Re: San Ysidro Dippers
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Becky Hoban <bhoban@...>
Cher Hollingworth and I went back down to Montecito again this a.m. to look
for the Dipper, this time paying special attention to detail so that we could help direct other birders to the spot. Thanks to very detailed verbal instructions that I received from Liz Mason yesterday, we had no trouble finding the area today. We did, by the way, find the adult Dipper (we finally got a visual on it at 1115---it was still quite overcast at the time), but failed to find any juveniles. The Dipper was singing almost constantly and calling intermittently, sounding as if he would go up the opposite bank at times before returning to the water. This a.m. he was working the area around the actual swimming hole (vs the boulder downstream from it), sitting on rocks around the edges, and working up the little waterfall above the pool and then back down again. We got a long terrific look at him just standing there on one leg stretching his wings and blinking his little eyes with his bright white eyelids flashing. Cool bird!! At any rate, I have just a little more detail to add to Rebecca's instructions listed below.... After you park the car, walk up the hill following the signs that point to the 'trail' and walk around a chain link gate and onto the dirt road. You will have to pass around a SECOND chain link gate before you come to the correct trail marker. The proper trail marker is the ONLY ONE on the right side of the road, and is the FIRST one that you'll come to AFTER going around the 2nd gate. It is a wooden sign that merely says "trail". Follow that trail up the hill to the right as Rebecca says, with the creek remaining on your left as you go up the hill. In case you are uncertain about identifying the actual swimming hole.... As you come ABREAST of the pool, the trail suddenly looks as if someone has roughly paved it with concrete using horizontal striations to increase footing (you can't miss this part if you watch where you're walking). There the trail makes a switchback (the very first switchback that you'll encounter) to the right, and then to the left. If you happen to get onto the concrete part then you've gone just a few steps too far, and you'll need to turn around and go back to the dirt part of the trail. Once off of the concrete, walk the few paces back over to the edge of the creek and look down to see the pool. I hope this helps.... Good luck birders! Becky Hoban bhoban@... At 08:18 AM 9/1/99 -0800, you wrote: Here's what I can offer to anyone having difficulty finding this place(Monday was MY first time on this trail--any Montecito regulars out there might beable to enlighten further):that says "Trail." Follow it. You'll go through some fairly dense oak/baywoodland, and will climb a little away from the creek, but you'll keep dropping down toJust before you come to the swimming hole, you'll pass a sheer rock face on theright side of the trail. You're almost there. I checked a trail guide last nightat the bookstore that says the swimming hole is about 1.5 miles from thetrailhead. You can't miss the pool--it's deeper than any other you've seen so far alongthe way, and is a natural spot for a dip (not to mention a couple of dippers, whichwere right there above it).nearest Co,city or town would be helpful. There are members to this group from SLO assumeSanta Maria, Lompoc, Santa Ynez Valley, the south coast (and places inbetween),and Ventura Co. I think it helps if we can be as specific as possible- not havethat someone might come from out of town to see a good bird and is notfamiliarwith the location. shakyCreekseen that. Here are the directions to San Ysidro Creek: out-of-towndistance estimate--if anyone else can be more specific that would be where Sanbirders, if locations were a little more specific. I don't know ------------------------------------------------------------------------Ysidro Creek is, for example. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
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