Birds of the Season—May 2024
Taxonomy of the Birds
Bird Walks and Field Trips
Western Tanager March–April 2024, Vol. 90 No.4
Western Tanager, Nov-Dec 2023, Vol. 90 No. 2
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
Western Tanager, September-October 2023, Vol. 90 No.1
Photo by Robbie Lisa Freeman
Inside This Issue
A Splendidly Spooky Avian Encounter by Robbie Lisa Freeman
Birds Of The Season—October 2023 by Jon Fisher
A Splendidly Spooky Avian Encounter
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?
Birds of the Season—August 2023
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.