San Jacinto in amber light

I have been so busy at work that I haven't taken pictures of birds in a month. The light has been really strange of late. Below is the sky last evening over Gavilan Mountain.

There is a lot of ash in the air and the chroma of the light has been simply other worldly.

Last night the temperature dropped forty degrees or more.

It was sprinkling this morning, about 71°, in contrast to 114° the day before yesterday.

I took this picture of the sea squill spike in my garden this morning. I sat down at my desk after coffee and honestly had no drive or focus.

I decided to play hooky and drive out to the nature preserve at San Jacinto. Midday, the worst time to visit. I knew that and didn't care, wanted to take personal and avian inventory at my sacred place.

I got there and the place was basically bone dry. The recent 120° weather had soaked up most of the ponds.

I did manage to see a couple birds and still have a wonderful time, imperfect conditions notwithstanding.

Like this female harrier gliding across the marsh, beak agape.

A Cassins kingbird on a wire, high lit by the peach sky.

Lots of stilts and ibis. It's really beautiful light, isn't it?

I know that I am easily amused but even with the paucity of birds I was content. I did see the normal hangers on, kestrels, red winged blackbirds, red necked phalaropes, black phoebes and even a loggerhead shrike, but not much else.

solitary sandpiper

The warm light of the ash filled sky gave everything a lovely glow.

Leslie warned me about breathing the ash, which is toxic.

I couldn't stop myself, took a short hike anyway.

Hopefully did not decrease my odds of hastening my mortality too much.

There is so little water out there and I really wanted to see what was hanging around.

Not much. That's all right. I like my spot in any season.

Did have a juvenile night heron fly by out of the corner of my eye. Very beautiful bird.

Slim pickings but glad I went and as always, can't wait to come back.