San Jacinto Wildlife Area Trip Report

Hi, Birders,
The weather Gods cooperated today giving us mild temperatures and no wind or rain. It was, however, overcast with muddy roads from prior rains–one slip, but no falls. The autotour road was chained off so we walked–first the loop around the first ponds and then down to the corner, where there used bo be a porta-potty. They really should put it back. All in all, about four and a half miles round trip. We old folks got slower and slower as we headed back to the picnic tables and lunch, bad knees, mending hips, sore backs, hungry bellies.  Where was uber? Or a friendly preserve ranger?
 
Many highlights– a bald eagle greeted us from a large rock while we waited to start the hike.  At the end of the trail and after a good bit of debate, we finally decided a large dark bird perched a good distance away was indeed a golden eagle. So a two eagle day. Many raptors, too. Peregrine came by a couple of times.
 
Mountain bluebirds and snipe in good numbers, 28 American white pelicans flying in various formations probably gaining height to move on to Lake Perris. Always an exciting sighting.
 
While we missed a few species and views of the snow covered mountains, there is always another day.
 
Thank you Steve Ellis for keeping the list and all of you for finding the birds and helping to make this a fun time.
 
Trip Leader:  Sally Sanderson
 
San Jacinto Wildlife Area, Riverside, California, US
Mar 11, 2023 7:48 AM – 12:08 PM
Protocol: Traveling  2.24 mile(s)
51 species
 
Cinnamon Teal (Spatula cyanoptera)  30
Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata)  100
Gadwall (Mareca strepera)  30
American Wigeon (Mareca americana)  2
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  4
Northern Pintail (Anas acuta)  4
Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca)  40
Canvasback (Aythya valisineria)  5
Redhead (Aythya americana)  3
Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)  2
Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis)  10
Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)  4
Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata)  1
American Coot (Fulica americana)  200
Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus)  1
American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana)  5
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)  7
Wilson’s Snipe (Gallinago delicata)  8
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)  5
American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)  28
Great Egret (Ardea alba)  1
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)  2
White-faced Ibis (Plegadis chihi)  3
Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)  1
Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius)  3
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  1
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)  4
Nuttall’s Woodpecker (Dryobates nuttallii)  2
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)  3
Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)  1
Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans)  2
Say’s Phoebe (Sayornis saya)  2
Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus)  3
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)  1
Common Raven (Corvus corax)  5
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis)  8
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)  40
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)  2
Rock Wren (Salpinctes obsoletus)  1
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris)  14
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  1
Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)  2
Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides)  5
American Pipit (Anthus rubescens)  2
White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys)  4
Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis)  10
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  5
Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta)  2
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  50
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)  8
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata)  2
 
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S130706082
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