau!

This was probably my favorite headstone

Amid the Art Nouveau grandeur and artistic expressions are more traditional cemetery art forms:

Monument mosaic

Gravesite

Flowers

Crosses

Jay (European) / Garrulus glandarius

I did not see very many birds here, but a pretty Jay (LIFER!) allowed me to get a few photographs.  Although named a Jay, this European one is in a different genus than any of our North American Jays.

Among the famous names interred here are Alfons Mucha (wiki page, official site), whose inscription on the Slavin Monument gives no hint of the wonderful Art Nouveau decorative style he helped to popularize,

Antonin Dvořák, classical composer, best-known for his New World Symphony (the second movement is the most famous part),

writer Jan Neruda,

and Bedřich Smetana, composer of the Czech symphonic poem masterpiece Má Vlast (´My Country´), with its lovely minor-key piece, Vltava (see about 1 minute in, courtesy of musopen.com)

Cemetery lane

Slavín monument

Slavín monument detail

At the far end of the cemetery is the large Slavín Monument, marking many notable Czechs, including the aforementioned Mucha.

Like Vyšehrad itself, the cemetery is a must-visit, in my opinion, and, like the rest of the park, is lightly visited compared to the thick crowds in much of old Prague.

Please forgive in advance any funny typos involving y or z – I have my keyboard set to Czech so I can type the accents, and which also swaps y and z

Basilica of St. Peter and Paul, Vyšehrad

We’ll start with the lovely outlying neighborhood of Vyšehrad, where I spent much of the trip, since that’s where the company-paid hotel was.

I stayed at the decidedly un-lovely Holiday Inn Congress Center for the first 8 nights:

Hoilday Inn Congress Center

Aside from the rather important fact that it was not on my dime, this hotel did have a few nice features.  1) it was just a few steps from the beautiful Vyšehrad park and a short walk from the Vltava River, 2) their breakfast buffet was excellent, and 3) it was just a few Metro stops from the company office.

Leopold´s Gate, 1670AD

Just off of Pankrac is Leopold’s Gate, a relic from the Baroque period of Vyšehrad Castle.  According to prague.cz, Vyšehrad was founded in the 10th century AD as competition to nearby Prague Castle, and was the seat of the first Bohemian king, King Vratislav II and the following Premyslid dynasty, ending in around 1140.

Rotunda of St. Martin, ca. 1100AD

A short walk past a school for the disabled and a cafe is the Rotunda of St. Martin, possibly the oldest building in Prague, and one of the only buildings in Vyšehrad to survive the leveling of the area in 1420 when Hussites defeated King Zikmud in the Battle of Vyšehrad.

City views from the old castle walls

Continuing right past the rotunda leads to a walkway atop ancient ramparts, and featuring excellent views of central Prague.  Numerous benches and a couple of signs explaining the skyline invite the visitor to enjoy a stroll.

Basilica of St. Peter and Paul

Down and around from the rampart walk, the Basilica of St. Peter and Paul commands attention, with its mixed architecture and tall towers.

This church has had an eventful history, first built as a Romanesque basilica, the rebuilt in the 14th centurz in the high Gothic style by Charles IV, again as a Baroque church in the 1720s, with neo-Gothic additions in the 1800s.  Its two towers were added in 1902 and 1903.

The three front doors of the basilica are particularly beautiful, featuring the crossed key motif of the Premyslids, and attractive mosaics above the secondary doors:

Basilica of St. Peter and Paul main door

Main door

Left-side door mosaic

Right-side door

Right-side door detail

Right-side door mosaic

I´m afraid I have no idea about the significance of either of the gilt mosaic motifs above the side doors – if you do, please leave a comment!

A pair of grotesque carvings flank each door:

Grotesque faces on the Basilica of St. Peter and Paul – click for larger views

The grounds around the basilica are grassy with mature trees, and locals clearly enjoyed after-work walks here, for obvious reasons.

