By Jon Fisher
2020 brought us a fall season unlike any other. While birding was only modestly disrupted by it, we continued to deal with the effects of a global pandemic. We also contended with record high temperatures and a fire season for the record books. In California, over four million acres has already burned this summer and fall. Fire in California is not the issue, as this is a natural occurrence. It is their extent and intensity and unnatural causes that are truly wreaking havoc.
Starting with the 2009 Station Fire, over 350,000 acres of the Angeles National Forest have burned, though this includes some areas that have burned twice. The entire ANF covers less than twice that area. Decades of fire suppression and decreasing precipitation have resulted in a buildup of highly flammable vegetation in our local mountains and throughout the state. This is the future we will need to come to grips with; a drying climate, more destructive fires and changing habitats and avifauna.
In Los Angeles County, with the Lake Fire behind us, the Bobcat Fire soon followed. It began on September 6 near Cogswell Reservoir and it soon became apparent that this would be no ordinary wildfire. It ended up scorching over 115,000 acres, blazing its way from the foothills just above Arcadia all the way to the high desert. Along the way, it not only cut a wide path of destruction through the heart of the San Gabriels, but also burned many well-known and popular birding areas, not to mention tens of thousands of acres of native chaparral, oak and pine.
Among the locations affected were Buckhorn Campground and environs, the San Gabriel River’s West Fork, Big Santa Anita Canyon, part of Charlton Flat, Big Rock Creek, Little Rock Creek, and Devil’s Punchbowl and many lesser known spots.
Since the burn area remains closed indefinitely, the true extent of the damage may not be known for some time. Riparian areas where vegetation is relatively well-watered should have fared better than dry slopes. There will be patches of woodland, forest and chaparral that remain at least somewhat intact throughout the burn area.
That aside, the loss can hardly be minimized and is truly hard to fathom at this point. The West Fork of the San Gabriel River contained until now the most impressive and relatively undisturbed riparian forest in the county.
The other downside to fire in southern California is the very real potential for mudslides, debris flows and flooding that are likely to occur this winter. These too can alter and degrade habitats for birds.
There are at least some silver linings amongst the carnage. Aside from the aforementioned patches that will have survived, the eastern high country was spared. Throop Peak, Mt. Baden-Powell, Blue Ridge and Table Mountain were all left unscathed. As any active birder will know, this part of the San Gabriels is home to a number of specialty birds in the county. Williamson’s Sapsuckers, Clark’s Nutcrackers, Cassin’s Finches and Red Crossbills call this high country home and are rarely found elsewhere.
Some more positive news; as of the second week of October, most of the Angeles National Forest has reopened, with the exception of the burn area. Barring any new conflagrations, it should remain so.
The next few years and beyond will be an important time to bird the Bobcat Fire area. eBird will ultimately contain a large amount of data detailing the changes in avifauna immediately following the fire and during the subsequent recovery.
It’s about time for better news, and there most certainly was some. It was a rather impressive fall for birds and birding in the county. As it often does, the latter half of September produced a marked spike in vagrants and this continued well into October. Not only were the expected eastern vagrants encountered, but reverse migrants from Mexico were represented and a few outstanding Siberian rarities also showed up.
This column, covering August through October, is typically the most lengthy of the year. And in 2020, the number and diversity of birds present plus the relative ubiquity of vagrants gave active birders a full plate of birds to find and chase.
A Eurasian Wigeon along the Lower Los Angeles River in Long Beach on September 30 (Johnny Ivanov) was the first one reported. An early fall Hooded Merganser was at Apollo Park near Lancaster from September 7-October 25 (Naresh Satyan) and a summering bird continued at Topanga lagoon through September 26.
An above average fifteen White-winged Doves, rare but regular visitors in late summer and fall, were present during the period.
Two Black Swifts were over Blue Ridge Road in the eastern San Gabriel Mountains on August 28 (Luke Tiller, Catherine Hamilton).
Six Pacific Loons at Quail Lake on October 17 was a notable number for this locale where they are rare though regular visitors (Luke Tiller, Catherine Hamilton).
