Doing pelagic trips on rocking and rolling boats is a real struggle in my case. Bending over the side and staring at the water rather than watching the birds is not my idea of fun. So when I heard that huge cruise ships made trips up the entire Pacific and were steady enough that I could use a scope on the deck, I was extremely interested. The Holland America cruise that I had booked would leave San Diego and travel non-stop all the way up to Vancouver, British Columbia---creating what would be the equivalent of a 3-day pelagic. The plan was to fly out two days before the ship's departure. That way, if there happened to be a 'lifer' somewhere within driving distance, I would try for it. If not, I would spend the time birding in the mountains and the desert east of there.
In the early morning of the 25th, I made the drive to the Philadelphia Airport and flew on United Airlines to San Diego with one stop in Chicago. I picked up my rental car in the mid-afternoon and headed for the Laguna Mountains, about an hour east of San Diego. The weather steadily got worse as rain driven by gusts to 40 mph became the 'norm' when I reached the Back Country Inn Motel near the town of Manzanita, where I would stay the next two nights.
Early on the 26th, I drove down through the pass on I-8 and headed north on Highway 'S2' towards Agua Caliente Regional Park, a desert oasis nestled against the foothills.
Along the way, a young Coyote crossed the road with its parent and paused just long enough for me to get a photo.
Along the park's entrance road, I found Cactus Wren, Blue Grosbeak, and this Black-tailed Gnatcatcher.
Just inside the park, a White-winged Dove perched for a photo.
There was a good number of warblers in the mesquite. I managed to get fairly good photos of Yellow Warbler, the "Audubon's" form of Yellow-rumped Warbler, and a very cooperative Wilson's Warbler.
One bird I hadn't seen in years and was hoping to get a photo of was Costa's Hummingbird. I ended up seeing several with their "Yosemite Sam" gorgets.
A Verdin posed on branch and, later, one was seen feeding a young one.
Just uphill from the camping area, I found a Yellow-breasted Chat and a MacGillvray's Warbler.
Back down in the camping area, a Greater Roadrunner was trotting from site to site.
A Nashville Warbler was feeding among a few Orange-crowneds.
A female Phainopepla and its young were back out near the entrance sign, and just outside the park was a male.
On the way back out to 'S2', I spotted a California Quail right beside the road.
Other notable birds seen at the park were Say's Phoebe, Bell's Vireo, Common Raven, Canyon Wren, California Thrasher, Loggerhead Shrike, Townsend's Warbler, Western Tanager, Black-headed Grosbeak, Brewer's Blackbird, and Scott's, Hooded, and Bullock's Orioles.
I left the park and headed for Jacumba Hot Springs to see if I could get upgraded photos of Tricolored Blackbird, which I definitely did.
While doing that, I met another birder who gave me directions to a spot in town with a couple mulberry trees that held about a dozen Western Tanagers.
I was really surprised to also find an Evening Grosbeak there, too!
I got back on I-8 and headed west, getting off at the Kitchen Creek Road exit. About three miles up Kitchen Creek Road, I stopped and birded the area around the bridge over the creek. A first-year Lazuli Bunting was there as was an Ash-throated Flycatcher.
I also found another bird that I had never been able to get photos of before----Lawrence's Goldfinch. One bird was pretty much oblivious to my presence.
Also found there were Western Bluebird, Western Scrub-Jay, and California Towhee.
Additional birds found by the bridge included Black Phoebe, Cliff Swallow, Warbling Vireo, Bushtit, Wilson's, Townsend's, and Orange-crowned Warblers, Black-chinned Sparrow, and Lesser Goldfinch.
A Black-headed Grosbeak was seen farther up the road at the Cibbets Flat Campground.
Other birds seen at the campground included Acorn and Nutall's Woodpecker, Western Wood-Pewee, Oak Titmouse, and Spotted Towhee.
Up near the gated end of the road, a Black-throated Gray Warbler posed for me.
As daylight waned, I headed back to Manzanita for some food and the motel.
