Mar-Apr 2010 Western Tanager Newsletter - Los Angeles Audubon

8/8/2019 Mar-Apr 2010 Western Tanager Newsletter - Los Angeles Audubon

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Volume 76, Number 4 March/April 2010

WESTERNTANAGER

a publication of Los Angeles Audubon www.laaudubon.org

FIRE ON THE CREST!

Aftermath of the Station Fire of Summer 2009

by Mary and Nick Freeman

Santa Ana Winds whip up

strong gusts of wind in

Southern California. Hellbreaks loose each year when fires

erupt on dry, chaparral-covered

hillsides. In August 2009, Los

Angeles County suffered the largest

wildfire in the countys history.

The "Station Fire", presumably an

arson fire, burned over 167,000

acres of the San Gabriel mountain

range above Los Angeles. The fire

spread, not because of the Santa

Ana Winds but as a result of dry,dense vegetation fueling it. Steep

three months after the fire started

and about five weeks after the

monstrous fire was finallyextinguished. We observed the

devastation firsthand. Due to snow,

the highway was only open as far

as Islip Saddle. Stopping along the

road was not permitted, and

vehicles left parked on the road

were ticketed. Many people

stopped to take pictures.

Temperatures were below freezing

at times during the day. We

ventured out to experience the first30 miles of Angeles Crest Highway

to see what habitat remained. We

only got as far as Chilao

Campground and Newcomb Ranch

Restaurant. The fire stopped just

short of Buckhorn Campground.

Portions of the San Gabriel

Wilderness Area away from the

highway to the southeast had

burned. Mountain slopes above the

Crest had a barren, lunar look. Onridges, large conifers such as

Bigcone Douglas-fir and Sugar

Pine were black skeletons. Live

Oaks also suffered the fires wrath,

showing only brown leaves now.

According to a forestry service

source, brush fires can raise the

internal heat within the trunk

causing the leaves of the tree to

turn brown. These brown trees may

terrain and limited air support

opportunities were contributors.

Pyrocumulus clouds rising over thetop of rugged mountain ridges

resembled a volcano that had blown

its top. Lack of winds prevented air

support in many steep, inaccessible

areas as the fire spread. Unusually

rugged terrain prevented

firefighters from moving in

equipment to fight the inferno as it

marched to the east and north.

Nick and I scouted the AngelesCrest on December 6, which was

Pyrocumulus Clouds over Los Angeles, August 2009 Photo by Joe Fuhrman


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2 Western Tanager Vol. 76, No. 4

have met their death, along with the

charred majority of oaks throughout

the chaparral and oak woodland

belt transected by the Angeles Crest

Highway. Whether these oaks have

survived will not be seen until

spring. Though fires are a healthy

phase in the progression of

chaparral, an intense fire such asthe Station Fire is mostly

detrimental to oak and coniferous

forest woodlands upslope in this

mountain setting.

Chaparral shrubs are already

showing signs of regeneration on

the bases of less-intensely burned

hillsides. Deep gullies and isolated

ridges survived the fire. California

Sycamores and Incense Cedarsstand among the burned vegetation.

The bottom of Switzer canyon, and

the far hillside appear as if they

might have weathered the fire. But,

as with all of the region's

camping/hiking areas, there is no

access at this time for this to be

confirmed. The east side of Mount

Wilson Road from Red Box was

fairly untouched as far as the

saddle. This was a particularly

welcome bit of good news, as this

is where we hope to eventually re-

find the Saw-whets. At Red Box,

we found (1) Ruby-crowned

Kinglet; (3) California Thrashers;

(2) Western Scrub-Jays; (1)

Wrentit; (1) Oak Titmouse; and (1)

Gray Squirrel.

Barley Flats Road, was fairly

scorched, with the dead needles of

the trees beautifully covered with a

silvery hoar-frost. Other areas that

had suffering crown fires, showed

signs of woodpecker activity. We

observed Northern Flicker, Acorn

Woodpecker, Mountain Chickadee,

and White-headed Woodpeckers at

Barley Flats Road, and a pair ofRed-tailed Hawks soaring nearby.

Up the road, Upper Big Tujunga

Canyon Road was closed off, as the

road descended into heavily burned

habitat.

When the fall and winter rains

and snows end, giving way to

spring and summer sun, there will

be new growth. Mountain

wildflowers may spring fourth in

unprecedented numbers.Ceanothus species, Chamise and

Mountain Mahogany may reclaim

chaparral in three to 10 years, and

Live Oaks may retake their place in

20 to 30 years, but the loose

networks of Bigcone Douglas-fir

and Sugar Pine, and denser stands

of Ponderosa and Coulter pines that

were lost will not return again in

our lifetimes.

California Thrasher at Red Box at the

Mt. Wilson Road turnoff. Photo by Mary Freeman

Angeles Crest Highway, near Switzer picnic area.Notice the burned out vegetation on the slopes.

Photo by Mary Freeman


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Western Tanager March/April 2010 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


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

John T. BaconClaire S. Becker

Henry BorensteinLynn BossoneWilliam Cabeen

Hilma CareyRichard CastleSusan ChapmanFriedrich Czech

Johanna DawesShirley Eckstein

George & Mary FlickerSusan Frank

Georges and Germain FusenotCharity FoundationSamuel & Stella Goren

Margot GriswoldDavid Haake

Dr. E. A. HankinsMargaret Oroz Haskin

Henry & Loretta Hersh SelingerCurtis Johnson

Gretchen KeelerDexter & Elizabeth KellyRebecca Kuzin

Jim & Cathi LammArthur LangtonSusan Lapham

Mary Lawrence TestJohn Lobel

Mary LumkinDonna Matson

Lucinda MittlemanDeidre & John Montgomerie

Estella MyselsSallie & Rob NeubauerGeoffry OblathEleanor Osgood

Archer B. ParhamRobert Ottus Pasnau M.D.

Robin PratherJudith RaskinCindy Rosene

Carol Jean SelveyPat Shanks

Michael & Mildred SondermannLaurie & George StonemanCharles & Michele Suttles

Michael SwimmerTeresa Thompson

John & MaryAnn ThompsonCharles & Miriam Vogel

Gary WallenHartmut WalterKenneth Warner

Cindy Lee & Curt WohlgemuthArthur Yannoukos

Callyn YorkeR. R. Zappala

Thank You for sUPPORTING

lOS ANGELES AUDUBON!

We wish to acknowledge these Friends and Supporters of Los Angeles

Audubon. Listed here are both new and long-time supporters, who have

recently shown their support. We hope to see you at our monthly programs,

field trips, bird walks, pelagic trips and other events.

The staff and volunteers at Audubon House are happy to assist with any

questions about our chapter and our activities.


4/16


This is what we call winter, and Im

not complaining. True, our

mountains and deserts experience

something akin to real weather, but the

rest of the county must endure mild

conditions ideally suited for birding.

And the birds themselves did not

disappoint. Most often spring and fall

migration generate the most excitement,

but November and December wereremarkably productive.

A number of LA County Christmas

Bird Counts took place in the latter half

of December and early January and these

turned up another handful of good birds.

More importantly, the data from these

counts continues to document bird

numbers, including the increase or

decline of a number of species.

Its been a good winter forwaterfowl, with Snow and Greater

White-fronted Geese and Hooded

Mergansers being present in above

normal numbers, while along the coast a

variety of rare ducks turned up.

Glaucous-winged Gulls- largely first

year birds were present in significant

numbers last winter both inland and

along the coast, but this year they were

scarce everywhere.

Remarkably, vagrant warblers were

virtually non-existent this winter. There

was also little evidence of any invasive

or irruptive species, although numbers of

sapsuckers and Lewiss Woodpeckers

were above average.

