January-Febuary 2010 Western Tanager Newsletter - Los Angeles Audubon

8/8/2019 January-Febuary 2010 Western Tanager Newsletter - Los Angeles Audubon

1/16

T

wo titans of American culture

crossed paths on Saturday,

November 7th, their spirits and

joy of life blessing an historic LosAngeles Audubon event. Johnny

Mercer, iconic American songwriter, is

known and loved for hundreds of

songs including Satin Doll, Black

Magic, Autumn Leaves, and

Blues in the Night. Leo Politi,

beloved for his childrens books

embracing Los Angeles

multiculturalism, children, history,

flora and fauna, wrote the 1950

Caldecott Medal winner, The Song ofthe Swallows. Both men, I am sure,

looked down upon the events

unfolding in a school yard deep in our

urban core, and smiled.

Leo Politi Elementary School is

located in the midst of the Pico-

Union neighborhood, one of the

densest and most park poor in all of

Los Angeles. Yet since its

construction in 1991, the school hasemerged as an urban oasis for its 818

K-5 students, their families, the

community, and hundreds of birds

some resident, some migratory. The

schools vision seeks to fulfill Leos

dream of making this city a peaceful,

safe and happy place for its youngest

citizensa place where their

imaginations can run wild and where

months of planning, study, and site

preparation: Dorsey High School

students, participating in Los Angeles

Audubons Restoration LeaderProgram, developed a restoration

curriculum and spent three afternoons

engaging Leo Politi students in soil

and native plant analysis, slope,

direction, and hydrology; Leo Politi

teacher, Linda Dowell, spent

afternoons exploring topics such as

JOHN JAMES AUDUBON, the water

cycle, and native plants with GATE

(Gifted and Talented Education)

students, so that they could mentor

they can explore all the wonders of

the natural world.

Recently, Los Angeles Audubonformed a partnership with Leo Politi

Elementary School to expand the

scope of science-based nature

activities it offers its students. As a first

step, we successfully applied for a

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Grant to

install a native habitat on 6,000 square

feet of underutilized school yard.

What followed the award of the

$18,000 F&WS grant was several

Volume 76, Number 3 January/February 2010

WESTERNTANAGER

a publication of Los Angeles Audubon www.laaudubon.org

Yellow-rumped Warblers and Titans of American Culture

Or, How Los Angeles Audubon Helped an Elementary School Install a Native Habitat

by Mary Loquvam, Exec. Director, Los Angeles Audubo

Over 300 volunteers turned out to help.


2/16

other students; Principal Brad Rumble,

coordinated the schools baseline bird

count; dozens of Leo Politi families

and teachers spent many a Saturday

morning removing Bermuda grass and

tilling the soil in preparation for the

installation; and, Dr. Margot Griswold,

gave of her time and expertise

designing the habitat and procuring apalette of native plants and trees.

Then, on the cool and dewy

morning of November 7th, over 300

students, teachers, families and friends

of Leo Politi Elementary School turned

out to assist with the installation.

Dorsey Restoration Leaders guided

teams of community volunteers with

the planting and watering of over 500

trees and plants. It was magical,marvelous creative chaos!

At eleven, everyone took a break

to celebrate, gathering in the schools

courtyard. City Council Member Ed

Reyes, in whose district Leo Politi

ElementarySchool resides,

commended the community for the

restoration and gave the school and

Los Angeles Audubon a proclamation

from the City honoring ourcollaboration. Leo Politi fifth grader

Kevin Martinez, gave a speech

describing how this project had

changed his life (please see text on

next page). Los Angeles Audubon

then dedicated the habitat to its angel

patron, Johnny Mercer, to celebrate the

centennial of his birth and the Leo

Politi choir sang Johnnys Ac-cent-

tchu-ate The Positive and Moon

River as the grand finale!

Then it was over the plants were

in, the cookies were eaten, and the

crowds had gone home. Just a few

lingered on, giving a final douse of

water to the plants, when suddenly, out

of nowhere, two Yellow-rumped

Warblers lit on two of the newly

planted oak trees! It was then I was

sure that Johnny Mercer and Leo Politi

were smiling on the new habitat! 2 Western Tanager Vol. 76, No. 3

The mission of Los Angeles Audubon Society is to

promote the enjoyment and protection of birds and

other wildlife through recreation, education,

conservation and restoration.

Los Angeles Audubon is a non-profit volunteerorganization of people with a common interest in

birding and natural history. Los Angeles Audubon

maintains offices, a library, and bookstore, the

proceeds of which benefit all of its programs.

Los Angeles Audubon Society

Audubon House

7377 Santa Monica Blvd.,

W. Hollywood, CA 90046-6694

Mailing Address

P.O. Box 931057, Los Angeles, CA 90093-1057

(323) 876-0202 (voice/messages)

(323) 876-7609 (fax)

[email protected] (general email)

www.laaudubon.org

Board Officers

President David De Lange

1st Vice President Garry George

2nd Vice President Paul Fox

Executive Secretary Linda Oberholtzer

Recording Secretary Eleanor Osgood

Treasurer Lisa Fimiani

Executive Past President Dexter Kelly

Programs & Activities

Conservation Garry George

Field Trips Nick Freeman

Bird Walks Eleanor Osgood

Pelagic Trips Phil Sayre

Membership Meetings Mary Freeman

Ornithology Consultant Kimball Garrett

Rare Bird Alert Jon Fisher

Report Rare Birds (323) 874-1318Volunteer Coordinator Eleanor Osgood

Library Dorothy Schwarz

Staff

Executive Director Mary Loquvam

Director of Interpretation Stacey Vigallon

Audubon House Administrator Martha Balkan

Membership Services Susan Castor

Audubon House Bookstore

Orders (888) 522-7428

Fax (323) 876-7609

Bookstore Manager (323) 876-0202

Hours Mon-Thurs 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

1st Sat. ea. month 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Online Nature Store

www.losangelesaudubon.org/store

WESTERNTANAGERPublished by

Los Angeles Audubon Society

Western Tanageris published bi-monthly. For address changes or

subscription problems call (323) 876-0202, or write to Member

Services, Los Angeles Audubon, PO Box 931057, Los Angeles, CA

90093-1057. Submissions are due the 1st of the month, two months

before the date of the issue. Please send submissions as Microsoft

Word or RTF documents, or plain text files, to Linda Oberholtzer at

[email protected].

Editor Linda Oberholtzer

Layout Susan Castor

Proofreaders Hanna Hayman, Kimball Garrett

Printed on Recycled Paper

Dorsey Restoration Leaders hard at work.

Principal Rumbel and Los Angeles Audubon Exec.D

Mary Loquvam receive commendation from

City Councilman Ed Reyes.

Leo Politi choir sings Johnny Mercer.

The community pitches in.


3/16

Western Tanager January/February 2010 3

Good morning.

I have attended this fantastic schoolsince kindergarten, and every year has

been memorable.

But the only word I can think of todescribe this year, my final year here atLeo Politi, is unforgettable. And thatis because I never expected I wouldget to learn so much about nature.

My friends and Iand when I sayfriends, I mean the nearly 800students of Leo Politimy friendsand I are proud to be part of a projectwhich restores a portion of our campus

to how it might have looked before LosAngeles even existed as a city.

We have learned how native plantsand trees can help the native birds,insects and wildlifeeven thearachnids. Our schoolyard habitat willbe a very lovely home for all of them,and a place where we kids can learnabout them.

