WESTERNTANAGER

Volume 65 Number 6 July /August 1999 Los Angeles Audubon Society

As you may recall from theMay/June 1998 issue of TheLos Angeles Audubon Society's

Western Tanager, the City of Los Ange-les and community members from thearea are working closely with Audubon-California to develop the urban AudubonNature Center in Debs Park. What youmay not know is that the Audubon move-ment in California was born in thesecommunities along the Arroyo Seco,specifically the historic community ofGarvanza.

The Garvanza community history isintertwined with the history of Audubonbut how quickly memory fades. Historyand heritage—it is simply about the peo-ple and what they contributed and aboutthe place and why it inspired them.

Today, Audubon and The GarvanzaCommunity are just beginning a journeyof re-discovery. First, let's go back to theLos Angeles of yesterday, the ArroyoSeco as it used to be, to provide a con-text of the place and the area where theAudubon Nature Center will soon reside. {,

The same tenants that you might useto describe Audubon—nature, art andconnection to experience—also describethe area known as The Highlands, theFive Friendly Valleys or the ArroyoSeco. The "developed" communities(which today are incorporated into theCity of Los Angeles) that settled in thisnatural landscape at the turn of the lastcentury were: Garvanza, Highland Park,Hermon, York Valley, and Mt. Washing-ton. In our segment of the Arroyo, Gar-vanza was the first town and developedquickly because of the access to trans-portation—Garvanza was the first stopfrom Los Angeles on the train and hadstops along the Pacific Electric Railway

line. Garvanza also had a post office.But it was the natural beauty of the

Arroyo Seco that was the real draw.Tourists were attracted at once by thegentle, rolling valleys north of the LosAngeles River. There were massiveliveoaks, sycamores and the babblingstreams of the arroyo that threaded theircourse through the valley. It became themecca for the new settlers, a place that

captured their dreams of the West. Manyhistorical accounts are of people whowere naturalists, artists and craftsmen.

The area was shaped by these cre-ative people. Harriet Williams Myers andhusband Will migrated West in the 1890sdue to Will's health and settled in Gar-vanza. Harriet's brother, Henry, lived inthe east but retired and settled in Garvan-za in 1936. He was described from a

Audubon and Garvanza- Together Again!

By Nicole Possert

very early age as a naturalist, with pub-lished books, etchings and painted stud-ies of birds. Primarily a physician, hehad more energy than that and was also anoted ornithologist. While in Connecti-cut, he published a book "Nest Building-New Style" with paintings and etchingswhich were exhibited at the Museum ofNatural History in New York and theSmithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.Harriet affectionately called him her"walking Encyclopedia".

Harriet seems the more interestingof local characters in regards to the her-itage of Garvanza and Audubon. Prom

ing from the city and wanted some-thing nearer home). So I organized theLos Angeles Audubon Society withMrs. Willis Dixon as President.

"On May 31, 1906, the CaliforniaAudubon Society was formed. Mr. W.Scott Way asked me to be his AssistantSecretary. I later became Secretary in1910 for 11 years, Vice President forfour years and President for eighteenyears. I gave up active work in 1942,after thirty-eight years. I cannot taketime to tell of all this splendidAudubon work, but the annual reportsare published and telling of ouraccomplishments."

From an old postcard — The sign at the far right proclaims that this park is an LAAS bird sanctuary.

her published autobiographical book, WeThree, the following excerpt bestdescribes what blossomed from Garvanza:

"One day in spring 1904, we sawin the paper that an Audubon Societywas to be formed in Pasadena. I tookour Pacific Electric and went over.They were all strangers to me, but wesoon felt that we knew each other. Ijoined that Society, was put on a com-mittee, came home and in one monthhad organized the Garvanza AudubonSociety, of which I became President.

"For several years we held mostmeetings on Saturdays, so teacherscould attend and we had many peoplewho came from Los Angeles, becausewe were the only Audubon Society inthe State, save for the Pasadena one. Itwas the first permanent one. We hadour Garvanza Society for two years,when I thought we should have LosAngeles Society and give up the oneheld in Garvanza (for many were com-

Our wonderful Harriet lived onAvenue 66 in Garvanza. Her brother,when he retired, lived across the street.They were a prominent family in thelocal community. In her book, sherecounts many stories of birding aroundher home, describing the hills of theArroyo and the richness of bird life inthis area.