Heres a look at what was around

A Snow Goose was at Almansor

Park in Alhambra from November 19-

January 6 (Rick Swartzentrover) and

seven were along the San Gabriel

River in Pico Rivera on November 27

(Larry Schmahl) with what was likely

the same group seen at the Rio Hondo

spreading basins from January 1-5.

Two more were at Balboa Lake in

Van Nuys on December 17 (Jean

Brandt) and another was at HarborPark in Wilmington from December

23-29 (Ed Griffin).

Good numbers ofGreater White-

fronted Geeseboth lingered and were

newly discovered on the coastal slope,

while up to ten Brant were at Cabrillo

Beach from December 27-January 2

(Tom Miko, Kathy Parker).

Three Cackling Geese were atHarbor Park in Wilmington from

November 12-January 2 (Ed Griffin),

while another two were at Lincoln

Park in Lincoln Heights on November

19 (Tom Miko) and one was at the

Earvin Magic Johnson Recreation area

in Willowbrook on November 28

(Richard Barth).

A Tundra Swan was at Legg

Lake in South El Monte from

December 16-20 (Peter Sharp) whereit was eventually found dead. Three

more were at the Rio Hondo spreading

basins in Pico Rivera from January 1-3

(Jon Fisher). Another group of three

swans, possibly also Tundras, was

reported over Claremont on December

13 (fide Cathy McFadden)

Rare along the San Gabriel River

was a Wood Duckin Pico Rivera on

November 27 (Larry Schmahl).

Eurasian Wigeons were along the

LA River in Atwater Village from

November 20-November 28 (Richard

Barth) and at the Ballona Freshwater

Marsh on November 29 (Vic Warren,

Laurel Scott). A new bird was along

the LA River in Glendale fromDecember 2-5 (Richard Barth) and

another was at Hansen Dam on

December 6 (Kimball Garrett).

Females are certainly overlooked in

the region, but one was picked out of

the wigeon flock at the Woodley Lakes

Golf Course in Van Nuys on

December 17 (Jean Brandt).

A lone female Greater Scaup was

found at Almansor Park in Alhambraon December 27 (Rick

Swartzentrover). As usual, they were

present in numbers on larger lakes and

reservoirs in the interior.

An ultra rarity in the county was

an immature male King Eider found

at Cabrillo Beach on December 27

(David Ellsworth). This cooperative

bird was seen by many very satisfied

birders as it remained through the end

of the period. There are only two priorCBRC accepted records for the Los

Angeles County.

Quite rare in the county was a

Harlequin Duckin the Long Beach

Harbor area on January 2 (Bob

Schallmann). Unfortunately this bird was

in a restricted area, but it could well turn

up at a publicly accessible area nearby.

birds of the seasonby Jon Fisher


5/16


A Surf Scoter was at Bonelli

Regional Park in San Dimas on

November 13 where they are rare but

somewhat regular (Andrew Lee).

The waters off Dockweiler State

Beach in El Segundo hosted several

Black Scoters and White-winged

Scoters from November 14-January 5

(Richard Barth). Another Black was

on Alamitos Bay on December 13(Robb Hamilton). Elsewhere, a few

White-wingeds were at Torrance Beach

on December 28 (Kevin Larson) and

two were off Pacific Palisades on

December 29 (Richard Barth).

Long-tailed Ducks showed up at

Dockweiler State Beach on

November 29 (Dana Quincey) and at

Malibu Pier from December 20-

January 2 (Walter Lamb).

Though fairly common on our

interior lakes and reservoirs, few

Common Goldeneyes were reported

coastally. Single birds were at Del

Rey Lagoon on December 13 (Barbara

Johnson) and at Topanga Lagoon on

December 20 (Walter Lamb).

Hooded Mergansers seemed to

be everywhere and in good numbers,

marked by a high count of twenty-nineat Hansen Dam on December 24

(Kimball Garrett).

Common along the coast, but

unusual inland was a Red-breasted

Merganser at Balboa Lake on

December 8 (Jim Hardesty).

Rare at any time, but even less

expected after October was a Brown

Booby off Torrance Beach on

December 28 (Kevin Larson).

With little good habitat available,

American Bitterns are rare on the

coastal slope. Just two were found

during the period, one at Harbor Park

in Wilmington on November 14 (John

Tomlinson) and another at Legg Lake

in South El Monte on December 17-28

(Steve Duncan).

Always scarce in winter was a

Lesser Yellowlegs along the San

Gabriel River near Whittier Narrows

on December 19 (Jon Feenstra).

Unusual gulls included a first year

Franklins Gull at Legg Lake from

January 3-6 (Chris Akiyoshi) and a

very rare adult Lesser Black-backed

Gull at Torrance Beach on December

27 (Dave Moody).

A Common Murre off Dockweiler

State Beach on November 22 was the

only alcid reported (Richard Barth).

A Burrowing Owl continued at

Playa del Rey through November 15

and another was in Culver City from

November 18-December 9 (JoAnne

McKenzie). A third that was seen

through the period was found in earlyDecember above Dockweiler State

Beach (Dean Schaff).

At least six Lewiss Woodpeckers

continued at Jackson Lake near

Wrightwood through November 14,

while a single bird remained at the San

Gabriel Country Club. Several were a

Marshall Canyon near La Verne as of

November 28 (Cathy McFadden, Paul

Clarke) and one was at Malibu Creek

State Park through January 2 (LouisTucker). Another was in Santa Clarita

on December 27 (Mike San Miguel).

Always an unusual find in the

lowlands were Williamsons

Sapsuckers at Mt. Sinai Memorial

Park near Burbank on November 23

(Richard Barth) and at Veterans Park

in Sylmar on November 30 (Richard

Sutton). Others were in Big Dalton

Canyon north of Glendora (Tom

Ryan) and at slightly higher elevation

at Henninger Flat on December 19

(Darren Dowell).

At least seven Red-naped

Sapsuckers were found on the coastal

slope between November 12 and

January 3, while Yellow-bellied

Sapsuckers included returning birds

at Lindberg Park (Don Sterba) and at

Three White-faced Ibis were in

Pico Rivera at the San Gabriel River

spreading basins from December 4-28

(Larry Schmahl) and one was at El

Dorado Park in Long Beach on

January 7 (Maureen Sullivan).

Often overlooked, Legg Lake in

South El Monte was a hot birding

locale in December. An excellent

find here was a Wood Storkpresentfrom December 12-21 (Mark & Janet

Scheel). Subsequently this bird

turned up at Bonelli Park in San

Dimas on December 24 (Gloria

Rosta) where it remained through

January 3 and finally apparently

moved on. This is the first coastal

slope record for the county since

1984, with an interior record from

Piute Ponds in 1988 being slightly

more recent. Historically this specieswas much more common coastally.

A Golden Eagle was seen at

Bonelli Park on November 30 and

again on December 24. An adult Bald

Eagle was also at Bonelli from

December 2-January 3 and a sub-adult

was there on December 11 (all Rod

Higbie). Others were seen over

Claremont on December 11 (Pamela

King), on the Lancaster CBC on

December 19 (Mary Freeman) and atCastaic Lagoon on December 27

(Kimball Garrett).

Other raptors of note were a

returning Ferruginous Hawkat Playa

del Rey from November 11-January 3

(Jonathan Coffin) and a probable

suckleyi type Merlin the rare dark

subspecies along the LA river near

Glendale on November 28 (Tom

Wurster, Liga Auzins).

