I Like Pigeons Because Nobody Else Does

Saturday November 15th I spent a large part of the day preparing for the trip…packing, desperately trying to pick up my bag and walk around the house, unpacking, re-weighing, unpacking, repacking and making tough decisions as to which items to leave at home. The flask of Knob Creek bourbon and leisure reading book were jettisoned, to my great regret.  In addition to preparing my backpack, the day’s activities also included extracting a ten-inch piece of dental floss out of Sinbad’s butt.

Sunday morning came and at 4:05 am, as I was preparing a sandwich for the day’s lunch and ten minutes prior to leaving the house, Sinbad had a seizure. We pumped him full of IV valium and that stopped it…but jesus, give me a break. Right before I leave for a week?! These are the kinds of insane coincidences that make one believe in kooky shit.  I had no choice, I had to leave Gene with a post-ictal dog and who-knows-what forthcoming canine disasters.

Our group met at Phil’s house and we left San Diego for Pinyon Pines promptly at 4:30. We arrived at one of the Forest Service Volunteer Association members’ homes which was used as a staging area for the trip due to its close proximity to our site. They were kind enough to treat us to an excellent breakfast prior to starting our hike. While the FSVA horse people arranged our supplies on their horses mules and a lone donkey, we stood around, helping occasionally, but mostly wondering what the hell lie ahead. Our packs were heavy – would we make it? Rather, would I make it? Only six of the eight pack horses were able to make the trip. That unforeseen blow meant that we wouldn’t be able to carry in as much water as we’d planned. But in an unexpected and fortuitous turn of events, the horse volunteers had scouted the area the day before and assured us that there was plenty of water available at the site. Who knew! The desert at this time of year is usually bone dry.  While we were feeling anxious, the FSVA volunteers laughed almost continuously and rioutously at corny horse jokes, anecdotes about their animals and who knows what else. They were clearly enjoying this adventure immensely.

Things just got better when a woman announced that they’d be loading us expeditioneers and our packs into the back of a truck and driving us part of the way. Halleleiujah. That meant a four mile walk instead of seven! Maybe I would make it after all. We were dropped off at a locked gate leading into the San Bernardino National Forest, proceeded a mile, and sat down to wait for our equestrian guides adjacent to a long-abandoned orchard. We sat and reflected on the perfect weather, the excellent company we were keeping and the fact that we were off into uncharted territory…at least uncharted biologically since 1908. We saw mountain bike tracks here and there on our journey, but probably not left by the kind of people who were interested in hanging around to explore. Although we were having a great time, and despite the fact that our guides had scouted the day before, we just weren’t sure how this trip would pan out which naturally created both excitement and apprehension.

Our guides showed up after a short wait and we began the hike along an old forest service road. In high spirits we followed the telltale signs of horse turds and hoof prints as the pack train moved ahead of us faster than we could keep up. The only thing quashing my mood was the thought of Sinbad on an operating table, half-dead and stricken with peritonitis, as a veterinarian surgically removed the dental floss that had sliced though his innards.

The road fizzled out and we continued out journey in a sandy wash that made for difficult walking. Luckily, it was for only several kilometers and we followed the horse turds off on a trail to the west that led up over a ridge. We reached the top of the ridge and looked down to see the horses and our gear waiting on a lovely little flat next to a briskly moving stream. I made it! And with plenty of gas to spare! It wasn’t so bad after all, even with a pack. Damn!! why didn’t I bring that bourbon! was all I could think!

The horses and riders took off leaving us to set up camp and begin our week in the wilderness. Our camp was beautiful and the running water was fabulous. The creek was filled with California tree frogs and just a little further downstream was an incredible granite canyon through which the water fell and coursed forming a beautiful series of falls and deep pools. It was the perfect area for bathing throughout the week…until someone found two piles of mountain lion dung in the vicinity.  Wondering if you’re suddenly going to feel claws plunging into your naked back kind of put a damper on the bathing.

