Phalaropes at Del Rey Lagoon, pre-storm

Yesterday afternoon around 4:30, about 60 Red-necked Phalaropes zipped into Del Rey Lagoon (Playa del Rey), wheeled about for about 5 minutes, and settled at the north end in a tight mass. This was just as the big winds started picking up (storm approaching off the Pacific). Rarely do these two coincide in fall (storms and RNPH). I didn't stick around to see what else came in. Stay tuned...

L.A. River parks

I've checked this new park at Taylor Yard along the L.A. River in Cypress Park a couple times, and it's getting better and better. The little weedy swale that had several dozen Yellow-headed Blackbirds for a day back in May was really birdy:

White-tailed Kite (hunting over marsh!)
Red-tailed Hawk
Say's Phoebe
Marsh Wren (2)
Orange-crowned Warbler
Common Yellowthroat (6)
Lincoln's Sparrow (4)
Savannah Sparrow (20)
Brewer's Sparrow (3) - maybe not that unusual this time of year?
Orange Bishop (2)
American Goldfinch (2)
Lesser Goldfinch (5)

The Cornfields/L.A. State Historic Park had a smattering of migrants early in the week, all on the weedy knoll, incl. single Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Orange-cr. Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Lark Sparrow (juv.) and several Savannah Sparrows.

Yesterday there was a Brewer's Sparrow here and about 10 female Orange Bishops, a few Sav. Sparrows, but no other migrants. The big dirt/weedy area north of the knoll was devoid of birds.

Wilson's Warbler in yard!

Calling from ficus just a few minutes ago, possibly settling in for the night...

VA Hospital (near UCLA)

I stopped in here yesterday early afternoon because I was in the area. The hospital grounds are old, and landscaped with large eucalyptus and other "old L.A." trees (olive, date palm, ficus). They appear to be forgetting to water, which is great, because the eucs are getting water-stressed and the insects are providing food for migrants. The grass is also going to seed on the lawn - again, all good things for birds.

A smattering of warblers was following a large Bushtit flock, incl. Yellow, Wilson's, Orange-crowned, and Nashville (1 each). An Olive-sided Flycatcher and two Western Wood-pewees chased and were chased by the (resident?) W. Bluebirds. Several young Chipping Sparrows fed on the lawn, and a single, silent Oak Titmouse was working an olive tree. I wonder if this is as far south as titmouse gets in the L.A. Basin south of the Santa Monicas?

Early am migrants

Walking out to the car in the morning revealed a Black-headed Grosbeak calling in the plane tree in front of the buliding, as well as a warbler sp., maybe a Nashville, giving a flight call. Today, a Wilson's Warbler was calling from across the street. These are the first passerine migrants in the neighborhood since that Orange-crowned Warbler a few weeks ago.