september-october 2010 western tanager newsletter - los angeles audubon

8/8/2019 September-October 2010 Western Tanager Newsletter - Los Angeles Audubon

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Volume 77, Number 1 September/October 2010

WESTERNTANAGER

a publication of Los Angeles Audubon www.laaudubon.org

UNDERSTANDING Bird Vocalizations Through AUDIO SPECTROGRAMS

R ecent technology has given us the ability to “see”into many heretofore invisible parts of the world.From X-Rays of broken bones, to CAT scans of

the brain, to ultrasound images of yet-to-be born infants;modern technology reveals important and usefulinformation about our world.

One such tool that can be very helpful for birders isthe sonogram, or more accurately, the audio spectrogram.Audio spectrograms (“AS” or “sonograms”) allow

birders to “see” inside a bird vocalization and can provide important clues on how to differentiate one callor song from another. Sometimes sonograms help byshowing subtle variations in short calls; other times byhelping the birder recognize differences in the larger

patterns of complex songs. Once these differences arediscerned in spectrograms, they often become mucheasier to hear and differentiate in the field.

This short “teaser” article will serve as anintroduction to the topic. On the LAAS Website are moreexamples of different kinds of vocalizations and their representation as sonograms, including a look at usingsonograms to differentiate the easy-to-confuse songs of the thrashers found in SE Arizona.

At the talk on Wednesday, September 8, 2010, we’llinclude additional examples and analyses and you will beable to hear the songs as you watch the sonograms,something difficult to do in a printed article!

WHAT ARE AUDIO SPECTROGRAMSAn audio spectrogram is a two dimensional graphical

representation of an audio source. The graphic representsall of the frequencies of the sound and also the loudnessof each frequency. Spectrograms are created using a

principal called Fourier Analysis. The basis of this

mathematical process is the theory that many complex phenomenon, like equations or data derived from physical events like a sound; can be broken down into

smaller pieces and thus more easily understood..To make it possible to “see” a sound, a Fourier

analysis is made of the audio and the resultinginformation is converted into graphical form. Here's howthe process works.

First of all, the target sound is digitally recorded invery small “samples”, often 44,100 samples per second, the same process used for a CD. The analyzer then looks at regularly spaced groups of samples to seeif there is a sound present at that moment in time. If audio is present, then it checks the sound at each of many different frequencies to determine whichfrequencies are present at that time and the how loudeach frequency is.

The presence of any audio content in eachfrequency band is then graphically represented by ashort line or dot at that frequency, at the time thatsample occurred. The intensity or loudness of the audioat each frequency is represented as a lighter or darker line on a continuum from very soft (light mark) to veryloud (much darker mark).

This analysis is repeated for regular intervals for aslong as the sound lasts. The resulting graphic is acollection of all of these instantaneous representationsof frequency content placed on a time line. Thehorizontal axis is time, showing the length of theaudio. The vertical axis is frequency, with dots or linesshowing what, if any, content there was at each frequency.

—by Tom Stephenson



2 Western Tanager Vol. 77, No.1

SOME SIMPLE AUDIO EXAMPLESLet’s look at a very simple example of an audio

spectrogram of a whistle that starts at a low pitch andgradually rises to a very high pitch over 30 seconds. Thewhistler whistles one short note per second, each higher than the previous, and all at the same volume.

The resulting graphical representation of the sound

would show one dot at each sample for the frequency of the tone at that time. It would look like this.

Fig. 1. Basic sonogram.

Moving Left to Right on the graphic represents time,which increases one second per “scale” of the graphic.Pitch is represented by the vertical placement of eachdot, with a higher dot representing a higher pitch.

Notice that at each second there is a dot showing thatsound was present, and each dot is higher in pitch thanthe last one, as the tone was rising slowly. Since thewhistle was played at an even volume, there is nodifference in the lightness or darkness of each dot.

Now let’s look at the audio spectrogram of a simplesine wave. If you remember back to your physics class(you weren’t sleeping were you...) a sine wave is the

purest of all tones. It consists of only 1 pitch, with noovertones, and is similar to the sound you would hear from a flute or a very pure whistle. A sonogram of a onesecond sine wave at one pitch would have only one line,representing the pitch of the sound, and the length would

be one second’s worth of distance on the graphic.

A second pure whistle of the same length, but at alower pitch, would have a single line also lasting asecond, but the line would be lower on the graphic thanthe first line.

Here’s an Audio Spectrogram of 12 pure tones, eachlasting 1 second. The tones are in groups of 3 tones at thesame pitch. Each group is lower in pitch than the prior

group. The whole selection lasts about 4 seconds, fromthe 7 second mark to the 11 second mark on the timescale (in this graphic shown across the top). Notice thatthe frequency of the first set of tones is about 1kHz or 1,000 cycles per second. (Middle C on a piano is about260 cycles.)

Fig. 2. Simple repeated tones on 4 pitches.

Here’s a sonogram of the first part of "Row, Row,Row Your Boat" performed with a flute which has noovertones.

Fig. 3. Row your boat sonogram.



Western Tanager September/October 2010 3

Fig. 6. 2 upslurred notes.

Next here's part of a song that is a smooth “slur” thatrises and then falls in pitch and contains rich harmonics.You can see the harmonics as “shadows” above thedarker, fundamental pitch. By the way, the mottling or

background “dots” of most audio spectrograms arecaused usually by the background noise present during

the recording.

Fig. 7. Rich up/down slurs with harmonics.

If you take two sounds of different pitches but equalvolume and play them at the same time, you would hear them both at once and it would sound like a chord. TheAS would look like this:

Fig. 4 Sonogram of chords.

Now let’s take five sounds and stack them on top of each other. This time we’ll make all but the lowest muchsofter and place each an octave higher than the next.Instead of sounding like a chord, it would sound like justone pitch, the pitch of the lowest note. However it wouldsound much richer than a simple sine wave. If youremember back to your physics class again, this is whathappens when a bow excites a string and the resultingsound consists of one or more harmonics. The moreharmonics, the richer sounding the sound.

Fig. 5. Pitches showing fundamental with harmonics.

When you are reading a sonogram for a bird song,it's important to remember that the more harmonicsvisible in the audio spectrogram, the richer the sound.

Moving closer to how bird audio spectrograms mightlook, here’s how two simple up-slurred tones wouldlook. Notice they start low and end higher.




If the pitch of the sound varies very quickly duringits duration, but only by a small change in pitch, then thiswould be visible on an AS as a ripple or wave in thegraphic. Here’s an example of part of “row row row your

boat” played with a sine wave that has vibrato, or fast,small variations in its pitch.

Fig. 8. Sine waves with vibrato.

Notice the different notes, and also that each note hasvery fast changes in pitch caused by the vibrato.

If the pitch of the sound varies quickly and verywidely, then it would sound like a trill. Here’s thesonogram of a trill, in this case a Cedar Waxwing. Noticethe “shadow” harmonics above the fundamental tone,that indicate the trill is fairly round or rich in tone andnot “dry”.

Fig. 9. Sonogram of Cedar Waxwing trill.

Be sure to remember that the more simultaneoussounds that are harmonics of the lowest tone, the richer the sound will be.

ON TO BIRD SONGSSo what does all of this nonsense, that once put you

to sleep in physics class and sounds pretty soporific now,have to do with birds? Well, plenty. In order to read anAudio Spectrogram effectively, you need to be able tointerpret the graphical representation of the sound in twomain ways.

First of all, you can get a good understanding of thetone of the bird by seeing how many sounds are stackedat any one moment of time and if they look likeharmonics or would just amount to some kind of noise.(more about noise on the web article). And secondly youcan use the graphic to help you understand the rhythmsand patterns of the song as it unfolds over time.

Let’s take a look at a couple of simple bird songsthat demonstrate some of the basics we have beendiscussing above.

SOME SIMPLE EXAMPLESHere is an audio spectrogram of the very clear tones

of a Lesser Yellowlegs. Notice the very strongharmonics, denoting a rich tone. You can also see thateach note has a downward slur.

Fig. 10. Lesser Yellowleg vocalization.

Here is the familiar spring song of a NorthernCardinal (familiar at least for those of us in the EasternUS.) Notice all of the harmonics, denoting a very richsong. The song starts with two very slow up slurs. It thencontinues with a very steady, fairly rapid sequence of rich tones. If you look closely you can see that each of the rapid notes has a prominent down slur.




Fig. 11. Northern Cardinal slurs and faster repeated notes.