Mountain Plover are regular in

the Antelope Valley in winter, with

thirteen spotted in one field (Jean

Brandt), and another ninety nearby on

November 28 (Andrew Lee). At least

forty were reported through early

January, all being in the vicinity of

Avenue I and J near 110 th Street East.


6/16


Ed Vincent Park in Inglewood

(Richard Barth) on November 14.

Others were at Veterans Cemetery in

Westwood on November 15 (Jim

Abernathy, Dick Norton), in Arcadia

from November 8 on (Mike San

Miguel) and at Veterans Park in

Sylmar from December 28-January 2

(Jeff Allison, Larry Schmahl).

White-headed Woodpeckers

away from normal areas were found at

St. Andrews Priory near Valyermo on

November 14 (Mark & Janet Scheel)

and at Henninger Flat on December 19

(Darren Dowell) where they may be

regular in winter.

Also of interest was a Yellow-

shafted Flicker at Lindberg Park in

Culver City on November 14 (DonSterba). Plenty of intergrade type

flickers with yellow underwings are

present each winter, but very few of

these are pure Yellow-shafted birds.

Moving on to passerines,

Empidonax flycatchers included a

Hammonds Flycatcher at El Dorado

Park in Long Beach on November 8

(Andrew Lee), another on the Long

Beach CBC on December 19 (Rich

Sonnenberg), and one on Pt. Dume for

the Malibu CBC on December 20

(Kimball Garrett). Silent Western

Flycatchers were at Banning Park in

Wilmington on December 1 (Richard

Barth) and on the El Dorado/Long

Beach CBC on December 19 (Rich

Sonnenberg). Last was a Gray

Flycatcher was near Magic Mountain

in Valencia on December 27 (Dan

Guthrie, Judy Sudgen)

Common as a migrant and

breeding bird, but quite rare in winter

was an Ash-throated Flycatcher that

turned up on the Long Beach CBC on

December 19 (Rich Sonnenberg).

An Eastern Phoebe at Kenneth

Hahn Park on November 29 (Ann &

Eric Brooks) was the only one

reported and a Dusky-capped

Flycatcher returned as of

December 2 to spend its third

winter at Creek Park in La Mirada

(Jonathan Rowley).

Identifying kingbirds can be

problematic. Western and Cassins are

readily separable, but Tropical and

Couchs are extremely similar. While

only a single record of Couchs has

been accepted for the state, any silent

bird could conceivably be of this

species. An unusual number of

presumed or confirmed Tropical

Kingbirds were present this winter.

Sightings included birds at Kenneth

Hahn Park on November 13, at

Lindberg Park on November 14 (both

Don Sterba), in Mar Vista on

November 24 (Dan Cooper), along the

lower LA River in Long Beach onNovember 24 (Karen Gilbert), and at

Woodley Lakes Golf Course in Van

Nuys on December 17 (Jean Brandt).

The last one discovered was at Legg

Lake from December 19-January 5

(Jonathan & Libby Rowley).

Any swallow other than Tree is of

interest in winter. Thus six to eight

Violet-green Swallows at Hansen

Dam December 6-13 (Kimball

Garrett) and nearly two dozen

Northern Rough-winged Swallows

in Pico Rivera on December 28 (Jon

Fisher) were notable. Single Rough-

wingeds were also recorded at several

other locations.

A Brown Creeper was away

from expected areas at Heartwell

Park in Long Beach on November

15 (Robb Hamilton).

Numbers ofMountain

Bluebirds were in the Antelope

Valley and a few also made it to the

coastal slope. Up to three were at

Santa Fe Dam from November 20-

December 19 (Andrew Lee) and as

many as ten were present near

Brackett Field in La Verne from

December 19-26 (Rod Higbie). Two

more were between the desert and

coastal slope in San Francisquito

Canyon on December 27 (Russ &

Dorothy Stone), and a lone male

was in Glendale from January 5-6

(Jon Fisher).

Away from the mountains was a

Townsends Solitaire in the Antelope

valley on November 15 (Jon Feenstra)

Rare as a migrant away from the

deserts was a Sage Thrasher at Santa

Fe Dam on November 21 (Tom

Wurster, Liga Auzins). Another was

found in the Antelope Valley- where

rare in winter- on the Lancaster CBC

on December 19 (Mary Freeman).

Very few warblers of note were

reported. These included a

Nashville Warbler at HeartwellPark in Long Beach on December 19

(Rich Sonnenberg) and a Virginias

Warbler in Brentwood on January 3

(Dan Cooper).

A Painted Redstart returned for a

fifth winter in Monrovia Canyon.

According to Nature Center staff it

was present since at least October 3,

but went unreported until November

22 (Darren Dowell). This bird wins

the prize for the longest-lived bird of

the Painted Redstart invasion of 2005.

Expected in small numbers in

winter were Summer Tanagers at

DeForest Park in Long Beach on

November 10-December 19 (Jeff

Boyd) and at Bouton Creek Park in

Long Beach on November 15 (Robb

Hamilton). Two more were in Elysian

Park on November 26 and one was in

the Legg Lake area through December19 (both Mike San Miguel).

Two Vesper Sparrows were at

Santa Fe Dam from November 20

through late December (Andrew Lee)

and a surprising four were at Peck

Park in Arcadia on November 21

(John Garrett).

Still rare but increasingly detected


7/16


as a migrant in recent years was a

Grasshopper Sparrow at Peck Road

Water Conservation Park in Arcadia

on November 15. Another lingered

late at Santa Fe Dam from November

20-27 (both Andrew Lee).

A Swamp Sparrow at the Ballona

Freshwater Marsh near Culver City on

November 15 was the only one found

(Jon Fisher).

Over a half dozen White-throated

Sparrows in the county was a higher

number than in recent years. Single

birds were at DeForest Park in Long

Beach on November 10-December 19

(Jeff Boyd), in the eastern Antelope

Valley on November 15 (Jon

Feenstra), at the Ballona Freshwater

Marsh on November 26 (DavidHaake) and at Pearblossom Park on

November 28 (Andrew Lee). Two

were at Placerita Canyon on December

14 (Bob Kaufman) and the last report

was of one in Mt. Washington on

December 21 (Julian Donahue).

Grayheaded Juncos have been

scarce in the county lately, with the only

report this winter being from La Verne

on November 5 (Dan Gregory). Rarer

still were two Pink-sided Juncos. One

was in the eastern Antelope Valley on

November 15 (Jon Feenstra) and the

other was at Elysian Park from

December 23-25 (Richard Barth).

Quite unusual coastally was a

Lapland Longspur heard flying over

Dockweiler State Beach on November

16 (Dan Cooper).

Grosbeaks included a femaleRose-breasted Grosbeakat DeForest

Park in Long Beach on November 10

(Karen Gilbert) and an immature male

in Baldwin Hills on November 22

(Ann & Eric Brooks). Late Black-

headed Grosbeaks were in the

Hollywood Hills on November 18

(Dave Surtees) and in Westwood on

November 23 (Dan Cooper).

available to others where it can be

put to good use. Its really quite an

amazing tool, its fun and its

completely free. Visit www.ebird.org

Unexpected was a female Blue

Grosbeakat the Rio Hondo Basin

above the Whittier Narrows Dam on

December 14, the latest one ever

recorded in the county (Larry Schmahl).

Aside from the usual handful of

wintering Bullocks, the only notable

oriole was a Baltimore Oriole at West

Los Angeles College on November 16

(Don Sterba).

It seems winter has hardly begun

before spring rolls around again. Its

the one time of year that southern

California really looks lush and green,

especially so after a wet winter.

Weve already had some significant

precipitation, with the bulk of the

seasons rainfall still expected to

come. If received in the proper doses,a good year could significantly

improve habitat and help jump start

growth in burn areas without creating

a muddy mess.

