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
The Los Angeles Christmas Bird Count was held on Jan. 2, 2026, the original date (Jan. 4) having been moved due to the predicted all-day rain. Most of our regular counters were able to switch to the new date; interestingly, only a few new participants made it out on the 2nd (but a big thanks to those who did!).
First, a special note about L.A. County: As counties go, Los Angeles is quite remarkable. Yes, there are a huge number of CBC’s in LA county (12!); but also, in all of the United States, San Diego County is the only other that can lay claim to pelagic birds, montane birds, and desert birds, all residing comfortably in their own ecosystems. Yes, seeing a Verdin, a LeConte’s Thrasher, and a Mountain Bluebird on one LA County CBC; then turning around the next day and seeing a Parasitic Jeager, a Black Oystercatcher, and a Lewis’ Woodpecker on another LA County CBC, is entirely possible - although not easy!
Barrow’s Goldeneye | Greater Roadrunner | Mountain Plover | Solitary Sandpiper | Ancient Murrelet | Black-legged Kittiwake | Lesser Black-backed Gull | Zone-tailed Hawk | Williamson’s Sapsucker | Northern “Yellow-shafted” Flicker | Dusky-capped Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD | GREATER PEWEE | Hammond’s Flycatcher | Western Flycatcher | Gray Catbird | Dark-eyed “Pink-sided” Junco | White-throated Sparrow | Swamp Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Orchard Oriole | Baltimore Oriole | Scott’s Oriole | “Bicolored” Red-winged Blackbird | Ovenbird | Black-and-white Warbler | Lucy’s Warbler | Cape May Warbler | Northern Parula | Chestnut-sided Warbler | Palm Warbler | Grace’s Warbler | Black-throated Green Warbler | Painted Redstart | Hepatic Tanager | Summer Tanager | Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Surf Scoter | Barrow’s Goldeneye | Solitary Sandpiper | Laughing Gull | Vega Gull | Lesser Black-backed Gull | Pacific Loon | Zone-tailed Hawk | Short-eared Owl | Northern “Yellow-shafted” Flicker | Dusky-capped Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD | Western Kingbird | GREATER PEWEE | Hammond’s Flycatcher | Western Flycatcher | Eastern Phoebe | Gray Catbird | Grasshopper Sparrow | Clay-colored Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Junco | White-throated Sparrow | Sagebrush Sparrow | “Large-billed” Savannah Sparrow | Swamp Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Hooded Oriole | Baltimore Oriole | Ovenbird | Northern Waterthrush | Black-and-white Warbler | Lucy’s Warbler | Nashville Warbler | MacGillivray’s Warbler | American Redstart | Cape May Warbler | Northern Parula | Chestnut-sided Warbler | Palm Warbler | Grace’s Warbler | Black-throated Green Warbler | Painted Redstart | Hepatic Tanager |Summer Tanager | Rose-breasted Grosbeak | Black-headed Grosbeak
Birds Mentioned:
White-winged Scoter | American Oystercatcher | Zone-tailed Hawk | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | Northern "Yellow-shafted" Flicker | Ash-throated Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | Hammond's Flycatcher | RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL | Swamp Sparrow | White-throated Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Pink-sided” Junco | Baltimore Oriole | BLUE-WINGED WARBLER | Black-and-white Warbler | Lucy's Warbler | GRACE'S WARBLER | Summer Tanager
Compiled by Jon Fisher
Birds Mentioned:
White-winged Scoter | American Oystercatcher | California Condor | Zone-tailed Hawk | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | Northern "Yellow-shafted" Flicker | "Black" Merlin | "Prairie" Merlin | Tropical Kingbird | Eastern Phoebe | RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL | Swamp Sparrow | Harris's Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Junco | Yellow-breasted Chat | BLUE-WINGED WARBLER | Black-and-white Warbler | Lucy's Warbler | Summer Tanager
Compiled by Jon Fisher
Birds Mentioned:
"Eurasian" Green-winged Teal | White-winged Scoter | Black Scoter | American Oystercatcher | Rhinoceros Auklet | Brown Booby | Neotropic Cormorant | Zone-tailed Hawk | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | Northern "Yellow-shafted" Flicker | Ash-throated Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | Hammond’s Flycatcher | Eastern Phoebe | Cassin's Vireo | RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL | Swamp Sparrow | White-throated Sparrow | Harris's Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Oregon” Junco | BLUE-WINGED WARBLER | Black-and-white Warbler | Lucy's Warbler | Palm Warbler | GRACE'S WARBER | Summer Tanager
Compiled by Jon Fisher
Birds Mentioned:
White-winged Scoter | American Oystercatcher | Mountain Plover | Neotropic Cormorant | Burrowing Owl | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | "Black" Merlin | Prairie Falcon | Ash-throated Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | Hammond’s Flycatcher | Pacific-slope Flycatcher | Eastern Phoebe | Cassin's Vireo | RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL | Green-tailed Towhee | Swamp Sparrow | Harris's Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Junco | Yellow-breasted Chat | BLUE-WINGED WARBLER | Lucy's Warbler | Nashville Warbler | Palm Warbler | Pine Warbler | GRACE'S WARBER | Painted Redstart | Summer Tanager
Compiled by Jon Fisher
December through February is that slow time of the bird year when nothing much of interest turns up, right? In some years that statement may ring true, but it was hardly accurate this winter. Some truly unexpected birds were found along with many lesser vagrants. As usual plenty of continuing rarities were regularly reported at their respective locations.
Fires in California’s scrublands and forests are in integral part of their ecology. Research in the past 20 years has shown that protection of life and property must be based on understanding that large wind-driven wildfires are what cause nearly all of the devastation in our communities. The State of California is still holding on to the outdated idea that fire suppression has resulted in the loss of life and property and that massive wildland vegetation removal would reduce the risk to structures from wind-driven fires. It won’t.
The California Chaparral Institute has been a leader on this issue for nearly two decades and spearheaded the attached letter from conservation groups on the most recent “Vegetation Treatment Program” proposed by the State. It contains extensive background information and we encourage interested parties to read the letter and its attachments.
Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine
Grant them eternal rest, o Lord
et lux perpetua luceat eis
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
Te decet hymnus, Deus, in Sion
You shall have praise in Zion, o God,
et tibi redetur votum in Jerusalem.
and homage shall be paid to you in Jerusalem.
Exaudi orationem meam.
Hear my prayer.
Ad te omnis caro veniet.
All flesh shall come before you.
Kyrie eleison.
Lord, have mercy.
Christe eleison.
Christ, have mercy.
Kyrie eleison.
Lord, have mercy.
Inside This Issue
Vol. 85 No. 4 Mar-Apr 2019 Western Tanager
•Requiem For Habitat Lost, By Louis Tucker
•Western Snowy Plover Monitoring Program, By Stacey Vigallon & Carol Babeli
Birds Mentioned:
White-winged Scoter | American Oystercatcher | Pacific Golden-Plover | Mountain Plover | Neotropic Cormorant | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | "Black" Merlin | Tropical Kingbird | Hammond’s Flycatcher | Cassin's Vireo | RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL | White-throated Sparrow | Harris's Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Junco | Orchard Oriole | BLUE-WINGED WARBLER | Black-and-white Warbler | Lucy's Warbler | Pine Warbler | GRACE'S WARBER | Painted Redstart
Compiled by Jon Fisher
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