The communities of the Arroyo holdother Audubon history. Through addi-tional research, we discovered that LosAngeles Audubon had named a Sanctu-ary at Sycamore Grove Park in HighlandPark. Coincidentally (or as fate wouldhave it), Sycamore Grove Park is locateddirectly across the freeway from today'sDebs Park where the Nature Center willbe located. In addition, the SouthwestBirders also started out from the South-west Museum at the base of Mt. Wash-ington. So it comes full circle; we now

realize that today's efforts are just a con-tinuum of Audubon's early presence inthe Arroyo Seco. The Highland ParkHeritage Trust has embraced Audubon'srenewed presence with enthusiasm and isparticipating in this new journey toreconnect our community with nature,art and the common heritage that we allshare living in the Arroyo Seco.

These pristine lands originally luredeveryone, native Indians, Spanish settlersand American immigrants at the turn ofthe century to create today's blend ofeveryone. At the dawn of the twenty-firstcentury we have a vibrant mix of resi-dents, life-longers to recent immigrants,who all speak the same language of com-munity heritage and conservationthrough the Audubon Nature Center pro-ject. It is the right time and certainly theright place!

As we uncover more information tohelp us understand this area's overallcontribution to Los Angeles and Califor-nia, we've just begun to discoverAudubon's role. I invite any of you inter-ested in helping piece together our com-mon history to call me—we needAudubon "historians" to provide infor-mation that will enhance these links andbring Audubon and Garvanza togetheragain!

This article is based on a presenta-tion made by Nicole Possert on May 1,1999. She is President of the HighlandPark Heritage Trust, an all-volunteerorganization dedicated to preservation ofLos Angeles' Arroyo Seco communities.She can be reached at (323) 255-5792.We Three and historical documentationprovided from the collection of VirginiaNeely.

We Three is available at the LosAngeles Public Library, Arroyo SecoBranch.

Western Tanager

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JON AND KIMBALLSET TO DO BATTLE . . .

. . .WITH THE FLYCATCHERS

As tough as gulls, hawks, sparrows,and shorebirds can be, the group that pre-sents arguably the toughest ID quandaries isthe flycatchers. Some are renowned for

humbling well-seasoned and jaded birderswho are not used to having to consider mul-tiple characteristics on even the most coop-erative bird.

With an increasing understanding ofhow to identify (and not identify) some ofour common California breeding andmigrating flycatchers, and new informationon where neotropical and east-coast oddballs can show up, maybe it's time to con-sider arming yourself with the knowledgeto find a second Couch's Kingbird for thestate. Maybe it's time for someone to scareup a first California record for Nutting'sFlycatcher, which may prove to be rare butregular in southeast Arizona—-just painfullytough to identify. Maybe you'd like to knowwhat the latest dirt is on that problematicPacific-slope / Cordilleran flycatcher split.

If the challenge and thrill of graspingthe slippery, salient features of the flycatch-ers appeals to you, then the upcoming Fly-catcher Workshop is for you.

Jon Dunn is a very active internationalfieldtrip leader possessing extensive fieldexperience with flycatchers and other flittythings. He has recently finished editing the3rd edition of the National GeographicSociety Field Guide to the Birds of North

America. He is an American Birding Asso-ciation board member, an editorial consul-tant for Birding and A.B.A. checklist com-mittee chair.

Kimball Garrett is an expert regardingthe status, distribution and identification oflocal species. He is Ornithology CollectionsManager of the L.A. County Museum ofNatural History, and is very active in theL.A. County Breeding Bird Atlas. Kimballis a long-standing supporter and advisor toLAAS, is currently president of WesternField Ornithologists, (which publishes West-ern Birds), and has been a long-time mem-ber of the California Bird Records Commit-tee.

Jon and Kimball have co-authored twobooks: Status and Distribution of the Birdsof Southern California is a classic (now outof print), and Warblers of North Americawhich is available at the LAAS Bookstore.

Jon and Kimball possess an easy-going delivery that makes the toughestmaterial easy to assimilate.

If you are an intermediate birder readyto tackle the Tyrannidae, or a well-wornchaser in need of a refresher course, see thecalendar section of this Western Tanager.

