Birds Without Borders: A Birding Hike at Border Field State Park

The Beach at Border Field State Park

Date: November 21, 2018
Place: Border Field State Park, Imperial Beach, California
Coordinates: 32.543509, -117.106526
Length: 3.1 miles
Level: easy

When we decided on the San Diego area as the destination for our Thanksgiving break Pappa Quail knew immediately that he wanted to visit Border Field State Park. It is one of the prime birding spots in the Southern California coast.
At the time of our trip approached we were getting concerned: the news reported of a large caravan of refugees was approaching Tijuana from the Mexican side of the border. According to the media they untended to storm the border fence. As the tensions increased, we wondered if the park, which is right at the Mexican border, was even going to be open for hikes.
Since no notice of closure appeared on the park's website that morning we decided to go ahead with our plan and visit there.

The Gate

The road to the park was suspiciously empty. There was hardly any traffic there, civilian or otherwise. A few small farms lined north and the entire area appeared to be slumbering.
We arrived at the park and found that we couldn't drive inside. We parked at a gravel parking lot next to a few other cars and walked down the road, past the unmanned gate booth.

Pappa Quail spotted a bird almost immediately - an American Kestrel parched on a  pole. It was pretty far, though. 

American Kestrel

The soil near the road was wet and a pretty yellow butterfly was busy sucking moisture from it. I took a few photos, then waited for Pappa Quail to take better images with his birding, powerful zoom lens.

Border Field State Park is flat. There's a large, slough-fed salt marsh and a long, beautiful beach. There's also a hill at the southeast side of the park but we were heading directly west - to the beach.

Our hike as captured by Pappa Quail's GPS

We walked down the road along with a few other people who bothered to get out of their home that day. Soon we came to the trailhead of the trail leading directly to the beach. The road curved to the south and we started down the trail. 

The emptiness, vastness, and lack of human activity in the park stood in contrast with the high rises of the city of Tijuana that loomed to the south of us, just across the border.  As we walked down to the beach I kept turning my head to look at the city, fascinated by the close proximity to another country. The elder chika was doing the same, but she was much more vocal about her desire to cross the border and visit Mexico and was bummed when we told her that it won't happen on this particular trip.

Tijuana 

We came upon two border patrol vehicles that were parked in a wide dirt clearing. the drivers were sitting in the cars, their windows rolled down. They were eating their lunch and chatting, appearing all casual. They directed us to the beach and informed us that there was no problem whatsoever in hiking any trail in the park, even the one that's right at the borderline.

View north to San Diego 

We crossed a salt marsh area that was barred from the ocean by a low ridge of cream-colored sand dunes. A narrow slough of slow-moving water meandered through the marsh.

There were no birds wading the slough mud despite the bounty of snails that crawled about.

Pappa Quail and the chikas were eager to get to the beach and hurried along down the trail. Bit I saw something that made me stop in my tracks: flowers! The sand verbena was blooming. Not at it's peak, but blooming nonetheless. I was thrilled.

Sticky Sand Verbena, Abronia maritima 

I finally crossed the dunes and looked around. The beach was flat and long, stretching from horizon to horizon with almost no obstructions, save for the border fence on the south. No rocks were sticking out of the sand, no curvy little bays or pony headlands protruding inland or out in the water. The ocean lapped gently at the sandy shore and as expected, many shorebirds of many different species and sizes patrolled the strand line, searching for morsels between the waves.

A large wooden old wire roll was stranded on the beach, its cracked filled with sand. Pappa Quail and the chikas were sitting on it, the chikas munching on their snacks and Pappa Quail training his camera on something in the water. When I approached he directed my attention to what it was - the dorsal fins of dolphins that were popping through the surface whenever the dolphins came up to breathe.

Dolphin

After finishing their snack the chikas went to play in the shallows and Pappa Quail started stalking the shorebirds.

Shorebirds 

I continued sitting on the wire roll for a while, enjoying the sight of my family enjoying themselves, and observing the birds through the binoculars. There were many of them, all running around in the wet strand line, poking for morsels, escaping the larger waves, passing each other on their way to and fro, but rarely interacting with each other. Each species had its on leg length and beak length, allowing them to occupy different niches in the same habitat. Very cool.

