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
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
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
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
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.
This issue’s Interpreting Nature column was created by Brian Young. Brian is a Baldwin Hills Greenhouse Program alumnus. He recently returned from completing his degree at UC Santa Cruz to re-join the staff team at Los Angeles Audubon - we are very glad to have him back! Brian brings a wide range of interests and skill sets to his work as a restoration and education staff member, helping students make connections between science, art, and stewardship. Hopefully we can talk him into creating more nature comics for the Tanager in the future!
2020 has been a year that has seen much upending of the world and its citizens. But there is consistency to be found in the natural world, and for me, that is a great source of comfort. Nature does not know that a pandemic is raging around the world, and continues to go about its business, in all its wonder, every single day.
Time spent outdoors can be quite the antidote for the sagging spirit. Southern California abounds in locations that remind us of the beauty of our state, and that there is a larger whole to the world than the niche that is occupied by us humans. What follows is a list of some of my favorite spots to step back, experience the natural world and be inspired rather than discouraged. Each place listed is within a two-hour drive of downtown Los Angeles, with the exception of the final listing. Some are extremely local. And all should be a tonic to malaise!
While much about the fall and early winter of 2020 was typical, much was not. The pandemic not only continued unabated but its intensity was on the rise. From a purely self-interested point of view, birding continued to be mostly unaffected. A truly ugly fire season thankfully exited with a whimper rather than a bang. Cooler temperatures finally arrived, but were accompanied by little precipitation.
"Eurasian" Green-winged Teal | Barrow's Goldeneye | Spotted Dove | Broad-billed Hummingbird | American Oystercatcher | Pacific Golden-Plover | Mountain Plover | Lesser Black-backed Gull | Neotropic Cormorant | American Bittern | Little Blue Heron | Yellow-crowned Night-Heron | Broad-winged Hawk | Swainson's Hawk | Zone-tailed Hawk | Rough-legged Hawk | Northern "Yellow-shafted" Flicker | Dusky-capped Flycatcher | Ash-throated Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD | Scissor-tailed Flycatcher | GREATER PEWEE | Pacific-slope Flycatcher | Eastern Phoebe | Bell's Vireo | Cassin's Vireo | Sage Thrasher | Grasshopper Sparrow | Clay-colored Sparrow | "Red" Fox Sparrow | Dark-eyed "Gray-headed" Junco | Dark-eyed "Pink-sided" Junco | White-throated Sparrow | Swamp Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Yellow-headed Blackbird | Baltimore Oriole | Scott's Oriole | Black-and-white Warbler | Nashville Warbler | Palm Warbler | Painted Redstart | Summer Tanager
"Eurasian" Green-winged Teal | Barrow's Goldeneye | American Oystercatcher | Pacific Golden-Plover | Spotted Dove | Lesser Black-backed Gull | Neotropic Cormorant | Little Blue Heron | Yellow-crowned Night-Heron | Broad-winged Hawk | Swainson's Hawk | Zone-tailed Hawk | "Harlan's" Red-tailed Hawk | Rough-legged Hawk | Yellow-bellied Spasucker | Brown-crested Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD | Western Flycatcher | Scissor-tailed Flycatcher | GREATER PEWEE | Dusky Flycatcher | Pacific-slope Flycatcher | Eastern Phoebe | Bell's Vireo | Cassin's Vireo | American Pipit (japonicus) | Red Crossbill | Grasshopper Sparrow | Clay-colored Sparrow | Dark-eyed "Gray-headed" Junco | Dark-eyed "Pink-sided" Junco | White-throated Sparrow | Swamp Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Yellow-headed Blackbird | Hooded Oriole | Baltimore Oriole | Scott's Oriole | Black-and-white Warbler | Palm Warbler | Painted Redstart | Summer Tanager
"Eurasian" Green-winged Teal | Barrow's Goldeneye | American Oystercatcher | Pacific Golden-Plover | Mountain Plover | Neotropic Cormorant | American Bittern | Little Blue Heron | Broad-winged Hawk | Swainson's Hawk | Rough-legged Hawk | Short-eared Owl | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | Northern "Yellow-shafted" Flicker | GREATER PEWEE | Dusky-capped Flycatcher | Ash-throated Flycatcher | Brown-crested Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | Scissor-tailed Flycatcher| Dusky Flycatcher | Pacific-slope Flycatcher | Eastern Phoebe | Cassin's Vireo | American Pipit (japonicus) | Grasshopper Sparrow | Clay-colored Sparrow | Dark-eyed "Gray-headed" Junco | Dark-eyed "Pink-sided" Junco | Swamp Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Yellow-headed Blackbird | Hooded Oriole | Baltimore Oriole | Scott's Oriole | Black-and-white Warbler | American Redstart | Palm Warbler | Painted Redstart
White-winged Dove | Vaux's Swift | Pacific Loon | American Oystercatcher | Pacific Golden-Plover | Mountain Plover | Neotropic Cormorant | Little Blue Heron | Yellow-crowned Night-Heron | Broad-winged Hawk | Zone-tailed Hawk | "Harlan's" Red-tailed Hawk | Rough-legged Hawk | Short-eared Owl | Williamson's Sapsucker | Northern "Yellow-shafted" Flicker | Dusky-capped Flycatcher | Ash-throated Flycatcher | Brown-crested Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | Western Kingbird | GREATER PEWEE | Hammond's Flycatcher | Dusky Flycatcher | Pacific-slope Flycatcher | Eastern Phoebe | Bell's Vireo | Cassin's Vireo | American Pipit (japonicus) | Grasshopper Sparrow | Clay-colored Sparrow | Dark-eyed "Gray-headed" Junco | Dark-eyed "Pink-sided" Junco | White-throated Sparrow | Swamp Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Baltimore Oriole | Scott's Oriole | Black-and-white Warbler | Nashville Warbler | American Redstart | Palm Warbler | Painted Redstart | Summer Tanager | Black-headed Grosbeak
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