July/August 1999

B I R D S O F T H E S E A S O NKimball L. Garrett

Spring of 1999 really seemed to betwo springs. Through most ofApril, observers were lamenting

the poor (and late) showing of migrants,and wondering if the weather—a seriesof late storms which seemed to benature's feeble attempt to make up for anextremely dry winter—might not haveplayed a role in the "non-migration".Even late April "Big Day" time seemedwanting in species totals and individualnumbers of migrants. Then, around thefirst of May, the floodgates seemed toopen. Jaded observers, convinced we hadbeen seeing the realization of "TheSilent Spring", suddenly switched tosuperlatives to describe the incrediblecollection of warblers, tanagers, andother migrants that poured through theregion in the first three weeks of May.From the desert to the coast songbirdmigrants occurred in wave after wave,and flocks containing tens of Hermit andNashville warblers (for example) andhundreds of Wilson's Warblers and West-ern Tanagers were not uncommon.Although migrants seemed to be every-where, geographical equivalents of theharmonic convergence, such as Butter-bredt Spring in Kern County, producedhuge numbers of birds. Even in mid-May—usually past the peak movements ofour most common "mid-spring" species,Matt Heindel estimated 6,000 birds mov-ing through Butterbredt in one morning!And as of this writing, on 25 May, goodnumbers of our late spring migrants,such as Swainson's Thrush, WesternWood-Pewee, Willow Flycatcher, andYellow Warbler, were continuing tomove through. The extended springmovement of Warbling Vireos and Wil-son's Warblers certainly points to their

broad geographic breeding range—eachof these species can be encountered dur-ing the first week of March (exceptional-ly even in the end of February in thecase of the vireo) but both are still mov-ing through in numbers in late May.

I pity the "birders" who don't mobi-lize their spring migration efforts untillate May, when "vagrant season" is tradi-tionally thought to begin (continuing intoearly June). Wandering around a hot,dreary desert "oasis" when all but a fewwestern migrants have passed through inhopes of chalking up yet another Red-

Records of rare and unusual birdsightings reported in this columnshould be considered tentative

pending review by the regional editors ofAmerican Birding Association FIELDNOTES or, if appropriate, by theCalifornia Birds Records Committee.

Send your bird observations with as manydetails as possible to:

Kimball L. GarrettOrnithology Collections ManagerNatural History Museum of

Los Angeles County900 Exposition Blvd.Los Angeles, CA 90007 USAe-mail: kgarrett@nhm.org

or call:Raymond Schep (323) 874-1318e-mail: drschep@colonial-dames.com

The address for submissions to the Cali-fornia Bird Records Committeeis:Michael M. Rogers, SecretaryCalifornia Bird Records CommitteeP.O. Box 340Moffett Field, CA 94035-0340e-mail: mrogers@nas.nasa.gov

eyed Vireo or Northern Parula or evenGolden-winged Warbler is not, in itself,a bad thing. But to do this to the exclu-sion of experiencing the phenomenalmovement of Lincoln's Sparrows in thedeserts and foothills in early to mid-April, or witnessing dozens of Black-chinned Hummingbirds streamingnorth/west over the desert creosote inlate April, or watching the shift fromabundant lutescens Orange-crownedWarblers to a greater percentage of dull,grayish orestera birds as April movesinto mid-May, seems to me an odd set ofpriorities. I never fail to be captivated byperiodic reports from those who chartthe migration in our deserts through thecourse of spring migration (which isreally January through mid-June). MattHeindel's Kern County coverage isexemplary, and his data on the phenolo-gy and magnitude of bird migration overthe Kern desert is, thankfully, workingits way toward book form.

Swallows and swifts are among ourmore conspicuous migrants because oftheir diurnal movements through openairspace. Like clockwork, late April andearly May saw a series of "invasions" byVaux's Swifts into chimneys—a mod-ern-day substitute for a hollow tree trunkin which to roost for the night. Such"episodes" occurred in San Pedro, SanDiego, and Lake Elsinore. Homeownerswith chimneys would do well to screenoff the fireplaces between 20 April and5 May to prevent chimney-roostingVaux's Swifts from entering the houseitself! Black Swifts are always a treat inmigration—most seem to sneak throughunnoticed. The first local report this yearwas of a single bird over Santa Claritaon 1 May (Kimball Garrett), and a few

Western Tanager

were noted along the foothills and overthe Los Angeles River in the followingtwo weeks. On 22 May, Mitch Heindeland others noted up to 200 birds over thePalos Verdes Peninsula area, one of thelargest concentrations ever noted in theregion; thick clouds and thunderstormsfarther inland might have played a rolein displacing so many birds to the coastalareas. A couple of Chimney Swifts werein the Palos Verdes area the same day(MiH); the coastal slope of Los AngelesCounty is one of the prime places inNorth America to see four species ofswifts together!

