Santa Monica Bay Audubon Blog

State of the Birds or Birds of the State?

LucienP — Mon, 20 May 2013 20:08:47 +0000

Last Friday the online journal “Slate” published a great article on the official birds of the 50 states of the union, and what they should be. If you’re serious you’ll read more than the first three paragraphs, if you’re not so determined you’ll get your laughs quickly and leave it be.

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2013/05/state_bird_improvements_replace_cardinals_and_robins_with_warblers_and_hawks.html

Morongo Preserve & Black Rock Campground: Trip Report 4-5 May, 2013

Chukar — Sat, 18 May 2013 01:57:38 +0000

Click to view slideshow.

The weekend turned out to be a series of life birds for several people. Jean finally got the Pinyon Jay on Saturday at Black Rock. They were in a flock and, as Chuck Almdale pointed out, moved down the slope and across the valley as Bushtit flocks roll from bush to bush, trailing birds flying past leading birds and landing, so you are given a lot of chances to see them. When that show was over a Scott’s Oriole posed for us for several minutes, giving us every view we could wish for. Thanks to Chuck’s good eyes we even found a Brewer’s Sparrow. Then there were the Eurasian Collared-Doves with their strange sounds, Western Bluebirds, Gambel’s Quail, Cactus Wren, and Ash-throated Flycatcher.

Scott’s Oriole on a Joshua Tree seed pod (D. Roberts 5/4/13)

At Morongo Canyon Preserve on Sunday, the wind was blowing about 10 knots, and we were not sure if the birding would be affected. At the entrance where the trailer sits with several bird feeders , we saw the Townsend’s Solitaire who was brown, indicating a 1^st year bird and it was obviously exhausted judging by the lethargic movements. I don’t know if anyone has ever had such an opportunity to repeatedly look at a solitaire. But that wasn’t the only show. Lillian said, “is that a Calliope [Hummingbird] on the feeder?” We all looked and realized it was one.

Hummer at the Morongo feeders (D. Roberts 5/5/13)

He came back several times in case everyone had not gotten a picture and then a female started coming to the feeder. For a lot of people, that bird is not easy to get a good view of. We also had Costa’s & Black-chinned Hummingbirds at the same bird feeders. Because of the wind, it looked like a fall-out of Western Tanagers because, as someone said, you could have a binocular filled with them.

Summer Tanager looking for a quick meal (D. Roberts 5/5/13)

The Summer Tanagers were also around so everyone saw a least four of them and fortunately the male & female Vermilion Flycatchers were near their nest. Also, in a tree nearby, a pair of juvenile Red-tailed Hawks were found in their nest, stretching their wings. Later, we could see one of the adults hunting for food.

The lump in the tree is a nest holding two young Red-tailed Hawks (D. Roberts 5/5/13)

We did pretty well with warblers seeing seven, including the Yellow-breasted Chat, who teased us until he finally perched where all could see him. The two more unusual warblers, for Morongo, were the Hermit & the Black-throated Gray. All I can say is this was a good year so any one who didn’t attend missed a great week-end. [Jean Garrett & Liz Galton]

Trip List
Code: B – Black Rock, M – Morongo Valley
H – Heard only
Name	5/4-5/13
Gambel’s Quail	MB
Turkey Vulture	M
Cooper’s Hawk	M
Red-tailed Hawk	M
Virginia Rail	M-H
Rock Pigeon	MB
Eurasian Collared-Dove	M
White-winged Dove	MB
Mourning Dove	MB
White-throated Swift	M
Black-chinned Hummingbird	MB
Anna’s Hummingbird	MB
Costa’s Hummingbird	MB
Calliope Hummingbird	M
Ladder-backed Woodpecker	MB
Nuttall’s Woodpecker	M
American Kestrel	B
Olive-sided Flycatcher	M
Western Wood-Pewee	MB
Willow Flycatcher	M
Pacific-slope Flycatcher	M
Black Phoebe	MB
Vermilion Flycatcher	M
Ash-throated Flycatcher	B
Brown-crested Flycatcher	M
Cassin’s Kingbird	MB
Western Kingbird	MB
Loggerhead Shrike	M
Bell’s Vireo	M
Cassin’s Vireo	M
Warbling Vireo	M
Pinyon Jay	B
Western Scrub-Jay	MB
Common Raven	MB
Mountain Chickadee	M
Oak Titmouse	M
Bushtit	M
House Wren	M
Bewick’s Wren	MB
Cactus Wren	B
Western Bluebird	MB
Townsend’s Solitaire	M
Swainson’s Thrush	M
Northern Mockingbird	B
California Thrasher	MB
European Starling	MB
Phainopepla	MB
Orange-crowned Warbler	M
Nashville Warbler	M
Common Yellowthroat	M
Yellow Warbler	M
Yellow-rumped Warbler – Audubon	M
Black-throated Gray Warbler	M
Townsend’s Warbler	M
Hermit Warbler	M
Wilson’s Warbler	MB
Yellow-breasted Chat	M
Spotted Towhee	MB
California Towhee	MB
Brewer’s Sparrow	B
Song Sparrow	M
Summer Tanager	M
Western Tanager	M
Black-headed Grosbeak	M
Blue Grosbeak	M
Lazuli Bunting	M
Great-tailed Grackle	M
Brown-headed Cowbird	M
Hooded Oriole	M
Bullock’s Oriole	M
Scott’s Oriole	B
House Finch	MB
Pine Siskin	M
Lesser Goldfinch	MB
Lawrence’s Goldfinch	M
House Sparrow	MB
Total Species	76

