November-December 2007 Western Tanager Newsletter - Los Angeles Audubon

8/8/2019 November-December 2007 Western Tanager Newsletter - Los Angeles Audubon

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www.laaudubon.orga publication of Los Angeles Audubon

W E W I S H Y O U B I R D Y H O L I D A Y S !

Los Angeles Christmas

Bird CountBy Kimball Garrett

The Los Angeles Christmas BirdCount is one of the longest-running

bird census efforts in southernCalifornia, having been conductednearly continuously since 1915.One would think that the countslocation within Americas BirdiestCounty a county with hundreds of active birdwatchers would helpgenerate great excitement every year as count season approaches. Andconsidering the productive and well-

birded sites that lie within the countcircle, from Playa del Rey and theBallona Valley through KennethHahn State Recreation Area,Franklin Canyon and westernGriffith Park, it is reasonable toexpect a great turnout every year.On the other hand, the dense urbanlandscape that dominates the LosAngeles count circle surely makes

potential Christmas counters think of the greener pastures of other count circles. Apart from a smallcore group of regular counters,

Volume 74, Number 2 november/december 2007

WESTERN

TANAGER

Hot Off The Press!!Rare Birds of

CaliforniaBy Kimball Garrett

No California birder will want to bewithout Rare Birds of California thelong-awaited book by the CaliforniaBird Records Committee and the first

book-length publication of WesternField Ornithologists. Editors RobbHamilton, Michael Patten and Dick Erickson have done a superb job not onlyof compiling all of the RecordsCommittees decisions over its 35+ year history, but putting them into detailedcontext. Identification hints abound, andgenerous galleries of photographs, manyin color, document the rare migrants andvagrants that occur in California.

Detailed accounts are provided for every vagrant and rare migrant species

in California, providing a solidfoundation for understanding seasonaland geographical patterns of vagrancy.Want to know the dates of all the ScarletTanager records in California? Curiousabout the best times of year to find rareshorebirds? Wondering about the

While you are counting partridges in pear trees (or chukars in pricky pears!) we ask you to remember theconservation importance of your sightings. Here are three suggestions for holiday conservation activities:

87 L.A. County Bird

Species are Orphansby Fred Heath

As many of you may remember,during the five years from 1995through 1999, the field work for theLos Angeles County Breeding BirdAtlas was accomplished. In fact,some of you spent many hourshelping by searching for breedingevidence of our local birds. Thisturned out to be a rewarding andwonderful learning experience.

Photographer: Jeanne Simon Agency: Dreamstime.com

L.A. Christmas Bird Count Continued on Page 16

Rare Birds of CaliforniaContinued on Page 16

Bird Species OrphansContinued on Page 2


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2 Western Tanager

Quite different from the list chasingwhich generally absorbs the typical

birder.In the intervening years, the two

main authors, Larry Allen andKimball Garrett have worked

diligently on completing the hugetask of getting the atlas ready for

publication. As all of their efforts onwriting the atlas are on a strictlyvoluntary basis, this work is inaddition to carrying on their normal

busy lives. Much of individualspecies accounts and some of theintroductory material has now beenfinished through the first drafts.

Needless to say, it all still has to becleaned up and peer reviewed byother experts. All of this is a slowcareful process to insure that thefinished product is one of which wecan all be proud. It is anticipated thatwith the remaining work ahead, thatthe atlas will be published in timefor holiday gift giving at the end of 2008.

Although that seems a long way

off, there is yet a lot to do such ascontinuing to raise money to helpoffset the cost of producing thisimportant and informative

publication. One way to support theatlas is through the sponsorship of one of our almost 250 breedingspecies. For a mere $100, you can beimmortalized in the atlas and listedas the sponsor right under thespecies name in the main speciesaccounts section of the atlas. As of this writing, 89 breeding species (athird) are orphans and do not havesponsors as yet. The list of these

poor orphaned species is provided below.

I note that a number of theseorphaned birds are introducedspecies starting with the EgyptianGoose going through a few doves, a

number of parrots and ending withthe Zebra Finch (maybe its merestriped existence is a negative). Icant believe that there is a prejudiceagainst these non-natives since mostof us are certainly not native to

California either. The EuropeanStarling, although a liability for some of our native birds, is mostsuccessful (sounds like people ingeneral) and in full iridescent

breeding plumage is a magnificentcreature. If you are afraid that if yousponsor the Starling, people will

blame you for its existence, thensponsor it in your mother-in-lawsname. She will be flattered andnever make the true connection withthis noisy and pushy species.

And please dont duck the issueof sponsoring our waterfowl, manyof which are still orphaned. Alsodont forget that one good terndeserves another and sponsor Caspian, Elegant, or Forsters.Maybe your grandfather was acurmudgeon who you lovingly

called an old coot. What could bemore fitting than sponsoring theAmerican Coot as a memorial toyour grandfather?

I hope by now you get the ideaand realize for a mere $100 you or loved one (or not so loved one) canforever be associated with one of our marvelous species in the LosAngeles County Breeding BirdAtlas. Continued on Page 17

W ESTERN T ANAGERPublished by

Los Angeles Audubon Society,a chapter of

National Audubon Society.

EDITOR: Garry GeorgeLAYOUT: Susan Castor

CONSERVATION : Garry GeorgeFIELD TRIPS: Nick FreemanPELAGIC TRIPS : Phil SayrePROGRAMS : Mary Freeman

ORNITHOLOGY CONSULTANT :Kimball Garrett

PRINTING : G2 Graphics Services, Inc.

Opinions expressed in articles or lettersherein do not necessarily express the

position of this publication or of Los Angeles Audubon Society.

PRESIDENT :Mary Freeman

1st VICE PRESIDENT :David De Lange

2nd VICE PRESIDENT :Linda Oberholtzer

EXECUTIVE SECRETARY :Jenny Jones

RECORDING SECRETARY:Eleanor OsgoodTREASURER :

Lisa FimianiEXECUTIVE PAST PRESIDENT :

Dexter KellyEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR :

Garry George

Membership in Los Angeles Audubon Societyis $25 Individual, $35 Couple, $50 Family,$100 Donor or $250 Donor per year. Membersreceive the Western Tanager newsletter andother benefits. Donations and membershipscan be made online at www.laaudubon.org

Make check payable to Los Angeles Audubon.

Los Angeles Audubon SocietyHeadquarters, Library

and Bookstore are open to the publicMonday Thursday9:30 AM 4:00 PM

Plummer Park 7377 Santa Monica Boulevard

West Hollywood, CA 90046-6694

(323) 876-0202 office(323) 876-7609 fax

(323) 874-1318 bird tape

[email protected] [email protected] e-mailwww.LAAudubon.org website

Printed on Recycled Paper

Bird Species OrphansContinued from Page 1

TO SPONSOR A SPECIESCall Audubon House

(323) 876-0202 or visit

www.losangelesaudubon.org/store


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m y p a t c h

November/December 2007 3

To a biologist, very little is morehumbling than the first field day

on a project involving a speciesabout which you know next to nothing. Ihad just recently moved to Los Angelesfrom northeastern California. Still in themidst of adjusting to my new urban habitat,I was given the opportunity to participate innest monitoring at the Venice Beach LeastTern colony. My career thus far hadinvolved forest birds (corvids andgoshawks, mainly), and this would be myfirst foray out of the woods. A quick disclaimer: Im a biologist who happens tostudy birds - I dont dare refer to myself asa birder within earshot of an Audubonmember. Ask me about foraging strategiesof Stellers Jays, and youll hear a long-winded answer. Ask me to identify a birdcalling the ocean or beach its home, and theonly sound youre likely to hear is thedisgruntled flipping of pages in a SibleyGuide. Had I ever seen a tern before?Possibly, though most likely as a study skinin my undergraduate ornithology labsection. Fortunately, I had a few weeks toget acquainted with the colony site beforeactually meeting the terns.

