Birdingonthe.Net Recent Postings from Los Angeles County > Home > Mail > Alerts Updated on Saturday, July 4 at 12:05 AM ET The most recently received Mail is at the top.	Green Kingfisher,©Dan Lane

04 Jul Black Swifts in Claremont ["djvollmar" ] 3 Jul Downtown Peregrines ["Ed Stonick" ] 3 Jul Yellow-throated Vireo, Hansen Dam ["Kimball Garrett" ] 03 Jul De Forest Vireo ["toddamcgrath" ] 03 Jul Long Beach White-eyed Vireo update ["ksgilbert777" ] 2 Jul RE: White-eyed Vireo in Long Beach ["Kimball Garrett" ] 02 Jul Re: N. Parula @ Village Green ["Don Sterba" ] 02 Jul White-eyed Vireo in Long Beach [Kevin Larson ] 1 Jul Large Roosts of Egrets and Cormorants at Legg Lake [] 02 Jul Soledad Cyn. - Summer Tanager, etc. ["Daniel S. Cooper" ] 30 Jun Mountain Chickadee & Bewick's Wren Mix it Up at UCLA ["Linda Navroth" ] 29 Jun Bird Voczlizations early in the morning [john small ] 29 Jun Identiflyer works [john small ] 30 Jun Spotted Towhee Fledges at UCLA ["Linda Navroth" ] 29 Jun Northern Parula @ Village Green ["condor262001" ] 28 Jun Re: Yellow-billed Cuckoo returns to Whittier Narrows [] 27 Jun Little Blue Heron continues at Playa del Rey [Robert van de Hoek ] 29 Jun Update: Beginner Bird Checklist for Los Angeles (Long) ["walteralamb" ] 29 Jun easy Black Swift in Claremont ["thomasgezamiko" ] 28 Jun N. Parula @ Village Green ["Lori Conrad" ] 28 Jun Yellow-billed Cuckoo returns to Whittier Narrows ["Daniel S. Cooper" ] 27 Jun Leo Carrillo seawatching and another parula ["Kimball Garrett" ] 27 Jun Re: Tennessee W & another N Parula @ Village Green ["Don Sterba" ] 26 Jun Village Green 6/26/ 2009 - Northern Parulas & Tennessee Warbler ["JoAnne" ] 25 Jun Tennessee W & another N Parula @ Village Green ["Don Sterba" ] 22 Jun summer, lowland WB Nuthatches ["richardbarth38" ] 22 Jun Re: American Redstart [correction: Ballona FW Marsh] ["Daniel S. Cooper" ] 22 Jun Re: Yellow-throated Vireo at Peck Pit, Arcadia ["Bob" ] 22 Jun Hutton's Vireo breeding @ Kenneth Hahn SRA ["Don Sterba" ] 22 Jun Re: osprey in L.A. River ["Daniel S. Cooper" ] 22 Jun Re: American Redstart at the Jefferson Tidal Creek (Jefferson Blvd) ["Daniel S. Cooper" ] 22 Jun American Redstart at the Jefferson Tidal Creek (Jefferson Blvd) ["denisetperez" ] 22 Jun From Mike San Miguel: Red-eyed Vireo, Big Tujunga Cyn ["Kimball Garrett" ] 22 Jun RE: Little Blue Heron in Ficus Tree in Del Rey Lagoon ["Ed Stonick" ] 22 Jun Band-tailed Pigeon @ San Gabriel Cemetery ["Rick Swartzentrover" ] 21 Jun Little Jimmy Campground/Spring, Throop Peak [Lance Benner ] 21 Jun Continuing "Southwestern" Willow Flycatcher at Hansen Dam ["Kimball Garrett" ] 21 Jun Little Blue Heron & 2 Juvenile Green Heron in Del Rey Lagoon [Robert van de Hoek ] 21 Jun Yellow-throated Vireo at Peck Pit, Arcadia [Jon L Fisher ] 20 Jun Throop Peak Trail ["Ed Stonick" ] 20 Jun Plumbeous Vireo, Big Rock Creek ["Kimball Garrett" ] 20 Jun Out of season Surfbird at Ballona ["richard.greer" ] 20 Jun Whip-poor-will on Angeles Crest Hwy [Nicholas Freeman ] 20 Jun Whip-poor-will on Angeles Crest Hwy [Nicholas Freeman ] 20 Jun Little Blue Heron, Ballona 6-19-09 ["stonebirdfly" ] 19 Jun RFI from Ohio birders [Jeffrey Cullen ] 19 Jun Birding Magazine Issues 2001 - 2007 [Chuck & Lillian ] 19 Jun Non-submission of records ["Kimball Garrett" ] 19 Jun Tricolored Blackbirds [Eleanor Osgood ] 18 Jun 6/18 San Gabriel River Lesser Nighthawks [Andrew Lee ] 18 Jun report non-submission (long) ["Mitch" ] 18 Jun Re: Santa Anita Canyon addenda [Lance Benner ] 18 Jun Santa Anita Canyon addenda ["thomasgezamiko" ] 18 Jun Black-and-white Warbler, Eaton Canyon 6/18 ["bcnh10" ] 18 Jun Re: 2nd N Parula @ Village Green ["Don Sterba" ] 18 Jun RE: Re: Lancaster tricolored blackbirds ["John Sterling" ] 18 Jun Re: Lancaster tricolored blackbirds ["Daniel S. Cooper" ] 18 Jun Re: Lancaster tricolored blackbirds [Callyn Yorke ] 18 Jun Santa Anita Canyon birding ["thomasgezamiko" ] 17 Jun osprey in L.A. River ["Judith Raskin" ] 17 Jun Little Blue Heron Continues in Del Rey Lagoon Today [Robert van de Hoek ] 17 Jun Little Blue Heron in Ficus Tree in Del Rey Lagoon [Robert van de Hoek ] 16 Jun Two Green Heron Just Fledged at Del Rey Lagoon [Robert van de Hoek ] 16 Jun It's official, we're America's Birdiest County again ["Kimball Garrett" ] 16 Jun Re: BBA ["Mitch" ] 16 Jun Photos from Playa del Rey ["Rick Swartzentrover" ] 15 Jun Long-billed Curlew in Ballona Wetlands [Robert van de Hoek ] 15 Jun Little Blue Heron Continues on Ballona Creek Estuary [Robert van de Hoek ] 15 Jun Little Blue Heron Again in Del Rey Lagoon [Robert van de Hoek ] 15 Jun Fwd: Antelope Valley--WWDO [Kumaran Arul ] 15 Jun TCB Lancaster Update [Callyn Yorke ] 15 Jun tricolored blackbirds [Callyn Yorke ] 15 Jun RE: BBA ["Kimball Garrett" ] 15 Jun BBA ["Mitch" ] 15 Jun Green Heron & Black Oystercatcher @ Del Rey Lagoon ["Rick Swartzentrover" ] 14 Jun Antelope Valley--WWDO [Kumaran Arul ] Subject: Black Swifts in Claremont From: "djvollmar" <djvollmar AT yahoo.com> Date: Sat, 04 Jul 2009 05:04:10 -0000 Taking Thomas' advice I went up to Claremont today at 5:30 and within 10 minutes had a Black Swift fly over with several swallows. I hung around for about an hour and just before I left another Swift showed up and Ihad both in view at the same time. Dennis Vollmar Hillsborough NJ Subject: Downtown Peregrines From: "Ed Stonick" <edstonick AT earthlink.net> Date: Fri, 3 Jul 2009 14:59:23 -0700 Greetings! While stopping by the Pasadena library (which was closed) about 1:30 p.m. today, I heard a shriek and looked up to see a pair of Peregrines sailing around and playfully (?) diving at each other. One appeared to be carrying a small prey of some kind. Possibly one was a juvenile, since a pair has been nesting here for the last few years. The library is at the corner of Garfield and Walnut; the nine-story AT&T building (where the nests have been located) is at the corner of Marengo Ave. and Colorado Bl. Regards, Ed Ed Stonick Pasadena, CA edstonick AT earthlink.net [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Yellow-throated Vireo, Hansen Dam From: "Kimball Garrett" <kgarrett AT nhm.org> Date: Fri, 3 Jul 2009 11:33:36 -0700 Birders, Definitely well-down the scale from the Long Beach White-eyed Vieo but perhaps still of interest... this morning (3 July) there was a singing Yellow-throated Vireo at Hansen Dam. It was north of the eastern part of the main lake (reached by walking down from the Sports Center parking lot off Foothill Blvd. to the main E/W dirt road that runs along the north side of the lake, the heading east). At first it was in a patch of fruiting elderberries just north of the dirt road, but it then moved north to the small grove of sycamores on the mesa where I was first able to see it. Eventually it flew back toward the elderberries. The song was mainly rough, burry phrases that sounded like a vireo trying to say "3-8". The bird was not especially bright, and had thin and very worn wingbars; it was presumably a SY male. The elderberries were a magnet for birds, including Bell's Vireo, Western Kingbird, Phainopepla, etc. Just west of here is the single tall lerpy eucalyptus that is also worth checking. The first Belted Kingfisher of the fall was at the lake. WARNING: They are started to bring in all the equipment and Andy Gumps for the Hansen Dam 4th of July fireworks debacle, and the park may be difficult to access later today and close to impossible tomorrow. Another way to reach the vireo site would be to park at Orcas Park and take the long dirt path westward along the top of the bluff at the edge of the equestrian center; eventually you'll cross the Little Tujunga wash and be at the east end of the main Hansen Dam lake. Kimball Kimball L. Garrett Section of Ornithology Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County 900 Exposition Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90007 213-763-3368 kgarrett AT nhm.org [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: De Forest Vireo From: "toddamcgrath" <toddamcgrath AT yahoo.com> Date: Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:45:11 -0000 Birders, The White-eyed Vireo Continues at the park in roughly the same location. The bird is not singing but is scolding in response to pishing. Todd Mcgrath skua AT msn.com Calabasas Subject: Long Beach White-eyed Vireo update From: "ksgilbert777" <ksgilbert AT msn.com> Date: Fri, 03 Jul 2009 05:20:54 -0000 Hi all Brian Daniels refound the White-eyed Vireo today (Thursday) around noon in Chinese Elms along the main trail south of the large cottonwoods towards the north end of the Nature Trail. There's a big downed tree right next to the area. A little later Mike San Miguel had it just south of there in willows. The bird is ranging all along the willow riparian area west of the main trail, this morning it was further south along the trail in mulefat and willows next to one of the few wet spots. Also of interest, (Wednesday) next to Golden Shore Reserve in Long Beach is a pair Western Gulls at a nest with one downy chick. The nest is on pylons in the little inlet area where the Catalina ferry and catamarans dock. Golden Shore Reserve is at the LA River mouth, enter via Golden Shore Dr. from W. Ocean Blvd. to metered parking on the right. Has good mud flats at low tide. Karen Gilbert Subject: RE: White-eyed Vireo in Long Beach From: "Kimball Garrett" <kgarrett AT nhm.org> Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2009 13:17:58 -0700 Congratulations to Karen and Jeff for a great record. It seems that there have been White-eyed Vireos in all the surrounding counties this spring/summer, but today's sighting -- pending CBRC acceptance -- is only the 3rd ever for Los Angeles County. The previous records are: 24-27 May 1981 Malibu Lagoon (creek upstream from PCH) 25 May 1992 Banning Park, Wilmington Another sighting, quite possibly correct, 21 Sep-6 Oct 2004 at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont, was never substantiated, and no details were sent to the CBRC. This late spring vagrant (yes, an early July White-eyed Vireo is best considered that, even though for many other species fall migration is already in full swing) underscores this year's pattern of a strong push of "southeastern" species into the Region (one of the best showings ever for Northern Parula in LA County, not to mention at least 2 Hooded Warblers and a Yellow-throated Vireo). It also underscores the benefits of scouring parks and riparian areas in the lowlands and foothills even in this traditionally underbirded time of year (as well as giving continued attention to montane woodlands which are alive with birds right now). KLG Kimball L. Garrett Ornithology Collections Manager Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County 900 Exposition Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90007 USA 213-763-3368 kgarrett AT nhm.org Subject: Re: N. Parula @ Village Green From: "Don Sterba" <donsterba AT gmail.com> Date: Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:24:09 -0000 Thu 2 July Both parulas were active near the east-side Bottlebrush (see prev msgs) where they rendezvoused for a brief mating encounter at around 6:45 AM. Don Sterba Culver City Subject: White-eyed Vireo in Long Beach From: Kevin Larson <cbirdr AT ca.rr.com> Date: Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:09:50 -0700 2 July I just got a call from Karen Gilbert. She and Jeff Boyd just had a White-eyed Vireo at DeForest Park in North Long Beach. The bird was in the Nature Trail Section. Enter the Nature Trail section at the south entrance through the fence at the south end of DeForest Avenue there. the bird was near a wet area a little to the north of that entrance. The bird was not singing. DeForest Park is adjacent to the Los Angeles River between the Long Beach Blvd. and Artesia Blvd. crossings. Kevin Larson Lawndale Subject: Large Roosts of Egrets and Cormorants at Legg Lake From: robertvandehoek AT yahoo.com Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2009 23:04:19 -0700 (PDT) Hi Birders,   There were 31 egrets (7 Great Egret, 24 Snowy Egret) at dusk at Whittier Narrows Recreation Area on the largest island in Legg Lake.  The egrets were in a cluster of not easily identifiable trees (willows?) due to the very beautiful vine-leaves and stems of the native California Wild Grape covering virtually all of the tree vegetation.  It's the eastern-most island of 2 islands in Legg Lake on the protected north side of the island.  It's probably the best example of historic riparian vegetation of the formerly free-flowing San Gabriel River.   Legg Lake is the largest of the 3 lakes, and this "egret island" is the largest island of the 6 islands in the 3 lakes.  There are 2 islands in each of the 3 lakes.  The egrets are on the largest island which is also the furthest from a shore line, which explains why they roost there most frequently.  There was no nesting detected here, so where do the egrets nest at Whittier Narrows Recreation Area?   There were 108 Double-crested Cormorant nesting in the two tallest Eucalyptus trees near a bathroom and picnic area and pedestrian bridge at Whittier Narrows Recreation Area directly across/opposite the island egret roost.  The cormorants have displaced the Great Blue Heron from nesting here, but there are a few larger nests that appear as though they are nests of the Great Blue Heron that were abandoned?   Directly below these two tall eucalyptus trees (blue gum) were approximately 15 young downy Canada Goose with their parents.  All around the 3 lakes were approximatley 60 nearly full-grown Canada Goose swimming with 15 pairs of parents in all 3 lakes.  The average family size was 4 young geese with 2 parents.  It would be a good estimate that approximately 100 Canada Goose were born on the 6 islands in the 3 lakes.   There were several hundred people including families with children walking around these three lakes for exercise and the tranquility of the lake, except for the excessive noise of the motorized model boats and the target skeet gun shooting directly across Rosemead Avenue from the lakes.  It's unsettling to know that all these large "WATERBIRDS" are so close to noise of boats and guns and that the general human population and the birds have to endure hearing these loud sounds.   With so many islands and water available for nesting waterfowl like ducks and coots, why are there virtually only Mallards here, and not Ruddy Ducks, various teal, pintail, coot and others not nesting here?  Is it mammalian predators such as cats and rats that have been placed on the island, or raccoons that swim out to the islands?   The best access point for viewing the birds and islands in the lakes is a large parking lot on Santa Anita Avenue just north of Durfee Avenue and south of the 60 Freeway.  You can park here until approximately 9pm for free even on weekends.  It's spectacular near dusk from 7-8pm to see the egrets and cormorants flying in to the trees for the night.   There could be a monthly bird-nature walk here at Full Moon to witness this fascinating drama of roosting birds and the sounds of nature at dusk.  The guarenteed sounds of calling Night Heron and Great-horned Owl, as well as the guarenteed sighting of "myotis" bats is all very interesting too.   "Roy" Robert van de Hoek, President Whittier Area Audubon Society Los Angeles, California   [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Soledad Cyn. - Summer Tanager, etc. From: "Daniel S. Cooper" <dan_cooper_90042 AT yahoo.com> Date: Thu, 02 Jul 2009 04:43:46 -0000 Dave Bell and I spent the morning (July 1) birding Soledad Canyon (east of Santa Clarita), between Crown Valley Rd. and Agua Dulce Rd. This area has some of the best riparian habitat in the county, but is almost entirely privately-owned (and fairly threatened). Access is tricky - we had good luck asking permission to bird at various RV parks but were yelled at at one un-posted stretch (near the "Rio Store") and denied entry into Thousand Trails RV Park altogether (members only). Still, this exciting area has many areas to bird, and exceptional biodiversity. Highlights included a singing SUMMER TANAGER and perhaps another individual about a mile downstream of the USFS campground/kiosk. The bird was far from the road, and singing weakly, so we almost missed it. Fortunately, it gave a few "k-puk" calls too. I heard from Kimball Garrett that he hasn't had any in the Vallyermo area - is this the only summering bird in the county? We had two RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKERs which appeared to be an adult and brown-headed juvenile, right along Soledad Cyn. Rd. near the Rio store. There may have been more individuals since they were flying around, calling, and interacting quite a bit. Also heard that distinctive "slow down" drumming they give on territory. This is an extremely low elevation for this species in the county, with only a few planted (non-native) conifers here and there. We found the whole stretch was just loaded with woodpeckers in general. LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCH was one of the most common species, seen in numbers at every stop. For out-of-town birders in L.A., send them here! Lots of singing birds, juveniles, etc. Other expected riparian species included just one singing Warbling Vireo, multiple Western Wood-pewees, single Hairy Woodpecker and White-breasted Nuthatch, and just a single pair of Northern Flicker, at "Robin's Nest RV Park". Yellow Warblers were scattered around, but the only ones I saw feeding young were tending a cowbird. No chats, Bell's Vireos, or anything rarer. Dan Cooper Los Angeles Subject: Mountain Chickadee & Bewick's Wren Mix it Up at UCLA From: "Linda Navroth" <lmnavroth AT sbcglobal.net> Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:31:48 -0000 Heard a calling Mountain Chickadee this mroning while walking to my building. Found the bird foraging on a coral tree at the NE corner of the Public Policy entrance. Happy little bird! Making clear whistling notes that I've not heard these birds make before, followed by the dee-dee-dee. I had a good view, fairly close, from behind a jasmine shrub. After a few minutes, a Bewick's Wren flew out of the shrubs and began chasing the chickadee all over the tree. Must have gotten a little to close to the wren's territory. The chickadee finally left the coral tree for a nearby pine. Always interesting to see unexpected behaviors and interactions between birds! Linda Navroth Culver City Subject: Bird Voczlizations early in the morning From: john small <joutandabout AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:07:07 -0700 (PDT) I could use some assistance with a question., When during the summer, do birds stop being vocal as opposed to when they begin in the spring? Those whom respond to this inquiry may also respond AT my work e-mail: john_small AT toyota.com, as it may be several days untill I can log into this one.   Good Birding John Small Torrance, CA [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Identiflyer works From: john small <joutandabout AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:55:37 -0700 (PDT) Good Evening Birders    Sorry for the late post, but this past Saturday(6-27-09) I attended a program at Malibu State Park given by Nature Of Wild Works(NOWW for short). 2 of the NOWW staff, were giving a program on animals that their organization rehabilitates. They brought along several animal species to show the spectators to view, including 1 African species of wild cat(whose species name I can't remember right now).    After the program concluded, I walked to another location in hopes of drawing in a Western Screech Owl with an identiflyer I brought at the Wild Birds Unlimited in Torrance several years ago.I reached an area where there were a good number of oak trees, and began to play the identiflyer with the Western Screech Owl card inside the unit.    Within 20 to 25 minutes(this was after nightfall) a Western Screech Owl responded. The bird came in quite close I wanted to put light on the owl, but I wasn't sure if I had my flashlight or batteries. Actually my intellect factor hadn't popped in my head for the moment, and I am quite pleased that it didn't. For as I was walking away, I at that point realized that I had my bike light with me.    And the light had 2 good working batteries inside. But at the moment I realized that I had the light,    I remembered Lance Benner advising me & other members participating on an owl watch a year before, that a direct light in an owls eyes can seriously distort an owls vision( thank you for that piece of advice Lance).    After listening to the screech owl for a period of time, I then departed for my motel room I was staying. Also after left the area that NOWW program ended I got a brief look at a Common Poorwill.   Good Birding John Small Torrance,CA [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Spotted Towhee Fledges at UCLA From: "Linda Navroth" <lmnavroth AT sbcglobal.net> Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2009 02:00:23 -0000 A first for me--two Spotted Towhee fledges with an adult (possibly the female, as I could hear the male calling close by). Both fledges were good-sized, but both were still begging as they moved through the duff under some shrubs. They were making a buzzy, insistent sound very similar to the Dark-eyed Junco fledges, which I first thought they were before I actually saw them. I haven't done a bird report in a while, so here's what's been around the north campus for the past month: Cliff Swallow American Robin Bewick's Wren California Towhee Spotted Towhee Nuttall's Woodpecker (was foraging around in the blossoms of a coral tree) Mountain Chickadee (over a period of three days last week, but seem to be one now) Allen's Hummingbird Northern Mockingbird American Crow Rock Dove Interestingly, no Dark-eyed Juncos lately. I am thinking they may have moved up into the surrounding foothills for the summer. Oak Titmouse have disappeared also. So far this spring I was fortunate to see fledges of the following birds: California Towhee Bewick's Wren Oak Titmouse Dark-eyed Junco Spotted Towhee A pretty good spring. Now comes the fallow days of summer...at least at UCLA. Linda Navroth Culver City Subject: Northern Parula @ Village Green From: "condor262001" <condor262001 AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2009 04:28:02 -0000 Don and company, Thanks for showing me the Parula (whose voice I couldnt seem to hear) on Saturday. I posted a picture in the wood warblers section. A somewhat interesting story. At 10 AM, five minutes after the last birder left, a Village Green resident pushing a stroller asked me why I was pointing a camera at the (Bottlebrush) tree. I told him I was looking for a rare bird and he asked me about it. I told him it sounded like an insect and just then the Parula called and I actually heard it. I said thats it and it flew into the Bottlebrush tree. It moved around but I managed one interesting view that is different from what is already posted. I am sure he thought this birding hobby is pretty easy. A nice way for him to start a life list. Jim Hecht Hermosa Beach Subject: Re: Yellow-billed Cuckoo returns to Whittier Narrows From: robertvandehoek AT yahoo.com Date: Sun, 28 Jun 2009 16:16:51 -0700 (PDT) Birders, The Yellow-billed Cuckoo is a great find today by Dan Cooper because this species is on the verge of making a comeback in southern California such as at Kern River Valley near Lake Isabella, if restoration is done truthfully and genuinely embraced.  In fact, this cuckoo may represent a "scout" so-to-speak, on the vanguard of recovery.  Eventually, the cuckoo will return to nest again in Los Angeles County in the near future simply because the nest-parasitizing cowbird is on the decline in Los Angeles. Dan Cooper accurately cites Mickey Long's book of 1993 on the birds of Whittier Narrows Region with the absence of the cuckoo but it also documents the arrival of the cowbird.  It is likely that the cowbird also contributed to the decline of the beautiful "red" Cardinal as a nesting songster, which is the logo of the Whittier Area Audubon Society since 1949, founded 60 years ago this year.  So we see suggested a correlation between cowbird arrival and various songbird species' decline or disappearance. Now the cowbird habitat is declining because all the dairies have left the greater LA basin as well as livestock feedlots and all the commercial agricultural fields are gone.  As LA urbanizes even further there will be even less turf and grass as buildings gobble up the last remaining open spaces.  Also golf courses which are also likely to be be a thing of the past as water becomes more crucial to conserve for drinking water together with the decreasing popularity of golf will assist the decline of the cowbird.  Equestrian use is also declining in the LA basin and this will also assist in the decline of the cowbird. Thus the cowbird is slowly being ecologically squeezed out, which will assist the cuckoo, "singing chats", Yellow Warbler, Cardinal, and Willow Flycatcher in their comeback in our remaining riparian areas such as the Rio Hondo where Dan Cooper made this great sighting. In addition, federal and state wildlife specialists are actively trapping cowbirds in the Whittier Narrows region which will help the cuckoo and other songbirds to return, and appears to already bolstering the numbers of rare Yellow-breasted Chat and Least Bell's Vireo. Eventually, the Willow Flycatcher and Yellow-billed Cuckoo will join with the vireo, chat and yellow warbler, to nest again in Whittier Narrows, especially if citizens and society can "cumulatively" ask to reduce some of the turf at both Whittier Narrows Regional Park (picnic areas) and rethink vegetation of the large Rose Hills Cemetery to save water.  In fact, parks and cemeteries will likely have to eliminate grass and turf on their own initiative, to save water as population pressure increases the need for drinking water. These multiple synergistic effects are complicated but channelization was really just a minor part in cuckoo demise, because early pioneers and farmers that facilitated the cowbird arrival are gone now, and the new urbanized human population with needs of more homes and businesses are forcing out the cowbird. Also, the sighting of the Cuckoo in non-native trees such as Shamel Ash and planted sycamores show us that non-native trees are beneficial too, especially if mixed with native vegetation in a new symbiotic riparian relationship.  The native Wild Grape vines draping over the non-native trees that Dan pointed out are also assisting the riparian wetland obligate native song birds. Finally, we need to save water, so less grass and more cactus is needed, which helps the Cactus Wren, California Gnatcatcher, Roadrunner, California Quail, as well as lizards and snakes, which will aid those other unique birds, i.e. raptors. "Roy"Robert van de Hoek, PresidentWhittier Area Audubon SocietyWhittier, CA --- On Sun, 6/28/09, Daniel S. Cooper wrote: From: Daniel S. Cooper Subject: [LACoBirds] Yellow-billed Cuckoo returns to Whittier Narrows To: LACoBirds AT yahoogroups.com Date: Sunday, June 28, 2009, 12:27 PM At least for today! Inspired by recent posts on the Arizona board, I went in search of a cuckoo in L.A. County this morning. Around 9:00 AM, I found one along the Rio Hondo near Bosque del Rio Hondo Park, about halfway between the 60 Fwy. and San Gabriel Ave., just south of the high-tension wires that cross the river. According to Mickey Long's book (1993), this species was last recorded at Whittier Narrows in 1952, when it was nesting along the San Gabriel River, but was extirpated when the river was channelized soon after. Historically, this entire basin featured willow sumps, groves of cottonwoods, pockets of freshwater marsh, and other features which support riparian birds. Today, the pockets are much-reduced, but they're out there, and almost never birded. I'd found this Rio Hondo spot about 10 years ago when the Bosque park opened, and always thought that if a cuckoo were to show up back in the area, this might be where it would end up. There are several 100-year old Fremont cottonwoods along the bank, and some big red willows with gnarled trunks and dense canopies in and out of the channel. Also, old tree-plantings have left lots of now-tall sycamores between here and Rosemead Blvd., and there is also ponded water year-round in the channel bottom. Basically, cuckoo heaven. I was quietly watching birds coming to drink at one of these slough ponds, when I glanced a large-ish bird swoop up into a shamel ash about 30 feet away, right along the main channel, showing a pair of rufous wings and a long tail. It perched obligingly for about a minute, showing off its bright yellow mandible and all-white underparts, then flew a short distance downstream to another shamel ash, which was also festooned with wild grape (the riverbottom is a jungle-y mix of native and non-native vegetation here). After another minute or two, it flew southeast toward the bike path and I lost it through some willows. This bird may stick around. Recent county records have involved vagrants in odd habitat, but this was in some of the nicest riparian woodland left on the floor of the L.A. Basin, teeming with singing chats, Yellow Warblers feeding fledglings, etc. Still can't believe it... Dan Cooper Los Angeles [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Little Blue Heron continues at Playa del Rey From: Robert van de Hoek <robertvandehoek AT yahoo.com> Date: Sat, 27 Jun 2009 23:25:32 -0700 (PDT) Hi Birders,   The Little Blue Heron was seen this morning at 8:30am in the south end of Del Rey Lagoon in Playa del Rey. It was a very low tide so there was virtually no water in the lagoon, yet this heron was hunting.  I suspect it was search for the Ghost Shrimp, which is very common in the mudflats at low tide.  A lone Snowy Egret was hunting in a small pool of water approximately 50 feet away from the Little Blue Heron.  As I am learning from the literature and from observations of this heron here at Ballona and Playa del Rey, this heron species appears partially to favor crustaceans, particularly crabs and shrimp.  Of course, fish do enter into the diet of the LIttle Blue Heron too.   Jonathan Coffin reports to me that this heron can be seen fairly regularly each night around 7 pm at the Yvonne Burke Park (formerly Admiralty Park) in Marina Del Rey in a Eucalytpus tree.   "Roy" Robert van de Hoek Playa del Rey, CA [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Update: Beginner Bird Checklist for Los Angeles (Long) From: "walteralamb" <walter.lamb AT earthlink.net> Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2009 06:35:24 -0000 I apologize for the slow pace of this project, but we are within sight of having a nice booklet to get kids to start noticing common birds in local parks. There is a draft online at http://www.lifelist2004.com/KidsBooklet.html designed to give a basic sense of how the booklet will look. We should be able to print each booklet for under $1, including 20 or so color photos. The layout will be 4.25 inches wide by 3.66 inches high (basically a standard sheet of paper folded vertically in thirds and then horizontally in half. Although not shown on the online draft, pictures and text will alternate left and right so as to allow all color photos to be printed on color pages and all text to be printed on black and white pages to save on printing. REQUEST: Thanks to everyone who has provided comments so far and offered to help. Now is the time to provide your suggestions for bird descriptions and to offer unrestricted and uncompensated use of any photos you think would be suitable for the booklet. Text: If you are interested in helping to fill in the descriptions of the birds in the booklet, please create a text or word document file that lists the name and description for each bird for which you wish to submit a proposed description (and Spanich translation if you wish, but Bob Pann has also offered to translate descriptions later). Then upload that file into the folder "Bird Descriptions for Booklet" in the Files section of the Yahoo Groups page. This will allow others to see what suggestions have already been made to reduce duplication of effort. Once you have uploaded a file, feel free to e-mail me directly by responding to this post but NOT including the whole list. Also, please remember that we can't just copy descriptions from other copyrighted materials. Please keep submissions to the length shown on the online draft. We'll edit as necessary. Lastly, remember that this booklet is for kids and other beginners. Please keep the descriptions simple and relevant. Do not attempt to describe every plumage, age, gender, etc. Avoid details that are unlikely to aid in the identification of the bird for a beginner in a local LA park. We hope to have corresponding bird pages on the web site to provide much more information for interested beginners. Photos: If you have photos that you are willing to donate, please send individual links for each photo that you think is suitable for inclusion. Please do not send a link to your entire gallery unless that is all you have time to do and please give some thought to each photo before including it for consideration. These need to be high quality photos that clearly show the most