You asked about eagle action…

LucienP — Thu, 16 May 2013 23:22:37 +0000

For those who asked to whom you should write concerning the Fish and Wildlife Service’s planned long (30-50 year) “take” permit plans for wind farms, the American Bird Conservancy has prepared the outline of a letter to which you can easily add a comment. The letter will be mailed to three officials when you fill in your address and hit the send button.
Mary Prismon and I have already written on behalf of the Chapter, however, please write on your own.

It’s not too late to send an email asking that the feds drop their plans for permits that would allow wind energy companies and others to legally kill eagles at their facilities for up to 30 years, instead of the current five: http://org2.salsalabs.com/o/5400/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=13726

Lucien Plauzoles, Co-chair Conservation

Washington is NOT helping the birds!

LucienP — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:33:20 +0000

We have received and read a small storm of articles in the past five days that tell us the same sad story. The Department of Interior in this Administration seems to value wind energy investment more than the life of birds–even that of the California Condor and Bald and Golden Eagles!

So much effort and money has been spent helping those birds avert extinction, yet non-enforcement and deregulation by exception seem to rule in the current Administration. Here are two links recently posted on the American Bird Conservancy alert:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/ap-impact-obama-administration-allows-wind-farms-to-kill-eagles-birds-despite-federal-laws/2013/05/14/fbaced8a-bc66-11e2-b537-ab47f0325f7c_story.html

There was also a companion video link:

http://landing.newsinc.com/shared/video.html?freewheel=90121&sitesection=ap&VID=24819212

Another regulatory exception was announced for Tejon Ranch’s planned development of thousands of homes between L.A. and Bakersfield as noted in the Los Angeles Times on Sunday.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-killing-condors-20130511,0,1790222.story

This is probably of much lesser threat than existing and future wind farms in the Tehachepi Mountains.

We are preparing a chapter response to be filed with the US Fish and Wildlife Service within the week.

Lu Plauzoles, Co-chair Conservation

Eight-Legged Science: The Spider Lab at LMU, with Dr. Martin Ramirez – Evening Meeting Reminder: Tuesday, 7 May, 7:30pm

Chukar — Fri, 03 May 2013 08:39:42 +0000

ALERT! PLEASE NOTE THAT MEETING PLACE IS STILL CHANGED!

Female Green Lynx Spider -Peucetia viridans – & egg sac, in pickleweed (M. Ramirez 10/25/08)

With over 43,000 described species, spiders are perhaps the fifth largest animal order and are a major predatory group in most ecosystems. Yet, relative to their biodiversity and ecological importance, knowledge concerning the lives of most spider species is unknown. From its beginning in fall 1999, the Spider Lab at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) has had two goals: To seek out new science concerning a diversity of spiders, and to foster the success of LMU undergraduates, especially women and members of underrepresented groups. This talk will present some of the surprising findings the students and Dr. Ramiriz have made concerning several local spiders, spotlighting along the way how involvement in eight-legged science @ LMU can catalyze student excellence.

Martin G. Ramirez is Professor of Biology at Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA. His research focuses on the conservation genetics and ecology of spiders. A native of Pomona, he received his B.S. degree in biology from LMU in 1981 and later earned his Ph.D. in Biology from UC Santa Cruz in 1990. Prior to returning to LMU in 1999, he served for several years each on the faculties of Pomona College; Bucknell University, PA; Denison University, OH; and East Stroudsburg University, PA.

