Any bird watchers here?

[SoCal Mike]

On Friday, I had a great hike up the Devil's Slide to the lookout for lunch and back again. Sure beats going to the office!

I am trying to learn more about the various flora and fauna I encounter on my hikes. I believe I saw an American Robin (gray body, orange chest) and a few Tree Swallows (beautiful green back and very fast flyers) at the lookout. I was wondering if there are any bird watchers on the forum who could confirm that these types of birds are out there (or if I'm way off; I've been using the Audubon App) and what else I should be on the lookout for while I'm hiking around.

Michael (SoCal Mike)

[bamm321]

Was it this guy? they are about

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Vio ... Swallow/id

[Ulysses]

Hi Mike. I went up Devils Slide to Tahquitz on Friday too. I was up there in the morning. Beautiful day on the mountain. I saw the swallows at the peak too. I'm a bird watcher but not great at identifying species and memorizing their names. Tahquitz seems to be a magnet for a great many bird species. That was one of my favorite pastimes when I was working up there. Love watching ravens make vertical dives.

[guest]

Hey Mike,

I enjoying watching for bids as well. I'm sure there are Am Robins up there, I've seen them from valley floor, (Indian Canyons during Palm fruit season), to the mtns. Their rusting chest & spending lots of time hopping around on the ground is what I've seen. There's even been Falcon sightings around San Jac summit.

If your able to gather info on Curt Lueshner (sorry bout the spelling), he teaches at COD & leads bird walks in the CV & San Jacinto's.

And for all us tram riders, we surely can't forgot the "Dark-Eyed Junco, Ha, There's just too much to see in one visit"!
Ulysses, I enjoy watching the ravens, (juveniles, I believe), dog-fight in midair. Must be their form of wrestling, and to hon their flying skills.

ss

[zippetydude]

"Dark-Eyed Junco, Ha, There's just too much to see in one visit"!

ss

You're killing me Scott!

That's an awesome bird, I hope I spot one. I enjoy bird watching also, so I'll be looking for one.

z

[SoCal Mike]

Was it this guy? they are about

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Vio ... Swallow/id

Very, very similar. I'm pretty sure these are the ones I saw; maybe not quite as colorful as in your link. At first glance, their backs look black or dark blue but when the sunlight hits them just right, the green shines though. I really enjoyed watching these guys at lunch.

Michael

[SoCal Mike]

Hey Mike,

I enjoying watching for bids as well. I'm sure there are Am Robins up there, I've seen them from valley floor, (Indian Canyons during Palm fruit season), to the mtns. Their rusting chest & spending lots of time hopping around on the ground is what I've seen. There's even been Falcon sightings around San Jac summit.

If your able to gather info on Curt Lueshner (sorry bout the spelling), he teaches at COD & leads bird walks in the CV & San Jacinto's.

And for all us tram riders, we surely can't forgot the "Dark-Eyed Junco, Ha, There's just too much to see in one visit"!
Ulysses, I enjoy watching the ravens, (juveniles, I believe), dog-fight in midair. Must be their form of wrestling, and to hon their flying skills.

ss

Yes, the robin I spotted was on the ground. Not a flashy bird, but the orange was in nice contrast to his gray feathers. A falcon would be amazing to see...from a safe distance.

Thank you all. I'm going to do some research before I go out again and see what I can spot. Always nice to add a new element to my outdoor adventures.

Michael (SoCal Mike)

[Wildhorse]

What I read in my nature guides confirms both birds in the San Jacintos. I read that robins living in the mountains may be a little larger than their relatives living at lower altitudes - attributed to less oxygen density in the air. The swallows described in these guides are called violet-green swallows.

[David W]

I spend a lot of weekends in the Santa Rosas and take a lot of pictures of birds there, it's a good place for it. I've even seen some pretty unusual ones. I don't put a lot of effort into IDing all of them, but I met a guy who's a pro at it up there, you might check out his site if you're interested.

http://shadetreeimaging.com/birds-i-have-known/