artemisiospiza (from artemisio, ?, and spiza, finch) belli (named for John G. Bell, a naturalist who was a friend of Audubon)
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
North Etiwanda Preserve in Rancho Cucamonga, California
This place had the essentials — it was close enough to Ontario to get there and back before I had to start working, and two would-be lifers are seen there regularly.
The Preserve consists of a large, rocky sage and brush-covered area at the base of the mountains north of Rancho Cucamonga.
I arrived early and had the place to myself for the first twenty minutes. Other people — hikers, not birders — began showing up soon afterwards. But it never got crowded except on the side trail to a small waterfall.
I wasn’t there long before I spotted a Bell’s Sparrow singing in a small bush off the trail. I soon saw others, probably about 10 in total, some of which were very close and many of which were singing.
