Trogon Photo Tours

SAN DIEGO BIRD PHOTO WORKSHOP

March 20-25, 2021, 2022

Workshop:  This photo workshop features both terrific waterbird photography and excellent small bird photography at feeder/drip setups.  The San Diego area is one of the top bird photography locations in North America.  We will do a boat trip to photograph courting Western and Clark's Grebes, photograph Wood Ducks, Cinnamon Teal, Long-billed Curlews and other waterfowl and waders.  There are numerous raptors in the area including two pairs of nesting Peregrine Falcons.  We will target California endemics such as Oak Titmouse and California Gnatcatcher and we have reasonably good chances to photograph rarities such as Lawrence's Goldfinch, Mountain Quail and Spotted Owl. We will be working with 2 different local photographers to make the most of our time here. The variety of species photographed on this workshop will be among the highest of any of our US based trips.

Cost and Logistics:  $3,395 per photographer with a $400 single supplement.  Deposit is $900.  Arrival/departure airport is the San Diego airport.  Cost includes all lodging, local transportation, property use fees, instruction, boat trip and guiding.  It does not include meals, tips or items of a personal nature.  Our base will be a nice hotel in Rancho Bernardo which is close to our main afternoon shooting location and centrally located for our other photography locations. 



Maximum Participants: 3 including photographers and nonphotographers. 

Workshop Leader: Ken Archer.  Ken will arrive a week early to scout the current photography conditions.  He will give a presentation on photographing birds in the wild and help you with any instruction you may need in the field. We will be working with 2 local photographers during different parts of the workshop as well.

Itinerary: Day to day itinerary may vary slightly based on conditions at the time.  For example we may want to add an amazing photo opportunity that we do not currently know about. 

March 20th: Arrival to San Diego, transfer to our hotel in Rancho Bernardo.  Afternoon bird photography at a local feeding station and drip.  This property has feeders and a water drip which attracts birds such as Spotted and California Towhees, Lesser Goldfinches, Canyon and Rock Wrens, California Quail and many others.  Evening bird photography presentation. Hotel: A nice hotel in Rancho Bernardo. 

March 21st:  We will spend the day in the mountains above San Diego.  We have access to a feeding station which attracts California Scrub Jay, Acorn and Nuttall's Woodpeckers, Pygmy Nuthatch, Oak Titmouse and Mountain Chickadee.  Other birds which sometimes make appearances here include Lawrence's Goldfinch, Mountain Quail and Red Crossbill.  On this day we will also target roosting owls which include the possibility of Spotted and Long-eared Owls.  In the evening we will return to our hotel in Rancho Bernardo. 

March 22nd: This morning we will visit the La Jolla cliffs to photograph Brown Pelicans, breeding Brandt's and Double-crested Cormorants, Heermann's Gulls and other water birds.  A pair of Peregrine Falcons regularly nest in the area and make appearances. Return to our hotel for lunch and then afternoon photography at our local feeding station.  There are also hummingbird feeders at this spot.  Anna's are the most common hummingbird, but Costa's, Black-chinned, Rufous and Allen's are all possible too.  The Hooded Orioles may be showing by now as well.  We will set up some flowers for some beautiful natural light hummingbird flight photography. 

March 23rd - This morning we will visit a local lake which is a great place to photograph habituated Wood Ducks.  It's also very good for Cinnamon Teal, and a variety of other waterfowl and herons.  In the afternoon we will be at our lowland feeding station and pond. Hotel: Rancho Bernardo

March 24th - This morning we have a boat trip on a local lake to photograph courting Western and Clark's Grebes.  The local photographer who is helping us with this part of the trip specializes in taking people out to photograph the grebes doing their rushing mating dances. In the afternoon we will target the endemic California Gnatcatcher and we will visit some local raptor nests with the most likely species being Great Horned Owl and Cooper's Hawk.  Hotel: Rancho Bernardo

March 25th - This morning we will photograph at a local estuary that attracts a lot of interesting species such as Long-billed Curlew, Belted Kingfisher, Whimbrel and a variety of other shorebirds.  The Kingfisher is unusually tolerant of photographers.  Then we will return to our hotel, check out and take you back to the airport.  Your flight should leave at 2pm or later in the afternoon.