A September Morning in Laguna Mountains

Trail View

Last weekend, we headed back to the Laguna Mountain area in Cleveland National Forest for a hike on the Big Laguna and Sunset Trail. The cloudy September morning made for comfortable hiking conditions, and we were excited to see what birds we could find along the way.

Trail View

An Easy Mountain Trail

Big sagebrush

The 3.9-mile trail is easy in difficulty, making it a great option for a relaxed morning outdoors.

Trail View

We enjoyed the manageable pace and had plenty of time to explore the surroundings and keep our eyes open for wildlife.

Overlook

Acorns Were Everywhere

Acorn Woodpecker

One of the most entertaining sights was watching many Acorn Woodpeckers collecting acorns. They were busy picking them up and stashing them away, giving us a fun look at how active the birds can be as they prepare for the months ahead.

Trail View

Busy Scrub-jays

California Scrub-jay

The California Scrub-jays were especially noticeable throughout the hike. We saw many of them moving between the trees and ground, constantly searching for acorns and other food as we made our way along the trail.

Trail View

More Birds Along the Trail

Western Wood-Pewee

We also spotted a Western Wood-Pewee, a few Brewer's Blackbirds, and a pair of Common Ravens. Each sighting added another bit of variety to an already enjoyable morning of birdwatching.

Brewer's Blackbird

A Hawk in the Distance

Red-tailed Hawk

A Red-tailed Hawk also made an appearance during our hike. Seeing this familiar raptor out in the open was another nice addition to our growing list for the day.

Trail View

A Very Special First Sighting

Pinyon Jay

The biggest highlight came when we encountered a large flock of Pinyon Jays. This was our first time seeing them, and there were so many together that it immediately became a memorable moment. The flock was incredibly vocal, filling the area with their calls as they moved around.

Trail View

A Lively Flock

Common Ravens

Watching the Pinyon Jays travel together was fascinating. Their constant vocalizations made it impossible to miss them, and we spent some time enjoying the spectacle before continuing along the trail.

Trail View

Seeing a new species is always exciting, but encountering such a large flock made this first sighting even better.

Overlook

Another Great Morning Outdoors

Overlook

By the time we finished the trail, we were happy with the variety of birds we had seen and especially excited about our first Pinyon Jays.

Trail View

The peaceful mountain setting, busy acorn collecting, and wonderfully vocal flock made this an especially memorable September hike for the two of us.

Three nerve goldenrod