The Ovenbird’s song starts quietly and increases involume. As you can see in this sonogram, it alsoincreases in richness of tone. You can also see the two

parts of each song element (“tea cher.........teacher....”)

Fig. 12. Ovenbird song.

COMPARING CHICKADEE CALLSFinally, let’s put sonograms to real use by

examining two similar-sounding species’ vocalizationsto see how an AS might help us learn to differentiatethem in the field.

Here’s an audio spectrogram of a Black-cappedChickadee’s (BCCH) “phoebe” call.

Fig. 13. Black-capped Chickadee call.

There are several useful things to notice aboutthis call.

First of all, the sound is very pure. There is a basic pitch and a couple of harmonics. We’re pretty sure theyare harmonics and not noise because they are evenlydistributed above the fundamental pitch. Both notes of the two part call have the same level of “purity” sincethey contain about the same harmonic content. So theywill sound similar in quality. The first tone falls a bit in

pitch, but not a lot. The second tone is lower than thefirst. And there’s a clean break between the two notes, sothey will sound distinct and separate.

Now let’s take a look at a Carolina Chickadee’s(CACH) call. Although these calls are often confused inthe field, they are actually very different. And thisdifference is quite evident when you look at the audiospectrograms.

Fig. 14. Carolina Chickadee call.

The most obvious difference is that the CACH’s callhas four notes vs the BCCH’s two. But let’s look a bitdeeper to see some more revealing differences, since theBCCH can double its call or the CACH truncate its call.




The mission of Los Angeles Audubon Society is to promote the enjoyment and protection of birds and

other wildlife through recreation, education,conservation and restoration.

Los Angeles Audubon is a non-profit volunteer

organization of people with a common interest in birding and natural history. Los Angeles Audubonmaintains offices, a library, and bookstore, the

proceeds of which benefit all of its programs.

Los Angeles Audubon SocietyAudubon House

7377 Santa Monica Blvd.,W. Hollywood, CA 90046-6694

Mailing AddressP.O. Box 931057, Los Angeles, CA 90093-1057

(323) 876-0202 (voice/messages)(323) 876-7609 (fax)[email protected] (general email)

www.losangelesaudubon.org

Board Officers 2010-2011 President Travis Longcore1st Vice President Garry George2nd Vice President Margot Griswold

Executive Secretary Eleanor Osgood Recording Secretary Linda Oberholtzer Treasurer Lisa Fimiani

Executive Past President David DeLange

Programs & ActivitiesConservation Garry GeorgeField Trips Nick FreemanBird Walks Eleanor Osgood Pelagic Trips Phil SayrePrograms Mary FreemanOrnithology Consultant Kimball Garrett Rare Bird Alert Jon Fisher Report Rare Birds (323) 874-1318

Volunteer Coordinator Eleanor Osgood Library Dorothy Schwarz

Staff Director of Interpretation Stacey VigallonAudubon House Administrator Martha BalkanMembership Services Susan Castor

Audubon House BookstoreOrders (888) 522-7428Fax (323) 876-7609Bookstore Manager (323) 876-0202Hours Mon–Thurs 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

1st Sat. ea. month 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Online Nature Storewww.losangelesaudubon.org/store

W ESTERN T ANAGERPublished by

Los Angeles Audubon Society, Inc

Western Tanager is published bi-monthly. For address changes or subscription problems call (323) 876-0202, or write to Member Services, Los Angeles Audubon, PO Box 931057, Los Angeles, CA90093-1057. Submissions are due the 1st of the month, two months

before the date of the issue. Please send submissions as MicrosoftWord or RTF documents, or plain text files, to Linda Oberholtzer [email protected].

Editor Linda Oberholtzer Layout Susan Castor Proofreaders Hanna Hayman, Kimball Garrett

Printed on Recycled Paper

One striking difference betweenthe two calls is the pitch difference

between the first and second notes inthe CACH’s call. Whereas theBCCH’s two notes were very closeto the same pitch, 4.5kHz to3.75kHz, there is a big pitch jumpfrom the first note to the second note

in the CACH: from 6kHz to 3.5kHz.And oddly enough, the second noteof the CACH’s call is lower than thenotes of the BCCH! This can explainsome confusion that can be caused

by field guides that describe theCACH as being a higher call thanthe BCCH. Indeed it starts higher,

but the second notes are lower, soyou may or may not hear this song ashigher pitched.

Take a look at the first two notes. Notice the differences in theharmonics between the first note,with only one harmonic, and thesecond note, with three harmonics.The first note is thin and puresounding, the second more complex.Certainly the two notes do not soundas similar to each other as theBCCH’s notes, which are basically

the very same tonal quality.

Now look at the graphic area between the first two notes of theCACH’s call. You can clearly see aline between the two notes thatextends lower than the second note.Since the line indicates manydifferent frequencies in the samevery short period of time, this part of the call will not be a clear note, but

rather some kind of noise. And it willsound a bit lower than the secondnote. Since it’s short and noisy, then,it will sound a bit like a hiccup or glitch in the song. This glitch is veryobvious when you listen to theCACH’s song and is very differentfrom the two pure, simple notes of the BCCH.

Finally, the length of theCACH’s call is about 1.5seconds, the same length as thetwo notes of the BCCH’s call,which therefore sounds slower and more relaxed.

As you can see, an audiospectrogram can make it easier to “see” inside vocalizations andfind the important differences

between two species.

We’re out of space, so for more examples, go to the LAASwebsite,www.losangelesaudubon.org , andattend the LAAS program on

Sept 8, 2010. (see back cover)

© 2009 by Tom Stephenson

Tom grew up birding in Ithacaunder the tutelage of Arthur A. Allenand Peter Paul Kellogg. He has birded around the world, guided many birding

groups, and recently has been invited by the Board of Tourism in Bhutan totrain their local bird guides. Tom has

written many articles on birding for periodicals including Birding and Bird Watcher’s Digest. He has given lecturesand workshops for the Los Angeles

Audubon Society, The NatureConservancy and other birding organizations. He is a published

photographer and is on the ZeissSports Optics World Series of Birding

Digiscoping team.On the non-b i rd ing f ron t , he

i s a mus ic ian and has worked

wi th c l i en t s f rom Phi l Col l ins tothe Gr ate ful Dea d. For many yearshe was Director of Technology for

Roland Corporation, a leading manufacturer of digital editing equipment and electronic musical instruments.



EPA DECLARES LA RIVER NAVIGABLE WATERS

July 7, 2010, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, came to Compton Creek in Los Angeles announcing that the EPAhas reversed a previous ruling and hasfound the LA RIVER to be navigablewaters . This protects the river andallows access to funding under theClean Water Act. “We are movingaway from concrete,” Ms. Jacksonstated, when she made her announcement at the Compton Creek inLos Angeles.

A member of the LA RIVER STAKEHOLDERS COMMITTEEsince 2004, Los Angeles Audubon hasidentified goals for restoration of theriver to benefit the birds which currentlyand historically use the river. A vision

is to someday hear a Yellow-billedCuckoo on the river. In the Master Plan, The Lower LA RIVER, anAudubon California IBA, providingrefuge for migratory shorebirds in fall,is protected during any revitalizationefforts. A goal of the revitalization of the river should be to increase thediversity of birds. Sightings by LA

birders, entered into eBird and other bird data collection systems, such asRare Birds Committee, provide

important scientific data on whatspecies use this important man-maderesource on the Pacific Flyway, andwhen. The loss of habitat in estuaries inSouthern California makes this locationsuper important, and it is interesting thatthese shorebirds are adapting to the foodresources and shelter in the river.

The ruling by the EPA came about partly by the efforts of LA RIVER activists who protested the previous

ruling by the previous Presidentialadministration, that the river was notnavigable, wasn’t protected under theClean Water Act and couldn’t receivefederal funding under that act. Proteststook the form of kayaks, navigating theLA River from the headwaters to theocean, that told a different story.

Rock the Boat , a documentary filmmade during that journey, was screenedat the July 16, 2010 opening of AUDUBON FILM FRIDAYS. Thisfilm and nature partnership program

between Audubon Center at Debs Park,Los Angeles Audubon and PasadenaAudubon Society, is now in the fourthyear of this venue. It is free, outdoors,and presented on a big-screen withhigh-quality audio. Details are on anyof the three websites of the partners.

T HEY ’RE BACK !Los Angeles Audubon, Santa

Monica Bay Audubon and PalosVerdes/South Bay Audubon, are joiningin the fourth year of a program tomonitor and protect the threatenedWestern population of Western SnowyPlover ( Charadrius alexandrinusnivosus ), in partnership with U.S. Fish& Wildlife Service and CaliforniaDepartment of Fish & Game.