I will leave Leo Politi at the end of thisschool year. I cannot be like the Black

Phoebe or Northern Mockingbird whoare residents here all their lives. But,like the Yellow-rumped Warblers whomigrate here, I will return to see thegarden grow. And as a big brother ofKenny in grade 3 and Leslie in firstgrade, I am thrilled that they will growup in a school with a native Californiaschoolyard habitat.

We appreciate the U.S. Fish & Wildlifeservice for giving us this grant. Maryand the people of L. A. Audubonyouchanged our lives. Dorsey HighSchool, thank you for teaching us moreabout nature, and making us laugh atthe same time. Council memberReyes...LAPD Olympic Division: weknow you care a lot about whathappens to us. That means a lot.

At Leo Politi, we are surrounded byreally awesome peopleand birds.

Thank you.

Transcript of speech by LeoPoliti Elementary School fifthgrader, Kevin Martinez, atdedication of schoolyard habitat.

Conservation Conversation

MONTEBELLO HILLS

BACKGROUND:

An Audubon California Important

Bird Area located west of Whittier

Narrows, is slated for a suggested

housing development by its owner.

The site contains approximately

480 acres of coastal sage scrub habitat

and has California Gnatcatcher and

Cactus Wren populations. Plains

Exploration and Production Companys(PBX) real estate development arm,

wants to develop half of it with

housing and turn the other half of it

into a gnatcatcher reserve.

The owner of the property is Plains

Exploration and Production Company,

the Texas and Bakersfield oil and gas

company currently drilling in the

Baldwin Hills. The company also wants

to drill off the Coast of California.

OUR CONTRIBUTIONS:

We wrote comments on the TheCalifornia Environmental Quality Act

(CEQA) Notice of Preparation (NOP),

to focus the City of Montebello (lead

agency) on Gnatcatchers and Cactus

Wrens. We partnered with Sierra Club,

Endangered Habitats League and the

Natural Resources Defense Council

(NRDC) on strategy, and contributed fi-

nancially to an extensive biological sur-

vey and comment letter filed on behalf

of Endangered Habitats League.

LATEST REPORT:The development lost its support in

the Montebello City Council as the

Mayor was ousted and two new City

Council members have been elected that

give a majority on the Council that does

not support the development, according

to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.

http://www.sgvtribune.com/ci_13714891

ELEPHANT HILLS (EL SERENO)

BACKGROUND:

Big developer, Monterey Hills

Investors, planned to build homes on

a hillside in El Sereno in the NE hills

of Los Angeles near Debs Park using

an EIR approved over twenty years

ago. Local residents, led by former

Audubon Center at Debs Park

Director, Elva Yaez, protested thedevelopment to the City of Los

Angeles Planning Commission and

Los Angeles City Councilman Jose

Huizar. The city demanded an

updated EIR from the developer, the

developer sued, and the city just

settled the lawsuit and bought the

land for around 12 million dollars to

be 20 acres of open space.

OUR CONTRIBUTIONS:

We wrote letters and met with Los

Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizarand testified publicly at the City of Los

Angeles Planning Commission and City

Council meetings.

LOS ANGELES RIVER

The U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers has invited Los Angeles

Audubon to be one of a small group

of participants in a workshop on the

Los Angeles River Ecosystem

Restoration Study to be held on

December 2, 3, & 4, 2009. This isbecause of our five year participation

on the Los Angeles River

Stakeholders Committee. We will be

briefed by the Army Corps on their

restoration alternatives from Verdugo

Wash downstream to 1st Street, and

discuss and provide ecosystem

restoration alternatives in the three

day session.

OUR CONTRIBUTIONS:

By gARRY gEORGE

A REPORT ON CONSERVATION EFFORTS BY LOS ANGELES AUDUBON


4/16

4 Western Tanager Vol. 76, No. 3

We have been on the Los Angeles

River Stakeholders Committee since

around 2004, and have provided the

Los Angeles River Revitalization

Master Plan with comments, and

testified twice before the Los Angeles

City Council Ad Hoc River

Committee, chaired byCouncilmember Ed Reyes. We

discussed the importance of water

flow in the Los Angeles River to

migratory shorebirds that feed and

congregate on the lower Los Angeles

River, the impacts of the river

revitalization on birds in general, and

opportunities that might be available

for nature education and public bird

watching on the Los Angeles River.

ANTELOPE VALLEY

Los Angeles Audubon is

considering partnering with San

Fernando Valley Audubon on a study

and confidential mapping of sensitive

species including: Swainsons Hawk,

Ferruginous Hawk, Mountain Plover,

Burrowing Owl, Le Contes Thrasher

and other species of birds from our

article Los Angeles County Sensitive

Bird Species which appeared in theWestern Tanager Vol. 75 No. 3, Jan/Feb 2009.

This study could inform

permitting and wildlife agencies on

applications for large and small scale

solar and wind projects in the

Antelope Valley. This would add

another layer to the GIS layers of

other environmental groups on plants,

animals and other resources in the

desert that should be avoided by solar

projects, and hopefully direct them to

areas where environmental permits

may be easier to obtain. We hope.

SNOWY PLOVER ON

LOS ANGELES COUNTY BEACHES

Los Angeles Audubon held the

third conference for beach managers

and interested parties to present the

results and recommendations of the

2009 surveys of Snowy Plovers on

Los Angeles County Beaches. The

conference was held at Los Angeles

County Museum of Natural History.

Kimball Garrett welcomed the group.

Angeles Audubon, Urban Wildlands

Group, Endangered Habitats League,

and American Bird Conservancy have

entered into an agreement which

extends the deadline under the

California Environmental Quality Act

(CEQA) for filing of a lawsuit on the

Citys adoption of an ordinanceallowing Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR)

of feral and domestic cats without

environmental review. This gives the

coalition of environmentalists the

opportunity to work with the City of

Beverly Hills on the enactment of the

ordinance to address our concerns for

the welfare of birds and other

wildlife. The city concluded that an

environmental review was not

necessary in adopting the ordinance,

an opinion which the coalition of

environmentalists does not share.

OUR CONTRIBUTIONS:

Los Angeles Audubon joined the

coalition of environmental groups in

opposing the ordinance publicly and

in written comments, and has joined

the coalition in a lawsuit against the

City of Los Angeles for adopting a

TNR policy without environmental

review. Los Angeles Audubon and

National Audubon Society do not

support TNR as we do not support the

release of domestic or feral cats into

the natural environment. Scientific

evidence shows that TNR does not

reduce the number of cats in a colony

and may actually increase them, and

the impacts on native wildlife is not

considered in TNR programs.

Predation by cats is one of the biggest

reasons for the decline of migratory

and resident songbirds in North

America after habitat loss and

collision with man made structures.

Follow Los Angeles Audubons

conservation efforts on our

Conservation Blog.

Go to our website

www.laaudubon.org,

under MAIN MENU, click

CONSERVATION & RESTORATION,

click CONSERVATION BLOG.

Tom Ryan and Stacey Vigallon, led

the meeting attended by beach

managers from Los Angeles County

Beaches and Harbors, Hermosa

Beach, program partners from Palos

Verdes/South Bay Audubon, Santa

Monica Bay Audubon, potential

partners Heal the Bay, CabrilloMarine Aquarium, CalCoast, and by

representatives from California

Department of Fish & Game and U.S.

Fish & Wildlife Service.

Protection of the Plovers on

Dockweiler Beach with symbolic

fencing and a permitted docent

program run by Los Angeles

Audubon, will hopefully be

completed in the near future, pursuant

to a Memorandum of Understanding

between the U.S. Fish & Wildlife

Service and the Los Angeles County

Beaches & Harbors.

