There are trails around Lake Hodges well suited to hiking and biking. I drove to the community sports park off West Bernardo Drive this Wednesday morning to look for Blue Grosbeaks. I knew them to nest in the area. I was able to locate several pairs of this chaparral loving species on my bike explorations over the low slopes above the lake. As I rode the trails, I made frequent stops to investigate other birds in the ‘hood. Riding the last leg of the trip past the lake shore, I stopped to enjoy the Western and Clark’s Grebes perform their ‘water-dances’; such a lovely sight, this ballet of theirs.
Birds I met this day were Blue Grosbeak, Northern Mockingbird, Common Yellow-Throat, Western Scrub-Jay, or California Scrub-Jay, Spotted Towhee, California Thrasher, California Towhee, Ash-Throated Flycatcher, Western Grebe.
Blue Grosbeak(Passerina caerulea) |
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Description: Female at Lake Hodges. San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2013:05:08 9:23 |
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Location:
Lake Hodges |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1250 |
File Name: D3X6645-BlueGrosbeak-Female |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Northern Mockingbird(Mimus polyglottos) |
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Description: Lake Hodges. San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2013:05:08 9:31 |
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Location:
Lake Hodges |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1250 |
File Name: D3X6711-NorthernMockingbird |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Common Yellowthroat(Geothlypis trichas) |
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Description: Lake Hodges. San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2013:05:08 9:59 |
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Location:
Lake Hodges |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/800 |
File Name: D3X6740-CommonYellowThroat |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
California Scrub-Jay(Aphelocoma californica) |
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Description: Lake Hodges. San Diego County, California. This bird used to be called the Western Scrub-Jay, but in 2016 it was officially split in two species-- this bird and the Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma woodhouseii). |
Date Taken: 2013:05:08 10:05 |
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Location:
Lake Hodges |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1600 |
File Name: D3X6746-WesternScrubJay |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Spotted Towhee(Pipilo maculatus) |
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Description: Lake Hodges. San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2013:05:08 10:07 |
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Location:
Lake Hodges |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 |
File Name: D3X6748-SpottedTowhee |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
California Towhee(Melozone crissalis) |
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Description: Lake Hodges. San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2013:05:08 10:43 |
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Location:
Lake Hodges |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/1250 |
File Name: D3X6781-CaliforniaTowhee |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Blue Grosbeak(Passerina caerulea) |
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Description: Lake Hodges. San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2013:05:08 10:56 |
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Location:
Lake Hodges |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/1000 |
File Name: D3X6801-BlueGrosbeak-3 |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging |
Blue Grosbeak(Passerina caerulea) |
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Description: Lake Hodges. San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2013:05:08 9:06 |
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Location:
Lake Hodges |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1600 |
File Name: D3X6621-BlueGrosbeak |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging |
Blue Grosbeak(Passerina caerulea) |
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Description: Female at Lake Hodges. San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2013:05:08 9:24 |
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Location:
Lake Hodges |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/640 |
File Name: D3X6658-BlueGrosbeak-Female |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging |
Blue Grosbeak(Passerina caerulea) |
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Description: Female at Lake Hodges. San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2013:05:08 9:26 |
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Location:
Lake Hodges |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/800 |
File Name: D3X6688-BlueGrosbeak-Female |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging |
Blue Grosbeak(Passerina caerulea) |
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Description: Female at Lake Hodges. San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2013:05:08 9:26 |
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Location:
Lake Hodges |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/800 |
File Name: D3X6690-BlueGrosbeak-Female |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging |
Blue Grosbeak(Passerina caerulea) |
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Description: Female at Lake Hodges. San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2013:05:08 9:37 |
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Location:
Lake Hodges |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/640 |
File Name: D3X6730-BlueGrosbeak-Female |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging |
California Thrasher(Toxostoma redivivum) |
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Description: Lake Hodges. San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2013:05:08 10:14 |
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Location:
Lake Hodges |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1250 |
File Name: D3X6772-CaliforniaThrasher |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Blue Grosbeak(Passerina caerulea) |
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Description: Lake Hodges. San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2013:05:08 10:56 |
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Location:
Lake Hodges |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/1000 |
File Name: D3X6801-BlueGrosbeak |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Ash-Throated Flycatcher(Myiarchus cinerascens) |
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Description: Lake Hodges. San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2013:05:08 10:59 |
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Location:
Lake Hodges |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/640 |
File Name: D3X6814-AshThroatedFlyCatcher |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Western Grebe(Aechmophorus occidentalis) |
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Description: Water dancing at Lake Hodges. San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2013:05:08 11:36 |
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Location:
Lake Hodges |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/3200 |
File Name: D3X6839-WesternGrebe |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging |
Clark's Grebe(Aechmophorus clarkii) |
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Description: Water dancing at Lake Hodges. San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2013:05:08 12:04 |
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Location:
Lake Hodges |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/1600 |
File Name: D3X6868-ClarksGrebe |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging |
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