This year, a brand new fence has been erected at Dockweiler Beach to protect the birds. Thanks to thecooperation of LA County Beaches &Harbors and with help from CoastalCommission, LA Audubon’s StaceyVigallon, Tom Ryan BiologicalConsulting, Dan Cooper Ecological,and all of the volunteers, lifeguards, andaware beachgoers.

Los Angeles Audubon is also proudto inaugurate a docent program atDockweiler Beach to educate

beachgoers about the fence, the birds,and why we should all protect them.

Plovers lay their eggs right on the beach, and with the growing populationof Southern California beachgoers andthe resulting recreational activities;

beach grooming, dogs-off-leash andother challenges, the little guys winter–

but haven’t bred on our beaches since1949. Will they breed if they are

protected? That is the big question.Who knows, but Los Angeles Audubonis willing to give them a chance, asevery population increase can help these

birds survive and play their important part of our beach ecology. Besides, theeducational conservation message of

protecting a threatened species is a keymessage that supports the mission of Los Angeles Audubon, and the newdocent program developed byInterpretive Director Stacey Vigallonand biologist Tom Ryan. To volunteer for the program, contact Stacey [email protected] .

C ONSERVATION C OMMITTEE

RECONVENES IN SEPTEMBER

LAAS’s Conservation Committee will

reconvene in September to consider theconservation program’s outstanding issues,and to consider new issues. The purpose of the committee is to make recommendationsto the Board of Directors regardingconservation policy, programs and actions,and issues that Los Angeles Audubonshould address. The Committee is headed

by Conservation Chair Garry George. If you want to join, please contact

[email protected] .


Conservation ConversationA REPORT ON CONSERVATION EFFORTS BY LOS ANGELES AUDUBON




Rina ArceConverting invasive plants intopaper in the Baldwin Hills Area

In November 2009, I took invasive plants from the BaldwinHills area, converting them into

paper fiber. This site containscoastal sage scrub habitat, a vitalfood and shelter source for wildlife. Invasive plants disturbwildlife habitat by out-competing

native plants. Converting invasive plants into paper lowers the percentage of invasive plants in theBaldwin Hills area. In myexperiment, I have created paper from arundo ( Arundo donax ), oats( Avena spp.), ripgut ( Bromusdiandrus ), pampas grass(Cortaderia spp.), and iceplant(Carpobrotus edulis ), by soaking,cooking, and blending their fiber.The best plant fiber for paper has

been oats and ripgut. Invasive plant fiber mixed with whiterecycled paper increased thequality of the handmade paper. Irecommend that future internscreate a protocol that will makelarger quantities of paper to sell,and create a business plan to profitfrom making handmade paper.

Jessica SosaCan native plants fromCalifornia help food plants grow?

The purpose of my companion planting project was to find out if native plants from Baldwin HillsScenic Overlook State Park (Culver City, CA) could benefit food plantswhen planted together. I tested theeffects of Scrub Oak ( Quercusberberidifolia ), Purple Sage ( Salvialeucophylla ), and California

Buckwheat ( Eriogonum fasciculatum ) on Dark Red LolloRossa lettuce. Lettuce plants in theoak treatment had the highestsurvival (66.7%) while lettuce

plants in the buckwheat treatmenthad the lowest survival (33.3%).There was no difference in insect

presence among the treatmentgroups, including control, as alllettuce plants in treatments had

insect presence at some point.Interestingly, control treatment hadthe highest plant height but

performed the second lowest insurvival. Survival of the native

plants was 100%. Based on mycurrent data, it is possible to plantnative plants with food plants. For future research, I suggest using adifferent food plant with the samenative plant species and observingthe performance differences; or,using lettuce once more butchanging the native plant species.Gardeners that practice companion

planting between native plants andfood plants may help providewildlife corridors and providehighly nutritious food.

Leopoldo HernandezRestoring Baldwin Hills with thehelp of pollinators

Pollinators play an important part in the ecosystem and evidenceworldwide shows that pollinatorsare declining (Frankie et al. 2009).I created a survey at Baldwin HillsScenic Overlook State Park inorder to determine the pollinatingspecies currently occupying thearea. I also checked wooden nest

boxes for solitary bees. BetweenDecember 2009 and April 2010,

nest boxes on both south and eastfacing slopes had fewer than 5% of holes occupied by bees. I surveyedfor pollinators by tracking flower locations with a GPS, and

performing 3-minute focal surveys.There was no major difference

between the number of pollinatorsfound in winter surveys (80

pollinators counted) and thosefound in the spring surveys (74

pollinators counted). Honeybeeswere the dominant species in thesurveys. Weather may haveaffected the number of pollinatorscounted.

June BlassingameGreenhouse germination of Opuntia littoralis through acidtreatments

Opuntia littoralis providesCactus Wren ( Campylorhynchusbrunneicapillus ) with food andshelter. However, since O.littoralis has become scarce in theBaldwin Hills area, so has theCactus Wren (Molina 2001). O.littoralis has a low germinationrate. From January-April 2010, Imeasured the germination rate for O. littoralis seeds scarified with 3different acids (orange juice, whitevinegar, lemon juice) for 30 minuteand 2 hour time periods. In myexperiment I attempted to imitatethe coyote ( Canis latrans )digestive system, but all treatmentsshowed 0% germination, even thecontrol group. Future internsshould find a way to control thetemperature in the greenhouse.Other studies have shown thattemperature plays an important rolein Opuntia seed germination.

Interpreting NatureOn June 5, 2010 students participating in the Baldwin Hills Greenhouse Internship Program presented their research to the public at Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook State Park. Intern projects addressed real-world habitat restoration issues, and each student devoted 175-240 hours to their internship. The information obtained throughtheir hard work will be used by Dr. Margot Griswold, Restoration Ecologist, for the in-progress restoration of the

Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook State Park. Reprinted here are project abstracts…–Stacey Vigallon, Director of Interpretation



Longcore is newLos Angeles Audubon President

On July 1, 2010, TravisLongcore assumed the presidencyof LA Audubon. Longcore was 2 nd

and 1 st Vice President of LosAngeles Audubon in 1995–1997,

during which time he edited theWestern Tanager for a year andcoordinated both the Birdathon andChristmas Bird Count. Longcorehas long been involved inconservation issues in the LosAngeles basin and beyond as theScience Director of The UrbanWildlands Group. He holds aPh.D. in geography from UCLAand has faculty appointments at

both UCLA, where he is AssociateAdjunct Professor in the Institute of the Environment and USC, wherehe is Associate Research Professor in the Spatial Sciences Institute.

Longcore has been active inscientific research relevant to birdconservation, with projectsaddressing mortality of migratory

birds at communication towers,

management of feral cats, andhabitat modeling for WesternSnowy Plover on California’scentral coast. He is also known for work on the management andconservation of endangered

butterflies in California and he andThe Urban Wildlands Group have

been recognized for effectiveconservation actions on behalf of the Palos Verdes blue and El

Segundo blue butterflies.


only rainwater over a three/four-year period, providing long term survivaldata.

Emily Cobar and Wanda CarterDeveloping a restoration plan for thedrainage at the Baldwin Hills ScenicOverlook State Park

Since the opening of the BaldwinHills Scenic Overlook State Park inCulver City, California, there has been

an increase of eroded areas adjacent tothe cacti patch by the park’s main road.The Overlook visitor center’s buildingis designed with a slanted roof, so whenit rains the water runs through those

pipes and comes out from two other pipes close to the cactus patch. The purpose of our project is to develop a plan for future volunteers/researchers to prevent further erosion. FromSeptember 2009 to April 2010, weidentified existing vegetation and testedthe soil in the drainage at the BaldwinHills Scenic Overlook State Park. Wemade a list of tasks for the coming year that was tailored to the skill sets of varying groups who would participate inrestoration activities. Not only does our

plan help restore the park, it also helpsthe volunteers individually: researchshows that doing hands-on work outdoors eases one’s mind and relievesone from stress.

Wanda CarterNon-irrigated versus irrigated

Nassella pulchra : who will be the lastplant standing?

