1 - Mission Beach
You can walk Mission Beach and north about a half dozen miles from the Mission Bay Channel to cliffs and headlands north of Tourmaline Beach on sand. The northern part is sand beach below sandstone cliffs, to the south houses are built on the sand bar separating the Pacific Ocean from Mission Bay. A concrete boardwalk runs most of the length of the beach. To the east of the boardwalk is housing. The beaches are used by people for surf play. Birds wade in the surf to hunt fish and sand critters.
2 - UCSD Kendall-Frost Marsh
One of just a few areas in Mission Bay that are still mud flats, as the entire bay was once. There is no public access, and a tall chain link fence obscures the line of sight, so you can't see much. But many birds hunt and nest there.
3 - Rose Creek
Paths on both sides allow one to see the transition from freshwater creek to tidal and then deeper saltwater. Many birds hunt in the transition zones. Rose Creek drains 23,427 acres in Scripps ranch, Mira Mesa, Kearny Mesa, La Jolla, Pacific Beach, Clairemont, and University City
4 - Mission Bay Park
To walk entirely around Mission Bay is about a dozen miles on concrete sidewalks, but there are restaurants and stores to keep you supplied. Many birds hunt in the mud during receding tides. Others visit picnics hoping for handouts. The San Diego River Delta once included all of present Mission Bay through all of the lowlands separating Point Loma and Old Town. The river would alternately drain into San Diego Bay or present day Mission Bay, which was formerly a mud flat known since Spanish colonial days as False Bay. Starting in 1852, various dikes were built to keep the San Diego River from emptying into San Diego Bay. From the late 1940s through the 1960s, some mudflats were dredged to form channels, while others were filled with the spoil to form dry land. The resulting 4,235 acre city park is 54% water, with the balance being grass and sandy beaches. Of 27 miles of shoreline, 19 are sand beach.
5 - Tecolote Canyon
Tecolote canyon has a nature/visitor center. It is typical of many canyons in San Diego in not being developed with houses. The canyons have service roads for sewers, etcetera, on which one can hike, but are otherwise left wild (coastal chaparral). Creeks flow mostly after rains, and are sometimes contaminated by urban runoff or overflowing sanitary sewers.
6 - San Diego River channel
To the west, the channel shown in blue is mostly too deep for wading birds. Ducks and other diving birds hunt here for plants and fish. To the east, mudflats and grasslands attract many birds. Near the freeway and railroad, trees and brush start. These brushy areas are popular as campsites for homeless people, and are too trashed to be very attractive for walking. Paved paths run on both sides of the channel from the ocean to beyond the freeway and tracks, but the eastern end is less attractive due to freeway noise and trash. On the south side, the paved path extends to a baseball park north of the faux mission buiding on the hill at 9. There may someday be a continuous riverside path to the source of the San Diego River in the Cuyamaca Mountains. See www.sandiegoriver.org.
7 - Famosa Slough
Tidally flushed mudflats popular with wading birds and ducks. Paths partway around allow a good line of sight while letting shy birds feed away from people, dogs, etcetera. A 12 acre channel area between Interstate 8 and West Point Loma Boulevard is favored by herons and egrets. The channel flows with each tide and flushes the mudflats to the south. Crossing the channel is an historic trestle for the #14, 15, and 16 streetcar that ran from downtown to Ocean Beach and La Jolla from May 1924 until September 1940. A 25 acre tidally flushed mudflat is south of West Point Loma Boulevard. It is favored by shorebirds, wading birds, and ducks. Several ponds impound urban runoff, reducing sediment and trash flow into the mudflats.
8 - Ocean Beach
Part of the San Diego River's mouth is a dog beach; part is a bird preserve. But people let their dogs run into the preserve, so it's a second rate place for birds. On a receding tide, birds who probe in sand for food favor the area. There is a public pier with good views.
9 - Spanish Presidio Site
Next to the faux mission buiding on the hill is the first Spanish settlement, the Presidio. There are no standing buildings, but there are interpretive signs, and often signs of an archaeological dig. The mission was first located here because ships coming north or south along the coast could be seen, and there was access to the San Diego River for water and agriculture. The mission soon moved several miles upriver for agricultural reasons.
10 - Sunset Cliffs
Sandstone cliffs by houses and roads. Pocket sand beaches and tidepool areas. Rocky headlands, views, and birds.
11 - Shelter Island
Artificial peninsula surrounded by riprap and docks. Some birds and Harbor Seals.
12 - Cabrillo National Monument
Tidepools, Hiking in Coastal Chaparral, Historic Lighthouse and WWI and WWII bunkers, Visitor Center, Views of Downtown and the Pacific Ocean.
Coot perched on Rip Rap of Levee of San Diego River.
On a receding tide in Mission Bay, American Coots carefully examine each hole in wet sand left by potential prey or other hunting birds.
On the east side of Mission Bay, vast flocks of American Coots eat the park lawn grass. They are quite used to park visitors. People can approach them within about 15 feet before they walk away, but if you stand still, even while manipulating a camera, flocks may completely surround and ignore you.
After eating vast quantities of lawn grass, the Coots leave these green scat piles everywhere.
Coots have unique flattened toes lobed at each joint. The toes can flatten on the swimming thrust stroke for extra purchase and streamline into a V shape for the return stroke.
When walking on soft soils, the large surface area keeps them from sinking. Only a rare, extra soft, soil is compressed enough to make a foot print. But that print, with toe lobes, is unique to Coots.
← Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias
← Snowy Egret Egretta thula
↔ Raccoon Prints Procyon lotor
↔ Long Billed Curlew Numenius americanus
↔ California Gull Larus californicus