obvious field marks of the bird and which can be cropped easily to fit on the booklet page. Again, please respond off-line. Obviously, not every suggested bird description or photo will be used. However, every contribution will be greatly appreciated whether included in the final version or not. Thanks again to everyone who has helped or who plans to. Walter Lamb Culver City Subject: easy Black Swift in Claremont From: "thomasgezamiko" <thomas.miko AT verizon.net> Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2009 04:51:22 -0000 Details at http://radioactivebirdwatcher.blogspot.com/ . Unlike Roger Higson's, my blog is in English. Tom Subject: N. Parula @ Village Green From: "Lori Conrad" <lconrad AT roadrunner.com> Date: Sun, 28 Jun 2009 18:09:03 -0700 Hi All We re-found the singing male Northern Parula this morning around 11:00 AM. It was in a tall sycamore at the eastern edge of the open lawn area, in a row of sycamores that are between units #5222 & 5223. No sign of a female. Lori & Mark Conrad Hermosa Beach, Ca [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Yellow-billed Cuckoo returns to Whittier Narrows From: "Daniel S. Cooper" <dan_cooper_90042 AT yahoo.com> Date: Sun, 28 Jun 2009 19:27:23 -0000 At least for today! Inspired by recent posts on the Arizona board, I went in search of a cuckoo in L.A. County this morning. Around 9:00 AM, I found one along the Rio Hondo near Bosque del Rio Hondo Park, about halfway between the 60 Fwy. and San Gabriel Ave., just south of the high-tension wires that cross the river. According to Mickey Long's book (1993), this species was last recorded at Whittier Narrows in 1952, when it was nesting along the San Gabriel River, but was extirpated when the river was channelized soon after. Historically, this entire basin featured willow sumps, groves of cottonwoods, pockets of freshwater marsh, and other features which support riparian birds. Today, the pockets are much-reduced, but they're out there, and almost never birded. I'd found this Rio Hondo spot about 10 years ago when the Bosque park opened, and always thought that if a cuckoo were to show up back in the area, this might be where it would end up. There are several 100-year old Fremont cottonwoods along the bank, and some big red willows with gnarled trunks and dense canopies in and out of the channel. Also, old tree-plantings have left lots of now-tall sycamores between here and Rosemead Blvd., and there is also ponded water year-round in the channel bottom. Basically, cuckoo heaven. I was quietly watching birds coming to drink at one of these slough ponds, when I glanced a large-ish bird swoop up into a shamel ash about 30 feet away, right along the main channel, showing a pair of rufous wings and a long tail. It perched obligingly for about a minute, showing off its bright yellow mandible and all-white underparts, then flew a short distance downstream to another shamel ash, which was also festooned with wild grape (the riverbottom is a jungle-y mix of native and non-native vegetation here). After another minute or two, it flew southeast toward the bike path and I lost it through some willows. This bird may stick around. Recent county records have involved vagrants in odd habitat, but this was in some of the nicest riparian woodland left on the floor of the L.A. Basin, teeming with singing chats, Yellow Warblers feeding fledglings, etc. Still can't believe it... Dan Cooper Los Angeles Subject: Leo Carrillo seawatching and another parula From: "Kimball Garrett" <kgarrett AT nhm.org> Date: Sat, 27 Jun 2009 20:23:48 -0700 Birders, I tried some seawatching from the west bluffs at Leo Carrillo State Beach this morning (27 June) with clearing fog, calm conditions, and a very low tide. A few Pink-footed and Sooty Shearwaters were constantly in view, and the alcid count consisted of 8 Cassin's Auklets, 2 Rhinoceros Auklets, and a basic plumaged (or molting) Pigeon Guillemot. The strangest sighting was a flock of 11 small passerines which flew in toward the coastline from well offshore -- they proved to be Horned Larks! (suggesting that "fall migration" can begin very early in this species). Malibu Lagoon was a large stagnant lake with lots of Gadwalls and Mallards and not too much else. In Zuma Canyon there was a singing male Northern Parula in sycamores along the north side of Rainsford Dr., about 50 m east of the creek crossing; it was giving two song types, the typical sharp rising buzz (with a flourish at the end) and one with a long quavering introduction and a short, less empahtic trill. This is about half a mile from where I had a singing bird a month ago, and my guess is that it is a different individual; I heard one brief parula song farther up the canyon (about 200 m below the end of the pavement on Bonsall Dr.) which could be the bird I had seen up there in late May (or the Rainsford bird moving a long way in a hurry). Lots of Lilac-crowned and Red-crowned Parrots and Mitred Parakeets in the canyon. Good odonate-watching at mid-day at Rocky Oaks Park along Kanan-Dume Rd. The pond had both Black and Red Saddlebags, Mexican Amberwing, Blue-eyed and Common Green Darners, Cardinal and Variegated Meadowhawks, Common Whitetails, Flame Skimmers, and lots of Familiar(?) Bluets. Oh, and Lazuli Buntings and a nesting pair of coots. KLG Kimball L. Garrett Section of Ornithology Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County 900 Exposition Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90007 213-763-3368 kgarrett AT nhm.org [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Re: Tennessee W & another N Parula @ Village Green From: "Don Sterba" <donsterba AT gmail.com> Date: Sat, 27 Jun 2009 19:33:49 -0000 Sat 27 June This morning half a dozen or so birders saw and/or heard the singing male and the chipping female parulas between the central and eastern open lawns. The female's chip is fairly loud, abrupt, and somewhat squeaky in quality. Thursday's Tennessee W was not seen or heard. The male parula now is not as vocal as was in the recent past, and he may be silent for roughly half an hour as he forages and moves about. This morning I saw him down low in three different flowering Bottlebrushes: two of them flank the east and west sides of a huge Coral Tree located on the north side of the central lawn (a cement sidewalk encircles the tree), and the third is about 100 yards east of the Coral (also mentioned in LACoBirds #7334). Speculation: When I arrived at 6:30 AM, I'm almost certain I heard more than one bird giving parula-type chips, so there might be two females (or maybe young birds??) in the area, but these tiny parulas are difficult to find and keep track of when they disappear behind large Sycamore leaves. Or perhaps the male, not singing at the time, was also chipping. I'll return tomorrow AM for more observations. Don Sterba Culver City Subject: Village Green 6/26/ 2009 - Northern Parulas & Tennessee Warbler From: "JoAnne" <ponyrcr AT earthlink.net> Date: Fri, 26 Jun 2009 20:10:37 -0000 I found Don's male and female Northern Parulas this morning. I didn't have any luck in finding the Tennessee Warbler. JoAnne El Segundo Subject: Tennessee W & another N Parula @ Village Green From: "Don Sterba" <donsterba AT gmail.com> Date: Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:31:27 -0000 Thu 25 June After finding the singing parula (LACoBirds #7270 etc) around 7:30 AM, I heard unfamiliar chip notes nearby that led me to a presumably female N. Parula (yellow breast patch with maybe a hint of black and no obvious orange coloration that I could see). The female loosely followed the male as he sang from various tree-top perches between the central and eastern large, open lawns. The two parulas interacted occasionally, with one bird chasing the other for a couple of seconds. Around 8:00, in the same area, I heard a loud, complex song coming from a bird hidden in a flowering Bottlebrush (on the north side of the walkways that join the central and eastern lawns). After a few minutes of song, the bird went silent and flew up high in nearby Sycamores where I had poor views of its completely whitish underparts. About 10 minutes later it returned to the Bottlebrush where I had better views of its olive-green back & wings, grayish head and pale supercilium. I've also seen both parulas in this Bottlebrush, the female this morning and the male a couple of weeks ago. Don Sterba Culver City Subject: summer, lowland WB Nuthatches From: "richardbarth38" <busyday AT ca.rr.com> Date: Mon, 22 Jun 2009 22:20:43 -0000 Birders, Mon 22 Jun This morning I saw a White-breasted Nuthatch in the Chavez Ravine section of Elysian Park (north of downtown Los Angeles) and another at nearby Forest Lawn Memorial Park (in south Glendale). In neither case was I able to keep track of the bird to see if there was evidence of nesting. (Notably, last June a pair of WBNUs was feeding a begging juvenile in the same general location of Forest Lawn as today's bird...see LACoBirds msg. #6001 on 17 June.) On another subject. You might already be seeing some early southbound ("fall") shorebirds. Yesterday I had an alternate-plumaged Willet stopping off along the L.A.River in Silver Lake. Richard Barth West Hollywood Subject: Re: American Redstart [correction: Ballona FW Marsh] From: "Daniel S. Cooper" <dan_cooper_90042 AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 22 Jun 2009 21:29:18 -0000 Hi all - Just heard from Denise. The bird was at Ballona Freshwater Marsh, along the Jefferson arm. I was just there, and it's really windy, so if it stays, I'd check again tomorrow early morning before the winds kick up. Dan Cooper Los Angeles Subject: Re: Yellow-throated Vireo at Peck Pit, Arcadia From: "Bob" <oryzivora2000 AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 22 Jun 2009 20:58:00 -0000 The Yellow-throated Vireo continues at Peck Pit this morning at around 9 am. It was in the tall sycamore not far from the right side of the parking lot (just past and a little to the right of the restrooms). A photo is posted at the Peck's Pit Album. Bob D. Kaufman South Pasadena, CA http://ornithographer.blogspot.com --- In LACoBirds AT yahoogroups.com, Jon L Fisher wrote: > > Hello LA Co. Birders, > > This morning at about 6:45am there was a Yellow-throated Vireo at Peck Pit (Peck Road Water Conservation Park). Ron Cyger and others refound the bird at about 10:45am. > > Go west from the parking lot. The bird was initially close to the northeast shore of the south lake and later moving around the picnic areas. The bird was singing almost continuously. > > Peck Pit is on Myrtle Ave about 2 miles south of the 210 Freeway. > > Also of interest at Peck was a Lark Sparrow. > > Jon Fisher > Glendale, CA > Subject: Hutton's Vireo breeding @ Kenneth Hahn SRA From: "Don Sterba" <donsterba AT gmail.com> Date: Mon, 22 Jun 2009 19:50:55 -0000 Mon 22 June This morning an adult Hutton's Vireo was feeding a begging fledgling in shrubbery near the Olympic Forest road (first left after the entrance kiosk) at Kenneth Hahn State Rec. Area. This may be the first breeding record of HUVI in the area, so I would like to hear of any other summer HUVI observations in the Baldwin Hills. Don Sterba Culver City Subject: Re: osprey in L.A. River From: "Daniel S. Cooper" <dan_cooper_90042 AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 22 Jun 2009 19:41:28 -0000 Just a quick note - it seems at least one osprey is resident along the river in this area. If anyone has noticed any actual nesting in town, please pass this along to the group. In San Diego, they've staged an impressive increase along with nesting on stadium light fixtures and other urban structures, but despite similar, er, habitat and a lot of stocked reservoirs, I don't think they're doing so here (yet). Dan Cooper Los Angeles --- In LACoBirds AT yahoogroups.com, "Judith Raskin" wrote: > > I was on a business field trip today, in a van on the west side of the Los Angeles River riverbank (soon to be bicycle path), between Osos Park and Fletcher Drive. About midway between those two points, in an area of the river where there actually is some water, an osprey perched atop a small shrub, staring off into the water. Nearest other birds were double crested cormorants and Mallards. > > I didn't make the ID myself; there was another birder in the van who spotted it, but it sure was an osprey. This was about 3:00 pm Wednesday, June 17. > > You can enter this area from the Heron Gate at Fletcher Drive and walk south, or start at Osos Park and walk north, but it's a rather long walk, I think. > > Judy Raskin > Echo Park > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > Subject: Re: American Redstart at the Jefferson Tidal Creek (Jefferson Blvd) From: "Daniel S. Cooper" <dan_cooper_90042 AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 22 Jun 2009 19:37:15 -0000 Denise- THANKS for the report, but where is this exactly? Jefferson crosses a concrete culvert just west of the 405 which is known as Centinela Creek but I can't imagine walking much less birding here. Do you mean the Playa Vista riparian corridor (south of Jefferson), or maybe somewhere along the Ballona Creek bikepath? Thanks again, Dan Cooper --- In LACoBirds AT yahoogroups.com, "denisetperez" wrote: > > Hello, > > Interesting bird siting on Jefferson Blvd. This Saturday my fellow birder Mary and I kept hearing a tiny chirping sound in a tree along the Jefferson walkway. After much persistence we finally discovered the source: An American Redstart. According to Dan Cooper's study of the Ballona wetlands (Annotated Checklist of Birds of Ballona Valley, Los Angeles County, California, 2006), these are fairly rare. It was very exciting. > > Regards, > Denise Perez > Mary Staff > West Los Angeles > Subject: American Redstart at the Jefferson Tidal Creek (Jefferson Blvd) From: "denisetperez" <denisetperez AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:07:37 -0000 Hello, Interesting bird siting on Jefferson Blvd. This Saturday my fellow birder Mary and I kept hearing a tiny chirping sound in a tree along the Jefferson walkway. After much persistence we finally discovered the source: An American Redstart. According to Dan Cooper's study of the Ballona wetlands (Annotated Checklist of Birds of Ballona Valley, Los Angeles County, California, 2006), these are fairly rare. It was very exciting. Regards, Denise Perez Mary Staff West Los Angeles Subject: From Mike San Miguel: Red-eyed Vireo, Big Tujunga Cyn From: "Kimball Garrett" <kgarrett AT nhm.org> Date: Mon, 22 Jun 2009 08:48:30 -0700 Birders, Mike San Miguel has a singing Red-eyed Vireo now (22 June, 0830 hr.) along Big Tujunga Canyon Rd. just above Sunland/Tujunga. It is singing from the pines and other exotic trees around "Camp 15" (the Rouch Detention Camp area); he also had it briefly in a cottonwood on the creek side of the road. This area is near the National Forest boundary - take Oro Vista Ave. from Foothill Blvd. in Sunland until it turns into Big Tujunga Canyon Rd. After you pass the baseball fields on the right and the obvious road construction (where the road was washed out several years ago), you'll see the Camp 15 road on your right. Bird from the road. Of course if the bird gets into the riparian along Big Tujunga Creek it could move a long ways, so you might want to listen farther up (and down) the canyon in the alder/cottonwood/willow groves. KLG Kimball L. Garrett Ornithology Collections Manager Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County 900 Exposition Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90007 USA 213-763-3368 kgarrett AT nhm.org [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: RE: Little Blue Heron in Ficus Tree in Del Rey Lagoon From: "Ed Stonick" <edstonick AT earthlink.net> Date: Mon, 22 Jun 2009 06:15:06 -0700 Greetings! Thanks to Roy and others for keeping the list posted on this beautiful bird. Stopped by yesterday (6/21) afternoon at 4 p.m. enroute to a Father's Day picnic at Dockweiler Beach. The LBH was in the ficus tree and easily seen from Esplanade. The water level was up, and there were a half dozen Snowies and one or two Great Blues and Greats feeding at the north end of the lagoon, but the LB seemed content to sit. I'm now a bit curious about the range of the Little Blue. Back east they breed all the way up the coast to southern New England, but here in the west they are only infrequently seen way south. Regards, Ed Ed Stonick Pasadena, CA edstonick AT earthlink.net _____ From: LACoBirds AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:LACoBirds AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Robert van de Hoek Sent: Wednesday, June 17, 2009 4:10 PM To: LACoBirds Cc: Marcia