Basilica and branches

To the basilica´s right is a wonderful cemetery (see the next post for that), and to its left a natural area with a few large statues.

Woodpigeon / Columba palumbus

Although I heard many birds here, I saw but a couple, here a Woodpigeon (LIFER!), which doesn´t look very different from our feral pigeons.

Now that’s an interesting question!

On the other side of the Holiday Inn is Congress Center, a large convention center complete with a casino, which was guarded by heavily armed soldiers for a couple of days when the EU summit was held here.

Main freeeway through Prague

A footbridge leads across the main freeway to a quiet residential district where I had a very good dinner of roasted pork knee, but which has little else to entice the traveler, unless you really want to visit a Libyan-owned hotel and casino to thumb your nose at US embargoes.

It´s too bad Vyšehrad is not in most tour guides, as I found it a very welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of touristy central Prague, but that very omission likely contributes to its charm.

To get here, take the Red Metro to the Vyšehrad stop and walk away from the freeway, toward the tall towers of St. Peter and Paul.

I swung by the Radio Road ponds after work,  ummm, 2.5 months ago (what? me behind on photos?  nahh!), hopeful to see a reported Caspian Tern fledgling.

Northern Pintail / Anas acuta

There were, as usual, many Forster’s Terns, flying around noisily.

Forster’s Terns / Sterna forsteri

Also typical for the time of year, a family of Mallards floated by.

Mallard / Anas platyrhynchos family

Atypically, they were the only family I saw.  Other early summer visits here have turned up literally dozens of ducks with young ‘uns.

Black Skimmer / Rynchops niger

A lone Black Skimmer shared a narrow island-let with several American Avocet, and stayed there throughout my visit – too bad, as they’re fun birds to watch when they’re foraging, with their long, jutting mandible and colorful bills.

American Avocet / Recurvirostra americana

To my collection of thousands of American Avocet photographs, I added a few more.  They’re extremely common year-round here, but I never get tired of them, especially when they’re in alternate plumage (ie. buffy-headed), as they are in early summer.

Caspian Tern / Sterna caspia with food

I saw a Caspian Tern dive and come up with a fish, which it brought to an island, but no young ‘un emerged to eat it.  The adult seemed agitated, and I wondered if its offspring had become heron food.  Most likely so, as the pen-bird email list reported many attempted sightings of the chick, but none successful.

American Avocets / Recurvirostra americana

Sure, more Avocets.  Why not?

Gadwall / Anas strepera

Somewhat less common was a solitary Gadwall, unremarkable save for its black derierre.

Marbled Godwit / Limosa fedoa

Amid the numerous Avocets was a Marbled Godwit, doing a very poor job of blending in.

Forster’s Terns / Sterna forsteri

The Forster’s flock took off noisily, did a few laps around the ponds, and then settled back down onto their island.

Ruddy Duck / Oxyura jamaicensis

A male Ruddy Duck in spiffy alternate plumage and a baby-blue bill hung out by a levee, and then it was about time for me to head homeward.

Common Raven / Corvus corax

But I couldn’t resist one last stop to photograph a Raven that pecked by the side of the road.

This was a nice short outing (not even really an outing, as I stayed in my car as I drove along the ponds, since that startles birds less than walking around does), which is exactly what Radio Road is best suited for.  That I picked up a few year birds is testament to the fact that I haven’t been birding very much on the SF peninsula lately, rather than the rarity of anything I saw.

