Bird Watching in San Diego County

Bird watching is one of the easiest hobbies to get hooked into. Fresh air and nature go hand in hand, add in bird watching and hiking takes on a whole new prospective. San Diego is a haven for over 480 species of birds, some residents and others take haven here during the migration along the west coast. To get started, one only needs a good quality binoculars (it should be noted that many of the park offices offer rentals on binoculars. Check with park to find out prices) and a sturdy pair of hiking boots. While this article does not offer all of the locations, it does offer websites that help one determine a full route to take to see all of what San Diego bird watching has to offer.

A few of the more well known sites include:

Cuyamaca Peak during the summer for such birds as white-headed woodpecker and the green tail towhee;

San Elijo Lagoon during the entire year. This spot is on the migration path for waterfowl including the California gnatcatcher and the white tail kite; and

Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery during the Spring and Fall for this is a migration path of a variety of warblers including the Canada warbler and the chestnut-sided warbler. It is also a migratory path for the American Redstart and the ovenbird.

To find out all of the places that one can go on bird watching tours, one can visit these sites to see which birds are visiting and which times are best to see them:

Chula Vista NatureCenter. www.chulavistanaturecenter.org. This is the most popular location to learn about the birds that live in and migrate to San Diego County. The site offers listings as well as seasons and times for the best viewing of the birds.

San Diego Natural History Museum.www.sdnhm.org/research/birdatlas/index.html. The museum offers one of the largest online atlases of birds that live and migrate to San Diego and has been dubbed one of the most extensive projects in its history. The museum continually educates and updates the atlas and even offers rare species that are known to come to San Diego.

San Diego Audubon Society.www.sandiegoaudubon.org. For all your bird watching needs. This site offers details of locations and how to get to them as well as the best times to view the birds during the migration. The Audubon Society also offers field trips during the different seasons and the site has a wealth of information for both the novice and the expert bird watcher.