In fact, my first day on the job in mid-March was spent doing yard work for theterns while they were still away in warmer climes. SWCA senior biologist, Tom Ryan,myself, and dozens of volunteers spent twoweekends removing invasive vegetationand creating a grid of various vegetationdensities within the colony. The goal wasnot only to create microhabitat favorable tonesting terns, but also to begin to quantifyand describe tern nest site preferences.

By early summer, hundreds

of adult terns were on the colony.They zoomed overhead, callingand carrying presents of fish totheir mates, while below we didcareful weekly walk-throughsamong the grids looking for nests.Also at this time Audubonvolunteers began to monitor thetern colony from outside theenclosure, sending us weekly

reports on tern, predator, and human behavior. In the span of a few short

weeks, the number of nests exploded from a

handful to hundreds. My nest searchstrategy changed from think like a hungrynest predator to think like a nest predator whos hit the jackpot. And I wasnt theonly one with this mantra. My old studysubjects the American Crows were quick totake advantage of this seasonal foodresource, supplementing their usual diet of abandoned cheetohs and festeringsandwiches with the more nutritious terneggs. The terns would take a break fromheckling us (with shrieks and dive-bombs)to aggressively chase out the intrudingcrows. The corvids may have gotten a snack or two, but the terns prevailed overall.

At the peak of the season the tinyecosystem within the colony was booming.Killdeer, house finches, starlings, andmourning doves foraged in the moredensely vegetated grids. Adult ternsdutifully brought fish to sittingmates and newly hatched

juveniles. A few raptors made therounds to see who they couldcatch. Just outside the colony

boundaries, humans flew kites, letoff fireworks, raced their dogs,and picnicked in the sand.

By mid-July the slogan for the colony might have beenHatchlings Unite! as dozens of fuzzy runners could be seenmaking a break for the chick fenceduring our walk-throughs.Frequent visits brought to lightthe many subtle differences

between chicks. Some tiny hatchlingsstaggered off uncertainly, like Frodo to

Mount Doom, while slightly older chickstrotted off almost nonchalantly, Olympicathletes breezing through a victory lap.Some hatchlings refused to run, standing indefiance of our intruding shoes, their fuzzy

plumage slightly ruffled in the breeze. Andthen there were the poseurs, those fledglingsstill clinging to their comfortable pre-flightdays in the nest who would take a short jogand then burst into awkward flight. Am Ianthropomorphizing a bit here? Absolutely,

but baby bird cuteness can cloud the judgment of even the most hardened

biologist.

The terns and their children are nowlong gone for the season. I found working atthe colony to be just as fascinating as all the

past single-species projects Ive beeninvolved in (despite the lack of forest). Awhole lot can happen in a tiny natural space,and there is great satisfaction in getting toknow that one small area and the behavior of a single group of birds. Being a beginner at something is always humbling, but it

presents a fantastic learning opportunity. Idlike to thank Tom Ryan and Lauren Seckelat SWCA for being such knowledgeableand patient colleagues, and all the dedicatedAudubon volunteers who kept a sharp eyeon the colony all summer. I hope you foundwatching what went on within that chain-link fence as rewarding as I did.

Staceys Patch, Photo by Lisa Fimiani

vENICE bEACH lEAST tERN cOLONY by sTACEY vIGALLON , Volunteer Coordinator

Least Terns mating, Photo by Lisa Fimiani


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4 Western Tanager

Losing a Battle,Winning a Battle

Igot to the California EnergyCommission building on 9 th and OStreet in Sacramento early so I couldget a good seat. Today is the big daywhen the Commissioners will vote up or down on statewide guidelines for windenergy to reduce the impacts on birds and

bats. Today is also the culmination of almost three years of my work asConservation Chair for Los AngelesAudubon, first on the CEQA lawsuit wefiled against LADWP over Pine Tree, thewind farm near Butterbredt that failed tostudy migratory songbirds with nocturnalassessments. We lost that lawsuit in KernCounty, and lost the appeal in Fresnowith a pretty harsh judgment in theopinion, softened only by the fact that thecourt refused to publish the opinion,saving us from the fate of a publishedopinion becoming precedent and re-interpreting CEQA law. The windindustry wanted it published, and

petitioned the Appeals Court to do soarguing that the case is important for hefuture of renewable energy. The

possibility of a Supreme Court opinionas harsh as the Appeals Court opinion

being published caused the Board of LosAngeles Audubon to reverse itself anddecide not to file with that court. Anunpublished opinion was a better resultthan a published losing opinion thatmight affect future cases and future windfarms. We folded our tents.

But my two years of advocacy work atthe California Energy Commission , hadcontinued in a parallel universe with theyears of our lawsuit. Dexter took over the Appeal while I attended workshopsin Sacramento, Los Angeles andRiverside, wrote comment letters, did

research and made statements for theCommission docket to counter windindustry claims, and point theCommission toward the little science inCalifornia on migratory songbirds. Andhere I was, two weeks after the Boarddecided to end the litigation, about to seeanother end to another long Los AngelesAudubon battle.

I got a seat in the second row, and the

Commissioners filed in to the hearingroom. Commission Staff read the reportof the process, and California Fish &Game read their statement, includingannouncement of the addition of thirtynew staff to process the huge increase inwind farm development. Publiccomment opened, and the wind industryfired their guns. Although they had

participated in the process hoping for certainty on the kinds of studies thatmight give them the fastest pass throughenvironmental review, the big lobbyistschallenged the Commission withrequests for a delay or no votes on theguidelines.

The wind industry will leave Californiaif you pass these guidelines, threatenedone lobbyist.Claims of damage to birds and bats are

exaggerated. Ive developed wind power for thirty years in the desert of CoachellaValley, and Ive never seen a dead bird,and Ive never seen a bat in the desert,claimed a veteran developer.Ive already done my studies, Ishouldnt have to go back and do

different ones, complained another.

Then the few environmentalorganizations spoke. Julia Levin of Audubon California spoke for AudubonCalifornia, Defenders of Wildlife, andSierra Club.

The guidelines are voluntary, and thereare provisions for revisions every fiveyears. The wind industry has had almost

two years of input on the guidelines andit is unfair of them to ask for a delay now.We urge you to pass these guidelines, andI say that as someone who worked on theRenewable Portfolio to reduce globalwarming. We need wind. But we need itdone right.

Golden Gate Audubon spoke. And thenLos Angeles Audubon went on record.

We support these guidelines, especiallythe sections that recommend nocturnalstudies using radar and acousticmonitoring on migratory birds and bats.There has only been one nocturnal studyin California using radar and that was in1981, over 25 years ago. We urge theCommissions PIER Research group to

by Garry George

CONSERVATION CONVERSATION

Conservation ConversationContinued on Page 17


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t h a n k y o u !


NEW MEMBERS

Jeffery B Chapman & Lisa Nicola

Ken Chotiner Edward D Craven

Darl J DumontDouglas & Robin Frasier

Ola Jane GowAmanda Mintz

Phillip M & Nancy SkonieczkiScott Szogas

Judith ThompsonBecky & Steve Turley

Denver Museum of Nature & Science

RENEWED MEMBERS

Peter BarnesRichard Barth

Anna Marie Bovill LeaDaniel Brostoff Burford Crites

David M Campbell DDSSharon Campbell

Jon L DunnRobert Freese

Allen GoldsteinJan Harmon

Mr & Mrs Steven & Leslie HartmanWilliam & Bernhild Heckmann

Patricia E HeirsCarol Louise Johnson

Marion L JoyJohn Kelly

Arthur LangtonBen LoehnenMary LumkinMargaret Maw

Alvin & Sharon Milder Marilyn E Morgan

Hope NathanPaul Nelson

Kim Patrick OBrienSonya Onderwyzer

May OngDrew PalletteKathleen Rothner

Dr John A & Karen Shrader Pamela Stones & John Birsner

Edward TuttleHoward WilsonIrwin WoldmanCallyn D Yorke

Ronald & Sheila Yamaguchi

DONORS

David DahlJohanna Dawes

Jeri & Richard HughesWillard Huyck

Ted F & Nancy J RoseBetty White

Donate to Los Angeles Audubonendowment at California

Community Foundation. We canhelp you with trusts, IRA transfers,

annuities and other forms of advanced giving.

