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
LAAS Expresses Concerns with Ballona Wetlands Project
Los Angeles Audubon Society has submitted a pair of letters regarding the proposed construction project for the Ballona Wetlands. A judge ruled that the original Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s project was deficient and ordered that the project could not proceed until a new, legally sufficient EIR was prepared. LAAS concurred that the original EIR was flawed and disagrees fundamentally with the project desired by CDFW.
CDFW recently issued a request for comments on their preparation of a new EIR with a 30-day comment period. LAAS is respectfully requesting that this comment period be extended to 75 days in the interest of public participation and transparency. You can read the letter here.
The planning for the Ballona Wetlands project has been funded by the Wildlife Conservation Board and CDFW is going back to the WCB for even more funds to redesign the project to account for accurate estimates of future possible flooding in Ballona Creek. CDFW used a lower estimate of flooding in the original EIR, even though they knew that higher flows were possible. The Wildlife Conservation Board may schedule consideration of the additional funding as soon as November 15. LAAS opposes this timing, and is requesting that instead the funding decision be schedule only after the scoping period for the EIR so that all parties know and understand the scope of the revisions that might be necessary.
LAAS opposes further funding of a planning process that has been flawed in many ways and has led to a proposed project that is inconsistent with current understanding of the ecology of the area, does not account for current estimates of sea level rise, and does not address the adverse impacts to groundwater and groundwater-dependent ecosystems.
You can read our letter to the Wildlife Conservation Board here. And you can express your concerns to the WCB by calling them at (916) 445-8448 and requesting that they not fund further Ballona Wetlands planning until there is a commitment from CDFW to reopen the project design and to incorporate the changed environmental conditions and legal requirements since the current design was selected in 2008. A lot has changed since then and Ballona deserves a restoration plan that reflects current scientific understanding and has the full support of the environmental community.
Rare Bird Alert - November 3, 2023
TUNDRA BEAN-GOOSE | White-winged Dove | Pacific Golden-Plover | Mountain Plover | Cattle Egret | Yellow-crowned Night-Heron | Zone-tailed Hawk | Northern “Yellow-shafted” Flicker | “Prairie” Merlin | Tropical Kingbird | THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD | Dusky Flycatcher | Evening Grosbeak | Chestnut-collared Longspur | Clay-colored Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Pink-sided” Junco | White-throated Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Black-and-white Warbler | Cape May Warbler | Palm Warbler | Summer Tanager | Rose-breasted Grosbeak
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?
Rare Bird Alert - October 27, 2023
Rare Bird Alert - October 20, 2023
TUNDRA BEAN-GOOSE | Pacific Golden-Plover | Red-billed Tropicbird | Manx Shearwater | Nazca Booby | Zone-tailed Hawk | Northern “Yellow-shafted” Flicker | Tropical Kingbird | Pacific Wren | Gray Catbird | Clay-colored Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Black-and-white Warbler | Tennessee Warbler | Prothonotary Warbler | Cape May Warbler | Chestnut-sided Warbler | Palm Warbler | Painted Redstart | Summer Tanager
Rare Bird Alert - October 13, 2023
TUNDRA BEAN-GOOSE | White-winged Dove | Solitary Sandpiper | Red-billed Tropicbird | Cattle Egret | Yellow-crowned Night-Heron | Broad-winged Hawk | Zone-tailed Hawk | Tropical Kingbird | Lapland Longspur | Clay-colored Sparrow | Black-and-white Warbler | Prothonotary Warbler | Blackpoll Warbler | Magnolia Warbler | Chestnut-sided Warbler | Palm Warbler | Painted Redstart | Summer Tanager | Dickcissel
Rare Bird Alert - October 6, 2023
TUNDRA BEAN-GOOSE | Lesser Black-backed Gull | Cattle Egret | Zone-tailed Hawk | Brown-crested Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | Yellow-throated Vireo | Sage Thrasher | Lark Bunting | Clay-colored Sparrow | Bobolink | Orchard Oriole | Northern Waterthrush | Black-and-white Warbler | Prothonotary Warbler | Tennessee Warbler | Lucy’s Warbler | Virginia’s Warbler | Northern Parula | Chestnut-sided Warbler | Blackpoll Warbler | Palm Warbler | Summer Tanager
Rare Bird Alert - September 29, 2023
TUNDRA BEAN-GOOSE | Pacific Golden-Plover | Dunlin | Sabine’s Gull | Common Tern | American Bittern | GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER | Eastern Phoebe | Pinyon Jay | Red-throated Pipit | Vesper Sparrow | Orchard Oriole | Black-and-white Warbler | Tennessee Warbler | Lucy’s Warbler | Virginia’s Warbler | American Redstart | Magnolia Warbler | Chestnut-sided Warbler | Blackpoll Warbler | Summer Tanager | Painted Bunting | Dickcissel
Rare Bird Alert - September 22, 2023
TUNDRA BEAN-GOOSE | American Oystercatcher | Pacific Golden-Plover | Common Tern | Yellow-crowned Night-Heron | Tropical Kingbird | Eastern Kingbird | Purple Martin | Lark Bunting | Northern Waterthrush | Black-and-white Warbler | Tennessee Warbler | Lucy’s Warbler | Virginia’s Warbler | American Redstart | Magnolia Warbler | Blackburnian Warbler | Chestnut-sided Warbler | Blackpoll Warbler | Summer Tanager | Dickcissel