The wetlands

I had out-of-town family visitors this weekend, so for some fresh air, we went a little further than our Downey riverbeds, down to the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve. According to the Bolsa Chica Conservancy, the Bolsa Chica Wetlands is the largest saltwater marsh between Monterey Bay and the Tijuana River Estuary.

With approximately 5 miles of trails to be explored, the wetlands are a great place for walking. But most of all, the wetlands are popular with birders. Hundreds of bird species, such as this willet, have been spotted here during the fall/winter or spring/summer seasons. (321 out of Orange County's 420 bird species were sighted here in the past decade.)