San Diego Bird Guide

10/15/2026

10/13/2026

10/10/2026

Witty!

10/09/2026

10/09/2026

I spent 105 minutes at Lindo Lake here in Lakeside, Ca. yesterday. Lake renovation is in full swing. The water level is way down, with the bays being completely dry. The Tricolored Blackbird flock is still there. I’m hoping the ones that form the small breeding colony there remain. I found the Cackling Goose again, and the immature Vermilion Flycatcher is still hanging out around the ball field. I managed 37 species so despite the construction it’s still a decent place to bird.

10/08/2026

10/08/2026

The Lakeside Linkage County Preserve in Lakeside, Ca, is a place I started birding at in 2012. There is a nice trail that climbs the hills and ends at the Whitaker Rock House at the top of the ridge. I started birding here because it was close to home and I could get a good hike and some birding in easily when life was hectic. After I hit 60 or so species here eBird turned it into a hotspot and more people started birding here. We added it to the itinerary for our 100 or more species in a day trips that I co-led for the San Diego Bird Festival last spring, due to the presence of Lawrence’s Goldfinch, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, California Gnatcatcher, California Thrasher, etc. The bottom portion of this hotspot is small and you can bird it in 30 minutes or so. If you hike up and northeast along the ridge the distance out and back is about three miles. My trip today got cut short by a business call, so I only spent 40 minutes there and got 13 species. I did get a couple of iconic birds for this spot; California Gnatcatcher and Rufous-crowned Sparrow.

10/03/2026

I went to the Crestridge Ecological Reserve Hotspot in the foothills above El Cajon, Ca. on Friday morning. This obscure hotpot has lots of brush habitat, but also some nice groves of Live Oaks. I arrived around 08:00, and promptly hit the trails. Lots of California Scrub Jays and Acorn Woodpeckers were calling. I followed my ears and tried to track down all the birds I was hearing. The California Scrub Jays were making a fuss, so I followed them and located a roosting Great Horned Owl. As I was watching the owl a Sharp-shinned Hawk flew in. A bright Wilson’s Warbler was feeding in the low Oaks. Probably the oddest sighting was the Osprey that flew over heading south. There is an interesting little building with information inside. The bathroom is the nicest and cleanest Porta Potty you’ll ever find. Be sure to bring water if you come here. Temperature exceeded 100f by the time I left. I managed to get 24 species in two hours of birding. This hotspot is lightly used and I only saw a handful of people while I was there. Follow me if you enjoy seeing this type of content

10/03/2026