Hanscom; peggy.forster AT prodigy.net; stonebirdfly Subject: [LACoBirds] Little Blue Heron in Ficus Tree in Del Rey Lagoon Hi Birders, Keep an eye out for searching a Ficus tree at Del Rey Lagoon in Playa del Rey, in order to see the Little Blue Heron, especially in the afternoon, where I saw it at 3:41 pm. At 3:51pm, it was still in the Ficus tree located on the west side (ocean side) of lagoon adjacent to the dock/pier of the LA City Park canoe boat house. In my post a little earlier today, I stated that the Little Blue Heron might have flown away from Del Rey Lagoon by leaving at the south end, so now I believe it never left the city park area but rather when it was out of my view for a moment, it escaped flew around because I discovered it15 minutes later when it was in the Ficus tree mentioned above. An adult Snowy Egret came to alight in the same Ficus tree, just 10 feet from the Little Blue Heron, but our heron ignored the egret. Just a little earlier this afternoon, prior to the heron alighting in an Acacia bush, the heron was on the shore of Del Rey Lagoon, where a Snowy Egret was chasing the Little Blue Heron, but the heron quickly avoided the egret by going into the acacia bush. "Roy" Robert van de Hoek Conservation Biologist Ballona Institute Playa del Rey, CA . [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Band-tailed Pigeon @ San Gabriel Cemetery From: "Rick Swartzentrover" <rickswartzentrover AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 22 Jun 2009 03:20:29 -0000 I was at the San Gabriel Cemetery (601 W Roses Rd San Gabriel CA) for an event & happened along a pair of Band-tailed Pigeons. The photos are not that great because I was shooting directly into a brightly overcast cloud cover. The photos can be seen here - http://www.swartzentrover.com/cotor/Photos/Hiking/SGCemetery/SGCemetery3/SGCemetery3.htm The other photos were of a Marker Dedication by the Sons of Confederate Veterans & the United Daughters of the Confederacy at the cemetery. Even though my family line all fought for the Union, I love history of any kind. Rick Swartzentrover Alhambra California Website: http://www.swartzentrover.com/cotor/New/indexnew.htm Email: rickswartzentrover AT yahoo.com Subject: Little Jimmy Campground/Spring, Throop Peak From: Lance Benner <lbenner AT charter.net> Date: Sun, 21 Jun 2009 20:19:43 -0400 All, On Saturday Kathi Ellsworth and I poked around at some spots at the higher elevations of the San Gabriel Mountains. We checked out Little Jimmy Campground and Spring in the morning and along the trail from Dawson Saddle to Throop Peak in the afternoon. Unbeknownst to us, Ed Stonick et al. were also at Throop Peak and saw very similiar birds to the ones we found, but presumably they were there earlier in the day. Highlights from both trips were the following species: Williamson's Sapsuckers: We found _eight_ along the trail from Dawson Saddle to Throop Peak. We found one of the nests that Ed mentioned, which was right next to the trail 0.2 - 0.3 miles west of the intersection with the Pacific Crest Trail. The nest was easy to notice due to the loud and incessant begging coming from within the hole, but it was necessary to wait several minutes before we saw an adult male bring food to the nest. Elsewhere we also an adult female feeding two fledglings (one male, one female), a lone juvenile male, a lone adult male, and another female. The birds were spread out over roughly 1.5 miles along the trail and were the most common woodpecker we found. Clark's Nutcrackers: We heard some above Little Jimmy Campground in the direction of Mt. Islip. We later heard them at two locations along the Dawson Saddle/Throop Peak Trail. Townsend's Solitaire: There was one very tame bird feeding among the campsites at Little Jimmy. We later heard and saw another on the Throop Peak Trail. The latter bird was vocalizing in a manner that could easily be confused with a pygmy owl. Nuthatches: We found all three at Little Jimmy. Olive-sided Flycatcher: Common. We heard them all day. Dusky Flycatchers: Common; we heard and saw many. Fox Sparrows: Abundant Purple Finch: Common near Little Jimmy but we didn't note any near Throop Peak Cassin's Finches: abundant; many were feeding conspicuously on the ground at Little Jimmy. Pine Siskin: We found only one: at Dawson Saddle at the end of our hike. Brown-headed Cowbird: we found one near Little Jimmy. Here are the complete species lists for each hike: Little Jimmy: American Kestrel Hairy Woodpecker White-headed Woodpecker Olive-sided Flycatcher Western Wood-Pewee Dusky Flycatcher Steller's Jay Clark's Nutcracker Common Raven Violet-green Swallow Mountain Chickadee Red-breasted Nuthatch White-breasted Nuthatch Pygmy Nuthatch House Wren Western Bluebird Townsend's Solitaire American Robin Yellow-rumped Warbler Western Tanager Green-tailed Towhee Fox Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Brown-headed Cowbird Purple Finch Cassin's Finch Dawson Saddle/Throop Peak: American Kestrel White-throated Swift Williamson's Sapsucker Hairy Woodpecker White-headed Woodpecker Northern Flicker Olive-sided Flycatcher Western Wood-Pewee Dusky Flycatcher Clark's Nutcracker Common Raven Violet-green Swallow Mountain Chickadee White-breasted Nuthatch Pygmy Nuthatch Western Bluebird Townsend's Solitaire Yellow-rumped Warbler Western Tanager Green-tailed Towhee Fox Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Cassin's Finch Pine Siskin Regards, Lance Lance Benner Altadena, CA Subject: Continuing "Southwestern" Willow Flycatcher at Hansen Dam From: "Kimball Garrett" <kgarrett AT nhm.org> Date: Sun, 21 Jun 2009 13:12:26 -0700 Birders, Since 13 June there has been a territorial Willow Flycatcher along the north side of the main lake at Hansen Dam -- it was still there this morning. We believe this bird represents the Endangered subspecies extimus ("Southwestern Willow Flycatcher") for several reasons: (1) the territorial song is lower-pitched and more complex than that of typical migrant brewsteri, being better rendered as "rreeetz-b'deedle-a" rather than a snappier "rreetz-bew" or "reetz-bee-ur"; (2) it is giving additional vocalizations, including a sharp "breee-uh", that are not normally heard from migrants; (3) the bird has been patrolling the same patch of willows for at least 9 days now; (4) visually the bird looks to be at the pale and grayish extreme for the species; and (5) the bird sports a USGS band on its left leg, perhaps from ongoing banding efforts at the few remaining breeding sites for Southwestern Willow Flycatchers in southern California. Hansen Dam already has a healthy population of endangered "Least" Bell's Vireos, but the potential breeding presence of the listed (and far more endangered) flycatcher ratchets the area's importance for rare riparian birds even higher. We'll work with the City of L. A. Recreation and Parks and the Army Corps of Engineers in hopes that some of the illegal and/or environmentally destructive activities that take place in the Basin can be curtailed -- activities such as shoreline fishing (prohibited by posted regulations but a common everyday activity), off-leash dogs, trash-dumping and sloppy dumpster management (and, therefore, huge populations of ravens and other scavengers), and trampling of the mulefat and willow areas along the north side of the lake by the hundreds of weekend visitors who opt to use that area instead of the sole restroom building in the sports center area for... well, you get the picture. If you're in the Hansen Dam area, you might check on the continuing presence of this Willow Flycatcher -- listen for it along the north shore of the main lake, in a roughly 100 m stretch centered on the single large "lerpy" eucalyptus tree just east of the lower soccer fields. Parking is off Foofthill Blvd. just east of the Osborne/Lake View Terrace exit off the 210 Freeway. The USFWS is especially interested in the presence of territorial Willow Flycatchers between 22 June and 17 July, a period they've deemed least likely for migrant northern (brewsteri) Willows. By the way, there was a singing SY male.... (yawn).... Northern Parula in that same lerpy eucalyptus this morning. Kimball Kimball L. Garrett Section of Ornithology Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County 900 Exposition Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90007 213-763-3368 kgarrett AT nhm.org [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Little Blue Heron & 2 Juvenile Green Heron in Del Rey Lagoon From: Robert van de Hoek <robertvandehoek AT yahoo.com> Date: Sun, 21 Jun 2009 09:54:41 -0700 (PDT) Hi Birders,   The Little Blue Heron was observed resting in a Ficus tree at Del Rey Lagoon City Park on the west side (beach side) very close to the dock/pier with a Snowy Egret also resting about 15 feet away in the same tree.  This heron is best seen from Esplanade Avenue on the east (inland) side of the lagoon.  You may also stand right under the heron tree and test your neck muscles looking straight up if you go to Pacific Avenue parking lot.  It's the northernmost Ficus tree and the smallest of a small grouping of 4 ornamental specimens aligned in a row.  This tree is being used habitually for approximately 2 weeks now.   The Little Blue Heron was observed from 9:17 am until about 9:30am in this Ficus tree.  It wasn't in this tree earlier between 8am and 8:30am, but arrived between 8:30 and 9:15am.  It is unusually early in the day to see it in this tree but the tide was low early this morning and so likely has had its fill on crabs in Ballona Creek and so is resting early in the tree.   The two juvenile (just fledged) Green Heron are again on the dock-pier of Del Rey Lagoon at the edge of the water between 8am and 8:30am.   I was able to share with several birders on the monthly LA Audubon Sunday walk, the Little Blue Heron and 2 Green Heron in the park lagoon.   By the way, an unusual habitat/location for the Snowy Egret (3 adults) was near the tip of the South Ballona Creek Jetty, where they were actively feeding in the surf zone of the sandy beach on sand crabs (Emerita analaga) between approximately 8:30 am and 9:00 am.  Whimbrel and Marbled Godwit were also feeding on the sand crabs about 30-50 yards away from the egrets.   "Roy" Robert van de Hoek Conservation Biologist & Co-Director Ballona Institute Playa del Rey, CA [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Yellow-throated Vireo at Peck Pit, Arcadia From: Jon L Fisher <IronHorse2060 AT earthlink.net> Date: Sun, 21 Jun 2009 11:50:36 -0700 (GMT-07:00) Hello LA Co. Birders, This morning at about 6:45am there was a Yellow-throated Vireo at Peck Pit (Peck Road Water Conservation Park). Ron Cyger and others refound the bird at about 10:45am. Go west from the parking lot. The bird was initially close to the northeast shore of the south lake and later moving around the picnic areas. The bird was singing almost continuously. Peck Pit is on Myrtle Ave about 2 miles south of the 210 Freeway. Also of interest at Peck was a Lark Sparrow. Jon Fisher Glendale, CA Subject: Throop Peak Trail From: "Ed Stonick" <edstonick AT earthlink.net> Date: Sat, 20 Jun 2009 17:26:24 -0700 Greetings! My son and I and a couple of friends took advantage of the reopening of the Angeles Crest Highway to hike to the top of Throop Peak. The weather was gorgeous (full sun and some breezes), and most of the expected mountain birds (some juveniles) could be found along the trail. These included: American Kestrel 2, hummingbirds 2 (quick glimpses of female/juveniles-not sure of species), Williamson's Sapsucker 6 (two nest holes along the trail), White-headed Woodpecker 2, N. Flicker 1 (heard), Western Wood-Peewee 3, Dusky Flycatcher 1, Clark's Nutcracker 4, Common Raven 1, Violet-green Swallow dozens, Mountain Chickadee 10, White-breasted Nuthatch 1, Pygmy Nuthatch 6, Western Bluebird 5, Townsend's Solitaire 3, Audubon's Warbler 2, Western Tanager 3, Spotted Towhee 1, Green-tailed Towhee 2, Fox Sparrow 2, Dark-eyed Junco 4, Cassin's Finch 10. The trail to Throop Peak begins at Dawson Saddle (MM 69.5). It is classified as a moderate hike at 4.5 miles round trip with an elevation gain of 1200 feet. The best birding seems to be along the last third of the trail as you hike in an west-east direction just before ascending the summit. Regards, Ed Ed Stonick Pasadena, CA edstonick AT earthlink.net [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Plumbeous Vireo, Big Rock Creek From: "Kimball Garrett" <kgarrett AT nhm.org> Date: Sat, 20 Jun 2009 15:24:52 -0700 Birders, This morning (20 June) there was a singing Plumbeous Vireo along BIg Rock Creek just upstream from Big Rock Campground in the Valyermo area on the north side of the San Gabriels. It was just beyond the third small creek crossing (very little water, so easily fordable by car or on foot) after Big Rock Creek road becomes dirt (where the campground is). Plumbeous Vireos presumably breed regularly in this part of the San Gabriels, but there is very little documentation of breeding, and this area represents a potential overlap zone with Cassin's Vireo. There was another singing "Solitary" Vireo about 100 meters downstream (closer to the campground), but I was never able to see it; its song was not detectably different than the song of the (visually confirmed) Plumbeous. There are usually a number of staked-out Plumbeous Vireos from late fall through early spring in L. A. County, but I hope birders out Big Rock Creek way will take advantage of the opportunity to confirm nesting and perhaps to detect the nearest territories of Cassin's Vireos. Nothing else exciting out on the north slope. There were plenty of Scott's Orioles along Fort Tejon, Longview and Pallet Creek Roads. A calling Willow Flycatcher along Pallet Creek upstream from St. Andrews Abbey was at a time when spring migrants are finally winding down. KLG Kimball L. Garrett Section of Ornithology Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County 900 Exposition Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90007 213-763-3368 kgarrett AT nhm.org [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Out of season Surfbird at Ballona From: "richard.greer" <rg_greer AT hotmail.com> Date: Sat, 20 Jun 2009 14:06:20 -0000 In response to Kimball Garretts post on records submission on Thursday 18th June 5pm on the beach just to the South of Ballona creek by the gull and tern roost there was a lone surfbird. Being from England I know this bird is out of season but is it unusual in June ? Also 4 Caspian Terns Richard Greer Birmingham UK Subject: Whip-poor-will on Angeles Crest Hwy From: Nicholas Freeman <mnfreeman AT earthlink.net> Date: Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:59:22 -0700 Hi Birders Tonight, Christopher Taylor, Nick and I owled the Angeles Crest Highway. It's the first time we've been up there since the Crest was re-opened a month ago and we sure miss the owl prowls when the traffic was non-existent in the high country. The biggest find tonight was WHIP-POOR-WILL at Mile Post 67.44. Conditions there were windy to breezy above 7000' and under clear skies and no moon. We made the stop at this site around 9:30pm. As soon as I stepped out of the car, I heard the call and I then got Nick and Christopher on it. The bird was considerably downslope. We went up the road about a half a mile but didn't hear it. I've not seen any other report of this species from Los Angeles County or the San Gabriel Mountains for about 10 years. The Crest had been closed about four years (due to storm damage to the road) and prior to that, Nick and I made limited owl surveys beyond Islip Saddle but don't know if birders made regular visits in search of night birds. I think previous reports came from Table Mountain and Wrightwood. Good to know they are still to be found in the San Gabriel Mountains! Happy Birding! Mary & Nick Freeman Glendale, CA Christopher Taylor Venice, CA Subject: Whip-poor-will on Angeles Crest Hwy From: Nicholas Freeman <mnfreeman AT earthlink.net> Date: Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:59:22 -0700 Hi Birders Tonight, Christopher Taylor, Nick and I owled the Angeles Crest Highway. It's the first time we've been up there since the Crest was re-opened a month ago and we sure miss the owl prowls when the traffic was non-existent in the high country. The biggest find tonight was WHIP-POOR-WILL at Mile Post 67.44. Conditions there were windy to breezy above 7000' and under clear skies and no moon. We made the stop at this site around 9:30pm. As soon as I stepped out of the car, I heard the call and I then got Nick and Christopher on it. The bird was considerably downslope. We went up the road about a half a mile but didn't hear it. I've not seen any other report of this species from Los Angeles County or the San Gabriel Mountains for about 10 years. The Crest had been closed about four years (due to storm damage to the road) and prior to that, Nick and I made limited owl surveys beyond Islip Saddle but don't know if birders made regular visits in search of night birds. I think previous reports came from Table Mountain and Wrightwood. Good to know they are still to be found in the San Gabriel Mountains! Happy Birding! Mary & Nick Freeman Glendale, CA Christopher Taylor Venice, CA Subject: Little Blue Heron, Ballona 6-19-09 From: "stonebirdfly" <jonathan_coffin AT hotmail.com> Date: Sat, 20 Jun 2009 06:12:25 -0000 The tide was high this evening and the Little blue Heron was out about a hundred yards on the Ballona saltmarsh along the western most slough often foraging about 15-20 yards from the waters edge between two groups of 5 and 6 Snowy Egrets and 2 young Black-Crowned Night Herons. At 7:41pm the LBH flew north out of the saltmarsh with 4 of the Snowy Egrets crossing over the Marina where it looked like it was off to the Snowy Egret Rookery on Admiralty Way. On Wednesday at 8:00pm I saw the Little Blue Heron settle high up inside one of the eucalyptus trees near the Snowy Egret rookery for the night. Two Great Egret families of 2 and 3 nestlings were playing and being fed as the parking lot that the trees are in were filling up. Also at 8pm this evening at the Del Rey Lagoon was an adult Green Heron standing on the south easterly bank a short distance from the childrens playground at 8:00pm. Jonathan Coffin Inglewood, Ca Subject: RFI from Ohio birders From: Jeffrey Cullen <cullen_jeffrey AT yahoo.com> Date: Fri, 19 Jun 2009 20:52:19 -0700 (PDT) Can you help us find these birds?  