(Riverside Thomas Guide: 982 F-7 / GPS: 33.451519, -116.896154)

Rating: Easy

A favorite field trip last year!

This field trip is the easiest trip on the legs that we offer. The Idyllwild outing is a full day trip, but you can still expect to be back home before 5 pm. We will first meet at the STAGECOACH INN www.stagecoachinnaguanga.com) in AGUANGA at 7:30 AM (for the real early-birds, have a great breakfast here beforehand), where we should discover ten bird species with just a very short walkabout, which may include the Rock Wren, Thrasher, and Hooded Oriole. To the extent we can consolidate vehicles at this point we will. Next, we proceed to LAKE RIVERSIDE ESTATES where should find over 30 species of waterfowl. After a short pit-stop at the Cahuilla Indian Casino (feel free to drop $20 at the tables if you wish) just before Anza, we will travel to LAKE HEMET where we start to pick up mountain birds such as the Stellar’s Jay, Chickadee, Junco, and Nuthatch. An Eagle, Osprey, or White Pelican would be nice too. From there we are finally off to the IDYLLWILD NATURE CENTER ($4 per person fee) in hopes of catching a glimpse of the White-headed Woodpecker, the Band-tailed Pigeon as well as both the White-breasted and Pygmy Nuthatch. We’ll break a little late for a bag lunch, so please bring one.

We will then venture a few miles back into town to the Black & Decker property (also known as the Kwik property) where we have another good chance for the White-headed Woodpecker. Last time here, one of our members within an hour had a grand slam of woodpeckers in this small area of about one square block: White-headed; Downy; Northern Flicker; Red-breasted Sapsucker; and the Acorn Woodpecker.

Travel time from Escondido to Aguanga (our first stop) is 50 minutes, so it will be an early day. It is 1 hour and 40 min for the full trip back again from Idyllwild. Birding Idyllwild is a longer field trip, but full of adventure and interesting birds. By the time we get to Idyllwild, we will have seen 90% of the day’s birds, so if you want to see birds, it’s best to start with us at the beginning, rather that hoping to catch up with us at the Nature Center. Some may wish to stay overnight. Most weekend accommodation require a minimum two-night stay, but single night accommodation possibly can be found. Please call Doug Walkley at 310-387-8190 with questions or for accommodation suggestions.

DIRECTIONS:

From Escondido, take I-15 north to Temecula. Take the Hwy 79 South Exit staying right onto the Temecula Pkwy/Hwy 79. Continue about 16 miles on Hwy 79 to the Stagecoach Inn 43851 Hwy 79, Aguanga CA

Photos:  Idyllwild

For More Information on Idyllwild County Park