Attending for Los Angeles

Audubon were Mary Loquvam, Garry

George, and Stacey Vigallon. Tom

Ryans Power Point presentation is

available upon request. Email

requests to:

[email protected]

OUR CONTRIBUTIONS:

Los Angeles Audubon, in

partnership with Tom Ryan, initiated

this program in 2005, funded by

grants. Stacey Vigallon first joined

Los Angeles Audubon as Volunteer

Coordinator and biologist for this

project, replacing Jenny Jones when

she moved. This is a citizen science

project with data provided mostly by

volunteers from the three chapters of

Audubon that are partnered. The first

surveys found a freshly killed Snowy

Plover in a tire track at Zuma, which

added a sense of urgency to the work.

The project hopes to find the firstbreeding record of Snowy Plover on

Los Angeles County beaches since

1949, and has already recorded pre-

breeding behaviors. Western Snowy

Plover, is a threatened species under

the Endangered Species Act.

TNR ORDINANCE AT CITY OF

BEVERLY HILLS

The City of Beverly Hills, Los


5/16


Interpreting NatureBy Stacey Vigallon

Director of Interpretation

Students Teaching Students:

Creating Opportunities for

Environmental Mentorship

I expected it to be a piece of

cake, but I was really nervous being ateacher, explained June Blassingame

about his experience teaching

elementary school students about

habitat and wildlife.

June is one of more that 20 high

school students in Los Angeles

Audubons Baldwin Hills Greenhouse

Program who developed

environmental curriculum and taught

dozens of students in first through fifth

grade at Leo Politi Elementary School

during the 2009-2010 school year. The

goal of the curriculum was not only to

place high school students in a

mentorship role, but also to give the

elementary school students the

knowledge and skills they needed to

convert 6000 square feet of their

school yard into native habitat for

wildlife. Beginning in the summer of

2009, Greenhouse Interns and

Restoration Leaders spent severalafternoons writing their environmental

curriculum. They studied California

State Education Science Standards,

elementary school science textbooks,

and used the information they

themselves learned at Greenhouse

Boot Camp to craft lessons that

addressed how to use a compass, how

to sample soil, the differences between

native and invasive plants, and the

concept of biodiversity.

We wanted to make sure they

were equipped with the knowledge

they needed, June explains again,

but in a fun, interesting way.

Danya Ruiz added, We needed to

make sure that we could fit important

information in small activities.

Most students found the

challenges of writing the curriculum

manageable, but actually

implementing that curriculum with

younger students was a different story.

Writing the curriculum was a lot

more organized than teaching the

kids! said Joyce Realegeno.

Kimberly Garcia agreed. Writing

and teaching are way different.

Greenhouse Program students, all

from Dorsey High School, visited Leo

Politi Elementary School three times

in the fall of 2009. For all three visits,

high school students found themselvescoordinating over 40 enthusiastic

elementary school students eager to

learn and thrilled to be outside the

classroom. High school students had

to implement their curriculum

outdoors, without chairs and

chalkboards, engaging younger

students in hands-on learning

experiences, a daring feat for any

teacher. Everyone got their hands in

the soil. Everyone ran around forFoxes Through the City, a version

of tag that taught young students

about the challenges that urban

wildlife species face. Though it

wasnt easy, Greenhouse Program

students found the process extremely

rewarding and felt they had a big

impact on the younger students.

It was very exciting when I

would ask them a question on what I

taught them and they answered it,described Jessica Sosa, I was like,

Yeah, I did my job.

You get inspired because they

look up to you and you want to help

more, said Emily Cobar.

Both Dorsey High and Leo Politi

Elementary face many of the

obstacles common among inner-city

Los Angeles public schools, from

extreme budget shortfalls to student

populations that come from

economically challenged

communities. In bringing thesestudents together, we hoped to

create an opportunity for students to

find common ground in the cause of

environmental stewardship. That

commitment to habitat restoration

was made abundantly clear on

November 7th, 2009, when students

from both schools, parents, teachers,

and members of the local

community worked together to

install the 6000 square foot native

plant garden during one of LosAngeles Audubons TogetherGreen

Volunteer Days events.

It makes me feel like Im doing

something important, summed up

Hana Kim, Creating those bonds and

being somewhat of a role model is

like leaving footprints in their hearts.

Greenhouse Program students

will return to Leo Politi in March2010 to teach younger students about

birds and pollinators in the new

native plant garden.

The Baldwin Hills Greenhouse

Program is the result of a partnership

between Los Angeles Audubon and

NewFields, with funding from th

Baldwin Hills Conservancy a

TogetherGreen. This is the programs

second year. A huge THANK YOU! i

extended to the faculty and staff of LeoPoliti for their support and faith in this

mentorship project, as well as to the

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service for

providing funding for the new native

plant garden.


6/16

Mid-September through

early November encom-

passes the second half of

fall passerine migration, the arrival

of increasing numbers of waterfowl

and the end of shorebird season.

Thus autumn always presents bird-

ers with the challenge of how to go

everywhere wed like to with a fi-nite amount of time.

Things quieted down on the

lower LA River after August and

September, but passerines picked up

the slack. As expected, the period

produced a wide variety of vagrants.

Reports ranged from waterfowl to

buntings and orioles and included

nearly everything in between.

There was a notable movement

ofGreater White-fronted Geese in

early October. In the San Gabriel

Valley at least one flock of up to

twenty birds was at both Peck Park

and Santa Fe Dam between October

1-3 (Andrew Lee, John Garrett).

Smaller numbers were found at

Hansen Dam, Peck Park in Arcadia,

Bonelli Park, Harbor Regional Park

and along the lower LA River. Inthe desert, twenty-seven were at the

Piute Ponds on October 1 (Mike

San Miguel).

Three White-winged Scoters

were at Quail Lake near Gorman

on November 8 where small

numbers were present last winter

(Jon Fisher).

Other waterfowl included two

rather early Bufflehead at the

Ballona Creek mouth on

September 26 (Roy Van de Hoek).

Always unusual inland was an

immature Brown Pelican at

Bonelli Park in San Dimas from

October 1-9 (Rod Higbie).

Increasing along the southern

California coast but still quite rare

in LA County was a Brown

Booby seen well offshore on

September 7 (Terry Hunefeld).

Of much less regular occurrence

was a Red-footed Booby which

rode into Santa Monica Bay

aboard a ship it alighted on near

Anacapa Island on September 20.It departed the ship the following

morning near Point Dume

(Michael Force).

There were a number of

coastal slope reports ofWhite-

faced Ibis including an

impressive flock of over 400 birds

above Pasadena on September 17

(Dan Cooper).

Raptors of note included a

flock of sixty-three Swainsons

Hawks over Westchester on

October 17 (Kevin Larson) and a

rather early Ferruginous Hawk

in the Ballona area on October 1

(Dan Cooper). Away from the

deserts, a Prairie Falcon was at

Hansen Dam on October 11

(Kimball Garrett) and one was

seen flying over Calabasas on

November 1 (Jon Fisher).

Two adult Sabines Gulls

were at the Piute Ponds on

Edwards AFB on September 14

(Jim Abernathy, Jim Hardesty).

Pectoral Sandpipers,

typically uncommon but regular

migrants in fall, moved through

the area in good numbers in late

September. Sixteen were seen on

the lower LA River on September

24 and nineteen were still there

on October 5 (Richard Barth,

Andrew Lee).