We will continue to meet through May at Christine Emerson Reed Park, 1133 7th Street. (between 7th St. & Lincoln Blvd., California Ave. & Wilshire Blvd.), Santa Monica. This used to be known as Lincoln Park. If you’re coming from outside Santa Monica, exit the #10 Fwy at Lincoln Blvd., turn north and drive 5 blocks north to Wilshire Blvd.

Link to Google Map

Meeting Room: In mid-park Joslyn Hall, accessible from Lincoln Blvd, California Ave. and 7th St. Its glass wall faces north towards St. Monica Church on California St. If you’re walking from Lincoln Blvd., it’s located directly behind (west) of the large Miles Playhouse building. Not accessible directly from Wilshire Blvd.

Meetings begin at 7:30 sharp with a little business, and then our main presentation. Refreshments are served afterward.

The non-radioactive normal-sized tarantula is harmless and friendly

Parking: The entire block between Wilshire and California Ave, 7th and Lincoln, on the sides closest to the park, is metered. Meter enforcement ends at 6PM, so free parking for the meeting! We had almost 50 attendees in February and we know of only two people who couldn’t find parking. However, the local natives are engaged in a survival-of-the-fittest scramble for free parking, so the after-6pm free parking spaces disappear quickly. We suggest that you arrive no later than 7:15 pm.

If all those spaces are filled, go south of Wilshire, not north of the park, as resident-only permit parking zones abound to the north. The east side of Lincoln Blvd. is also by permit parking only. We found plenty of spaces on 7th St. or Lincoln south of Wilshire. Most of those seem to be “until 6PM” meters also. Wherever you park, please read parking signs carefully and avoid a $40+ parking ticket.

We may return to the Ken Edwards Center on 4th St. next fall, but we are also searching for a new meeting room, as parking at Ken Edwards had become a problem. [Chuck Almdale]

Malibu Lagoon Field Trip Report: 28 April, 2013

Chukar — Wed, 01 May 2013 00:17:13 +0000

A foggy morning at the lagoon, outlet closed, the water high, colored flags marking the small plants, an occasional unflagged weed and, frankly, not many birds. See the charts below and on our Lagoon Project Page for the statistics.

Channel area view from Las Virgenes Rd. (L. Plauzoles 04/13/13)

The ducks are dwindling as springtime calls them north. It was an off day for the shorebirds, with only five “peeps” present: two Western Sandpipers, a single Ruddy Turnstone, two Spotted Sandpipers now sporting breeding breast-spots. The gulls continue to be fewer than average: we didn’t find any Ring-bills among the few California and Western Gulls, but Heermann’s, absent since January, begin to return from their breeding grounds on islands near the tip of Baja California. A single Clark’s Grebe was out past the kelp with a small group of Western Grebes.

“Elegant, my foot! He tries that with me, Marge, and he’s going to be the least tern you ever saw.” (C.Bragg 2011)

The Elegant Terns returned, resting en route to breeding grounds farther north. They looked great and they knew it, breasts rosy from a crustacean diet, with fine black crests. Many attempted mating. A Black-crowned Night Heron hid in the trees by the Adamson House beach fence, a White-tailed Kite searched the perimeter, eight Semipalmated Plovers combed the beach wrack, two Black Oystercatchers worked the low-tide rocks, six Caspian and three Royal Terns kept the cacophonous Elegant Terns company, and a young male Hooded Oriole – yellow, not orange – was a nice treat near the picnic table corner.

The tidal clock was working – 8 ft. 4 in. was the time, I think. A good high tide with some wave action may well open an outlet near Adamson House.

Tidal Clock at work, ticking away (J. Kenney 4/16/13)

Our next three field trips: Morongo Valley Preserve, 4-5 May; Malibu Lagoon, 26 May, 8:30am; Malibu Lagoon, 23 June, 8:30am.
Our next program: Tuesday, 7 May., 7:30 pm. Eight-legged Science: The Spider Lab at Loyola Marymount University, with Dr. Martin Ramirez. The usual reminders will be emailed from the blog.

NOTE: Our 10 a.m. Parent’s & Kids Birdwalks have resumed.

Links: Unusual birds at Malibu Lagoon
Aerial photo of Malibu Lagoon from 9/23/02.
Prior checklists: July-Dec’11, Jan-June’11, July-Dec ’10, Jan-June ’10, Jul-Dec ‘09, and Jan-June ‘09.

