If I Were Going...: Birding at Sea #1 – Planning and Land Excursions

Left, Black-Footed Albatross; right, birders on deck

This was a new experience for me: birding on a cruise ship from Los Angeles to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. I’m not a “big ship” person, but this was an exceptionally inexpensive opportunity to try something different.

My birding pal, Sue, invited me to join her and two of her other birding friends, Michelle and Cathy, who both live near Houston, on this adventure.

Me, Sue, Cathy and Michelle

The plan was to fly to Los Angeles and take the Star Princess from LA to Vancouver.

Our transportation for the pelagic portions

While onboard, we participated in a pelagic birdwatching tour with a birding outfit called NatureScape Tours.

Although we anticipated having one guide for our small group, which also included Mike and Rich from the Dallas area, we actually had two guides: our main guide, Rick Bowers, and Bryan Calk.

Left, Bryan; right, Rick

Sue, who goes on lots of guided birding trips, had traveled with NatureScape Tours before. This was my first guided birding tour. Since it was relatively low-key and inexpensive, it seemed like a good way to try out the milieu.

After this trip, I can certainly see the value of talented guides. More on that later.

Setting up was a bit more difficult than I would have thought.

The owner, Kim Risen, is exceptionally difficult to get a hold of and takes a very long time to respond to inquiries, mainly because he is often out guiding birding trips.

The weather was not conducive to crisp photos

After being on the ship, which had exceptionally poor Internet, I can see how maintaining business contacts while guiding could be rough. But, maybe someone back home could handle inquiries ...

Also, NatureScape does not take credit cards – just checks – which I found a bit odd (and disappointing, since I charge EVERYTHING so I can get AA miles).

If not for Sue’s recommendation, I would have given up long before we booked. But, I am glad it all worked out because it was a lot of fun and I got 37 new birds, most of which I was able to photograph.

Unfortunately, a lot of the trip was foggy and gray, so I can’t boast a lot of stellar photos.

In addition the tour aboard the ship, our plan also included an overnight trip to Ventura, California, with a boat trip to Santa Cruz Island to look for the Island Scrub-Jay – a bird neither Sue nor I had ever seen, and an overnight trip from Vancouver to Victoria, British Columbia, to see the Eurasian Skylark, one of Sue's missing birds.

Left, Island Scrub-Jay; right, Eurasian Skylark (the pictures hint that we were successful)

We flew into LAX, arriving just before noon and were picked up by Rick. He was personable and, as I learned during the week, knowledgeable without being overbearing or difficult (I hear some birding guides can be a bit prickly or inclined to death march tactics).

We were the last of the six tour members to arrive, so we grabbed our lunch to go and headed north to Ventura for some first-day birding. Something I liked about this trip – and something non-birders would probably hate – is that we birded every minute it was possible.

Our first stop was supposed to be Cañada Larga Road, a very popular birding spot in Ventura County. But, one tour member requested a bathroom break, so we made a – as it turned out not-so-quick stop – at nearby Foster Park. And, boom! We saw birds, including several Lifers for me, including the adorable Oak Titmouse …

Oak Titmouse, Foster Park

A few California Towhees (most in the trees; this one in the parking lot) …

California Towhee, Foster Park

The Pacific Slope Flycatcher …

Pacific Slope Flycatcher, Foster Park

Plus, we saw a few favorites that I had seen before, including the comical-looking Acorn Woodpecker …

Acorn Woodpecker, Foster Park

The Ash-Throated Flycatcher …

Ash-Throated Flycatcher, Foster Park

And, quite a few that I didn’t grab photos of, including Turkey Vultures, American Crows, Bushtits, Bewick's Wren (a Lifer that I couldn’t capture in the thick foliage; luckily I got a chance later) and a Song Sparrow.

Map: Google

That’s pretty long haul for a potty break. Luckily, it was a good birding spot.

But, the we moved on to our destination, Cañada (pronounced KUH-NAH-DUH) Larga Road, which winds through historic Rancho Cañada Larga, one of the last undeveloped major land parcels in California.

Rancho Cañada Larga has 6,500 contiguous acres of rolling hills, streams, oak groves and pasturelands and is now being split up into homesites. Owned by only two families since the late 1800s, this ranch is currently used only for cattle grazing. The road was narrow, winding and rolling and a popular birding site.

It was getting late and overcast, so photography was a struggle (this is the theme of most of the trip).

At this location, we saw these new ones (for me), including California Scrub-Jay ...

California Scrub-Jay, Cañada Larga Road

A sassy little Wrentit jumping in the thick roadside grasses …

Wrentit, Cañada Larga Road

Some Hooded Orioles …

Male Hooded Oriole, Cañada Larga Road

Plus, some good repeats, including a couple of far away and fast-moving Greater Roadrunners …

Greater Roadrunner, Cañada Larga Road

A cute little Anna's Hummingbird that kept jumping from one far-away branch to another …

Male Anna's Hummingbird, Cañada Larga Road

A soaring Turkey Vulture (well, actually, about 50 of them) …

Turkey Vulture, Cañada Larga Road

Some Western Bluebirds …

Western Bluebird, Cañada Larga Road

One California Thrasher …

California Thrasher, Cañada Larga Road

A Northern Mockingbird with a snack …

Northern Mockingbird, Cañada Larga Road

A really pretty Phainopepla …

Male Phainopepla, Cañada Larga Road

Lots more California Towhees (just 30 minutes before it was a Lifer, now just a Repeat) ...

California Towhees, Cañada Larga Road

Blue Grosbeaks …

Male Blue Grosbeak, Cañada Larga Road

A Lazuli Bunting (my first photo of the brightly colored male, too bad it was all the way across the canyon) …

Male Lazuli Bunting, Cañada Larga Road

And, some (actually a lot when I view the list) I didn’t successfully photograph …

Other species we saw

Eurasian Collared Doves, Mourning Doves, a White-throated Swift, Red-tailed Hawks, more Acorn Woodpeckers, a Northern Flicker, some Black Phoebes, more Ash-throated Flycatchers, Western Kingbirds, American Crows, Common Ravens, Bushtits, House Wrens, lots of European Starlings, House Finches, Song Sparrows, Bullock’s Orioles, Red-winged Blackbirds, Black-headed Grosbeaks, House Sparrows and Northern Rough-winged, Violet-green, Cliff, Barn and Tree Swallows (why even try in dim light, these suckers are fast!).

Now, yes, that sounds like a lot of birds to miss, but, as I said it was cloudy and getting dark.

I already have good photos of these birds, so I just didn’t waste my time, knowing they were too far and it was too dark for a good outcome. And, really, aren’t you glad you didn’t have to look at individual photos of all those birds?

Unfortunately, I also had a few painful misses … a Nuttal's Woodpecker – the only one I have ever seen that I just could not grab a focus on before it flew away, ANOTHER Bewick’s Wren I didn’t see and a White-tailed Kite way too far away to even attempt a photo; I am shocked our guides even saw it (but they are GOOD)!

Left to right: Nuttal's Woodpecker (photo: Cornell), Bewick's Wren, White-tailed Kite

When it got too dark to carry on, we took off for our hotel and had a lovely dinner at Brophy Brothers at Ventura Harbor where I was able to stick to my diet with a small salad and some yummy boiled shrimp. During dinner, we got to know each other and discussed the many, many Western Gulls wheeling around the harbor.