Elsewhere, a half dozenPectorals were at the Piute Ponds

from September 26-October 1

(Mike San Miguel) and three were

at Bonelli Park in San Dimas from

September 27-October 4 (Sister

Mary Colombiere).

The last report ofBairds

Sandpipers was of two on the

lower LA River on September 24

(Richard Barth).

A Dunlin was at an odd

location- Polliwog Park in

Manhattan Beach- on September

25 (Don Sterba), and unusual

inland were two at the gravel pits

near Irwindale on September 26

(Ed Stonick).


birds of the season by Jon Fisher


7/16


Columbids included a White-

winged Dove in Pico Rivera on

October 3 (Larry Schmahl) and a

Common Ground-Dove-

surprisingly scarce in the county-

along the lower San Gabriel River

on October 10 (John Garrett).

Burrowing Owls are alwaysscarce on the coastal slope even

as transients. Two reports

included a bird returning to the

Ballona area- likely for another

winter- present from September

28-October 19 (Jonathan Coffin)

and one was found dead in

Exposition Park on 25 October

(Kimball Garrett).

A Lewiss Woodpecker atJackson Lake near Wrightwood on

October 24 was the first in the

county this fall (Ron Cyger), and

by November 7 eight were there

(Mark Scheel). On the coastal

slope one was in San Gabriel

(Tom Wurster) and seven were in

La Verne on November 5 (Dan

Gregory). In addition, a number

of others have already been

reported in southern California.

Other unusual woodpecker

reports included a Nuttalls

Woodpecker away from expected

locales, and a male Northern

Yellow-shafted Flicker, both at

Harbor Park in Wilmington on

October 25 (Martin Byhower).

Another Yellow-shafted was at

Mountain View Cemetery in

Altadena on October 31 (RickSwartzentrover), and one was at

Quail Lake on November 11

(Kimball Garrett).

Away from normal areas of

occurrence were Hairy

Woodpeckers in Calabasas on

November 1 (Jon Fisher) and at

Veterans Park in Sylmar on

November 3 (both John Garrett).

Plumbeous Vireos seem to

increase every year. There were a

number of reports of fall migrants

and these will inevitably be

followed by the usual slew of

wintering birds on the coastal

slope. This species now faroutnumbers Cassins in winter.

The only vireo of note was a

very good one a White-eyed

Vireo was at DeForest Park in

Long Beach from September 22-

27 (Karen Gilbert, Jeff Boyd).

With this years late spring bird

also at DeForest, the number of

LA County records of this species

has nearly doubled in the span ofthree months.

A Northern Rough-winged

Swallow at Holiday Lake in the

Antelope Valley on November 2 was

late for the high desert (Cal Yorke).

Several reports from last

summer foreshadowed a

movement ofWhite-breasted

Nuthatches, and small numbersof birds did appear in the

lowlands this fall, with reports

scattered across the coastal slope,

generally close to the foothills.

Infrequent away from

breeding areas was a Brown

Creeper at Lacy Park in San

Marino on October 23. By early

November several were present

there (John Garrett).

A Winter Wren near Chantry

Flat above Arcadia on November

8 was the only one reported thus

far (Mark & Janet Scheel).

An influx ofGolden-crowned

Kinglets was evident in southern

California in October and early

November 3 (Richard Barth).

Tropical Kingbirds, rare but

regular in fall, were along the

lower LA River on October 6, at

El Dorado Park in Long Beach on

October 15 (Karen Gilbert, Jeff

Boyd), and at Lindberg Park in

Culver City on November 5 (DonSterba). A probable Tropical was

heard but never seen at Banning

Park in Wilmington on October 11

(Tom Wurster).

A somewhat late Western

Kingbird was at Legg Lake in

South El Monte on October 10

(Andrew Lee) and still later birds

were at Banning Park on October

11 (Tom Wurster) and at ForestLawn in Glendale on October 26

(Richard Barth). The most recent

report was from Hansen Dam on

November 7 (Kimball Garrett).

While Westerns were once

virtually unheard of after

September, these days no kingbird

in late fall and winter can be

assumed to be Cassins.

Also running late were Ash-throated Flycatchers at Hansen

Dam on October 4 (Kimball

Garrett), on the lower LA River

on October 5 (Richard Barth) and

at Peck Park in Arcadia on

October 9 (Jon Fisher).

Remarkable was an Eastern

Phoebe found at the Ballona

Freshwater Marsh on September

22 (Don Sterba). This is anunprecedented early date for this

species in the county.

The returning Gray

Flycatcher continued at Bonelli

Park in San Dimas and others

were at Santa Fe Dam on

September 3 and at Lacy Park in

San Marino from October 30-


8/16


at Banning Park in Wilmington

on September 27 (both Andrew

Lee) and again at Peck Park in

Arcadia from September 29-

October 1 (Mike San Miguel).

Finally, two were at Legg Lake in

South El Monte on October 10

(Andrew Lee).

American Redstarts were at

Sand Dune Park in Manhattan

Beach on September 12 (Lori &

Mark Conrad) and at Creek Park

in La Mirada on September 22

(Jonathan Rowley).

Also at Creek Park was a rare

Prothonotary Warbler on

September 23 (Jonathan Rowley).

The only Northern

Waterthrush was one at Peck

Park in Arcadia on September 29

(Mike San Miguel).

Black-and-white Warblers

were at Ladera Park in Ladera

Heights on September 25

(Richard Barth), at Sand Dune

Park in Manhattan Beach on

October 4 (Lori & Mark Conrad),near Whittier Narrows on October

24 (Andrew Lee), at Charles

Wilson Park in Torrance on

October 30 (Richard Barth) and at

Neff Park in La Mirada on

October 31 (Jonathan Rowley).

A female Summer Tanager

was at Creek Park in La Mirada

on October 3 (Jonathan Rowley),

while another was at theArboretum in Arcadia on October

4 (Mary Jane Macy). One that

appeared to be of the western

cooperi race- expected as a

breeding bird in the interior but

not coastally- was at Woodlawn

Cemetery in Santa Monica on

October 6 (Richard Barth).

November, but as yet reports from

LA County have been sparse.

The first Varied Thrush

report was a bird in Evey Canyon

north of Claremont on November

8 (Brian Elliott), while another

unusual thrush was a Townsends

Solitaire at Veterans Park inSylmar on October 20 (Richard

Barth). Solitaires are remarkably

scarce on the coastal slope.

A Gray Catbird, a regular

vagrant in Kern but quite rare in

LA County, was at Holiday Lake

in the western Antelope Valley on

October 15 (Cal Yorke). This

locality has proven its potential as

a vagrant trap over the years andcould definitely benefit from

more regular coverage.

The Claremont Colleges

Campus hosted a Sage Thrasher

on October 25 (Cathy McFadden,

Paul Clarke).

While birders know that most

anything is possible when it

comes to vagrants, some birdsstill inspire a double-take. One

such example was a LA Countys

first everCurve-billed Thrasher

discovered by a consultant

working on private property in the

San Gabriel Valley on September

1 (Kimball Garrett); there are a

handful of records from the

eastern deserts, but not even an

optimistic birder would have

expected this bird at this locale.

Two Horned Larks,

typically hard to find on the

coastal plain, were at Santa Fe

Dam in Irwindale on October 3

(Andrew Lee).