Comments on Bird Lists Below
Total Birds: March total birds of 666 are 34% below average; low numbers are mainly in the Brown Pelicans (-158) and Gulls & Terns (-197).
Species Diversity: April 2013 with 56 species was 2% below the 57.2 6-year average, a minor variance.
Summary of species diversity from the 6-year average so far: June -10%, July +10%, Aug. -6%, Sep. -20%, Oct. +5%, Nov +2%, Dec -4%, Jan +2%, Feb -8%, March +9%, April -2%. Still, the only constant is change.
10-year comparison summaries are available on our Lagoon Project Bird Census Page. [Chuck Almdale]

	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013
	27-Apr	26-Apr	25-Apr	24-Apr	22-Apr	28-Apr
Temperature	75-90	60-70	62-70	59-68	60-65	57-68
Tide Lo/Hi Height	L +0.5	H +3.7	H +4.57	L +0.19	H +3.67	L -1.10	Ave.
Tide Time	1000	1128	0744	1014	1106	0609	Birds
Brant		1	3			3	1.2
Gadwall	15	6	12	24	14	12	13.8
American Wigeon		4			9		2.2
Mallard	25	16	20	22	16	30	21.5
Northern Shoveler					12		2.0
Surf Scoter	30						5.0
Red-brstd Merganser	4		3		5	3	2.5
Ruddy Duck		10		3	9	20	7.0
Pacific Loon	2	2	4	20	3	1	5.3
Common Loon	1		3	1			0.8
Pied-billed Grebe	4	4	1		2	6	2.8
Eared Grebe	6				2		1.3
Western Grebe	50		35	2	1	28	19.3
Brandt’s Cormorant	8	1		3	1	7	3.3
Dble-crstd Cormorant	25	14	22	19	65	22	27.8
Pelagic Cormorant	2	1	1	2		1	1.2
Brown Pelican	35	78	182	740	80	34	191.5
Great Blue Heron	2	1		4	1	2	1.7
Great Egret	2		2		2	2	1.3
Snowy Egret	8	7	13	11	9	9	9.5
Blk-crwnd N-Heron	1			1	1	1	0.7
Red-tailed Hawk		1		2			0.5
Sora	1		1		1		0.5
American Coot	65	38	35	32	95	58	53.8
Blk-bellied Plover		30	7		11		8.0
Snowy Plover	1				3	6	1.7
Semipalmated Plover	15	15	13	25	3	8	13.2
Killdeer	4	2	4	8	4	2	4.0
Black-necked Stilt					4		0.7
Spotted Sandpiper	1	3	3		1	2	1.7
Willet	4	4	1			1	1.7
Whimbrel	1	6	5	3	5	8	4.7
Marbled Godwit		10	4		8		3.7
Ruddy Turnstone	5	25	2		1	1	5.7
Black Turnstone	1				2		0.5
Surfbird			3				0.5
Western Sandpiper	15	10		12	16	2	9.2
Least Sandpiper	4	2	30	25	5		11.0
Boneparte’s Gull			5	2			1.2
Heermann’s Gull	3	1	45	3	1	14	11.2
Ring-billed Gull	8	4	4	52	20		14.7
Western Gull	35	85	105	160	85	112	97.0
California Gull	65	6	108	450	75	25	121.5
Glaucous-wingd Gull		3	1	2	1	3	1.7
Caspian Tern	13	41	30	61	25	6	29.3
Forster’s Tern		2		1			0.5
Royal Tern	4	2	1			3	1.7
Elegant Tern	245	700	40	12	65	134	199.3
Rock Pigeon	6	4	4	4	3	12	5.5
Mourning Dove	2	2	6	4	2	2	3.0
Anna’s Hummingbird	2	1	2	2	2	1	1.7
Allen’s Hummingbird	3	4	3	2	2	4	3.0
Black Phoebe	6	10	10	8	4	7	7.5
American Crow	4	5	4	5	5	4	4.5
Rough-wingd Swallow	4	3	10	16	6	10	8.2
Barn Swallow	8	4	2	10	1	6	5.2
Cliff Swallow	20	4	2				4.3
Bushtit	6	2	6		2	4	3.3
Bewick’s Wren				2	1	1	0.7
Northern Mockingbird	4	1	2	2	2	5	2.7
European Starling	6	6	4		4	4	4.0
Cedar Waxwing			20				3.3
Yellow-rumpd Warbler			2	4			1.0
Common Yellowthroat	1	2		6	3		2.0
Spotted Towhee	1	1	4				1.0
California Towhee			3			2	0.8
Song Sparrow	8	6	12	10	8	15	9.8
Red-winged Blackbird		2	1	1	6		1.7
Great-tailed Grackle		1		2	8	5	2.7
Brwn-headed Cowbird	1	2	1		2		1.0
House Finch	6	4	6	10	6	8	6.7
Lesser Goldfinch			2	1	2		0.8
Totals by Type	27-Apr	26-Apr	25-Apr	24-Apr	22-Apr	28-Apr	Ave.
Waterfowl	74	37	38	51	65	68	56
Water Birds-Other	200	138	284	820	250	160	309
Herons, Egrets	13	8	15	16	13	14	13
Raptors	0	2	0	3	1	1	1
Shorebirds	52	109	73	74	63	32	67
Gulls & Terns	373	844	339	743	272	297	478
Doves	9	6	10	9	5	14	9
Other Non-Pass.	6	5	5	4	4	5	5
Passerines	80	53	92	83	60	75	74
Totals Birds	807	1202	856	1803	733	666	1011
	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013
Total Species	27-Apr	26-Apr	25-Apr	24-Apr	22-Apr	28-Apr	Ave.
Waterfowl	4	5	4	4	6	5	4.7
Water Birds-Other	12	7	9	9	9	10	9.3
Herons, Egrets	4	2	2	3	4	4	3.2
Raptors	0	2	0	2	1	1	1.0
Shorebirds	11	12	11	6	12	9	10.2
Gulls & Terns	7	9	9	9	7	7	8.0
Doves	3	2	2	3	2	2	2.3
Other Non-Pass.	3	2	2	2	2	2	2.2
Passerines	17	15	18	17	15	16	16.3
Totals Species	61	56	57	55	58	56	57.2

Malibu Lagoon Official Opening & Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony: Friday, 3 May, 11 A.M.

Chukar — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 08:24:46 +0000

It’s Official!
Malibu Lagoon has it’s official opening ceremony on Friday, 3 May at 11 AM.

It was a long and often acrimonious process, but now little remains to be done except watch the plants grow.

Santa Monica Bay Audubon Society has long supported this project, and we have been especially invited to attend. California State Parks asked if we could have members with telescopes on hand to help attendees see and learn about the birds. We have a couple of volunteers so far, but we need more. How about you? The more birders we have on hand, the better.

To volunteer, send an email to: webinfo49 [at] att.net.
To simply attend, just come.

The vegetation hasn’t grown back yet, but you get the idea. (RestoreMalibuLagoon . com)

Directions: Malibu Lagoon is at the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Cross Creek Road. Look around for people wearing binoculars. Parking in the official lagoon lot is $12+ or by annual pass. You may also park either along PCH west of Cross Creek Road, on Cross Creek Road, or on Civic Center Way north (inland) of the shopping center. Be careful – some parts of PCH are off-limits (read the signs carefully). Lagoon parking in the shopping center lot is not permitted.

Map to Meeting Place
Chuck Almdale]

Morongo Valley Field Trip: Sat. & Sun 4-5 May.

Chukar — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 19:54:32 +0000

Big Morongo Canyon Preserve is one of the finest birding spots in southern California, known as a springtime migrant trap, frequently catching rare eastern migrants, hummers and orioles at the feeders, local specialties such as Vermilion Flycatcher, Summer Tanager and Brown-crested Flycatcher. On a busy day, the trees are fulled with migrating birds, especially warblers. Many of the common desert species are also seen. Reserve hours are 7:30 a.m.-sunset.

Nearby Yucca Valley has several motels and Joshua Tree National Monument has several campgrounds.

Gambel’s Quail (L. Johnson 5/3/08)

Saturday, 4pm – Black Rock Campground near Yucca Valley: For those staying overnight Saturday, we meet at the Campground Visitor Center and bird in and near the campground, looking for Gambel’s Quail, White-winged Dove, Roadrunner, Ladderbacked Woodpecker, Pinyon Jay, Scott’s Oriole and whatever else is around. If you’re late, just drive around until you spot some birders. The campground is fully occupied Saturday night. Know how to get there as local signs are not well marked. Allow at least 2.5 hours for the 140 mile trip from Santa Monica. Leaders: Chuck & Lillian Almdale 818-894-2541
Link to Google Map to Black Rock Campground

Vermilion Flycatcher male (L. Johnson 5/3/08)

Sunday, 8am – Big Morongo Canyon Preserve: We officially start at 8am in the reserve parking lot, but feel free to arrive early. Birding is great in next-door Covington Park. We’ll walk around the large reserve until we’re too hot, tired or hungry to continue, then lunch, probably in the reserve. Allow at least 2 1/4 hours for the 125-mile trip from Santa Monica. Leaders: Jean Garrett & Liz Galton (310-472-7209)
Link to Google Map to Morongo Reserve

Family Guide: can get quite hot; not for younger children. 1-2 miles of boardwalk, cinder and hard dirt paths. Dress in layers & hat. Bring water. Lunch near the cars.

