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Ballona Bird Walk Nov. 19, 2016: Field Trip Report
There has been a growing pressure on all active birders to post results as reports on eBird, the Cornell University citizen-science project. You will see that I am following that lead.
There are advantages and disadvantages to this practice, however, as my little tale will tell. We start our Ballona walk traditionally at the del Rey Lagoon, a City park with a remnant wetland that is linked to Ballona Creek with a mechanical tidal gate. Since this is a hotspot on the eBird map, I made a separate listing of the species observed.
Belding’s Savannah Sparrow, Ballona Lagoon 11/19/16 Nancy Conner
Del Rey Lagoon Park
Comments: SMBAS field trip, continued to Ballona Creek/Marina Channel spit. Return to lagoon for 10 minutes additional observation at 11:15. 25 species
American Wigeon (Anas americana) 31
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 6
Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola) 4
Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) 1
American Coot (Fulica americana) 11
Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) 1
Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa) 1
Willet (Tringa semipalmata) 1
Bonaparte’s Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) 17
Heermann’s Gull (Larus heermanni) 1
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 6
Western Gull (Larus occidentalis) 14
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) (Columba livia (Feral Pigeon)) 40
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 1
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 3
Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus) 1
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 12
Orange-crowned Warbler (Oreothlypis celata) 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) 30
White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) 18
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 2
Lincoln’s Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii) 1
Brewer’s Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus) 1
House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) 14
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) 2
However, in walking just 200 yards north, we entered another location, according to eBird. Therefore, a new list is required by eBird! The Ballona Creek spit and adjacent areas. This is where we find the pro and the con of electronic reporting. First, the con: many species are duplicated and after 3 hours of birding, I can only hope that my memory of the numbers seen of any of those species is accurate.
Least Sandpiper Ballona Lagoon 11/19/16 Nancy Conner
Another problem. Most serious birders who frequent that area are focused entirely on the relative rarities or firsts-of-season sightings, in the creek, and often neglect to report relatively “ordinary” passerines. Therefore the database for this hotspot is rather slim. I was forced by the program to justify such “rare” or exceptional species and quantities as Black and Says Phoebe, Least Sandpiper, Great Egret, etc. You will see the notes below, adjacent to each of these species.
Marbled Godwits, Willets, Ballona Lagoon 11/19/16 Nancy Conner
The advantage of eBird however: the record will show that a number of expected species were not present, such as Surfbird, Ruddy Turnstone, Pelagic Cormorant…
As far as this birder was concerned, the close up view of the Pacific Loon’s rarely-seen collar was thrill enough for the trip. And the semi-resident Peregrine Falcon stayed on his perch for at least an hour, enabling photographers to get close.
Peregrine Falcon Ballona Lagoon 11/19/16 Nancy Conner
Ballona Creek–Creek mouth, jetties & breakwater Nov 19, 2016 9:15 AM – 11:00 AM
Comments: Continuation of SMBAS field trip. See Del Rey Lagoon same day.
28 species
Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola) 6 4 M, 2 F below and app. 100 yds upstream from bridge.
Pacific Loon (Gavia pacifica) 1
Common Loon (Gavia immer) 1
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) 1 In Ballona Crk, just upstream from bridge.
Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus) 1
Eared Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) 2
Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) 6
Brandt’s Cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus) 10
Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) 13 2 in flight up creek, balance on breakwater (scoped).
Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) 20
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 1
Great Egret (Ardea alba) 3
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) 3
Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) 6
Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa) 20
Black Turnstone (Arenaria melanocephala) 2
Sanderling (Calidris alba) 12
Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla) 30 approx. 300 yds upstream from bridge on exposed rock and pickle weed bank, north side, with Black-bellied Plovers.
Willet (Tringa semipalmata) 18
Heermann’s Gull (Larus heermanni) 4
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 2
California Gull (Larus californicus) 1
Western Gull (hybrid) (Larus occidentalis) 15
Elegant Tern (Thalasseus elegans) 1
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) (Columba livia (Feral Pigeon)) 150 Numerous groups/flocks up to 40, flying over marina, creek and channel, as well as roosting on breakwater.
Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) 1 Perched 10 feet down from top of foghorn tower on end of spit. Perched for over one hour.
Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans) 4 On low tide exposed banks and rocks of creek.
Say’s Phoebe (Sayornis saya) 2 One on Dockweiler/creek spit, one 1/4 mile upstream on wetland fence.
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 11 In Washingtonia Robusta, adjacent to apartments.
Weather partly cloudy to sunny. 64-75° F.
[Lucien Plauzoles]
SMBAS field class in Bird Identification
SMBAS will offer a short field course in bird identification in the spring of 2017. The course is intended to help new or novice birders improve their birding skills while learning how to identify some of the species commonly found in the Los Angeles basin.
The course will consist of 6 Saturday morning sessions, each of which will be held in a local park or natural area. Sessions will begin in mid-February, 2017.
Enrollment is limited to 8. A donation of $60 per SMBAS member or $90 per non-member will be requested.
For more information, send an e-mail to smbaudubon [AT] gmail.com and put “Bird Class” in the subject line or call 310-617-8904 and leave a message that includes your name and phone number.
Do Mother Hummingbirds Sleep?
Hummingbirds have voracious appetites, eating the human equivalent of an entire refrigerator full of food every day. Even sleeping hummingbirds have huge metabolic demands that must be met to survive the night. They conserve energy by going into nightly torpor, drastically lowering their metabolic rate and body temperature. The hummingbird behavior shown here is torpor, and is no cause for alarm.
Photo: Julie Kennedy
But can nesting females incubate their eggs well using torpor? A group of researchers, including LMU’s Center for Urban Resilience, aim to find out by using remote thermal sensing technology to run a comparative analysis between multiple nests in different micro environments. Hummingbirds provide an optimal species for study of the physiological mechanisms animals use to cope with extreme limitations. And a better understanding of these mechanisms may have broader application in medical technology.
If you wish to help, the project leaders are crowd-sourcing the purchase of equipment needed for the study, with a goal of $4900. [Jane Beseda]
Sharing Venice Beach with Least Terns
People, crows and Least Terns are learning to be good neighbors at the Least Tern nesting enclosure on Venice Beach, thanks to research led by the LMU Center for Urban Resilience (CURes), and the efforts of local citizen scientists. We all use the beach in close proximity to each other because the enclosure is the only stretch of sand that is not groomed between Santa Monica and San Pedro.
The North American Waterbird Conservation Plan lists Least Terns as a Species of High Concern, so helping to preserve their nesting habitat is an important element in reversing their steep decline. CURes is also studying how to mitigate crow predation of eggs and chicks to boost survival rates at the enclosure.
Full Beaver’s Moon & Supermoon! Update – November 14, 5:52 AM PST
Here’s another update from SMBAS Blog on that large, disc-like, shining object which has frequently and mysteriously appeared in our nighttime sky this year (known to the cognoscenti as the moon).
Full Beaver Moon, Nov. 17, 2013
Ed Hewitt: https://www.flickr.com/photos/erhewitt50
Nov. 14, 5:52 a.m. PST — Full Beaver Moon. Now it is time to set beaver traps before the swamps freeze to ensure a supply of warm winter furs. Another interpretation suggests that the name Beaver Full Moon comes from the fact that the beavers are now active in their preparation for winter. This full moon is also called the Frosty Moon.
November 12, 2016 moon, approaching full supermoon status (Jim Kenney)
This is a Supermoon (or perigee moon or perigee-syzygy), because the full moon is at perigee (closest point to earth) on the day it rises. It will also be the closest – 221,524 miles – it’s been since January 26, 1948. It will almost certainly be the brightest and largest full moon of your lifetime. Don’t miss it. The night of the 13th or early morning of the 14th are the best viewing times. This supermoon will appear 14% larger and 30% brighter than do full moons at apogee (farthest point from earth).
Effects on the high and low tides will be dramatic, and if there are any coastal storms nearby, batten down the hatches and watch out for flooding. Such extreme tides are called “perigean spring tides” with reference not to the season “spring,” but to the German springen “to spring up” or “arise.”
Full moon – largest to smallest (Peter Lowenstein – Earth Sky)
Month Moon Names from other cultures Courtesy of Keith Cooley):
Chinese: White Moon; Celtic: Dark Moon; English Medieval: Snow Moon
Dakotah Sioux: Moon when horns are broken off
The Old Farmer’s Almanac has a page for each full moon, which has tips on times to harvest, fish and set eggs, things which every Los Angeles Westsider worth their salt must know. The best days for setting eggs are the 15th & 16th. Now you know, so you have no excuses.
Note: Pacific Daylight Time started March 13, 2016 at 2 AM (becoming 3 AM) and ended November 6, 2016 at 2 AM (becoming 1 AM). But you knew that.
The next significant full moon will occur on Dec. 13, 4:05 p.m. PST. Keep an eye on this spot for additional late-breaking news on this unprecedented event.
The moon name information comes to you courtesy of: http://www.space.com/31699-full-moon-names-2016-explained.html
written by Joe Rao. Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York’s Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for Natural History magazine, the Farmer’s Almanac and other publications, and he is also an on-camera meteorologist for News 12 Westchester, N.Y.
But that’s waaay too long to type in, and besides, you don’t need to go there because SMBAS has done the work for you!
[Chuck Almdale]
SANTA MONICA BAY AUDUBON SOCIETY BLOG 