Wood warblers were well

represented during the period. In

addition to our regular western

migrants, a Tennessee Warbler

was on the USC Campus in Los

Angeles on October 1 (Kimball

Garrett) and Lucys Warblers

were at Peck Park in Arcadia on

September 20 (Andrew Lee) and

at Creek Park in La Mirada on

September 22-October 3(Jonathan Rowley).

A female Northern Parula

was at Apollo Park in Lancaster

on September 19 (Nick & Mary

Freeman) and two left over from

last springs nesting attempt were

at the Village Green Condos in

Los Angeles through October 6

(Don Sterba). Another parula was

at Oak Park Cemetery inClaremont from September 4-26

(Mike San Miguel Jr.).

Also at Oak Park Cemetery

was a Chestnut-sided Warbler

seen from October 11-13 (Mike

San Miguel Jr.) while another

was in Pico Rivera from

November 6-8 (Larry Schmahl).

Other wood warblers includeda Magnolia Warbler at El

Dorado Park in Long Beach on

October 15 (Karen Gilbert, Jeff

Boyd), a Blackburnian Warbler

at Creek Park in La Mirada on

September 25 (Donna Bray) and

a rare Yellow-throated Warbler

at DeForest Park in Long Beach

on October 29 (Karen Gilbert,

Jeff Boyd).

Palm Warblers were at

Harbor Park in Wilmington on

October 25 (Martin Byhower) and

at the Ballona Freshwater Marsh

on November 6 (Chris Lord).

A handful ofBlackpoll

Warblers included birds at Peck

Park in Arcadia on September 20,


9/16


Green-tailed Towhees were at

Oak Park Cemetery in Claremont

on September 18 (Tom Miko) and

again on October 11 (Cathy

McFadden, Paul Clarke). Another

was at a feeder in Malibu in late

September (Scott King) while the

latest was at Sepulveda Basin on

November 7 (Hiroshi Kano).

A Black-throated Sparrow at

Peck Park in Arcadia on October

1 was the only one reported

during the period (John Kelly).

Several Vesper Sparrows

were found, with birds at Creek

Park in La Mirada on September

23 (Jonathan Rowley), at Santa Fe

Dam from October 3-9 (AndrewLee), at Hansen Dam on October

4-24 (Kimball Garrett) and one

near Balboa Lake in Van Nuys on

October 11 (Jon Fisher).

A few Clay-colored

Sparrows turned up, with birds

at Ladera Park in Ladera Heights

on October 3 (Richard Barth), at

the Huntington Gardens in San

Marino on October 31 (RonCyger), at Valhalla Cemetery in

Burbank on November 4 and at

Los Angeles State Historical

Park on November 7 (both

Richard Barth).

There were few reports of

Brewers Sparrows, but singles

were at Hansen Dam on

September 24 and October 4

(Kimball Garrett) and four wereat Santa Fe Dam on October 3

along with a rarely recorded

migrant Grasshopper Sparrow

(Andrew Lee).

One and possibly two

Dickcissels were at Malibu Lagoon

on September 13 (Dan Cooper).

A Rose-breasted Grosbeak

was at Bonelli Park in San Dimas

on September 29 (Rod Higbie),

while Indigo Buntings included

one at Peck Park in Arcadia on

September 20 (Andrew Lee) and

another at Oak Park Cemetery in

Claremont on October 11 (Cathy

McFadden, Paul Clarke).

Only a few Bobolinks were

reported, with up to three at

Hansen Dam from September 20

- October 11 (Kimball Garrett)

and one at Bonelli Park in San

Dimas from October 4-10

(Andrew Lee). Population

declines are undoubtedly

affecting the numbers of birds

appearing in California.

Orchard Orioles were at Peck

Park in Arcadia on September 26

(Jon Fisher) and at DeForest Park

in Long Beach on September 29

(Jeff Boyd, Richard Barth) and a

Baltimore Oriole was at the LA

National Cemetery on October 1.

A female oriole, presumed to be a

Hooded Oriole, was at Lacy Park

in San Marino on November 2(John Garrett).

The only Yellow-headed

Blackbirds reported were along

the lower LA River in Paramount

on September 20 (Richard Barth).

A review of these reports

reveals that many vagrants are

found in just a few prime

locations. Clearly these areproductive birding spots and

well worth covering, but how

many other unknown patches are

out there? The county is loaded

with parks, cemeteries, riparian

corridors and miscellaneous

patches that get little to no

attention. The comparatively

slow winter season is a good

time to check out these new

and under-birded areas.

On another front, the Station

Fire has resulted in the closure

of a good chunk of the Angeles

National Forest, supposedly

through September of 2010.

This puts a number of birdinglocations off limits, but there is

still access to that portion of the

San Gabriels east of Highway

39, and to the ANF north and

west of the 14 Freeway.

If youre looking for

something to do, Christmas Bird

Counts are nearly upon us and

most of them can benefit from

additional help. If you dontalready participate in one or

more CBCs, its a worthwhile

endeavor and quite a lot of fun to

boot.

Otherwise, the Antelope

Valley offers good- though often

cold and windy- winter birding,

and checking the northwest

countys lakes and reservoirs can

also pay off. These oftenproduce unusual gulls and

waterbirds. Theres an awful lot

of territory in this part of the

county and it makes for a nice

quiet change from birding the

crowded LA basin.

Also worthwhile are Pt.

Vicente, Pt. Dume and Leo

Carrillo which are often good in

winter for pelagics close toshore tubenoses, jaegers, alcids

and others. Patience is required

though, as some days are fruitless.

But not knowing what youre

going to find is one of the most

intriguing aspects of birding.


10/16


Field trips often require more

time or effort than do bird

walks. They delve more deeply

into identification, natural

histories and interactions

observed in the field. No pets

or small children, please.Contact information will be

released for carpooling unless

requested otherwise.

Before setting out on any event,please call the LAAS bird tape at(323) 874-1318, Option #4.For a recorded message withspecial instructions or possiblecancellations that may haveoccurred.

Same will be posted on ourwebsite.www.laaudubon.org

Field Trips

Saturday, January 9

East Antelope Valley

Leader: Stan Gray. We will be birding

beyond 50th Street East for much of the

day, in areas sometimes neglected by

birders. However, Stan birds this area

regularly, and knows that Mountain

Plover, raptors, Le Contes Thrasher and

otherAV specialties are sometimes

easier to find in the far eastern reaches

of the Valley. Take Hwy 14 N to Avenue

S (next to Lake Palmdale). Drive into

the Park-and-Ride just to the east of the

off-ramp. Meet at 8:00 a.m. at the W end

of the main lot. Bring lunch and a full

tank ofgas for a full day of splendor in

the alfalfa. No fee, no reservation.

Scopes and FRS radios helpful.

Saturday, January 16

Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Area

Leader:Kris Ohlenkamp. Freewayclose morning of birding. Kris has led

this walk on-and-off for over 30 years,

noting 240 species, and averaging 60-65

per walk. Take the 405 Fwy N into the

San Fernando Valley, turn W on

Burbank Blvd. and N (Rt.) on Woodley

Ave. to the second Rt., which is marked

Wildlife Reserve. Turn here and park

in the lot at the end. Meet at 8:00 a.m.,

and bird until about 11:30 a.m.

January 23 & 24 Weekend

Salton Sea

Leaders:Nick & Mary Freeman.

Meet at 7:00 a.m. Saturday at the

Wister Unit parking lot, 5 miles north

of Niland. Calipatria Inn (800) 830-

1113 (leaders preference) and

Brawley Inn (760) 344-1199 are

recommended. Yellow-footed Gull,

Snow & Ross's Geese, Sandhill

Cranes, Stilt Sandpiper, and Gila

Woodpecker all hopeful to certain.

