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| OHCC LIVING | FEBRUARY 2019 | 17 Birdwatchers There will be no meeting in February, but March's meeting will be on March 26 at 1 pm in the Ladies Club Room beginning with social time at 12:30 pm. The bird walk this month will be at Lake Wohlford in Escondido on Feb. 12. Meet in the overflow parking area at 7:45 am for a departure time of 8 am. At that time, we will provide directions and form carpools. It is about a 40-minute drive from Ocean Hills. Remember to reimburse your driver. Parking is free. Bring your sunscreen, binoculars, hats, water, and cameras. We have an extra set of binoculars if needed. Wear sturdy shoes and dress in layers. It can be quite chilly when we depart but warms up quickly as we are walking. Lunch will be at Smokey's Lake Wohlfood Cafe, home of the famous all-you-can-eat catfish dinner. Lake Wohlford was Escondido's first reservoir, with the damn completed in 1895. It is a very popular fishing spot. You can catch rainbow trout, big largemouth bass, catfish, crappie, and bluegill. In addition, where there are fish, there will be water birds! Many egrets, great blue herons, mallards, and Western grebes can be seen. In addition, according to Ranger Myron Wells, a bald eagle makes his home year-round at Lake Wolhford! What a treat it would be to see that! The trail is an easy walk with pretty water views and runs a little above the lake, which allows for easy viewing into the trees. A portable toilet is available. I have attached two photos of water birds this month. One is of a wood duck taken by Bill Saltzman at Santee Lakes. They are commonly seen there. It is a strikingly beautiful bird! Wood ducks were hunted almost to extinction in the late nineteenth century but now number well over one million. The other photo is of a close relative of the wood duck, a mandarin duck, taken by Holly Mascaro at a lake in Central Park in New York City. Mandarin ducks are native to East Asia, China, and Far Eastern Russia so when one showed up this October in Central Park, it caused quite a stir! Where it came from no one knows, but it is believed to have probably escaped from a private owner's aviary. As you can see, it, too, is strikingly beautiful! If you are not a member of the Birdwatchers Club but would like to see what we are all about, please join us on a walk. We would love to have you! A wood duck. Photo taken by Bill Saltzman at Santee Lakes. A mandarin duck. Photo taken by Holly Mascaro at a lake in Central Park in New York City