Spring also means that bird

activity will be in high gear. Loons,

scoters and brant will be heading north

along the coast. Although shorebirds

wont come close to matching the

spectacle of their autumn migration,

its nice to see them in more colorful

alternate plumage.

The lowlands will see migrants by

March, with swallows arriving in

numbers well before that. By May, the

mountains will be good as well.

Resident birds will be singing,

defending territories and raising

broods as these migrants stream north

with reproduction their singular goal.

Theres a rush of new life and

an undeniable sense of renewal...

its a very enjoyable time to be out

in the field.

Lastly, another plug for eBird

if you dont already use it, be sure to

give it a try. Its a great way to keep

track of your trip, life and year lists

and it makes your data immediately

bIRD wALKSBird Walks are geared for the begin-

ner/intermediate bird watcher look-

ing for an introduction to local birds

or a less strenuous excursion. Appro-

priate for young bird watchers age 6

years and older. Carpooling is en-

couraged. 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 month

March 7 & April 4 8am-12pm

Franklin Canyon Sooky Goldman

Nature Center

(2600 Franklin Canyon Dr., Beverly

Hills, CA 90210)

Second Sunday of the month

March 14 & April 11 8am-11:30am

Binoculars Provided.

Ballona Wetlands Bird Walk

(Playa Del Rey, CA 90293)

3rd Sunday of the month August

through May, with the exception of

December.

March 21 & April 18 8am-12pm

Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area

(Los Angeles, CA 90056) in Bald-

win Hills.

3rd Saturday of the month

March 20 & April 17 8am-12pmBinoculars Provided

Complete details and directions to

Los Angeles Audubons Bird Walks

are available on our website:

www.laaudubon.orgor call

(323) 876-0202 during our regular

business hours.


8/16


In May, 1907, a small band of bird lovers began to take bird walks in the hills and

canyons of Garvanza. Interest grew and numbers increased, and on March 2, 1910, the

group formed the organization that was to become the Los Angeles Audubon Society.Although the Societys original focus was recreation and providing programs for bird

enthusiasts, the Society also has a decades-long track record of conservation advocacy.

This advocacy included not only support for establishment of bird and wildlife

sanctuaries and preserves in Los Angeles, and indeed across the country, but all

legislation effecting the welfare of living things commanded the attention of the Society.

Today, the Los Angeles Audubon Society is a California non-profit 501(c)(3)

corporation. Our mission is to promote the enjoyment and protection of birds and

other wildlife through recreation, education, conservation and restoration. As we

enter our Centennial Year, we stand re-committed to our mission, and the following

examples demonstrate how our programs serve our mission:

RECREATION

Offer over 100 BIRD WALKS (an

introduction to birding for beginners and

intermediates) and FIELD TRIPS (a deeper

delve into identification, natural histories,

and interactions).

Coordinate five to six PELAGIC, or

ocean voyages. in California waters to

watch sea birds.

Conduct two to four INTERNATIONAL

BIRDING ADVENTURES to exciting

destinations like Costa Rica, Kenya,

and Ecuador.

Present, in cooperation with California

Audubon and thePasadena Audubon

Society, AUDUBON FILM FRIDAYS, a family

and multi-culture oriented open-air festival

of environmental films.

EDUCATION

Los Angeles Audubons outdoor

classrooms provide K-12 students from

Los Angeless urban core opportunities to

explore local ecosystems in their own

backyard, through our education

programs at BALLONA WETLANDS,

SEPULVEDA BASIN WILDLIFE AREA, and

KENNETH HAHN STATE RECREATION AREA.

Our GREENHOUSE INTERNSHIP

PROGRAM draws highly motivated

students from Dorsey High School to

conduct year-long, resume-building

scientific research on native plants at

the Baldwin Hills Greenhouse.

LEO POLITI ELEMENTARY SCHOOL has

partnered with Los Angeles Audubon to

expand the science-based nature activities

the school offers its students. Our premiereinitiative is installation of a native habitat

on 6,000 square feet of underutilized

school yard with a US Fish & Wildlife

Service grant of $18,000!

Our annual SCHREIBERAWARD/RESEARCH

GRANTprovides support to students and

amateur ornithologists, who are not able to

secure research funding through channels

available to professional ornithologists.

Our MONTHLY PROGRAMS, open to

members and the public alike, offerresearch highlights from leading

ornithologists from around the world.

Los Angeles Audubon has recently

partnered with California State Parks to

develop docent-lead BIRD AND PLANT

NATURALIST PROGRAMS at the new

Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook State Park


9/16

Help us celebrate our Centennial bysupporting our education andconservation programs!Heres how you can help!$50 Provides L.A. bird Identificationguides for an elementary school class.

$100 Provides art supplies for our afterschool SCIENCE ILLUSTRATION PROGRAM.$250 Provides one elementary class trip tothe LEAST TERN COLONY.

$300 Provides T-shirts for Dorsey HighSchool students participating in our

RESTORATION LEADERS PROGRAM.

$500 Provides one scope and tripod for anelementary school science class.

$1,000 Sponsors one Dorsey High Schoolinternship in our year-long BALDWIN HILLS

RESTORATION ACADEMY.

$5,000 Supports our LEAST TERN MONITORINGPROGRAM for one year.

Dont operate alone! Engage your friends,

neighbors, birding buddies, bridge club, choir,

Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts, to combine

resources and support Los Angeles Audubons

education and conservation programs!

For more information please contact:

Mary Loquvam, Executive Director,

(323) 664.1294,

[email protected]

or Martha Balkan, Gif t Administrator,

(323) 876.0202, [email protected].


CONSERVATION

THREATENED SPECIES PROGRAM - The

Western Snowy Plover, a federally

recognized threatened species, roosts on

Los Angeles County Beaches, but last

bred on our beaches in 1949! Working

with the US Fish and Wildlife Service,

the California Department of Fish and

Game, Ryan Ecological Consulting and

Santa Monica Bay and PalosVerdes/South Bay Audubon Chapters,

Los Angeles Audubon is monitoring the

Snowy Plover in an effort to protect it

and provide opportunities for it to breed,

once again, on our countys beaches.

ENDANGERED SPECIES PROGRAM

Los Angeles Audubon works with the

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,

California Department of Fish &

Game, and Ryan Ecological

Consulting to monitor the Least Terncolony at Marina del Rey during the

nesting season, with volunteers

collecting valuable data on a weekly

basis, in an effort to increase fledge

success. In 2008, our site was the

most productive site on the entire

West coast!

IMPORTANT BIRD AREAS Important

Bird Areas, or IBAs, are sites that

meet rigorous criteria in an

international program to protect birdsand habitat. Los Angeles Audubon

participated in a systematic effort to

identify a network of important

conservation sites for birds. This

effort resulted in identification of 148

IBAs in the state, with 9 in Los

Angeles County, and the publication

of Important Bird Areas of California,

byDaniel S. Cooper.

LOSANGELES COUNTY SENSITIVE

BIRD SPECIES REPORT Los Angeles

Audubon convened the Sensitive

Bird Species Working Group to

develop a list of at-risk species

tailored to Los Angeles County.

There were two underlying goals of

the endeavor. The first was to

examine the status of all bird species

occurring in the county by including

migrants and wintering birds. The

second was to emphasize species at

risk in the county that did not enjoy

protection (or at least attention) by

either a legal listing (as under the state

or Federal Endangered Species Acts)

or by recognition as a California

BSSC. Los Angeles Audubon

published the results of this

endeavor in itsJanuary/February2009 Western Tanager.