[email protected] for

details or (323) 876-0202.

Los Angeles Audubonrecommends a contribution to

our Ralph Schreiber Grant fundto sustain annual grants to

ornithology students in honor of the late Director of Ornithologyof the Natural History Museumof Los Angeles County and his

work conserving CaliforniaBrown Pelican.



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6 Western Tanager

T o nobodys surprise, thesummer of 2007continued hot and verydry. The remnants of a few tropicalstorms dumped some rain on thedeserts and north slopes of the San

Gabriels, but these events were toolate to have much effect on habitatand breeding birds. There continuedto be a dearth of reports from themountains, and the few there wereindicated relatively low numbers of

birds. Fortunate ly birdingelsewhere in the county wasquite productive and in light of some last minute developments,it was downright incredible.

July and August are primeshorebird months for us and water levels on the lower L.A. River weregenerally good throughout the

period. This unique area continuedto attract and surprise birders. Thearray of shorebirds found here

particularly at the end of August and beginning of September wasremarkable. The fact that thishabitat is little more than a concretechannel makes the annual shorebird

phenomenon here even moreimpressive. Obviously the birdshave to be there to begin with, but

beyond that its the extensivecoverage by birders that results in somany good finds. Though receivingless coverage, the Piute Ponds on

Edwards Air Force Base also hostedsome notable shorebirds.

By early September there hadalready been some reports of vagrantwarblers, and a few passerines

moved into the lowlands ahead of schedule and as early as late July.One is certainly tempted to interpretthat as a result of extremely dryconditions, though in most casestheres no way of knowing preciselywhere a particular bird is comingfrom or why.

Heres how the last two monthsunfolded...

There wasnt much news as far asraptors were concerned. After agood spring movement of Swainsons Hawks , only a singlefall bird was reported in La Canadaon September 10 (Mark Hunter). Anadult Broad-winged Hawk appeared at Sand Dune Park inManhattan Beach on September 14(David Bell).

Caspian Terns nested again thisyear on barges in Long Beachharbor. Most will recall thedisastrous hosing of these bargeslast year prior to their use for aFourth of July event. Thoughfew young birds were savedthen, at least the terns are again

utilizing this artificial nestinghabitat, though with limitedsuccess this year.

The first Solitary Sandpiper alongthe lower L.A. River was at Willow

Street on July 27 (Andrew Lee).The first reported from Piute Pondswas not until August 10 (Mike SanMiguel). A handful of additionalreports followed from both PiutePonds and the lower L.A. River.Two other birds were at lessexpected locations at MalibuLagoon on August 25 (KimballGarrett) and on the San GabrielRiver below Valley on August 26(Andrew Lee).

Rare inland were two RuddyTurnstones at Piute Ponds onSeptember 5 (Jim Moore), with oneremaining through September 11.

Red Knots are relatively scarce inL.A. County, thus one on July 10near the Ballona Creek mouth(Richard Barth), one at Piute Pondson August 19 (Mike San Miguel,John Garrett), and a third at MalibuLagoon on August 25 (KimballGarrett) were of interest. The latestreport was one along the L.A. River on September 1 (Richard Barth).

Rare but regular in the AntelopeValley area were two

by Jon Fisher

b i r d s o f t h e s e a s o n


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Sanderlings at Piute Ponds andone at the Lancaster Sewer Ponds on September 5 (MikeSan Miguel).

A Semipalmated Sandpiper was present on July 24 at Piute Ponds(Mike San Miguel) constituting thesecond record from there this fall.The first reports from the lower L.A.River were single birds found onAugust 4 and 5 (Kevin Larson,Richard Barth). Following that, wellover a dozen were found on the river through the month.

The seasons first BairdsSandpiper was at the Piute Ponds

on July 24 (Jim Moore) with the firston the lower L.A. River reported onAugust 9 (Richard Barth).Following that, many more wereseen on the river through August andinto September. A high count of fourteen were at the Lancaster Sewer Ponds on September 2 (MikeSan Miguel). Ano the r repor t of interest was one on the RioHondo in Rosemead onSeptember 7 (Larry Schmahl).

Pectoral Sandpipers were at PiutePonds on July 24 (Jim Moore) andon the lower L.A. River from August30-September 2 (Karen Gilbert, Jeff Boyd). Among additional later reports, a maximum of eight were onthe L.A. River on September 6(Richard Barth).

A Stilt Sandpiper was at PiutePonds on July 24 (Mike San Miguel)and the same or a second bird was atthere on August 1 (Jim Moore, JimGarrett). An amazing total of sevenStilt Sandpipers were on the lower L.A. River on August 31 andSeptember 1 (Richard Barth, TomMiko, Dick Norton, Kevin Larson),

but this was eclipsed by anunprecedented twelve birds onSeptember 4 (Richard Barth).Smaller numbers remained herethrough the period. As they arenormally very rare migrants in thecounty, these counts are remarkable.

A very rare Buff-breastedSandpiper was found at PiutePonds on September 8 (MaryFreeman) and was reported throughSeptember 12. This has been a goodfall for this species, with a total of five birds in Ventura County, one inKern, and a few others elsewhere inthe state.

Three Ruffs were found, with oneon the L.A. River in Long Beach onAugust 30-31 (Karen Gilbert, Jeff Boyd), another at the Lancaster Sewer Ponds from August 31-September 2 (Jennifer Rycenga) anda third at Malibu Lagoon onSeptember 7 (Dave Furseth).

Quite rare in summer was a HerringGull on the lower L.A. River. This

bird was recorded several times inJuly (Kevin Larson). Even more outof time and place was a ThayersGull at the Lancaster Sewer Pondson September 10 (Kimball Garrett).Given this exceptional date, itslikely that this gull summered inthe area.

A few Black Terns were reported,

with seven present at Piute Ponds onJuly 24 (Mike San Miguel). Reportsof two more birds came from Playadel Rey in early August, the first atthat locale since 1980 (fide DanCooper). Another Black Tern was atan unexpected location on the SanGabriel River near El Monte onSeptember 2-3 (Andrew Lee)

Two Chimney Swifts along the RioHondo near San Gabriel Blvd onJuly 30 (John Green) were the onlyones reported this summer andlikewise was a single Black Swiftover Hacienda Heights on August 20(Dan Cooper).

A few White-winged Dovestypically appear in late summer.One was at Ballona Freshwater Marsh on August 15 (Dan Cooper),another was in Saugus the followingday (Laura Vance) and three were onthe lower L.A. River south of Willow Street on September 3(Karen Gilbert, Jeff Boyd).

A Gray Flycatcher at BonelliRegional Park on August 6 passedthrough well ahead of schedule(Andrew Lee). Rather scarce as amigrant coastally at best, theyare not normally expected untillate August.

A Bells Vireo always very rare asa migrant was at Piute Ponds onAugust 10 (Mike San Miguel).

A Bank Swallow along thelower L.A. River on August 1(Richard Barth) and another atthe Lancaster Sewer Ponds onSeptember 10 (Kimball Garrett)were the only ones reported.

Another indication of birdmovements likely related to dry

conditions were two PygmyNuthatches in South Pasadena onSeptember 7 (Ed Stonick). WhileRed-breasted Nuthatches arewell known to be undergo

periodic dispersals away from breeding areas and into thelowlands, this phenomenon isquite rare in Pygmy Nuthatches.


