Our birding excursion to Lake Wohlford, just northeast of Escondido, was fortunately enhanced by a comfortably cool and partly sunny day that was sandwiched between rainy weather.  Clark’s and Western Grebes were the most numerous and most noticeable of the many species of waterbirds.  Their loud kreek-kreek calls carried across the expanse of water. 

Courtship behavior was in full swing, in which a male and female swimming together will suddenly rise up and, amid much splashing and heads held high on their outstretched necks, run side-by-side across the surface of the water in a spectacular dance known as “rushing.”  We were especially amused when not just two but three birds performed the show together.

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Other birds on the lake included a few Northern Shovelers, Gadwalls, Buffleheads and Ruddy Ducks.  An Osprey flew over the lake several times, and we had an excellent view of a richly rust-colored Red-shouldered Hawk.  Smaller birds in the oak woodlands included an Oak Titmouse, a White-breasted Nuthatch, a pair of Nuttall’s Woodpeckers and several Western Scrub-Jays. 

Arguably the special bird of the day was a solitary American White Pelican that flew over and then landed on the lake at our last stop.  We then had lunch at the nearby Lake Wohlford Cafe, where some of us enjoyed their famous and delicious catfish.   

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