Arrive at Lindbergh Field (San Diego Airport) by late afternoon or early evening. We will bird some nearby areas such as the San Diego River Flood Control Channel, Famosa Slough, and Mission Bay as time permits. Overnight in San Diego.

We'll concentrate on the coastal areas around San Diego. Stops will include Tijuana Slough where one of our targets will be Clapper Rail, the estuary of the Tijuana River for "Large-billed" Savannah Sparrow and possibly Pacific Golden-Plover, and the south end of San Diego Bay where we might find a Eurasian Wigeon or Reddish Egret. Later in the day we'll continue north along the coast to La Jolla Cove for Black Turnstone, Wandering Tattler, and possibly Surfbird. If time permits, we'll proceed to Torrey Pines State Park and look for California Gnatcatcher. Second night in San Diego.

Moving inland, we'll bird in the foothills, stopping at locations such as Lake Hodges and Mission Gorge. We should be seeing many of the "California" birds by this point of the tour: California Gnatcatcher, California Towhee, California Thrasher, California Quail, and California Gull. The coastal form of the Sage Sparrow ("Bell's" Sparrow), Wrentit, Nuttall's Woodpecker, and Oak Titmouse are several other California specialties that will be targeted today. Third night in San Diego.

Today we'll make the drive from San Diego to the Salton Sea. Along the way, we'll be passing over the mountains where we'll stop to bird the higher elevation chaparral habitat. Fox Sparrow and Lawrence's Goldfinch are likely additions to the trip list. We'll be certain to be at the world-famous Salton Sea for the spectacular sight as the sun sets behind the mountains. Overnight in Calipatria.

The Salton Sea and surrounding areas have incredible birding, and we'll take the entire day to explore all of the possibilities. Desert birding will be the focus early in the day. Many birds of the coast are locally replaced by their desert counterparts. Instead of California Quail, Nuttall's Woodpecker, California Gnatcatcher, and California Thrasher, our targets will be Gambel's Quail, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, and Crissal Thrasher, among others. Ruddy Ground-Dove is a possibility, also. We'll be looking for longspurs, Mountain Plover, Long-billed Curlew, and Burrowing Owls in the agricultural fields that surround the southern portion of the Salton Sea. Heading back to the Sea itself, shorebirds and other aquatic species will round out our list for the day. Yellow-footed Gulls, while common in the summer, are rare at this time of year, but we'll definitely be looking for this local species while we're here. Second night in Calipatria.

We'll spend much of the day in the Anza-Borrego Desert. We'll stop at Clark's Dry Lake to look for Le Conte's Thrasher, where we should also see Black-throated and Brewer's Sparrows. Barn and Long-eared Owls often roost at the Tamarisk Grove campground. Costa's Hummingbird, Rock Wren, and Verdin are just a few of the other species we should see. Last night in Calipatria.

We'll drive west today and visit the higher elevation habitats of the Laguna and Cuyamaca mountains. In the mountaintop pine forests, we'll see Acorn Woodpeckers, Steller's Jays, and Pygmy Nuthatches. We'll also return to some nice chaparral habitat. This is the habitat of Mountain Quail, a species that is often very difficult to see. Spending some extra time in this region will increase our chances of finding this elusive bird. Overnight back in San Diego.

This will be an "open" day to look for anything that may have eluded us. We may want to have an early start in the chaparral to try for Mountain Quail or Lawrence's Goldfinch, or maybe we'll visit a rocky coastline to look for a Surfbird or Black Oystercatcher. There is always the chance for a hotline bird or two for us to pursue. Our final night in San Diego.

If time permits, we will do some morning birding before heading to the San Diego Airport to catch our departing flights, the end a wonderful long week in Southern California.

SPECIAL NOTE: If you are not a U.S. citizen, please have appropriate identification and documentation such as a passport or green card with you. We won't be traveling out of the country, but we may pass through U.S. Border Patrol checkpoints on our way to and from the Salton Sea. Non-citizens may be asked to provide this documentation.

John Puschock is a former resident of San Diego and has led many tours in this region. He will do his best to help you find all of the specialty birds of Southern California.

$2395 per person based upon double occupancy. Single accommodations are available at an extra charge of $435.

Expert guide service, lodging for all eight nights, ALL meals, all ground transportation within California, and entrance fees. ALL tips are also included in the tour fee, except for anything that you may wish to give to your tour leader(s).
Does not include the cost of alcoholic beverages or items of a personal nature. Also not included is the cost of airfare to San Diego.

A $600 deposit will assure your reservation on the tour. The balance is due 1 October 2008.

We offer the services of our exclusive BIRD TREKS travel agent, Lori Heathcote, in arranging your air travel. Lori has 22 years of experience in the travel industry and is a veteran birder. Contact her through Bailey Travel at 1-800-224-5399, or you can e-mail lori@baileytravel.com. By dealing with Lori you have the security of a 24-hour toll-free telephone number in case of any travel emergency. She can also assist you with all pre- and post-tour travel plans.

With written notice more than 60 days prior to the first day of the tour, 100% of your deposit will be refunded, minus a $75 service fee. With 30-60 days notice, you will receive a 50% refund of the full cost of the tour. No refund can be made with less than 30 days notice. You will receive a full refund if you provide a replacement for your spot on the tour. No partial refund can be given once a tour begins. We strongly recommend that you purchase trip cancellation insurance to protect your investment in case of injury or illness to you or your family prior to or during a tour. Click on the following link to Access America or contact BIRD TREKS for information on obtaining this coverage.