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8 Western Tanager

In September came the astoundingrecords of three Arctic Warblers insouthern California. The first birdwas discovered at Galileo Hill ineastern Kern County on September 7 (Susan Steele). The numerous

birders who came to look for this bird the following day relocated it,and then amazingly found a secondone. This constituted only the fourthand fifth state records and the firstinland record. Both Galileo birds werereported through September 10.

One would think that two ArcticWarblers were more than enough for any one fall, but L.A. County wasnot to be outdone. A third Arctic

Warbler graced us, this time atDeForest Park in Long Beach fromSeptember 13-14 (Karen Gilbert,Jeff Boyd, Brian Daniels, RichardBarth), for the first L.A. Countyrecord. Thus in the space of oneweek California doubled its recordsof Arctic Warblers.

The closest previous recordgeographically was a bird at PismoBeach in September 1996, with themost recent California record beingfrom Mountain View in September 2000. Remarkable is a BajaCalifornia record from 1991 which

predates all of the records for California.

One cant help but wonder if additional birds will be found,

particularly as birders will now beon the watch for them. And thesethree Arctic Warblers beg theintriguing questionhow manyothers pass through undetected?

Another stunning find was animmature Eastern Yellow Wagtailat Malibu Lagoon from September 14-15 (Kevin Pickard). Its

interesting to note that the only other L.A. County record was also atMalibu Lagoon in 1987, almostexactly twenty years ago. Weveseen a virtual invasion of arctic birdsthus far compared to almost anyother fall.

A Lucys Warbler , a rare butregular straggler to the coast in fall,was seen briefly in Long Beach onSeptember 12 (Robb Hamilton).The interest in a nesting pair of Northern Parula near BalboaLake in Van Nuys was deflatedwhen the nesting attemptappeared to have failed by theend of July (Brian Daniels).

Though just at the start of vagrantwarbler season, already there were afew reports of rarities. ThreeVirginias Warblers were found atdifferent locations all on September 2.The first was at Peck Pit in Monrovia(Andrew Lee), the second was at PiutePonds (Mike San Miguel) and the thirdwas at De Forest Park in Long Beach(Mark & Janet Scheel).

An excellent find was a PrairieWarbler at DeForest Park in LongBeach from August 30-September 1(Karen Gilbert, Jeff Boyd).

A Black-and-white Warbler atWhittier Narrows on July 18 was anatypical record, but likely a very latespring migrant (Nathan Moorhatch).

There were few reports of sparrowsand buntings, but one of interest wasthat of three Indigo Buntings in theEaton Canyon flood basin inPasadena on July 25 (Jon Feenstra).The habitat here in late summer andfall has been very productive in the

past for seedeaters.The lone report of a Yellow-headed

Blackbird was a single bird on thelower L.A. River on September 6(Richard Barth).

While its already been agood shorebird season, weveyet to know what the whole of autumn migration will look like.The appearance of three Arctic

Warblers and a Yellow Wagtail by mid-September may be anindication of things to come, or i t may end there . As a lways,

birds are both predictable andunpredictable... of course thatswhat keeps things interesting.Regardless, the remainder of September and October are

loaded with possibilities.

Its hard to believe how quickly both spring and fall migration go by.

The bulk of songbirds will have passed through by October, withstragglers and a few winteringvagrants left to be found. By thetime this issue is in the mail,Christmas Counts will be just acouple of months away. Not onlyare these an interesting change fromnormal birding habits, but theyallow us to contribute some usefuldata. Inevitably the counts turn up ahandful of previously undiscoveredrarities as well.



9/20

n a t u r e s t o r e n e w s


NATURE STORE

FALL/WINTER SCHEDULE

The office and Nature Store are open Monday throughThursday from 9:30am to 4:00pm, and are normally

closed Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

SPECIAL SATURDAY OPENINGSOpen 10:00am to 3:00pm

November 3, 2007December 1, 2007

December 8, 2007December 15, 2007January 5, 2008

ADDITIONAL CLOSINGSThursday, November 22, 2007Monday, December 24, 2007Tuesday, December 25, 2007Monday, December 31, 2007

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

New At The Nature Store

101 Ways To Help BirdsN12387 $19.95

Roger Tory Peterson, A BiographyN12375 $24.95

Why Dont Woodpeckers Get Headaches?N12389 $9.95

Beginners Guide To Bird Songs Of North AmericaN12380 $25.00

Holiday giving got you in a twist?

Membership in Los Angeles Audubon is a great giftto give your neighbors, co-workers, fellow clubmembers, friends and family. Perhaps you know anenthusiastic birder or Auduboner on a limited incomewho would love a gift membership to our chapter.Perhaps there is a young person who is interested innatural history who could benefit from a giftmembership.

Giving a gift membership to Los Angeles Audubonis a wonderful way to raise awareness, and get

people involved in our chapter.

You can call us at (323) 876-0202, fax us at (323)876-7609 or email: [email protected], or go to

our On Line Nature Store:www.losangelesaudubon.org/store and click on

membership, to arrange the gift membership.


10/20

10 Western Tanager

EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Audubon chapters welcomed 15 year old Malkolm Boothroyd on a stop at Santa Monica Pier on his big bird year bicycle ride from Yukon, Alaska to Florida to promote bird

conservation and emission free bird watching by sail boat and bicycle. Follow Malkolms journey on his website www.birdyear.com.

Left to right: Santa Monica Bay Audubon President Lu Plauzoles, Malkolm, Malkolms Dad Ken, Los Angeles Audubon ED Garry George, Malkolms Mom Wendy, and Los

Angeles County Bicycle Coalition ED Jennifer Klausner who rode with Malkolm fromVentura County line to Orange County line.

On Tuesday, September 11,2007 L.A. Audubon, Santa MonicaBay Audubon Society, CDFG, U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service, andSWCA Environmental Consultantsheld a workshop for local beachmanagers and beach-related groupsto work on solutions for protectingthe Western Snowy Plover on LosAngeles County Beaches. Themeeting was based on the surveyefforts of volunteers last winter-spring to determine where andwhen the plovers occur here. Therewas general agreement that morecan and should be done including

more enclosures that would protectwintering plovers from vehicles andallow for more buildup of kelp and

beach wrack for them to forage on.Other recommendations includedexpanding the volunteer program,creating a community outreach anddocent program, and greater cooperation among Audubon andlocal beach managers in sharing

The final report of the SnowyPlover wintering and breedingseason survey has been published

by SWCA Associates, SantaMonica Bay Audubon and LosAngeles Audubon. The report givesthe results of the work of over 40volunteers from the two chapters of Audubon, led by volunteer coordinators Jenny Jones andStacey Vigallon, and documents thefirst recorded breeding attempt bySnowy Plovers on Los Angeles

County beaches since 1947The report is available by [email protected] or callAudubon House 323-876-0202.

information about plover locationsand providing training to personnelwho may drive on the beach. Thegoal of these actions will be to

protect and improve the winteringhabitat for Snowy Plovers in L.A.County and to provide protectedareas for nesting.

Los Angeles Audubon presentsan annual research grant, theRalph W. Schreiber OrnithologyResearch Award, to supportresearch relevant to the biology of

birds. Award recipients are limitedto students or amateur ornithologists who are not able tosecure research funding throughchannels available to professionalornithologists, and who reside insouthern California (from San LuisObispo, Kern and San Bernardino

Counties south) or are currentlyenrolled in a southern California

academic institution. There is nogeographical restriction on theresearch area. While a morefavorable consideration of research that is of a local natureinvolving a local species will begiven, all researchers areencouraged to apply. Only oneaward will be given for anindividual project or thesis.