By Monday evening I had myself convinced that Sinbad was dead due to status epilepticus, Little Buddy had slipped his leash and was now roadkill on 4th Street, and that Gene had also succumbed to a passing bus while trying to save Little Buddy. In a cruel twist of fate, we had cell phone service, but neither calls nor messages would go through. I tried repeatedly. If only I could make contact…

to be continued…

Gene and I went to Pt Loma yesterday at low tide to poke around the tide pools and enjoy the coastal scenery. The weather was beautiful, but offshore we could see the marine layer in the distance. At one point when we were heading north along the shore, I turned around to see the southern area completely enveloped in a blanket of fog…it’s not really fog, but the marine layer air mass. It overtook us in a matter of seconds. Bizarre. Some days we wake up to find everything grey and foggy, but a short drive across the bridge and it’s clear and cloudless and it almost looks as if there’s an invisible wall holding it back at a certain point. It’s almost always present, at varying distances from the shore, and makes sunset viewing difficult. From Wikipedia:

A marine layer an air mass which develops over the surface of a large body of water such as the ocean or large lake in the presence of a temperature inversion. The inversion itself is usually initiated by the cooling effect of the water on the surface layer of an otherwise warm air mass. As it cools, the surface air becomes denser than the warmer air above it, and thus becomes trapped below it. The layer may thicken through turbulence generated within the developing marine layer itself. It may also thicken if the warmer air above it is lifted by an approaching area of low pressure. The layer will also gradually increase its humidity by evaporation of the ocean or lake surface, as well as by the effect of cooling itself. “Fog” will form within a marine layer where the humidity is high enough and cooling sufficient to produce condensation. Stratocumulus will also form at the top of a marine layer in the presence of the same conditions there
In the case of coastal California the offshore marine layer is typically propelled inland by a pressure gradient which develops as a result of intense heating inland, blanketing coastal communities in cooler air which, if saturated, also contains fog. The fog can last until midday when the heat of the sun is frequently strong enough to evaporate it. An approaching frontal system or trough can also drive the marine layer onshore.
A marine layer will disperse and break up in the presence of instability such as may be caused by the passage of frontal system or trough, or any upper air turbulence which reaches the surface. A marine layer can also be driven away by sufficiently strong winds.

Geoff the British bee dude and comb

Geoff, the bee guy, came and took our colony today. It really pains me to have evicted them, but I think it was in their best interest in the long run. He’ll take them to a friend who has an orchard where they can pollinate avocado blooms.

Coincidentally, my uncle recently inquired if I’d be interested in helping him set up some hives next summer when we return to Pennsylvania so all this recent honeybee enthusiasm will have an outlet after all.

Look closely near the center and you can see honey

We walked up Cuyamaca Peak yesterday for the second time. It’s the second highest mountain in San Diego County at 6,512 feet (1,985 m). It’s an easy walk since there’s a paved fire road the whole way to the top but it’s so steep and the elevation change so great that I’m a real slowpoke on the ascent. We always see animals, but have yet to spot a mountain lion which is not uncommon in this area. A woman was killed on the fire road in 1996 while jogging.  But the turkeys, ravens and acorn woodpeckers are entertainment enough.

The burned trees are leftovers from the 2005 Cedar Fire that burned 90% of the park. I read in some park literature that it was one of the biggest human-caused fires in California history.

The west coast is quite different than the east. Instead of the usual retinue of eastern beggars that frequent outdoor coastal dining establishments – pigeons, gulls, boat-tailed grackles, egrets – there’s another, much larger, freeloader:

The California sea lion (Zalophus californianus).  Gene is working the evening shift this week, so we went over to Point Loma for lunch at the only seafood market in town and shortly after we sat down, he noticed this sea lion hanging out not far from out table.  I took my camera to get shots of the rusty blackbirds that mill around the dining area, but ended up scoring a much better shot with this guy. I ran right out to take photos and one of the fishmongers from inside came out with a handful of leftover fish parts and threw them into the water. In an instant the sea lion was at my feet and the fish devoured. I couldn’t even get a shot because his movements were so quick. Apparently he’s a regular here and is fed quite well.

Look what I found today!!

Thrilling! A colony of honeybees has taken up residence underneath the lid of a trash can in our yard. I haven’t decided what to do about it yet. If it were up to me, I’d get them a proper hive and allow them to live in our yard…but I am not sure what our landlords would think of that! I contacted a guy who will relocate them. My main concern is that they go to a suitable area with plenty of food and can continue honeybeeing.

