Apple Harvest Time at Lake Cuyamaca, Part 1

This is the time of the year that the apples in Julian are ripe and ready to be harvested. The little mountain town of Julian, California, famous for apple orchards, becomes packed with visitors looking for a quaint getaway and to celebrate the "Apple Harvest".  Entering the little town, the driving speed turns to a snail's pace. The town is brimming with visitors walking and filling the sidewalk. They overflow into the streets at times. Arriving in cars and motor bikes, all come to enjoy and have a fun getaway for the weekend. Everyone is here to have fun and share in the popular yearly festivity.  And of course get a piece of that famous apple pie from Julian.

 

The excitement of the happy visitors packing the streets of the tiny town is contagious and uplifts our mood as we all celebrate this annual festivity. Smiling back at all the happy faces enjoying the fantastic weather and fresh air of the Julian mountains, we head to Lake Cuyamaca. Here is a shot of some apples found in the orchard at the far end of the south parking lot at the lake.

I was eager to take a little walk around the lake to look for some interesting bird subjects. I first spot the ever aggressive Great Blue Heron near the shore.

On the grass near the shore, I spot a bird I have not seen before. Appears to be some kind of a Pipit. Could this be a Sprague's Pipit?

Another side shot.Thank you Greg  for identifying this bird as an American Pipit. It is still a life bird for me!

The lake is still low and there are lots of ducks and coots foraging in the shallows.

A Great Egret flies by.

The Great Egret is always a welcome sight. His beautiful wide wingspan moves in slow motion over the lake.

As we head around the southeast side of the lake, I was surprised by the presence of this raptor hovering high above our location. It's a White-tailed Kite looking for prey. They are known to hunt for small rodents by sight as they hover high in the air looking for prey.

White-tailed Kite, Elanus leucurus measures 15 inches long with a wingspan of 39 inches.

He hovers a little and moves on flying east as he hunts for dinner.(Males and females look alike).

There are always people enjoying the lake on horseback. Here are a couple of riders enjoying the beautiful trails of Lake Cuyamaca.

On the east side of the lake I pass by a large pine tree and spot a White-breasted Nuthatch with a pine nut in his beak.

White-breasted Nuthatch, Sitta carolinensis measures 5.75 inches long with a wingspan of 11 inches.

They are usually found climbing limbs and trunks of trees upside down as they glean insects and look for seeds.

He turns right side up as he creeps up the side of the tree with a pine nut in his beak.

He creeps around the trunk and pops up on the other side.

Uses the trunk to stab at the nut.

Showing off his prize.

One last shot of the Nuthatch before he flies off.

Looking towards the lake I spot a familiar sight. It's a female Belted Kingfisher.

She hovers looking for prey.

Drops down and flies near the water surface pulling out of her dive. The fish must have hid.

The Kingfisher is up and hovering again.

She spots her prey.

Down she splashes.

She is under water.

Finally surfaces.

Oops, looks like she is tangled in some fishing line or debris.

She slams back down into the water.

The Kingfisher struggles in the water.

She has a fish in her bill and comes back up ready to fly.

Oh no, she is still tangled.

Back into the water.

She twists and turns.

 

Pops up again.

No, she appears to struggle back in the water again.

Finally free of the debris, she flies off with her fish.

She really had to work for this meal.

The Kingfisher flies close to the water surface and passes by a few American Coots.

Another Coot swims by as she takes her fish to her favorite perch.

Passing by the coot with fish in her bill.

The Great Blue Heron lands announcing his arrival.

We finally head back to the camper van. I spot a pair of Red-naped Sapsuckers exploring the large treetop near the parking area.

A back shot of a juvenile Red-naped Sapsucker on a nearby telephone pole.

There were many Yellow-rumped Warblers in the apple orchard near the south parking area of the lake.

I spotted this Nuthatch hopping up the tree trunk near the camper van.

This little White-breasted Nuthatch looked quite tired.

The puffiness of his feathers gives an appearance of this little guy being quite young.

He flies off and we are ready to go to the campsite at KQ Ranch for the night and return to the lake early tomorrow for more bird subjects.

Next... Apple Harvest Time at Cuyamaca, Part 2