Rare Bird Alert
Jon Fisher
Rare Bird Alert - December 24, 2025

Surf Scoter | Barrow’s Goldeneye | Mountain Plover | Solitary Sandpiper | Lesser Black-backed Gull | “Prairie” Merlin | Prairie Falcon | Dusky-capped Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD | GREATER PEWEE | Western Flycatcher | Eastern Phoebe | Cassin’s Vireo | Gray Catbird | White-throated Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Hooded Oriole | Baltimore Oriole | Ovenbird | Northern Waterthrush | Black-and-white Warbler | Palm Warbler | Pine Warbler | Nashville Warbler | Painted Redstart | Hepatic Tanager | Summer Tanager | Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Rare Bird Alert
Jon Fisher
Rare Bird Alert - December 16, 2025

Surf Scoter | Barrow’s Goldeneye | Mountain Plover | Lesser Black-backed Gull | Zone-tailed Hawk | Dusky-capped Flycatcher | Ash-throated Flycatcher | GREATER PEWEE | THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD | Hammond’s Flycatcher | Eastern Phoebe | Cassin’s Vireo | Gray Catbird | Lapland Longspur | Thick-billed Longspur | Clay-colored Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Pink-sided” Junco | White-throated Sparrow | Swamp Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Ovenbird | Black-and-white Warbler | Tennessee Warbler | Nashville Warbler | American Redstart | Northern Parula | Chestnut-sided Warbler | Palm Warbler | Pine Warbler | Black-throated Green Warbler | Painted Redstart | Hepatic Tanager | Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Rare Bird Alert
Jon Fisher
Rare Bird Alert - December 5, 2025

Eurasian Wigeon | Surf Scoter | Pacific Golden-Plover | Mountain Plover | Lesser Black-backed Gull | American Bittern | Western Cattle-Egret | Manx Shearwater | Swainson’s Hawk | Short-eared Owl | Williamson’s Sapsucker | Tropical Kingbird | THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD | GREATER PEWEE | Hammond’s Flycatcher | Western Flycatcher | Eastern Phoebe | Cassin’s Vireo | Lapland Longspur | Thick-billed Longspur | Clay-colored Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Junco | Dark-eyed “Pink-sided” Junco | White-throated Sparrow | Sagebrush Sparrow | Swamp Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Yellow-headed Blackbird | Hooded Oriole | Baltimore Oriole | Ovenbird | Black-and-white Warbler | MacGillivray’s Warbler | American Redstart | Cape May Warbler | Northern Parula | Blackburnian Warbler | Chestnut-sided Warbler | Palm Warbler | Black-throated Green Warbler | Painted Redstart | Summer Tanager | Scarlet Tanager | Black-headed Grosbeak | Indigo Bunting 

Rare Bird Alert
Jon Fisher
Rare Bird Alert - November 22, 2025

Pacific Golden-Plover | Red Phalarope | Lesser Black-backed Gull | American Bittern | Western Cattle-Egret | White-headed Woodpecker | Dusky-capped Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD | Western Warbling-Vireo | Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Junco | White-throated Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Hooded Oriole | Black-and-white Warbler | Nashville Warbler | Cape May Warbler | Blackburnian Warbler | Palm Warbler | Black-throated Green Warbler | Painted Redstart | Summer Tanager | Scarlet Tanager

BIRDS OF THE SEASON
Susan Castor
Birds of the Season — November 2025

Following a comparatively mild summer on the coastal slope, mid-October brought some unusually early substantial rainfall to the county. November added significantly to that total. That’s a definite plus for bird habitats and should also greatly reduce the potential for wildfires.

Los Angeles County’s active birders found a remarkable number and diversity of vagrants this fall. The deserts, mountains, coastal slope and offshore waters and islands were all productive for notable birds. In large part, increased coverage is responsible for an increase in the rare birds detected, especially since the populations of many of these birds are in decline.

Inaccessible to the public, San Clemente Island has long been the envy of southern California birders due its impressive annual list of fall vagrants, including some mega-rarities. But increasing coverage of nearby Santa Catalina Island in fall has proved very worthwhile. By contrast, this island has easy public access and hosted a long list of rare birds this October and November.

Many parks and natural areas on the coastal slope held interesting passerines. The Piute Ponds, though coverage suffered due to closure during the government shutdown, still managed a number of good birds.

Birds of the Season — November 2025

Rare Bird Alert - Mar 22, 2019

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

Rare Bird Alert - Mar 15, 2019

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

Rare Bird Alert - Mar 8, 2019

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

Rare Bird Alert - Mar 1, 2019

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

Birds of the Season - February 2019

Birds of the Season - February 2019

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.

LAAS joins conservation groups calling for science-based wildland fire management

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.

Download PDF

Requiem For Habitat Lost

Requiem For Habitat Lost

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.

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