A Halloween Morning in the Mountains

Dark-eyed Junco

Last weekend, we headed to Cuyamaca Rancho State Park near San Diego for a hike on the Stonewall Mine and Lake Cuyamaca route via the Marty Minshall Trail.

Trail View

It was a cloudy October Halloween morning, creating a cool and comfortable setting for exploring the park. We were looking forward to another morning of hiking and birdwatching, and this outing turned out to be especially memorable.

Overlook

An Easy Trail Through Cuyamaca

Trail View

The hike covered 3.2 miles and was easy in difficulty, making it a great way to enjoy the scenery around Stonewall Mine and Lake Cuyamaca.

Deer

The trail offered plenty of opportunities to watch for wildlife, and we found ourselves stopping often to observe the birds along the way.

Overlook

A Great Start with Raptors

White-tailed Kite

We spotted a White-tailed Kite during the hike, always an impressive bird to see. Even more exciting was a pair of Northern Harriers hunting nearby. Watching the two raptors search for prey added some action to the morning, and we were happy to have several excellent birds of prey on our list.

Northern Harrier

Sparrows, Turkeys, and Woodpeckers

White-crowned Sparrow

There were plenty of familiar Cuyamaca residents around as well. We saw many White-crowned Sparrows, a few Wild Turkeys, and lots of Acorn Woodpeckers.

Wild Turkey

The woodpeckers were especially noticeable throughout the hike, while the turkeys were a fun reminder of how much wildlife can be found in this part of the park.

Acorn Woodpeckers

A First Encounter with Red Crossbills

Red Crossbill (Male)

One of the biggest highlights came when we encountered many Red Crossbills. This was our first time seeing the species, making the sighting particularly exciting.

Trail View

Finding so many of them together was an incredible surprise and gave us plenty of time to appreciate these distinctive birds.

Red Crossbill (Female)

A Different Kind of Dark-eyed Junco

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

We also spotted many Ruby-crowned Kinglets moving through the vegetation. Among the other small birds, one Dark-eyed Junco caught our attention: a Gray-headed variety.

Overlook

It was a particularly interesting sighting and a nice addition to the growing list of birds we have encountered in Cuyamaca.

Dark-eyed Junco (Gray-headed)

Another First: The Red-naped Sapsucker

Red-naped Sapsucker

Another major highlight was a Red-naped Sapsucker, another species we were seeing for the first time. Adding a new bird to our life list is always exciting, and getting two first-time species during the same hike made this Halloween outing even more rewarding.

Overlook

A Rare Hawk to End the Morning

Zone-tailed Hawk

As if the morning hadn't already delivered enough surprises, we also spotted a Zone-tailed Hawk. This is a rare bird to encounter, so seeing one during our hike was a fantastic highlight.

Trail View

Between the unusual hawk, the first-time Red Crossbills, and the Red-naped Sapsucker, we couldn't have asked for a much better birdwatching day.

Overlook

An Unforgettable Halloween Hike

Overlook

Our 3.2-mile outing around Stonewall Mine and Lake Cuyamaca turned into a truly memorable morning. From the pair of hunting Northern Harriers and the many Acorn Woodpeckers to our first Red Crossbills and Red-naped Sapsucker, capped off by the rare Zone-tailed Hawk, the variety of sightings was remarkable.

Chipmunk

It was a wonderful way to spend Halloween morning together, and another great reminder of why we keep coming back to explore Cuyamaca Rancho State Park.

Rose