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No salesman will call, at least not from us. Maybe from someone else.
The day starts cool, then warms into the 70’s.
Paths & grass possibly damp from dew or sprinklers.
Wear appropriate footwear.
Unfortunately, we get there a bit later.
Reservation: Not necessary
Masking/Covid Requirements: None. Wear a mask if you wish, but trails are wide and uncrowded.
Weather: NWS predicts 59 > 78°F, wind 0mph, sky cover 14%. Dress in layers.
Link to: 2025 Sepulveda report
Located only 15 minutes from Santa Monica, Chuck Almdale will show us around one of San Fernando Valley’s best birding spots, where – unless it’s become a giant lake from any recent & unexpected rainfall – we’ll check the fields, pond, riparian areas and perhaps Los Angeles River for migrants and wintering birds. Neotropic Cormorants are frequently seen around the ponds and river. Time & conditions permitting, we might go to Lake Balboa for the Dusky-capped Flycatcher if it’s around.
Expect ducks, grebes, raptors, herons, cormorants, hummingbirds, doves, kingfishers, woodpeckers, thrushes, flycatchers, swallows, corvids, kinglets, warblers, sparrows, blackbirds, turtles, perhaps a coot or two and possibly cricketeers. The whole kit and the caboodle to boot!
Family Guide: 1-2 miles easy walking on level crushed granite path, sometimes clay or grass. Dress in layers, bring water & snack, wear footwear suitable for possibly damp paths.
Directions: SAN DIEGO FWY (I-405) north over the mighty range of Santa Monica Mountains (aka “the hill”) and past the #101 Fwy to first exit at BURBANK BLVD. Go west (left) to WOODLEY AVE. Turn north (right) on WOODLEY AVE. continue 1/2 mile to the south entrance on right) or another 1/10 mile to the middle entrance for the WILDLIFE RESERVE AREA. One or the other or both of these two entrances are always open. Drive east, continuing past the cricket pitches and the small traffic circle and meet at the very last parking lot on the left (blue marker by amphitheater on Google map above). Bathrooms nearby.
Arrive early and find the Parakeets, Western Bluebirds, Dark-eyed Juncos, Chipping Sparrows, Pine Siskins and the ever-elusive Delirious Whatnots for the rest of us! We then walk south into the wildlife reserve, just in case you arrive late.
Meet at 8 a.m. at the parking lot
Leader: Chuck Almdale email: misclists@verizon.net
[Posted by Chuck Almdale, suggested by Lillian Johnson]
Prehistoric bird once thought extinct returns to New Zealand wild.
Return of takahē – large, flightless bird – to alpine slopes of the South Island marks a conservation victory in New Zealand
By Tess McClure, 28 Aug 2023
Lead paragraph
Tā Tipene O’Regan, 87 years old, leaned into his carved walking stick and reached down to a large wooden box. He paused a second, then slowly lifted the lid. Out shot the hefty body of a bright turquoise bird, legs windmilling, launching from its cage like a football from a slingshot.
“I am now largely blind, but I still saw them,” O’Regan says: a flash of blue feathers and bright red legs racing for the tussocks.
Kingfisher under water | BBC Discover
[Posted by Chuck Almdale, submitted by Lillian Johnson]
7 astonishing underwater kingfisher photos that show the beautiful bird is just as at home below the surface as above it
These remarkable photographs show how a kingfisher dives and the ingenious way it is adapted for underwater
by Daise Bowie-Sell, 27 Feb 2026
Click the link to the article.
https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/birds/kingfishers-underwater-photos
Lead Paragraph
The common kingfisher, or Alcedo atthis, is an iconic sight on the riverbanks and wetlands of the UK. Azure blue with an orange and white sheen, they offer a fast moving streak of colour among reeds and waterways. But despite their distinct look, they can be tricky to spot.
Condors lay egg (maybe) in NoCal | Smithsonian
[Posted by Chuck Almdale, submitted by Lillian Johnson]
These California Condors Might Be Tending to the Species’ First Egg in the State’s Northern Region in More Than a Century
Experts haven’t confirmed the existence of an egg, but the nesting birds’ behaviors suggest one was laid in early February.
By Sarah Kuta, 4 Mar 2026
Lead Paragraph:
Wildlife biologists in far Northern California are beaming with cautious pride, as a pair of California condors appears to be tending to the region’s first wild egg in more than a century. Scientists haven’t been able to confirm the egg, but the behavior of the bird couple suggests they’re taking turns with incubation duties—a welcome bright spot for the critrically endangered creatures.
Sepulveda Basin Field Trip: Saturday, 14 March, 8:00 AM
The day starts cool, then warms into the 70’s.
Paths & grass possibly damp from dew or sprinklers.
Wear appropriate footwear.
Unfortunately, we get there a bit later.
Reservation: Not necessary
Masking/Covid Requirements: None. Wear a mask if you wish, but trails are wide and uncrowded.
Weather: NWS predicts 59 > 78°F, wind 0mph, sky cover 14%. Dress in layers.
Link to: 2025 Sepulveda report
Located only 15 minutes from Santa Monica, Chuck Almdale will show us around one of San Fernando Valley’s best birding spots, where – unless it’s become a giant lake from any recent & unexpected rainfall – we’ll check the fields, pond, riparian areas and perhaps Los Angeles River for migrants and wintering birds. Neotropic Cormorants are frequently seen around the ponds and river. Time & conditions permitting, we might go to Lake Balboa for the Dusky-capped Flycatcher if it’s around.
Expect ducks, grebes, raptors, herons, cormorants, hummingbirds, doves, kingfishers, woodpeckers, thrushes, flycatchers, swallows, corvids, kinglets, warblers, sparrows, blackbirds, turtles, perhaps a coot or two and possibly cricketeers. The whole kit and the caboodle to boot!
Family Guide: 1-2 miles easy walking on level crushed granite path, sometimes clay or grass. Dress in layers, bring water & snack, wear footwear suitable for possibly damp paths.
Directions: SAN DIEGO FWY (I-405) north over the mighty range of Santa Monica Mountains (aka “the hill”) and past the #101 Fwy to first exit at BURBANK BLVD. Go west (left) to WOODLEY AVE. Turn north (right) on WOODLEY AVE. continue 1/2 mile to the south entrance on right) or another 1/10 mile to the middle entrance for the WILDLIFE RESERVE AREA. One or the other or both of these two entrances are always open. Drive east, continuing past the cricket pitches and the small traffic circle and meet at the very last parking lot on the left (blue marker by amphitheater on Google map above). Bathrooms nearby.
Arrive early and find the Parakeets, Western Bluebirds, Dark-eyed Juncos, Chipping Sparrows, Pine Siskins and the ever-elusive Delirious Whatnots for the rest of us! We then walk south into the wildlife reserve, just in case you arrive late.
Meet at 8 a.m. at the parking lot
Leader: Chuck Almdale email: misclists@verizon.net
SANTA MONICA BAY AUDUBON SOCIETY BLOG 