One or more awards will be giventhis year, with a maximumindividual award of $1500.

The application deadline for the year 2008 Research Award is December 1, 2007; grants will be disbursed inApril, 2008.

More details onwww.laaudubon.org, MAINMENU, Research Grants


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We firmly believe thathaving a passion for birds

leads to becoming a goodsteward of the Earth; and

we need more people to jointhe ranks of stewards.

With that said, here is the Outreach reportfor the November-December Issue:

Jennifer Jones and Eleanor Osgood with the assistance

of Lisa Fimiani introducedLos Angeles Audubon to over 40novice birders who, sinceFebruary 2006, participated in oneof our four successfulIntroduction to Bird Watchingclasses. (Jennifer and Eleanor havedeveloped a PowerPoint

presentation to accompany in-classdiscussion of bird identification;the classes also include bird walks.If anyone has an interest in givingthis presentation we can get you acopy. Or let us know if you knowof a group that would be interestedin such a class. It can be adaptedto a 3 hour or 3+ day class.)

In September we launched our expanded schedule of Bird Walksgeared toward urban parks and the

families that frequent them. LarryAllen chose to lead a walk inMagic Johnson County Park in

November, Judith Raskin officiallyadded her monthly Echo Park walks to our schedule; IrwinWoldman chose to lead a

beginners walk at Upper FranklinCanyon in October. We have alsoonce again teamed up with Beverly

Hills to lead three beginner birdwalks at Greystone Mansion. If any of you have a favorite city park that is birdie (and even better, has alake) let us know. And if you areinterested in leading the walk wewill be there to support you.

The committee has also beenstrategizing on ways to reach out tothe Spanish-speaking communitywhich is one of the most active usersof our open-spaces. We are in the

process of developing a Spanishlanguage insert for our newmembership brochure. We also planto distribute Spanish translations of the beginning bird walks schedulesand then distribute them in local

parks and other venues.

Audubon Film Fridays was aresounding success reaching 40-100 people per showing. Familiescame with children; we ate popcornand sat under the stars (except theday of the big storm) and watchedsome really good movies aboutnature and birds. Congratulationsgo to Jason Stuck for suggestingthe concept. Thanks go out toPasadena Audubon Society, RonCyger for recruiting volunteers,and to Garry George for organizing

the event and raising funding for the program. And a very specialthank you to Elva and Jeff at DebsPark for providing the location, the

publicity and for all their hardwork in helping the event gosmoothly each Friday night.

outreach committee reportvolunteer

opportunities

WESTERN TANAGER EditorOur newsletter is looking for a newEditor. Any ideas?

Marketing andCommunications InternThis person would be on-call to help theBoard and committee chairs sendannouncements to local newspapersabout special activities sponsored by our chapter. Amount of time committmentwould be up to the volunteer.

Committee members:We encourage each member of LosAngeles Audubon to become activein our Committees.

Contact Eleanor Osgood [email protected] or call 310-839-5420



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12 Western Tanager

Birdwalks are geared for the beginner/intermediate looking for an introduction or less strenuous excursion.Field Trips often require more time or effort, and delve more deeply into identification, natural histories andinteractions observed in the field. All are welcome on either type of trip.

Sunday, November 4 Oxnard Plain

Leader: Larry Allen .Meet at the Hueneme sod fields at8:00 AM to look over the AmericanPipits for the Red-throated variety,as well as longspurs. Golden-Plovers are also possible. There may

be eastern vagrants to chase. Muguestuary, Sycamore Canyon, andlocal tamarisk stands are also

possibilities. From the 101 N, driveS on Las Posas Rd., then turn Rt.onto Hueneme Rd. Meet on the Nside of Hueneme Rd. about 1 mile Wof PCH, and just before Casper Rd.Scopes helpful. Bird 'till we drop.

Saturday, November 17 Lake Perris areaLeader: Howard King .The Little Gulls, Ruddy Ground Dove,and Least and Vermilion flycatchers of

past years may not be back, but surelysomething will take their places! Take the10 or 60 Fwy E to the 215 Fwy S, exit Eonto Ramona Expressway, continue E

just past Perrris Blvd., and meet at theFarmer Boys Restaurant on the S side of the road. Leave from here at 8:00 AM.Bring lunch, warm clothing and footwear for possible mud.

No fee for the trip, but possibleentrance fee.

Sunday, November 25 Newport Back Bay

Leader: Mary Freeman .Meet on the boardwalk along the NW

bay at the Sharp-tailed Sparrow Spotaccessible from the end of UniversityDrive (small street) at 8:00 AM for the7.1 high tide, and a full day of birding inthe area. High tide at the mouth is 8:33,

but may not peak in the back bay untilafter 9:00 AM. Rails, Nelsons Sharp-tailed Sparrow (rare), CaliforniaGnatcatcher, and Bittern will betarget birds. Eurasian Wigeon andBlue-winged Teal expected.Take the 405 Fwy S to the 73 TollRoad (free this far) to the Campus Dr.exit, which becomes Bristol St. Turnright on Irvine Ave., drive 1.4 miles,then turn left on a small street calledUniversity Drive. Park at the end,walk down the hill, over the bridge,and to the end of the boardwalk.

Bring lunch. Scopes helpful.Saturday, December 8 West Antelope Valley Raptorsand Other Wintering BirdsJean Brandt will lead us from QuailLake east across the Antelope Valley.Ferruginous Hawk and Prairie Falconlikely. Wear warm clothing, bring lunch,and have a full tank of gas. Meet atDennys at 6:45 AM to carpool. Take 405

N to Roxford in Sylmar. Turn right, thenright into the Dennys parking lot. Tripleaves at 7:00 AM sharp. Scopes andFRS radios helpful.

Saturday, December 15 Lancaster Christmas Bird Count

Contact compiler Nick Freemanat: (818) 247-6172 or [email protected] be placed on a team or be givenan area.

Sunday, December 16 Malibu Christmas Bird CountContact compiler Larry Allen at:(626) 288-2701 or [email protected] participate.

Sunday, December 30 Los Angeles BasinChristmas Bird CountContact compilers:Eleanor Osgood (310) 839-5420,Barbara Courtois (310) 379-4669,Cindy Harding , (310) 301-0050 or email to: [email protected]

to be placed on a team or be givenan area.

Please see page 15 for reservation information

Before setting out on any field trip, pleasecall (323) 874-131

(Events & Announcements, #4).Special instructions or possible cancellations that

may have occurred (by the Thursday before thetrip) will be announced at this number.

f i e l d t r i p s


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f i e l d t r i p s

Friday & Saturday,January 11&12

Slaty-backed Gull Workshopwith Jon Dunn.A knowledgeable second guide willassist, if sign-ups warrant.Extensive Lecture in Half-MoonBay area (exact location TBA soon)will be Friday from 8AM until 2PMwith a break, so that we can look for gulls at Half-Moon Bay on Fridayafternoon and all day Saturday(beach morning meeting time and

place TBA at lecture). We may birdas a self-guided group on Sundaymorning if there is interest. Sundaymorning will also serve as a back-upday for the official field trip in caseof rain on Saturday, although thenearby dump is closed on Sunday,and the loafing gulls at the beachthin out. Bad weather may actuallyincrease the flock size. A Friday

lecture will give us the best chanceto see thousands of gulls, and to possibly study rare gulls like Slaty- backed. No guarantees, of course, but we will probably find Thayers,Glaucous, perhaps hybrids such as

Nelsons, and all of the morecommon gulls (Ring-billed is rarehere!). Most Slaty-backed Gullrecords for the lower 48 states have

been at this beach in this time frame,

a number every year since peoplehave been looking, so we do have areal chance of finding one!$80 for workshop with field trips.25 max.

