Salton Sea/San Bern. Mtns. birding notes

Notes from a private birding tour (incl. 10/19 - 10/21/2010):

Coming down the western side of the Sea, we stopped in at Desert Shores, Salton Sea Beach, and Salton City, all of which had good access to the rapidly-retreating shoreline, and loads of usual SS waterbirds. Had a late WHITE-WINGED DOVE at Salton Sea Beach (10/19), and an unexpected PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER that called (chu-WEET?) at Johnson's Ldg.(Salton City) that I had Dave Bell report (10/19). This was a dark bird, maybe an adult (very brown back), with a good yellow wash on the face. I got some very distant photos that I'll try to post later.

Down at the south end, the end of Poe Road was muddy and I didn't want to risk driving it (deep mud puddles). One could walk a couple hundred yards pretty easily and bird it though. Unit 1 had water in the impoundments and a had at least two likely Pectoral Sandpipers among the numerous stilts (10/20), seen only in flight when hunters started shooting in the distance. No geese yet, but 4 SANDHILL CRANES were in a field near the end of the road.

There was telephone pole construction at Lindsay/Lack, blocking access to the seawall road heading southwest. To the north(east) and toward Obsidian Butte, the seawall was very muddy and again, I might have been able to do it in my SUV but didn't want to risk it. Ditto for roads leading in to Obsidian Butte from the east - it had rained all morning and all dirt roads were muddy. Still, we had 3 LAUGHING GULLS just north of Lindsay/Lack, and a good variety of shorebirds here on 10/20.

Cattle Call park was a serious disappointment, and aside from Gila Woodpeckers (still common), we missed all of the scrubland birds here. Could have been the cool weather, but nothing was even calling (got there around 8 AM). Missed Cactus Wren!! We caught up with most of these species at the refuge headquarters (Sinclair Rd.) later that day, incl. Gambel's Quail, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, etc.

A stop in at the Coachella Valley Wild Bird Center (and constructed wetlands) in Indio was a great break. Lots of ducks, common moorhen, and cooperative Abert's Towhees, a crowd-pleaser. *Note that the CORRECT DIRECTIONS are to exit I-10 at Golf Center Dr., head south to 45th St., turn left, and continue on 45th (as it becomes Van Buren). The site is on the left after the treatment plant, and generally CLOSES AT NOON (but was open for a delivery late so we lucked out).
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Up in the San Bernardino Mountains, I'd reserved rooms at the Whispering Pines cabins in hopes of doing some owling and dawn birding in the foothills, but it was basically rainy/misty from when we arrived, through the night, and the next morning. Light was terrible, and we saw almost not a single individual bird. Not insignificantly for a tour, the cabins are apparently for sale and are not being kept up. (Maybe some day, someone will figure out how to run an inn somewhere in our local mountains??)

Seven Oaks (Glass Rd.) was socked-in with dense fog, and despite calling birds (incl. many White-headed Woodpeckers), we had to turn back. We headed up to Heart Bar for high-country species, and had CLARK'S NUTCRACKER and RED CROSSBILL overhead, but nothing landing, and despite clearer skies, again, very few birds to even look at (You know your tour may be in trouble when you're trying to tape-in a Mountain Chickadee...). Things brightened at Barton Flats, where the campground along Hwy. 38 (the only one open along the route) was decently birdy, and our perseverance was rewarded with scope-filling views of a male WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKER. Success!!

Big surprise during otherwise boring job

While "baby-sitting" an incubating Great Horned Owl last week (trust me, it's dull), I watched in amazement as an adult male Scissor-tailed Flycatcher glided by, and perched on a Mexican elderberry downslope from where I was standing in an active restoration area (11 Jan. 2010). Fewer than 15 records for L.A. County of this midwestern bird, apparently, and they're probably rarest (but still known) in winter, when the bulk of the population is in Central and South America.

I managed to get off a lousy picture with a colleague's point-and-shoot (my camera was safely stored at home).

Curve-billed invasion!

Curve-billed Thrasher, 30 Dec. 2009, Chiriaco Summit, Riverside Co.

Long-staying bird was about the only thing around during our mid-morning stop - part of an unprecedented invasion by this species into California this winter.

Birdcam, Sept.

For September, we changed the location of Birdcam to a re-purposed bathtub filled with water and cattails. Wanted to shake things up a bit, and see if any species were visiting this thing, which is located down a steep hill and out of sight of the house. Lighting was pretty poor (maybe it got splashed?), but a male California Quail stopped by on the 13th (below), and on the afternoon of the 30th, Wile E. Coyote did the same.





Otherwise, the usual visitors were represented (Band-tailed pigeon, Hooded Oriole, etc.), along with a California ground-squirrel.

We now have two birdcams going, one at the "tub", and the other back at the cube-fountain, so we'll be able to gauge the difference in visitorship.

Birdcam, late June

June is one of the dullest birding months over most of the L.A. area, as residents and summer visitors finish up nesting, and shorebirds and most waterfowl are elsewhere, mostly far to the north. An unmistakable American Robin livened things up on the 16th, the first photo of this species for the birdcam. Robins nest locally in town, usually around well-watered lawns like at public parks and golf courses, and pick the shadiest spots for their nests. Twenty years ago, a nesting robin away from the mountains was something of a rarity, but they've really increased throughout southern California (as a breeder) since then. This one probably bred somewhere in the neighborhood, and stopped by for a drink.

Phainopepla (below) also nests in small numbers in the area, especially in sites with large oaks and sycamores, and generally away from urban areas. This series shows a female, with the last image showing her distinctive red eye.








The most surprising find thus far was this streaky juvenile Dark-eyed Junco, a briefly -held plumage rarely seen far from the breeding grounds. For this reason, and given the time of year (juncos migrate late in the fall), it was almost certainly hatched locally. This species, like the robin, has increased greatly in the Santa Monica Mountains, probably responding to all the planted pine trees (formerly restricted to mountains and remote oak woodland in the higher Santa Monicas). Interestingly, it nests near sea level elsewhere in southern California, including La Jolla in San Diego Co.

Birdcam, early June

This period saw more of the same array species, including lots of young birds, often accompanied by one or more parents.

A sharp female Bullock's Oriole dropped by on the 4th of June, showing the ash-gray back and bright wingbars which help distinguish it from the (locally) more common Hooded Oriole.















A Western Scrub-Jay (below), not new to the birdcam but relatively infrequent, was a daily visitor during this period.




The biggest surprise, however, was a stunning male Purple Finch, pretty rare in mid-summer in Los Angeles, though a scarce breeder in the Santa Monica Mountains (including at nearby Franklin Canyon). It might have been taking a break from duties there, or perhaps it was a dispersing male that failed to attract a mate, possible given the small size of the local population.

It's told from the much more abundant House Finch by the wine-colored pinkish-red crown, and the suffusion of the same wine-red color throughout its upperparts. This individual shows a good amount of brownish streaking along the flanks, as well as a large bill, which are typical for the local California race of the species.

Birdcam, pt. II

We had the birdcam back up and running from 5/2 - 5/9 (all day each day). As before, huge numbers of Lesser Goldfinches and House Finches - owing to the thistle and seed feeders nearby. Around 1,500 shots were of these species. The next most frequently-photographed bird was Mourning Dove (170 shots), Band-tailed Pigeon and Hooded Oriole (145 each) and Spotted Towhee (136).
A gorgeous male Black-headed Grosbeak was a nice surprise, visiting twice on 5/3.













Two days later, a second grosbeak came in, this one without the solid black head (shown with a House Finch).








Keeping with the orange theme, a nice female Bullock's Oriole dropped in briefly on 5/8 (below), which was actually a migrant - only the Hooded seems to nest in the area, though Bullock's are common nesters in nearby Franklin Canyon.



















We're noticing lots of young birds at the bath (juvenile Song Sparrow, right), including several instances of adults feeding and interacting with young at the bath.


A Spotted Towhee was nice surprise (below), though not exactly rare in the area - check out the red eye.



A female Western Tanager (below) might have been passed off as a female oriole, but this shot shows the fat bill and eyering, as well as the broad wingbars.













Warblers are always a treat, and this male Yellow Warbler on the 8th spent some time getting wet (below).

New toy: Birdcam

Back in March, one of my clients in the hills above Franklin Canyon (Beverly Hills) asked me to set her up with a "Birdcam", a small, motion-detecting camera designed for photographing birds at feeders.

I ordered it from Wingscapes, along with a few accessories (Wingscape memory card and reader, batteries), the whole package coming in at around $300.

After a few calls to customer service (an extremely helpful and friendly PERSON!), we were ready to go. The camera was installed about a foot away from a fountain in the backyard in early April, and ran for the next two weeks (4-19 Apr.). The camera works by snapping a (digital) photo when it senses heat and movement (hence, the moving water of the fountain doesn't register). You can set the interval between shots, and I set hers to take a photograph every 5 seconds. So, if a bird is on the fountain for 20 seconds, you'll get 4 photos of the bird. The camera automatically shuts down at night, and doesn't have a flash.

In all, over 2,000 images were captured. Around half were of one species, the Lesser Goldfinch (above), probably because of the dozens of Lesser Goldfinches attracted to the seed feeders at this particular yard.

The next more common capture, somewhat surprisingly since they're not that numerous, was the Hooded Oriole (below), which was photographed in around 12% of all images.



Nearly 200 shots were of Band-tailed Pigeons, often with multiple birds crowding into the fountain for a bath and drink.



Other common species (100+ images) included Allen's Hummingbird, Mourning Dove and House Finch. Below shows a sequence of an Allen's Hummingbird bathing, followed by a shot of its incredible gleaming-red gorget.






Of course, there were several surprises. A few species were only seen for a few seconds during the multi-week run, including this gorgeous Lazuli Bunting:



And this male Black-throated Gray Warbler:

Malibu Lagoon

Spent an hour here this morning looking for rarities (and not finding any). The ocean had apparently over-washed the sandbar, smoothing out the slope into the lagoon, and probably improving conditions for shorebirds. A row of about 20 Black-bellied Plover stood at the lagoon's edge, and at least 20 Snowy Plover were scattered from here east, most resting in footprint depressions on sand not washed smooth. I was surprised to could 16 Least Terns here, most roosting with Snowy Plovers, representing a variety of ages, but largely first-year birds. Other shorebirds included Sanderling (30+), Semipalmated Plover (5-10), Willet and Whimbrel. Mallard and Gadwall were again the only ducks still. A couple Western Grebes floated offshore, but nothing else was out there, like a couple weeks ago.

The only landbird surprise was a single Oak Titmouse on the back path. An Ash-throated Flycatcher may have been the same one that has been here since July. A couple Savannah Sparrows called overhead, and more called from the saltgrass/Salicornia "island" of the inner lagoon; these were about the only passerine migrants, aside from dozens of Cliff, Barn and NRW Swallows.

Malibu coast notes

Took a leisurely drive up PCH w/ a visiting birder today, making a first stop at Malibu Lagoon. Dozens of Cliff, Barn and Rough-winged swallows were swooping and feeding young. On the sandbar, 20+ Least Terns and a handful of arriving Snowy Plovers were loafing, the terns bringing fish to juveniles. Small groups of shorebirds were moving downcoast, incl. c. 30 Black-bellied Plovers. Offshore was dead - 1 Western Grebe and a few distant Elegant Terns were about it, but it was after 9am. The lagoon was a full bathtub, unfortunately. Mallard and a Gadwall or two were the only ducks.

Zuma Creek mouth had a few early-arriving Western Kingbirds perched on bulrushes, but otherwise only Mallards in the lagoon. About 20 Heermann's Gulls resting on the beach, various ages. Just one or two California Gulls (mainly Western). Many dragonflies and damselflies though - shoulda spent more time keeping track of them, but mainly blue darners and flame-type skimmers.

Scanned from Pt. Dume but had nothing, though Mugu Rock had several hundred Black-vented Shearwaters moving west nearly at the horizon. Mugu Lagoon was virtually bird-free, but it was hot and bright (and around noon) by then, so we had lunch up by the 101 and headed home. A quick drive through the sod farms yielded nothing, as did a check of Revelon Slough, but we ran into a family of Hooded Orioles clamoring through a weedy ditch at the Laguna Rd. tams (and little else).

Los Angeles S.H.P.

I took another walk at the newish L.A. State Historic Park at the former Chinatown Yards last week (5/13/08) and was a little surprised to see a female Yellow-headed Blackbird (see photo) foraging on the lawn with starlings. Single Wilson's (singing) and Yellow warblers rounded out the other migrants.

Also present was a family of recently-fledged Say's Phoebe (rare in the central L.A. Basin, esp. coastward), as well as a California Towhee carrying food along the weedy slope up to Mission Rd., along the Gold Line right-of-way.

Malibu Lagoon, chat etc.

Spent an hour at Malibu Lagoon this morning and found a few interesting things. A Yellow-breasted Chat was singing weakly in shrubbery near the "mini dune" just before you reach the beach.

Two Snowy Plovers, not necessarily a pair, were working the sandy beach ridge near the lifeguard tower.

The tide was as low as I'd ever seen it, and pelicans, gulls and dozens of (mainly Elegant) terns were roosting far out on the rocks/tidepools. A pair of Elegant Terns were engaged in courtship behavior (bringing fish). A Cattle Egret sailed in from the ocean and landed next to the pelican flock off the beach. A single (calling) Least Tern came down to land near the beach near the lifeguard tower but I was too far away to see where.

The lagoon was pretty quiet, as we're between major migration periods, so a Spotted Sandpiper was the only sandpiper here, with small #s of Sanderlings along the beach and on the rocks. Otherwise, two Black-bellied Plovers and a Black Turnstone rounded out the shorebirds. Three female Red-breasted Mergansers were loafing in the lagoon, maybe for the summer?

Great Egrets were again nesting in the (heavily-pruned) trees of Malibu Country Mart, with maybe 5 active nests visible as I drove past.

The new expanded parking lot and plantings has really changed the feel of the northern part of the park, with a lot more open space, less planted saltbush, etc.

Signs of spring: Turkey Vulture

The first one was heading north alongside the 110 (Harbor) Fwy. down around Manchester Blvd. on Feb. 4, with six circling over the 60 (Pomona) Fwy. near Garfield the next day.

The South L.A. bird is notable because they certainly don't winter in the "inner city" or (to my knowledge) along the coast between Palos Verdes and Malibu. My Ballona records show a peak in late Jan./Feb. and then again in mid-Oct. which are fall birds heading south, presumably into Mexico and beyond.

Also, right when the heavy rains in January let up, I started hearing Bewick's Wrens and Spotted Towhees singing at spots I frequent in the Santa Monica Mtns. (Franklin Cyn., Griffith Park).

Today was in the mid-70s and things were really stirring in Griffith in terms of insect activity (mainly gnats!). A nice change from the high-50s and rainy stuff...

Los Angeles CBC - Ferndell party

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

2007-08 Santa Clarita Christmas Bird Count - initial results and impressions

Today's Santa Clarita CBC yielded 135 species by our 1 pm lunch meeting, putting it ahead of all 6 previous counts. We had a great turnout of enthusiastic counters as well, with at least half the group local Santa Clarita-area residents with several new faces.

Kimball mentioned his "Grebe Slam" and misc. others at Castaic Lagoon; more highlights included two Red-breasted Mergansers at "Bridgeport" (development along the Santa Clara River east of McBean), and a Burrowing Owl hanging on amid office parks at Castaic Jct., a species new for the count and more or less extirpated locally. Two Tricolored Blackbirds were picked out of a swarm of Red-wings up Bouquet Cyn., and many species were represented by 1s or 2s snagged by diligent counters slogging through Arundo thickets, shivering in foothill canyons, or dodging golf balls (Cinnamon Teal, Merlin, Wilson's Snipe, Townsend's Warbler...).

Most of the circle is arid coastal sage scrub, much of it recently burned. As Kimball observed, it was bone-dry this year, so birds were pushed to extremes, flocks of Bushtits and Rufous-crowned Sparrows in irrigated pasture being particularly memorable! And, White-tailed Kite apparently went missing (no voles?).

Thanks to all for turning out!

3 raptors, K-town to E. Hollywood

Driving to the Arc Light this afternoon:

Peregrine Falcon: Pair engaging in aerial acrobatics between twin high-rises along Wishire between LACMA and La Brea, one bird almost free-falling against face of south tower.

American Kestrel: Single in Home Depot parking lot along Sunset just east of 101 Fwy. Absolutely no habitat in sight except for a strip of Indian hawthorne landscaping around lot. I wondered - where was thing hunting? As we were leaving, I saw it shoot out of one of the little ficus trees in the lot, probably chasing House Sparrows around.

Cooper's Hawk: Adult cruising low along north side of Sunset east of Vine; disappeared behind some old buildings.

So, I guess the three urban prey items are well represented - pigeons, Mourning Doves and House Sparrows!

More urban bluebirds

I was surprised to see a little group of Western Bluebirds in the Hancock Park neighborhood of L.A. today, working a strip of lawn below sycamores planted as street trees. These birds were near Highland Ave. and W. 3rd St.; the nearest I'd seen them to here in the past had been in the athletic fields along Fairfax in the Baldwin Hills (so. of I-10), at the big park/golf course south of Pico at Motor, and east of here in picnic areas on the east side of Griffith Park, where they are common nesters.

Misc. eastside sightings

Driving home from Whittier on the afternoon of 11/27, I headed up Rosemead Blvd. and had 10 Am. White Pelicans flying northeast into the Legg Lake area. There was a little flock of Tricolored Blackbirds joining the coots, grackles and domestic ducks being thrown bread at the parking lot to Legg Lake on the east side of Rosemead, and a flock of 10+ Cassin's Kingbirds coming into a dusk roost along the Pachmayr shooting range entrance rd. on the west side.

A dark raptor cruising west, low over the 60 Fwy. near Atlantic, turned out to be a very dark (young?) Peregrine Falcon. I'm not sure I've seen a Peregrine between downtown and Whittier Narrows.

Grand Hope Park birding expedition

I had a meeting downtown yesterday, so birded tiny "Grand Hope Park" (2.5 acres, est. 1992?), which is sort of the courtyard/entrance at FIDM (Fashion Inst.) along Hope St. near Olympic.

There's virtually no habitat, just a few planted trees (incl. small sycamores and a couple coast live oaks), and aside from a flock of House Sparrows, had Allen's Hummingbird, Black Phoebe, Northern Mockingbird and Yellow-rumped Warbler - a true urban assortment. There are some fruit-bearing vines on arbors, so it could be worth a look later in the winter.

Red Crossbill over apt.

I had a calling crossbill over the new apt. (near Wilshire and Beverly Dr.) on Saturday morning. There have been a few reports from the desert, but maybe none on the coast.