Volume 75, Number 6 July/August 2009
WESTERN
TANAGER
a publication of Los Angeles Audubon
The Double Life of the White-throated Sparrow
rom October 2008 until
F March 2009 I worked as
the Biologist-Educator for
Bird Programs at the Audubon Cali-
fornia Starr Ranch Sanctuary in
southeast Orange County. I con-
ducted educational programs with a
focus on the local avifauna, contin-
ued long-term survey efforts, man-
aged the winter banding station with
the help of many dedicated volun-
teers, and organized the Starr Ranch
portion of the San Juan Capistrano
Christmas Bird Count. It was during
the Christmas Bird Count day that I
came across a bird that is uncommon
in Orange County. I was birding
along the dirt road leading out of
Starr Ranch into the adjacent
Caspers Wilderness Park, carefully
checking the dense brush for spar-
rows and other winter birds, when I
suddenly heard the familiar drawn-
out “tseep” of a White-throated Spar-
row. I quietly walked towards the
calling bird until I could see it
perched inside a small brush pile and
then another flew across the trail. In
total there where three White-
throated Sparrows, mainly foraging
in a moist area with dense brush.
Those three birds were the only ones
recorded in the count circle that day.
White-throated Sparrows are nothing
too unusual during winter in Orange
County and are most often found in
Huntington Central Park, but these
three birds reminded me of a previ-
ous summer when I spent many
hours taking a much closer look at
the species.
A white morph bird mist netted and measured during
the study. Each bird was individually marked by a
combination of three plastic color bands and one
aluminum band.
The White-throated Sparrow
(Zonotrichia albicollis), is a com-
mon winter bird in many parts of
the southeastern United States and
like other species in its genus, often
sings during the non-breeding sea-
son. Even during a cold snap, its
distinct whistle can be heard from
overgrown thickets. During the
summer time, its song emanates
from forest edges, bogs, and mead-
ows throughout northern forests
from the northeast United State far
into Canada. The species occurs in
lower numbers on the West Coast
during winter and is uncommon in
Southern California where birds
mainly winter along the coast.
www.laaudubon.org
—by Stephan Lorenz
In northern New York state,
White-throated Sparrows arrive from
their wintering grounds in mid-April
when the first patches of ground start
showing through the snowmelt. In
2004, I spent the summer in the
Adirondack Park in upstate New York
assisting in a study evaluating the be-
havior and ecology of the White-
throated Sparrow conducted by fac-
ulty from Indiana State University.
At the beginning of April, I started the
long drive north from Texas arriving a
couple of days later in the great north-
ern woods of upstate New York. The
Adirondack State Park represents one
of the largest wilderness areas re-
maining in the United States east of
the Mississippi and protects an im-
mense variety of habitats. Huge
swaths of mixed deciduous woods
support myriad species of warblers.
Fingers of boreal forest and bogs,
reaching down from Canada, harbor
Gray Jays, Black-backed Woodpeck-
ers and other species typical of more
northern climes. Wetlands resound
with the booming of American Bit-
tern, the moonlight serenade of Com-
mon Loons and splash of Hooded
Mergansers. The high mountains are
topped by treeless tundra and dense
forests near their summits are home
to Boreal Chickadees, the rare Bick-
nell’s Thrush and the ubiquitous
White-throated Sparrow.
 WESTERN TANAGER
Published by
Los Angeles Audubon Society,
a chapter of National Audubon Society.

EDITOR: Linda Oberholtzer

LAYOUT EDITOR: Susan Castor
CONSERVATION: Garry George
FIELD TRIPS: Nick Freeman
PELAGIC TRIPS: Phil Sayre
PROGRAMS: Mary Freeman
ORNITHOLOGY CONSULTANT:
Kimball Garrett
PRINTING: G2 Graphics Services, Inc.

Opinions expressed in articles or letters

herein do not necessarily express the
position of this publication or of
Los Angeles Audubon Society.