Link to map of motels in Yucca Valley, the nearest town to Morongo Valley: Super 8, Best Western, TraveLodge, Sands Motel, Desert View.

Directions to Preserve: Allow at least 2 1/4 hours. Santa Monica #10 Fwy East about 115 miles to Highway 62. North on #62 about 11.5 miles, passing partway through small Morongo Valley town. Angle right on Park Ave. to Covington Park. Turn left on Vale St., then bear right through several turns until you reach Covington Dr., the entrance to the preserve. If the preserve is not yet open (7:30am), birding is great at Covington Park. [Chuck Almdale]

Summer Tanager (L. Johnson 5/3/08)

Placerita Canyon Field Trip Report, April 13.

Chuck Bragg — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 18:43:05 +0000

We had a good group (around 20) of birders for this trip. The weather was just about perfect too. The only exoskeletal life forms in the pomade were a couple of adults (with an enormous group of boy scouts) who were repairing a park kiosk with power tools. By power tools I mean a huge yellow pickup truck with an air compressor to drive the nail guns and so on. They managed to pack a dozen cars into the picnic area too. All this to fix about a dozen square feet of kiosk roof.

Acorn Woodpecker [Scott Baker]

Fortunately we were able to leave the noise behind as we went up the Waterfall Trail and the birds came out to see us. We had a lot of the usual suspects, foremost in number being Acorn Woodpeckers, followed closely by vocalizing House Wrens and Oak Titmice. The birds were apparently trying to drown out the people noise.

Bullock’s Oriole [Scott Baker]

The highlight of the walk had to be sighting 7 (seven!) different warblers! This is not the most you can see, but asking for more on one trip is just rude. We had to search carefully because most of them were Yellow-rumps, and one flitting warbler looks a lot like another until you pay attention. The biggest surprise was probably the Hermit Warbler – a gorgeous male in full breeding plumage. Those of us partial to Townsend’s Warblers had to wait until nearly the end of the trip to find one, and it was the lucky seventh species.

Warbler Collage. Clockwise from upper left: Hermit, Nashville, Black-throated Grey, Townsend’s [Scott
Baker]

After the walk we adjourned to the picnic area down at the Nature Center where a Cooper’s Hawk posed in a nearby tree as we ate our lunches.

Recommendation: go to Placerita on a weekday if you can to avoid the crowds.

Bird List:

Turkey Vulture
White-tailed Kite
Cooper’s Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Mountain Quail [H]
California Quail
Mourning Dove
White-throated Swift
Anna’s Hummingbird
Allen’s Hummingbird ♀ [probable]
Acorn Woodpecker
Nuttall’s Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Grey Flycatcher
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Steller’s Jay
Western Scrub-Jay
Common Raven
Western Warbling-Vireo
Phainopepla
Western Bluebird
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
White-breasted Nuthatch [H]
Bewick’s Wren
House Wren
Bushtit
Violet-green Swallow
Wrentit [H]
Oak Titmouse
Lesser Goldfinch
Purple Finch [H]
House Finch
Orange-crowned Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Grey Warbler
Townsend’s Warbler
Hermit Warbler
Wilson’s Warbler
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Spotted Towhee
California Towhee
Western Tanager
Black-headed Grosbeak
Bullock’s Oriole
Brown-headed Cowbird

51 species

Special thanks to Scott Baker for all the photos!

Announcing dates for Grant Applications

LucienP — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 04:14:57 +0000

College Students: Are you a full-time student? Do you qualify for one of our Field Study Grants? Here is the new Santa Monica Bay Audubon Small Grants Poster that explains the very basic requirements. Our application form is easily downloaded and printed: SMBAS sm grt APP , and it could quickly net you a tax-free grant for hundreds of dollars for your field study project! The application is short and we award direct grants at least twice a year. Don’t pass it up, and share the info with your colleagues. There are frequently multiple awards.