Monday, February 25, 2008

Birding @ UCI

Well today I walked back from my class in the school of engineering area - it's about a 35 minute walk if you keep a fairly leisurely but steady pace. There were orange-crowned warblers calling from a grassy ravine filled with arroyo willow, where a great blue heron stalked for prey, and plenty of American and lesser goldfinches along the pathway. 
A pair of northern mockingbirds outside the ARC were not pleased by my presence, and even less so when I pished a few times to see if they'd come any closer. A flock of bushtits were interested in the sound of my inhaler as I took a few puffs to quell the wheezing from walking uphill. (Leigh needs to get in better shape) A black phoebe called from the spokes of someone's television antennae as I turned the corner from California to Arroyo Dr.
Even now as I sit in my apartment typing this up, I heard a flock of goldfinches go stone silent as a red-shouldered hawk cried "keer keer keer keer" from somewhere nearby, another lovely day on campus at UCI.

No comments: