We Declare This Blog, Open.
Please sign up for email delivery. Click on "Email Subscriptions" just underneath the photo of the Snowy Plover.The internet is filled with information and services attractive to birders. This is the first of an irregular series alerting our members to some of them.
A list serve is a website to which people post messages, and then distributes the messages to people who have signed up to receive them. Our blog is a list serve if you’ve signed up to automatically receive the postings by email. Rare bird alerts also usually operate as a list serve. There are rare bird alerts available for virtually everywhere in the world. Places like China, Russia, Southeast Asia, Africa or South America may have only one alert for the entire region, but here in California, we have dozens. Many of the Southern California counties have their own alert, and it is very easy to sign up for these alerts. Many list serves make new sign-ups wait a week or two before allowing you to post something. This allows you to see their rules of etiquette in action and keeps out web pests who only want to post annoying messages instantly.
For example, if you were signed up for either the Orange County or LA County list serves, you would have known about the Bar-tailed Godwit (pictured below) which showed up (still there as of this writing) at Upper Newport Bay, just below the Jamboree Rd. bridge. This bird nests in western Alaska and normally heads southwest into Asia for the winter. Every once in a while it goes southeast instead, and shows up here. Of course, seeing the bird isn’t the same as getting a decent picture of the bird.
Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica lookifuzzi)
If you’d like to seem some better pictures of this bird taken by Chris Taylor, click this link: http://kiwifoto.com/f/btgo_newport_110709
I receive BirdChat, BirdWest and CalBird in what is called “Digest” mode. All messages for the day are bundled so you get only one email per day. But you can get them individually if you prefer. I let the messages for the local county lists come in one-by-one, as there aren’t many messages. I subscribe to the Los Angeles and Orange Counties list serves. There are also list serves for: Ventura, Santa Barbara, Kern, San Diego, SE California, No. California and so on. You can sign up for any and all. As with any email, if the subject line doesn’t sound interesting, delete it.
The subscribing system on all these list serve sites is automated. You can’t go wrong. If you make an error, it will tell you what to do to fix it.
Bird Chat
Nationwide conversations about birdy stuff of all sorts.
List-Subscribe: <mailto:BIRDCHAT-subscribe-request@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>
Type “subscribe” WITHOUT the quotes in both the Subject Line the message area.
BirdWest:
Collection of rare bird reports for the Western US.
Rare bird reports come out weekly from dozens of counties, Audubon chapters, etc. BirdWest collects all these reports for the Western US and sends them to you.
BIRDWEST-subscribe-request@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Leave the subject line blank. Type “subscribe” WITHOUT the quotes in the message area.
LA County Birds
Rare bird sightings primarily for LA County, but also some nearby areas.
LACoBirds-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Type “subscribe” WITHOUT the quotes in both the Subject Line the message area.
Orange County Birds
Rare bird sightings primarily for Orange County, but also some nearby areas.
OrangeCountyBirding-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Type “subscribe” WITHOUT the quotes in both the Subject Line the message area.
California Birds
Statewide bird news and sightings.
CALBIRDS-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Type “subscribe” WITHOUT the quotes in both the Subject Line the message area.
If you are traveling to another county, state, or overseas, it’s worthwhile finding out if they have a local bird alert and signing up for it before you travel. Note, however, that since they mostly report rare birds, they may be more interested in birds common to Southern California than they are in their own common birds. You can always post a RFI (Request For Information) on how to find their local birds. Birders are usually quite helpful. Be sure to follow the listserve etiquette which you will receive in your Welcome! message, and thank anyone who helps you out.
Feel free to send in questions, comments and suggestions for other web birding items.
This is an interesting report on how California Gulls have been encouraged to breed so successfully (from 28 gulls in 1980 to nearly 47,000 in 2008) that the numbers are now threatening the success of the Wetlands project in the San Franciso South Bay.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/dailyreview/localnews/ci_13722097
Saturday, 14 November. Ballona Jetty and Fresh Water Marsh. The breakwaters at Marina del Rey (the Ballona Jetty) are a great place to find rock-loving birds uncommon on sandy beaches, such as Surfbird, Black Turnstone, Wandering Tattler, Black Oystercatcher and all three cormorants, as well as the usual suspects in the gull and tern community and perhaps an unusual sparrow or two. After exploring the jetty we will go to the opposite end of the wetlands and bird the freshwater marsh next to Lincoln Blvd. This marsh has an ever-expanding bird list that has passed 150 species.