A black-bellied plover and a group of sanderlings 

I also gazed at the border fence with my binoculars, trying to see if there was any activity there. The media had described a scene of mass desperation and chaos, and multitude of people climbing the fence. When we were there however, there wasn't any action going on. None at all. There was one person sitting on the fence but he looked more curios than desperate, and he didn't attempt to jump to the U.S. side. We saw a few people swimming out in the ocean way past the edge of the fence. Had they wished, they had no problems simply swimming north. There was no border patrol, nor anyone else official-looking on the U.S. side of the border. The only people on the north side of the fence were a few park goers - families with children. And us, Quails.

The border fence

Nearly all the birds we've seen on that beach were shorebirds of one species or another. There were a few others, however. An occasional gull, she pelicans, and terns. Here, in its non-breeding plumage, a riyal tern looking more like balding man, observing motionlessly the bustling shorebirds around it.

Royal Tern

Eventually we decided it was time to continue our hike so we started walking south along the beach. The elder chika picked up her camera and started photographing birds as well. She also too one of the nicer wide shots of the pretty beach.

Having made it to the strand line myself, I got to look for beach treasures. And there were plenty of them there, just lying around on the wet sand.

Sand Dollar 

Of course, what might seem a treasure to me might not be so for others. Of my family, only I hold fascination with algae.

Kelp 

As always, Pappa Quail was looking for the birds, and he was getting lots of nice shots of them.

Marbled Godwit 

Border Field State Park really is a birding heaven, especially for shore birds. Birds naturally, do not acknowledge human-made borders. They fly as they wish and spend their time foraging on either side, pleasing U.S. and Mexican birders alike.

Sanderling

There is something very relaxing about bird watching. Even I, who am primarily into plants and wildflowers, got some of the bird-watching bug rubbing off onto me from Pappa Quail and the elder chika.

Black-bellied Plover 

In fact, after years of not being able to distinguish one shore bird from another, I am finally able to tell a few of them from the rest. The dowitcher is one of those I can identify.

Long-billed Dowitcher 

What I didn't have that day was a strong zoom for my lens. As we neared the fence I did get a better view of the city on the other side. The contrast between the populated city and the vast emptiness the park was striking.

Curlew and Tijuana 

The elder chika got a nice shot of that curlew, although she was right next to me and no nearer to the bird.

Long-billed Curlew 

A group of young men came running past us from north to south. They neared the fence, then turned east and jogged on the road parallel to the border. I took the time looking at some colorful shells when I heard Pappa Quail call me with excitement - he had spotted snowy plovers.

Beach Treasures 

I took one last sweeting look at the pretty beach then heaved a sigh and walked over to the dune where Pappa Quail and the elder chika stood, clicking their cameras like crazy.

Snowy plovers are an endangered species that after suffered a serious decline due to habitat loss is now making a comeback, thanks to preservation efforts. They are tiny, almost completely camouflaged birds, that can be detected by the untrained eye pretty much only when on the move. We've seen snowy plovers at a few other beaches along the California coast, first time being at the Oso Flaco State Beach. Nearly always these plovers wear leg bands. Of the two individuals we've seen at Border Field State Park, only one was sporting the leg bands (which Pappa Quail reported to the authorities that keep count of these birds). I chose to post here the image of the landless one.

Snowy Plover 

We cut through the dunes to the paved road and started walking back. Before long we came upon a flooded section of the road where the Tijuana River overflowed, being the reason for the road closure.
Unlike the slow stroll we had on the beach, now we were walking quickly. We didn't see many birds there, save for a few little bush birds.

Red-wing Blackbird, female (left), and House Finch, female (right)

We did pause to look at a large dragonfly perched on a branch, hanging on to what appeared to be its old nymph skin.

Dragonfly 

For some distance we walked fairly close to the border. It appeared that the new border wall was being built, not waiting for any public debate to be resolved. The new wall was being built some distance away from the border fence. The buildings of the Mexican city were right at the border fence, every bit of land being used. While most of the buildings appeared to be new tenement complexes I did see some single home houses with large yards and nice gardens. It really looked like many cities in California, only less sprawled.

The Fence 

It might seem from this post that we spent a lot of time gawking at Tijuana but really our main objective was a nature hike, and there were more birds to see on our way back to the parking area.

Killdeer 

At the parking lot I paid closer attention to the decoration of a fenced area (what it fenced I cannot recall - some utility stuff). The decoration was of mosaic stepping stones with desert and native elements. I thought it was really pretty and colorful. It certainly made the fence nicer to look at.

