[Posted by Chuck Almdale]

The following comments were posted Thursday, 10 April 2025 on bird chat line LACoBirds by Kimball Garrett, retired Collections Manager in Ornithology at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, and reposted here with permission from Kimball. I think they are of interest and import to all birders, especially those of us living in SoCal.

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Birders,

A discussion on the San Diego Birding listserv the past few days on how slow and poor the spring has been, up to this point, in San Diego region (e.g., many people reporting that Hooded Orioles were very late) has prompted me to post something similar for my neck of the woods. It has been an excruciatingly slow spring so far in the Antelope Valley for passerine migrants and summer visitors (apart from swallows).

Scott’s Orioles arrived in Juniper Hills 21 March, much later than the mean arrival date in seven springs here, and are still few and far between.  A couple of Hooded Orioles arrived at Pearblossom Park and in Juniper Hills (but not until this week), but fewer than expected. And Bullock’s didn’t arrive at the Valyermo Post Office area until 7 April. Still no Lazuli Buntings, Ash-throated Flycatchers, Black-headed Grosbeaks, Gray Flycatchers, Warbling Vireos, Black-throated Gray Warblers, etc., in our neighborhood (all expected by the first week of April).

Well-birded Piute Ponds [advance permission to enter from Edwards AFB is necessary] has had very few passerine migrants (apart from swallows) so far this spring, save for hordes of Yellow-rumped Warblers passing through. 

Speaking of Piute Ponds, there is very good shorebird habitat on the southern and western parts of Duckbill pond, and also plenty of shorebirds on Thoreau and Friends, with scattered birds elsewhere. On 9 April I estimated over 1000 shorebirds of 13 species (greatly dominated by Long-billed Dowitchers and Western Sandpipers). At the rate Duckbill is drying, the good habitat will probably be greatly diminished by early to mid-May. My eBird list for 9 April is here: https://ebird.org/checklist/S224178046

I have no idea what accounts for the late spring with low numbers, and of course things will likely pick up dramatically any time now. But one factor is probably the continued decline of most migratory bird populations, a trend that doesn’t seem likely to be reversed any time soon. 

Kimball Garrett
Juniper Hills