Holiday greetings from Mt. Hoo.
Our colorful holiday lights are up, but they can’t compare with the beauty that nature has to offer during this special season of faith, peace, love and joy.
I spend a lot of time outdoors and last week was no exception as we were blessed with incredible weather compared to some other parts of the country.
My first holiday greeting began with a buzzing Allen’s hummingbird late one afternoon as sunlight ignited its colorful feathers with metallic reds like a precious gift carefully wrapped and placed under the tree.
Walking to the mailbox, a flock of western bluebirds took flight like flickering blue Christmas lights, while nearby a dozen or more lesser goldfinches hung like bright yellow ornaments in a sumac shrub.
And there is holiday music here on Mt. Hoo.
During the day, our chorus is a medley of songs from the many bird visitors, the clacking rhythm of a roadrunner, the sharp “Chi-ca-go” call of the California quail or the gentle cooing of mourning doves.
You’ll have to forgive the scrub jay. Their raspy and dissident squawks are quite out of tune.
The concert continues at night with the soft hoots of great-horned owls, the distant yelping of midnight coyotes calling to their canine buddies, or the chorus of tree frogs who have found homes in the tiny micro-worlds of our potted succulents.
Escaping the holiday madness, I’ve sought the quiet places of San Diego’s great outdoors, encountering the brilliant colors of native and visiting birds and the glory of autumn hues of the black oaks, sycamore and cottonwood trees.
It wasn’t a partridge in a pear tree, but there was a flock of crows gathering to roost for the night in an autumn-hued cottonwood beside a gently flowing creek.
I zipped up my hoodie as the long shadows of evening crawled across a grassy mountain meadow where eight tiny deer, honestly, watched me from a distance. Rudolph was nowhere to be seen.
While there is still warmth in the direct daytime sunlight of fall, the chill of winter is now lurking in the shadows.
As I headed back to my truck, a magnificent red-tailed hawk soared overhead, with a flared tail glowing brightly in the crisp evening sunlight, reminding me of Santa and his shiny red sleigh.
During a hike in the Ramona Grasslands, the flaming red of a vermilion flycatcher flashed as the bird moved from one tree to another.
Nearby, a chubby common yellowthroat bounced about in a thicket of reeds at the edge of a pond, singing his happy tune.
Fortunately, our weather allows us to enjoy the outdoors in all seasons but there is always the desert to visit on those days when it’s raining on the coast, or during those rare times when snowfall blankets local mountains.
Even the desert has ed the holiday show.
Late summer rains and a healthy deluge from Tropical Storm Hilary triggered another false spring, with ocotillo sporting coats of bright green leaves, and scattered blossoms of sunflowers, sand verbena and asters already adding color to a landscape parched from summer heat.
As another year comes to a close, I wish my readers happy holidays and a prosperous and joyous new year.
I offer this photo presentation of nature’s holiday beauty.
The new year often brings personal commitments to help us grow and achieve new goals.
My resolution is to spend more time with nature.
Cowan is a freelance columnist. Email [email protected] or visit erniesoutdoors.blogspot.com.