We will be heading toward Ventura from the Kern Valley over the 4th of July weekend as part of a two week birding trip to California.  This is only our second California trip but we have been doing a lot of research.   Please reply to my yahoo adrress or my primary email below.  Thanks in advance.  Lawrence's Goldfinch Spotted Dove California Gnatcatcher LeConte's Trasher Yellow-billed Magpie (we've read that their numbers are declining) Jeff & Becky Cullen Bowling Green, Ohio members of the Toledo Naturalists' Association www.toledonaturalist.org jcullen at bgcs.k12.oh.us [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Birding Magazine Issues 2001 - 2007 From: Chuck & Lillian <misclists AT att.net> Date: Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:18:18 -0700 FREE to a good home. Birding Magazine (pub. of the American Birding Association) Bimonthly Issues Feb 2001 thru December 2007 Missing only: Feb 2002, Oct 2007 40 issues total. The Catch? You have to come and pick them up at their home in the north San Fernando Valley. I'm not mailing them. Send a reply if you're interested. Chuck Almdale North Hills, Ca. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Non-submission of records From: "Kimball Garrett" <kgarrett AT nhm.org> Date: Fri, 19 Jun 2009 11:31:22 -0700 L. A. Co. Birders, I have neither the desire nor the clinical training to respond to the recent posting regarding the "non-submission" of documentation of rarities, but since I brought up the subject of less-than-complete cooperation with submitting and documenting rarities in Los Angeles County, I did want to make a couple of comments on the subject. First, I strongly believe that the main reasons we don't receive documentation for many rarities are: 1 - Observers are not aware that their sightings are unusual; for hypothetical examples, (a) they may know that Western Wood-Pewees are common around here for much of the year but not realize this species is virtually unknown from November to March, so they may not take care to properly document an unusually early or late wood-pewee; (b) they may know Ladder-backed Woodpeckers are on the Los Angeles County check-list and thus not unusual, but not be aware that Ladder-backeds are restricted to the desert portions of the county); or (c) they may know Gray Catbirds are common birds because they saw them commonly in New Jersey, but not realize that this species is very rare on the Pacific coast. 2 - Observers know their sighting is unusual, but they're unsure how to document an unusual occurrence and/or are unclear about what should be done with that documentation; and/or 3 - Observers assume that others will provide documentation for an unusual bird so there is no need for them to provide their own documentation In my experience, it is very rare that a sighting is undocumented or unsubmitted because of an observer's issues with the way their reports have been handled in the past; nearly all birders I run across show an appreciation of the public database about bird status, distribution and trends that we take part in amassing and thus realize that the ornithological record is larger than egos or personal issues. So how can we address the main causes of "non-submission"? 1 - Everybody should get in the habit of consulting local references, checklists, and other resources to learn what is expected and what is unusual regarding bird distribution in their area (e.g., in Los Angeles County). This isn't a simple task. Information evolves, some references are obscure or out-of-print, and some information available on checklists and web sites is less than completely accurate. But an excellent start, one we've referred to before when requesting quarterly sightings, is the "Los Angeles County Reporting List" on Dan Cooper's web site: http://www.cooperecological.com/LACoReporting.htm If you find anything in this list confusing or unhelpful, let me or Dan know - it's an evolving document and we want to keep it as useful as possible. Check out the data output in eBird that allows you to look at seasonal bar graphs for Los Angeles County or for birding hotspots within the county; as cooperation with eBird continues to build, these bar graphs become amazingly accurate and informative. 2 - Much has been written about how to go about documenting unusual sightings, and I'm sure a Google search will yield many discussions on this subject. But the basic principles are quite simple: Whenever possible, obtain photographic and/or audio documentation; this gets easier all the time with new digital camera technology. Write notes immediately: exact locality and date, of course, but also information on the circumstances of the observation, the appearance (structure, color, pattern, etc.) of the bird (especially if there is no photodocumentation), and notes on behavior and vocalizations (these are very important, even if the bird was photographed). Indicate how you arrived at your identification (i.e., what features that you noted allowed you to rule out similar species). It's important to write and submit written documentation even if the bird was photodocumented. 3 - It is always helpful to have documentation from multiple observers. More importantly, you cannot assume that other observers (even the finder) will submit documentation. Or, your observation might extend the date span that a rarity was present. For all these reasons it is helpful to submit documentation even if you know there were other observers. Finally, it must be confusing to many birders that there is a "sliding scale" in terms of the depth of documentation required for an observation. In other words, the more unusual and unprecedented an occurrence, the more thorough the documentation must be. For example, it is highly unlikely (though not unprecedented) that a first record for California will be accepted without photodocumentation or a specimen. On the other hand, the 10th Northern Parula of a spring season in L A County really needs little more than a brief write-up indicating what the bird looked/sounded like and why it was identified as that species (a photo with date, locality and any brief relevant notes would certainly suffice). Knowing where your documentation should fit along this sliding scale requires a good knowledge of status and distribution. One can never go wrong erring on the side of caution and providing more-than-required documentation. Good birding and good documenting! Kimball Kimball L. Garrett Ornithology Collections Manager Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County 900 Exposition Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90007 USA 213-763-3368 kgarrett AT nhm.org [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Tricolored Blackbirds From: Eleanor Osgood <gardenbird AT earthlink.net> Date: Fri, 19 Jun 2009 10:15:51 -0700 (GMT-07:00) The issue of routine habitat destruction in the name of routine maintenance (tree trimming, brush clearing etc) is taking a heavy toll on our urban birds that they cannot afford. Los Angeles Audubon through the Tree Trimming Guide subcommittee of our Conservation committee has already published a booklet. The committee's limited members are doing their best to distribute the Guide and the message to government and private agencies who have responsibility for tree trimming and shrub removal. As you can tell this is a County wide problem that all interested birders/ornithologists need to address in an organized and united fashion. Fish and Game is underfunded and understaffed. They cannot handle this issue without our help. Whether you are a member of an Audubon Chapter or just a concerned bird watcher please join with us to raise public awareness and to directly approach the heads of the agencies and companies responsible for the "demolition" crews. Please email me personally if you want to get involved. No need to spend time at meetings, but we do need dedicated people who are willing to help identify agencies to contact with contact names and numbers, write letters to the press, distribute booklets to garden shops (we will have a Spanish version coming out soon thanks to Southern CA Edison), personally talk to heads of agencies etc. Together we can make a difference. We have found that most people want to do the right thing. They either are unaware or they need help making it happen. I look forward to getting a lot of responses. Eleanor Culver City Subject: 6/18 San Gabriel River Lesser Nighthawks From: Andrew Lee <ovenbird AT gmail.com> Date: Thu, 18 Jun 2009 21:13:30 -0700 Hi birders, I did some nighthawk watching today along the San Gabriel River north of Foothill Blvd across from the Duarte Historic Museum. The first birds started flying around 7:40pm and numbers continued to build to what I would conservatively put at about 10 birds. There were almost certainly more birds especially further north along the bike path. Park along the Duarte Historic Museum & Park and walk across the pedestrian/bike bridge to the bike path that runs along the eastern edge of the SGR. All the birds except one were north of the bike bridge. Scanning with my binoculars north (didn't bring my scope..doh) I could see a bunch of them chasing each other around. A few birds gave killer close up looks. A pair of Bell's Vireos are making a go of it in the wet spot on the western edge of the bridge. Andrew Lee West Covina [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: report non-submission (long) From: "Mitch" <mitch AT utopianature.com> Date: Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:47:26 -0500 Hi Kimball, and all, Congratulations on your birdiest county. At least there are some -iest things about the county that are good and positive. Kimball, You again lamented the numbers of good birders that do not submit documentation to your august decussation board(s). Since I don't have to worry about any more of my records being predjudiced again, I can say what I think, unlike many there. Be assured I will be speaking for many that can't. Maybe I can help demystify it for you. It's easy as A, B, C. A ~ **Simply put, no one likes to play a rigged game.** B ~ No one cares how many records are rejected, but ONLY, that they are rejected and published HONESTLY. C ~ Purity of intent is EVERYTHING, ESPECIALLY in this. Follow me, I'll show you what I mean. 1) The public knows that a record can be rejected, with all the zeal of a witch hunt, based on an ornithological hoax **created by the CBRC themselves** such as on my 6/7/89 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, in Torrance. So they are well aware the CBRC is perfectly willing to lie, to cheat and steal perfectly good bird records. Soley based on predjudice, not science. 2) When the CBRC published the reason for rejection, they lied to their subscribers (!!) that the reason was "ID not established", and lied on top of that by not including the fact that it was a photographed bird. 2.1) Which begs the question of how many CBRC members does it take to ID a photographed male Scissor-tailed Flycatcher in flight? 3) So we've established the mantra and sales pitch "for the accuracy of the historical record" is a sham and scam. Smoke, glass, and mirrors. The CBRC falsely rejected the record, falsely published the reason for its rejection to cover that up, and did not include, to cover-up more, that it was photographed. THREE LIES the CBRC fabricated for one record, so far, and we're not done with it. 3.1) The above CBRC actions constitute collusion, conspiricy, and cover-up. Remember Watergate? This was simply *another* swift-boating of a record. Scissor-tailgate. Courtesy of the socal bird record PAC gang of thugs. Brian, Matt, and friends. 3.1a) All caught liars and theives say it was their first and only time. The CBRC pretended the same. When it was OK to lie to reject, it was OK to lie to cover it up. See no one can lie just once. OK to lie to reject this record, OK to lie to reject another. There will be lies told by the same proven liars and cheats involved in this, to deny the accuracy of the truths contained here. 4) When this is made public that the CBRC fraudulently rejected a record, the CBRC ignored and covered up to the public, hoping no one noticed, that their lead man in the rejection of Mitch Heindel's record was Matt Heindel, to protect themselves in the public eye. Matt was given the yellow jersey, for best lying in the name of rejection, and handed more of Mitch's records to review. How is that sane? Is that fair to me? The only way possible for me to fix it, is to air dirty laundry, thereby making me the bad guy, again. He did it because he could. 4.1) It was a good message to send to the minions though: We don't care how you lie to reject a record even if it a brother lying on his brothers'. This is an excellent method, if you are looking to alienate and disenfranchise your constituency. 5) Then, many years later when the CBRC accepted the record they did not explain what happened. They said they regretted not asking questions sooner. So anyone curious goes back to the original rejection and learns according to the CBRC's scientific accurate record, those questions they regret not asking sooner were about the ID. 5a) Was that best honest accurate truth you could do? They lied about it a fourth time in "correcting" their fraud and hoax as quietly as possible without explaining what REALLY happened to the record, so as to hide what they did, and thus are still lying about it today. All you/they cared about was damage control. Someone said to me, their take on it was that y'all handled it **slimily**. Excellent word for it don't you think? You hardly ever get to use it when not eel fishing. 5.1) One good record honestly submitted, four CBRC lies, and a CBRC created ornithological hoax and fraud, in the rejection and publishing of it. Everyone involved had no business reviewing records ever again. ALL of their work must be re-reviewed. It's no good. They are proven liars to cheat records. Bird Record cheaters. Bird record hoaxers and witch hunters. Crooks. Bird record theives is what they are. 5.1a) Good attorneys don't automatically make good judges, any more than good field mark knowledge makes good bird record judges. In fact the CBRC has provided evidence there may sometimes be a perverse inverse relationship between the two. 5.2) Only in the CBRC are proven dirty crooked judges allowed to keep their post, unlike in the real world where immediate dismissal would have been the first action. 