The Baldwin Hills internship program is continuing studies on how torestore the Baldwin Hills ScenicOverlook State Park. In November 2008, I planted 72 Nassella pulchra

plants to test the survival of irrigated vs.non-irrigated plants, for gallon pots and

2-inch plug plant sizes. The totalsurvival did not fall below 75% for anyof the three irrigation treatments byApril 2009, however, survival rateamong all treatments decreaseddramatically by April 2010. The totalsurvival for non-irrigated, 1-timeirrigation, and regularly irrigated plants

by April 2010 was 25%, 17%, and 68%,respectively. I believe this decline wascaused by the increase in gopher activityover the summer/fall. It’s apparent that

N. pulchra could survive with theabsence of human support but I amcurious to know how the absence of animal interference would have affectedthem. I would suggest purchasing 2-inch plugs instead of gallon pots to savetime and money. Some importantfollow-up studies may include;conducting the same experiment on adifferent facing slope, or testing thesurvival rate of 2-in plugs provided with

Baldwin Hills Greenhouse Interns, 2009-2010.




A ll too quickly, the third of the year that encompassesspring migration has come

and gone. By the official start of summer, virtually all migrants have

passed through and many summer visitors have already raised broods.

Activity in the mountainscontinues through July as it tapersoff in the now drier and hotter lowlands. With adequate

precipitation and snow in the higher elevations persisting well into Junethis year, conditions in the mountainshave been favorable.

But even from a distance, we’revisually reminded that a good

portion of the San Gabriels remainscarred by the Station Fire.Chaparral, oak and pine woodlandwere largely obliterated in the burnzone, although patches remain hereand there. In spite of the near totalloss of vegetation, the result of winter rainfall was a very obviousregeneration of growth, albeit of adifferent kind. Birds exploited thearea quickly and the burn zone wasvery attractive to Lazuli Buntingswhich have been present in goodnumbers. Rock Wrens too have beendrawn to newly exposed habitat.

Birding the San Gabriels– asummer tradition for LA area

birders– is still problematic. Part of the Angeles Crest Highway remainsclosed just above La Canada, though

the remainder is still accessible in aroundabout way. Side roads andtrails are still off limits, but at least

beyond Chilao, everything is open,habitat is in good shape, and that partof the range offers good birding atthis time of year. The montane forestin the high country supports all thecommon species as well as smaller numbers of Williamson’s Sapsucker,Calliope Hummingbird, Clark’s

Nutcracker, Townsend’s Solitaire andRed Crossbill.

With all the results in, this year we again led the Americas BirdiestCounty competition with 271species. Nueces County in Texaswas in second place with 262 speciesand in California San Diego County-with 256 species this year- is astrong contender. Kern County, inspite of being landlocked, posted animpressive 242 species. While thecompetitive aspect between countiesis definitely fun, another challenge issimply to better our own record. At

present, 272 is the number to beatand we came awfully close in 2010.Once again, Lance Benner deservesmuch credit and thanks for compiling the species count and for his repeated updates throughout thethree day period which enable

birders to more easily targetmissing birds.

The showing of eastern passerines this spring was less thanimpressive. At least in part this can

be attributed to the fact that wetter

years cause resources—and thusmigrants—to be less concentrated.In drought years, choice patches of habitat and well-watered parks andgardens have a greater chance of attracting migrants. Desert oases inKern County did produce a number of good vagrants this spring, butsuch isolated areas tend to be good

migrant traps in any year.

Most of June and early July offer something of a lull in migrationactivity, although late northbound

passerines practically overlap earlysouthbound shorebirds which areincreasing noticeably in the first half of July. In an odd juxtaposition,shorebirds just in from farther northmingle with Black-necked Stilts stillincubating clutches.

Here’s a look at reports for Maythrough early July...

Brant included one inland at thePiute Ponds on Edwards AFB onMay 8 (Mike San Miguel) and eightlong-time stopovers at Malibu La-goon through July 7. Also reflectinga regional pattern of tardy migrantsand lingering birds was a very lateflock of twelve flying past Pt. Dumeon June 27 (Kimball Garrett).

A few Redheads were also pres-ent late on the coastal slope and in-cluded a pair found at Harbor Regional Park in Wilmington on June12 (Ed Griffin). Breeding is expectedat the Piute Ponds, but should be

b i r d s o f t h e s e a s o n—by Jon Fisher




A late Solitary Sandpiper was at theBallona Freshwater Marsh on May28 (Don Sterba, Richard Barth), butthe stunning find this spring—bothin rarity and appearance—were twoHudsonian Godwits at the PiutePonds on May 14 (Mark & JanetScheel, Darren Dowell, Frank &

Susan Gilliland). About a third of California records are for the monthof May, thus this bird was right in anexpected window. The pair re-mained through May 23 and consti-tute only the third (?) county record.

On the lower LA River, the firstsouthbound Lesser Yellowlegs of theseason was seen on June 28 and thefirst of fall migrant Wilson’s

Phalaropes turned up there on June30 (both Richard Barth).

Always rare in the county was anadult Laughing Gull at CabrilloBeach on June 4 (Larry Fukuhara).Also of interest was a possiblysummering Glaucous-winged Gullfound along Ballona Creek on June13 (Walter Lamb).

Expected in spring on the desert but always worth noting were fifteenBlack Terns at Piute Ponds on May8 (Mike San Miguel). Not far fromthere were numerous Black Ternsand a single Franklin’s Gull at theLancaster Sewer Ponds on May 11-12 (Tom Miko).

The only White-winged Dovereported was at a feeder in San Pedro

on May 9 (David Ellsworth).In the San Gabriels, a Saw-

Whet Owl , a Flammulated Owland two Western Screech Owlsfound in the burned area on June12 were an encouraging sign(Nick & Mary Freeman).

Farther east and returning for asecond year was a Whip-poor-willalong the Angeles Crest Highway. Itwas found at the same location as in2009 near Dawson Saddle and washeard from June 4-26 (Lance Ben-ner). This bird just happened to beonly a short distance from the high-

way and these records definitely begthe question—how many othersmight there be summering, or even

breeding—in the San Gabriels?Given the amount of roadless andunbirded habitat here, as well as thesmall time window of opportunityfor hearing them, who knows...

Right on schedule for this gener-ally scarce species was a Chimney

Swift over the LA River near the 5and 110 Freeway interchange onMay 17 (Kimball Garrett). Another was over Westchester on June 27(Kevin Larson).

A major movement of Black Swifts occurred in late May, withnineteen seen over Westchester onMay 19 (Kevin Larson). Outside of the county, but coinciding with this

report, were approximately 250 near Ventura on May 23. Aside fromthose records, single birds were seenat Lake Palmdale on May 10 (MikeSan Miguel) and at Eaton Canyon onMay 24 (John Garrett), while thirteenwere at the Huntington Gardens inPasadena on May 23 (Norm Vargas).Other singles were over El DoradoPark in Long Beach on May 31(Roger & Maureen-Sullivan Lewis)

and at Chantry Flat in Big SantaAnita Canyon on June 22 (TomMiko), the latter close to the knownnesting site at Sturdevant Falls.

Though still scarce, Say’sPhoebes are increasingly being con-firmed as breeders on the coastalslope. Two records pointing to po-tential or probable nesting were aSay’s Phoebe at Peck Pit from May

watched for away from there. Veryunusual at this time of year was a pair of Lesser Scaup at a quarry pond off the 605 Freeway near Irwindale onJune 21 (Robb Hamilton).

The county’s second Yellow-billed Loon continued to be seen at

Castaic Lagoon through May 8,making for a remarkable two monthlayover there.

A Little Blue Heron was reported from El Dorado Park on May29 (fide Donna Bray).

As usual, a few White-facedIbis were scattered around thecoastal slope but a flock of seventy-

five seen heading south over Westch-ester on June 20 dwarfed the other records (Kevin Larson).

On the waning side of their spring migration were twoSwainson’s Hawks over Peck Pitand another three over Santa Fe Damin Irwindale on May 9 (AndrewLee). Also reported was a large andlate flock of over 40 birds above

Sunland on May 16 (Aino Vimb).

In the Antelope Valley a rather late Ferruginous Hawk was spottedon April 24 (Ron Cyger, Mark Hunter). This species is very scarceafter mid-April.

Very unusual in the county wasan American Oystercatcher atGolden Shore Marine Reserve in

Long Beach present from May 5-July 3 (Bob Hoffman). Black andAmerican Oystercatcher hybrids arealways problematic and a source of confusion, but keyed out on Jehl’sScale– the go to resource for determining oystercatcher purity– this bird appeared to be safely on the“American” side of the gene pool.




9-30 and four at Santa Fe Dam onJuly 2 (both Andrew Lee). Also in-dicative of local breeding was a juve-nile Say’s on the LA River in LongBeach on June 13 (Jon Fisher).

Especially unusual along thecoast in spring was a Scissor-tailedFlycatcher at Malibu Lagoon onMay 19 (Bruce Starrett)

Continuing their remarkable andgratifying recovery were two pairs of Bell’s Vireos at a new location- theBallona Freshwater Marsh. The first

pair was confirmed breeding there onMay 25 (Don Sterba) followed bythe second.

Uncommon as migrants on thedeserts but rather rare on the coastalslope were single Bank Swallowsin Pasadena on May 10 (John Gar-rett), at Madrona Marsh in Torranceon May 17 (Dan Cooper) and atBalboa Lake in Van Nuys on May27 (Mike Stensvold).

An interesting find were an adultand juvenile Horned Lark at SantaFe Dam on July 2, with another adultseen there on May 25 (Andrew Lee).This species is now scarce as a

breeder on the coastal slope—littlesuitable habitat remains.

A few Northern Parulas —oneof our more common eastern “va-grants”—were found, with one atCreek Park in La Mirada on May 10(Jonathan Rowley), one at EatonCanyon in Pasadena on May 22 (JonFisher) and another in a residentialarea of Pasadena from June 11-12(Frank & Susan Gilliland).

The very few other Parulids dis-covered included a singing maleHooded Warbler near the BallonaFWM on May 25 (Don Sterba) andBlack-and-white Warblers at

Placerita Canyon on May 29 (LarryClarfield) and at the Village GreenCondominiums in Los Angeles on June12 (Don Sterba). Obviously it was aremarkably slow spring for warblers.

Two Summer Tanagers werealong Soledad Canyon Road on May14 (Jim Moore) in the same locationwhere they were seen last year.

Nesting is to be watched for here andin similar riparian habitat elsewherein the county.

Rare, but regular in spring, wereRose-breasted Grosbeaks at EveyCanyon in Claremont on May 16(Cathy McFadden, Paul Clarke) andat DeForest Park in Long Beach onMay 31 (Andrew Lee).

A male Indigo Bunting was atVogel Flat in big Tujunga Canyonfrom May 18-23 (Kathi Ellsworth).Others are likely present in theideal—for buntings at least— habitat in the burn area.

Green-tailed Towheesincluded one in the Whittier Hillson May 7 (Robb Hamilton) and avery odd record at ClaremontWilderness Park in Claremont onJune 12 (Tom Miko).

Yellow-headed Blackbirdsmoved through in mostly smallnumbers with two at Peck Pit onMay 9 (Andrew Lee), six more atthe Ballona Freshwater Marsh onMay 15 (Michael Zarky) and a no-table forty at Santa Fe Dam onMay 18 (Andrew Lee).

Two Tricolored Blackbirdswere out of place at the EarvinMagic Johnson Rec. Area in Willow-

brook on June 3 (Richard Barth).

From late July through earlySeptember we’ll see shorebirdnumbers peak and the lower LARiver will be a hotspot for bothrare and regular species. ThePiute Ponds, though requiringgreater effort to reach, can also

produce amazing birds as well asgood numbers of expected ones.Birding these areas or—for thoseof us stuck in an office five daysa week—just watching the LACounty Birds list to s ee what’sturning up, is always intriguing.

The mountains can still begreat in August and September as

passerine migrants are on themove and resident andcontinuing summer birds are still

present. The initial trickle of passerines through the lowlands begins in August and increasesthrough September. Whatunexpected surprises will turn upin the county this fall? We’llknow soon enough. Aside fromthe wide range of typicalmigrants, autumn always offersvagrants and perhaps an uber-rarity from Alaska or Siberia.Arctic Warbler and YellowWagtail were found in 2007.

The allure of birding is basednot only on the beauty andvariety of birds, but also their

penchant for vagrancy. Autumnmigration is a great time for

birders as it fulfills all of theseaspects of the pursuit. To thelayman, a juvenile Baird’sSandpiper may seem a plain andnondescript bird. But for the

birder, beauty is very often foundin subtle details.




On the loss of our good friendMichael San Miguel, 1939–2010

W e learned early on July 15 th that Mike San Miguelhad been killed in a fall down a steep cliff while

performing owl surveys the previous evening in the SanGabriel Mountains. He was 70 years old.

This is incredibly difficult to write, because I’m writingabout the loss of a good friend as well as a beloved fixture in the

birding community. The very early call this morning from JonFeenstra should have been about a really good bird, but instead it

brought devastating news. And somehow it isn’t any comfort toknow that Mike died working hard doing one of the things heloved most–birding with a purpose.

Most of you are familiar with Mike’s accomplishments inthe world of field ornithology. He was a long-time bird bander with a bug for gathering good bird data. He was an

extraordinary connoisseur of rare birds, finding a great many of them and enjoying trips all over California to chase them. Hisexperience and talent earned him a place for several years on theCalifornia Bird Records Committee, and he was one of the bestambassadors the Committee ever had. He served Western FieldOrnithologists in many important capacities, culminating in aseveral year stint as President during which the organizationgained new vibrancy and scope. He had an important role inthe production of the CBRC’s book "Rare Birds of California"and published several papers in WFO’s journal Western Birds.He embraced eBird with unbridled enthusiasm (...he did so

much with unbridled enthusiasm) and has entered more eBirddata from California (4245 checklists) than almost any other individual as well as editing submissions from severalcounties. He did a heroic amount of field work and

paperwork for the Los Angeles Breeding Bird Atlas and other large-scale data gathering projects. In short, Mike was notonly about the most active birder I have ever known, but hewas also the most enthusiastic birder–he loved being in thefield whether alone or with his many friends, and he enjoyedlearning something new every outing.

But I can hardly think about Mike the birder right now, because birding was only his second passion. Mike was theconsummate family man, and the love he and Gayle showed soopenly and generously for each other was nothing short of inspirational. His son Michael (also one of California’s mostaccomplished birders) and daughter Lisa were everything toMike, and if he wasn’t the world’s greatest grandfather he wascertainly in the running for that title. Many birders don’t realizethat Mike virtually stopped birding for many years to be the best

possible father to his growing children, and even after heresumed birding with more zeal and passion than ever he was

always talking about his children and, eventually, grandchildren.

Those who knew Mike well, and a great many who didn’t,were keenly aware of Mike’s tireless work for bird and wildlifehabitat conservation. We all try to be good conservationists, and

we’re all keenly aware of the problems birds and their habitatsface. On my countless wonderful trips in the field with Mike theconversation would inevitably turn, and pretty quickly, to theinexorable loss of bird habitats as urban areas continued to growand consume the places we enjoyed going. I would gripe andcurse and feel generally pessimistic about everything, but Mikehad a different and much more effective approach–he gotinvolved. If he enjoyed birding in an area, he felt it was hisresponsibility to work as hard as he could to make sure it was

preserved or restored for birds and birders. His career workingin environmental work for Southern California Edison no doubt

had a positive impact on southern California habitats. His effortsfor bird habitat at Piute Ponds, the San Gabriel River, and somany other areas we take for granted, have been heroic. His

battles with agencies that were damaging habitat were foughtwith fervor but also with grace–even the Army Corps of Engineers must have had great respect for Mike. When Mikehad a conservation mission he was almost unstoppable, and theworld is much better for that passion of his.

We’ve lost so many birding friends to tragic accidents over the years, but this one is almost unbearable. I knew Mike for

forty years, and I’ve rarely enjoyed anybody’s company as muchas his. To Gayle, and to Michael and Lisa, and to Jake and Alex,I can’t imagine the pain you’re going through now and I hopethese few thoughts bring you at least some comfort. To JonFeenstra–you were such a great friend to Mike and I hope theweight of the tragedy that happened while you and Mike weredoing your owl surveys is lessened slightly by knowing youwere there as a friend and performed an incredible service indealing with a horrific situation.

Mike loved so many good things in life–as well as good

people–that I’ll be reminded of him constantly. Watching thehummingbirds in my yard, following the annual demise of theDodgers, hearing about that next rare bird, seeing the trees andshrubs he has nurtured in so many places mature and thrive,enjoying a meal. How could I not think of Mike. And rightnow, Mike’s passion for really good wine seems like anappropriate way to honor him–I think I’ll open a good one fromPaso Robles and toast one of the most generous and enjoyable

people I have ever met. I’ll miss you, Mike!–Kimball Garrett, Scientific Advisor

Los Angeles AudubonTributes continued on page 16.



