Santa Ynez Birding

Lazuli Bunting
Originally uploaded by idahobirder

Santa Ynez skies are clearing. The birds are starting to sing, ready to emerge from their shelter under the foliage of the oaks and sage.

Yesterday I saw a lazuli bunting, a bird which migrates here from Mexico during the summer breeding season. Here's a picture of one of these beauties. I think I can hear one singing now, waiting for the rain to end. The song is a high strident series of warbled syllables.

Each male Lazuli Bunting sings just one song made up of a series of different syllables that is unique to him. Young males fly into on the breeding grounds without a song of their own. Shortly after arriving, a young male develops his own song. It might be a unique rearrangement of syllables, combinations of song fragments of several males, or a copy of the song of one particular older male.

Many, many people here in Santa Ynez Valley enjoy nature. There are always opportunities to learn more. I've mentioned the docent training classes at the Sedgwick Reserve. Lake Cachuma has docent training as well. Also, it features weekly birding cruises. Visitors are often treated to the sight of bald eagles who nest on the northern shore of the lake. It's thrilling to see these majestic birds in flight against the panoramic view of the mountains.

The eagles visit us in Woodstock Ranch occasionally. One afternoon as I was driving home I spotted a large bird on the ground. The bend in the road interruupted my view. When I turned the corner, there was a bald eagle feasting on a ground squirrel!

The Wildling Art Museum sponsors two multi-session of bird watching classes each year. They are taught by Fred Emerson, an MD who went back to school at Cornell to become an orinthologist. He's a marvelous teacher.

I have taken his classes at different times of the year to see different migratory species. The spots we visited included Zaca Lake north of Los Olivos to Lake Cachuma to Goleta to the Santa Ynez River as it runs through Solvang.

Santa Ynez has its own Natural History Society as does Santa Barbara. Both offer lectures periodically. Santa Barbara has a wonderful museum of natural history which is only thirty minutes away from Ridgeline Ranch.

All in all, I think this is a great place to live.

Santa Ynez Rainbow

Thunderstorm and Rainbow
Originally uploaded by Barbara Stock

Santa Ynez was graced by several rainbows this afternoon, including one that kept appearing and disappearing in my pasture. Every time I went out with my camera, the light changed and the color prism was gone. Rats! You'll have to settle for this rainbow from flckr.com. Unfortunately, it doesn't have the panoramic view, but it does have an interesting sky.

It's raining again tonight. I visited a friend's house here in Woodstock Ranch to watch a movie and I was freezing -despite a sweater, turtleneck, jeans and a scarf. I came back into my rastra house 10 minutes ago and had to take off the sweater I got so warm. It's not that I have the heat on. This house is so energy efficient it maintains a very even temperature most of the year. Green construction is a real marvel!

Bedtime. More tomorrow.

Santa Ynez in the Rain

Santa Ynez is enjoying April showers today. The entire state is low on rainfall for the year so it's good news. I'm especially happy because I enjoy wildflowers so much. More rain means a longer blooming season.

The only downside is that Fritz, Anke and I will miss our daily walk. Fortunately, Santa Ynez has a terrific YMCA that was built in the last few years. It's just about ten minutes away from Ridgeline Ranch. People from all over the Valley, including Solvang and Los Olivos, use the facility. Working out on weight machines, stationary bikes, treadmills or ellipticals is an option. Group exercise classes are scheduled throughout the day - my favorite is spinning - and there's always the pool.

Meanwhile the usual sunny panoramic vista from Ridgeline Ranch has changed. Today the sky is gray with clouds reminiscent of wave patterns on the beach. Here's a picture to show you what I mean.

Santa Ynez Conversations about Books

Monday Night Book Club
Originally uploaded by D.Z. Photography

Santa Ynez may be a rural community but it's clearly not unsophisticated. At one point last year I was in three book groups. Way too much. I'm down to two groups and one of them met today.

We're a diverse group who live and work in different parts of the Valley - mostly Solvang and Santa Ynez residents. Probably a third of us life in Woodstock Ranch. Today's hostess lives in Woodstock and has a marvelous hilltop ranch with a panoramic vista of fields and houses.

We discussed "This I Believe," a compilation of 500 word essays put together by NPR. Today's leader asked each of us to draft an essay about one of our core beliefs. Whew! It was harder than I expected.

I wrote about society's need for energy conservation to combat global warming. Living in a "green" house, that's something I feel strongly about.

Right now, though, I have strong feelings about the need for sleep!

BTW, that picture isn't me. But it seems appropriate for a posting about book groups.

Santa Ynez Conversation

Santa Ynez and its natural beauty sparks many conversations. If I could put bubbles over these pictures, I imagine Anke saying, "Wow! Lupine smells good - just like sweet peas!" Fritz replies, "I don't care. I just want some water. When is she going to be done taking our pictures?"

Anke is right. Lupine does smell like sweet peas. Cinch's pasture is thick with lupine. When I walk past it the fragrance perfumes the air. It's wonderful to be so close to the shops in Santa Ynez, Los Olivos and Solvang and still live in the middle of fields of wildflowers. And we're only thirty minutes from Santa Barbara!

It feels like I live within reach of civilization's fingertips in a tranquil post at the edge of the wilderness. Ridgeline Ranch is a rare property indeed!

Santa Ynez Views

Santa Ynez views are generally pastoral - no nighttime vistas of sparkling city lights here! But even in the context of rural scenery there are variations.

I visited a gorgeous home in Ballard Canyon Friday. The area is a favorite of bicyclists because of the winding steep hills. In fact, this year the Amegen Tour of California time trial included this route as did the Solvang Century. From the top of Ballard Canyon the view includes Los Olivos and Solvang almost all the way to Buellton. The scenery is reminiscent of the Hudson Valley School of Art - pastoral with humans and nature coexisting peacefully. The rolling pastures were typically separated by white fences. The hilltops were crowned with homes and barns. I'd say at least 75% of the view was green, and it was all beautiful.

The panoramic vista from Ridgeline Ranch is virtually all wilderness. As I look north toward Grass Mountain and Figueroa Mountain, I see no buildings. I suspect this absence contributes to the sense of tranquility and seclusion that I feel here.

One is no better than the other. It's a matter of personal taste. But I like the idea that because my view is protected wilderness, it will remain that way. That's part of what makes this a rare property.

Santa Ynez Flora - part 3

Santa Ynez has so many different wildflowers I feel justified in devoting at least one more posting to them.

I guess it's easy to tell I love nature. That's one reason why this green house built with energy conservation in mind appealed so much to me. But the overriding reason was the house's location with its panoramic view. tranquility and sense of seclusion. Ridgeline Ranch is my retreat. I didn't buy it as a retirement home, but I can't imagine anywhere better to "retire" to.

Back to flowers.

Here's a field of lupine with Grass Mountain in the back. You should be able to see swaths of orange on the mountain which are fields of California poppy.

And here's a closer view of poppies: