Sunny, low 80s, light
breeze
A couple of days of simply
relaxing before we head out to “Down Under” on Saturday night. Our hosts while we are here in Mission
Viejo have a couple of hummingbird feeders set up in their backyard and Sharon
and I are quick to take advantage of this opportunity to add a couple of
“year-birds” to the list. We have
a lot of activity at these sources of nectar and the action lasts the entire
day. We have constant visits from
two species….the Anna’s hummingbird and the Allen’s.
 |
| Anna's hummingbird |
 |
| Allen's hummingbird |
Later, we took a short hike
through the development in which our hosts live. There is a nice little trail that runs behind their place
and we decided to see if there were any west coast birds to add to our trip
list. Low and behold, not only do
we get a new year bird, but the Bushtit we found are new to our Life-list! A flock of about a dozen or so are
flitting from tree to tree. Deep
in the foliage for the most part, a female finally comes out into the open and
give me the opportunity to get the bird added to my Life photo list. An unexpected treat!
Next are a couple of hawks to
add to the trip list. The first is
a trio of Red-tailed hawks which fly in fairly close and give nice extended
views.
Later, a Cooper’s hawk flies
overhead and like the Red-tail gives us good looks.
We head back to the house to
take advantage of the pool and hot tub in the hopes of loosening up a tight
back before we head out on our 13 hour flight to Australia tomorrow night. Tomorrow, we still have a few hours to
get in a little more west coast birding.
What a nice way to begin a great adventure to the southern hemisphere!
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