Sunday, August 29Huntington Central Park andBolsa Chica Wetlands.

NO FEE, NO SIGN-UP

Leader: Irwin Woldman.Huntington Central Park is

excellent for migrating songbirds.Flocks of shorebirds should beheading south, with leftover terns.Bring a lunch for a full day of birds.Meet at 7:30 a.m. in the park parkinglot on the south side of Slater Ave.

just east of Golden West St. inHuntington Beach. No sign up.

Sunday, September 12Ventura County Game Preserve(Duck Club).

NO FEE, NO SIGN-UP

Leader: Irwin Woldman .The duck club in Ventura has a

rich history of excellent birdsightings including Sora and Virginiarails, American Bittern, Solitary,Pectoral and Baird’s sandpipers, andone Lesser Sand-Plover. Perhapssome warblers streaming through thewillows. Get to the preserve bytaking the 101 Fwy W to RiceAvenue S, carefully following theRice Ave. prompts to the T-intersection, then take Hueneme Rd.west just past the buildings on theright, turn left of Casper Road, leftthrough the gate at the far end, and

park across from the barn on theroad. Meet on the side of the road at8:00 a.m. We will walk the property,so good hiking/mud shoes withenergetic legs inside a plus. We mayhave one car on the grounds, weather

permitting. Scopes & FRS radioshelpful, and bring a lunch if you planto bird into the afternoon with Irwin.

No sign-up required.

September 18 & 19Galileo Hills Weekend (12 max.)

NO FEE, PHONE SIGN-UP (OR MAIL),PROVIDE EMAIL ADDRESS (OR SASE)FOR CONFIRMATION FLYER .Leaders: Mary & Nick Freeman.

Galileo is arguably the bestfall migrant trap in the state.Western warblers and flycatchersshould headline. Reptiles may

be encountered!Take Hwy 14 about 4 miles past

Mojave, then turn right on CaliforniaCity Blvd. Drive through townabout a mile past the shops, turn left

past the golf course on Randsburg-Mojave Rd., and veer right on 20Mule Team Rd. Turn left on RutgersRd. at the Silver Saddle sign beforethe hill, take your first paved right,your first right again, into the Silver Saddle Country Club, followed bytwo lefts to the lot in front of the HQ

building. Park by the pond. A littleover 2 hrs. driving time from L.A.

No fee. Bring lunches, sun block.Reserve a room in Mojave. Meet at7:00 a.m. Saturday, and bird all day;meet 7:00 a.m. Sunday, and bird(tentatively) Galileo, Apollo Park and Piute Ponds.

To reserve Galileo HillsWeekend, either call Los AngelesAudubon at (323) 876-0202, or mail to:

Los Angeles Audubon-Field TripsPO Box 931057Los Angeles, CA 90093-1057.Include: Name(s), E-mail addressor SASE, (for confirmation flyer.)and your phone number.

Saturday, September 25, 2010Piute Ponds(24 MAX ., NO DROP -INS)

NO FEE, PHONE SIGN-UP (OR MAIL),PROVIDE EMAIL ADDRESS (OR SASE)FOR CONFIRMATION FLYER .Leader: Jim Moore .

A good mix of shorebirds andearly waterfowl, with a chance atLeConte’s Thrasher and PectoralSandpiper. Possible extension toLancaster sewage ponds or ApolloPark afterwards.

Carpool at Denny’s (Roxford &I-5), leaving at 7:00 a.m., or meet atthe Avenue C gate at 7:45 a.m. Toget here, take Hwy 14 N to AvenueD, head E to Sierra Hwy, head N toAvenue C, and go a block E to theend. Bring lunch, water andsunblock. Expect hot weather, andafternoon wind. High clearancevehicles may be a plus.

This is a joint trip with SFVAS, but members from both chaptersMUST sign up with LAAS. Toreserve with LAAS, call AudubonHouse (323) 876-0202 by Sept. 23 ,with name, phone number, and emailaddress (or send us a SASE).Limited sign-up of 24. No drop-ins.

No cameras on base!


Bird walks are geared for the beginner/intermediate looking for an introduction or less strenuous excursion. Field tripsoften require more time or effort, and delve more deeply into identification, natural histories and interactions observed inthe field. All are welcome on either type of trip. Reserve each trip per instructions within trip write-up. No pets or small

children, please. Contact information will be released for carpooling unless requested otherwise.

FIELD TRIP FEES: Envelopes for voluntary donations to support Los Angeles Audubon and its field trips may bedistributed on some non-fee trips. Please consider supporting your trips.

Field Trips




Field Trip Chairperson, Nick Freeman & Field Trip Leader, Mary Freeman.

Before setting out on any event, please call the Los Angeles Audubon bird tape at (323) 874-1318, Option #4, for a recorded message withspecial instructions or possible cancellations that may have occurred.

Updates will also be posted on our website.www.losangelesaudubon.org

Field Trips

Saturday, October 2Malibu to McGrath Field Trip

NO FEE, NO SIGN-UP

Leader: Barbara Johnson .Late passerines and

shorebirds should be movingthrough coastal migration spots,mixed with early wintering birds.

Possibly 100 species.Take PCH N over the bridge inMalibu, and turn right on CrossCreek Road for free parking alongthe road (and Starbucks), or turn leftinto the fee lot. Cross PCH, andmeet at the kiosk by the lagoon at7:30 a.m. for a full day of birding.There may be an access fee atMcGrath or elsewhere. No sign-upor fee for the trip. Bring lunch.

October 13-17, 2010Western Field Ornithologistsconference in Palm Desert

Pretty close this year! If you like bird conservation, status anddistribution, cutting-edge avianresearch, booths with birdinghardware, etc., as well as photo I.D.and bird call I.D. panels; you shouldgive this opportunity seriousthought. Excellent field trips withexcellent leaders, and manyenthusiastic birders from all over thewest attending. Details at:www.westernfieldornithologists.org/conference.php.

Saturday, October 30Oxnard Plain

NO FEE, NO SIGN-UP

Leader: Mary & Nick Freeman.Meet at the Hueneme sod fields at

8:00 a.m., we will be looking for theover the Red-throated variety of American Pipits, as well as for

longspurs. Golden-Plovers are also possible. There may be easternvagrants to chase at the Mugu estuary.Sycamore Canyon, and local tamarisk stands are also possibilities.

From the 101 N, drive S on RiceAvenue to the end, then turn Rt. onHueneme Rd. Meet on the N (Rt) sideof Hueneme Rd. a few blocks west of this turn, and just before Casper Rd.Scopes helpful. Bring lunch and bird

’till we drop. Nominal donationsuggested, envelope provided.

Sunday, November 7, 2010Seal Beach National WildlifeRefuge (24 max.)

NO FEE, MAIL SIGN-UP ONLY BEFORE

OCT. 27. MUST PROVIDE SASE FOR

CONFIRMATION FLYER . O NLY

CONFIRMED PARTICIPANTS WHO ARE

U.S. C ITIZENS WITH PHOTO ID ARE

ALLOWED ON BASE .Refuge volunteer John Nieto,

and Nick Freeman will drive up to24 lucky participants around this

prime limited-access wetlands sitewhere wintering birds such asPacific Golden-Plover, MountainPlover, Sage Thrasher, numerousraptors, and often Nelson’s (Sharp-tailed) Sparrow are sighted.

The refuge is part of the NavalWeapons Station. Mail SASE for confirmation flyer to:Los Angeles Audubon - Field Trips,PO Box 931057Los Angeles, CA 90093-1057.

Provide your e-mail address and phone number (phone # required) by

October 27 .O NLY SASE CONFIRMED

PARTICIPANTS WHO ARE U.S. CITIZENS

WITH PHOTO ID, WILL BE ALLOWED ON

BASE . NO CAMERAS OR WEAPONS .Meet at the main public lot at

800 Seal Beach Blvd. at 8:00 a.m.for a high tide around 9:00 a.m., and

bird until noon. Take Seal BeachBlvd. S from the 405 Fwy, passWestminster Blvd., turn left onto the

base at the Forrestal Lane light, andleft again into the lot. No fee.

Saturday, November 20Lake Perris Area

NO FEE, NO SIGN-UP

Leader: Howard King .The Little Gulls, Lesser Black-

backed Gulls (2!), and Least andVermilion Flycatchers of past yearsmay not be back, but surelysomething will take their places!

Take the 10 or 60 Fwy E to the215 Fwy S, exit E at RamonaExpressway, continue E just pastPerris Blvd., and meet at the Farmer Boys Restaurant on the S side of theroad. Leave from here at 8:00 a.m.Bring lunch, warm clothing andfootwear for possible mud. Possibleentrance fee.




CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNTS

Saturday, December 18, 2010Lancaster Christmas Bird Count

Nick & Mary Freeman(818) 247-6172 or [email protected]

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Malibu Christmas Bird Count Larry Allen at: (626) [email protected]

Sunday, January 2, 2011Los Angeles BasinChristmas Bird Count.

Daniel Cooper [email protected]

Contact the compilers to participate.

INTRODUCTION TO BIRD

WATCHING CLASSLos Angeles Audubon will be offeringa three day I NTRODUCTION TO B IRD W ATCHING

C LASS , Oct./Nov., 2010 with instructor Eleanor Osgood . Sessions are gearedtowards participants with beginning and lowintermediate bird identification skills.

Binoculars and field guides will be provided; bring your own if you have them.

Classes will cover the basic toolsneeded for bird watching: field guides andoptics as well as field identification skills,field marks, habitat, and status and

distribution. The topics of conservation andcitizen science will be also be explored.

Full day workshop at Plummer Park.Location of field trips TBA. Call AudubonHouse (323) 876-0202 or check our websitefor updated class locations.

Limited to 12 participants. Pre-registration is required. Please providename, address, phone number, email addressand fee.

FEE:$30 LAAS Chapter Members or $50 Non-Members

WORKSHOPSat., Oct. 30, 9am to 3pm

FIELD INSTRUCTIONSun., Oct. 31, 8:30am to 12pmSat., Nov. 6, 8:30am to 12pm

Mail check and registration information to:Los Angeles Audubon – RegistrationPO Box 931057Los Angeles, CA 90093-1057

Mike was very generous with his time inleading field trips and sharing his knowledgeof the LA River and its biota with my class.We corresponded and helped each other outon conservation issues facing the San GabrielRiver and environs. I tried to help him whereI could; and he always shared anything Ineeded—even volunteering to do impromptu

bird surveys if he didn’t know a site. What atruly great and gentle man; that he is gone ishard to grasp. My condolences to his family

and to all of those for whom his loss is sodeeply felt.

– Travis Longcore, President

Los Angeles Audubon

The last time I saw Mike, was when hecalled me to join a meeting at Whittier

Narrows with LA County Parks andRecreation officials. He was distressed thatthe maintenance crew had, severely anduneccessarily, trimmed the reeds at Legg Lakeduring the breeding season. Mike kept his

cool in the meeting and didn’t just complain,instead, he advocated for a parkwideConservation Plan for the habitat in the entire

park. That is what inspired me about Mike.Mike was a true conservationist as well as a

birder. He did this by sharing his love of birding on field trips he led, and by sharing hisdata, knowledge, organizing skills andwisdom with others in conservation efforts.

–Garry George, 1 st Vice-President

Los Angeles Audubon

Mike was 20 years my senior but Icouldn’t keep up with his seemingly endlessenergy and enthusiasm. I first got to knowMike in the early ’90s. I don’t remember exactly how or where I met him, but we

birded together frequently back then. Therewas always his signature smile and a gleamin his eye when he talked about having seen agood bird. When we found somethinginteresting, it didn’t matter if he knew moreabout birds than I did; he’d always ask “what

do ya think?”One spring as we headed from

Butterbredt Spring to Galileo, my car brokedown. I encouraged Mike to hitch a ride withone of the other birders there so he wouldn’tmiss out, but no. He patiently waited for acouple of hours as we got towed into Mojaveand as I rented a car so we could get home.Only a birder would understand that level of sacrifice! That minor tale says a lot aboutwho Mike was. Ultimately we did get out toGalileo that day and were rewarded with a

stunning Prothonotary Warbler.Mike’s attitude, breadth of knowledgeand outgoing personality were always aninspiration. Even if I couldn’t match them,they motivated me to become a better birder and a stronger advocate for birds and birding.But as much as he was a fixture of California

birding, he was first and foremost just a great person. I still can’t imagine him being gone.He will be missed by so many people and inso many places. – Jon Fisher, RBA Report

Los Angeles Audubon

Mike San Miguel introducing the joys of digiscoping to aUSC Master of Liberal Studies student in my class

on urban conservation biology in 2008.

Photo courtesy of Travis Longcore




BIRD WALKS

Topanga State Park Birdwalk (Topanga, CA 90290)

1st Sunday of every monthSeptember 5, 2010October 3, 2010Leaders: Ken Wheeland,(310) 455-1401; [email protected],and Chris Tosdevin (310) 455-1270

Time: 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.Ken and Chris will lead

participants through this beautifuland diverse coastal mountain area.An ideal trip for a beginning birder

or someone new to the area.

Upper Franklin Canyon (SookyGoldberg Nature Center)(2600 Franklin Canyon Drive,Beverly Hills, 90210)Second Sunday of each monthLeader: Eleanor OsgoodSeptember 12, 2010October 10, 2010

Time: 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Join us as we take a casual walk around the ponds and trails of thisurban oak woodland nature preserve.We are likely to see the residentWood Ducks and as well chaparral

bird species such as California Quail,Spotted and California Towhees andCalifornia Thrasher. Also expect tosee some migrating songbirds andflycatchers. This canyon is a hiddentreasure where the surrounding urban

residences of Sherman Oaks andBeverly Hills disappear from view.Meet in the lower parking lot of

the Sooky Goldberg Nature Center and bird for a few hours in the coolof native trees and creek.

If you wish to carpool, or for more information, contact Eleanor

Osgood at [email protected] or call (310) 839-5420. If lost, callthe morning of the walk after 8:00a.m. (424) 298-1376. Mapquestingdirections is recommended.Binoculars provided.

Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area4100 S La Cienega BlvdLos Angeles, CA 90056(in Baldwin Hills.)

3rd Saturday of the monthLeaders: Eric and Ann Brooks ;

Eleanor Osgood September 18, 2010October 16, 2010

Time: 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.This trip covers landscaped

parkland, a lake and natural coastalscrub habitats and is paced for

beginning birders. We will look for the birds of the coastal sage scrub,

such as Spotted Towhee, CaliforniaTowhee and Song Sparrow. The lakeattracts herons, egrets, cormorants,ducks as well as an Osprey. We willalso look for migrating songbirds.

If you wish to carpool, or for moreinformation, contact Eleanor Osgood at [email protected] or (310)839-5420. Binoculars provided.

Ballona Wetlands Bird Walk

3rd Sunday of the month with theexception of December Leaders: Bob Shanman and Friends (310)326-2473; [email protected] 19, 2010October 17, 2010

Time: 8:00 a.m. - 12: p.m.Join us for a walk through L.A.’s

only remaining saltwater marsh andthe adjacent rocky jetty. Winteringshorebirds and terns should be

present, plus the resident Black Oystercatchers frequent the rocky

shores of Ballona Creek.Meet at the Del Rey Lagoon

parking lot. Take the Marina Fwy(90) to Culver Blvd and turn left for a mile. Turn right on Pacific Ave.The lot is on the right. Lot or street

parking is usually not a problem.Three hour walk. Scopes helpful.

Echo Park Lake Bird Walk Echo Park in Los Angeles

Leader: Judy Raskin(323) 663-6767; [email protected], September 25, 2010Time: 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Take a leisurely walk aroundEcho Park Lake, one of the oldest inLos Angeles. More than 70 speciescall Echo Park their home for all or

part of the year. They includeMallards, Great-tailed Grackles,American Coots, Great-blue Herons,

Great Egrets, hawks and variousgulls and doves. This is an excellentwalk for beginners. Parents areencouraged to bring their children.Binoculars recommended, and a birdguide, if you have one.

Meet at 9:00 a.m. at theBoathouse, Echo Park Ave. near Laguna Ave. Plenty of street parking .

Detailed directions to theselocations are published on our

website:www.losangelesaudubon.org.

MAIN MENU > RECREATION >BIRD WALKS

or, call the Leader/Contact in thewalk’s description.

Bird Walks are geared for the beginner/intermediate looking for an introduction to local birds or a less strenuousexcursion. Appropriate for young bird watchers age 6 years and older. Carpooling is encouraged. Binoculars are

provided on some walks as noted below.



Costa Rica is located in the

south eastern portion of theCentral American landbridge,and receives its avifaunal influencefrom both North America and northernSouth America. Near San Jose, thecapitol, located in the central part of the country, there is considerableoverlap of species. The cordilleras(high range of mountains that dividethe country), act as natural barriers tomost species of birds and animals on

both the Caribbean and the Pacificslopes. This phenomenon results insmall regions with completelydifferent avafauna in close proximityto one another.