PRESIDENT:
David De Lange
1st VICE PRESIDENT:
Garry George
An active beaver pond, tan males prefer to set up territories
2nd VICE PRESIDENT:
in small isolated openings as this in order to avoid neighbors.
Paul Fox
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY: Numerous bodies of water dot the During early spring, White-
Linda Oberholtzer
RECORDING SECRETARY: landscapes and on one of the largest is throated Sparrows were fairly quiet
Eleanor Osgood Cranberry Lake, where the State Uni- with only the occasional subdued song,
TREASURER:
Lisa Fimiani versity of New York maintains a bio- but when the first warblers arrived, the
EXECUTIVE PAST PRESIDENT: logical research station. The research familiar “Sam Peabody” resounded
Dexter Kelly
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR:
station is located within a remote part from every forest edge. White-throated
Mary Loquvam of the woods surrounding Cranberry Sparrows have been studied exten-
Lake and is most easily reached via a sively and have helped ornithologists
Membership in Los Angeles Audubon is $10
Student, $25 Individual, $35 Couple, $50 thirty minute boat ride across open understand questions of migration,
Family, $100 & $250 Annual Donor, and water. It is part of a huge wilderness song, habitat selection and breeding
$1,000 Lifetime. Members receive the
Western Tanager newsletter and other benefits. area with Black Bears knocking on ecology. Yet researchers have only be-
Donations and memberships can be made your cabin door, literally! Stands of gun to unravel the unique life history of
online at www.laaudubon.org, or by US Mail.
mature deciduous woods cover rolling this common species. A quick look
Make checks payable to Los Angeles Audubon. hills and patches of boreal forest into any field guide reveals that the
Mailing Address:
thrive in poorly drained soils. Over White-throated Sparrow is polymor-
Los Angeles Audubon decades, beaver activity has created a phic; meaning males and females can
P.O. Box 931057, Los Angeles, CA 90093 mosaic of woodland and small mead- be either the white or tan morph, occa-
Tel: (323) 876-0202 ows. Old beaver ponds, long dry, are sionally causing confusion for birders,
Fax: (323) 876-7609 covered in grass and shrubs and new since morphs can look especially dif-
Bird Tape: (323) 874-1318
beaver ponds flood the surrounding ferent during the summer. White
Los Angeles Audubon land creating boot sucking swamps of morphs have bright white throats and
Headquarters, Library and Nature Store
are open to the public
dense alder, the preferred habitat of supercilia, whereas on tan morphs the
Monday – Thursday White-throated Sparrows. When I colors of throat and supercilia are a
9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. reached upstate New York at the start muted brown. The story does not end
Street Address: of the season, White-throated Spar- with different facial patterns though.
Audubon House, Plummer Park rows had arrived a week prior and The two morphs result from a chromo-
7377 Santa Monica Blvd., W. Hollywood, CA 90046
there was still plenty of snow on the somal polymorphism caused by a peri-
WesternTanager@LAAudubon.org – Editor ground. All researchers and students centric inversion of the second chro-
LAAS@LAAudubon.org – General email
www.LAAudubon.org – Website stayed in simple wooden bunkhouses mosome. In other words, numerous
along the lakeshore and followed nar- genes are affected, leading not only to
Printed on Recycled Paper
row trails through the pristine forest to obvious differences in morphology, but
reach study sites. also behavior.

E2 Western Tanager Vol. 75, No. 6


Typical open cup nest of the White-throated Sparrow
with four eggs, the distinct markings are
easily recognized.
Along with other field assistants,
I spent nearly every day of three
months tracking the behavior and
whereabouts of several pairs of
White-throated Sparrows. The study
was in its seventeenth continuous
year and the majority of birds in the
focal area had been uniquely marked
with lightweight color bands attached
to their legs in previous summers, al-
lowing for individual recognition by
simply using a pair of binoculars.
