Exploring a new discovery

CATHARINE COOPER

The light has not yet crested the ridgeline as I step onto the dusty

trail that leads toward the water. I’ve chosen a solo hike, to

quietly stalk birds and to savor the centering that occurs when I’m

in the wild.

Early morning fog lines the edges of the lake, gathering in fat

droplets that slither down the stalks of tall willows. Twin White

Pelicans paddle lazily near the edge of the dam, their bodies

reflected mirror-like in the windless surface. Overhead, a pair of

Snowy Egret race to a favored fishing spot near the short falls,

their raspy rarr echoes against the soft sloping hills.

Not one, but four pair of Night Heron fish the edges of the island

and tiny channel rookery. Their eyes, bright red against black and

white bodies, provide a visual respite from the morning gray. Across

the water, hidden in the moisture-thick air, gaggles of feral and

domesticated geese sound off as they search the shoreline for grubs

and spent seed.

A refuge from urban sprawl and population, Lake Laguna Niguel is a

44-acre jewel in the western edge of south county, providing ingress

and egress to the Aliso Creek watershed. Accessed from La Paz or

Alicia Parkway, several trails wind through the surrounding Regional

Park and connect, on one end to the open space of Aliso Woods Canyon,

and the other, to the YMCA on Crown Valley Parkway. The lake was

developed primarily for fishing and is cyclically stocked with

Rainbow Trout, Bass, Pike, Carpie and Catfish. Private boats are not

permitted, but rentals are available. Permits for fishing are

required.

Since I am not a fisherperson, the existence of the lake was a

total surprise until this year. I was shocked to discover its

proximity, and admit that I had never hiked its perimeter or admired

its waterfowl.

Spring and fall provide the broadest display of foliage coloring

and the most abundant birding. The water serves as a homing device

for those on migratory patterns, offering both rest from long flights

and abundant food source (i.e., stocked lake makes for good eating).

There are several birds who have taken up year-round residence,

including a pair of Canadian Geese, who gave birth this spring to one

chick, and a pair of exotic Egyptian Geese, brilliantly colored in

greens, mauve and various shades of brown, who are raising their

second off-spring since last July.

This year I have been gifted with sightings of American Bittern,

Belted Kingfisher, Black-headed and Blue Grosbeak, Western Tanager,

Greater Roadrunner, Spotted Towhee, Bullock’s and Hooded Oriole, and

Nuttall’s Woodpecker (to name a few). Sparrows, Wrens, Warblers, and

Flycatchers fill the fields in abundance. In the early spring, two

pair of Great Heron built nests in the dying eucalyptus on the

northwest edge of the lake. They stayed with the nests for three or

four weeks before abandoning them. I fear the hawks, both the

resident Coopers and Red-tail, may have feasted on their eggs.

This past week, four juvenile Night Heron and one juvenile Green

Heron joined the Snowy Egret at the favored fishing hole. The

kuk-kuk-kuk of the Green and the slight black crest on the top of his

longish neck aided in his identification. Their scaled down frame and

multi-colored feathers are all that distinguish them from the adults.

The intensity with which they focus on their fishing task is

identical.

As the water spills from the lake to the creek, it provides a

natural watercourse into the abutting open space. While busy Alicia

Parkway bifurcates the two areas, those with the gift of flight are

not affected. I have wandered from the stream to the dry brush,

thrilled to watch a Great Heron land in a field, far from her fishing

habitat. Grasses crackling beneath long slender yellow legs, she bent

her head in query to fish the brush for insects.

The lake is yet another reminder of the wealth of habitat

available to us in close proximity to home. What a thrill to watch

Egret and Heron in flight, an American Bittern peek from behind a

wall of sharp reeds or a Belted Kingfisher swoop down for a meal. Or

to watch the roll and dive of Anna’s or Black-chin Hummingbirds in

their mating ritual and trace the flight of an American Kestrel

across dried fields.

From the ocean to the coastal sage community, to the eco-system of

the lake, so much lies within our grasp. Sometimes it’s a solo walk

that creates the perfect tonic. Sometimes the day begs for friendship

and conversation. Whatever you’re seeking, take a walk outside. There

is magic to encounter in every step.

* CATHARINE COOPER loves wild places. She can be reached at

[email protected] or (949) 497-5081.