5.3) What investigation did the CBRC perform looking into other possible voting improprieties as a result of finding out the above? NONE is the correct answer, internal review akin to pre-Challenger NASA. 6) So you all know, for the first time ever publicly, here is what happened: Brian Daniels started the hoax by feeding everyone, but especially Matt, a lie about my photos, and by not divulging the contents of his and my discussion about the photos when I showed them to him on 6/11/89, in his driveway. That is, Brian added a lie of omission, in addition to the one of commission. With that, Matt immediately regurgitated 5 lies to help reject the record, while nominating himself vice-president of sales for it. See Matt's exact comments/lies, what he got the committee to believe about me, and to reject Mitch's record here: http://www.angelfire.com/ca5/pelagics/COMMENTS.html 7) When you/the CBRC rejects a record for questions of origin of photos, and refuses to ask those questions, are they really questions? 7a) "There are questions of fraud....... but I'm not saying we should ask them." The CBRC went along with this? Makes ya pretty dang dumb, dumber, and dumbest to me. I didn't realize it was so scientific. Science at that level. 7b) Isn't that little more than hoping no one finds the body? Who wants that reviewing their records? CBRC science in action. 8) A Wedge-rumped Storm-Petrel that I was co- finder and identifier of, was being reviewed when the 6/7/89 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher CBRC hoax was revealed to the public. How did it do? Was that a legitimate fair, unbiased and honest rejection? 8.1) Why in that final rejection did the CBRC NOT MENTION a record was accepted, 10 miles from and 7 days before our record, in their published report? (The one with the obvious Wedge-rumped Storm-Petrel photo). For a complete accurate historical record? Or because it would have made an idiotic rejection appear even more assinine, so this critical information was "disappeared" in the final report? We thought all the endless "where's the pattern" stuff meant you were playing connect the dots, not ERASE the dots. 8.1a) When it is science, you do not have to sell the rejection by comission or omission. There are countless examples of this. 8.2) Were my witch-hunt fan club, just-outed hoaxers, voting again? (The correct answer is YES) 8.3) In that final WRSP rejection it was stated that the bird was believed correctly identified by all those with experience, meaning those with no experience (and lots of predjudice) determine the records of those with it. That's brilliant CBRC science. Maybe some people think it is too unscientific to participate? Guys that need dramamine in their rubbie duckie tub, far out in the desert, voting on salt encrusted seabirder storm-petrel records seems a pretty stupid way to do it to me. Aren't there dozens of honest good seabirders in California? 9) Why was Matt who led the CBRC down the road of fraud against a Mitch record ever handed more of my records to review anyway? And why were the other proven witch-hunters also allowed to vote on my records after their proven predjudice and fraud? Ridiculous! They should have been yanked out of their hands the second the Scissor-tailed hoax and fraud was proven. 9a) Because that is considered by the CBRC to be the way to achieve the highest quality scientific, honest, ethical, moral, fair, and objective historically accurate result? It's nuckinfutz. 10) The CBRC never asked me if there were issues with Matt voting on my records. That is because they they didn't care, and, because there is no real true science in their methodology. We would not be here had **any member, any time** in the CBRC practiced the most fundamental science and asked the most obvious, simple, basic, single question (to me, instead of Matt, where they apparently got some mis-information) about the status of our relationship (like his last prior communication to June 89 ~ in 86, "Dear Mitch, I will never forgive you"). See, it can't be fixed without airing dirty laundry. That was what he counted on. My morals and ethics, since he didn't have any. 11) It is the CBRC's fault they have such unscientific method and practices that occur. At the same time the CBRC has the unmitigated audacity to then demand to the public that if we don't submit to them (and if I don't want Matt and fellow hoaxers to review more of my records) that I/we are unsubstantiated. THAT sir, is megalomania. 12) How is that working for you, asking the voting relative instead of the submitting relative if there are issues? Is that how they do it in science? I have lots more, but hopefully this should at least give you a starting point in understanding why people do not want to play the submission game with your august decussation board. The same reason most of us don't go to Las Vegas. It's rigged. Each year a couple more phony BS lies causing rejection, and a couple more disenfranchised people. It's been going on like this for decades. You're losing your patients doctor. And the people have lost their patience, finally giving up submitting it is so obvious the problems are major, acute, and denied. So if you want to do something to get more people to participate, you have to have a fair game to play. Which means you need new rules, new bylaws. Like, "Any member ever found to use a false phony BS reason for rejection is barred for life and ALL their REJECT votes will be automatically reversed and the votes recounted without contest." That is the only appropriate action under the circumstances. I frankly wouldn't want anyone reviewing my records that would not sign on to that. It would take out a lot of the CBRC's socal bird-record PAC gang of record theives. Maybe they could be replaced with ethical moral honest people? And: NO relative votes on relatives' records without approval of the submitting relative. How dumb can you guys be? Hello, is anybody home? Simple, sensible, easy, and avoid what the cronies have done here. Who with a secret ax to grind would admit there was an issue? The creation of a review review board that checks the sanity of review so this would have been spotted and prevented, and where complaints can be filed, not having to go, as I would have, to their cheater-in-chief. How many records have been equally insanely rejected by the same idiots the public entrusted with their records, because they pretended they would be honest, unbiased, scientific, without predjudice, but were lying to us? Countless. There are many many more that fell victim to the same bad act. The above serves well to illustrate a few of the fundmental problems within the system though: it's neither honest, or science, and, the people's trust has been violated, by people demanding co-operation in a crooked scam, or calling them names like unsubstantiated. The BRC idea is good, the human factor execution in the CBRC has been absolutely deplorable due mostly to a contingent of the socal bird record PAC and some egos out of control. I certainly would never submit another record in light of the above, if I were still there. I had to leave the state to find an unpredjudiced, honest, moral, ethical committee to submit my bird records to. The bottom line is **purity of intent**. That is the most important key in any relationship. Did you accidently forget to return that book, or was it intentional? Purity of intent. Did Brian Daniels accidently forget to tell them that I said the roll of film was covered in signs photographed in L.A., Torrance, Carson, Long Beach, I rattled off, in response to his false accusation, in his driveway the morning of June 11, 1989? He just honestly forgot to pass that along. Purity of intent. Has the CBRC acted with a purity of intent matching their "to ensure the historical accuracy of the avian record" mantra? Everyone would submit everything all the time IF only IF they thought and believed it would be treated and published honestly first time, every time, all the time. That is all it takes. Obvioulsy LOTS of people don't feel that is the case, and have quit playing the game, because this has gone on for a long time, and a lot of people know their records are unjustly rejected. disgustedly yours, Mitch Mitch Heindel Utopia, TX (LACO native) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Re: Santa Anita Canyon addenda From: Lance Benner <lbenner AT charter.net> Date: Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:51:17 -0700 All, To follow-up on Tom's email, please note that the gate into Santa Anita Canyon now closes at 8 pm, which is right at sunset at this time of year. Prior to the 2008 Sierra Madre fire the road used to be open until 10 pm. If you stay later than 8 pm with a car, you may need to call the police to open the gate to let you out, and they may or may not be nice about it. Alternatively, after parking at Chantry Flats, you could hike in and camp out for the night and then leave when the gate opens in the morning. If anyone sees Black Swifts, please report it--I haven't seen any there since 2001 despite trying at dusk at Sturtevant Falls several times in recent years. Also listen for Swainson's Thrush: I've heard them at dusk in that canyon in June. Regards, Lance P.S. Also note that Santa Anita Canyon will probably close for a few days around Independence Day due to past problems with people setting off firecrackers and the resulting fire danger that causes. Lance Benner Altadena, CA ---- thomasgezamiko wrote: > I received several emails from folks who have never been to Santa Anita Canyon asking for directions, etc. I forgot to point out that they should carry multiple flashlights (make sure the batteries are good) since they will be waiting at the waterfall at Sturtevant Falls until dusk, and then hiking the 2 miles back up to the parking lot in very dark forest. > > The other thing is that I would avoid the place on the weekends, unless you like big crowds of screaming children and teenagers jumping in and out of the creek, along its whole length. > > We had a female Selasphorus hummingbird at the falls about whom I had no opinion, but I would love input as to whether the non-migratory Allen's Hummingbirds breed that far in the canyon, or only in suburban Arcadia. In other words, was this an Allen's or a Rufous? I just put "sp? Selasph" in my field notes. > > > > ------------------------------------ > > Unsubscribe: mailto:LACoBirds-unsubscribe AT yahoogroups.com > Website: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LACoBirds > Listowners: mailto:LACoBirds-owner AT yahoogroups.com > > For vacation suspension of mail go to the website. Click on Edit My Membership and set your mail option to No Email. Or, send a blank email to these addresses: > Turn off email delivery: mailto:LACoBirds-nomail AT yahoogroups.com > Resume email delivery: mailto:LACoBirds-normal AT yahoogroups.comYahoo! Groups Links > > > Subject: Santa Anita Canyon addenda From: "thomasgezamiko" <thomas.miko AT verizon.net> Date: Thu, 18 Jun 2009 23:35:51 -0000 I received several emails from folks who have never been to Santa Anita Canyon asking for directions, etc. I forgot to point out that they should carry multiple flashlights (make sure the batteries are good) since they will be waiting at the waterfall at Sturtevant Falls until dusk, and then hiking the 2 miles back up to the parking lot in very dark forest. The other thing is that I would avoid the place on the weekends, unless you like big crowds of screaming children and teenagers jumping in and out of the creek, along its whole length. We had a female Selasphorus hummingbird at the falls about whom I had no opinion, but I would love input as to whether the non-migratory Allen's Hummingbirds breed that far in the canyon, or only in suburban Arcadia. In other words, was this an Allen's or a Rufous? I just put "sp? Selasph" in my field notes. Subject: Black-and-white Warbler, Eaton Canyon 6/18 From: "bcnh10" <johngarrett AT jps.net> Date: Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:31:27 -0000 birders, I had an adult male B&W Warbler this morning at Eaton Canyon at around 10:15am. He was singing intermittently north of bridge, maybe 1/3 of the way to the waterfall. More specifically, about 20 feet north of a big blue patch of graffiti that appears to say 'TATUM RUh'. Photos at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/johngarrettbirding/3638637445/in/photostream/ Also a Willow Flycatcher was south of the bridge. John Garrett Pasadena, CA Subject: Re: 2nd N Parula @ Village Green From: "Don Sterba" <donsterba AT gmail.com> Date: Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:29:00 -0000 Thu 18 June The continuing parula (day 13 at VG) was singing at 7:00 - 7:30 AM near the eastern side of the central open lawn. Don Sterba Culver City --- In LACoBirds AT yahoogroups.com, "Don Sterba" wrote: > > Thu 11 June > > At 8 AM this morning the parula was on the east side of the western-most open lawn. This very likely is the same bird first seen last Saturday (LACoBirds #7247, #7255, #7259). Not far away, to the northeast, was a singing Warbling Vireo. > > Don Sterba > Culver City > Subject: RE: Re: Lancaster tricolored blackbirds From: "John Sterling" <jsterling AT wavecable.com> Date: Thu, 18 Jun 2009 10:23:05 -0700 Just add to Dan's thoughtful message. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act is enforced by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and destruction of active nests is illegal under that international treaty, so contacting the Fish and Wildlife Service is a good option as well. John Sterling VVVVVVVVVV 26 Palm Ave Woodland, CA 95695 cell 530 908-3836 jsterling AT wavecable.com From: LACoBirds AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:LACoBirds AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Daniel S. Cooper Sent: Thursday, June 18, 2009 9:53 AM To: LACoBirds AT yahoogroups.com Subject: [LACoBirds] Re: Lancaster tricolored blackbirds Cal, I appreciate your keeping the group aware of this situation. People may know that the Tricolored Blackbird is a Species of Special Concern in California, and is therefore afforded protection by the State Dept. of Fish and Game (DFG) above and beyond other more common species. That said, your experience sheds light on the difficulty of sticking up for birds in general, even nominally-protected ones that are engaged in active, obvious breeding. You can talk to Martin Byhower about his efforts to keep cattails and bulrushes for nesting Least Bitterns and other marsh species at Harbor Park in Wilmington, or folks doing the same at places like El Dorado Rec. Area, or at Ballona, or basically any other significant marsh habitat in the state which isn't part of a refuge (and sometimes, even on those). The problem is that there are multiple agencies with competing directives on how to manage wetland habitat. If you are interested in taking it on, you have to 1) figure out who's in charge (often more than one agency - check for phone numbers on signs, or wording like "XX Water District", etc.); 2) develop a working relationship with whomever's in charge, starting with a face-to-face meeting, and 3) keep in close contact with all parties, essentially year-round. If these prove unsuccessful, go to the press. Call a reporter who you've noticed has written about environmental issues, and drive out with him or her. One of the "heavies", at least in recent months, has been L.A. County Vector Control, who is basically demanding that all wetlands be kept clear of marsh vegetation, to allow for treatment for mosquitoes. Often, this is interpreted in "get rid of all reeds", which is obviously in direct conflict with the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and CEQA, both administered by Calif. DFG. There are also flood control activities (many agencies are charged with protecting against flooding), which clears vegetation in advance of winter storms; of course, though this can obviously wait until late fall, they often just want to get it done whenever, even in the middle of the breeding season. It may take visiting the site with the owner or manager early in the spring and explaining that birds will be using the area to nest, and asking them to either delay cutting until, say, July/August, when most things are finished with at least one round of nesting. Of course, this may backfire, and they may just preemptively cut everything down at that point. Good judgment (on your part) is essential. Or, it may involve working with the manager (*not* the crew, who are basically temporary maintenance workers who won't understand what you're asking) to try to find a balance between clearing and leaving vegetation intact. One thing that seems to be working so far out in the Ballona area has been leaving clumps of cattails and clearing channels around them. Obviously not ideal, but we're nonetheless documenting successful nesting by marsh birds with this model, and it's a heck of lot better than the "scorched-earth" approach that's often employed. Others with more experience may want to chime in on this, but I empathize with your frustration. Believe