Ojai Botanic Gardens

With Tracey and James we went to a private botanical garden (Taft) in the foothills of the Santa Barbara mountains near Ojai in the morning and then a quick visit to Lake Casilas followed by refreshments at 'Dukes' at the beachfront in San Buenaventura with a peak at the shore.

At the Botanic gardens we met up with Jenn for a stroll. There was a fine display of Swallowtail butterflies on the wing at this time and I had a close view of a California Ground Squirrel. Not a lot to see in the way of birds except a motley collection of parrots in cages at a rehabilitation centre. Molluccans, Hyacinth Macaw, several species of Amazona and Aratinga, Thick-billed Parrot, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Cockatiel, Peach-faced Lovebirds and even one scruffy Sulphur-crested Cockatoo! As we were leaving Alice found the headless corpse of a still moving Rattlesnake, obviously killed recently by one of the Mexican gardeners. So unnecessary.

Swallowtail butterfly

California Ground Squirrel

Noteworthy birds included several Turkey Vultures, both soaring and perched on the road perched on telegraph poles. Also seen were few Red-tailed Hawk and an American Kestrel in flight that momentarily I took for a colorful marked owl until I realized the tail was far to long. A pair of Common Raven were calling often from a deep Canyon extending back from the gardens and I had some good close views of California Thrasher.

Information compiled for the Central Coast Birding Trail by the National Audubon Society - California, avilable on the website for Ventura [http://ca-ccbt.info/Ventura.htm] shows the following:

LAKE CASITAS [Restrooms, Parking, Fee or park outside main gate. Camping.] Habitat: Open Lake, freshwater marsh, oak woodland, open meadows.Location: From Hwy 101 in Ventura, take Hwy 33 North. Exit Casitas Vista Rd (approx. 5 miles). Turn right. Go under freeway, cross Ventura River and continue ~1mile to 1st right turn across another bridge (Santa Ana Rd.). Follow Santa Ana Rd. to lake (4 miles). Entrance to lake will be on left. Pay fee to enter, or park outside and walk in. Once in park, stay left and walk/drive to marina area, making sure to check inlet on the right side of road.Highlights: Clark's and Western Grebes year-round. During high water they nest in protected bay inland from marina, ducks, Osprey and Bald Eagle in winter, Cassin's Kingbird in eucalyptus along Santa Ana Rd. White-breasted Nuthatch in pines, Western Bluebird in open meadows. Hooded and Bullock's Oriole in spring and summer. Good variety of sparrows in winter.Best season: winter for grebes, ducks, raptors and sparrows. Spring and summer for breeding grebes, bluebirds and orioles.

We paid the entrance fee so that we could look more closely at the shoreline but in the heat of the day it was not very profitable in terms of anything very interesting in the way of birds. However, I did find Pied-billed Grebe, Horned Grebe and Western Grebe but I could not spot a Clark's Grebe in the little time available. This is a know breeding site for this species that is very like the Western. Double-crested Cormorant and a fine Great-blue Heron and scores of American Coot. Amongst the mobile homes and campers I saw some Red-winged Blackbirds and a few Great-tailed Grackles.

Working around the surfers and sunbathers during a brief look at the beach in San Buenaventura I found plenty of Western Gull a scruffy looking Glaucous-winged Gull and remarkably three very tame Willet feverishly active at the tideline dodging the lapping waves and the bathers! There were two equally confiding Wandering Tattlers and a few Black Turnstone near a rocky breakwater with a Surfbird at its outer end. Quite a collection in a most unlikely setting and not the easiest place to go scanning the scene with bin's without some embarrassment! It was for this reason I did not also have my camera with me which was, in hindsight, a mistake.

To another private garden nearer to home in the late afternoon and finally to a viewing of Hamlet (Olivier 1948 version) in the evening on a super luxurious Bang & Olafsen audiovisual system. The start of Hamlet was accompanied by the loud calling of nearby Coyote!