Free email delivery
Please sign up for email delivery in the subscription area to the right.
No salesman will call, at least not from us. Maybe from someone else.
Bird Articles from “Science News”
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/47800/title/Feather-covered_dinosaur_fossils_found
Scientists have uncovered a feather-laden, peacock-sized dinosaur that predates the oldest known bird.
From Science News Web Edition 9/26/09
Darwinopterus points to chunky evolution
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/48389/title/Darwinopterus_points_to_chunky_evolution
A newly discovered pterosaur had the legs of its ancestors and the head of its descendants.
From Science News Web Edition 10/14/09
Field Trip Report – Huntington Beach Central Park & Bolsa Chica Lagoon, Sat. 10/10/09
There must have been thousands of Boy Scouts, parents and support staff in the park with their tents, Coleman stoves, tables and numerous who-can-shout-the-loudest events. Birding was a bit difficult, and we failed to find any sign of the Lucy’s Warbler, American Redstart, Ovenbird and No. Waterthrush which were sighted earlier in the week near the “culvert”, now the epicenter of the jamboree. So it goes. Just as we were leaving, a Worm-eating Warbler sighting was reported from the lake’s west side.
Chestnut-sided Warbler in Eucalypt (Guy Commeau photo)
Despite huge crowds gathered there for a cross-country race, we scoured the eucalypt foliage until we found a large flock of warblers busily gleaning insects. We counted ten warbler species, including the much-desired Worm-eating, seen only by alert birder John Vanderhorst, and a surprise Chestnut-sided in its blandest fall plumage (see Guy’s photo above). Reenergized by lunch, we headed to Bolsa Chica Lagoon to check out the shorebird flocks. Two adult Reddish Egrets, apparently now long-term lagoon residents, danced in the shallows, seeking fish. Temperatures ranged from 65 to 72 and the weather was beautiful.
Trip List HCP Trip List Bolsa Chica Lagoon
Canada Goose American Wigeon
Gadwall Mallard
American Wigeon Ruddy Duck
Mallard Pied-billed Grebe
Northern Shoveler Eared Grebe
Ruddy Duck Western Grebe
Pied-billed Grebe White Pelican
Eared Grebe Brown Pelican
Double-crested Cormorant Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron Great Blue Heron
Snowy Egret Great Egret
Turkey Vulture Snowy Egret
Red-shouldered Hawk Reddish Egret (2)
Red-tailed Hawk Green Heron
American Coot Turkey Vulture
California Gull Northern Harrier
Ring-billed Gull Red-tailed Hawk
Rock Pigeon American Coot
Mourning Dove Black-bellied Plover
Black-chinned Hummingbird Semipalmated Plover
Anna’s Hummingbird Killdeer
Allen’s Hummingbird Willet
Nuttall’s Woodpecker Whimbrel
Downy Woodpecker Long-billed Curlew
Northern Flicker Marbled Godwit
Western Wood-Pewee Ruddy Turnstone
Hammond’s Flycatcher Sanderling
Black Phoebe Western Sandpiper
Say’s Phoebe Dunlin
Warbling Vireo Dowitcher – sps.
Western Scrub-Jay Ring-billed Gull
American Crow Western Gull
Bushtit California Gull
House Wren Caspian Tern
Ruby-crowned Kinglet Forester’s Tern
Hermit Thrush Rock Pigeon
Northern Mockingbird Belted Kingfisher
European Starling Black Phoebe
Orange-crowned Warbler Say’s Phoebe
Nashville Warbler American Crow
Yellow Warbler Savannah Sparrow
Chestnut-sided Warbler Song Sparrow
Yellow-rumped Warbler 42 species
Black-throated Gray Warbler
Townsend’s Warbler
Worm-eating Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Wilson’s Warbler
Spotted Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Western Tanager
Black-headed Grosbeak
Red-winged Blackbird
Brewer’s Blackbird
House Finch
Lesser Goldfinch
House Sparrow
Nutmeg Mannikin
60 species
Field Trip Report – Malibu Lagoon Sunday 9/27/09
Photo'd without aiming (Alan Kotin)
The fall migrants were everywhere. About 20 birders gathered, including Laura and Priscilla, freshly moved from Florida. At the first footbridge the early birders spotted two Sora. Later, a Virginia’s Rail skulked through the reeds; very tough to see until it briefly flew between reed beds, when everyone got a look.
Virginia Rail skulking in reeds (Alan Kotin)
The duck population is growing, now including a few shovelers, wigeons, one Pintail and a female Greater Scaup, joining the 247 coots in the lagoon. About 75% of the gulls were Western. 33 Snowy Plovers were in various locations, both resting and feeding, none banded. Large, nicely-shaped waves were breaking over the offshore rocks, preventing birds from resting there, but we saw 3 Pelagic Cormorants fly past. Back by the lagoon edge we discovered 2 Pectoral Sandpiper on a grassy shore, a migrant often seen here this time of year but otherwise absent. 1 Cooper’s Hawk flew over Adamson House, but otherwise the grounds were very unbirdy. A probable Peregrine Falcon shot by, spooking the peeps and plovers into the air, then continuing past the pier and out of sight, pausing only to dive on a Western Gull and give it a whack. Oddly enough no one saw it well enough to confidently ID it. Altogether we had 62 species on a very nice, warm day.
Bird Articles from “Science News”
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/47325/title/As_climate_shifts%2C_birds_follow
Most of the birds in California’s Sierra Nevada range are on the move in response to recent climate changes.
From Science News Web Edition 9/15/09
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/47358/title/Ants_in_the_pants_drive_away_birds
Yellow crazy ants can get so annoying that birds don’t eat their normal fruits, a new study finds.
From Science News Web Edition 9/16/09
Coastal Cleanup Report – Malibu Lagoon Saturday 9/19/09
This must be about the 20th year that members of our chapter have collected trash at the lagoon for the annual Coastal Cleanup Day, but no one seems to have kept a record, other than in our increasingly shoddy memories. More people than ever came: were you one of them? If so, congratulations and thank you.
Altogether we had 67 volunteers collecting 55 bags of trashy trash totalling 195 lbs and 20 bags of recyclable trash totalling 47 lbs. This included 1300 cigarette butts (I thought everyone had quit smoking by now; I guess not), more tiny pieces of styrofoam than any sane person would want to see, a baby stroller, a lovely straw Easter bonnet and a boogie board. I fished the bonnet out myself, using a swimming pool net on a pole extended to full length, standing outside the footbridge railing leaning out as far as I could while someone held onto me by my belt. The fun never stops!
SANTA MONICA BAY AUDUBON SOCIETY BLOG 