The bird of the month for December is the great egret. We
found this one spearing minnows in the shallows at the Santee Lakes Recreation
Preserve.
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| (click on photo to enlarge) |
Santee is a birder’s paradise because of the variety of
habitats found here. Raptors, flycatchers and many types of songbirds can
be seen in the riparian zone along the San Diego River.
We recently spotted a kingfisher along the river,
but it was skittish and wouldn’t sit still for a photograph. The chaparral and coastal sage scrub habitat common to the hills surrounding Santee are home to native species such as the California gnatcatcher, scrub jay, and the state bird, the California quail.
