In an unusual Saturday Birdwatchers Club field trip, our group returned to the Ramona Grasslands. On this sunny day, with the temperature reaching around 80, we joined more than 100 other visitors to attend a “Hawk Watch” program at the Wildlife Research Institute’s research and education center.

The institute’s speakers provided a wealth of information about hawks and other raptors, also known as birds of prey. We were shown a variety of captive individuals that had been hurt and could not be released back into the wild. Two Red-tailed Hawks illustrated variant plumages that are typical of this species, followed by a male Great Horned Owl – that is significantly smaller than the female.

We observed two kinds of North American falcons – the smallest being the American Kestrel and the largest the magnificent, mostly white Gyrfalcon that inhabits the far north Arctic of Alaska and Canada. And finally, a Harris’s Hawk displayed its flying skills.

Following the program, we drove farther into the grasslands preserve, where highlights included spotting a Burrowing Owl, a Ferruginous Hawk, a Bald Eagle, Mountain Bluebirds, and cheerfully singing Western Meadowlarks. We then enjoyed lunch on the covered patio of D’Carlos Restaurant in Ramona.