Date: 4/29/25 3:09 pm From: Florence Sanchez via groups.io <sanchezucsb11...> Subject: [sbcobirding] Birding at East Pinery Road and Cachuma Camp, April 29
I headed for East Pinery Road this morning and luckily did not find the cold conditions Peter S. reported yesterday for the Figueroa Mountain weather. In fact, it was already 56 degrees at 7:15 and I shed most of my outwear early on.
When I got out of the car, I immediately heard a singing Mountain Chickadee, Purple Finch, House Wren, Mountain Quail, Steller's Jays, and an Ash-throated Flycatcher. I thought "Wow! This is going to be a great day!" And when I started down the road, I soon had one each singing Townsend's and Hermit Warblers, and a pair of Lazuli Buntings.
Unfortunately, that was pretty much it. There were long patches along the trail where I had no birds, not even Scrub Jays. I eventually turned a few chaparral birds and a few Woodpeckers, but nothing of note. I tried very hard for Nuthatches (any species) and came up with zilch for the second visit in a row. Species I usually get at East Pinery this time of year (like Olive-sided Flycatcher and Hammond's Flycatcher) just weren't there.
Since I finished my walk earlier than expected, I drove down to Cachuma Camp where Peter S. had a great morning yesterday. Of course, it was almost 11 a.m. when I got there and I expected low activity, but a walk along the creek turned up no Buntings and none of the Warblers he saw yesterday; also, no sign of Hammond's Flycatcher. There was plenty of activity on the part of both species of Jay and also House Wrens, as well as calls from both Mountain and California Quail, but the highlight here was getting both a Western Wood-Pewee and an Olive-sided Flycatcher sitting together in plain view in the same sycamore. Great Teaching moment for new birders; wish I had a decent camera for the photo.
Now on to flowers:As in my previous visit, wildflowers along Figueroa Mountain Road are present but in patches. With the exception of Lupine, which is wide-spread, there are stretches where there are no flowers at all. Some new species since my visit a month ago were Chinese Houses along the roadside banks, Ball Gilia in patches starting at the entrance to Pino Alto Road; Mariposa Lillies along the roadside of the Sedgwick Reserve.
After East Pinery, I continued down to Cachuma Camp. I found some really nice patches of Chia Sage along the roadside's steep bank, more Gilia, Bush Poppies and Bush Lupines. Near Cachuma Camp, I began picking up the pink Checkerbloom plants. The real treat was spotting a whole hillside of Mariposa Lillies at a point about a mile past the intersection of Figueroa Mountain Road and Sunset Valley Road. The hillside was obviously badly burned and even the grass along the steep slopes is scant, but there are dozens of white Mariposas there in two patches.
I skipped going to De La Guerra Springs today--will save that for another plant foray trip.
Florence Sanchez