No limit, but sign up with $15 check,

phone number, your email address (or

SASE for confirmation and more

details. Meet at 7:00 a.m. Saturday at

the Wister Unit parking lot by the

port-a-potty. This is 5 miles north of

Niland where Davis Road joins Hwy

111. FRS radios & 'scopes helpful.Arrive fed and gassed up, bring

lunches, those who wish will dine

together in Brawley.


Newport Back Bay

Leader:Mary Freeman. Meet at 8:00

a.m. for the 6.8 high tide, and a full day

of birding. High tide at the mouth of the

bay is 8:37. Nelsons Sparrow and

Short-eared Owl (both rare), California

Gnatcatcher, three rails, and AmericanBittern will be target birds. Take the 405

Fwy. S to the 73 Toll Road (free this far)

to the Campus Dr. exit, which becomes

Bristol St. Turn right on Irvine Ave.,

drive 1.4 miles, then turn left on a small

street called University Drive. Park at the

end, walk down the hill, over the bridge,

and to the end of the boardwalk. No sign

up or fee. Bring lunch.

February 6 & 7 Weekend

Carrizo PlainLeaders:Mary & Nick Freeman. Meet

at 8 a.m. in Maricopa. Spectacular

scenery. We will see Ferruginous

Hawks, Golden Eagles, Le Contes

Thrasher, and pronghorn; with likely

Rough-legged Hawk, Mountain Plover

and possible Sandhill Crane. We will

meet in Maricopa, drive around the

Plain all weekend (exact route

depending on road conditions), then

leave the Plain heading north via

Bitterwater Road on Sunday before we

away to L.A. If possible, please carpool

or avail your vehicle to others when you

reserve. Your phone number will be

released for carpooling unless you

request otherwise. Send name, phone

number, email address SASE, and $15

per person to sign up. Reserve a room

in Buttonwillow for Saturday night.

Motel 6 is one option here. FRS radios

& scopes helpful. Limit 14.

Friday, February 19

Gull Study Workshop Lecture

SpeakerLarry Allen will discuss most

gulls that have appeared in North

America most of which have made it to

California. Larry will specifically

address general aspects of gull

topography, the confusing logic of molt

sequences, and the finer aspects of

identification to age and species. Slides,

study skins and handouts will be used.

Meet at Audubon House, 7-10 p.m., with

one break. 20 maximum. Provide $15

fee, phone number, your email address

and a SASE to Los Angeles Audubon,

which reserves you for the lecture & field

trip. We will send your confirmation anddirections in the SASE (or to your email

address). Lecture and Field Trip NOT

offered separately. Park in the south lot,

so you don't get locked in.

Sunday, February 21

Gull Study Workshop Field Trip.

Leader:Larry Allen. Put your new

knowledge to use in the field, perhaps even

identifying California & Ring-billed Gulls

as they fly overhead! Meet at 7:45 a.m. at

Doheny State Beach in Orange County, andogle the gulls until were all gull

identification experts! Doheny is a drive,

but we have seen large numbers of gulls on

our workshops here, including a Glaucous

and a Lesser Black-backed! 20 maximum.

See above instructions to reserve. Lecture

and Field Trip NOT offerred separately

Parking fee. Usual start time 8:00

a.m.(details in confirmation) Bring a lunch


11/16


TO RESERVE FIELD TRIPS BY MAIL

Send check, complete contactinformation for each

participant, and a Self-

Addressed Stamped Envelope

(SASE) (for your confirmation

and detailed information

mailer) to:

Los Angeles Audubon

PO Box 931057

Los Angeles, CA 90093-1057

TO RESERVE BY PHONE

When phone sign-up is

requested, but no fee is

necessary:

Call (323) 876-0202, M-Thur.

9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Sunday, February 28

Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge

Refuge staff, volunteerJohn Nieto, and

Nick Freeman will drive up to 24 lucky

participants around this prime limited-

access wetlands site where wintering

birds such as Pacific Golden-Plover,

Mountain Plover, Sage Thrasher,

numerous raptors, and often Nelson's

(Sharp-tailed) Sparrow are sighted.

The refuge is part of the Naval

Weapons Station. Send SASE, with

your email address and phone number

(phone # required) byFebruary 18.

Only SASE-confirmed U.S. citizens

with photo ID are allowed on base. No

cameras or weapons. Meet at the main

public lot at 800 Seal Beach Blvd. at

7:30 a.m., and bird until noon. Take

Seal Beach Blvd. S from the 405 Fwy,pass Westminster Blvd., turn left onto

the base at the Forrestal Lane light, and

left again into the lot. No fee, but

SASE sign-up required.

Sunday, March 7

Ventura County Game Preserve

Leader:Irwin Woldman. The private duck

hunting club in Ventura has a long history

of producing the kinds of birds that most

rich, well-birded and disappearing habitats

can lay claim to, including Sora andVirginia Rails, American Bittern, Eurasian

Wigeon, dark morph Red-tailed Hawk,

Golden Eagle, and one Lesser Sand-

Plover. Emphasis on shorebirds for this

date. Get to the preserve by taking the 101

Fwy W to Rice Avenue S, following the

Rice Ave. prompts to the T-intersection,

then take Hueneme Rd. west just past the

buildings on the right. Meet on the side of

the road at 7:30 a.m. Free. No sign-up

required. We will walk the property, so

good hiking/mud shoes with energetic legsinside a plus. We may have one car.

Scopes & FRS radios helpful.

March 20 & 21 Weekend

Anza Borrego Birds, Butterflies

and Beyond

Leader:Fred Heath. High points

over the years: blooming desert

evening-primrose and indigo bush,

chuckwalla, collared lizard, desert

bighorn (annual), Swainsons Hawks

Le Contes Thrasher, Long-eared Owl

(hopeful). Suggested

accommodations: Tamarisk Grove

Campground (reserve through

www.reserveamerica.com), or

Stanlund Motel in Borrego Springs

(760) 767-5501. Anticipate a busy

weekend, and reserve camping (up to

3 months early) and motels very

early. Meet at 7a.m. at Yaqui Wells

across from Tamarisk Grove

Campground. Limit 20 people.

Reserve with phone number, your

email address, SASE and $15 fee to

Los Angeles Audubon to learn more

details. Pleasant to warm days, cool

to cold nights (30-100F!).

April 10 & 11 Weekend

Owens Valley Grouse TripMary and Nick Freeman lead.

Greater Sage Grouse on the lek,

breathtaking scenery. Meet early

Saturday and Sunday mornings in

Bishop. Limited to 20. To sign up,

send $55 (Schreiber Grant

fundraiser), phone number, your

email address and SASE to Los

Angeles Audubon. More details in

confirmation mailer/emailer. Reserve

rooms early. Motel 6, Mountain

View Inn, Bishop Elms are some ofmany hotels in Bishop.

May 1-2 Weekend

16th Annual Kern River Valley

Spring Nature Festival

Come visit "America's Birdiest Inland

County" 04 -07. Over 200 bird species

seen during the festival! Trips spanning

Central Valley/Giant Sequoias/Kern

River Valley/Mojave Desert/Owens

Valley. Check the Audubon California

Kern River Preserve website forcomplete details and instructions on how

to participate.

www.kern.audubon.org/KRVSNF.htm

May 14-17 Long Weekend

Kern River Valley Spring

Migrants and Vagrants

Leader: Bob Barnes. This trip will

be devoted to experiencing the

waves of Spring migrants that push

up through the mountains this time

of year, as well as searching out

vagrants that frequently show up

with them. Reservations needed.

