Yesterday, Saturday July 1, seventeen birders walked around Wm. Heise County Park in Julian and then drove to the Santa Ysabel Mission for a nice picnic lunch.
We found 28 different bird species at Heise, and 10 different bird species at the Mission.
The weather was really hot in the mountains, but we managed to hike mostly on well-shaded trails and everybody had a great time.
I think it was neat to see and photograph several nesting birds, with the Western Wood Pewee at Heise, and along with the Cliff Swallows and Hooded Orioles at the Mission. It was even nice to see a Wild Turkey hen with several juvenile offspring.
Many thanks go out to wonderful photographers and to Steve Ellis for maintaining our checklists. See Steve’s checklists and photos here:
