Mike in the Wild

It makes sense that a state right next to Arizona would have similar birds.  But what stands out from a couple days birding in southern California is that such a wide variety of birds can be found in such a small geographic area.  And the birds we generally see in the Copper State at higher elevations are found in lower elevations in the Golden State. I birded mostly in the Wood Ranch area of Simi Valley, a bedroom community 30 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.  This location afforded easy access to the Lang Ranch Open Space  - part of the greater Conejo Open Space Conservation Area - and a network of parks and trails that link up with the greater Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.  You could theoretically hike to the Pacific Ocean, approximately fifteen miles to the south.  But I stayed close to the trailhead, enjoying panoramic views of the surrounding Simi Hills and Santa Susanna Mountains. The terrain was mostly grassland - its ...