Location:     Redwood Shores
Observation date:     6/16/09
Number of species:     18

Canada Goose - Branta canadensis     5
Gadwall - Anas strepera     3
Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos     10
+ Northern Pintail - Anas acuta     2
Ruddy Duck - Oxyura jamaicensis     6
Snowy Egret - Egretta thula     5
Black-crowned Night-Heron - Nycticorax nycticorax     5
Killdeer - Charadrius vociferus     2
Black-necked Stilt - Himantopus mexicanus     4
American Avocet - Recurvirostra americana     20
Willet - Tringa semipalmata     5
Ring-billed Gull - Larus delawarensis     7
Caspian Tern - Hydroprogne caspia     2
+ Forster's Tern - Sterna forsteri     20
+ Black Skimmer - Rynchops niger     1
American Crow - Corvus brachyrhynchos     5
Song Sparrow - Melospiza melodia     1
Brewer's Blackbird - Euphagus cyanocephalus     10

+ = year bird

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)

After our fun little hike at Tahquitz Canyon, we had a delicious breakfast at Chubby’s, where I ordered a bacon flight consisting of 5 different types of bacon (yeah!), and then checked out and headed a half-dozen miles south to Palm Desert/Indian Wells, where we visited the Living Desert, a combination zoo (containing only un-releasable animals), wildlife oasis, and state-of-the-art animal hospital.  A docent at Big Morongo Canyon the day before had recommended the Living Desert both as an interesting zoo and garden, as well as a good place for wild bird-watching, so we were interested to see what all was here.

Black-crowned Night Heron in the aviary

They had a nice walk-in aviary, in which were a few Black-crowned Night Herons, some Common Ravens, and Green Heron.  While we were in the aviary, I saw a (wild) Common Roadrunner (LIFER!) walking quickly by on the outside, but of course since I was IN the aviary, I couldn’t go chase it – oh, the irony!

Pygmy Owl

Many of the animals, especially the birds, didn’t lend themselves to photography, as they were behind mesh fences, but I couldn’t resist taking on of this adorable little Pygmy Owl.  Near it, a gregarious American Kestrel hopped toward us and perched right at the edge of its cage, chatting away like crazy, then bringing over a bit of mouse gore to share – very cute!

??? Hummingbird (any ideas which?)

I saw another wild bird, this time a hummingbird, although I haven’t figured out what kind it was just yet.  If you have an idea, do please leave a comment!  The animal hospital has a program every hour or so, and we swung by to see what there was to see.  A staffer had a large desert iguana and talked for a few minutes about its natural history, and the work the hospital does, then invited everyone to walk around, which would have been interesting (many of the examination and operating rooms have glass walls), except that there was nobody working there, so we gave that a pass.

Succulent garden

The weather was pretty warm as it approached mid-day, it must have been in the 90s, and there was not a whole lot of shade in much of the zoo’s landscaped areas, so we didn’t linger too long, which was too bad, as this was the sort of terrain that I’d expect to find interesting wild birds.

Bobcat

We looked for a good while for a supposed Mountain Lion in the cat exhibit, but it must’ve been hiding in the shade, for we never got a glimpse.  A cooperative bobcat did wake up long enough to look at us before going right back to sleep.

Turtle

Another aviary had doves, coots and kingfishers, along with a bunch of turtles and some fish.  It was nice that they had several walk-in aviaries, as they’re a great way to see even common birds much more closely than usual.

Mexican Wolf

A hot and fly-bitten-looking Mexican Wolf sat in the dappled shade of its exhibit, which featured information about the reintroduction of wolves into the US after they’d been hunted almost to extinction.

Verdin

In a spiny bush I got a nice look at a (wild) Verdin with its lovely little yellow head.

Desert

By this point we had seen most of the native desert section of the park, and walked a little ways to the Bighorn Sheep exhibit.  It was quite warm here, save for a couple of verandas, which had mist spraying from their perimeter, and we enjoyed some good looks at the Bighorn Sheep, which had eluded us in the wild on this trip.

Desert Bighorn Sheep

Desert Bighorn Sheep

Although there was still a large part of the Living Desert we had not seen (the African desert section), we decided it was too hot, and anyhow we had a fair bit of driving ahead of us to get to Sarah’s brother’s house in north LA, so we bought an overpriced Iccee and hit the road.

I’d definitely recommend a visit to the Living Desert to anyone passing through the area, as their exhibits were well-done, and they do good rehabilitation and conservation work there.

