Guided Pasadena (pre-fire & winds)

Met my guide - Catherine Hamilton - @6:30 turns out we were kindred spirits and had a lovely time birding together.  She put together an assessable itinerary and it was fabulous!  We started with Mitred Parakeets, Red-crowned Amazon (parrots) and Red-whiskered Bulbul.  At the Santa Fe Dam Rec. Area had a very cooperative California Gnatcatcher & California Thrasher (actually several).  Had a great visit with a Wrentit & a Rock Wren.  Just kept checking things off my wish list – and got a photo of a hummingbird pooping!

Turkey Vulture Roost

Mitred Parakeet

Red-whiskered Bulbul

Red-crowned Amazon

Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area

Northern Mockingbird

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Northern Mockingbird

California Gnatcatcher

Yellow-rumped Warbler

California Gnatcatcher

California Thrasher

Cassin's Kingbird

Anna's Hummingbird

Allen's Hummingbird

The coveted Poop shot!

Cactus Wren

Wrentit

White-crowned Sparrow

Rock Wren

Mountain View Cemetery

Nuttall's Woodpecker

Say's Phoebe needs a drink -- that is how dry it was...

Western Bluebird

Viña Vieja

Gopher

Western Bluebird

Unfortunately, after we parted she went home to prepare to evacuate from Altadena where she lives down the street from Eaton Canyon – which is where the Eaton Fire started.  Miraculously her house is still mostly in tact in a neighborhood where almost every house was destroyed.  Most of her art survived, but some is damaged, she is working through it, but who knows when they will be able to live in their house again.

Yet a glorious day with like-minded company on Monday - joyful & grateful. In San Diego now, hopefully outrunning the Santa Ana winds that are expected to kick up tomorrow…

Had dinner with Martha Wild an old friend from church who happens to be a birder.  We caught up and made a plan for the morning.