I recently took the opportunity while in Orange County to visit the Bolsa Chica Reserve, a little bit of wilderness along the coast in one of the most urbanized places in the country. Bolsa Chica is a set of inter connected tidal flats and pools surrounded by native coastal chaparral. It has several miles of walking trails along the flats and on the bluffs above.
The Daily Bucket is a nature refuge. We amicably discuss animals, weather, climate, soil, plants, waters and note life’s patterns.
We invite you to note what you are seeing around you in your own part of the world, and to share your observations in the comments below.
Each note is a record that we can refer to in the future as we try to understand the phenological patterns that are quietly unwinding around us.
To have the Daily Bucket in your Activity Stream, visit Backyard Science’s profile page and click on Follow.
|
Birds, reptiles and small mammals thrive despite the urban flow that surrounds them. Walk a few yards into the reserve and the city sounds disappear. You can still see the mansions on the bluffs, the working oil wells pumping away, the hundreds of cars, trucks and other vehicles cruising down the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH). Yet they don’t matter as you watch a tern skim over the water and successfully snatch a small fish from the pond.
The trails are flat and easy to walk. The parking lots can get full, but I am able to get a spot every time I visit. There are plenty of benches to allow visitors a chance to stop and soak up the atmosphere. Volunteers run a small visitor center on the north edge of the Reserve which has some nice little exhibits. It’s free to park and enter, but donations are gladly accepted at the visitor’s center.
I came for the birds and was not disappointed. First I added 3 lifer birds to my list:
Lots of my favorite birds. I never tire of trying to get better shots. First the water birds:
Here are the birds that inhabited the brush and chaparral:
Of course we can’t forget the raptors
So if you visit Orange County you can find an alternative to Disneyland or Knott’s Berry Farm. It’s 15 minutes down the road from those 2 attractions. After a couple of hours meandering in the Reserve, just cross PCH and have a great time on the beach.
What’s up in your neck of the woods?