From there, we drove to LA, stopping briefly at the El Cabazon outlets, and finding no particular treasures there, continued on through San Bernardino and into Los Angeles, where we spent the last couple of days of our trip.

Friday, 1 May – Sunday, 3 May:

The remainder of our trip was spent with my my brother-in-law and his family in north LA, where we enjoyed some great food and wonderful company, but didn’t do anything photo-worthy, other than a visit to the new’ish Getty Villa, and I believe that the photos I took there cannot be published here due to copyright, so I will leave it at that (plus I don’t think my readers necessarily want to see dozens of museum photos!).

On Sunday morning we left for home and endured the torturously long and boring drive north on I-5.  Total driving for this 10-day road trip: ~1600 miles.

California’s southern deserts are a true pleasure to wander around in (in season!), and it was super-nice to have so much time to relax and see so many lovely sights in Joshua Tree National Park.  The birds and wildflowers were beyond anything we had hoped for, with a good many new species of both seen.

Thanks for reading this far, and happy hiking!

Kind regards,

Adam

Trip Index:

• Part I – Getting there, settling in
• Part II – Twentynine Palms Oasis
• Part III – Oasis of Mara, Noah Purifoy, Key’s View, Cap Rock
• Part IV – Lost Horse Mine
• Part V – Cholla Cactus Garden, Geology Tour Road
• Part VI – Split Rock, Hidden Valley
• Part VII – Barker Dam, Ocotillo Patch
• Part VIII – Mastodon Peak, Cholla Cactus Garden revisited
• Part IX – Big Morongo Canyon, AKA Birding Paradise
• Part X – Taquitz Canyon
• Part XI – Living Desert, LA, and home <– You are here!

After our lovely birdy walk at Big Morongo Canyon, we continued heading towards Palm Springs, stopping in Desert Hot Springs to check out Yerxa Cabot’s Pueblo (see photos here).  The tour was good, if a bit long-winded, but it’s definitely the sort of off-the-wall place that gives the desert a mostly-justified reputation for being inhabited by “colorful” characters.

From Desert Hot Springs, we continued into Palm Springs, checked into our hotel, and had a so-so Mexican dinner downtown before retiring early’ish.

Thursday, 30 April 2009:

We woke early and after a quick bite, drove a few miles to the trailhead for Tahquitz Canyon, one of three “Indian” canyons in/near Palm Springs located on the land of the Agua Caliente band of the Cahuilla tribe.  This was the first hike I can recall that charges admission.  Not  a typical parking fee, as found in most State & National Parks, but a per-person fee actually hike the trail – $12.50 per adult.  It’s hard to begrudge the tribe’s efforts to make a livelihood, however, and I certainly prefer this to yet more Casinos!

After quickly perusing the visitor’s center, we hit the trail at 7:50.

Taquitz Canyon Visitor’s Center

After passing through the visitor’s center & a gate to ensure we had paid the $25 for the two of us to hike this trail, the path wound lazily up towards the mouth of Tahquitz Canyon.  We were very close to downtown Palm Springs, and behind us could see myriad palm trees sprouting up from every house.  Or we could have seen them, but for the thick layer of morning smog hanging heavily over the Coachella Valley.

Unfortunately for its residents, a large amount of smog from Los Angeles blows up and over the nearby San Gorgonio Pass and into the Coachella Valley basin, where it stays.

Hazy Palm Springs

Up-canyon, however, the air was much cleaner.  As we approached the canyon, its rock walls began to close in.

Tahquitz Canyon Trail

A sturdy little stone bridge crossed babbling Tahquitz Creek, and we were glad to see there was at least some water in the creek, as Tahquitz Falls, the endpoint of the trail, and really the whole reason for doing this hike, is seasonal.  A pretty yellow-headed Verdin caught my eye in a nearby bush, but flew away before I could get a photo of it.

