[EBB Sightings] birding at Monument Hill

Dear Birders:

On my frequent visits to the UC Botanical Garden, I'm always drawn to the upper reaches of Strawberry Canyon outside the Garden fence that rise steeply to Monument Hill. Yesterday I decided to explore the area, hoping in particular to locate the elusive California Thrasher.? With a younger, more able friend, we started up near the top of Panoramic Way where we crossed over to the Upper Fire Trail avoiding the very steep connector section that connects the Lower Fire Trail to the Upper Fire Trail.

Though bird activity and song are on the decline in mid-July, there was plenty to see and hear? We saw or heard the resident Red-shouldered Hawk, singing American Goldfinches, Purple Finch, Wrentit, Spotted Towhee, but alas, no thrasher who may have left the Canyon.? I was relieved to hear the lusty "pip-pip" call of an Olive-side Flycatcher.  A Swainson's Thrushes flute-like song drifted up to us from somewhere far below probably coming from the dense vegetation along the headwaters of Strawberry Creek.

The first half-mile or so traverses the north-facing slope dense with shade-loving vegetation like flowering creambush, hazelnut, currants, and an inviting grove of planted dark green cypress with fresh grass beneath kept bright green by fog-drip.? It's when you round a bend in the road, to the west-facing slope that you enter a region of native coastal scrub,  dominated by wind-pruned baccharus (coyote bush) along with sage, buckwheat, sticky monkey flower, Indian paintbrush,and bush lupine.? 

I know of no other local scrub areas as pristine as this one.  And though we heard or so nothing unusual, the area is worthy of repeated visits.

To see photos of the area, check out savestrawberrycanyon.org and click on "photos." 

-Phila Rogers