By normal standards the first half of the summer of 2020 was relatively mild. No complaints about that, as those lower temperatures mean a more pleasant time in the field. As of mid-August however both the heat and seemingly inevitable fire season had arrived.
Locally, the Lake Fire west of Lancaster was notable, obliterating over 30,000 acres of forest as of this writing. Though this pales in comparison to the Station Fire of 2009 which burned five times the area, it is hardly insignificant. That habitat will eventually recover, but it will take many decades.
Overly hot weather in the latter half of August did seem to have a suppressing effect on migrant numbers, at least in the lowlands where passerines were noticeably scarce.
Those events aside, migration was on schedule. A variety of shorebirds were in evidence by early July and numbers continued to rise. Passerine migrants began turning up later in the month and through August, with movements and numbers most obvious in the mountains.
As always, a handful of vagrants were found. Even with the many and growing number of active birders in the county, there is always more to be discovered.
Here’s a look at notable birds from late June through August…
Well out of season were Hooded Mergansers at the Sepulveda Basin in Van Nuys on July 20 (Ken Reichner) and at Topanga lagoon on August 7 (Naresh Satyan).
Common Ground Doves continued in small numbers along the San Gabriel River in the Cerritos area with up to three reported there through July 14.
A few of the introduced Spotted Doves persist near downtown Los Angeles with up to three observed in Compton from July 16-22 (Richard Barth). The decline of this species in the region since the 1980s has been remarkable, probably mainly due to predation by increasing numbers of Cooper’s Hawks and Fox Squirrels.
White-winged Doves, scarce but expected in late summer and fall, were along the Los Angeles River in Long Beach on August 16 (Dessi Sieburth, Mark & Janet Scheel), in Redondo Beach from August 23-24 (Lynne Sands) and at Pt. Dume in Malibu from August 22-24 (Cynthia Shotte).
Black Swifts continued to be seen above Claremont Wilderness Park in the late afternoon and early evening, with from one to four birds present through August 9.
An American Oystercatcher continued at Royal Palms Beach in San Pedro through August 22 and one- perhaps the same bird- was at Dockweiler State Beach in El Segundo on August 13 (Jon Parker).
Notable in the county was a Red Knot found at the Ballona Creek mouth on July 1 (Mark & Janet Scheel).
Semipalmated Sandpipers—scarce but regular fall migrants—were along the lower Los Angeles River in Cudahy on June 30 and in Long Beach on July 5 (Chris Dean, Rose Veniegas). Three more were along the river in Long Beach on July 25, with one remaining through July 27 (Mark & Janet Scheel, Richard Barth, Jeff Boyd). Most recent were two there from August 15-16 (Richard Barth).
Unusual inland was a Red Phalarope along the Los Angeles River in the Sepulveda Basin in Van Nuys on August 7 (Nurit Katz). As the most pelagic of phalaropes, this species is rarely recorded away from offshore waters.
A rare Laughing Gull was seen briefly at Dockweiler State Beach in El Segundo on July 1 (Chris Dean). Up to two unseasonal and summering Glaucous-winged Gulls continued along the Los Angeles River in Maywood through August 23 and another along the river in Long Beach on July 25 (Tom Miko).
Remarkable was a Magnificent Frigatebird observed flying over Hahamongna Watershed Park in Pasadena on August 4 (Tom Cassaro). Though records from the interior southwest are not unknown, they are few in number. This bird is one of only several that have ever occurred away from coastal Los Angeles County.
A continuing Neotropic Cormorant was at the spreading basins below Hansen Dam from June 27-July 20 (Brad Rumble). What was probably the same bird was seen flying over the area on August 16. Another was along the lower Los Angeles River in Long Beach on June 28 (Jeff Boyd), with three eventually found there; one to two lingered through August 23. Two additional birds were at the Sepulveda Basin in Van Nuys from August 7-25 (Jon Fisher). This species was first recorded in the county in 2016. Today they are still by no means common, but neither are they unexpected.
Typically absent in summer were up to seven American White Pelicans that continued along the lower Los Angeles River in Long Beach through August 2.
A nice find at Averill Park in San Pedro was an immature Little Blue Heron on August 13 (Bobby Trusella). Rare but becoming more regular in the county was a Reddish Egret along the Los Angeles River near downtown Los Angeles from July 22-25. What may have been the same bird was at Malibu Lagoon from August 6-8 (Chris Dean).
First recorded in the county in about ten years ago, Yellow-crowned Night-Herons have been increasingly reported of late. One continued at Sims Bio Pond in Long Beach through August 20, with up to three present there during the period. Up to three more continued the Ballona area through August 24, while single birds were at Malibu Lagoon from July 31-August 1 (Femi Faminu), at the Dominguez Gap Wetlands in Long Beach on August 3 (Hawk McFazden) and at the Redondo Beach Marina on August 21 (Joshua Joun).
An early Northern Harrier was at Zuma Canyon on July 25 (Taylor Driggs) and Zone-tailed Hawks were spotted over Altadena on July 28 (Catherine Hamilton, Luke Tiller) and in Monrovia on August 1. The latter bird has been in that area since January of 2019.
Red-eyed Vireos were along the Vincent Gulch Trail in the San Gabriel Mountains on June 20 (Naresh Satyan) and along the Lower Willow Springs Trail in Rolling Hills Estates on August 4 (Bobby Trusela).
Away from expected areas was a Brown Creeper in Rancho Palos Verdes on July 27 (Jim Aichele, Cathy Nichols).
A Hermit Thrush was at Hahamongna Watershed Park in Pasadena on June 21 (Darren Dowell). There aren’t many reasons this species would remain in the lowlands at this time of year, and this bird did in fact show signs of injury which precluded it from attempting to migrate.
Quite rare in summer was a Ruby-crowned Kinglet along the Throop Peak trail in the San Gabriel Mountains on June 21 (Mark & Janet Scheel). This species has been known to breed in very small numbers at higher elevations in the county, but records are few.
A Lark Bunting was found on the superb vagrant trap of San Clemente Island on August 7 (Justyn Stahl, Steven Munoz, Susan Meiman).
Several Brewer’s Sparrows including juveniles were along Blue Ridge Road in the eastern San Gabriel Mountains as early as July 3 (Catherine McFadden, Paul Clarke). These birds are likely dispersing from more distant nesting areas, as there are no known breeding sites in the county.
Quite a surprise was a Golden-crowned Sparrow at Malibu Creek State Park on June 21 (Femi Faminu). Fairly common from September through April, summer records are virtually unknown.
A Black-and-white Warbler along the LA River in Atwater Village from August 14-17 was the first vagrant warbler detected this fall (Andrew Birch).
Up to three Northern Parulas continued at Ernie Howlett Park in Rolling Hills Estates through July 31, with breeding suspected there. Such an occurrence in California is hardly without precedent; a few do breed regularly along the central coast and occasionally elsewhere in the state.
A singing male Hooded Warbler was in Calabasas from June 24-28 and a Wilson’s Warbler was in the same area from June 24-26 (both Kimball Garrett).
A late spring vagrant was a Yellow-throated Warbler spotted at a residence in Pasadena on June 18 (Darren Dowell). Also of note was a continuing Grace’s Warbler at Charlton Flat in the San Gabriel Mountains reported through July 24.
Rose-breasted Grosbeaks were in Bel Air on June 20 (Rhys Marsh), in Chadwick Canyon on the Palos Verdes Peninsula on August 1 (Bobby Trusela) and in Topanga on August 3. The only Indigo Bunting recorded was at Hahamongna Watershed Park in Pasadena from August 1-16 (Darren Dowell).
The pair of Summer Tanagers at Pearblossom Park in the Antelope Valley continued through August 22 and another remained at Sycamore Flat Campground along Big Rock Creek through July 17. New birds were at Paramount Ranch near Agoura Hills on August 4 (Dan Cooper), in La Canada on August 21 (Alex Haun) and at O’Melveny Park in Granada Hills on August 23 (Ed Thomas).
The next couple of months should be rewarding for birders. With shorebird migration continuing through September and passerines building to their peak numbers in September and early October, there will be a lot going on. Throw in a handful of eastern and possibly a few Asian vagrants and there’s the potential for a great fall season. No predictions though; each year is different and we never know exactly what to expect.
There seem to be no end of places to bird during this time. Though partially or largely lined with concrete, our river corridors- the Los Angeles, the San Gabriel, the Rio Hondo, as well as some smaller ones- can offer interesting birding. A good portion of lower Ballona Creek is birdable as well.
It’s still early for most waterfowl, but deep water lakes in the interior can be worth a look; Castaic Lake and Lagoon, Quail Lake, Pyramid Lake all have potential and tend to be underbirded in the summer and fall season. Closer to home for most, Santa Fe Dam and Bonelli Regional Park feature decent-sized lakes that can attract a stray gull, booby or other oddity.
While the deserts are usually best in spring, they can also be quite good in fall. Parks and green patches will attract migrants and wintering birds start arriving in September. The adjacent San Gabriel Mountains, already great for southbound migrants, will continue to be worth covering into September and October and beyond.
Despite rampant development over many decades, Los Angeles County still offers some worthwhile coastal birding spots, all of which produce migrants and rarities. Malibu Lagoon, Leo Carrillo State Beach, Pt. Dume, the Ballona area and Cabrillo Beach head the list.
The coastal slope will surely produce a fair share of vagrants among the usual western migrants. Various parks and patches of habitat here can be quite good in fall. Harbor Regional Park, Sand Dune Park, Banning Park, La Mirada Creek Park and Madrona Marsh are among the most popular and productive and will undoubtedly be well-attended by birders. Yet there are a host of smaller and lesser known parks and green spots that are less visited- or rarely so; fall can be a good time to just get out and explore.
Published by Los Angeles Audubon Society, Western Tanager, Vol. 87 No. 1, Sept–Oct 2020.