April and May saw a great deal ofeffort devoted to completing the last yearof field work for the Los Angeles CountyBreeding Bird Atlas. Brewer's Spar-rows are one of the more enigmaticbreeding species in the county—theirnumbers and breeding localities seem toshift annually. This year Mike SanMiguel confirmed nesting in lower Bou-quet Canyon in Santa Clarita for one ofthe few documented nestings on thecoastal slope since early this century.Since sagebrush and other low scrubhabitats are diminishing in the region,we can only assume that Brewer's havebeen nesting in places like Santa Claritaat least intermittently over the past fewdecades, but it took Atlas field work to"rediscover" them. Anyone driving out1-5 or Hwy 14 through the Santa ClaraRiver Valley this spring must have beenstruck by the gigantic scars from acceler-ated grading activity as we continue todestroy our county in order to accommo-date a few million more people. Eco-nomic "good times" certainly do trans-late to accelerated habitat destruction inthis neck of the woods.

In other Atlas news Great-tailedGrackles continue to add new nestinglocalities; for example, females werenest-building in palm trees in Echo Parknear downtown Los Angeles. Gray Fly-catchers may be more widespread asbreeders in Los Angeles County than wethought; two pairs in dry juniper/joshuatree woodland in Brainard Canyon south-east of Little Rock (KG) added anotherlocality for this species. The lower limitof the breeding range of Red-breastedSapsucker is not well understood; adrumming male at the entrance to St.Andrews Abbey near Valyermo in late

April and May (KG) suggested nestingin foothill riparian habitat, and thespecies' presence in mid-May in the oakwoodlands southeast of Quail Lake (JeanBrandt) was unexpected.

The tern colony in Los Angeles Har-bor was slow in developing this year, andthe same could be said for the traditionalsite at Bolsa Chica. At least CaspianTerns, however, were busy nesting in theharbor by May (Kathy Keane), and theBlack Skimmer flock there consisted ofsome 150 birds (not yet breeding).Future plans for this new fill area in L.A.Harbor will eliminate the tern nestinghabitat except for an area set aside forLeast Terns.

Non-native species continue to bediscovered breeding in the region. LarryAllen and Richard Barth independentlyfound an active nest of EuropeanGoldfinches in Hahn Regional Park inthe Baldwin Hills 6-19 May. EgyptianGeese are being seen regularly at LakeBalboa in the Sepulveda Basin and maywell be breeding there (Jean Brandt).One wonders if the flock of HelmetedGuineafowl frequenting the Los AngelesRiver bed below Los Feliz Avenue inAtwater Village will also breed! Red-whiskered Bulbuls continue to thrive atboth the Los Angeles County Arboretum(15 birds on 14 March; Chris Floyd) andHuntington Gardens (15 on 21 May; KG),but have spread little from these areassince the "control" programs by the Cali-fornia Department of Agriculture some20 years ago. Hot on the heels of theescaped Black-billed Magpie at TujungaWash in March came a record of a Yel-low-billed Magpie at Pt. Vicente on thePalos Verdes Peninsula, also a likely anescapee. Who knows what to make ofthe singing male Northern Cardinal atChiriaco Summit (near Joshua TreeNational Park) on 21 May (Michael Patten);even at this remote desert outpost it seemspossible that the bird was an escapee.

The LAAS pelagic trip to Santa Bar-bara Island on 8 May was highlighted byan adult Black-footed Albatross northof the west end of Santa Catalina Islandand an Ancient Murrelet five miles offPt. Fermin. Only a few Xantus' Mur-relets were seen, unlike the 17 April tripwhen some 30 pairs were seen (MitchHeindel). Once again Laysan Albatrosseswere found ashore in the Los Angeles

Harbor area—one recovered in earlyApril was released on the 17 AprilLAAS pelagic trip, and another found on16 April with a broken leg died in reha-bilitation. With a couple of reports ofimmature Short-tailed Albatrosses inMonterey Bay this spring, one wonderswhen this critically rare but increasingspecies will once again reclaim its for-mer place as the "expected" albatross ofour inshore waters (don't hold yourbreath!). There were few reports onshorebird migration through the region;Mike San Miguel's coverage of PiutePonds and adjacent Rosamond Lakenorth of Lancaster yielded Red Knotson 25 April and in mid-May. A highcount of 40 Short-billed Dowitcherswas carefully obtained on 25 April(MSM, KLG).