“Bridgelet” over Tahquitz Creek

We entered the canyon proper and climbed the gently-graded trail alongside the creek.  Several little cascades tumbled down from the rocks, and the air was full of the sounds of moving water and occasional birdsong, a pleasant thing to hear in the desert!

Cascade

We saw just a couple of people, it being both early and a weekday, but mostly had the canyon to ourselves.  It was hard to imagine the canyon’s checkered past.  An article in a local paper, as well as displays in the visitor’s center, explains that Tahquitz Canyon was overrun with hippes and the homeless in the last 1960s, and they trashed the place, spray-painting over rock pictographs and leaving litter everywhere, so the Cahuilla Tribe closed the canyon to the public, and spend the next several decades constantly patrolling and arresting trespassers.  After a multi-year cleanup, they opened it to guided walks only in 2001, and to the general public in 2005.

Tahquitz Canyon

Before long we came to the end of the (legal) trail and faced lovely Tahquitz Falls.  The 1937 film Lost Horizon apparently had a scene filmed here, although I’ve not seen that particular oldie.

Tahquitz Falls

The falls, 60 feet tall, were lovely and refreshing, and we spent a little time enjoying them.  Two women asked us to take their picture, which I happily did, and they returned the favor:

Sarah & I @ Tahquitz Falls

Hmmmm, weird color balance there – I swear our skin is not actually red   After taking in our fill of the falls, we headed back down-canyon on a trail on the other side of Tahquitz Creek.

Looking back towards Palm Springs

The Coachella Valley seemed a little less hazy, probably due to the angle of the sun, and it was an easy hike down the well-maintained path.

Tahquitz Canyon Trail

Little was blooming this late in the season, but we did see one firecracker-red plant, whose name I have not been able to find.

Chuparosa / Justicia californica

We passed a guided walk, and were grateful we had not signed up for one – although I’m sure they discuss some interesting facts about the region, the walk is over 2.5 hours, which at under 1mph, is a little slow even for our normally-unhurried hiking pace!

Ranger-led walking group

White-throated Swifts zoomed above us, close enough to actually get a decent look, and a couple of so-so photographs.

White-throated Swift

We soon exited the canyon proper and continued along Tahquitz Creek back toward the visitor’s center.

Tahquitz Creek

An Anna’s Hummingbird posed on a branch for a moment, and unlike the earlier Verdin, I managed to get a photo of it (I’d have preferred the Verdin, as I have lots of pretty good Anna’s Hummy photos!).

Anna’s Hummingbird

A deep hole worn in a nearby rock was testament to the long-term presence of the Cahuillas here.

Grinding Rock

We arrived back at the visitor’s center at 9:20 and spent a few minutes perusing the old photos of hippies and police, and numerous newspaper headlines about the canyon, then continued on our way.

Tahquitz Canyon was a lovely way to spend a couple of hours, and super-convenient to downtown Palm Springs – although on any future visits, we would concentrate on the other nearby Indian Canyons, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this walk to anyone in the area with a couple of hours to spare.

Hike stats:
Distance: 1.96 miles
Hike time: 58 minutes
Stopped time: 30 minutes
Climbing: ~300 feet

Location:     Taquitz Canyon
Observation date:     4/30/09
Number of species:     11

Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos     X
Gambel's Quail - Callipepla gambelii     X
White-throated Swift - Aeronautes saxatalis     X
Anna's Hummingbird - Calypte anna     X
Costa's Hummingbird - Calypte costae     X
Common Raven - Corvus corax     X
Verdin - Auriparus flaviceps     X
Northern Mockingbird - Mimus polyglottos     X
California Towhee - Pipilo crissalis     X
Black-throated Sparrow - Amphispiza bilineata     X
House Finch - Carpodacus mexicanus     X

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)

Trip Index:

• Part I – Getting there, settling in
• Part II – Twentynine Palms Oasis
• Part III – Oasis of Mara, Noah Purifoy, Key’s View, Cap Rock
• Part IV – Lost Horse Mine
• Part V – Cholla Cactus Garden, Geology Tour Road
• Part VI – Split Rock, Hidden Valley
• Part VII – Barker Dam, Ocotillo Patch
• Part VIII – Mastodon Peak, Cholla Cactus Garden revisited
• Part IX – Big Morongo Canyon, AKA Birding Paradise
• Part X – Tahquitz Canyon <– You are here!
• Part XI – Living Desert, LA, and home

Mutt duck w/a lot of Muscovy ancestry

Ring-necked Pheasant

Song Sparrow

American Avocet, 3 ways

Long-billed Curlew

Semipalmated Plover

Location:     Palo Alto Baylands
Observation date:     8/18/09
Number of species:     20

Canada Goose - Branta canadensis     5
Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos     10
Ruddy Duck - Oxyura jamaicensis     4
+ Ring-necked Pheasant - Phasianus colchicus     1
Snowy Egret - Egretta thula     2
Black-crowned Night-Heron - Nycticorax nycticorax     1
+ Semipalmated Plover - Charadrius semipalmatus     5
Killdeer - Charadrius vociferus     8
Black-necked Stilt - Himantopus mexicanus     15
American Avocet - Recurvirostra americana     25
Willet - Tringa semipalmata     7
Long-billed Curlew - Numenius americanus     1
Marbled Godwit - Limosa fedoa     1
Ring-billed Gull - Larus delawarensis     75
Rock Pigeon - Columba livia     20
Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica     15
Bushtit - Psaltriparus minimus     7
Northern Mockingbird - Mimus polyglottos     2
California Towhee - Pipilo crissalis     1
Song Sparrow - Melospiza melodia     2

+ = year bird

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)

We woke up and finished packing our stuff, then after a quick breakfast, hit the road, destination Big Morongo Canyon.  This preserve, located in Morongo Valley, was listed in “California Hiking” as an excellent birdwatching destination, and it was right on our way to Palm Springs, so we were eager to see what it was all about.

A multi-lingual welcome

We found the preserve easily, parked in its ample lot, and started walking at 9:25.  The entrance kiosk was incredibly informative, with checklist of birds by season, birds seen recently, ID tips, silhouettes, maps, and so on.  After picking up a map we headed out on one of the boardwalk paths that dot the preserve.

Summer Tanager / Piranga rubra

A half-dozen House Finches squabbled noisily in a cluster of plam trees, and as we watched them, a flash of red!  I knew that Vermilion Flycatchers were a target bird here, so I was hopeful that this was one.  A bit of searching refound the bird, which turned out to be a Summer Tanager (LIFER!).  Although not a VEFL, I’m not one to complain about any new bird!

Boardwalk path

A woman with rather a lot of bird-related hat pins approached and I asked her if she had any tips for first-time visitors.  Turned out I asked the right person, as she was one of many volunteers who walk the trails here, helping folks identify birds and pointing them to rarities.  As we talked, a Green Heron flew by, the first I’d seen in a couple of years.  Just a few minutes in and I already had a year bird and a life bird – this was shaping up to be a productive walk!

Meow!

After talking to the docent for a few minutes, we continued on our way.  There are many paths to choose here, and they’re all very well-signed.  Ours traced a hillside along a reedy area.  We saw a Cooper’s Hawk land in its nest atop a nearby tree, stay for a few, and then leave again.

Ladder-backed Woodpecker leaving its nest

Emerging from a tree, we spied a Ladder-backed Woodpecker (LIFER!) coming out from its nest, the first of a bunch of woodpeckers we would see here.  The Ladder-backed looks similar to the Nuttall’s Woodpecker, which we were to see a bit later.

Oops!

A rusty mangled car seemed rather out of place, since as far as we could tell, there were no roads nearby.  The car looked mid-50’s or so, though, so perhaps there was a road here at that time.