WIND POWERADVOCACY

Although Los Angeles Audubon

supports wind energy to offset the

effects of green house gas

emissions from coal powered

plants, since 2002, Los Angeles

Audubon has been a leader in

advocating to minimize the

impacts of wind power projects on

birds and bats by 1) participatingas a stakeholder in the creation of

the California Energy Commission

guidelines adopted in 2007; 2)

partnering with other Audubon

chapters on wind projects in Palm

Springs, Kern County and Santa

Barbara County; 3) advocating for

research funding to understand the

cumulative impacts of wind

energy, especially on sensitive

species of birds.

RESTORATION

LEAST TERN COLONY

RESTORATION During the non-

breeding season, when the Least

Terns have left their colony

enclosure on Venice Beach, Los

Angeles Audubon helps host

habitat restoration days. These

events are an opportunity for the

public to visit the normally off-limits site and participate in

invasive plant and trash removal,

in preparation for the terns return.

KENNETH HAHN STATE RECREATION

AREANATIVE PLANT AND WILDLIFE

GARDEN Since 2006, more than 100

volunteers from local neighborhoods

have helped remove plants not native

to the area. This non-native

vegetation was replaced with young

plants and seeds representing the

members of the native coastal sage

scrub plant community. Los Angeles

Audubon has partnered with several

organizations to help fund and

manage this project, including

Earthworks, the Baldwin Hills

Conservancy, the Los Angeles andSanta Monica chapters of the

California Native Plant Society, and

Friends of Baldwin Hills. Restoration

efforts continue in the hills.

Through our RESTORATION LEADERS

PROGRAM, high school students from

the urban core receive hands-on

training in habitat restoration at the

new Scenic Overlook State Park and

Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area.

Please be part of our mission and

help us celebrate our Centennial by

joining or contributing to Los

Angeles Audubon!


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. Updates will also beposted on our website.www.laaudubon.org

Field Trips

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 and Virginia 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

legs inside a plus. We may have one car.

Scopes & FRS radios helpful.

Sunday, March 14

Bonelli Regional Park

Leader:Rod Higbie. Bonelli Regional Park

is a remarkable island of habitat. It contains

extensive coastal sage habitat, along with a

large lake surrounded by park land. Birds

regularly seen in the past include: California

Gnatcatcher, Cactus Wren, dancing grebes,

and occasionally Golden Eagle. 200 other

species throughout the year. From LA, take

View Inn, Bishop Elms are some of many

hotels in Bishop.

Saturday, April 17

Big Morongo Wildlife Preserve

Leader:Howard King. Breeding desert and

oasis birds such as Vermilion Flycatcher,

Summer Tanager, Scott's and Hooded

Orioles, Yellow-breasted Chat and migrating

Empidonax flycatchers. To get there, take

the 10 Fwy E about 17 miles past Banning to

Hwy 62 N. Pass through the town of

Morongo Valley, take a right on East Dr.,

then a left into the preserve. Meet at 7:30

a.m. in the preserve parking lot, and bring

lunch, water, sensible clothing and sun

block. Yucca Valley and Desert Hot Springs

offer nearby accommodations, or camp at

Joshua Tree NP.No sign up.

Friday through Sunday, April 23-25

Americas Birdiest County Weekend

Lance Bennerwill organize this annual

event, orchestrating forces where we need

coverage. Los Angeles county was national

champion in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009, so

lets penta-peat in 2010! If you are up for it,

contact Lance at [email protected],

and tell him where your county patch is, or

asked to be assigned a spot.

May 1-2 WeekendKern 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

website:

http://kern.audubon.org/KRVSNF.htm .

Organized by Audubon-Californias Kern

River Preserve.

Sunday, May 2Hansen Dam Riparian Birds

Leader:Kimball Garrett. An exploration of

one of our region's premier "Important Bird

Areas". Expect Bell's Vireos, Yellow-

breasted Chats, Blue Grosbeaks and a

variety of other birds of willow woodlands

and mulefat scrub, along with numerous

landbird migrants, waterbirds and marsh

birds. We will be walking up to three miles,

sometimes on narrow trails. Meet at 7:00

the 10 or 210 Fwy east towards San Dimas

to the top stretch of the 57 Fwy. Proceed N

from the 10, or S from the 210 on the 57

Fwy to the Via Verde exit just N of the 10/57

interchange (at the bottom of Kellogg Hill).

If coming from the N, turn left onto Via

Verde, and left into the "Park and Ride" lot.

If coming from the S, take the Via Verde

offramp and proceed Rt. to the "Park and

Ride" lot on the Rt. We will meet here at

7:30 a.m. to carpool since there is a $8.00/car

park entrance fee. Rod will continue after

lunch, if there is interest. There are picnic

tables and facilities. Bring lunch, if you plan

to bird past noon. No limit or reservation.

March 20 & 21 Weekend

Anza Borrego

Birds, Butterflies and Beyond

Leader:Fred Heath. High points over theyears: blooming desert evening-primrose

and indigo bush, chuckwalla, collared lizard,

desert bighorn (annual), Swainsons Hawks,

LeContes 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 7:00 a.m. at

Yaqui Wells across from Tamarisk GroveCampground.Limit 20 people. Reserve

with $15 fee, phone number, e-mail address,

& SASE 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 Trip

Mary andNick Freeman lead. Greater Sage

Grouse on the lek, Sooty Grouse hooting

from the tree tops (but hard to see!), Gray-

crowned Rosy-Finch, Golden and BaldEagles, and Swainsons Hawk almost

guaranteed; and Red Crossbill, Black-

backed Woodpecker and Pinyon Jay very

likely. Breathtaking scenery always! Meet

early Saturday and Sunday mornings in

Bishop at Jacks Restaurant. Limited to 20.

To sign up, send $55, phone number, e-mail

address, and SASE to Los Angeles Audubon.

More details in confirmation mailer/e-mailer.

Reserve rooms early. Motel 6, Mountain


11/16


Field Tripsa.m. in the parking lot of the Hansen Dam

Recreation Center along Foothill Blvd. just

west of the Osborne/Lake View Terrace exit

off the 210 Fwy. For those coming from the

5 Fwy, exit at Osborne and go north on

Osborne to Foothill Blvd.; turn right (east)

on Foothill Blvd. and go about half a mile to

the entrance to the Recreation Center. (Note:

Our meeting area is NOT the main Hansen

Dam Park that is reached off Dronfield

Avenue). We should finish up around

11:00 a.m.

May 8-9 Weekend

Mojave Desert out of Baker

Leaders:Nick&Mary Freeman. Your

intrepid leaders will lead 12 durable birders

in search of migrating passerines and

flycatchers, as well as Scott's Oriole and

other desert birds. Should also be anexcellent time for herps like Chuckwalla,

Desert Iguana, Desert Tortoise, Horned

Lizard. Some rock-hoping and hiking, and

lots of driving on paved and dirt roads, so a

driving partner is advisable. Likely spots we

will visit include Tecopa, China Ranch,

Horsethief Springs, Kelso Station, Zzyzx,

and Baker sewage ponds. Meet in Baker at

7:00 a.m. Saturday, 6:30 a.m., Sunday, at

Pikes Family Restaurant (formerly

Dennys). Reserve your own room in Baker

for both nights (motel list in mailer). Highclearance strongly recommended. Bring

enough gas, food, a spare tire (check the air),

and water for the weekend. Reserve with

$20, phone number & email address,

have/dont have high clearance, and SASE

(or e-mail for confirmation mailer). Contact

information will be released for possible

carpool/roomie information, unless

requested otherwise.

May 14-17 Long Weekend

Kern River Valley Spring MigrantsLeader: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, see:

www.seaandsageaudubon.org.

Service Adventure Pass is necessary.