Lingering wintering birds included afemale Evening Grosbeak at GayleHightower's La Canada feeder 27 Aprilto 1 May and a Red-breasted Nuthatchon 24 May in La Crescenta (KG). Asexpected, flocks of Cedar Waxwingsremained in the Los Angeles Basinthrough at least the fourth week of May.

Out of range birds included aWhite-winged Dove in the westernAntelope Valley on 2 May (Larry Allen),a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher at the Whit-tier Narrows Dam on 25-27 April (RayJillson), a Palm Warbler in ElysianPark, Los Angeles, on 2 May (RB), aSummer Tanager on 13 April in WillRogers State Park (RB), and a BaltimoreOriole in Debs Park on 9 April (RB). ANorthern Waterthrush banded at themouth of Zuma Creek on 21 May (WaltSakai) was a different individual fromthe one which spent the winter (and wasalso banded).

July and early August represent yourlast chance to contribute to the BreedingBird Atlas—high altitude birds are espe-cially easily confirmed during this peri-od. If your plans include a trip to themountains of Los Angeles County, checkin with Mark Wimer at Atlas Central andsee where the most help is needed. Afteryour last heroic atlas efforts (AND thesubmission of your data!) you'll be freeonce again to look at migrants—shore-birds as they stream through in July andAugust, and landbirds which pick upspeed in July and peak in August andSeptember. Enjoy!

July/August 1999

CONSERVATION CONVERSATIONby Sandy Wohlgemuth

Ventura County is the little Davidstanding bravely against the LosAngeles County Goliath in its

challenge to the monster Newhall Ranchproject. Most of us know about this22,000-home development planned for70,000 people near Magic Mountain offInterstate 5. Much of it would be built inthe floodplain of the Santa Clara River,the last wild river in southern California.Environmental problems are guaranteed:traffic and air pollution will inevitablyincrease; endangered species will bethreatened; a flooding river will have tobe contained like the Los Angeles River.Above all, another huge chunk of openspace will disappear.

Newhall Ranch would become theultimate national example of urbansprawl. Enter Ventura County. Ventura isdeeply concerned about a bulging newcity next door. This small county is anx-

ious to maintain its reputation as a placethat balances agricultural strength withsmall-town livability. The Santa ClaraRiver runs through the county to theocean so the integrity of the river's watermight be compromised by drainage andrunoff from homes and businesses thatcould seriously affect Ventura's crops.Newhall Ranch has no assured source ofwater and there is a possibility that wellsmight be considered for the project thatwould tap underground water essential tothe county. Last November, county votersapproved a measure that prevents office-holders from re-zoning farmland andopen space outside cities and towns fordevelopment without approval of the vot-ers. This takes the power over growthdecisions out of the hands of city andcounty supervisors who formerly couldchange city plans at will to accommodatedevelopers. Such a law in Los Angeles

County might have made a difference inthe fate of Newhall Ranch where fivesupervisors unanimously approved it.

In April, Ventura's supervisors unan-imously approved a lawsuit against theNewhall Land and Farming Co. to haltits project. Joining the suit were thecities of Ventura, Oxnard and SantaPaula, the county Flood Control District,and the county Air Pollution ControlDistrict. According to the suit, NewhallRanch subdivided three parcels that crossthe county line which violates federallaw requiring approval of both counties.The Ventura office of the EnvironmentalDefense Center is filing a separate suiton behalf of the Friends of the SantaClara River, the Santa Clarita Organiza-tion for Planning the Environment(SCOPE) and two Sierra Club chapters.Other environmental groups are expectedto join that suit.'

MAKE PLANS NOW.for either of the Los Angeles Audubon Society's outstandingbirding and natural history trips to Africa, conducted byOlga Clarke and local leaders.

SOUTH AFRICA — (pre-extension) October 19-28,1999visiting Kwazulu Natal's Dolphin Coast, Hiuhluweand Ndumo Game Reserves.KENYA — (main tour) October 27-November 10, 1999savoring incredible Samburu, Lakes Bogoria and Barinjo,Kakamega Forest, and the Masai Mara.BOTSWANA — (post extension) November 9-21, 1999highlighting the natural wonders of this little known country.

BOTSWANA — (main tour) November 9-21, 1999including the Okavanga Delta, Moremi Game Reserve.Kasane, and Victoria Falls, one of the worlds greatestnatural wonders.ZIMBABWE — (post-extension) November 21-27, 1999with game viewing right at your doorstep, exploringHwange National Park Makalolo Plains, Lake Kariba, andMatusadona National Park.