Black Oystercatchers nest on the MDR Outer Jetty
Family guide: 1-2 miles walking on pavement, dirt trails and rock jetty if you’re sure footed. Usually cool, sometimes windy.[Directions] From Lincoln Blvd. in Playa del Rey take Jefferson Blvd. towards the ocean. Jefferson will merge into Culver Blvd as you continue. Turn right on Pacific Ave (almost at the end of Culver) and go to about 64th Ave. where you will find a parking lot between Pacific Ave. and the Del Rey Lagoon.
Meet at 8:00 a.m. in the parking lot by the lagoon Leader: Lu Plauzoles (310-395-6235)
Evening Meeting – Tuesday, 3 November, 7:30 p.m.
Birding Adventures with Earthwatch by Muriel Horacek.
The Earthwatch Institute offers a wealth of educational/involvement expeditions to all places for many purposes, and among them are a variety of programs concerned with birds. Muriel presents experiences selected from her 35 Earthwatch journeys , illustrated with slides from programs such as: Bird Migrations in Alaska, Israel and Kenya; The Mating Dance of Long-tailed Manakins in Monteverde, Costa Rica; The Re-introduction of Whooping Cranes into Florida; Hummingbird Research in the Peruvian Rainforest; and Tracking Macaws in Bolivia. Join us for a visual treat, and find out about Earthwatch at the same time.
[Directions]: We meet at the Ken Edwards Center, 1527 4th Street (between Colorado and Broadway), Santa Monica, located on the east side of the street, across from Santa Monica Place indoor mall and easily accessible from the 4th Street offramp of the westbound #10 Freeway. Parking is under the building: metered spaces are free after 6:00 p.m., and there are numerous free Visitor Parking spaces on the lower levels. We meet on the first floor – the room number will be posted. Meetings begin at 7:30 sharp with a little business, and then our main presentation. Refreshments will be served.
Tool Use to Crow About
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/46196/title/Tool_use_to_crow_about
Crows use sticks, stones to show skills at manipulating tools in lab.
From Science News, Aug. 29, 2009
Tiny Bird, Tiny Genome
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/46148/title/Tiny_bird%2C_tiny_genome
Scientists find that hummingbirds have less DNA in their cells than any previously studied bird, reptile or mammal. From Science News, Aug. 29, 2009
Avian Moltitasking
The time it takes to replace feathers might limit birds’ body size.
From Natural History Magazine, September 2009
http://www.naturalhistorymag.com/samplings/241532/avian-moltitasking
Sunday, 25 October. Malibu Lagoon. As the summer sunbathers retreat to their homes, the lagoon and beach fill up with migrants and wintering birds arriving from the north. It may be sunny, it may be cool, but it probably won’t be raining. Whether you’re experienced or new to our coastal birds, this would be a great day to introduce yourself to them. (They’ve been asking about you.)
Juvenile American Coot (C.Almdale photo 10/09)
Adult Walk 8:30 a.m. – beginner and experienced, 2-3 hours. Species range from 40 in June to 60-75 during migrations and winter. Over the bridges, down to the shore, and if the lagoon outlet is closed, around the lagoon to Adamson House. We put out special effort to make our monthly Malibu Lagoon walks attractive to first-time and beginning birdwatchers. So please, if you are at all worried about coming on a trip and embarrassing yourself because of all the experts, we remember our first trips too. Someone had to show us the birds, and it’s our turn now.
Children and Parents Walk 10:00 a.m. – one hour session. We start at 10:00 for a shorter walk and to allow time for families to get it together on a sleepy Sunday morning. We will have kid-experienced leaders so please bring the kids to the beach! We have an ample supply of binoculars that children can use without striking terror into their parents – we want to see families enjoying nature. (If you have a Scout Troop or other large group of kids please call Mary (310-457-2240) to make sure we have enough binoculars.)
[3950 Cross Creek Rd, CA 90265] Malibu Lagoon is at the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Cross Creek Road. We meet in the traditional place, at the first footbridge on the main trail to the beach. (The bridges will be there for the foreseeable future). Parking in the official lagoon lot is $12 or by annual pass. You may also park either along PCH north of Cross Creek Road or on Cross Creek Road itself but be careful – some parts of PCH are off-limits (read the signs carefully). Lagoon parking in the shopping center lot is not permitted.