The days started early and I usually
hiked into the woods around dawn at
4:30 into a spectacular morning cho-
rus. Hermit Thrushes vied for fe-
males, the ringing call of Ovenbirds
came from open woods, Black-
throated Green, Black-throated Blue,
Nashville, Blackburnian, Magnolia
Warblers and American Redstarts
filled the canopy with song, the Song
Sparrow’s hiccup, the Purple Finch’s
hoarse warble and the incessant Red-
eyed Vireo’s “here I am” rounded out
the choir. Daily work included locat-
ing pairs, mainly by their constant
soft contact calls, observing behavior
and finding nests. The latter proved
the most difficult —even though we
knew the location of territories, pre-
ferred foraging areas and song
perches of almost every individual—
the birds concealed their nests well.
White-throated Sparrows build large
cup nests near or on the ground often
within blueberry thickets, under ferns,
or in a clump of grass. The nest usu-
ally consists of coarse grasses and
sticks on the outside and is lined with
finer materials. Females typically lay
four to five eggs.
White-throated Sparrows are true
edge specialists and in the study area,
pairs preferred to locate nesting terri-
tories near forest boundaries along
beaver meadows, stream bottoms, or
bogs. I spent countless hours comb-
ing through grassy fields, clambering
through dense stands of alders and
slogging through bogs, one trail was
affectionately named Bog Highway.
During some instances I literally
tripped over their nests making it
easy, other times it took several days
until I was able to pinpoint the exact
spot and discover its contents. I
spent hours sitting still in one spot,
keeping a close eye on a patch of
grass or group of conifers, studying
the coming and going of the birds
while they were feeding nestlings un-
til I was sure of the exact location of
the nest. All nests that we finally lo-
cated were monitored on a daily basis
to determine the exact fate and after
about eight days we marked the
A patch of boreal forest, White-throated Sparrows prefer nesting territories along such edges.
nestlings and observed fledges after
they left their nests. Many nests
failed mainly due to predators, which
included garter snakes, voles,
weasels, jays, and chipmunks.
During those long hours in the
field I was able to observe the ample
wildlife inhabiting the forest. One
very early morning I stumbled along
the trail half asleep only to startle a
Black Bear, the animal was as sur-
prised as I and hurdled over a ridge.
Once I even caught a glimpse of the
rare fisher, an oversized weasel,
when I stalked quietly through a
dense patch of fir trees, searching for
errant White-throated Sparrows.
All the hard work over the sum-
mer and previous years helped eluci-
date the fascinating breeding system
of the White-throated Sparrow. Mat-
ings are almost always disassortive,
meaning that a white morph will only
mate with a tan morph. Such findings
often lead to many additional ques-
tions. Following close observations
of marked individuals in the field,
DNA analysis shed light on the
unique ecology. Both male and fe-
male white morphs are more aggres-
sive, sing more ardently, and white
morph males tend to locate their
Western Tanager July/August 2009 E3

Red-eyed Vireo, here caught during mist netting,
was one of the most common woodland birds
in the study area.
breeding territories within the prox-
imity of neighbors, whereas tan birds
sing less frequently, invest more time
into rearing their own brood, and tan
males defend more isolated territo-
ries. Males of the white morph also
invest more time into extra-pair copu-
lations thus they can shift the cost of
rearing their genetic offspring onto
another pair. What makes the White-
throated Sparrow so interesting is that
two very different breeding strategies
are found in the same species, appar-
ently in a balanced system. White
morph males are aggressive, seek
copulations outside their social pair,
invest less time guarding their female
and raising their brood, whereas tan
males do not seek extra pair copula-
tions and invest more time into mate
guarding and their offspring.
The study has continued every
summer since, and every year addi-
tional data is collected leading to
fresh questions and novel answers.
After spending three solid months
looking at White-throated Sparrows,
I never looked at the species quite
the same way. Even now, when I am
out in the field during winter and I
chance upon a small flock moving
quietly through a thicket, I carefully
check their legs just in case one of
the birds from New York dropped in
for a visit.
After the breeding season ended
in New York, I returned to Texas to
join the graduate program at the
University of Texas at Tyler, where
E4 Western Tanager Vol. 75, No. 6
I studied the habitat preference of
sparrows on their wintering
grounds. Once I graduated, my in-
terest in field work and research had
increased, and over the coming
years, I assisted in several studies in
various places. First, I headed north
to Alaska to work with seabirds in
the Aleutian Islands, and then to
warmer climes in Jamaica, to help
with a study evaluating the effects
of forest fragmentation on endemic
and migrant birds conducted by the
Smithsonian Institute. I spent a sec-
ond summer working in Alaska be-
fore heading off to Costa Rica, fol-
lowed by Australia, where I assisted
in a study on the reproductive ecol-
ogy of Fairy-Wrens similar to the
White-throated Sparrow work.
References:
Falls, J. B. and J. G. Kopachena.
1994. White-throated Sparrow
(Zonotrichia albicollis), The Birds
of North America Online (A.
Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of
Ornithology; Retrieved from the
Birds of North America Online:
http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/
species/128.
Formica VA, Gonser RA, Ramsay
S, Tuttle EM. 2004. Spatial dynam-
ics of alternative reproductive
strategies: The role of neighbors.
Ecology 85(4): 1125-1136.
Tuttle EM. 2003. Alternative
reproductive strategies in the white-
throated sparrow: behavioral and
genetic evidence. Behavioral Ecol-
ogy 14(3): 425-432.
All photographs credited to
Stephan Lorenz.
Kenneth Hahn State
Park Bird Walk Report
—May 16, 2009
hat a great bird walk we
W had on Saturday at
Kenneth Hahn Park. The
weather was cool enough that we
comfortably hiked up to the Bowl, over
to the hummingbird and butterfly
gardens and back down to our cars.
Nesting was occurring everywhere. We
noticed that a pair of Western Bluebirds
had taken over the nesting hole that
only a week before the Nuttall's
Woodpeckers had been using--valuable
property indeed! We also watched two
Red-tailed Hawk chicks test their wings.
Not yet brave enough to fly; they
jumped about, sometimes lifting up
with the wind and then descending. We
observed a pair of Hooded Orioles
going in and out of a woven grass nest
stitched into a large, green palm frond.
Bullock's Orioles hanging around
nearby were periodically chased away
by a scolding Hooded. Up at the Bowl
we saw Western and Cassin's Kingbirds
—one pair of Westerns with a nest
made partially of Easter basket grass. A
Barn Swallow was flying in and out of
the men's restroom where its mate was
sitting on a nest; Cliff Swallows were
sucking up mud from a puddle on the
walk way then flying off somewhere to
build their mud nests. It appeared that a
Black Phoebe pair had already fledged
their chick as we could see them
feeding a third bird that looked like an
adult except that its black feathers had a
slightly lighter tone with hints of brown.
I guess that is one couple whose work
for the season was almost done. One of
the highlights of the morning was sitting
on a bench in front of the hummingbird
garden watching Black-headed
Grosbeaks, orioles and an unidentified
warbler feeding amongst the profusion
of red flowers within a large shrub. Oh,
and then to see the Yellow Warbler with
its delicate rusty red stripes on its breast,
fly-catching among the oak trees. What
an exciting and fascinating morning!
—by Eleanor Osgood
 Los Angeles Audubon,
Schreiber Grant Recipient 2009 Pasadena Audubon &
Allison Shultz Audubon Center at Debs Park
present our
third annual
Audubon Film Fridays.

Prior the shows, we will have Birds

Walks in the park starting at 6:45
p.m. and running to 7:45 p.m.
Showtime is at 8 p.m. in the
courtyard of the Audubon Center at
Debs Park ...under the stars!

Free Admission!
• Beautiful outdoor venue
• Refreshments available
• Seating limited, arrive early
Allison and Brown Creeper, Photo by Anand Varma • Bring the family
I am honored to be a recipient of than we can), I will be able to
this year's Ralph W. Schreiber objectively quantify sexual This year's line up includes:
Ornithology Research Award. dichromatism, or differences in color
between males and females. By Friday, June 26th: Over the Hedge
Here is a short paragraph combining this information with A comedy about a group of animals
describing my research: genetic information of how the taking back the neighborhood... one
species are related, I will answer snack at a time.