This picture sucks, but I am going to try and get better shots. Gene isn’t here, so I am forced to do all this one-handed.

I am positively ashamed to say that before two weeks ago I had never been to Longwood Gardens in Kennet Square. Me, nature-lover extraordinaire, never visited.  My sister came up with the most excellent idea to take our guests there for the day and it was fabulous. We were there just at the time the fruit trees were blooming and the weather was perfect.

We did a few more things later on during the week, but I’ll post photos of them in the near future. I had a fairly exciting two days at work today and last friday. Plover chicks are hatching and we’re banding them as best we can. Since they leave the nest within just hours of hatching, you’re dependent on a lot of luck and a little bit of perseverance. For instance, just this morning we checked on a nest and saw the tip of a tiny bill poking through a small hole in the center of a network of spider-web cracks on the egg. We returned just two hours later and the chick was out of the egg and hiding under a plant adjacent to the nest. Any later and we may have missed the bird completely. These birds are born precocial, meaning they are ready to go at birth as opposed to altricial birds which need parental care.  They are probably the cutest baby birds I’ve seen (these are from last week):

Notice their coloration. They’re almost indistinguishable from the surrounding sand. Here are some shots from today. The new chick is still wet.

Other news, Sinbad and I have started taking obedience classes at the San Diego Humane Society. Tonight is our second night of class and he’s doing very well…of course, every time I say or write that to someone he does something like pull the blankets out of his crate and pee on them or climb up on the ottoman, proclaim himself king by showing his teeth, and then refusing to move.  But lately he’s taken on more of a submissive role in response to Gene and I which has been a nice change.

Here are some other shots from my visit to the seabird rehabilitator extraordinaire, Meryl. This bird is the first listed in field guides, the red-throated loon. They live along the entire coast of North America, both east and west as well as up into the Arctic and Canada:

I had to be a little cautious in taking that photo. The spear-shaped bill is powered by very strong neck muscles and I wasn’t about to be impaled like a fish.

Contrary to what a lot of non-bird types think, this western grebe is not a duck. It is a member of the Podicpedidae family of birds which includes several other types of grebes. The distinguishing characteristic of this family is the birds’ feet – they have lobed toes instead of webbed feet. Note the irregularly sized pupils in this bird’s eyes, an indication of head trauma:

A surf scoter (a type of duck) drying off after a dip in the pool:

The subject of my employment, a western snowy plover:

Mr Hanzawa and I had a great weekend, thanks to lousy weather. San Diego was recipent of quite a bit of rainfall on Sunday morning so we spent the morning at the Natural History Museum visiting the Pompeii exhibit and, when it stopped raining, ventured over to the zoo. We almost had the run of both places and it was fantastic. Monday brought clear skies, so we hiked 6 miles in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park before he caught the Amtrak train back to Los Angeles.

Gene and I went to the zoo today for the first time. I got a lot of good photos, but I really need to return on a weekday when the crowds aren’t so bad and I can take my time. Here’s a shot of a spotted hyena, Crocuta crocuta:

and an unflattering shot of a grizzly bear, Ursus arctos horribilis:

Imagine how pissed he’d be if he knew I posted a photo of him saying “duuhhh”.

That’s it for now. I have lots of photos, but will dole them out a few at a time.

This is Leslie’s first time in San Diego so I took her to La Jolla to see the seals. It’s the start of pupping season and there were a lot of animals hauled out on the beach. Unfortunately, the city government recently…

…rejected San Diego’s request to reinstall the rope barrier this winter to protect seals during their pupping season at Children’s Pool beach.

Read the whole story here. That means that the public will have full and legal access to the beach while the seals are giving birth.  They will be open to molestation by the rapacious cads who opposed the barrier. Distubing these animals is a voilation of the Marine Mammal Act which is punishable by law and I don’t understand why the filthy molesters aren’t prosecuted.  I just can’t figure these people out. They’re lucky I’m not king of the USA.

The poor bugger won’t be smiling in a couple of weeks when the females are aborting birthing pups while simultaneously fleeing some idiot swimmer.