This joint field trip is being

organized by Sea and Sage

Audubon. For more information

and to reserve visit

www.seaandsageaudubon.org.

June 11-14 Long Weekend

High Sierra Breeding Birds

Leader: Bob Barnes. 150 species

likely in 4 days. Meet in Inyokern

for Friday morning's start. All other

days start early in Kernville. Joint

trip with our good neighbors in Sea

& Sage Audubon Society. To

reserve, and receive trip

information including lodging, send

SASE, email address, phone numberand $15 for each day attended ($60

for 4 days), to Los Angeles

Audubon. Maximum 15. Lots of

driving, so bring a friend, and we

will carpool. Contact information.

will be released for carpooling.

More information in March/April,

2010 Western Tanager.

Field Trips


12/16


Bird WalksBird Walks are geared for the beginner/intermediate bird watcher looking for an introduction to local birds or a less

strenous excursion. Appropriate for young bird watchers age 6 years and older. Carpooling is encouraged. Binoculars

are provided on some walks as noted below. NO sign-up, NO fees, just show up!

Topanga State Park Birdwalk

(Topanga, CA 90290)

1st Sunday of every monthSunday, January 3

Sunday, February 7

Time: 8:00 a.m.

Leaders:Ken Wheelandand Chris

Tosdevin

Ken and Chris will lead participants

through this beautiful and diverse coastal

mountain area. An ideal trip for a

beginning birder or someone new to the

area. Directions: From Pacific Coast

Hwy, take Topanga Canyon Blvd. 5miles to Entrada. From Ventura Blvd,

take Topanga Canyon Blvd 7 miles S.

Turn E uphill on Entrada Rd. Follow the

signs and turn left into Trippet Ranch

parking lot. Rd. Parking fee.

Contacts:Ken: (310) 455-1401,

[email protected];

Chris: (310) 455-1270

Franklin Canyon

Sooky Goldman Nature Center(2600 Franklin Canyon Dr.,

Beverly Hills, CA 90210)

Second Sunday of the month

Sunday, January 10

Sunday, February 14

Time: 8:30 a.m.

Leader: Eleanor Osgood

This canyon is a hidden treasure where

the surrounding urban residences of

Sherman Oaks and Beverly Hills

disappear from view. We expect to seewintering birds such as Hermit Thrush,

Yellow-rumped Warblers, Ruby-

crowned Kinglets, White-crowned

Sparrows as well as the resident birds

such as Spotted Towhee, California

Thrasher and Acorn Woodpecker.

Directions from Sunset: Take

Coldwater Canyon to Mulholland Dr.

Turn left on Mulholland. Make left

turn onto Franklin Canyon Dr.

Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area

(Los Angeles, CA 90056) in Baldwin Hills.

3rd Saturday of the month


Saturday, February 13

Time: 8:00 a.m.

Leaders: Eric andAnn Brooks;

Eleanor Osgood

This trip covers landscaped parkland,a lake and natural coastal scrub

habitats and is paced for beginning

birders. We will look for wintering

birds such as Merlin, Hermit Thrush,

White-crowned, Fox and Golden-

crowned Sparrows, various ducks, as

well as resident birds such as Song

Sparrows, California and Spotted

Towhees, Red-tailed Hawks, herons

and egrets among others. Directions:

The park entrance is off of La Cienega

Blvd. between Rodeo Rd. and Stocker

St. After passing the entrance kiosk

($6.00 parking fee) turn left (leading

to the Olympic Forest) and park in

the first available spaces.

If you wish to carpool, or for more

information, contact Eleanor Osgood

at [email protected]

(310) 839-5420.

Binoculars provided.

Ballona Wetlands Bird Walk

3rd Sunday of the month August

through May, with the exception of

December.

Sunday, January 17

Sunday, February 21Time: 8:00 a.m.

Leaders: Bob Shanman andFriends

Join us for a walk through L.A.s

only remaining saltwater marsh and

the adjacent rocky jetty. Wintering

shorebirds and terns should be

present, plus the resident Blac

Oystercatchers frequent the rocky

shores of Ballona Creek

Directions: Meet at the Del Rey

Lagoon

(6660 Esplanade Place, Playa Del

Rey, CA 90293) parking lot. Take

the Marina Fwy (90) to Culver Blvd

and turn left for a mile. Turn right

on Pacific Ave. The lot is on the

right. Lot or street parking is

usually not a problem. Three hour

walk. scopes helpful.

Contact: Bob 310-326-2473;

[email protected]

Franklin Canyon Dr is directly across

from the entrance to TreePeople at a

somewhat complicated intersection (a5 way signal). At the signal make a 90

degree left turn. Drive down the

residential road to the first stop sign;

turn left into the parking lot. We will

be birding the area around the parking

lot for the first 15 minutes. Participants

who are lost may call (424) 298-1376

after 8:00 a.m.

If you wish to carpool, or for more

information, contact Eleanor Osgood at

[email protected] call (310)839-5420. Binoculars provided.


13/16


Two of the world's premier natural history

destinations. Well known by birders throughout

the world for their natural riches, offering

numerous species of colorful birds and other

wildlife. This action packed itinerary for

incredible neotropical birding will excite the

novice and enthrall the expert.

We'll be birding new areas on this Costa

Rica trip. Spectacular scenery from the

Caribbean slopes of the Talamanca Mountains

at Rancho Naturalista for both Atlantic and

Pacific birds; Piedras Blancas N.P., in humid

tropical primary rainforest; Las Cruces

Biological Station and Wilson Botanical

Gardens in the southwestern pre-montane range

near the Panama border; Corcovado N.P. and

Drake Bay in the south Pacific with miles of

pristine beaches and tropical rainforest;

Excursion to Cano Island.

You may wish to extend your visit with an

extension to Panama, or you can do

Panama separately.

With a short flight from Costa Rica to

Panama, we will visit many of the world-

famous birding areas such as Soberania N.P.;

Pipeline Road and Achiote Road; Chagres N.P.

Rainforest and a brief visit to the Embera native

tribe; Enjoy a partial transit to experience the

historic passage through the Panama Canal;

ending with birding in the Metropolitan N.P.

For information and itinerary on

Los Angeles Audubons International Birding Tours

contact: Olga Clarke [email protected]

Los Angeles Audubon, Travel Director

2027 El Arbolita Dr.

Glendale, CA 91208-1805

Ph/Fax: (818) 249-9511

International Birding Tours

Two Exceptional Countries, One Outstanding Journey

Join Olga Clarke, Los Angeles Audubon Travel director

COSTA RICA

March 5 to 15, 2010

PANAMA

March 15 to 22, 2010


14/16


Los Angeles AudubonsBaldwin Hills Greenhouse Program

will be hosting an opportunity to

participate in the Great Backyard

Bird Count (GBBC) on Saturday,

February 13th, 2010, 9 a.m. to noon

Join students and the local

community to count birds at the

Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook

State Park.

The Great

Backyard Bird

Count

The Great Backyard Bird

Count (GBBC) is a great activity

for families thats both free and

educational, while also gettingkids outside. Led by the National

Audubon Society and the Cornell

Lab of Ornithology, the GBBC

provides an opportunity for

people of all ages to learn about

birds and the environment we

share. Start by exploring the

GBBC website at

www.birdcount.org. The

website has photos from last

years count, a game, and othermaterials, including a

downloadable PowerPoint

presentation, a voice narrated

tutorial, and regional bird lists.

