[Text by Jean Garrett, photos by Chris Tosdevin, posted by Chuck Almdale]

Since the Boy Scouts were camping at Huntington Central Park, we had to change the venue to Madrona Marsh in Torrance. October is the earliest time we have ever gone to Madrona and not surprisingly most of the vernal pools were dry. Still, the birds we did see we could see well because the vegetation was sparse.

Eleven of us started down the main trail hearing a chorus of White-crowned sparrows reminding us that winter is coming.

A couple of Downy Woodpeckers were in the trees around the meadow which had lots of sunflowers encouraged to bloom by the last heat wave.

The trees in front of the meadow were filled with Lessor and American Goldfinches and both the Black and the Say’s Phoebe were present.

We even had Meadowlarks right where they belong, in the meadow. A Northern Flicker, always heard first then seen much later, made his appearance. Mallards were swimming in the last pool of water in the whole area. To my surprise, there was some lichen growing on a rock (I thought you could only find them in the mountains) and Chris found a California Hairstreak in a bush.

That little orange spot helped with finding the butterfly.

Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers seemed to be in abundance along with Anna Hummingbirds (no Allen’s) and some Kestrels overseeing the open field. When we had finished the trail, there was a bird house hanging from a tree with a squirrel moving in as the new tenant for the winter season.

And finally, the picture of innocence, a female Western Bluebird.

In the upside down map below, north is at the bottom, so no…you haven’t lost your mind. The extensive ponds are there after it begins raining in the fall. We were there about 10 days too early for that.

As always, many thanks to our photographer: Chris Tosdevin

Madrona Marsh Trip List	10/10/26	2/14/26	2/8/25	2/10/24	2/11/23	12/10/16
Canada Goose		8	32	8	X
Cinnamon Teal		8			X
Northern Shoveler		13		40	X
Gadwall				2	X
American Wigeon		7	35	2	X	6
Mallard	4	4	15	50	X	6
Green-winged Teal		2	5		X
Ring-necked Duck						1
Hooded Merganser			2		X
Rock Pigeon			6	8	X	8
Eurasian Collared-Dove		1			X
Mourning Dove	10	2	6	12	X	50
White-throated Swift			12
Anna’s Hummingbird	3	2	2	3	X	3
Allen’s Hummingbird		3	3	4	X	9
American Coot		3		2	X	5
Killdeer			1		X
Greater Yellowlegs					X
Sandpiper sp.		4
Ring-billed Gull						2
Western Gull						4
California Gull					X	2
Gull sp.			2
Great Egret				1
Green Heron					X
Black-crowned Night-Heron					X
Sharp-shinned Hawk						1
Cooper’s Hawk			2
Red-shouldered Hawk		2	1			1
Red-tailed Hawk		1	1	2	X	2
Downy Woodpecker	1			1		1
Northern Flicker (Red-shaft)	1	2	1	10	X	2
No. Flicker (prob. Red x Yellow)				(1)
American Kestrel	2	3	1	1	X	3
Merlin			1
Ash-throated Flycatcher						1
Cassin’s Kingbird		4	4	2	X	6
Black Phoebe	10	2	3	5	X	6
Say’s Phoebe	2	1	2	1	X	1
California Scrub-Jay				1
American Crow	3	28	6	12	X	4
Common Raven		2	2	2	X	2
No. Rough-winged Swallow		1		2
Bushtit	10	1	8	18	X	50
Swinhoe’s White-eye	1	1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet	1		8			12
Cedar Waxwing					X	20
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher	8	1	6	8	X	13
House Wren		1				1 Heard
Northern Mockingbird				1
European Starling	6	3	30	5	X	8
Western Bluebird	4	3
Hermit Thrush						1 Heard
Scaly-breasted Munia		8	20	20		45
Pin-tailed Whydah				18
House Finch	5	3	20	5	X	20
Purple Finch		2
Lesser Goldfinch	6	15	50		X	3
American Goldfinch	2		60	8	X	45
Lark Sparrow			2
Chipping Sparrow				4		6
Brewer’s Sparrow						2
Fox Sparrow						1
White-crowned Sparrow	15	13	30	15	X	60
Golden-crowned Sparrow			2		X	2
Savannah Sparrow			4		X	4
Song Sparrow		2		8	X	2
Lincoln’s Sparrow		1		1	X	3
California Towhee	2	2	4	1	X	2
Western Meadowlark	2			1	X	10
Red-winged Blackbird		8	40	31	X	2
Brewer’s Blackbird			5
Great-tailed Grackle			3	1	X
Black-and-White Warbler			1			1
Orange-crowned Warbler	2		2		X	6
Common Yellowthroat				1		3
Yellow-rumped Warbler	5	2	8	40	X	10
Black-throated Gray Warbler			1		X	1
Townsend’s Warbler						1
House Sparrow		2	6	1
Total Species – 77  (forms-80)	23	38 (45)	43 (44)	41 (42)	46	51