June 11-14 Long Weekend

High Sierra Breeding Birds

Leader:Bob Barnes. High deserts to High

Sierra. The most diverse, species-rich region

in the state. Meet early in Inyokern for

Friday morning's start. All other days start

early in Kernville. Likely: Goshawk,

Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Pileated Woodpecker

and owls. 150 species likely in 4 days. Joint

trip with our good neighbors in Sea & Sage

Audubon Society. To reserve, and receive

trip information including lodging, send

phone number and $15 for each day

attended ($60 for 4 days), with e-mail

address or SASE. Lots of driving, so bring a

friend, and we will carpool when possible.

Contact info will be released for carpooling.

Dawn to dusk (and more) birding ideal forenthusiastic beginning to advanced birders.

Meet Friday at Union 76 station in Inyokern.

Reserve Fri-Sat-Sun night rooms in

Kernville area early, and Thursday in

Inyokern (all listed in flyer). Maximum 15.

Friday through Monday, July 2-5

Quaking Aspen Cabin Trip for Owls

Leaders:Mary andNick Freeman. Quaking

Aspen is above Springville, near Ponderosa

in the southwest Sierras. Owling by night,

bird walks by day! Must be a night owl. Wemay also look at some butterflies and

wildflowers! Hopeful birds: Flammulated,

Saw-whet, Spotted and other owls, Pileated

Woodpecker, Winter Wren, Goshawk,

Hammonds & Dusky flycatchers and more.

Some are difficult, but all have been seen on

this trip! The only cabin at the campsite is

reserved, but only sleeps 6. Late sign-ups,

and frugal or rustic birders will want to

reserve their own campsites at

www.reserveamerica.com(soon!). For all:

our first dinner will be potluck, othersprovided or eat out. Tentatively meet

Thursday 3:00 p.m. at Quaking Aspen

Campground (by entrance). More details in

flyer. To reserve, send phone, $95 check for

cabin (included) / $20 for campers (site not

included), and e-mail address or SASE. 4

sign-ups max. for the cabin, 3 min. 6

additional sign-ups max. for campers. No

small children or pets, please.

Saturday, May 22

Tejon Ranch

Leader:Jim Moore. Los Angeles Audubon

has never before visited this working ranch

that was off limits to visitation until just

recently. This will be a joint venture with

our neighbors to the north, San Fernando

Audubon. It is still by special arrangement

with escort only, as one could easily get lost

on the web of dirt roads covering this huge

property. We will visit Big Sycamore

Canyon and Los Alamos Creek, probably

amounting to a few miles of easy hiking up

the future realignment of the Pacific Crest

Trail through the south-central portion of

Tejon Ranch. We will see magnificent oak

woodlands, stunning sycamore riparian

woodlands, late wildflowers, and diverse

chaparral vegetation communities, as well as

the birds that call these canyons their home.Take Interstate 5 north to Quail Lake Rd.

(Hwy 138). Continue east for 8.7 miles to

300th Street West. Turn north and continue

on the paved road until it curves to the left.

At this point, leave the paved road and

continue on the dirt road until you come to

the Tejon Ranch gate. Registered

participants meet here at 7:30 a.m. Bring

lunch, as we will be out most of the day.

Those wishing to carpool can meet at the

McDonalds on the east side of Interstate 5 at

Lake Hughes Road at 6:45 a.m. Highclearance vehicles recommended; we will

carpool into these at the ranch. Rain cancels.

Limit: 30 participants only. Everyone please

register with Los Angeles Audubon by phone

(323) 876-0202.

Sunday, May 23

Santa Anita Canyon

Leader:Mary Freeman. Take the 210 Fwy

toward Arcadia, and take Santa Anita

Avenue N to the parking lot at the very end

of the road. Meet at the Gabrielino Trailtrailhead at the bottom of the lot. 4 mile RT

moderately strenuous walk through oak and

chaparral canyons. This area was spared by

the recent Station Fire. Good selection of

breeding and migrating birds including

warblers, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Western

Tanager, and Band-tailed Pigeon. Dipper

possible. Pack in a lunch and water.

Meeting time 7:00 a.m. No sign up.

Nominal donation suggested. A Forest


12/16


Interpreting Nature

If you have to go anywhere at

night, please run to wherever you are

going; do not walk These

instructions almost taken from a

horror movie -- were spoken to me and

my peers by the park ranger on the

night we arrived at Chitwan National

Park located in the South-Central region

of Nepal. The park guides warning

referred to the sloth bears, wild boars,

and other animals that might wander by

our cabins searching for food; moving

quickly at night would help avoid

unsavory encounters. Our cabins faced

the Narayani River amid a thin layer of

trees. Although tired from the days

journey and everyone else headed to

bed, my senses thirsted for the new

location. It was my first time being in

an actual jungle and Nepals

countryside. Here, the sound of traffic

ceased and the chime of crickets began.

I traded a 9th floor hotel room view of

the Kathmandu skyline strewn with

Tibetan prayer flags for soil beneath myfeet and vines dangling above me from

tree to tree. I stayed outside on my

cabin porch that night, filling my lungs

with clean air, while my eyes scanned

the star populations nestled in the

bluish-black sky. However, a teenage

girls shriek from next door tore through

this serene atmosphere and converted

Chitwan National Park into another

Camp Crystal Lake.

Some students awoke and ran with

me to her rescue, only to discover a

defenseless, though enormous, spider as

the culprit responsible. Shortly after

our discovery and annoyed with her

hysteria, a groggy colleague lazily

chucked his shoe and smashed the poor

spider.

This and other similar incidents

occurred on my trip to Nepal during my

Spring Break of freshman year (March

2009). The situations brought me closer

interactions with racism, sexism, drugs,

homelessness, gangs and violence that

came with it. Otherwise, my experience

of nature was limited to lawns,

squarely-cut hedges, and trees whose

limbs would be hacked off every now

and then.

However, towards the end of my

high school career, the creation of an

environmental club and the revival of

the school garden certainly changed my

experience of nature. I was able toparticipate in the Great Backyard Bird

Count, Plover monitoring along the

coast, and clearing sea rocket from the

Venice Beach Least Tern Colony.

Dorseys garden made me realize how

detached I really am from the

vegetables and fruit I consume everyday

and gave me an idea of the work it takes

to grow them. Being involved with the

Los Angeles Audubon Society taught

me about the delicate balance of

ecosystems (e.g. the snowy plover) and

the subtle differences between bird

species (e.g. many gull species exist and

there are no sea gulls). Previous to

this knowledge, I thought the gulls that

invaded the school cafeteria were

boring, silly birds that fought over

leftover food. By having a program tha

involved nature in an institution that I

would interact with daily (school), I

took full advantage of the opportunities

it offered and I enjoyed learning about

the complexities behind the simple

things of every day life. These

complexities make me a more

wholesome person by making me

conscious of things other than my own

existence. The EcoClub also made me

take more initiative in learning about

my surroundings, answering the simple

questions that would cross my mind

rather than ignore them and continue on

my way. Alma Alegria, Dorsey

High School Alumna

to reality, dissolved myths about the

third-world and made many first-world

inhabitants look quite pathetic, foolish,

weak, or inconsiderate.

I traveled to Nepal with nine other

undergraduates as part of a student-

founded and student-run organization

called Y(ale)Nepal. For three weeks we

volunteered at the Bal Mandir

Orphanage in Kathmandu. Our trip

served as a three-day break from the

city and I never imagined experiencingnature walks, an elephant safari trip,

spotting rhinoceros, deer, crocodiles and

wild boar. We learned about the

neighboring tiger reserve and the black

sloth bear.