me, I've been there, seeing helpless birds flying around with food in their beaks as work crews are knocking down nests. It shouldn't have to come to this. Dan Cooper Los Angeles www.cooperecological.com > > > > > > Birders, > > > > This morning work crews began cutting down the habitat supporting a large, > > viable colony of nesting tricolored blackbirds at the northwest corner of > > 57th Street West and Ave. L. This is a catchment basin for the adjacent > > housing tract, and has been used by TCB for the last two or three years. > > Since the gate was unlocked this morning, I got inside the fenced area and > > counted about 30 individual TCBs, including several fledglings. The birds > > were agitated by all the activity and appeared to be shifting to the > > northern, thusfar undisturbed portions of the site. Photos were made of > > the scene. > > > > I have notified CDFG hotline for violations (888 334-2258 and 03). Stay > > tuned for updates on this unfortunate situation. > > > > In other local birding news (sorry, nothing very positive to report), I > > was unable to find the red phalarope reported on Saturday at the > > Lancaster sewage ponds; and so far, no luck with the white-winged dove > > reported in Lancaster yesterday. I will be rechecking the dove site > > shortly. > > > > Cal Yorke > > AVC, Lancaster > > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Re: Lancaster tricolored blackbirds From: "Daniel S. Cooper" <dan_cooper_90042 AT yahoo.com> Date: Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:52:40 -0000 Cal, I appreciate your keeping the group aware of this situation. People may know that the Tricolored Blackbird is a Species of Special Concern in California, and is therefore afforded protection by the State Dept. of Fish and Game (DFG) above and beyond other more common species. That said, your experience sheds light on the difficulty of sticking up for birds in general, even nominally-protected ones that are engaged in active, obvious breeding. You can talk to Martin Byhower about his efforts to keep cattails and bulrushes for nesting Least Bitterns and other marsh species at Harbor Park in Wilmington, or folks doing the same at places like El Dorado Rec. Area, or at Ballona, or basically any other significant marsh habitat in the state which isn't part of a refuge (and sometimes, even on those). The problem is that there are multiple agencies with competing directives on how to manage wetland habitat. If you are interested in taking it on, you have to 1) figure out who's in charge (often more than one agency - check for phone numbers on signs, or wording like "XX Water District", etc.); 2) develop a working relationship with whomever's in charge, starting with a face-to-face meeting, and 3) keep in close contact with all parties, essentially year-round. If these prove unsuccessful, go to the press. Call a reporter who you've noticed has written about environmental issues, and drive out with him or her. One of the "heavies", at least in recent months, has been L.A. County Vector Control, who is basically demanding that all wetlands be kept clear of marsh vegetation, to allow for treatment for mosquitoes. Often, this is interpreted in "get rid of all reeds", which is obviously in direct conflict with the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and CEQA, both administered by Calif. DFG. There are also flood control activities (many agencies are charged with protecting against flooding), which clears vegetation in advance of winter storms; of course, though this can obviously wait until late fall, they often just want to get it done whenever, even in the middle of the breeding season. It may take visiting the site with the owner or manager early in the spring and explaining that birds will be using the area to nest, and asking them to either delay cutting until, say, July/August, when most things are finished with at least one round of nesting. Of course, this may backfire, and they may just preemptively cut everything down at that point. Good judgment (on your part) is essential. Or, it may involve working with the manager (*not* the crew, who are basically temporary maintenance workers who won't understand what you're asking) to try to find a balance between clearing and leaving vegetation intact. One thing that seems to be working so far out in the Ballona area has been leaving clumps of cattails and clearing channels around them. Obviously not ideal, but we're nonetheless documenting successful nesting by marsh birds with this model, and it's a heck of lot better than the "scorched-earth" approach that's often employed. Others with more experience may want to chime in on this, but I empathize with your frustration. Believe me, I've been there, seeing helpless birds flying around with food in their beaks as work crews are knocking down nests. It shouldn't have to come to this. Dan Cooper Los Angeles www.cooperecological.com > > > > > > Birders, > > > > This morning work crews began cutting down the habitat supporting a large, > > viable colony of nesting tricolored blackbirds at the northwest corner of > > 57th Street West and Ave. L. This is a catchment basin for the adjacent > > housing tract, and has been used by TCB for the last two or three years. > > Since the gate was unlocked this morning, I got inside the fenced area and > > counted about 30 individual TCBs, including several fledglings. The birds > > were agitated by all the activity and appeared to be shifting to the > > northern, thusfar undisturbed portions of the site. Photos were made of > > the scene. > > > > I have notified CDFG hotline for violations (888 334-2258 and 03). Stay > > tuned for updates on this unfortunate situation. > > > > In other local birding news (sorry, nothing very positive to report), I > > was unable to find the red phalarope reported on Saturday at the > > Lancaster sewage ponds; and so far, no luck with the white-winged dove > > reported in Lancaster yesterday. I will be rechecking the dove site > > shortly. > > > > Cal Yorke > > AVC, Lancaster > > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > Subject: Re: Lancaster tricolored blackbirds From: Callyn Yorke <callynyorke AT yahoo.com> Date: Thu, 18 Jun 2009 06:10:52 -0700 (PDT) Birders, Yesterday morning at about 8 AM, after I just finished counting about 10 TCB's (including a fledgling being fed), the vegetation removal gang arrived    again in the TCB colony at 57th St. West and Ave.. L. I called CDFG and left another message on their hotline for violations, reminding them that this was my second call in two days. Warden Healy left me a message at about 2 PM and said he was notifying a "biologist" in the area about this problem, suggesting CDFG isn't giving this item a high priority. When I checked the site at 7:30 PM yesterday, about half of it has been demolished, with a couple of yong willow trees left standing. No TCB's could be seen on the site. Looks like its a slow death for the TCB colony; is this a mitigation plan gone terribly wrong? On a more upbeat note, I spent the day yesterday surveying birds in the Elizabeth-Hughes Lake and Upper Shake Camp area. The latter location, which has been closed for several years, was especially productive. Western tanager, olive-sided flycatcher, Hutton's vireo, and about 30 other species in an ecotonal area featuring excellent riparian, chaparral and montane habitat. I met a rather grumpy Crotalus viridis on the hike back up to the main road, that had serious objections to being photographed. The day's total bird list, about 65 species. Details to be posted on my website. Upper Shake Campground can be reached from Elizabeth Lake Road (Pine Canyon Road), 4.7 miles west of Lake Hughes Rd. and 3 miles south on a 2WD (high clearance recommended) USFS road (7N23), where there are two blocked roads. Take the lower one; its a 20- minute hike to the campground. Cal Yorke Green Valley Cal Yorke Green Valley ________________________________ From: "feenstra AT alumni.caltech.edu" To: Callyn Yorke Sent: Monday, June 15, 2009 12:07:08 PM Subject: Re: [LACoBirds] tricolored blackbirds Hi, Cal, Thanks for taking action on the detention basin! I was there on Saturday checking on the TRBL colony and noticed the bulldozer parked forbiddingly nearby. I really hope your action wakes somebody up to this sort of thing. Do you happen to known who has jurisdiction over that flood basin? Tricolored Blackbirds have been in some local news recently, and some negative press may be possible. -- Jon Jonathan S. Feenstra Ph.D. 556 S. Fair Oaks Ave. Suite 108 Pasadena, CA 91105 (626) 319-4723 feenstra AT alumni.caltech.edu > Birders, > > This morning work crews began cutting down the habitat supporting a large, > viable colony of nesting tricolored blackbirds at the northwest corner of > 57th Street West and Ave. L. This is a catchment basin for the adjacent > housing tract, and has been used by TCB for the last two or three years. > Since the gate was unlocked this morning, I got inside the fenced area and > counted about 30 individual TCBs, including several fledglings. The birds > were agitated by all the activity and appeared to be shifting to the > northern, thusfar undisturbed portions of the site. Photos were made of > the scene. > > I have notified CDFG hotline for violations (888 334-2258  and 03). Stay > tuned for updates on this unfortunate situation. > > In other local birding news (sorry, nothing very positive to report), I > was unable to find the red phalarope reported on Saturday at the > Lancaster sewage ponds; and so far, no luck with the white-winged dove > reported in Lancaster yesterday. I will be rechecking the dove site > shortly. > > Cal Yorke > AVC, Lancaster  > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Santa Anita Canyon birding From: "thomasgezamiko" <thomas.miko AT verizon.net> Date: Thu, 18 Jun 2009 06:52:36 -0000 Whew, just fell in the door, after driving home from the parking lot at Santa Anita Canyon via the In N Out on the other side of the 210 Freeway. Except for the fleeting look at what was most likely a Black Swift sneaking past the periphery of my middle-aged vision into the waters of Sturtevant Falls at 8:10 p.m. while I was gazing in the opposite direction, it was an awesome after-work birding hike. Upon arriving at the falls at 7:00 p.m., we were entertained by a Dipper that ignored us as it worked its way around the pool in circles, and up & down the waterfall, past 8 o'clock, along with multiple Canyon Wrens that went in and out of a crevasse in the cliff face that must be a nest site. A hundred yards before the waterfall, we flushed a Barn Owl at that little grove of eucalyptus trees. Before then we had multiple (breeding) W Tanagers, Pacific Slope Flycatchers, BH Grosbeaks, Song Sparrows, Juncos, California & Spotted Towhees, House Wrens, and Yellow Warblers. Walking back up to the car in the dark, we heard Great Horned & Western Screech Owls, along with Common Poorwills. Our return path was lit by those small orange-colored "glow-worms" (caterpillars) whose tails emit green light. The gate is now locked at 8:00 p.m. A guy who works up at the ranger station let us out. Subject: osprey in L.A. River From: "Judith Raskin" <jayebea AT att.net> Date: Wed, 17 Jun 2009 21:51:32 -0700 I was on a business field trip today, in a van on the west side of the Los Angeles River riverbank (soon to be bicycle path), between Osos Park and Fletcher Drive. About midway between those two points, in an area of the river where there actually is some water, an osprey perched atop a small shrub, staring off into the water. Nearest other birds were double crested cormorants and Mallards. I didn't make the ID myself; there was another birder in the van who spotted it, but it sure was an osprey. This was about 3:00 pm Wednesday, June 17. You can enter this area from the Heron Gate at Fletcher Drive and walk south, or start at Osos Park and walk north, but it's a rather long walk, I think. Judy Raskin Echo Park [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Little Blue Heron Continues in Del Rey Lagoon Today From: Robert van de Hoek <robertvandehoek AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:38:54 -0700 (PDT) Hi Birders,   The Little Blue Heron was observed at 3:05pm at the south end of Del Rey Lagoon in Playa del Rey, not too far from the children play area.  It may have been there for awhile.  It was feeding on fish in the shallow waters, until a child scared it away as the child wandered from the play area to the waters edge.   The Little Blue Heron flew north and alighted on an Acacia shrub at the northwest corner of Del Rey Lagoon at 3:16pm.  It departed south again at 3:19pm and flew to the south end of the lagoon, but did not land due to children at the lagoon shore, and then veered easterly where it would have had to fly over the town of Playa del Rey in order to get to the Ballona Wetlands or Ballona Creek.  Up till now, I have only seen it fly in and out of Del Rey Lagoon from the north end of the lagoon.   "Roy" Robert van de Hoek Conservation Biologist Ballona Institute Playa del Rey, CA [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Little Blue Heron in Ficus Tree in Del Rey Lagoon From: Robert van de Hoek <robertvandehoek AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:10:25 -0700 (PDT) Hi Birders,   Keep an eye out for searching a Ficus tree at Del Rey Lagoon in Playa del Rey, in order to see the Little Blue Heron, especially in the afternoon, where I saw it at 3:41 pm.  At 3:51pm, it was still in the Ficus tree located on the west side (ocean side) of lagoon adjacent to the dock/pier of the LA City Park canoe boat house.   In my post a little earlier today, I stated that the Little Blue Heron might have flown away from Del Rey Lagoon by leaving at the south end, so now I believe it never left the city park area but rather when it was out of my view for a moment, it escaped flew around because I discovered it15 minutes later when it was in the Ficus tree mentioned above.   An adult Snowy Egret came to alight in the same Ficus tree, just 10 feet from the Little Blue Heron, but our heron ignored the egret.  Just a little earlier this afternoon, prior to the heron alighting in an Acacia bush, the heron was on the shore of Del Rey Lagoon, where a Snowy Egret was chasing the Little Blue Heron, but the heron quickly avoided the egret by going into the acacia bush.   "Roy" Robert van de Hoek Conservation Biologist Ballona Institute Playa del Rey, CA [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Two Green Heron Just Fledged at Del Rey Lagoon From: Robert van de Hoek <robertvandehoek AT yahoo.com> Date: Tue, 16 Jun 2009 06:56:27 -0700 (PDT) Hi Birders,   Not just one, but two recently fledged Green Heron, still with downy feathers on the top of the head, were at Del Rey Lagoon in Playa del Rey this morning at 6:30am.  They were on the small pier/dock near the boat building on Pacific Avenue.  They were not hunting just looking down at the water and the world around them.   Over the last 10 years I've noted that the Green Heron nests in ornamental Eucalyptus trees in Marina del Rey and in the Acacia/Myoporum trees in the Ballona Sand Dune near Ballona Creek.  These trees are currently being removed as restoration by the California Department of Fish and Game as well as the Friends of Ballona Wetllands.  We need to consider the Green Heron in restoration plans for the Ballona Ecosystem.  We can keep biodiversity of Green Heron nesting in the Ballona-Marina Estuary Ecosystem if ornamental trees & tall shrubs are kept thickly vegetated and not pruned.   "Roy" Robert van de Hoek Conservation Biologist Ballona Institute Playa del Rey, CA [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: It's official, we're America's Birdiest County again From: "Kimball Garrett" <kgarrett AT nhm.org> Date: Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:35:48 -0700 L. A. County Birders, The "official" results of the "America's Birdiest City/County" competition are in, and once again Los Angeles County is tops among counties in the entire United States. As you can see from the results (below), we barely edged out San Diego County this year. So, are we really America's Birdiest County? Bear in mind that participation in the ABCC competition was fairly low this year - some potential competitors (other California coastal counties) did not participate. Also, one could reasonably give San Diego County the nod as "America's Birdiest County" for several reasons. First, their county list (500) is the same as that for Los Angeles County, so we can't claim an edge there. Second, they are hampered by their lack of offshore islands (we have San Clemente and Santa Catalina Islands) and a very limited area of pelagic waters that are technically assigned to San Diego County. Both San Diego and Los Angeles Counties have active groups of birders, but there are still a great many active birders in Los Angeles County who rarely submit reports or documentation of their sightings (so a great many records probably get "lost"). Finally, San Diego has undeniably the best published County-level avifauna in the country, Phil Unitt's "San Diego Bird Atlas." So think of this as a challenge: if Los Angeles County is truly "America's Birdiest County," we need to prove it by exploring the county more thoroughly (offshore and onshore), submitting all of our significant sightings to LACoBirds and North American Birds, providing good documentation (photos, written descriptions, etc.) for all rarities, and (of course) finding and documenting new bird species for the County. Just a few of the birds San Diego County has on their list that are as yet undocumented for Los Angeles County are: Wilson's Plover, Sooty Tern, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Rufous-backed Robin, Cerulean Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, and Connecticut Warbler. But the bottom line is that Los Angeles County is once again champion in the America's Birdiest County competition for 2009. Many thanks to all of you who got out into the field to find our 264 bird species, and to Dick Norton for ably compiling this year's effort. There will be a victory parade tomorrow (17 June) going from the Staples Center to the L. A. Coliseum in Exposition Park, though I heartily recommend you avoid it (after all, most participants in the parade will be unaware of what is truly being celebrated). Kimball L. Garrett Ornithology Collections Manager Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County 900 Exposition Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90007 USA 213-763-3368 kgarrett AT nhm.org Coastal County, Pacific Los Angeles County, CA - 264 San Diego County, CA - 260 Coastal County, Gulf Coast Nueces County, TX - 238 Coastal County, Atlantic Washington County, ME - 152 Inland County, West Kern County, CA - 246 Inland County, Central Bexar County, TX - 198 Sedgwick County, KS - 193 Large Inland City San Antonio, TX - 170 Large Coastal City Corpus Christi, TX - 217 San Diego, CA - 198 Small Coastal City Dauphin Island, AL - 189 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Re: BBA From: "Mitch" <mitch AT utopianature.com> Date: Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:16:51 -0500 Thank you Kimball for the update. I hadn't heard anything in so long, I was beginning to fear it was going to meet a fate like the Texas BBA, which I also contributed to. That remains unfinished 20 years later, partially (half?) available on-line only, and there will probably never be a book, maybe a CD, which I wonder if I will live to see. so I'll wait another week......or two, for LA's..... ;) Mitch Mitch Heindel Utopia, TX [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Photos from Playa del Rey From: "Rick Swartzentrover" <rickswartzentrover AT yahoo.com> Date: Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:14:30 -0000 If you are interested, here is a link to my photos from Del Rey Lagoon & Dockweiler State Beach, in Playa del Rey, California. The photos include shots of Snowy Egrets at the lagoon & crabbing at the beach, Great Blue Heron, Black Oystercatcher, Whimbrel & Green Heron http://www.swartzentrover.com/cotor/Photos/Hiking/Dockweiler/DelReyLagoon2/DelReyLagoon2.htm Rick Swartzentrover Alhambra California Website: http://www.swartzentrover.com/cotor/New/indexnew.htm Email: rickswartzentrover AT yahoo.com Subject: Long-billed Curlew in Ballona Wetlands From: Robert van de Hoek <robertvandehoek AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 15 Jun 2009 08:59:21 -0700 (PDT) Hi Birders,   An unusual single Long-billed Curlew was heard with its distinctive call notes about 7 times early this morning (6:30am) in a gentle ground fog (tule fog morning phenomenon) at the Ballona Wetlands salt marsh in Playa del Rey.  Yesterday afternoon, Jonathan Coffin first spotted the Long-billed Curlew adjacent to the Ballona Creek Estuary in the Ballona Wetlands around 3:30pm.  We watched it on and off between our Little Blue Heron viewing for about 5 hours, until roughtly 8:30pm.  It called approximately 25 times during this time period with a characteristic double call note.  It was seen just outside the levee walls of Ballona Creek on a small salt flat with some shallow water, immediately adjacent to pickleplant vegetation, not far from the second (most easterly) tide gate and larger slough channel.  The curlew and shorebirds seem to periodically collect some of this hypersaline water in their bill and placed it near the sides of the stomachs under their wings.   A small group of  12 terns (6 Caspian Tern and 6 Elegant Tern) was approximately 30 yards away on a larger salt flat.   These sightings indicate that the Long-billed Curlew spent the night.  At 11pm, I went back to the levee and it was still there with other shorebirds.  It has been reported as a pass by bird in the excellent Ballona bird report of Dan Cooper.  I agree generally with Dan's observations on the Long-billed Curlew, as it is indeed unusual to have this curlew species here at Ballona.   However, Jonathan Coffin saw this Long-billed Curlew a few weeks ago or so, so I think it ought to be listed as a bird that may stay for a month or more at Ballona each year.   Last evening, this curlew never left its resting site in the Ballona Wetlands where it was together with about 18 other shorebirds:  Willet (4), Marbled Godwit (5), Whimbrel (5), Black-bellied Plover (2), and Western Sandpiper (1).  A very young Black-crowned Night Heron alighted by these shorebirds briefly but then departed a moment later.   "Roy" Robert van de Hoek Ballona Institute Playa del Rey, CA [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Little Blue Heron Continues on Ballona Creek Estuary From: Robert van de Hoek <robertvandehoek AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 15 Jun 2009 08:18:55 -0700 (PDT) Hi Birders:   The Little Blue Heron was seen early this morning on Ballona Creek Estuary from 5:55am to 6:50am, for approximately an hour.  The tide was in slightly, so it could not hunt for crabs, but it was peering into the shallow waters quite a bit, seeing them, and hoping.  Thus for nearly an hour it got no food.  I saw it on both the south side and north side of Ballona Creek between the UCLA Aquatic Sports Facility and Culver Boulevard Bridge.  This heron can be quite difficult to find as the rocks are dark black from wetting and staining of the tidal waters and this heron has dark-colored feathers that make it very inconspicuous with almost no contrast to its feeding habitat.   Yesterday, early evening, this Little Blue Heron was also seen on Ballona Creek Estuary from 5:40 pm to approximately 7pm by myself and Jonathan Coffin.  He got some excellent photographs of it in the Marsh Daisy salt marsh vegetation in the Ballona Wetlands, just outside the levee walls of the Ballona Creek Estuary.  It appeared to be catching small fish, but I'm also suspecting it was catching some small invertebrates, perhaps very small crabs or shrimp.   From here the Little Blue Heron moved to the north side of Ballona Creek just east of the UCLA facility and the Villa Venetia Apartment, below the bicycle path.  Here the heron caught 5 Green-line Shore Crabs (Pachygrapsus crassipes) that were fairly large with 2 inch carapaces.  It did not seperate legs or large claws, but just swallowed them whole.  It seems that the dark coloration of this heron, in low light shadows makes it impossible for the crab which has good eyesight to see the Little Blue Heron.  At about 7pm, it flew easterly up Ballona Creek toward Culver Boulevard Bridge, where we were not able to find it again.   In some birding literature, including the Handbook of North American Birds by Robert Walker (1962), the Little Blue Heron is called a "levee walker" and it certainly was doing that this morning and yesterday afternoon.    By the way, a Harbor Seal was seen in the center of the Ballona Creek Estuary during this time period.   "Roy" Robert van de Hoek Ballona Institute Playa del Rey, CA [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Little Blue Heron Again in Del Rey Lagoon From: Robert van de Hoek <robertvandehoek AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:36:31 -0700 (PDT) Hi Birders:   The Little Blue Heron was observed today in the southern part of Del Rey Lagoon in Playa del Rey at 11:35am actively hunting for fish.   When I checked again 12:10pm, just 35 minutes later, it was no longer anywhere in Del Rey Lagoon.   "Roy" Robert van de Hoek Ballona Institute Playa del Rey, CA  [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Fwd: Antelope Valley--WWDO From: Kumaran Arul <kumaranarul AT earthlink.net> Date: Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:24:44 -0700 The WHITE-WINGED DOVE continues in Lancaster today. It is best to look across the street (to the south) from the front yard of 1675 Staffordshire Dr. (near the intersection of 17th Street West). It is frequenting a feeder in the yard across the street (out of view) and has been seen flying around and in trees, rooftops, and walls in the area. Again, today, I thought there may be a second bird, but couldn't confirm. Kumaran Arul Santa Cruz, CA (visiting Lancaster) Begin forwarded message: > From: Kumaran Arul > Date: June 14, 2009 2:19:22 PM PDT > To: LACoBirds AT yahoogroups.com > Subject: Antelope Valley--WWDO > > Hi LACO birders, > > There is a WHITE WINGED DOVE hanging around my parent's home in > Lancaster (seen 6/13 and 6/14) among the Collard and Mourning doves > (at Ave. L and 17th St. in a residential area). It is singing and > I thought I might have heard a second bird, but not sure. On a > tour of Piute Ponds on Thursday (6/11), my daughter and I saw a pair > of REDHEAD on the ducks unlimited ponds. Also saw a Roadrunner > among many expected species (but no Thrashers). Also, had one male > and two female Scott's Orioles along Ft. Tejon Rd. just east of > Longview Rd. in Valyermo this morning. > > Kumaran Arul > Santa Cruz, CA [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: TCB Lancaster Update From: Callyn Yorke <callynyorke AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:21:26 -0700 (PDT) Birders, Good News. Sometime today (6/15) between 2PM and 4PM, habitat destruction of the TCB colony at 57th Street West and Ave. L in Lancaster, ended. I visited the site just minutes ago and the workers were gone; a backhoe left in the mud. TCBs were perched on the remaining small willows left standing within the area otherwise chopped to pieces. About 4/5 of the site appears to have been left undisturbed and is still occupied by the TCB colony. Evidently, a CDFG warden stopped the vegetation removal before any further damage could be done to the nesting habitat of this California Species of Special Concern. Also, Kumaran Arul showed me the white-winged dove in his neighborhood off 17th Street West and Ave. L, in Lancaster. The bird was vocalizing in a fruitless mulberry tree, and flying around the neighborhood. Kumaran suggested there may be a pair. As far as I know this is the first record of WWD in Lancaster, and perhaps the first record of this species nesting in northern Los Angeles County. Cal Yorke AVC, Lancaster [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: tricolored blackbirds From: Callyn Yorke <callynyorke AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:46:23 -0700 (PDT) Birders, This morning work crews began cutting down the habitat supporting a large, viable colony of nesting tricolored blackbirds at the northwest corner of 57th Street West and Ave. L. This is a catchment basin for the adjacent housing tract, and has been used by TCB for the last two or three years. Since the gate was unlocked this morning, I got inside the fenced area and counted about 30 individual TCBs, including several fledglings. The birds were agitated by all the activity and appeared to be shifting to the northern, thusfar undisturbed portions of the site. Photos were made of the scene. I have notified CDFG hotline for violations (888 334-2258  and 03). Stay tuned for updates on this unfortunate situation. In other local birding news (sorry, nothing very positive to report), I was unable to find the red phalarope reported on Saturday at the Lancaster sewage ponds; and so far, no luck with the white-winged dove reported in Lancaster yesterday. I will be rechecking the dove site shortly. Cal Yorke AVC, Lancaster  [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: RE: BBA From: "Kimball Garrett" <kgarrett AT nhm.org> Date: Mon, 15 Jun 2009 10:47:30 -0700 Mitch, There were indeed lots of results from the Los Angeles County Breeding Bird Atlas, and you are correct that many people volunteered a great amount of time to the project. In addition, many people contributed money toward the publication of the Atlas. Over the years, Mark Wimer and Larry Allen have done a tremendous job compiling and summarizing the huge amount of data generated from this project; the summarization of these data and the writing of the text is being done on a volunteer basis. To this end, Larry Allen has again done a huge amount of work, and most of the Atlas is written. Some sections of text are awaiting completion by yours truly, and I squarely accept responsibility for the slow pace of the finalization of the Atlas project. We do owe it, to you as a potential Atlas product user and especially to those who spent dozens or hundreds of hours atlasing, to get this finished as soon as possible. I would add that portions of the Atlas database have been provided to numerous researchers and conservation biologists over the last several years, so the Atlas has already been serving a vital role as a source of important biological information. I would also emphasize that an Atlas never loses its value with time, since it represents a snapshot in time of bird distribution that will always serve as a baseline for comparison. Stay tuned... it won't be long. Kimball Kimball L. Garrett Ornithology Collections Manager Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County 900 Exposition Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90007 USA 213-763-3368 kgarrett AT nhm.org -----Original Message----- From: LACoBirds AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:LACoBirds AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Mitch Sent: Monday, June 15, 2009 7:10 AM To: LACoBirds Subject: [LACoBirds] BBA So what happened to the Los Angeles County Breeding Bird Atlas? Remember it was a thing a whole bunch of people volunteered their time and effort to contribute to? Were there no results? Mitch Heindel Utopia, TX Subject: BBA From: "Mitch" <mitch AT utopianature.com> Date: Mon, 15 Jun 2009 09:10:11 -0500 So what happened to the Los Angeles County Breeding Bird Atlas? Remember it was a thing a whole bunch of people volunteered their time and effort to contribute to? Were there no results? Mitch Heindel Utopia, TX [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Green Heron & Black Oystercatcher @ Del Rey Lagoon From: "Rick Swartzentrover" <rickswartzentrover AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 15 Jun 2009 01:41:10 -0000 While I was at Del Rey Lagoon I saw a Green Heron hanging out at the south end of the Lagoon (see Photo under "New Photos"). Also on the path that runs along the south side of Ballona Creek (between the creek & Del Rey Lagoon) was a nice Black Oystercatcher (see Photo under "New Photos"). No luck with the Little Blue Heron this time. Rick Swartzentrover Alhambra California Website: http://www.swartzentrover.com/cotor/New/indexnew.htm Email: rickswartzentrover AT yahoo.com Subject: Antelope Valley--WWDO From: Kumaran Arul <kumaranarul AT earthlink.net> Date: Sun, 14 Jun 2009 14:19:22 -0700 Hi LACO birders, There is a WHITE WINGED DOVE hanging around my parent's home in Lancaster (seen 6/13 and 6/14) among the Collard and Mourning doves (at Ave. L and 17th St. in a residential area). It is singing and I thought I might have heard a second bird, but not sure. On a tour of Piute Ponds on Thursday (6/11), my daughter and I saw a pair of REDHEAD on the ducks unlimited ponds. Also saw a Roadrunner among many expected species (but no Thrashers). Also, had one male and two female Scott's Orioles along Ft. Tejon Rd. just east of Longview Rd. in Valyermo this morning. Kumaran Arul Santa Cruz, CA