Swainson's Hawk living large

Dropping off some dry-cleaning this morning, I looked up to see a cluster of raptors circling over the Beverly Hills Four Seasons (Doheny/Burton Way). Three Red-tails and a Swainson's Hawk. I almost never see Red-tails south of Sunset Blvd. in the Hollywood/Farmer's Mkt area, so they caught my eye. They continued east in a straight line out of sight.

Back to Taylor Yards

Yesterday I checked out movement at midday along the L.A. River at the new Taylor Yards park, and had a late Western Kingbird in with a few Cassin's, along with what is probably the same White-tailed Kite from earlier in the fall, which is probably wintering (!). The kite was calling from a small pine tree in the southern portion of the park. The sump had lots of Savannah and a few Lincoln's sparrows, but I didn't have time to look more thoroughly.

Poor-will goes pelagic

I headed out to Malibu Lagoon post-rain this morning, and while watching Elegant Terns coming in off the ocean, I noticed something else flying down-coast several hundred yards out. It was about robin-sized, dark and plump, with long, rounded wings. Deep, powerful wingbeats. I couldn't fit it into any raptor, and it wasn't round-headed like a Burrowing Owl, but smaller.

With my mind racing and mentally ruling out families of birds it *couldn't be*, I was absolutely stumped until it approached the beach and "tilt-glided" down into some landscaping around the Adamson House just east of the lagoon - nightjar!

I raced over to the grounds of the house, and after poking around a bit, heard and saw the bird, a poor-will, batting against the plaster wall of a courtyard like a trapped moth in the house. It managed to find an opening and sailed over the house and out of sight.

Well, these birds do occur on the Channel Islands (and are on the move in October), but this ranks as one of my most baffling birding moments ever!