Saturday, January 19 East Antelope Valley

Leaders: Stan Gray and Todd Battey .Beyond 50th Street East is neglectedterritory for many birders. However,DFG has oversight of the area, andStan birds the area extensively; sothey know that Mountain Plover,raptors, LeContes Thrasher andother AV specialties are sometimeseasiest to find in the far easternreaches of the Valley. Take Hwy 14

N to Avenue S (next to LakePalmdale). Drive into the Park-and-Ride just to the east of the offramp.Meet at 8:00 AM at the W end of themain lot. Bring lunch and a full tank of gas for a full day of spleandor inthe alfalfa.

No fee, no reservation. Scopes andFRS radios helpful.

Sunday, January 20

Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Area.Leader: Kris Ohlenkamp .Freeway close morning of birding.Kris has led this walk on-and-off for 20 years, noting 200 species, andaveraging 60-65 per walk. Take the405 fwy N into the San FernandoValley, turn W on Burbank Blvd.and N (Rt.) on Woodley Ave. to thesecond Rt., which is markedWildlife Area. Turn here and park

in the lot at the end. Meet at 8:00AM, and bird until about 11:30 AM.

Saturday & Sunday,January 26 & 27 Salton SeaLeaders Nick and Mary Freeman .Yellow-footed Gull, Ruddy Ground-Dove, Snow & Ross' geese, SandhillCranes, Stilt Sandpiper, and GilaWoodpecker all hopeful to certain.

Meet at 7:00 AM Saturday at theWister Unit parking lot by the

portapottys. This is 5 miles north of Niland where Davis joins Hwy 111.Calipatria Inn (800) 830-1113(leaders preference) and BrawleyInn (760) 344-1199 arerecommended. FRS radios & 'scopeshelpful. Arrive fed, bring lunches,those who wish will dine together atCalipatria Inn Steak House.Fee: $10. No Limit, but sign up with phone, e-mail, and SASE for more details.

Saturday, February 2 Seal Beach Naval WeaponsStation Wetlands.Martin Byhower, Nick Freemanand a base biologist will drive 12lucky LAAS participants around this

prime wetlands site where PacificGolden-Plover, Mountain Plover,

Nelsons Sharp-tailed Sparrow, Sage

Thrasher and numerous raptorsregularly winter. Base will confirmwith us around January 10.Send SASE to Audubon House withe-mail and phone number (phone #required) by January 23. OnlySASE-confirmed U.S. citizens with

photo ID allowed on base. Nocameras or weapons. Meet at themain public lot at 800 Seal BeachBlvd. at 7:30 AM, and bird until

noon. Take Seal Beach Blvd. S fromthe 405 FWY, pass Westminster Blvd., turn left onto the base at theForrestal Lane light, and left againinto the lot.12 max from LAAS,12 max from PVAS. No fee. Please see page 15 for

reservation information


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14 Western Tanager

B I R D W A L K S

Saturday, November 3 Magic Johnson Recreation Areawith Larry AllenThis bird walk will be anintroduction ot the basics of

birdwatching. We will be learningabout ducks and common birds of urban parks. Meet at the EarvinMagic Johnson Recreation Area,120th St. parking lot at 9:00 AM.From either direction of the 105Freeway, exit on Central Ave.

Proceed south on Central to 120thSt. (first signal), then right (west) on120th St. to parking lot on left.

Sunday, November 4Echo Park Lake Birdwalk Leader: Judith RaskinMeet at 9:00 a.m. at the Boathouse,Echo Park Ave. near Laguna Ave.Plenty of street parking. Take aleisurely walk around Echo Park

Lake, one of the oldest in LosAngeles. More than 60 species callEcho Park their home for all or partof the year. They include Mallards,Great-tailed Grackles, AmericanCoots, Great Blue Herons, GreatEgrets, hawks and various gulls anddoves. This is an excellent walk for

beginners. Parents are encouraged totake their children. Binocularsrecommended, and a bird guide, if you have one. Directions: From N/B101 Freeway, exit Echo Park Ave.and continue north about mile.From S/B 101 Freeway, exitGlendale Blvd./Union Ave., go left

on Temple St., left on GlendaleBlvd., right on Bellevue Ave., thenleft on Echo Park Ave. to the

boathouse. For more informationcall (323) 663-6767 or write

[email protected].

Saturday, November 3Saturday, December 1Saturday, January 5Debs Park Audubon CenterBirdwalk First Saturdays (Sep Jul) Join Dexter Kelly for a leisurelymorning walk through the diversenatural areas that surround theAudubon Center at Debs Park. Awide variety of birds of riparian,walnut woodland, and chapparalhabitats can be found, includingraptors. Meet at 9:00 AM. TheCenter is located on Griffin Avenueon the west side of the park. From

the south, take the Pasadena Fwynorth to the Avenue 43 exit. Bear right on Ave. 43 up the hill to GriffinAve. Turn left on Griffin Ave., andgo about a quarter mile to theCenters driveway, which goessteeply uphill on the right. From thenorth, exit the Pasadena Freewaysouthbound at Avenue 52. Turn lefton Ave. 52, and follow it across thefreeway to where it becomes GriffinAve. The driveway is a quarter mileon the left.

Sunday, November 4Sunday, December 2Sunday, January 6Topanga State Park Bird Walk First Sunday every month Ken Wheeland and Chris Tosdevinwill lead participants through this

beautiful and diverse coastamountain area. An ideal trip for a

beginning birder or someone new inthe area. From Ventura Blvd., takeTopanga Canyon Blvd. 7 miles S,

turn E uphill on Entrada Rd. Followthe signs and turn left into TrippetRanch parking lot. From PCH, takeTopanga Cyn. Blvd. 5 miles toEntrada Rd. Parking $2.Meet at 8:00 AM.

Saturday, November 17with Eleanor OsgoodSaturday, December 15with Ann & Eric Brooks

Saturday, January 19Leader: TBAKenneth Hahn State RecreationArea Birdwalk Third Saturdays (Sep Jun) This trip covers landscaped parklandand natural coastal scrub habitats,and is paced for beginning birdersand members of the Baldwin Hillscommunity. The park entrance is off of La Cienega Blvd. Between RodeoRd. and Stocker St. After passing theentrance kiosk ($4 parking fee), turnleft (leading to the OlympicForest) and park in the firstavailable spaces. Meet at 8:00 AM.

Birdwalks are geared for the beginner/intermediate looking for an introduction or less strenuousexcursion. Birdwalks do not require sign-up or reservation, just show up.


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B I R D W A L K S


Sunday, November 18Sunday, December 16Sunday, January 20Ballona Wetlands Birdwalk Third Sundays (Aug May) Bob Shanman leads this trip to our nearest wetland and adjacent rocky

jetty. Migrating shorebirds and ternsshould be coming through. Meet atthe Del Rey Lagoon parking lot.Take the Marina Fwy (90 W) toCulver Blvd. and turn left for a mile,

turn right on Pacific Ave. The lot ison the right. Lot or street parking isusually not a problem. Three-hour walk. Scopes helpful. Meet at 8:00 AM.

Saturday, November 24Saturday, December 22Saturday, January 26Fourth Saturday every month Whittier Narrows Birdwalk Leader: park ranger Ray Jillson .View colorful resident and migrating

birds, possibly including theintroduced Northern Cardinal. TakePeck Dr. off the 60 Fwy in South ElMonte (just west of the 605 Fwy).Take the off ramp onto Durfee Ave.heading W (right) and turn left intothe Nature Center, 1000 Durfee Ave.Meet at 8:15 AM.

Saturday, December 8 Greystone Mansion in Beverley HillsLeader Eleanor Osgood . Birdwalk in conjunction with Beverly HillsParks and Recreation. Meet at theupper parking lot (from Sunset gonorth on Foothill, make a left onLoma Vista and another left into the

public parking lot , continue to theupper area. Time: 10:00 AM.