Tanagers, a diverse family of 365 questions about the evolution of (Spanish with English Subtitles)
species, make an ideal group for sexual dichromatism, such as which
studies of bird coloration. By taking sex drives dichromatism, and Friday, July 24th: Water and
reflectance measurements from the whether certain coloration Watersheds are explored through two
plumage of museum specimens, and mechanisms (carotenoid, etc.) are shorts- Stream Spirit Rising and
using a model of avian vision (birds differentially associated with higher A River's Journey to Rebirth, and
can see ultraviolet colors and can levels of dichromatism. through the internationally
acclaimed, award winning
distinguish between colors better
documentary investigation
FLOW.
L o s A n g e l e s Au d u b o n R e q u e s t s (English with Spanish Subtitles)
—by Mary Loquvam, Executive Director
Friday, August 28th: The Education
Los Angeles Audubon is searching for a member(s) who might be an of Little Tree. Little Tree is an 8-year-
alum of Occidental College. We would like an introduction to talk about old Cherokee boy who learns the
some of our programs with the school. If you are an alum and want to wisdom of the Cherokee way of life.
help out, please contact Mary Loquvam at (English with Spanish Subtitles)
maryloquvam@laaudubon.org or call (323) 662.1294. Thanks!
Audubon Center at Debs Park (Off
The Western Tanager is soliciting articles relating to bird and wildlife the Arroyo Seco Parkway (110
conservation and recreation issues to build an archive for future Western FWY), between Avenue 43 and
Tanager issues. If you have an article you would like to see published in Avenue 52)
the Western Tanager, please send it to 4700 N. Griffin Ave.
westerntanager@laaudubon.org. Thanks! Los Angeles, CA 90031
Phone: 323-221-2255
Western Tanager July/August 2009 E5
 birds of the season
igration this spring was
M generally moderate and
steady, rather than a
flood or a series of obvious waves.
Overall numbers of migrants increased
as we approached the end of April, but
impressive migrant days seemed to be
lacking. This doesn’t necessarily mean
that large numbers of birds weren’t
passing through our area.
Although most areas of LA
County received only two thirds of
normal rainfall, conditions seemed
relatively good. New vegetation was
profuse and our perennial streams
held adequate water. The
comparative availability of resources
presumably allowed migrants to
spread out rather than concentrate in
fewer resource-rich areas.
While weather for most of the
period was pleasant, late April saw a
record-breaking spike in
temperatures. The short-lived heat
wave fortunately faded just before
the America’s Birdiest County
contest. Favorable weather
conditions during the ABC helped
produce the 264 species found over
the thre -day period of April 24-26.
Cooler weather made for more
comfortable days in the field.
With six years of ABC events
completed in LA County, 2009 tied
for our second highest total and
wasn’t too far off the benchmark of
272 species set in 2007. There were
E6 Western Tanager Vol. 75, No. 6
virtually no misses of expected birds,
thus the difference was made up by
chance— a few vagrants and some
lingering winter visitors that may
have been overlooked or simply
weren’t there.
Spring thus far was slow for
passerine vagrants. Only a couple of
unusual warblers were recorded by the
middle of May, but with more likely at
the end of May and into June.
Meanwhile, a handful of good
wintering birds lingered well into April.
Here’s a look what birds were around
the county over the past two months…
A Snow Goose continued in
Willowbrook through April 24, while
a Greater White-fronted Goose and
a Cackling Goose were at Reseda
Park on April 25 (Chuck and Lillian
Almdale). Another White-fronted
was at Harbor Regional Park in
Wilmington on May 9 (Cal Yorke).
Always of interest away from the
coast were three Brant were at the
Piute Ponds on April 26 (Steve &
Trina Jones).
A couple of other typically coastal
species also turned up inland. One
was a Red-breasted Merganser at
Sepulveda Basin on March 12 (Bob
Pann) and the other a Pacific Loon
at Bonelli Park in San Dimas on
April 27 (Andrew Lee).
