Eared Grebe
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 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 Imperial County’s Ramer Lake
The heat of summer at Ramer Lake means hundreds upon hundreds of nesting and/or roosting Cattle Egrets, White-Faced Ibis, Double-Crested Cormorants would be present. A few American White Pelicans, numerous…
Memories of Dirty Socks Springs
2016-04-20 Wednesday The local birding community is well aware of Dirty Socks Springs. Located at the southern edge of the Owens Lake basin, it used to be a county park…
Memories of Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve
The first time I visited the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve was on 2015-05-05. I was starting out a long expedition of the western USA states and driving my Suzuki Samurai.…
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,…
Memories of Grande Prairie Alberta
My first visit to Crystal Lake in Alberta’s Grande Prairie was in June-2005 while on my way to Alaska. I was using The MILEPOST travel guide to inform me of…
2022-07-05 Kimiwan Lake
My long drive from Grande Prairie ended Monday at Lake Kimiwan near the Town of McLennan in the province of Alberta. There is a boardwalk over the marsh at the…
2022-05-15 Yellowstone Get-a-Way
My stay in Yellowstone began Friday with a night’s camping at the Madison Campground ten miles from the west entrance to the park. When Saturday morning rolled in, I launched…
2022-03-09&10 Into Redwood Country
Since my last entry in this month’s journal, I have had two amazing stops in Point Reyes and in Bodega Bay. As I pen these words, this morning I am…
2022-03-06 A Few Hours At Bodega Bay
Bodega Bay is only 34 miles from my Point Reyes Camp near Point Reyes. Years ago I stopped at The Tides Restaurant and enjoyed their good food and a ring-side…
2020-11-02 Recent Updates
Considering we are into November here in Idaho, the weather has been mild. Days have been mostly in the sixties, while nights have been in the twenties and thirties. I’ve…
2020-10-17 First Stop, Dirty Socks Spring
On Saturday morning, I hit the road to Idaho after getting breakfast at my favorite Poway restaurant. I got the oil changed in the RV and the generator, and I…
2019-08-20 Tuesday On The Shores Of Mono Lake
I compare my favorite method for image collection to that of the Great Blue Heron. While the Snowy Egret dances in the shallows to chase prey out of hiding, the…
2012-04-24 Chula Vista Again
Low tide was early on this Tuesday morning. The mudflats at J Street were alive with waterfowl and shorebirds. I don’t get as many opportunities as I’d like to spend…
2013-01-22 Bayfront Park In Chula Vista
Chula Vista Bayfront Park is positioned between the Chula Vista Marina and San Diego Bay. I make a point of visiting this place whenever I’m on errands nearby, but it…
2014-10-21 Poe Road And The Salton Sea
When I drive to the Salton Sea from my home in San Diego County, I usually make Poe Road my first stop. Not only is it the first access road…
2014-09-23 At The San Luis Rey River Mouth
The still and brackish waters at the mouth of the San Luis Rey River in Oceanside California can be attractive to migratory birds passing by on their southbound route from…
2017-08-12 Driving Up The Colorado River
I’ll be spending the next few days driving north into the Inter Mountain States. I’ll be meeting with a friend in Salt Lake City to spend a few days hunting…
2017-08-11 Salton Sea Sunsets
Choosing to add a few more “features” to my RV delayed the launch of my expedition into the inter-mountain West. I might have taken Interstate 15 on my way to…
2017-04-19 Salton Sea at Bowles Road Overlook
The Bowles Road overlook is on the southeastern shore of the Salton Sea. I found this location many years ago when exploring the edges of the sea from another favorite…
2016-05-06 Tule Lake
I’ve been waffling about which route would carry my homeward. One choice would drive me further east in Oregon before finding Highway 395 south. Such a path would add many…
2015-05-05 Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve
The Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve in Henderson Nevada near Las Vegas Nevada is a converted water treatment facility that now serves as a bird sanctuary. It lies north of Henderson…
2015-04-28 Salton Sea
My first ‘real’ stop on this outbound leg of this expedition was at the Salton Sea. I made four stops in the general area. Poe Road, Vendel Road, Lack &…
2015-02-01 Tijuana River Valley
I decided to head back down to the Tijuana River Valley this “Super-bowl Sunday” to look for rare birds. I sorta struck out on some, but found some semi-rare birds…
2014 Late July At The Salton Sea
Whoever said “you must suffer for your art” must have been thinking about photographing birds at the Salton Sea in mid-summer. Temperatures here often elevate to over 115°F in the…