San Diego Locations
Favorite locations to meet birds in the San Diego area.
2024
Memories of Boulder Creek Road
When I was 16 years old, and starting to drive independently, exploring San Diego County’s remote back-country roads was one of my greatest joys. Boulder Creek Road was one of…
Memories of the Santa Ysabel Reserve
The San Dieguito River system drains from the mountains east of Santa Ysabel through the San Pasqual Valley and out to sea at Del Mar. Forward thinking citizens fought for…
Memories of the San Dieguito River
The Del Mar Fairgrounds have been a customer of my company for decades. We (Western DC Systems) service the emergency systems on campus four times a year. I’m retired now,…
Memories of Poway Pond
Very near my home is Poway Pond. Actually, there are two ponds. One is publicly owned, while the other is privately owned. The privately owned pond is now named “Taylor…
Memories of Palm Canyon
The residents of Borrego Springs collect their drinking water from Palm Canyon. Hikers can enjoy a 2.9-mile loop trail from the desert floor that ascends the canyon. After a 700…
Memories of Lake Wohlford
Prior to the construction of Lake Dixon, Lake Wohlford stored the water supply for the City of Escondido. This reservoir was constructed in 1895, and holds 3500 acre-feet of water.…
Memories of Daley Ranch
The Daley Ranch and Dixon Lake could be considered as closely related. They are next-door neighbors. But there are significant differences. Much of Lake Dixon’s features can be accessed by…
Memories of Lake Poway
I don’t always bring a camera with me when I visit Lake Poway. Only 7.5 miles from my home, I find its peace and serenity soothes me and heals my…
Memories of La Jolla
There are two locations in San Diego County that produce in me thoughts of the three generations of Daynes that preceded me. The first is Scripps Ranch and Miramar Lake,…
Memories of the Tijuana River Valley
The Tijuana River Valley holds a special place in the hearts of the San Diego birding community. Here probably have been the scene of more ‘rarity’ findings than any other…
Memories of Balboa Park
There are many reasons to love Balboa Park. Anyone unfamiliar with the attractions there is truly missing out. The museums alone are worth visiting. There are 18 of them to…
Memories of Cuyamaca Mountain
On 2013-06-15, I parked at the staging area ten miles south of Julian California where Milk Ranch Road meets Route-79. The path I traveled on my bike is displayed on…
Memories of the San Luis Rey Rivermouth
I love visiting locations where streams and rivers meet the ocean. These places where freshwater and saltwater meet have the potential for life to thrive. Sadly, in San Diego County,…
Memories of Whelan Lake
In 2003, my pursuit of bird photography was budding. I knew Phil Unitt was ramrodding the San Diego County Bird Atlas project, and I wanted to contribute. Phil had a…
Memories of Plum Canyon
Like many folks in love with nature and new to photography, 25 years ago, flowers seemed an attractive subject for me. Always beautiful, and available, even in one’s own yard…
Memories of Dixon Lake
I enjoyed visiting Dixon Lake several times between 2004 and 2008. Sometimes I would hike the trails. Other times I would rent a boat and tour the shoreline. I usually…
Memories of the Anza-Borrego Visitor Center
With more than 600,000 acres, Anza Borrego Desert State Park has many areas worth exploring. But for the sheer convenience of meeting the widest array of species, both plant and…
Memories of Scissors Crossing
2013-03-26 Thrasher Hunt County Road S-2, or the Great Southern Overland Stage Route, runs along the desert floor at the foot of the local San Diego mountains. The route is…
Memories of Tamarisk Grove
2020-02-21: The Road To Texas Begins I turned left off CA-78 at Santa Ysabel and headed towards Warner Springs. Near the turnoff on the road to San Felipe and Ranchita…
Memories of Clark Dry Lake
2013-04-27 Borrego’s Clark Dry Lake Birds I made several fruitless thrasher hunts during the first half of 2013, and while I failed to locate the Le Conte’s Thrashers I had…
Memories of Culp Valley
At 3400 feet in elevation, Culp Valley is up-slope from Borrego Springs 2800 feet below on the valley floor. The habitat here is still desert, but different from the desert…
Memories of Blair Valley – Anza-Borrego
2009-04-09, 2009-04-10: Desert Birds In 2009, I camped for two April nights in Blair Valley. One way to reach this location is to drive east through Julian on CA-78, and…
Memories of Hot Springs Mountain
2004-05-21 At 6,526 feet, the summit of Hot Springs Mountain is the highest point of land in San Diego County. However, many folks living in San Diego are unaware of…
Memories of Palomar Mountain