An American Bittern at Hansen
Dam from April 16-25 (Kimball
—by Jon Fisher
Garrett) was only the second
reported from the coastal slope this
year. Of rare but somewhat regular
occurrence at Legg Lake in South El
Monte was a Least Bittern present
from April 19-26 (Larry Schmahl).
Scarce as a migrant away from the
deserts was a White-faced Ibis at
Echo Park Lake on April 27 (Kimball
Garrett). Two more were sighted along
the LA River in Paramount on May 2
(Richard Barth).
A single Golden Eagle was over
Eaton Canyon in Pasadena on
April 25 (Frank Gilliland) and
was then followed by three adult
birds passing over there on April
27 (John Garrett). A late Bald
Eagle was reported over Mt.
Gleason in the San Gabriels on
May 4 (Cliff McLean).
Swainson’s Hawks continued to
be reported here and there in small
numbers into early May, but of
note was a flock of over one
hundred in Claremont on March 17
(Cathy McFadden). Such
occasional reports aside, numbers
of transients today are a far cry
from those that occurred
historically. Although it’s difficult
to imagine now, a hundred years
ago Willett called this species
‘common’ in summer from the
foothills to the coast. Human
development had already caused
significant declines by the 1930’s.
Numbers today are higher than those
of two to three decades ago when
populations were at a low point. In
the Antelope Valley, where small
numbers still breed, a pair of
Swainson’s was observed on April
24 (Andrew Lee).
A few good shorebirds were
encountered during the period, with
a Solitary Sandpiper at Holiday
Lake on April 26 (Michael Van
Norman), a rare spring
Semipalmated Sandpiper at the
Piute Ponds on April 29 (Jon
Feenstra) and a Baird’s Sandpiper
along the LA River in Van Nuys on
April 25 (Jon Fisher). A Surfbird at
the Piute Ponds on April 25 (Frances
Oliver) and a Red Knot at Zuma
Creek mouth on May 9 (Kimball
Garrett) were also notable.
A few Franklin’s Gulls were at the
Lancaster Sewer Ponds on schedule
in early May, with five present on
May 11 (Jim Moore) and seven on
May 13 (Tom Miko). Quite rare in
the Antelope Valley was a
Heermann’s Gull at the sewer
ponds on May 11 (Jim Moore).
A Glaucous Gull at Dockweiler
State Beach in El Segundo on April
2 (Dan Cooper) was almost certainly
the same bird first found on March
14 along Ballona Creek in nearby
Culver City.
Rare in migration on the coastal
slope were two Black Terns at
Bonelli Park in San Dimas on May 6
(Andrew Lee). At a more expected
locale- the Lancaster Sewer Ponds-
there were fifty Black Terns on May
11 (Jim Moore) and one hundred on
May 13 (Tom Miko).
Lesser Nighthawks arrived in early
spring with two observed at Big
Tujunga Wash on March 31 (Kimball
Garrett). Away from breeding areas
was a nighthawk- also presumably a
Lesser- at Madrona Marsh in
Torrance on April 23 (John Small).
Common Poorwills were found in
Playa Vista on April 4 (Dan Cooper)
and in Phillips Ranch on April 5
(Cathy McFadden, Paul Clarke).
A Spotted Dove, now a near rarity in
the San Gabriel Valley, was seen at
the Arboretum in Arcadia on March
14 (John Garrett) indicating that a
few are still holding on in this area.
Lewis’s Woodpeckers were virtually
absent this winter, but two were present
on April 26 in Marshall Canyon north
of La Verne (Cathy McFadden). A late
report indicated that up to seven birds
had wintered there.
Three Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers
were all continuing birds. One was
at the Village Green Condominiums
in Los Angeles, another was at
Lindberg Park in Culver City
through March 24, and the third was
just outside the LA County Natural
History Museum through April 1.
A Calliope Hummingbird in Arcadia
on April 25 (Mike San Miguel) and a
late spring migrant in the Puente Hills
on May 11 (Chet McGaugh) were the
only ones reported.
