Birding Trestles Beach in San Clemente Ca

 

Heermann's Gull - a beautiful & threatened gull

I woke up early from my hotel in San Clemente California and headed out just 3/4 of a mile to a birding hotspot - Trestles Beach. Its named this because there is a train tressle allowing a train to go over the low lying wetlands and waterways at this beach. Using ebird's "bar charts' I was able to predict a few bird species that might be present in mid march. I must confess that I still struggle with gull identification... the the Heermann's Gull is stunningly unique with its grey couloration. Even your humble author can distinguish them without much difficulty.

Target birds: 

Allens Hummingbird

Nuttals Woodpecker

Huttons Vireo

Heermann's Gull

My time in SoCal was coming to an end and I still had a handful of birds I was hoping to see.

Amazingly, I found all these birds with relative ease. 

I also found some neat birds that were pleasent surprises. Such as 8 western snowy plovers. 

Nuttals Woodpecker

(Western) Snowy Plovers - struggling to survive on their native beach habitat

Hudsonian Whimbrel

Black Turnstones

Allen's Hummingbird

Huttons Vireo

Scaly-breasted munia

Not lifers, but I had also seen Annas & Costas Hummingbirds as well.

Later when I got back to my Hotel, I realized that the copper and rust coloured hummingbird was perched on the trees and telephone wires as I walked down to the beach!

Good Birding!

Lifer Checklist:

Allen's Hummingbird (Cali) 473

Heermann's Gull (Cali)  474

Scaly-breasted munia(Cali)  475

Nuttals Woodpecker(Cali)    467

Black Turnstones 468

Hutton's Vireo 469