Scorpion Canyon, Santa Cruz Island, CA
Birding Channel Islands National Park
I’m somewhat ashamed to say I lived in LA for 13 years before I took a boat ride out to Santa Cruz Island in the Channel Islands National Park. It’s not like it’s an arduous journey. The boat leaves out of Ventura, just an hour from home. The boat ride is just over an hour. Thanks to our west coast weather, you can go all year long. The real kicker – there is a species of bird on Santa Cruz Island–the Island Scrub Jay–that lives nowhere else in the world. And it’s easy to find!
At long last, I pulled the trigger on boat reservations ($72 round trip these days) in January. The weather forecast included sun and minimal winds. I got up early to drive to Ventura Harbor to catch the boat with Island Packers. I got there with enough time to check out the Ventura Settling Ponds and walk the beach before the boat set sail at 9am. Seas were pleasant. Within 100 yards of the dock on Santa Cruz Island, I’d spotted my first adorable Island Fox (a species of fox found only on the Channel Islands).
A few minutes later, as I walked the path up Scorpion Canyon from the landing through the campground, I saw my lifer Island Scrub Jay. While their population is stable, they’re still one of the USA’s rarest birds. The entire population (a couple thousand birds) lives only on this island. They’re a bit larger than our mainland California Scrub Jay, and are a darker blue in color. I ended up seeing over a dozen throughout the day.
Island Fox – 5 pounds of calm cuteness
The Scorpion Canyon Campground is a great place for birds. It’s full of bushes and tall trees, and a creek/drainage runs down it. In addition to the Island Scrub Jays I saw, a Loggerhead Shrike was hunting from a perch and a wing-tagged Common Raven was walking about. A Northern Flicker, an American Kestrel, and a Hutton’s Vireo were some of the other highlights from the campground area. Who knows what juicy vagrants end up there during migration.
Loggerhead Shrike
Common Raven
Hiking Santa Cruz Island
My boat ride back to Ventura didn’t leave until 3:30pm, so I had a few hours to explore Santa Cruz Island. After walking the campground, I decided to head in the direction of Potato Harbor. It’s a 2.2 mile hike on-way from the boat landing. After a short little climb, the hike follows the top of a cliff/mesa through chaparral. The views were stunning.
The hike to Potato Harbor
As I walked, Bewick’s Wrens and Spotted Towhees popped up regularly along the way. In one grassy flat area, I found a trio of Horned Larks. Here and there White-crowned Sparrows flitted from bush to bush. I spied a few loons and gulls and pelicans and cormorants along the coast and out in the water.
Bewick’s Wren
Horned Lark
I had enough time to easily make it all the way to the stunning overlook of Potato Harbor. On a beautiful sunny day, the shallow waters sparkled and the green vegetation on the cliffs popped (thank you, recent rains!). There didn’t look to be any easy way down to the water’s edge.
Potato Harbor, Santa Cruz Island
The boat ride back added some pelagic birds to an already wonderful day in nature. In addition to dolphins, I spied a Rhinoceros Auklet, a Cassin’s Auklet, some Common Murres, Common and Red-throated Loons, and Black-vented Shearwaters. I can’t wait to get back out there — maybe during migration for a chance at some wildly off-course vagrant. If I can pull it off, I’d love to camp overnight.
