only 3, but ….

Today started very poorly and left me very discouraged. First stop was the gnatcatcher site that I visited yesterday. I got to see the California Thrasher that I heard yesterday but the only gnatcatcher I could find was a Blue-gray. I decided to try my luck inside the Torrey Pines State Reserve. But I was told at the gate that the parking lot at the top and all the trails were closed! That’s C-L-O-S-E-D!! No gnatcatcher! From there I went up the coast to Oceanside for the Cackling Goose at a golf course pond. Sounds easy. But the pond was completely overgrown with tall vegetation blocking any view of anything swimming in it. You have to hope the goose drags itself up on to the fairway. That’s two birds missed. I continued on along Hwy 78, taking lunch at an olde soda shoppe in colorful Julian.

A little ways beyond that, down the other side of the mountains, I passed through Anza-Borrego State Park to a certain campground, namely Tamarisk Grove where Long-eared Owl has been reported here for decades. I pulled over on the road near where a photographer could be doing only one thing – photographing owls. In short order he pointed them out, here’s one:

Long-eared Owl (567), my 14th and final owl of the year. And just like that my luck changed from bad to good.

An hour later I was at the north end of Salton Sea to add an especially rare bird. Some say I should have gone for this bird a month ago as a separate and special trip for this one bird. But I held out, showed some poise, and waited until my own schedule took me here. This bird might disapear tomorrow but it was here today: Garganey (568)!

She may not look like much but to the Big Year birder, she is golden. Garganey is a rare visitor from Eurasia and this one is likely the only one in all of North America today. I’ve only seen one other, the one in Thomaston, Maine about 25 years ago. This is only my 5th Code 4 bird this year.

It’s now getting late but there is time for one more. I stopped in Corvina Beach to search for Bell’s Sparrow. I thought I had one but I had to run back to get my scope but by then it was mixed in with a large flock of White-crowned Sparrows. Along came the guys I just met back at the Garganey site. “What are you looking for?” he called out. When I told him he said “I thought so. We just had 4 right over there!” I immediately went “over there” and started chasing the sparrows. With patience I was able to get one in the scope showing its strong malar stripe, darker gray head and streakless back. Bell’s Sparrow (569). I could now make my way to my hotel in Westmoreland, arriving at 4:30 as it got dark. I treated myself to a taco plate at the Chevron station down the street. I confirmed they are open tomorrow assuring good eating for the holidays.

I really only need one more here to get to 570 and I can get the final three at Sandia Crest IF I CAN GET UP THE MOUNTAIN! That’s the big wild card right now. With all this rain here I’m afraid some will reach New Mexico in the form of snow. If I can’t get up the mountain I don’t reach 573, there is no back up plan. All I can do is try to get 4 more here but I don’t know if that’s possible. I can think of three maybe but 4 is tough. There is still plenty of drama left in this game!