Memories of the San Dieguito River

Map - San Digito Slough — *Map – San Dieguito Slough*

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, but when I was operating the business, I tried to arrive early and spend some time with the birds that haunted the San Dieguito Slough.

Early on during these visits, there was a sand berm at the river-mouth that prevented the tides from flushing the river channel. Despite the complaints of residents who like to use the berm to cross the channel, the Coastal Commission prevailed, and the channel was opened circa 2008. Since then, a Herculean effort to restore the historical wetlands has revived 150 acres of salt-marsh habitat. The sand berm requires periodic dredging to keep the wetlands vitality intact.

Back in 2006, I used to paddle my kayak up the river almost to El Camino Real. I modified the boat with camera supports and a troll motor so I could be stealthy and photograph birds during my trips on shallow waters. I no longer have that boat (Folbot Greenland II), but I had a lot of fun with it, and I captured images of shorebirds, waders, and waterfowl, from a perspective not otherwise possible.

Bufflehead - Bucephala albeola — **Bufflehead**
*(Bucephala albeola)*

**Description:**
I caught these images while paddling up the San Dieguito River from the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Del Mar California, San Diego County USA 2006-02-02.
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**Date Taken:** 2006:02:02 11:10

**Location:**

San Dieguito River Mouth
San Diego, California
United States
9.84 ft above sea level

**Camera Information:**
NIKON D2X, 550 mm, f/5.6, 1/1600

**File Name:** JCD1363BuffleHead

© 2006 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com

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Pin It — **Bufflehead**
*(Bucephala albeola)*

**Description:**
I caught these images while paddling up the San Dieguito River from the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Del Mar California, San Diego County USA 2006-02-02.
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**Date Taken:** 2006:02:02 11:10

**Location:**

San Dieguito River Mouth
San Diego, California
United States
9.84 ft above sea level

**Camera Information:**
NIKON D2X, 550 mm, f/5.6, 1/1600

**File Name:** JCD1363BuffleHead

© 2006 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com

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Ruddy Duck - Oxyura jamaicensis — **Ruddy Duck**
*(Oxyura jamaicensis)*

**Description:**
San Dieguito River Mouth. Del Mar, California. San Diego County.
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**Date Taken:** 2006:02:02 11:14

**Location:**

San Dieguito River Mouth
San Diego, California
United States
9.84 ft above sea level

**Camera Information:**
NIKON D2X, 550 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000

**File Name:** JCD1382RuddyDuck

© 2006 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com

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Eared Grebe - Podiceps nigricollis — **Eared Grebe**
*(Podiceps nigricollis)*

**Description:**
San Dieguito River Mouth. Del Mar, California. San Diego County.
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**Date Taken:** 2006:02:02 11:40

**Location:**

San Dieguito River Mouth
San Diego, California
United States
9.84 ft above sea level

**Camera Information:**
NIKON D2X, 550 mm, f/5.6, 1/800

**File Name:** JCD1441EaredGrebe

© 2006 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com

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Short-Billed Dowitcher - Limnodromus griseus — **Short-Billed Dowitcher**
*(Limnodromus griseus)*

**Description:**
San Dieguito River Mouth. Del Mar, California. San Diego County.
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**Date Taken:** 2006:02:02 11:51

**Location:**

San Dieguito River Mouth
San Diego, California
United States
9.84 ft above sea level

**Camera Information:**
NIKON D2X, 550 mm, f/5.6, 1/750

**File Name:** JCD1473ShortBilledDowitcher

© 2006 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com

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Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias — **Great Blue Heron**
*(Ardea herodias)*

**Description:**
San Dieguito River Mouth. Del Mar, California. San Diego County.
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**Date Taken:** 2006:02:02 12:02

**Location:**

San Dieguito River Mouth
San Diego, California
United States
9.84 ft above sea level

**Camera Information:**
NIKON D2X, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/640

**File Name:** JCD1493GreatBlueHeron

© 2006 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com

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Whimbrel - Numenius phaeopus — **Whimbrel**
*(Numenius phaeopus)*