Rare One-eyed Pumpkin-Bird (Roxy Seidner photo)
Saturday-Sunday, 31 October – 01 November. Halloween at Butterbredt Spring. Join us on our annual Halloween Campout! Travel is on graded dirt roads. Birds we hope to see are the typical desert species (Golden Eagle, Sage Sparrow, etc.) and fall migrants such as (we hope) large flocks of Pinyon Jays. Bring a pumpkin for the annual Carving Exhibition and Ghostly Tree Display. Don’t leave Mojave without filling up on gas and bring water for cooking and washing.
Family guide: great fun for children over 10. In fact, we encourage families to attend this camping trip. We have been invited to stay at Sageland Ranch, home of Keith Axelson. There will be camping space for all, but please bring enough water for cooking and washing, and some firewood would be greatly appreciated too. You can cook on the main campfire or on one of the barbecues.
NB: Participants need to phone or email the leader to sign-up for this trip. They will receive directions, time and place of meeting, and be asked to sign a release form which will be available at the beginning of the trip or by sending a SASE to the leader
Mary Prismon, 4310 Ocean View Dr. Malibu, CA 90265 (310-457-2240) when signing up.
Local Denizen stars on Pumpkin (M.Prismon photo)
[Directions] From Santa Monica: take the San Diego Freeway north to Highway 14 which goes east and then north to the Antelope Valley. From Mojave continue on Highway 14 about 20 miles to the Jawbone Canyon turnoff. Take Jawbone Rd. for 6.2 miles and take the right fork. Go another 5.7 miles to the Butterbredt Sign, turn right and go another 0.9 miles to the spring. Travel time is about 2½ – 3 hours from Santa Monica. Meet at the spring at 8:30 a.m. Leave your name and telephone number with the contact person in case of cancellation due to bad weather. If you have an FRS radio, bring it along tuned to Channel 11, privacy channel 22.
Evening Meeting – Tuesday, 3 November, 7:30 p.m.. Birding Adventures with Earthwatch by Muriel Horacek.
The Earthwatch Institute offers a wealth of educational/involvement expeditions to all places for many purposes, and among them are a variety of programs concerned with birds. Muriel presents experiences selected from her 35 Earthwatch journeys , illustrated with slides from programs such as: Bird Migrations in Alaska, Israel and Kenya; The Mating Dance of Long-tailed Manakins in Monteverde, Costa Rica; The Re-introduction of Whooping Cranes into Florida; Hummingbird Research in the Peruvian Rainforest; and Tracking Macaws in Bolivia. Join us for a visual treat, and find out about Earthwatch at the same time.
[Directions]: We meet at the Ken Edwards Center, 1527 4th Street (between Colorado and Broadway), Santa Monica, located on the east side of the street, across from Santa Monica Place indoor mall and easily accessible from the 4th Street offramp of the westbound #10 Freeway. Parking is under the building: metered spaces are free after 6:00 p.m., and there are numerous free Visitor Parking spaces on the lower levels. We meet on the first floor – the room number will be posted. Meetings begin at 7:30 sharp with a little business, and then our main presentation. Refreshments will be served.
Saturday, 14 November. Ballona Jetty and Fresh Water Marsh. The breakwaters at Marina del Rey (the Ballona Jetty) are a great place to find rock-loving birds uncommon on sandy beaches, such as Surfbird, Black Turnstone, Wandering Tattler, Black Oystercatcher and all three cormorants, as well as the usual suspects in the gull and tern community and perhaps an unusual sparrow or two. After exploring the jetty we will go to the opposite end of the wetlands and bird the freshwater marsh next to Lincoln Blvd. This marsh has an ever-expanding bird list that has passed 150 species.
Family guide: 1-2 miles walking on pavement, dirt trails and rock jetty if you’re sure footed. Usually cool, sometimes windy.[Directions] From Lincoln Blvd. in Playa del Rey take Jefferson Blvd. towards the ocean. Jefferson will merge into Culver Blvd as you continue. Turn right on Pacific Ave (almost at the end of Culver) and go to about 64th Ave. where you will find a parking lot between Pacific Ave. and the Del Rey Lagoon.
Meet at 8:00 a.m. in the parking lot by the lagoon Leader: Lu Plauzoles (310-395-6235)
Sunday, 22 November. Malibu Lagoon, 8:30 a.m.. Loads of migrants and wintering birds make it a great day for the lagoon. Usually sunny, sometimes cool. Forget Thanksgiving: see your birds here with us.
