Yesterday I led a group of Griffith Park enthusiasts around Ferndell as part of the Los Angeles Christmas Bird Count held on 12/30. The L.A. CBC is part of a 108-year old, nationwide effort to census birds each winter around the country. Counts are held within 15-mi.-diameter circles, and run from midnight to midnight on count day. The L.A. circle is centered near Pico and Robertson, and takes in Playa del Rey/Ballona, the eastern part of Topanga Cyn. State Park, Griffith Park, and the Baldwin Hills.
Our group spent two hours birding Ferndell, a south-draining canyon in Griffith Park that crosses Los Feliz Blvd. near Western Ave. We started behind the Trails cafe, where we studied a flock of finches (Lesser Goldfinch, House Finch) feeding on the seeds of Chinese Elm. Other species dropped in from the surrounding oak woodland, including an obliging Oak Titmouse, a Yellow-rumped ("Audubon's") Warbler, a nervous Hutton's Vireo, and flock of Dark-eyed ("Oregon") Juncos, one of which fed in the open, allowing a good study of its solid-black head.
We continued up the canyon, but had little until we found a mixed flock in the pines around the upper parking lot, which included Ruby-crowned Kinglet, a group of Bushtits, and a lone White-breasted Nuthatch clinging to a trunk. A Red-breasted Sapsucker (see photo) was spotted silently drilling holes for sap in one of the pines, as Acorn Woodpeckers swooped past transporting acorns in their bills to chache in sycamores along Western Canyon.
As the sunlight warmed up the chaparral, it was as if someone tripped a switch, and birds were suddenly everywhere - Mountain Chickadee chattering from an oak, Spotted and California towhees scratching through dead leaves, a California Quail trotting past (seen by a couple people only), a Hermit Thrush posing on a laurel sumac root burl...
The action continued up canyon, where we checked off California Thrasher (Photo; singing away and allowing for prolonged scope views), Wrentit (amazingly, seen well while singing, tail vibrating to the notes), Golden-crowned Sparrow, and more Hermit Thrushes. A Sharp-shinned Hawk sailed overhead, and we were able to see the squared-off tail, the quick wingbeats, and the short neck making the head appear tucked-in to its shoulders.
By then, the canyon started warming up a bit, and we called it a morning, having tallied just over 30 species without breaking a sweat!
Birdlist (incl. birds heard by leader):
Sharp-shinned Hawk: 1
Red-tailed Hawk: 1
California Quail: 2
Yellow-chevroned Parakeet: 16 flying east high overhead
Anna's Hummingbird: 4
Allen's Hummingbird: 2 heard by leader
Acorn Woodpecker: 6
Red-breasted Sapsucker: 2
Nuttall's Woodpecker: 3
Black Phoebe: 6
Hutton's Vireo: 1
Common Raven: 8
Mountain Chickadee: 1
Oak Titmouse: 2
Bushtit: 15
White-breasted Nuthatch: 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet: 1
Hermit Thrush: 5
Golden-crowned Kinglet: 1 heard by leader
American Robin: 2
Wrentit: 2
California Thrasher: 3
Yellow-rumped Warbler: 43 (all Audubon's)
Spotted Towhee: 6
California Towhee: 9
Song Sparrow: 1 heard but not seen
Golden-crowned Sparrow: 1
Dark-eyed Junco: 10 (all Oregon)
House Finch: 28
Purple Finch: 1 singing early am
Lesser Goldfinch: 20
American Goldfinch: 5
Later, I walked around the edge of Roosevelt Golf Course, where I picked up:
American Kestrel: 2
White-throated Swift: 5
Anna's Hummingbird: 5
Nuttall's Woodpecker: 2
Northern Flicker: 2 ("Red-shafted")
Black Phoebe: 2
Western Scrub-Jay: 6
Mountain Chickadee: 1
Oak Titmouse: 3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet: 5
Golden-crowned Kinglet: 3
Hermit thrush: 4
Wrentit: 3
Northern Mockingbird: 2
Yellow-r. Warbler: 30
Spotted Towhee: 3
California Towhee: 6
Fox Sparrow: 4
Song Sparrow: 3
Lincoln's Sparrow: 5
Golden-crowned Sparrow: 3
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