Ladder-backed Woodpecker / Picoides scalaris

We came to a clearing in the middle of a reedy patch, with ample benches and a large deck from which to observe the wildlife.  A trio of Ladder-backed Woodpeckers flew to and fro, giving us great looks.

Blue Grosbeak / Passerina caerulea

A beautiful Blue Grosbeak, another year bird for me, posed on a snag for a moment before flying off, and a constant sound of chirping and tweeting told of many unseen birds in the underbrush.  We stayed here for a little while, enjoying the sounds of so many animals all around us, then continued on our way.

Desert Spiny Lizard / Sceloporus magister

A colorful Desert Spiny Lizard ran out onto a rock and did a few pushups, then scampered off behind a stump.

Red-tailed Hawk / Buteo jamaicensis

Plank path

As we strolled along another boardwalk path, we met some more birders.  One elderly woman asked if we’d seen the baby owls.  “No, but where are they?” we replied.  She thought for a moment, and then said she would be happy to walk us to their nest, even though she’d been walking all morning.

Bell’s Vireo / Vireo bellii

Along the way she pointed out a Bell’s Vireo (LIFER!), an endangered bird, and perhaps a quarter mile down the path there it was, a big twiggy Long-eared Owl’s nest.

Long-eared Owl nest

She said there were three owlets, but we saw only two (not that I minded, especially as these were my first Long-eared Owls ever).

Long-eared Owlet / Asio otus

They were terribly cute, and peered at us with their wide yellow saucer-eyes, as if to ask “what are you doing in my wood?”  We spent a fair while here, watching the owlets, and hoping to catch a glimpse of a parent, which we didn’t.

Twiggy woods

We continued looping around, again on a nice boardwalk path with ample benches to rest and/or observe.  This eastern part of the park was quieter.

Western Tanager / Piranga ludoviciana

A colorful Western Tanager, one of many we’d seen, semi-posed.  Although I’ve seen plenty of this bird, I never quite manage to get them in very good light, and they don’t hang around for long.

Desert Hills

Away from the marshy reedy area and its attendant trees, the landscape was decidedly more desert’y (and warm).  Although we were only perhaps 20 miles from Joshua Tree, it was hotter here, as we transitioned between the Mojave and Sonoran deserts.  We soon came back to the entrance kiosk and another birder pointed out some Bewick’s Wrens nesting in the eaves.

Several folks had told us that Vermilion Flycatchers were easy to find at the city park adjacent to the preserve, so we headed over there to see if we could find any.

Western Bluebird w/a meal for its chicks

Western Bluebird chick peeking out from its nest

It was quite birdy in the park’s trees, a cacophony of voices.  We enjoyed watching a Western Bluebird catch a bunch of insects and then deliver them to a youngster in its nest.   There were also nesting European Starlings and House Sparrows and…

Vermillion Flycatcher / Pyrocephalus rubinus

… Vermilion Flycatchers (LIFER!).   The male VEFL is very easy to see and identify, thanks to its flaming red head and breast, and we saw a good many of them flycatching from fence tops and twigs.  We were stoked to have seen not one, but two crimson birds on this walk (the other being the Summer Tanager we saw when we started), as there aren’t very many red birds in the western US.

Cassin’s Kingbird / Tyrannus vociferans

A kingbird perched high on a tree, but it didn’t look right for the relatively common Western Kingbird.  Some thumbing through our field guide showed it to be a Cassin’s Kingbird (LIFER!).

Nuttall’s Woodpecker / Picoides nuttallii

A *knock* *knock* and a flash of black and white led our eyes to a Nuttall’s Woodpecker (LIFER!).  Similar to the Ladder-backed, the Nuttall’s has a much darker black “shroud” over its shoulders.

Hooded Oriole (female) / Icterus cucullatus

Several houses across the street from the park clearly belonged to birders judging by the dozens of various feeders strung along their front yard, so we took a gander and found a bird that took me some time to identify.  I finally (and much later) figured it out – a female Hooded Oriole (LIFER!).  Also near the feeders were American Goldfinches, a Wilson’s Warbler, more Western Tanagers, a Lesser Goldfinch, and an Anna’s Hummingbird.