For more information, contact Olga Clarke, Travel Director,2027 El Arbolita Drive,Glendale, CA 91208.ph/fax; (818) 249-9511e-mail: laas@ix.netcom.com http:/www.netcom/~laas

Western Tanager

EVENING MEETINGSNo meetings in July and August - See you in September

F I E L D T R I P SBefore setting out on any field trip,please call the LAAS bird tape at(323) 874-1318 for special instructionsor possible cancellations that may haveoccurred by the Thursday before the trip.

Reservation and Fee Events(Limited Participation)Policy and Procedure

Reservations will be accepted ONLY if ALLthe following information issupplied:

1) Trip desired2) Names of people in your party3) Phone numbers:

(a) usual and(b) evening before event, incase of emergency cancellation

4) Separate check (no cash please) to LAASfor exact amount for each trip5) Self-addressed stamped envelope for con-firmation and associated trip information.Send to:

LAAS Reservations7377 Santa Monica Blvd.

West Hollywood, CA 90046-6694.

If there is insufficient response, the trip willbe cancelled two Wednesdays prior to thescheduled date (four weeks for pelagics), youwill be so notified and your fee returned. Yourcancellation after that time will bring a refundonly if there is a paid replacement.Millie Newton is available at Audubon Houseon Wednesdays from noon to 4:00 P.M. toanswer questions about field trips. Our officestaff is also available Tuesday through Satur-day for most reservation services.

Sunday, July 4 - Topanga State Park.Gerry Haigh will lead participantsthrough this diverse coastal mountainarea. An ideal trip for a beginning birderor someone new in the area. From VenturaBlvd., take Topanga Canyon Blvd.7 miles S, turn E uphill on Entrada Rd.Follow the signs and turn left into theparking lot of Trippet Ranch. $6 parkingfee or park on the road outside the park.Meet at 8:00 A.M.

Saturday thru Monday, July 10-12 -Yosemite and Mono Lake. Leader:David Yee. There will be two days toexplore Yosemite Valley and mountains,looking for Pine Grosbeak, Winter Wren,Great Grey Owl, and Black-backed andPileated Woodpeckers. The third day willexplore Mono Lake and Owens Valley.$15 per day. Send SSAE to LAAS forletter and directions.

Sunday, July 11 - Whittier Narrows.Leader: Ray Jillson. Meet at 8:00 A.M.Take Peck Dr. off the 60 Fwy in SouthEl Monte (just west of the 605 Fwy).Take the off ramp onto Durfee Ave.heading W (right) and turn left into theNature Center, 1000 Durfee Ave.$2 donation.

Los Angeles Audubon Society7377 Santa Monica BoulevardWest Hollywood, CA 90046-6694

DATED MATERIALPlease Expedite Non-Profit Organization

U.S. PostagePAID

Glendale, CAPERMIT NO. 276

Saturday, July 17 - Mt. Pinos.Leader: Raymond Schep. Anticipate theelements and bring a lunch. Take Hwy 5 Npast Tejon Pass to the Frazier Park, turnleft, and follow Frazier Mountain ParkRd. bearing right onto Cuddy Valley Rd.Meet at the "Y" formed by the junctionof Cuddy Valley Rd. and Mil PotreroHwy, promptly at 8:00 A.M., and park inthe obvious dirt clearing.

Saturday, July 31 - Little JimmyCampground and Trail.Mike San Miguel will lead us on a mod-erately strenuous hike through the SanGabriel Mountains. The group will lookfor mountain breeders such as Cassin'sFinch, Townsend's Solitaire, Dusky Fly-catcher, Williamson's Sapsucker andWhite-headed Woodpecker. Bring a lightjacket, insect repellent, lunch, sun block,hat and fluids. Drive an hour or so upAngeles Crest Highway out of La Canadato the Islip Saddle parking area on theleft side of the road. This is about a milepast Kratka Ridge Ski area (ThomasGuide 4649 F3). Meet at 7:30 A.M.National Forest Adventure Pass required.

Sunday August 1 - Topanga State Park.Leader Gerry Haigh. Meet at 8:00 A.M.See July 4 for write-up.

Sunday August 8 - Whittier Narrows.Leader Ray Jillson. Meet at 8:00 A.M.See July 11 for write-up.

P E L A G I C S - call LAAS for details:Saturday, August 21 - Albatross Knollvia San Nicolas Island.20-hour trip departs San Pedro. $130

Sunday, September 19 -Anacapa Island, Santa Rosa Island,and Santa Cruz Island.12-hour trip departs Ventura. $70

Western Tanager