When: May 2019 Weather: Cool 18C
Nikon P900 Leica M10 35mm Summilux
My second morning, on entering the BCER via the Oceanridge Drive entrance, I turned right on the Brightwater Trail and headed towards Warner, intending to walk towards the visitor centre at Warner/PCH.
again starting at the Brightwater Trail at the top of the map, I turned right towards Warner instead of left towards the Wintersburg Channel as I had done in my previous post…
Heading towards Warner along the dirt track on a dull most un southern californian morning….
A distant Osprey
mourning dove
California Towhee
Housefinch
there was a lot of activity in the bushes …some very handsome scaly breasted munias posed
At the end of the trail where it meets Warner, there is an outlook over the pond and Warner on the right…
the spring daisies were in full bloom
Lovely spring colours
And on a little bush at the end of the trail I spent a delightful half an hour interacting with this beautiful humming bird…
it was active zipping here and there and only momentarily stopping to pose
It’s brownish green back differentiates it from the Anna’s Hummingbirdwhich I had shot on my last trip here….this is the Allen’s Hummingbird
As is typical in hummingbirds, if they don’t catch the light, the gorget is dark
But catch the light and the dark gorget explodes into brilliant colour
side view
taking off
showing off his tail feathers too
tail feather show
the wonderful Allen’s Hummingbird
and just before I left, I saw this lovely hooded oriole for a fleeting moment…
deciding not to go down to the pond and the visitor centre, I turned back and walked all the way back on the Brightwater Trail right to the end where it meets Bolsa Chica Street..
California Towhee
song sparrow
Western Kingbird from afar
western Kingbird
at the junction of the trail and Bolsa Chica St is a patch of brilliant daisies within a fenced area…there is a gap through which you can enter…
some splendid palms in the area…
spot the hummingbird
Allens’ HB again
Allen’s HB
There were eucalyptus trees typified by sickle shaped leaves
song sparrow straddling
and final star bird of the morning was this Pacific Slope Flycatcher
Pacific Slope Flycatcher
Pacific Slope Flycatcher
These were two very nice days spent in the Bolsa Chica wetlands…greener and more floral than the last time I came
Highly recommended….oh and if you are ever in the area and you like Vietnamese Pho(beef noodles), do yourself a favour and go visit Quang Trung, a vietnamese restaurant on Warner, here in Huntington Beach…..possibly the best pho I’ve ever had anywhere in the world..including singapore and vietnam itself!
The Natural Traveller 