An American Oystercatcher continued at Royal Palms Beach in San Pedro through September 8 and either the same bird or another was at Dockweiler State Beach in El Segundo on September 2.
A Pacific Golden-Plover had returned to lower Ballona Creek for its third year as of September 1 (Kevin Lapp) and was reported there through October 17. Another probable individual was along the Los Angeles River in the Sepulveda Basin on October 14 (Mike Stensvold).
Rare in the county was a Red Knot near the Ballona Creek mouth on September 16 (Chris Dean). Four Stilt Sandpipers- rare and irregular in occurrence- were along the Los Angeles River in Maywood from September 18-28 (Richard Barth).
The apparent last Semipalmated Sandpipers of the fall were along Ballona Creek near Baldwin Hills from August 31-September 3 (Kevin Lapp) and along the Los Angeles River in Maywood on September 6 (David Bell). Undoubtedly a few are missed once adults and juveniles transition to basic plumage. By that time they are no longer obvious among the many Western Sandpipers.
Rare inland was a Red Phalarope along the Los Angeles River in Glendale from August 29-31 (Andrew Birch).
At least one summering Glaucous-winged Gull continued along the Los Angeles River in Maywood through September 13 and a Sabine’s Gull was at the Piute Ponds on Edwards AFB on September 23 (Jon Feenstra).
A Red-throated Loon was at Lake Balboa in the San Fernando Valley on October 21 (Mike Stensvold).
A Nazca Booby was rescued at Long Beach Harbor on August 26 and taken to rehabilitation and a Blue-footed Booby was seen flying up the Los Angeles River corridor on September 20 (Jeff Boyd). Given recent trends, this is a below average number of Sulids in the county.
One to two Neotropic Cormorants continued at the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve through August 29 and one to two more continued along the lower Los Angeles River in Long Beach through September 14. Another was at Bonelli Regional Park in San Dimas from September 19-October-15 (Rod Higbie) where it was joined by a second on October 21 (Dan Stoebel).
An American Bittern at the Piute Ponds on October 3 (Sona Conlin, Mickey Dyke) was the only one reported thus far.
Yellow-crowned Night-Herons continued in the Ballona area, with one to two birds reported regularly at the Ballona Freshwater Marsh through October 15. Another one or two continued at Sims Bio Pond in Long Beach through October 9.
Broad-winged Hawks appeared in above average numbers, which is to say there were still very few to be found. Single birds were at Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park in Harbor City on September 26 (Jonathan Nakai), in Claremont on September 27 (Corey Husic), over Los Feliz on September 30 (Andrew Birch), on the Palos Verdes Peninsula on October 7 (Randy Harwood), in Lakewood on October 10 (Kim Moore, Christine Jacobs), at Wheeler Park in Claremont on October 12 (Tom Miko).
The long-staying Zone-tailed Hawk in Monrovia continued through October 21 in the vicinity of Grand Avenue Park, but a different individual was at Santa Fe Dam on October 10 (Naresh Satyan). Slightly early was a Ferruginous Hawk in the east Antelope Valley on September 20 (Luke Tiller).
A Northern “Yellow-shafted” Flicker was at the Piute Ponds from October 17-18 (Naresh Satyan) and one was at Santa Fe Dam in Irwindale on October 19 (Candice Byers).
A Short-eared Owl was at the Ballona Wetlands from September 30-October 1 (Rick Pine).
Tropical Kingbirds, scarce but regular in fall and winter, were at Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park in Harbor City from September 26-October 14 (Manuel Duran, Alejandra Cedillo), at Colorado Lagoon in Long Beach from September 28-October 16 (Robert Hamilton), at Entradero Park in Torrance from September 29-October 12 (Charlie Keller), at Malibu Legacy Park in Malibu on October 2 (Steven Hunter, Viviana Wolinsky) and at Madrona Marsh in Torrance on October 20 (Bobby Trusela).
A fantastic find was a Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher spotted in a residential area of Long Beach and first confirmed on September 23 (Jeff Boyd). The bird had been heard calling a few days earlier and apparently was gone after September 24. This was the first county record of this tropical flycatcher since 1991. Though their normal U.S. range just reaches into southern Arizona, late fall strays have been recorded as far north as southern Canada.
A returning Greater Pewee was back to spend its fourth winter in Rustic Canyon in Pacific Palisades as of October 6 and reported through October 21 (Jon Feenstra). This is also quite a county rarity, with fewer than ten individuals ever recorded.
Least Flycatchers were photographed and tentatively identified at Rancho Sierra Golf Course in the Antelope Valley from September 14-16 (Chris Dean), in Avalon on Santa Catalina Island on September 26, at Del Rey Lagoon in Playa del Rey on October 2 (both Naresh Satyan).
A late Bell’s Vireo lingered at the West San Gabriel River Parkway Nature Trail in Lakewood from September 26-October 22 (Joyce Brady).
Three Purple Martins were along the Los Angeles River in Glendale on August 31 (Andrew Birch) and another was there on September 14 (Matthew Schmahl). Other single birds were at Avalon on Santa Catalina Island on September 20 (David Bell) and at the Piute Ponds on September 27 (Jim Moore).
And early Ruby-crowned Kinglet was at Stephen Sorenson Park in Lake Los Angeles on September 11 (Kimball Garrett).
Another spectacular find was a Northern Wheatear on San Clemente Island on October 3 (Nicole Desnoyers). This is just the third record of this Old World flycatcher in the county and the first for the island, which now boasts an amazing four species of Old World flycatchers; Red-flanked Bluetail, Stonechat and Bluethroat and Northern Wheatear.
Quite rare in the county was a Gray Catbird found at Malibu Bluffs Park on September 27 (Aaron Gomperts). As with most of the vagrants discovered there this fall, it was seen for one day only.
Most of the small numbers of White Wagtails that breed in Alaska typically migrate to southeast Asia for the winter, but a very few find their way to the lower 48. Such was the case this fall, with a bird along the lower Los Angeles River from September 27-28 (Graham Montgomery) and one at Malibu Lagoon from October 5-7 (Ed Stonick).
Remarkably, a wagtail was again along the Los Angeles River in Long Beach on October 18 at the exact same spot as the previous one (David Moody). Obviously the likelihood that this was the same bird found there earlier seems very high. Assuming a total of two birds, these were just the fifth and sixth to be found in the county.
A Red-throated Pipit was on San Clemente Island on October 1 (Justyn Stahl, Nicole Desnoyers) and a Lapland Longspur was found there on October 16 (Justyn Stahl, Nicole Desnoyers)
Over ten Grasshopper Sparrows were recorded from September 7-October 20.
Lark Buntings were at Alta Vicente Preserve on the Palos Verdes Peninsula on September 7 (Jonathan Nakai) and at Malibu Lagoon on September 18 (Naresh Satyan).
At least twenty Clay-colored Sparrows were found between September 3 and October 6. It was quite a good fall for this species in the county.
Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Juncos were at Jackson Lake near Big Pines on September 29 (Konshau Duman), at the Piute Ponds from September 30-October 3 (Chris Dean), at Stephen Sorenson Park in Lake Los Angeles on October 1 and at Rancho Sierra Golf Course in the Antelope Valley on October 3 (both Kimball Garrett).
An early White-crowned Sparrow at Apollo Park near Lancaster on September 9 (Konshau Duman), while the season’s first White-throated Sparrow was at the Piute Ponds on September 29 (John Birsner).
Ten Green-tailed Towhees, most of these on the coastal slope, was an above average number for the period. It’s possible some of these were displaced by the Bobcat Fire, though we can’t know for sure.
Up to three Bobolinks at Santa Fe Dam from October 9-17 (Darren Dowell, Loren Wright) were the only ones reported.
Sixteen unusual species of wood-warblers were detected in addition to the nine expected western migrants. A rare Ovenbird was in Gardena on October 4 (Dinuk Magammana) and six Northern Waterthrushes were found between September 23 and October 9.
An early Black-and-white Warbler continued along the Los Angeles River in Atwater Village through September 5, while eight others were recorded through October 14.
At least seven Tennessee Warblers were recorded between September 12 and October 14. A Lucy’s Warbler was at Creek Park in La Mirada from August 24-29 (Jonathan Rowley) and another was at Peck Water Conservation Park in Arcadia on October 22 (Darren Dowell). Virginia’s Warblers were at Madrona Marsh in Torrance from September 4-25 (Tracy Drake) and at Hahamongna Watershed Park in Pasadena on September 6 (Darren Dowell).
A Hooded Warbler was on the Loyola Marymount University campus on September 5 (Kevin Lapp) and eight American Redstarts were recorded from September 6-October 15, all but one on the coastal slope.
A Northern Parula was at Lower Arroyo Park in Pasadena on September 28 (Jon Fisher) and Madrona Marsh in Torrance hosted a Blackburnian Warbler from September 19-23.
Chestnut-sided Warblers were on San Clemente Island on September 8 (Nicole Desnoyers, Susan Meiman), at the San Gabriel Coastal Basin Spreading Grounds in Pico Rivera from October 10-11 (Darren Dowell), at the Piute Ponds on October 11 (Jack Wickel) and at Maywood Riverfront Park on October 15 (Richard Barth).
A Blackpoll Warbler at the Piute Ponds on Edwards AFB on September 28 was the only one reported (Becky Turley, Jim Moore). Black-throated Blue Warblers were at Hopkins Wilderness Park in Redondo Beach on October 12 (Mark Rubke) and at Oakdale Memorial Park in Glendora on October 17 (Rick Fisher). In addition, seven Palm Warblers were found between September 14 and October 12.
Canada Warblers were on San Clemente Island on September 8 (Nicole Desnoyers, Susan Meiman) and in Highland Park on September 21 (Ryan Terrill, Jessica Oswald).
Painted Redstarts were found on the UCLA Campus in Westwood on September 14 (Michelle Rensel) and near Crescenta Valley Park in La Crescenta on October 2 (Jeffrey Fenwick).
A Rose-breasted Grosbeak was at the West San Gabriel River Parkway Nature Trail in Lakewood from September 25-26 (Loren Wright).
An Indigo Bunting, possibly a continuing bird, was at Hahamongna Watershed Park in Pasadena on September 20 (Dessi Sieburth). Another was at the San Gabriel Coastal Basin Spreading Grounds in Pico Rivera from October 10-11 (David Bell, Luke Tiller)
Two Summer Tanagers continued at Pearblossom Park in the Antelope Valley through September 14. At least nine others were reported during the period.
What’s to come? Precipitation we hope, and ideally not in large doses. This will accelerate recovery of the burn areas and is essential for all habitats, fire-affected or not. Although this is shaping up to be a La Nina year, usually meaning lower than average rainfall, these trends are often unpredictable. Climate change tends to increase this uncertainty. We can also hope for a calm end to our fire season, even as its length steadily increases.
As for the birds; November and December will see increasing numbers of waterfowl arriving. Birders will no doubt be checking Quail Lake and the Los Angeles Aqueduct for possible Barrow’s Goldeneyes and other potential rarities. The Antelope Valley, always a popular destination in winter, will offer Ferruginous Hawks, Mountain Bluebirds, possible longspurs, Mountain Plovers and more.
Though shorebird migration is pretty much over, the lower Los Angeles River, Piute Ponds (by letter of permission only) and other wetland spots and river channels are always worth checking.
Any of the numerous city and county parks on the coastal slope can harbor a vagrant passerine or two. We can expect a wide variety of neotropic migrants to spend the winter, at least in small numbers. The ever-milder climate is one reason. Increasing ornamental plantings that provide flowers, fruit and attract insects also increasingly entice warblers, orioles, tanagers and others to forego migrating farther south.
With some good fortune, the entire Angeles National Forest will reopen sooner than later. While winter offers a lower diversity of species in the mountains, some interesting birds can be found. Most woodpeckers are residents and finches, juncos and Fox Sparrows abound. Evening Grosbeaks are possible, with notable numbers of these present last winter at Grassy Hollow west of Big Pines.
Birds have always been a welcome diversion from the various tedious and mundane aspects of life, but that has been especially true in this difficult year. As is obvious from the foregoing list or records, there were a great many diversions this fall.