Vermillion Flycatcher / Pyrocephalus rubinus

We returned to the park and saw yet more Vermilion Flycatchers, doing as flycatchers do – perching on a high point, then flying out to catch a few insects, then returning.

Nest

Somebody’s stringy nest clung precariously under a palm leaf, but we didn’t see anything come or go, so we’re not sure whose nest it was.

Vermillion Flycatcher / Pyrocephalus rubinus

Vermillion Flycatcher (female) / Pyrocephalus rubinus

Right as we were leaving, I saw a female Vermilion Flycatcher up in a tree.  Although much less flashy than their male counterparts, they’re attractively colored and patterned.

Cooper’s Hawk on a nest raid

Lastly some commotion in a tree caught our eye, and we watched as a Cooper’s Hawk jumped from branch to branch, obviously looking for a nest to raid!  We held our breath as it stuck its head into a nest in the crook of some branches, and were relieved to see it come back up empty-beaked (although the likely baby Cooper’s Hawks would be much less enthusiastic about this result!).  Our bird appetite sated, we headed back to the car and continued on our way toward Palm Springs.

Big Morongo Canyon is definitely one of the best places I’ve birded.  Although we did not see a tremendous variety of species, many were nesting, and many are hard or impossible to see in other regions.  This is definitely a must-visit for any birder in the area, and I look forward to returning sometime!

Birds seen:

Location: Big Morongo Canyon Preserve
Observation date: 4/29/09
Number of species: 28

+ Green Heron – Butorides virescens 1
Cooper’s Hawk – Accipiter cooperii 2
Red-tailed Hawk – Buteo jamaicensis 2
Mourning Dove – Zenaida macroura 3
* Long-eared Owl – Asio otus 2
Anna’s Hummingbird – Calypte anna 2
* Ladder-backed Woodpecker – Picoides scalaris 1
* Nuttall’s Woodpecker – Picoides nuttallii 1
Black Phoebe – Sayornis nigricans 2
* Vermilion Flycatcher – Pyrocephalus rubinus 5
* Cassin’s Kingbird – Tyrannus vociferans 1
* Bell’s Vireo – Vireo bellii 1
Mountain Chickadee – Poecile gambeli 2
+ Red-breasted Nuthatch – Sitta canadensis 1
+ Bewick’s Wren – Thryomanes bewickii 1
Western Bluebird – Sialia mexicana 4
European Starling – Sturnus vulgaris 3
+ Common Yellowthroat – Geothlypis trichas 1
Wilson’s Warbler – Wilsonia pusilla 1
* Summer Tanager – Piranga rubra 1
+ Western Tanager – Piranga ludoviciana 4
California Towhee – Pipilo crissalis 1
+ Blue Grosbeak – Passerina caerulea 1
* Hooded Oriole – Icterus cucullatus 1
House Finch – Carpodacus mexicanus 3
Lesser Goldfinch – Carduelis psaltria 1
American Goldfinch – Carduelis tristis 1
House Sparrow – Passer domesticus 5

* = life bird, + = year bird

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)

Trip Index:

• Part I – Getting there, settling in
• Part II – Twentynine Palms Oasis
• Part III – Oasis of Mara, Noah Purifoy, Key’s View, Cap Rock
• Part IV – Lost Horse Mine
• Part V – Cholla Cactus Garden, Geology Tour Road
• Part VI – Split Rock, Hidden Valley
• Part VII – Barker Dam, Ocotillo Patch
• Part VIII – Mastodon Peak, Cholla Cactus Garden revisited
• Part IX – Big Morongo Canyon, AKA Birding Paradise <– You are here!
• Part X – Tahquitz Canyon
• Part XI – Living Desert, LA, and home