See October 25 above for Adult Walk, Children & Parents Walk and Location Information.
Evening Meeting – Tuesday, 1 December, 7:30 p.m. Insects and Native Plant Gardens by James Hogue, Ph.D.
This exquisitely illustrated program is not a session in pest control, but rather an appreciation of the community of native insects and plants that occupy a healthy native plant garden. Jim is a lifelong insect collector and co-author of Field Guide to Beetles of California. He is currently the manager of biological collections and a part-time lecturer in the biology department at California State University, Northridge.
[Directions]: See directions for Evening Meeting – 3 November.
Saturday, 12 December. Carrizo Plains. This is a wintering ground for the Sandhill Crane, one of two species of cranes in North America. The Carrizo is also one of the best places in southern California to see a large variety of raptors, including Prairie Falcon and Ferruginous Hawk. We often find a flock of Mountain Plovers! We also look for shrikes, eagles, hawks, falcons, owls, sparrows, larks, Tricolored Blackbirds, scintillating Mountain Bluebirds, coyote, fox, pronghorn, deer and elk, as well as more open and quiet space than anyone believes can still exist in SoCal. We usually stop by the San Andreas Fault where it breaks through to the surface to check on how much it’s moved since last year.
Family guide: lots of car travel and stationary observation; young non-birders will be bored.
NB: You must call leader to participate. No fee, but this trip is limited to 5 vehicles, with priority given to those who are carpooling. In the event of adverse weather or road conditions, the trip will be cancelled by the leader no later than Friday evening. Sign-up anytime but please call the leader Chuck Almdale (818-894-2541) during the week before the trip to re-confirm. The leader contacts the Carrizo Plains Ed Center on Friday afternoon just before the trip to check on weather and road conditions and then will inform all participants if it’s a go or not.
[Directions] Carpools will leave the North Hills (San Fernando Valley) area by 7:15 am so we can be at the Maricopa re-grouping spot by 9 am. Allow 1/2-hour drive time from Santa Monica to the carpool meeting place. Bring lunch, drinks, additional water and dress in layers for whatever the weather may bring. You may want to top up your gas tank in Maricopa as there are NO services in the Carrizo. If you have an FRS radio, bring it along tuned to Channel 11, privacy channel 22.
Leave North Hills at 7:15 a.m. Leader: Chuck Almdale (818-894-2541)
Saturday, 19 December. Butterbredt Spring Christmas Count. This is the one trip every year where you can count on meeting real birders, the kind that bring their cross-country skis when the weather turns iffy. No latté-sipping wimps on this trip! All seriousness aside, dress warmly, bring $5 for the compilation fee, pack a lunch and snacks and be ready to spend all daylight time (it gets dark around 4:30 p.m.) in the Butterbredt count circle as we do our part to count all the birds that were too macho to fly south for the winter.
Family guide: long car ride, possible cold weather; gotta love the birds
[Directions] Contact the coordinator Chuck Bragg (310-454-9662) for exact instructions (the count circle instructions are different from our regular field trips to Butterbredt). We’ll be happy to arrange carpools if you don’t want to do any driving. If you have an FRS radio, bring it along tuned to Channel 11, privacy channel 22.
Monday, 21 December. Christmas Count rainout date. Everything else is the same as above.
Sunday, 27 December. Malibu Lagoon, 8:30 a.m.. Here in Deep and Dark December, it’s a great day for the lagoon. It’s often sunny and mild, although one Christmas Day walk brought ice-encrusted lagoon-edges. A veritable googolplex of species may be present. Dress for cool weather and possible wind or fog.
See October 25 above for Adult Walk, Children & Parents Walk and Location Information.
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/47800/title/Feather-covered_dinosaur_fossils_found
Scientists have uncovered a feather-laden, peacock-sized dinosaur that predates the oldest known bird.
From Science News Web Edition 9/26/09
Darwinopterus points to chunky evolution
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/48389/title/Darwinopterus_points_to_chunky_evolution
A newly discovered pterosaur had the legs of its ancestors and the head of its descendants.