Even in Kathmandu, nature

constantly reminded us of itself through

the dust in the air, the water basins

around the city, the imagery in the

shrines, and the monkeys that inhabited

temples. Before Nepal, monkeys only

existed in TV and the LA zoo, wherethey looked less energetic and lonelier

in their 6x9x8 foot cage.

Though interested in nature as a

child, I grew up in south-central Los

Angeles where few opportunities

supported my curiosity. Animal

encyclopedias, the Discovery Channel,

and miniature animal replicas exposed

me to nature. They provided enough

information for me to reenact the wild

with my toys in my own apartment;

however, as I grew older curricularobligations determined my books.

Many of the sources to learn about

nature vanished and with time I learned

they were unnecessary and inconvenient

to pursue. As a young adult, I did not

wander into the Museum of Natural

History, despite it being a bus ride

away. I also became blind to the

greenspace next to my apartment, Jim

Gilliam Recreation Center. The trees

and grass were not worth the

For this issues Interpreting Nature column, I would like to introduce Alma Alegria. A 2008 Dorsey High

School graduate, Alma was one of the first Dorsey students to volunteer for Los Angeles Audubon,

participating in Least Tern colony clean-ups, Snowy Plover surveys, and habitat restoration at the Baldwin

Hills Scenic Overlook. Alma is currently completing her sophomore year at Yale University, has spent a

summer studying film in Paris, and visited Nepal in the spring of 2009. In the essay that follows, Alma

compares her experience with nature in Nepal to her experience growing up in Los Angeles.

Stacey Vigallon, Director of Interpretation


13/16


Conservation ConversationA REPORT ON CONSERVATION EFFORTS BY LOS ANGELES AUDUBON

Holiday joy and celebration was

supreme at Los Angeles Audubon

over two major conservation

victories that have been years in the

making.

L.A. COURT RULES AGAINST

CITY OF LOS ANGELES ON

MANAGEMENT OF FERAL CAT

COLONIES

Los Angeles Audubon, Santa

Monica Bay Audubon, Palos

Verdes/South Bay Audubon, American

Bird Conservancy, Endangered Habitats

League and Urban Wildlands Group

won an important lawsuit in early

December, 2009 against the City of Los

Angeles and its Department of Animal

Services to stop the practice of

encouraging feral cat colonies until the

legally required environmental impactreviews have been performed.

The Los Angeles Superior Court

found that the City of Los Angeles had

been secretly and unofficially

promoting Trap-Neuter-Return

(TNR), a controversial program

allowing feral cats to run free, even

while the Department of Animal

Services promised to conduct an

environmental review of the program.

In June 2005, the L.A. Board of

Animal Services Commissioners adoptedTNR as the preferred method of dealing

with feral cat populations as its official

policy. The Department issued coupons

for free or discounted spay/neuter

procedures for feral cats being returned to

neighborhoods and open spaces and

encouraged and assisted in establishing

new feral cat colonies at city-owned

properties, including parks and wildlife

areas. The Department also began

County beaches, and recorded the first

possible breeding behaviors since 1949.

The science inspired four years of

advocacy at the County, the California

Coastal Commission, U.S. Fish & Wildlife

Service and California Department of Fish

& Game by Los Angeles Audubons

Conservation Committee. Los Angeles

County Department of Beaches & Harborshas also indicated that they will issue

permits for an Los Angeles Audubon

docent program at the fenced site on

Dockweiler to inform the public on the

Plovers and the need to protect them.

THANK YOU!

Los Angeles Audubon owes a great

debt of gratitude to all of the Snowy

Plover volunteers as well as Stacey

Vigallon and Tom Ryan, to Los Angeles

County Department of Beaches &

Harbors new Director Santos Kreimann

and staff, and to Coastal Commissioners

Steve Blank (former Board Chair and

current member of Audubon California

Board), Bill Burke and especially Sara

Wan for their support of Western Snowy

Plovers on LA County beaches.

We also owe a sincere debt of

gratitude to Travis Longcore and

Catherine Rich of Urban Wildlands

Group, and former officers at LosAngeles Audubon, who provided peer-

reviewed published science, great

leadership and a lot of volunteer time on

the lawsuit against the City of Los

Angeles on feral cat management.

Contributions to Los Angeles

Audubon support our conservation

activities. Give now and help protect

the birds you love!

refusing to accept trapped feral cats, or

to issue permits to city residents to trap

feral cats.

The plaintiffs in this case wished to

ensure that the controversial TNR

program along with the maintenance of

feral cat colonies would not be allowed

until a complete public environmental

analysis (under the CaliforniaEnvironmental Quality Act - CEQA) has

been completed.

The City is now enjoined from

implementing, promoting or otherwise

encouraging the management of feral cats

through Trap, Neuter, Return. Further

proposals to implement such a program

must undergo objective scientific review

as part of the CEQA process. This

process has been designed to allow for

public comment and for an assessment of

significant impacts on parks, wildlife,water quality, and human health that such

a program might have.

Los Angeles Audubon Conservation

Committee has been engaged in this effort

since 2005.

LOS ANGELES COUNTY

OFFERS PROTECTION OF

SNOWY PLOVERS ON LOS

ANGELES COUNTY BEACHES

In the fourth year of our Endangered

Species program on the federally

threatened Western Snowy Plover coastal

population, Los Angeles County has

voluntarily erected a fence to protect the

population of Plovers on Dockweiler

Beach! This follows four years of science

conducted by Tom Ryan Biological with

Snowy Plover volunteers from chapters

along the coast that monitored and

mapped wintering populations on L.A.

Garry George


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Pelagic Trips

Saturday, May 1, 2010

A 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 7:00 a.m. and will

return approximately by 8:00 p.m. We

will cruise along the deep water shelf by

the San Juan Seamount. Birds previously

seen: Black-footed Albatross; Northern

Fulmar; Sooty and Pink-footed

Shearwaters: Ashy and Leachs Storm-

petrels; Pomarine, Parasitic and

Long-tailed Jaegers; Pigeon Guillemot;

Xantuss Murrelet; Cassins and

Rhinoceros Auklets. Uncommon speciesseen on prior trips: Laysan Albatross;

Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel; Red-billed

Tropicbird and Tufted Puffin.

A full galley serves breakfast, lunch and

dinner. Let us know if you want dinner.

Leaders:Jon Feenstra, Terry Hune-

feld, Todd McGrath, Dave Pereksta

andDave Compton.

$195 Credit card or cash.

Reservations for this trip: Contact: Sea

Landing in Santa Barbara at (805) 882-

0088 or (888) 779-4253 for your reserva-tions and trip status. 301 W. Cabrillo

Blvd. Santa Barbara 93101-3886

E-mail: [email protected]

Saturday, June 5, 2010

ALos Angeles Area Pelagic Trip:

Land on Santa Cruz Island for the

Island Scrub-Jay & out to Sea.

This 8 hour trip departs from Island

Packersdock in theOxnard Harborat 8:00

a.m. on the m/v Vanguard. We will land atPrisoners Cove where the endemic Island

Scrub-Jay is easily seen. Then, we go out to

sea and return by Anacapa Island. Birds

expected: Northern Fulmar; Sooty and Pink-

footed Shearwaters; rocky shorebirds; South

Polar Skua, Pomarine & Parasitic Jaegers;

Sabines Gull; Royal Tern; Pigeon Guillemot.

Xantuss Murrelet. Uncommon birds seen

on prior trips: Flesh-footed Shearwater and

Tufted Puffin.

Leaders: Jon Feenstra, Terry Hunefeld,

Todd McGrath andDave Pereksta

$95 Credit Card Payment or$90 for a

cash discount price.