We didn't have much else planned for the day. there was one more birding hot spot in Chula Vista we wanted to visit, but otherwise, we were ready to move on.
I drove slowly in the quiet road leading from Border Field State Park to the Tijuana River Valley Preserve when something large and blue crossed my field of vision. I slammed the breaks and pulled over, shouting with excitement - what flew across the road was a magpie jay, one of the biggest on our wish list for this trip.
We all got out of the car. Me with the binoculars and Pappa Quail and the elder chika with their cameras. The younger chika was less enthusiastic about seeing this magnificent bird but she did eventually, if somewhat reluctantly, come along to take a look.

Black-throated Magpie Jay 

The magpie jay is the largest jay in California. This species has a stable population in the southwestern part of San Diego County. The black-throated magpie jay is pretty much endemic to northwestern Mexico, and the southmost tip of California. It was a real treat to see them. 

Migrating South: A Birding Hike at Dairy Mart Pond

Ruddy Duck

Date: November 21, 2018
Place: Dairy Mart Pond, San Diego, California
Coordinates: 32.554526, -117.062776
Length: 1 mile
Level: easy

Last fall we went on our Thanksgiving vacation to Southern California, traveling away from the heavy Camp Fire smoke that covered the Bay Area and passing through the smoke cloud of the Brush Fire that was burning Malibu down. Rain was due in Northern California and the forecast was for it to arrive at SoCal later that week but on our third day into our vacation it was dry and smoky still.
After spending the previous day enjoying the Cabrillo National Monument hiking trail and tide pools we were ready to go south to our main destination: the Tijuana River Valley and following that, the Border Field State Park, both of which were prime birding areas.
Of the birding hot spots of the Tijuana River Valley Pappa Quail chose to stop at the Dairy Mart Pond. We parked in a small, dusty, and empty parking lot and got out to see a wide, vacant trail running between hedges of tall holly bushes.

At the Trailhead

We didn't see anything promising, and I admit that I wasn't very eager to hike there. Pappa Quail and the elder chika however, slung their cameras on and started down the trail so me and the younger chika followed.

Our hike as captured by Pappa Quail's GPS

I didn't expect to see anything blooming there and I was surprised by the delicate pink bloom of the wire lettuce. Things were looking up now.

San Diego Wire-lettuce, Stephanomeria diegesis 

They were certainly looking up for the birders in our company. Pappa Quail and the elder chika got very excited about a tiny gray bird that hopped in the branches of a drying willow. It was a gnatcatcher, and Pappa Quail explained to me excitedly that there was a species of gnatcatcher living there that he'd never seen before.
As it turned out that particular bird was of a species already familiar to him but that he found out after we got back home.

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

If there's anything blooming so late in fall it's almost always would be of the aster family. I was satisfied to see another blooming plant, a relative of the coyote brash. 

Mule Fat, Baccharis salicifolia 

Dairy Mart Pond was to our north but we couldn't see it because of the high bushes that grew near the trail. We walked slowly and leisurely, listening to the little bush birds that were too well hidden to see. The large vultures however, were standing out in the open, sunning themselves, waiting for someone to expire.   

Turkey Vulture

A short distance into the trail we came to a blind facing the pond. It's a nice place to serve the birds without alarming them with our presence. 

Behind the blind we were finally able to get a view of the pond itself. Sure enough, there were plenty of birds in or near the water. 

The biggest and most conspicuous birds on the water were the white pelicans. They swam about in small groups, patrolling the water and on a cue, simultaneously dipping their large bills in the water to reach for fish.  

American White Pelican

There were ducks present there as well. Surprisingly we didn't see the mallards, the most common of them all. The ducks we've seen were overwintering, migratory ducks, like the rusty-colored cinnamon teal. 

Cinnamon Teal

We accounted for several species of ducks, swimming lazily, drifting across each other. Most of them looked as if they're on their siesta.

Green-winged Teal

A few were busy feeding, but there was none of the frenzy that characterize the eager, hungry crowds that fly in from the north. These birds were already settled in for the winter.

Northern Shoveler

Observing them all were a few night herons, perched on the cattails around the pond or on sticks sticking out of the water.

