Birds of the Season—May 2024
Taxonomy of the Birds
Bird Walks and Field Trips
Red-throated Loon | Zone-tailed Hawk | Williamson’s Sapsucker | Dusky-capped Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD | GREATER PEWEE | Hammond’s Flycatcher | Western Flycatcher | Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Junco | Green-tailed Towhee | Ovenbird | Black-and-white Warbler | Blackburnian Warbler | Palm Warbler | Grace’s Warbler | Yellow-rumped x Grace’s Warbler | Painted Redstart | Summer Tanager | Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Ancient Murrelet | Black-legged Kittiwake | Lesser Black-backed Gull | Zone-tailed Hawk | Dusky-capped Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD | GREATER PEWEE | Hammond’s Flycatcher | Western Flycatcher | Cassin’s Vireo | Green-tailed Towhee | Orchard Oriole | Ovenbird | Tennessee Warbler | Cape May Warbler | Blackburnian Warbler | Palm Warbler | Yellow-rumped Warbler x Grace’s Warbler | Black-throated Green Warbler | Painted Redstart | Summer Tanager
Solitary Sandpiper | Lesser Black-backed Gull | California Condor | Zone-tailed Hawk | Williamson’s Sapsucker | Dusky-capped Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD | GREATER PEWEE | Hammond’s Flycatcher | Bell’s Vireo | Cassin’s Vireo | Gray Catbird | Clay-colored Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Junco | White-throated Sparrow | Sagebrush Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Orchard Oriole | Hooded Oriole | Baltimore Oriole | Ovenbird | Black-and-white Warbler | Nashville Warbler | Chestnut-sided Warbler | Palm Warbler | Black-throated Green Warbler | Painted Redstart | Summer Tanager | Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Eurasian Wigeon | Barrow’s Goldeneye | Lesser Black-backed Gull | California Condor | Zone-tailed Hawk | Short-eared Owl | Williamson’s Sapsucker | Dusky-capped Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD | GREATER PEWEE | Hammond’s Flycatcher | Western Flycatcher | Bell’s Vireo | Cassin’s Vireo | Dark-eyed “Pink-sided” Junco | White-throated Sparrow | Sagebrush Sparrow | Swamp Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Orchard Oriole | Baltimore Oriole | Ovenbird | Black-and-white Warbler | Lucy’s Warbler | Cape May Warbler | Chestnut-sided Warbler | Palm Warbler | Grace’s Warbler | Black-throated Green Warbler | Painted Redstart | Hepatic Tanager | Summer Tanager
Eurasian Wigeon | Barrow’s Goldeneye | Common Murre | Laughing Gull | Lesser Black-backed Gull | Zone-tailed Hawk | Short-eared Owl | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | Williamson’s Sapsucker | Dusky-capped Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD | GREATER PEWEE | Hammond’s Flycatcher | Bell’s Vireo | Brown Creeper | Pacific Wren | Gray Catbird | Clay-colored Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Junco | Dark-eyed “Pink-sided” Junco | White-throated Sparrow | Sagebrush Sparrow | Swamp Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Baltimore Oriole | Ovenbird | Black-and-white Warbler | Lucy’s Warbler | Nashville Warbler | Chestnut-sided Warbler | Palm Warbler | Black-throated Green Warbler | Painted Redstart | Summer Tanager
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Observing the Coastal California Gnatcatcher, by Daniel Horowitz
LAAS Expresses Concerns with Ballona Wetlands Project – With Letter to the Wildlife Conservation Board, by Margot Griswold
The 124th Christmas Bird Count
Arctic-Breeding Greater Yellowlegs Tracked to Los Angeles River, by Rozy Bathrick
Birds of the Season - December 2023, by Jon Fisher
2024 Call For Applications, Ralph W. Schreiber Ornithology Research Award
Photo by Robbie Lisa Freeman
A Splendidly Spooky Avian Encounter by Robbie Lisa Freeman
Birds Of The Season—October 2023 by Jon Fisher
Recently, at my home in Mar Vista, I began noticing some unusual sounds. As dusk fell and darkness drew its blanket across the sky, I’d hear intermittent hissing, cries, and croaking sounds. At times, the eerie sounds would increase with such intensity that I’d walk outside to listen. It seemed to be coming from the unlit alley behind our house. Was it some kind of Cicada? A rare type of tree frog? Frightful spirits rising up from the dead for Halloween? One night around 11 PM, I heard a bloodcurdling shriek and felt a chill go down my spine! What was going on in Mar Vista?
Following a relatively cool early July, summer finally arrived. Temperatures increased and some weak systems brought a modicum of subtropical moisture. Thankfully there were no significant wildfires locally thus far.
But the stunner from a weather and birding perspective was a very strong tropical storm- the remnants of hurricane Hilary— that hit the county on August 20. This event dumped five inches of rain or more in many locations and was accompanied by high winds in many places. The added precipitation from Hilary makes severe fires even less likely, but not out of the question.
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