Reservation for this trip: Send pay-

ment, a SASE (Self Addressed

Stamped Envelope), include complete

contact information to:

Los Angeles Audubon - Pelagics,

PO Box 931057, Los Angeles CA

90093-1057. Or pay with a credit

card (MC, Visa, Discover) by call-

ing Los Angeles Audubon at

(323) 876-0202.

Note: Destinations may be changedto maximize bird sightings, or mini-

mize rough seas. With increased

fuel costs there can be an energy sur-

charge per person.

Los Angeles Audubon Refund policy:

You may receive a refund less a $5.00

handling charge if you cancel 31 days

prior to departure, or if a paid replace-

ment can be found.

Saturday, July 31, 2010A Condor Express Trip:

A deep water trip to the San Juan

Seamount and Santa Rosa Ridge.

Depart from Sea Landing Dock in

the Santa Barbara Harborat 7:00 a.m.

on the fast catamaran Condor Express

and return approximately at 8:30 p.m.

We will cruise along the deep water shelf

by the San Juan Seamount. Birds

expected: Black-footed Albatross;

Northern Fulmar; Pink-footed and SootyShearwaters; Black, Ashy and Leachs

Storm-Petrels; South Polar Skua;

Pomarine Jaeger; Pigeon Guillemot,

Common Murre, Xantuss Murrelet.

Uncommon species and rarities seen this

time of year: Cooks Petrel; Red-billed

Tropicbird. Mega-rarities that can be

looked for are: Dark-rumped and

Stejnegers Petrels.

There is a complete galley that serves

breakfast, lunch and dinner. Let us know

if you want dinner.

Leaders:Jon Feenstra, Kimball Gar-

rett, Terry Hunefeld, Todd McGrath

and Dave Compton


Reservation for this trip: Contact Sea

Landing in Santa Barbara at (805) 882-

0088 or (888) 779-4253 for your reserva-

tions and trip status. 301 W. Cabrillo

Blvd. Santa Barbara 93101-3886. email:

[email protected]

Saturday, September 18, 2010

A Condor Express Trip:

Around the Northern Channel Islandsfor rare Shearwaters.

This 8 hour trip departs from the

Santa Barbara Harborat 7:00 a.m. on

the fast catamaran Condor Express.

Birds to be expected: Northern Fulmar;

Pink-footed, Sooty and Black-vented

Shearwaters; Black, Ashy and Leachs

Storm-Petrels; cormorants (3), rocky

shorebirds (up to 5); Red and Red-

necked Phalaropes; Pomarine and

Parasitic Jaegers; Sabines Gull; Royal,

Common and Arctic Terns; CommonMurre; Xantuss Murrelet; Cassins

Auklet. Uncommon rarities that can be

seen: Bullers Shearwater; Least Storm-

Petrel; Red-billed Tropicbird; South

Polar Skua; Long-tailed Jaeger; and

Craveris Murrelet. Great whales and

several species of dolphins are often seen

this time of year.

There is a full galley that can serve

breakfast and lunch.

Leaders:Jon Feenstra, Terry Hune-feld, Todd McGrath, Dave Pereksta

andDave Compton


Reservations for this trip: Contact Sea

Landing in Santa Barbara at

(805) 882-0088 or (888) 779-4253 for

your reservations and trip status.

301 W. Cabrillo Blvd. Santa Barbara

93101-3886

email: [email protected]


15/16


Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Greg Rubin presents

Bringing Native Ecology into the Habitat Garden:

Attracting Wildlife, not Fire

Greg will be discussing how to create sustainable

native chaparral landscapes that both attract appropriate

birds and butterflies while at the same time are defensible

against fire. This cutting edge presentation will describe

specific techniques and will show beautiful examples of

native landscapes. Greg has now installed over 500 native

landscapes in Southern California. Also, despite having

numerous clients with native landscapes directly in the

path of our major fire events, they have yet to lose a single

home, despite neighors often burning to the ground. There

will also be information as to what specific birds are

attracted to these gardens.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Ed Pandolfino presents:

Changes in the Winter Distribution ofRough-legged Hawks in North America

A cold winter day in most any open country habitat

of northern California can be brightened by finding a

Rough-legged Hawk. These striking arctic-breeding

raptors are always a treat to see. Like many of you,

several years ago Ed noted that Rough-legged Hawks

seemed to be decreasing in California. Little did he

know that trying to answer the seemingly simple

question, Are Rough-legged Hawks really on the

decline here?, would lead to years of intense data-

mining and some surprising conclusions. Ed willpresent the results of his work with Kim Suedkamp

Wells that documents large scale changes in the winter

distribution of this hawk in North America over the past

few decades. Ed will also discuss some factors that may

explain this shift.

mONTHLY pROGRAMSMeet at 7:30 P.M. in the Community Building in Plummer Park

7377 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90046

Members of the Los Angeles Audubon Society will asked to vote on proposed Society By-law changes at the May 2010

monthly Member Meeting of the Society. Proposed By-law changes will posted on the Society's website by mid-February

2010 and will be read at the April 2010 monthly Member Meeting.

Please visit the website and/or attend the April meeting to learn about the proposed changes.

TO: ALL BIRDERS! Sponsored by the Los Angeles Audubon Society, I have been leading exciting birding andwildlife tours for the Society to many places in the natural world for over two decades. Each tour offers superb

birding and natural history experiences. We have excellent local tour guides in each of the countries we visit,

offering exceptional accommodations, good food, and our friendly tours are appropriate for experienced and new

birders. Watch for upcoming information about our adventures to far away places.Olga Clarke

For information and itinerary onLos 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


16/16


PO Box 931057

Los Angeles, CA 90093-1057

www.laaudubon.org

DATED MATERIAL

Please Expedite

AUDUBON HOUSE HOURS

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.

Saturday, Open 1stSat. of the month

10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

NONPROFIT ORG

US POSTAGE

PAID

VAN NUYS, CA

PERMIT NO. 1418

2) Sponsor a City Council Member or a local business partner as they venture into the fieldwith an experienced birder on a competitive hunt for the maximum number of species.

Accepting your minimum pledge of $1 per species now!

To sponsor them, call Mary Loquvam (323) 664-1294 or Martha Balkan (323) 876-0202.

3) Create your own team. Heres how:

Select a catchy team name.

Select a venue that represents your interests or territory (Griffith Park, Ballona Wetlands,

or your own favorite bird spot!)

Select 1 to 4 hours during the week of May 1-8, 2010 to conduct your count.

Recruit colleagues, families, friends, and even neighborhood dogs and cats, to pledge $1

(or more) per bird species to be identified during your count. Conduct your Birdathon count.

Gather your pledges and join Los Angeles Audubon on May 8th to determine the Big

Winner! (Venue and Time TBA)

CENTENNIAL BIRDATHON

Robb HamiltonDan CooperMike San MiguelKimball Garrett

Help us celebrate our 100th birthday by joining the Los Angeles AudubonCentennial Birdathon to take place during the week of May 1-8, 2010.

Heres how you can participate:

1) Join one (or more) of ourCentennial Super Star Teams starring:

Space is limited! Sign up now! $50 will secure you the privilege of birding with these stars!

Call Mary Loquvam (323) 664-1294 or Martha Balkan (323) 876-0202) to sign up now!

Join teams from across Los Angeles to support

Los Angeles Audubons education and conservation programs

and to celebrate the creatures that share our urban habitat!

Los Angeles Audubon is available to help you coordinate yourBirdathon Team!

For more information contact: Mary Loquvam, Executive Director, (323) 664-1294,[email protected]

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Mar-Apr 2010 Western Tanager Newsletter - Los Angeles Audubon

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