Black-capped Night Heron

Pappa Quail and the elder chika were clicking away their cameras. I had the binoculars and was searching for bitterns in the reeds, but the younger chika soon got bored and started drifting down the trail. I followed her and found another late season bloomer:

Seaside Heliotrope, Heliotropium curassavicum var. oculatum

We strolled along the shore of the Dairy Mart Pond. Every now and then there was a gap in the bushes that allowed us to view the lake and the birds there. We lingered at one of these places where saw an island of dead trees piled together that provided safe roosting for many birds.

Dairy Mart Pond

The chikas immediately pointed out the egret. It's like a family game - who'd see the most egrets on our family trips.

Snowy Egret

A few more ducks were hidden between the piled dead branches but it was the drying cormorant that posed nicely to the camera.

Double-crested Cormorant

On another pile of dead vegetation Pappa Quail noticed a great blue heron. I aimed my binoculars to get a better look ... 

Great Blue Heron and Northern Shovelers

... and saw a raccoon walking on that very same pile of vegetation!
In fact, there were two of them, moving slowly among the branches. They were difficult to see and to photograph, but nonetheless, it was an exciting sighting. Certainly more exciting than seeing them there than wandering through our neighborhood at night.

Raccoons 

We moved on. The trail was dry and dusty, and not very inspiring. Unenthusiastically I took a few shots of a blooming yellow composite bush only to regret later for nit having paid a closer attention to it - it's a plant endemic to that area. 

Torhleaf Goldeneye, Viguiera laciniata

We reached the corner of the loop where the trail turns south. Before leaving the pond we lingered some time at the nice observation platform to take a last look at the pond.

Most of the birds we saw there were pretty much the same we've seen earlier, but then I turned Pappa Quail's attention to a yellowish bird that was perched on a dead branch on a far way vegetation island.
It's a kingbird, said Pappa Quail. But he was very excited, because that particular kingbird is a tropical kingbird and the San Diego area is it's most northern tip of its living range and it was the first time we were seeing it.

Tropical Kingbird

After that excitement we turned south, leaving the pond behind us. We walked at a quicker pace now, as there were fewer things to stop and look at. The sighting of a kite hovering above broke the monotonous walk.

White-tailed Kite

Still flanked by tall vegetation that now included also the invasive tamarisk we continued south, trying every now and then to locate some of the tweeting little bush birds that teased us from the thicket. 

Trail

Success! One of these little bush birds agreed to sit still for a second. It was the very common and familiar yellow-rumped warbler. 

Yellow-rumped Warblet

Good thing there was an occasional raptor to view because the little birds were quite frustrating. 

Red-tailed Hawk

The trail turned onto a boardwalk. I assume that on the wet season this area is flooded but the wet season hasn't started yet and the ground was bone dry.

There wasn't much more to see there so we walked fast now, ready to go on our next hike. Once again it was the cruising raptor that ad us stop and observe. 

Northern Harrier

Alongside the trail I noticed more familiar immigrants from the mediterranean: the giant reed. Where I grew up there were large thickets of these and I remember cutting trails that were like tunnels through these where me and my friends would hide and play and then itch all over from the minor cuts and scratches we got from these ...

Giant Reed, Around donax, Non-native, invasive. 

Another familiar invasive species  I saw down the trail was the castor bean, the plant from which castor oil is produced. Its seeds are very pretty and are used in jewelry making. They are also highly toxic: consumption of castor bean seeds can be fatal. 

Castor Bean, Ricinus communis, Non-native, invasive, and highly toxic.

We turned the third corner and were now heading east parallel to Dairy Mart Road. The vegetation was much lower along that part of the trail and in places I could see the signs of vegetation rehabilitation process.
Near the trail I saw yet another blooming plant, this time a California native - the jimsonweed.

Jimsonweed, Datura wrightii 

Pappa Quail and the elder chika found the more common kingbird of Southern California - the Cassin's kingbird. It was perched on a bare branch and posed nicely to them. Or maybe it was too hot and tired to move anywhere.

Cassin's Kingbird

Almost at the parking lot we got to see our first squirrel of the day. Quite surprisingly, considering how prevalent these cute little critters are. 

California Ground Squirrel

It was a nice little hike to start our day with. Pappa Quail and the elder chika were very happy with all the birds they've seen and I was content with everything else as well. The younger chika didn't feel all that appreciative of it. She cheered up after learning that not much later we would be going to the beach at Border Field State Park, right by the Mexican border. We were very close already - we could see the city of Tijuana right there on the hills south of Dairy Mart Pond.

View of Tijuana