RVing requires flexibility. When our reserved sites at the state park were too small for our rigs, we secured the last two spots at Sunrise RV park just a few minutes before they closed! The location in Santa Barbara turned out to be great for us to visit friends and spend time at the beach, just a few blocks away. We watched the sunset from the beach the first night while Asher fished.
The next day, I went birding at Andree Clark Bird Refuge then walked to the beach to meet the family and our friends, the Israelis, then Courtney and Deann later joined us.
That night we walked along the downtown shops with our friends, and of course, stopped for ice cream. Asher was happy to find a shop with his name on it!
Santa Barbara and the surrounding areas have such beautiful lands with a variety of habitat to explore. Multiple properties have been donated so the public can now enjoy them. Deann took me to a number of them- mountains, marshes, beaches and forest, in search of a couple lifers for me. We managed to find bushtits but dipped on the mountain quail. Fun fact, many celebrities have a home in Santa Barbara. Deann pointed out the homes of Oprah, Ellen and some other people I don't remember.
Below is Lake Los Carneros, a beautiful, donated property the public can now access for birding and recreation.
The closest I've been to an Eared Grebe.
Crazy story: When we arrived at the Goleta pier, we noticed a man standing in thigh-deep water, in his hands, a pigeon. As we watched he leaned over it and proceeded to administer CPR! I kid you not! Full on mouth to mouth! It was a valiant effort, but all for not, as the pigeon did not survive.
How many legs do you see? This momma Snowy Plover has one baby under her and another in front! At one point she had both under her and just looked like a bird with six legs! Large areas of the beach are restricted to protect nesting shorebirds like this. You need a long lens to get decent photos.
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