Tuesday morning, I returned from two weeks in sunny San Diego to 33
degree temperatures and snow on the ground and--for just a few
minutes--I wondered what am I doing here!!

Because my trip was in response to a family emergency, I did not get to
spend much time birding. However, one morning, I went with two of my
friends to the San Diego River where it empties into the Bay at Ocean
Beach. We walked along the river banks when the tide was out, so there
were many birds on the mud flats, and since the river is narrow there,
we had an excellent view with our binos and scopes.

To my delight, I saw four lifers:
Green-ringed Teals,
Blue Winged Teals,
Spotted Sandpipers, and
a Wilson's Snipe, lurking in the reeds and watching us watch it.

Interesting also was watching the
Little Blue Herons, catching many fish with barely a pause to swallow;
Snowly Egrets, their golden slippers glimpsed through white reflections;
a Belted Kingfisher, hovering in the air before diving for fish.
Cinnamon Teal,
Coots,
Avocets,
Stilts,
Ruddy Ducks,
Western Willet,
Marbled Godwits,
Western Gulls, and
California Gulls.

And home again, I was thrilled to see all the Varied Thrush at my feeder
also. Unfortunately, the large flocks of Pine Siskin and Evening
Grosbeak that were here when I left are gone. Since I was sharing those
flocks with Kim Mason, I fear that they may have met with disaster.
Just in case, I am bleaching all my feeders.

Darlene Sybert
Cinebar