2013-05-29 Palomar Mountain Birds Palomar Mountain rises near the northern boundary of San Diego County and divides the watersheds of the San Luis Rey and the Santa Margarita River systems.…
Memories of Old Mine Road, Ranchita
I will remember 2014 as the year I met Lewis’s Woodpeckers for the first time. My very first encounter was in August while visiting friends at June Lake in the…
Memories of Lake Morena
I spent two days near the end of April-2011 at Lake Morena, six miles north of Campo in southern San Diego County. During my stay, I stayed in my 1977…
Memories of Miramar Lake
For most San Diegans, Miramar Lake is either a pleasant piece of scenery, a fishing hole, a body of water to hike around, a picnic haven, or for the pragmatic,…
2020
Memories of Iron Mountain
For me, Iron Mountain is a daily experience. From my property, it sits prominently when I gaze east from my home. At 2,601 feet elevation, it is not the highest…
Memories of Torrey Pines State Park
There are three sections to this state park: the bluffs, the slough or lagoon, and the extension. When most folks think of Torrey Pines State Park, it is the bluffs…
Memories of Agua Dulce Creek
Because habitats in San Diego County include the coast, the valleys, the coastal slopes, the mountains, and the desert, its biodiversity exceeds that of most places in North America and…
Memories of Goodan Ranch
Between June and December 2008, I visited Goodan Ranch eleven times. I have not been back since. I’m not sure why. Perhaps I overdid it that year. For the time…
Memories of Lake Hodges
Lake Hodges is inland on the San Dieguito River between Rancho Bernardo and Del Dios on the outskirts of Escondido. I like the trails from the Rancho Bernardo side of…
2019
Memories of Ramona Grasslands
There is a broad grassy valley running west from the Ramona Airport through Highland Valley. The County of San Diego has seen fit to make a preserve of the land…
Memories of William Heise Park
As of 2017, researchers have found 522 out of the 673 recorded bird species in California in San Diego County. The reason for this diversity of species is the diversity…
Memories of Dos Picos Park
In a deep, narrow valley west of Ramona California, is Dos Picos County Park. This is a nice little park with a little of everything for its visitors. Most of…
Memories of Anza-Borrego
Anza-Borrego State Park has long been a favorite destination of mine. Even before my passion for bird photography, this desert’s beauty drew me to it. Not everyone “gets” the desert.…
Memories of Lindo Lake
Tucked away within an urban setting in the small town of Lakeside (California) is a large pond called Lindo Lake. A roadbed divides the lake, giving the impression of two…
Memories of Mission Trails Regional Park
I’ve only visited Mission Trails Regional Park a few times, but enjoyed each one of my stays. My introduction was in the spring of 2009, when the San Diego Natural…
Memories of Santee Lakes
Water treatment facilities can be environmentally beneficial and often provide great habitat for wildlife, especially waterfowl and other water-loving species. Santee Lakes is a prime example and one of the…
Memories of Dairy Mart Ponds
When I was very young, the dairies in San Diego were at the top of their game. Places like Mission Valley and the Tijuana River Valley were dominated by some…
Memories of Robb Field
In Ocean Beach, the community sports park known as Robb Field is nearly synonymous with the San Diego River Mouth. It’s not the grass ball fields that draw birders to…
Memories of the Bird and Butterfly Gardens
The Tijuana River Valley has its own special locations dear to bird lovers. The Bird and Butterfly Gardens is one such place. It’s easy to see why. The river-course on…
Memories of North Mission Bay
There is a marshy wetland at the north end of Mission Bay that is a remnant of how the whole bay was before it was dredged and drained. Just another…
Memories of Famosa Slough
Folks who study local seismology believe the Rose Canyon Fault is the most dangerous earthquake threat in San Diego County. It is also responsible for some of the most interesting…
Memories of Border Field
Border Field State Park occupies the extreme southwestern corner of the USA. What is not part of the floodplain of the Tijuana River is sandy beaches and dunes. The low…
Memories of Chula Vista Bayfront Park
Chula Vista Bayfront Park occupies the southern shore of San Diego Bay. To its south is a large shallow marsh where low tides expose a mudflat that can host large…
Memories of the Saltworks
I almost hesitate to include the Saltworks in my “Birding Destinations” series because the best this site offers the nature lover is not within the public view. While there are…