RESERVATION & FEE EVENTSPolicy and Procedure

(For Limited ParticipationField Trips & Pelagic Trips)

Reservations will be accepted ONLY if ALL the following information issupplied:

1) Trip desired. 2) Names of people inyour party. 3) Phone numbers: (a) usualand (b) evening before event, (in caseof cancellation) (c) email address (if used). 4) Separate check (no cash

please) to LAAS for exact amount for each trip. 5) Self-addressed stamped

envelope (SASE) for confirmation andassociated trip information.Our Mailing Address:

Los Angeles Audubon - ReservationsP.O. Box 931057

Los Angeles, CA 90093-1057

If there is insufficient response, the tripwill be cancelled two Wednesdays prior to the scheduled date (four weeks for

pelagics). You will be so notified andyour fee returned. Your cancellationafter that time will bring a refund onlyif there is a paid replacement. Millie

Newton is available at Audubon Houseon Wednesdays from noon to 4:00 PMto answer questions about Pelagic trips.Our office staff is also availableMonday through Thursday for mostreservation services.

REFUND POLICY FOR PELAGIC TRIPS

If a participant cancels 31 days or more prior to departure, a $4 service charge will be deducted from the refund. There is no participant refund if requested fewer than30 days before departure, unless there is a

paid replacement available. Call LAAS

for a possible replacement. Please do notoffer the trip to a friend as it would beunfair to those on the waiting list.

All pelagic tripsmust be filled 35 days prior to sailing.

Please reserve early.

NOTE : Destinations may be changed inorder to maximize bird sightings, or minimize rough seas. In order to meet unexpected increases in fuel costs, therecan be a $5 to $10 energy surcharge per

person.




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16 Western Tanager

L os Angeles Audubon member and volunteer BarbaraCourtois was honored asVolunteer of the Year by AudubonCalifornia. She was given the awardalong with five other chapter volunteers by Audubon PresidentJohn Flicker at the AudubonAssembly in Asilomar on Monday,October 8 at a special event atMonterey Aquarium.

Barbara has volunteered for over adecade at the Ballona saltwater marsh education program where sherecruits and trains docents, arrangesfor schoolchildren to come to the

program, and oversees the docentled field trips. She participated in theSnowy Plover winter and breedingseason surveys, and in themonitoring program at theCalifornia Least Tern Colony.California Department of Fish & Gamehonored Barbara for her outstandingservice at the Least Tern colony.

Barbara is a long time member of Los Angeles Audubon andSanta Monica Bay Audubon.

participation has been sporadic inrecent years. Total species countshave generally been in the 140s inthe past ten years well below thehigh counts of up to 170 species inthe late 1970s.

This is the year to Come Hometo Los Angeles! With good

participation, we can demonstratethe great mid-winter diversity of

birds in the City. Numerous bird-rich canyons and neighborhoodsfrom Beverly Hills to Brentwood arecrying out for coverage, as arenatural areas and urban parks alike.

Every wetland and lake needsthorough coverage, as well as everyinch of shoreline from Playa del Reyto the Santa Monica Pier. Pleaseconsider participating in the Los AngelesChristmas Bird Count on Sunday,December 30 this year and get us over that 170 species threshold!

Saturday, December 15 Lancaster Christmas Bird Count

Contact compiler Nick Freeman at: (818)247-6172 or [email protected] be placed on a team or be given an area.

Sunday, December 16 Malibu Christmas Bird CountContact compiler Larry Allen at :(626) 288-2701 or [email protected] participate.

Sunday, December 30 Los Angeles BasinChristmas Bird CountContact compilers:Eleanor Osgood (310) 839-5420,Barbara Courtois (310) 379-4669,Cindy Harding , (310) 301-0050 or emailto: [email protected] be placed on a team or be given an area.

Audubon California Volunteer of the Year Barbara Courtois

L.A. Christmas Bird Count Continued from page 1

history of that bizarre record of White-tailed Tropicbird? Or CommonStonechat? Just want to ogle beautiful

photos of Rosss Gull, Short-tailedAlbatross, or Streak-backed Oriole?This is a book you need to have.

Rare Birds of California will beavailable for sale at Matt Heindels

presentation about the book and theCalifornia Bird RecordsCommittee at the Wednesday,

November 14, 2007 evening meeting.Additional information is available onthe Western Field Ornithologists website: www.wfo-cbrc.org

Rare Birds of California

Continued from Page 1


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Bird Species OrphansContinued from Page 1

Conservation ConversationContinued from Page 4

Atlas Species NeedingSponsors

(87 as of September 2007)

Egyptian GooseBlue-winged Teal

Cinnamon Teal Northern Pintail

Northern Shoveler GadwallRedhead

Ring-necked Duck Bufflehead

Ruddy Duck Ring-necked Pheasant

Pied-billed GrebeClarks GrebeBrandts Cormorant

Double-crested CormorantCattle EgretGreen Heron

White-faced Ibis Northern Harrier

Virginia RailCommon Moorhen

American CootBlack-necked Stilt

Wilsons SnipeSpotted Sandpiper

Caspian TernElegant Tern

Forsters TernXantuss Murrelet

African Collared-DoveEurasian Collared-Dove

Inca Dove

Common Ground-DoveBlack-hooded ParakeetBlue-crowned Parakeet

White-fronted ParrotBlue-fronted Parrot

Yellow-headed ParrotCostas HummingbirdWestern Wood-Pewee

Willow Flycatcher

Dusky Flycatcher Gray Flycatcher

Ash-throated Flycatcher Cassins KingbirdWestern Kingbird

Gray VireoCassins Vireo

Plumbeous VireoHuttons VireoWarbling VireoPurple MartinTree Swallow

Northern Rough-winged Swal lowCliff Swallow

Red-breasted NuthatchBrown Creeper

Red-whiskered BulbulRock Wren

Golden-crowned KingletBlue-gray Gnatcatcher Townsends Solitaire

European Starling Nashville Warbler

Yellow Warbler Hermit Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

Hooded Warbler Yellow-breasted ChatChipping SparrowBrewers Sparrow

Lark SparrowBlack-throated Sparrow

Savannah SparrowSong Sparrow

Lincolns SparrowBlue Grosbeak Indigo Bunting

Yellow-headed BlackbirdGreat-tailed Grackle

Brown-headed CowbirdPurple Finch

Cassins FinchEuropean Goldfinch

Pine SiskinHouse Sparrow

Zebra Finch

study the wind resource areas for migratory birds as soon as possible, andwe urge wind energy developers to maketheir study information and monitoringdata public to better understand the

impacts of wind energy on our birds.Two wind companies PPL fromScotland and Horizon, ironically a partyin our lawsuit, had participated in the

process and both broke from windindustry ranks and recommended

passage of the guidelines.

It was now 2 pm and we had started at 9am. Public comments had ended and itwas time for a vote. After a statement

from Commissioner Geesman on theintentions of the guidelines, and a re-emphasis that the guidelines arevoluntary, and an assurance to County

permitters that they could make their own decisions, the Commissioners took a vote. The vote was unanimous to adoptthe guidelines!

As I flew back to Los Angeles thatafternoon, I looked out the window at the

large pieces of habitat, and reflected onwhat had just happened. We had lost one

bitter battle with our lawsuit, but fromthat battle came victory in another battle.The war to protect birds will never beover as long as populations of humanskeep growing and more natural resourcesare needed for housing, industrialdevelopment, energy, water, food andconsumer products. We protect birds not

because we think we can stop progress,

but because we think our wildlife is animportant natural resource, and becauseit is declining so rapidly. Weveexperienced that joy and mystery of nature while watching birds, and thatexperience has changed us. It is not anoption to not protect what we havegrown to love.


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18 Western Tanager

Save $5.00 with an early sign-up 60 days prior to the trip departure.

p e l a g i c t r i p S

Please see page 15 for reservation information

Saturday, May 3A deep water trip toward theSan Juan Seamount.

This trip departs from the SantaBarbara Harbor on the fastcatamaran Condor Express at 7:00a.m., and will return approximately

by 8:00 p.m. We will cruise alongthe deep water shelf by the San JuanSeamount. Birds previously seen:Laysan and Black-footed albatross;

Northern Fulmar; Sooty and Pink-footed shearwaters: Parasitic,Pomarine and Long-tailed jaegers;Ashy, Leachs and Fork-tailed

storm-petrels; Pigeon Guillemot;Xantus Murrelet; Cassins andRhinoceros auklets; Tufted Puffin.Rare possibilities are MurphysPetrel and Red-billed Tropicbird.Leaders: Todd McGrath, JonFeenstra, Kimball Garrett, DaveCompton and David Pereksta.$198 . There is a complete galley that

serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Saturday, June 7Land on Santa Cruz Island for theIsland Scrub Jay, and then out to sea.

This 8 hour trip departs from theIsland Packer dock in the OxnardHarbor at 8:00 a.m. on the m/vVanguard. We will land at PrisonersCove where the endemic IslandScrub-Jay is easily seen. Then wewill cruise out to sea for pelagic

birding, returning by AnacapaIsland. Birds seen on prior trips:

Northern Fulmar; Sooty and Pink-footed shearwaters; South Polar Skua; Parasitic and Pomarine

jaegers; Sabines Gull; rocky

shorebirds (up to 5); PigeonGuillemot; Xantus Murrelet.Rarities seen: Flesh-footedShearwater and AmericanOystercatcher. A Tufted Puffinseen in 2002.Leaders: Todd McGrath, JonFeenstra and David Pereksta$95 . A box lunch and breakfast can

be ordered from the adjoining dock-side deli. Galley onboard.

Saturday, September 6A deep water trip to Cherry, Tannerand Cortez Banks.

This trip departs from the SantaBarbara Harbor at 7:00 a.m. on the fast

catamaran Condor Express and returnsapproximately at 8:00 p.m. We are far offshore in 3 counties Santa Barbara,Ventura and Los Angeles. Birdsexpected: Northern Fulmar; One CooksPetrel was seen in 2005; Ashy andLeachs storm-petrels; South Polar Skua;Parasitic, Pomarine and Long-tailed

jaegers; Sabines Gull; Arctic Tern. Red-

billed Tropicbirds are usually seen onthis trip. Rarities seen: Black-footedAlbatross; Bullers Shearwater; LeastStorm-Petrel and Craveris Murrelet.Blue, Fin and Minke whales as well asseveral species of dolphins can be seen.Leaders: Todd McGrath, JonFeenstra, Kimball Garrett. DaveCompton and David Pereksta$198. The trip will be cancelled if thereis insufficient response 35 days prior todeparture. There is a complete galley thatserves breakfast lunch and dinner.

2008 Los Angeles AudubonPelagic Schedule

Look for more excitingnew trips to be added

to this Schedule!

NOTE: Destinations may be changed tomaximize bird sightings, or minimizerough seas.With increased fuel costs there can be a$5 to $10 energy surcharge per person.


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THE BEST OF COSTA RICA February 5-17, 2008

Costa Rica, with its well deserved reputation as a countrysincerely interested in conserving its natural resources, is one thatis invariably on all birder's lists to visit. Its tropical forests harbor howler monkeys, Resplendent Quetzals, poison-dart frogs, giantmorpho butterflies, over 830 species of birds, and the beauty of thousands of plant species. We will visit six of the major locationsthat are distinctive, each offering a marvelous profusion of tropical

birds.

Habitats encountered will range from semiarid ranch land, to misty cloud forest, the transition zone betweenthe dry and moist forests of the Pacific lowlands, the treeless paramo, and what may well be the highlight of our trip, a visit to La Selva, a lowland rainforest where nearly 400 birds have been recorded. As part of a small group,enjoy some of the best tropical birding in Costa Rica., where you will be accompanied by outstanding leadersthroughout. Fully Booked

international birding tours

MOROCCO: FROM THE ATLAS MOUNTAINS TO THE SAHARA April 19 - May 5, 2008

Post-Extension Tangier to Fes May 5-10, 2008

The thought of Morocco brings visions of casbahs, deserts, minarets,camels, and Arabian nights. These sights, coupled with shoppingexcursions in Marrakech and Fes, will frame your experience, but the

primary purpose of this trip is Morocco's birds. With its coasts,islands, wadis, plains, forests, mountains and deserts, Morocco is a

birding wonderland-quite distinct from European habitats to the north.

From the moment you arrive in Casablanca, you'll be on your wayto look for the over 460 bird species that have been recorded in thiscountry. We will visit numerous habitats to search for species such asCrested Lark, Fan-tailed and Sardinian Warblers, and migrants such asOlivaceous Warbler, Barbary Partridge, the rare Bald Ibis and the

difficult-to-find Double-spurred Francolin, to name only a few. Froma birder's point of view, we will be in Morocco at probably the mostinteresting time of year. After the winter and early spring rains,hundreds of dayas (temporary ponds) form, and an abundance of flowers and lush green forests resound with birdsong. Beyond birdsmany natural wonders will be encountered: minerals from the Middleand High Atlas Mountains, fossils, orchids, mammals, herps andinsects. Accommodations are outstanding, and the cuisine excellent.We will be accompanied by expert birding guides. Space is limited.

For information and itinerary, contact:

Olga ClarkeLos Angeles Audubon - Travel Director

2027 El Arbolita Dr.Glendale, CA 91208-1805

Ph/Fax: 818-249-9511e-mail: [email protected]

P h o t o

b y H e r

b C l a r k e

White Stork nesting on top of miniret.

P h o t o b y H e r

b C l a r k e

Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth


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Meet at 7:30 at the Community Center in Plummer Park 7377 Santa Monica Blvd (at Martel between La Brea and Fairfax)

323-876-0202

Los Angeles Audubon SocietyP.O. Box 931057Los Angeles, CA 90093-1057

DATED MATERIAL Please Expedite

programs & evening meetings

Wednesday, November 14, 2007Matt Heindel Discusses the California Bird Records CommitteeAssessment of Records :Matt Heindel will provide an overview of the California Bird Records Committee(CBRC), a group that assesses records of rarities reported in California. In addition toexplaining the process the committee uses, he will also dispel some myths about theCBRC. There will be pictures that accompany some of the records on which he hasvoted with a discussion on how some of these decisions are reached. The timing of thismeeting is perfect as the just published Rare Birds of California will be highlighted. Inthis book is every decision the committee reached over a 30-year period, with picturesaplenty. Bring two hands as this book is heavy and filled with a ton of data. And, your name might be in it! Matt has served four terms on the CBRC, the last two of which asChairman. By profession, he has been involved in healthcare for decades and iscurrently buried with the launch of a new breast cancer screening test (which is severelydenting his birding time!).Come see the new book and learn a bit more about how (or if!) this Committee functionsand how it can best interact with the birding community.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007Fred Heath presents: Butterflies of SouthernAmazoniaAlthough the bird diversity in the Amazon rain forest is high, it doesnot begin to compare with the butterfly diversity in the same area. Ata single site in the state of Rondonia, Brazil which has habitats fromopen cattle pastures to primary rain forest, 1800 species of butter-flies have been recorded. Join Fred Heath as he shows a sampling of some of these spectacular butterflies and other creatures of the South-ern Amazonia rain forests of Peru and Brazil. Learn how army antsand the associated antbirds provide a key link which helps to supportmany butterflies.

Illioneus Giant-Owl Photo by Fred Heath

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Documents

November-December 2007 Western Tanager Newsletter - Los Angeles Audubon