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.