**Description:**
The estuary at the San Dieguito River Mouth in Del MAr California. San Diego County 2008-09-10.
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**Date Taken:** 2008:09:10 9:16

**Location:**

San Dieguito River Mouth
Del Mar, California
United States
9.84 ft above sea level

**Camera Information:**
NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/800

**File Name:** jcd0263Whimbrel

© 2008 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com

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Redhead - Aythya americana — **Redhead**
*(Aythya americana)*

**Description:**
San Dieguito Slough, Del Mar, California. San Diego County.
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**Date Taken:** 2008:03:24 7:27

**Location:**

San Dieguito River
Del Mar, California
United States
9.84 ft above sea level

**Camera Information:**
NIKON D2X, 330 mm, f/5.6, 1/250

**File Name:** JCD3909RedHead

© 2008 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com

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Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos — **Mallard**
*(Anas platyrhynchos)*

**Description:**
Female at the San Dieguito Slough, Del Mar, California. San Diego County.
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**Date Taken:** 2008:03:24 7:39

**Location:**

San Dieguito River
Del Mar, California
United States
9.84 ft above sea level

**Camera Information:**
NIKON D2X, 550 mm, f/5.6, 1/640

**File Name:** JCD3990Mallard

© 2008 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com

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Green Heron - Butorides virescens — **Green Heron**
*(Butorides virescens)*

**Description:**
Green Heron at the San Dieguito Slough in Del Mar. San Diego County California 2012-01-31.
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**Date Taken:** 2012:01:31 8:49

**Location:**

San Dieguito Slough
Del Mar, California
United States
9.84 ft above sea level

**Camera Information:**
NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/500

**File Name:** D3X6486-GreenHeron

© 2012 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com

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Cassin's Kingbird - Tyrannus vociferans — **Cassin's Kingbird**
*(Tyrannus vociferans)*

**Description:**
Birds in the estuary near the mouth of the San Dieguito River in Del Mar California USA 2010-08-09.
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**Date Taken:** 2010:08:09 10:20

**Location:**

San Dieguito River
Del Mar, California
United States
6.56 ft above sea level

**Camera Information:**
NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/1600

**File Name:** JCD5177.CassinsKingBird

© 2010 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging

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Reddish Egret - Egretta rufescens — **Reddish Egret**
*(Egretta rufescens)*

**Description:**
Birds in the estuary near the mouth of the San Dieguito River in Del Mar California USA 2010-08-09.
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**Date Taken:** 2010:08:09 10:31

**Location:**

San Dieguito River
Del Mar, California
United States
6.56 ft above sea level

**Camera Information:**
NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/1600

**File Name:** JCD5193.ReddishEgret

© 2010 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging

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Click map markers to reveal further information

Bufflehead

Bucephala albeola

I caught these images while paddling up the San Dieguito River from the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Del Mar California, San Diego County USA 2006-02-02.

Ruddy Duck

Oxyura jamaicensis

San Dieguito River Mouth. Del Mar, California. San Diego County.

Ruddy Duck

Oxyura jamaicensis

San Dieguito River Mouth. Del Mar, California. San Diego County.

Eared Grebe

Podiceps nigricollis

San Dieguito River Mouth. Del Mar, California. San Diego County.

Short-Billed Dowitcher

Limnodromus griseus

San Dieguito River Mouth. Del Mar, California. San Diego County.

Great Blue Heron

Ardea herodias

San Dieguito River Mouth. Del Mar, California. San Diego County.

Whimbrel

Numenius phaeopus

The estuary at the San Dieguito River Mouth in Del MAr California. San Diego County 2008-09-10.

Ruddy Duck

Oxyura jamaicensis

The estuary at the San Dieguito River Mouth in Del MAr California. San Diego County 2008-09-10.

Redhead

Aythya americana

San Dieguito Slough, Del Mar, California. San Diego County.

Redhead