Continuing on with U.S. west coast content, reporting today from a recent visit to El Corte de Madera Creek Open Space Preserve off California State Route 35 in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Rugged coastal countryside and beautiful mature redwood forest, e.g., Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), Pacific Madrone (Arbutus menziesii), California bay laurel (Umbellularia californica), Tanbark-oak (Notholithocarpus densiflorus), etc.
Due to the thick foliage, many birds (e.g., Pacific Wren, Western Flycatcher, Spotted Towhee) were only heard and not seen. One exception, several very noisy/busy Chestnut-backed Chickadees:
This is the location of the Tafoni Sandstone, a locally famous, rather giant sandstone monolith on the side of the forested mountainside:
Surprise “bird of the day,” multiple sightings of amazing Band-tailed Pigeon, very high up in the trees. Key features: yellow beak with dark tip, white neck crescent, pale band at end of tail (if you can see it), very deep, owl-like cooing vocalizations, and loud flapping upon takeoff.
Due to the dense, tall foliage, very hard to take pictures. Lucky to get even these few.
Pigeons in the redwoods, who knew?
Later, back at the trailhead @ Skeggs Point turnout, a trio of Red-tailed Hawk:
How nice to walk among those old familiar coastal trees. Lots of memories from the ‘good old days.’
One shot of the sandstone monolith looks like a skull ready to eat the person standing below it!
It does look like that! Very interesting spot for a hike. Plus birds!