INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Adventures in Ecuador: On the Trail of Endemics, Eco-heroes, and a Taste of Eden, By Robbie Lisa Freeman
Conservation Conversation, By Travis Longcore
Birds of the Season–April 2023, By Jon Fisher
Adventures in Ecuador—On the Trail of Endemics, Eco-Heroes, and a Taste of Eden
An Urban Forest for the Birds
A fact that has stuck with me from the research for the Los Angeles County Breeding Bird Atlas in the 1990s is that there was not a single neighborhood in the county that did not have at least ten breeding bird species. Residents can enjoy birds wherever they live. But beyond that minimum, the number of birds that are found in developed neighborhoods across the region depends on the number of trees, their size, species, and diversity, and associated landscaping.
Western Tanager, March–April 2023, Vol. 89 No. 4
Western Tanager, January–February 2023, Vol. 89 No. 3
Inside This Issue
Pelagic Birding: A Birder’s Box of Chocolates, by Robbie Lisa Freeman
Ten Tips To Prepare for Your First Pelagic, by Robbie Lisa Freeman
Snowy Owl in San Pedro, by Andy Dowdell
Conservation Conversation, by Travis Longcore (Wildness in Our City, Farewell, P-22, Seeing the Wild at Silver Lake Reservoir, Wild Under Threat at Ballona)
Birds of the Season — December 2022
Christmas Count, by Linda Sheehan
January 11th Online Presentation — Scaring Birds for Science, with Mario Díaz presenting
Western Tanager—Nov-Dec 2022
Birds of the Season – October 2022
September and October are a time of almost endless potential and anticipation in the birder’s world in southern California, with a wide variety of migrants passing through. But it is also a time of uncertainly; each year is different and we never know exactly what to expect. What numbers of vagrants will turn up? What species will be above or below average? Will any ultra-rare Asian strays be found? To avoid any unnecessary suspense, I will state that the fall of 2022 did not disappoint.
Native-plant landscaping in residential yards provides habitat and refuge for birds in Southern California
As an ecologist, the mega sprawl of cities such as Los Angeles has always made me wonder what happened to wildlife native to the land before development. In the 20th and 21st centuries, humans in Southern California have converted vast natural ecosystems into buildings, houses, roads, agriculture, and other infrastructure and land uses. How did these drastic changes to the environment affect wildlife? How can we mitigate the negative effects of urbanization on wildlife?
Western Tanager, Sep–Oct 2022, Vol. 89 No. 1
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Page 1–2 Hawk On The Block
Page 3 Nature Nexus & Volunteers
Page 4 Conservation Conversation
Pages 5–6 Birds of the Season
Page 7–8 Hope Is The Thing With Feathers
Pages 9 Upcoming Bird Walks
CONSERVATION CONVERSATION—Legislative Priorities to Protect Birds During Migration
The migration each year of nearly 5 billion birds from breeding grounds in North America to wintering grounds in Central and South America and the Caribbean (the “Neotropics”) is both one of the wonders of nature and what marks the season for birders. Some of those birds even stay and overwinter here in Los Angeles and other southern reaches of North America. A Western Tanager stopped under our oak tree as this column was going to press but it will be another month before the Yellow-rumped Warblers arrive for the winter.