This tiny country, about the size of West Virginia, boasts well over 800species of birds, almost 2000 speciesof plants and orchids, well over 300species of reptiles and amphibians,along with numerous butterflies. One

of the world’s premier destinations,Costa Rica is a small, friendly country,without a military, and whose local

people welcome you like a guest intheir country

All major roads lead out of SanJose, making it necessary to returnthere frequently—but within an hour or so—one can be within spectacular habitats and enjoying the wonders of

colorful birds like motmots, trogons,

parrots, jacamars and tanagers, alongwith the birds with more camoflaged plumage like tinamous, antbirds,woodcreepers, flycatchers andwrens. Early in the mornings, thedawn chorus of various bird songskeeps you in suspense. We will bevisiting seven habitats, each with itsown distinctive birds that are notlikely to be seen in other places onthis trip.

We’ll begin with a boat ride intothe mangrove forests of the AbangaresRiver, where Roseate Spoonbills,Black-bellied Whistling Ducks,raptors, shorebirds, gulls and terns can

be seen. Mantled Howler Monkeysmay be startled by your visit. In thedry forests of the Abangares, views of the Thicket Tinamou, Banded Wren,Black-headed Trogon, Turquoise-

browed Motmot and Long-tailed

Manakin are possible. In the PaloVerde National Park—another of thedry forest ecosystem—we should findthe Yellow-naped Parrot, King Vulture,Great Curassow, Limpkin, and theworld’s largest stork, the Jabiru.

Monteverde is one of the most beautiful cloud forests in the world,where —Black Guan, Prong-billedBarbet, Blue-throated Toucanet,Spangle-cheeked Tanager, numerous

hummingbirds, the Resplendent

Quetzal, and the Three-wattledBellbird—are all possible.Spend two days in the transition

zone between the dry and moist forestof the Pacific lowlands— strategicallylocated near the Carara BiologicalReserve—one of the last tropical rainforests on the Pacific Coast. Here,Scarlet Macaws, with the earlymorning’s light on them, will absolutelyleave you breathless! In addition you

will observe such beauties as —Baird’sTrogon, Fiery-billed Aracari, Orange-collared Manakin, and Black-hoodedAntshrike. Coatimundi, peccary,White-faced Capuchin, Howler andSpider Monkeys and Two-toed Sloth,can also be found as you walk along thetrails bordered with heliconia blossoms.

Continue on through the Cerrode la Muerta Mountains to theSavegre Mountain Lodge, located at

7200', on a family farm with a troutstream running through it.Resplendent Quetzal’s nest here inthis highland cloud forest—a real

paradise for birders—whereadditional birds like Yellow-wingedVireo, Flame-throated Warbler,Tufted Flycatcher, Volcano Junco,Long-tailed Silky-Flycatcher,Large-footed Finch and many other species are common.


INTERNATIONAL BIRDINGLOS ANGELES AUDUBON presents:

COSTA RICA, JEWEL OF CENTRAL AMERICA and A BIRDER ’S PARADISE



We offer an optional 3-day Post-

Extension to Corcovado NationalPark—where you will fly from SanJose to Palmar Sur—continuing byroad to Rio Sierpe, and transfer toyour home for the next three nights.

Towering mangrove trees line the banks and tributaries of the RioSierpe, on their way to the PacificOcean, to empty into the sea justnorth of Drake Bay and the MarencoBiological Reserve.

Your visit to Corcovado NationalPark includes explorations throughthe crown jewel of Costa Rica’srainforests—and one of the mostgeologically intense places on earth.There are eight main habitats withinthe park, and the wildlife here is asvaried and rich as its plant life.

Join us for an extraordinaryintroduction to Neo-tropical birdsand wildlife in beautiful Costa Rica,

March 18 to 30, 2011, plus theCorcovado National Park extension.

For further information, contact:Olga Clarke, Travel Director Los Angeles Audubon [email protected] Ph/Fax: (818) 249-9511

Enter the forests into a

cathedral-like setting, withcolumns of hundred-year-old trees,unusual plants and mushrooms,and the celestial chorus of birdsthat will make your walk magicaland unforgettable.

Your final destination,adjacent to the Braulio Carrillo

National Park, in the lushlowlands of northeastern CostaRica, may well be the most

exciting adventure of the trip.The Selva Verde Lodge, locatedin the Sarapiqui region, thewettest part of the country, iswhere the colorful parrots,trogons, and toucans feed at theforest edge, where you can watchthem from the veranda whilesipping a cool drink.

In nearby, world-famous,La Selva Biological Field Station,

we will seek the tinamous,antbirds, manakins, and specialtieslike the Lattice-tailed Trogon,Snowy Cotinga, and variouswrens. Over 400 species of birdshave been recorded in this area,and the sounds ringing through theforest produce an unforgettablememory of Costa Rica and itsnatural riches.


Pelagic Trips

Los Angeles Audubon Pelagic Tripon the Condor Express

Saturday, September 18 - Aroundthe Northern Channel Islands for

rare Shearwaters.

This 8 hour trip departs fromthe Santa Barbara Harbor at 7:00a.m. on the fast catamaran Condor

Express . Birds to be expected: Northern Fulmar; Pink-footed,Sooty and Black-ventedShearwaters; Black, Ashy andLeach’s Storm-Petrels; cormorants(3), rocky shorebirds (up to 5); Redand Red-necked Phalaropes;Pomarine and Parasitic Jaegers;Sabine’s Gull; Royal, Common andArctic Terns; Common Murre;Xantus’s Murrelet; Cassin’s Auklet.Uncommon rarities that can beseen: Buller’s Shearwater; LeastStorm-Petrel; Red-billedTropicbird; South Polar Skua;Long-tailed Jaeger; and Craveri’sMurrelet. Great whales and severalspecies of dolphins are often seenthis time of year

There is a full galley that canserve breakfast and lunch.

Leaders: Jon Feenstra, TerryHunefeld, Todd McGrath, DavePereksta and Dave Compton$125 Credit card or cash.

Reservations for this trip: ContactSea Landing in Santa Barbara at(805) 882-0088 or (888) 779-4253for your reservations or trip status.

Photographs courtesy of Olga Clarke



Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Tom Stephenson returns from New York to present:

“How Understanding SonogramsCan Help You Learn Bird

Vocalizations”

Recent technology has given usthe ability to “see” into many invisible

parts of the world. From X-Rays of broken bones, to CAT scans of the brain, modern technology revealsimportant and useful informationabout our world.

Audio Spectrograms allow birders to “see” into birdsongs and calls. Visualizing vocalizations in this way can bea powerful aid to learning difficult songs and calls. TomStephenson will present an explanation of Audio Spectrogramtechnology and show how it can help you learn vocalizationsof difficult-to-distinguish species like the western thrashers,warblers and passerine call notes.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Scott Thomas and Pete Bloom present:

“The Swainson’sHawk Migration in

Southern California”

Every spring, reports of kettles of Swainson’s Hawks flying through the Los

Angeles basin are posted on the local bird reports. This is agreat opportunity to listen to Scott Thomas and Pete Bloom,

both biologists who band and study raptors. They will focustheir discussion on Swainson’s Hawk’s travels through south-ern California on their way to and from breeding grounds, in-cluding the closest area — the Antelope Valley. Scott willtouch on the migration, discuss his hopes to use satellitetelemetry as part of the studies at Borrego Springs, and touchon the other California breeding areas, including the centralvalley and the great basin. Scott and Pete will talk about thishawk’s ‘life range’ from North America to South America.

Audubon House

7377 Santa Monica Blvd.,(at Martel Ave., in Plummer Park)

West Hollywood, CA 90046(323) 876-0202

Regular Hours:Mon. - Thurs. 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Closed: Friday, Saturday & Sunday

Closed: Saturday, Sept. 4 th

Closed: Monday, Sept. 6 th Labor Day

Open: 1 st Saturday,Oct. 2 nd 10:00 a.m. to 3 p.m.

MONTHLY PROGRAMS

Los Angeles Audubon’s monthly Program Presentations, are held the second Wednesday of the month in theWest Hollywood Community Center building in Plummer Park.

7377 Santa Monica Blvd. (at Martel Ave.), W. Hollywood 90046.Meetings start at 7:30 p m and are over at about 9:30 p m

september-october 2010 western tanager newsletter - los angeles audubon

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