This years GBBC is scheduled for

Presidents Day Weekend(February 12 - 15th).

Please save these dates!

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Los Angeles Area Pelagic Trip

Palos Verdes Escarpment and

Redondo Canyon

This 8 hour trip departs from Ports

of Call in San Pedro at 8:00 a.m.

on the m/v Pacific Adventure.

Leaders:Jon Feenstra and Todd McGrath

Birds seen on prior trips:

Northern Fulmar; Short-tailed,

Black-vented, Sooty and possibly

Pink-footed Shearwaters; rocky

shorebirds; Pomarine and ParasiticJaegers; Common Murre; Xantus's

Murrelet; Cassin's and Rhinoceros

Auklets. Occasionally: Ancient

Murrelet. Rarity: Manx Shearwater.

Gray Whales and several species of

dolphins are often seen.

There is a galley on board, please restrictyour carry-ons due to limited cabin space.

$85 credit card payment or$80 for a cash discount.

Reservations for this trip: Send check and aSASE (self address stamped envelope) to:

Los Angeles Audubon - PelagicPO Box 931057Los Angeles, CA 90093-1057

Or, pay with Visa, MC or Discover, bycalling Audubon House (323) 876-0202(Mon.- Thur.) from 9.30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Include complete contact informationfor each participant. Name, Address,Phone number(s), and email address.

Note: Destinations may be changed tomaximize bird sightings, or minimizerough seas. With an increase in fuelcosts there can be an energy surchargeper person.

Refund Policy: You may receive arefund less a $5.00 handling charge ifyou cancel 31 days in advance or if apaid replacement can be found.

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Condor Express Trip:

A deep water trip toward the

San Juan Seamount

This trip departs from the Santa

Barbara Harbor on the fast

catamaran Condor Express at 8:00

a.m. and will return approximately

by 8:00 p.m.

Leaders: Jon Feenstra, Todd McGrath

and Terry Hunefeld

We will cruise along the deep

water shelf by the San Juan Seamount.Birds seen previously: Black-footed

Albatross; Northern Fulmar; Sooty

and Pink-footed Shearwaters; Ashy

and Leach's Storm-Petrels; Pomarine,

Parasitic and Long-tailed Jaegers;

Pigeon Guillemot; Xantus's Murrelet;

Cassins and Rhinoceros Auklets.

Uncommon species seen on prior trips:

Laysan Albatross; Fork-tailed Storm-

Petrel; Red-billed Tropicbird; and

Tufted Puffin: Rarity: Murphy's Petrel.

There is a complete galley on board

that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.

$195 cash or credit card

Reservations for the trip:

For reservations and trip status,

contact Sea Landingin Santa

Barbara (805) 963-3564.

(Please do not call Audubon House

for this pelagic trip.)

Pelagic Trips with Los Angeles Audubon

Visit our website for changes or

additions to

Los Angeles Audubon sponsored

Pelagic Trips.

www.laaudubon.org


15/16

Los Angeles Audubon Centennial Bird-a-thon

Los Angeles Audubon is moving into its

Centennial Year!

To celebrate our first 100 years and to celebrate the birds of Los Angeles County,

Los Angeles Audubon is sponsoring a

Centennial Bird-a-Thon!

Save time the week of

May 1-8, 2010,

and get ready to join a team!

Watch the next Western Tanagerfor details!


41 Pounds.orgLarry W. Allen

Jonathan ArmstrongKenneth & Marlene AbelMarvin & Gloria Baker

Katheryn & David BartonTracy Berge

Lorna BitenskyE. Waters Bjornen

Peter H. BloomBarbara & Jay Boland

Lorna BrownDr. Francis F. & Ande Chen

Olga L. ClarkeSydney CortwrightKathleen Crandall

Buford CritesThomas E. DuqueDenver Museum of

Nature & ScienceMary Deutsche

Belinda DombrowskiThomas L. DrouetThomas E. Duque

Jon DunnLisa M. Fimiani

Michael FishbeinChristine S. Francis

Patty Garland Garry George

Vernon & Winona HoweAllen & Carol Goldstein

David Haake

Steven & Leslie HartmanWinona & Vernon Howe

June InaiLinda D. Jaramillo

Carol Louise JohnsonLaurence M. KaplanJohn A. KirchnerSaran Kirschbaum

Muriel & Allan KotinJody M. LawlerMartha Lesser

Phoebe S. LiebigMary Loquvam

Margaret A. MawKatherine MacQueenJeanne McConnell

Marilyn MorganDavid & Joyce Oppenheim

M. Louise OwensRobert W. Pann

Donald Pilling

Paula K. ReynosaBradley J. Rumble

Michael L. SandlerDr. Raymond A. Schep

John & Dorothy SchwarzSempra Energy Foundation

Mark L. SerranoPhillip Skonieczki

Jane StavertTimothy R. SteeleDorothy SteinerMartine Tomczyk

Dr. Joshua TrabulusRobert Roy Van de Hoek

Marie VesterEdith WeinerLiza C. White

Billy Youdelman

DONATIONSINHONOROF:

Ron & Beth Saul,In honor of

Dr. Paul Fox

Michele Schroeder,In honor of

Laurel Scott & Vic Warren

Thank You for sUPPORTING lOS ANGELES AUDUBON!


16/16

PO Box 931057

Los Angeles, CA 90093-1057

www.laaudubon.org

AUDUBON HOUSE HOURS

7377 Santa Monica Blvd@ Martel Ave

West Hollywood, CA 90046

Regular Hours:

Monday - Thursday 9:30a.m.-4:00p.m.

Regularly Closed:

Friday, Saturday, Sunday.

Open: 2ndWednesday of each month

9:30 a.m until 9:45 p.m.

for those attending the monthly

membership Program.

The office and store will NOT be open anySaturday in January.

We WILL be open Sat., Feb. 6, 2010 from

10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Muriel Horacek presents

Earthwatch Institute Adventures

Muriel Horacek has traveled the globe, volunteering

for Earthwatch Institute on many diverse projects:

to re-establish a non-migratory flock of whooping

cranes into Florida, describe the mating dance of Long-

tailed Manakins in Costa Rica, tally and mist-net birds

at the International Birding and Research Center Eilat in

Israel and Jordan, mist-net birds in Kenya with local

ornithologists, and to study hummingbirds and other

tropical birds caught in mist nets in Manu National

Park, Peru for flight research by a scientist from

Caltech, Pasadena.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Blake Massey presents

"The California Condor Recovery Program Update"

Blake Massey is a US Fish and Wildlife Service

California Condor Biologist. He will discuss the

status, management, and the research effort of the

California Condor Recovery Program. Blake will

provide a perspective on the wild and captive

population of the past 25 years, and the status of thespecies today. He will show information about the

current nest guarding program and share video footage

of first-hand account of nest entries. Blake will

provide up to date GPS transmitter data and illustrate

insights into the seasonal reproductive and foraging

patterns of this species. Lastly, Blake will talk about

the Program's ongoing research and challenges of

recovering such a unique and amazing bird in a

changing landscape.

mONTHLY pROGRAMSMeet at 7:30 PM in the Community Building in Plummer Park

7377 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90046

Immature California Condor, Tejon Ranch, June 2009, Photo by Mary Freeman

Volume 76, Number 3 January/February 2010

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January-Febuary 2010 Western Tanager Newsletter - Los Angeles Audubon

Documents