From Science News Web Edition 10/14/09
Field Trip Report – Huntington Beach Central Park & Bolsa Chica Lagoon, Sat. 10/10/09
There must have been thousands of Boy Scouts, parents and support staff in the park with their tents, Coleman stoves, tables and numerous who-can-shout-the-loudest events. Birding was a bit difficult, and we failed to find any sign of the Lucy’s Warbler, American Redstart, Ovenbird and No. Waterthrush which were sighted earlier in the week near the “culvert”, now the epicenter of the jamboree. So it goes. Just as we were leaving, a Worm-eating Warbler sighting was reported from the lake’s west side.
Chestnut-sided Warbler in Eucalypt (Guy Commeau photo)
Despite huge crowds gathered there for a cross-country race, we scoured the eucalypt foliage until we found a large flock of warblers busily gleaning insects. We counted ten warbler species, including the much-desired Worm-eating, seen only by alert birder John Vanderhorst, and a surprise Chestnut-sided in its blandest fall plumage (see Guy’s photo above). Reenergized by lunch, we headed to Bolsa Chica Lagoon to check out the shorebird flocks. Two adult Reddish Egrets, apparently now long-term lagoon residents, danced in the shallows, seeking fish. Temperatures ranged from 65 to 72 and the weather was beautiful.
Trip List HCP Trip List Bolsa Chica Lagoon
Canada Goose American Wigeon
Gadwall Mallard
American Wigeon Ruddy Duck
Mallard Pied-billed Grebe
Northern Shoveler Eared Grebe
Ruddy Duck Western Grebe
Pied-billed Grebe White Pelican
Eared Grebe Brown Pelican
Double-crested Cormorant Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron Great Blue Heron
Snowy Egret Great Egret
Turkey Vulture Snowy Egret
Red-shouldered Hawk Reddish Egret (2)
Red-tailed Hawk Green Heron
American Coot Turkey Vulture
California Gull Northern Harrier
Ring-billed Gull Red-tailed Hawk
Rock Pigeon American Coot
Mourning Dove Black-bellied Plover
Black-chinned Hummingbird Semipalmated Plover
Anna’s Hummingbird Killdeer
Allen’s Hummingbird Willet
Nuttall’s Woodpecker Whimbrel
Downy Woodpecker Long-billed Curlew
Northern Flicker Marbled Godwit
Western Wood-Pewee Ruddy Turnstone
Hammond’s Flycatcher Sanderling
Black Phoebe Western Sandpiper
Say’s Phoebe Dunlin
Warbling Vireo Dowitcher – sps.
Western Scrub-Jay Ring-billed Gull
American Crow Western Gull
Bushtit California Gull
House Wren Caspian Tern
Ruby-crowned Kinglet Forester’s Tern
Hermit Thrush Rock Pigeon
Northern Mockingbird Belted Kingfisher
European Starling Black Phoebe
Orange-crowned Warbler Say’s Phoebe
Nashville Warbler American Crow
Yellow Warbler Savannah Sparrow
Chestnut-sided Warbler Song Sparrow
Yellow-rumped Warbler 42 species
Black-throated Gray Warbler
Townsend’s Warbler
Worm-eating Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Wilson’s Warbler
Spotted Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Western Tanager
Black-headed Grosbeak
Red-winged Blackbird
Brewer’s Blackbird
House Finch
Lesser Goldfinch
House Sparrow
Nutmeg Mannikin
60 species
The time to put native plants in the ground, November thru February, will soon be upon us, and there are still several sales of native plants in our area. At Theodore Payne from 8:30 to 4:30 on October 9-10 and October 16-17. Worth the drive to Sun Valley for great selection and lovely plants.
There’s also one at the Las Virgines Water District headquarters, 4232 Las Virgines Rd in Calabasas. Oct. 24, 9 am to 2 pm. Call 818-251 2100 for info.
This must be about the 20th year that members of our chapter have collected trash at the lagoon for the annual Coastal Cleanup Day, but no one seems to have kept a record, other than in our increasingly shoddy memories. More people than ever came: were you one of them? If so, congratulations and thank you.
Altogether we had 67 volunteers collecting 55 bags of trashy trash totalling 195 lbs and 20 bags of recyclable trash totalling 47 lbs. This included 1300 cigarette butts (I thought everyone had quit smoking by now; I guess not), more tiny pieces of styrofoam than any sane person would want to see, a baby stroller, a lovely straw Easter bonnet and a boogie board. I fished the bonnet out myself, using a swimming pool net on a pole extended to full length, standing outside the footbridge railing leaning out as far as I could while someone held onto me by my belt. The fun never stops!
Chuck Bragg
AdrianD
Margaret Huffman
Chuck Almdale