Very scarce as a migrant was a
Purple Martin over the LA River
near Union Station on April 8 (Tom
Miko). Another showed up at the
Lancaster Sewer Ponds on April 25
(Frances Oliver) and two were over
Whittier Narrows and the Puente
Hills on May 13 (Steve Myers).
Continuing flycatchers included a
Dusky-capped Flycatcher at Creek
Park in La Mirada through April 6 and
a Thick-billed Kingbird at the South
Coast Botanic Garden in Rolling Hills
Estates through April 24.
Other flycatchers of note included a
Vermilion Flycatcher at St.
Andrew’s Priory near Valyermo on
April 12 (Mark & Janet Scheel). A
few Gray Flycatchers were reported
passing through with the first at
Kenneth Hahn Park in the Baldwin
Hills on April 13 (Richard Barth).
The first Bell’s Vireo at Hansen
Dam was found on March 21
(Kimball Garrett), missing the
earliest arrival date at that locale by
a single day. By early May there
were twenty-three Bell’s on territory
there—quite impressive for a species
that was close to disappearing from
the county several decades ago. In
addition, several others were
recorded on the coastal slope this
spring. Not all that long ago,
encounters with migrant Bell’s were
extraordinarily rare.
Other vireos of interest included a
possibly wintering Cassin’s Vireo at
Eaton Canyon in Pasadena on March
24 (John Garrett), and a presumed
migrant Plumbeous Vireo also at
Eaton Canyon from April 11-24
(Tom Wurster).
A Red-breasted Nuthatch in
Downey on March 31 was the only
report of this species away from the
mountains (Dave Surtees).
The season’s first vagrant parulid
was a Tennessee Warbler at Hansen
Dam on April 16 (Kimball Garrett),
while a week later a Palm Warbler
was at DeForest Park in Long Beach
on April 23 (Karen Gilbert).
After being missing in action for
over three months, the wintering
Pine Warbler near Legg Lake was
re-found on April 7 (Andrew Lee).
Western Tanager July/August 2009 E7
A wintering Black-and-white
Warbler continued at El Segundo
Library Park through March 27
(Richard Barth).
In addition to the handful of
Summer Tanagers present through
the winter was a new one found at
Oak Park Cemetery in Claremont on
March 29 (Tom Miko).
White-throated Sparrows included
one at Placerita Canyon on March 20
(Bob & Cynthia Kaufman) and
another continuing at Eaton Canyon
through April 24. A second White-
throated turned up at the canyon for
just a single day on April 17 (John
Garrett) and one visited a backyard
in Los Angeles from April 9-15
(Julian Donahue).
The only other sparrow of note was a
Clay-colored Sparrow at Madrona
Marsh in Torrance on April 18 (Tracy
Drake). In fact there may have been
two individuals present here.
A Rose-breasted Grosbeak which
undoubtedly wintered in the area
was banded in Zuma Canyon on
March 14 (Walter Sakai), while a
migrant Indigo Bunting was in
Long Beach at the Dominguez Gap
ponds on April 23 (Karen Gilbert).
Out of our territory but worth
mentioning was a Snow Bunting
found in San Diego on May 2.
This record illustrates well the
nearly unlimited possibilities of
vagrancy. If you played the odds,
you’d never bet on this bird in that
place at that time of year. This
represents only the second spring
record for the state, and a very
southerly one at that. This was
San Diego County’s 500th bird
species, putting them in a “tie”
with Los Angeles County. It
would be fascinating to know
E8 Western Tanager Vol. 75, No. 6
where this bird spent the winter—
perhaps somewhere in Baja, but
who knows.
Throughout June and July there
will be plenty of breeding activity in
the mountains— with a crop of
insects and warm temperatures to
fuel it. Late spring through summer
also offer the chance for vagrants.
Rarities have been pretty sparse in
the San Gabriels recently, but there
are many places to look for them.
The San Gabriel Mountains
encompass no small area, and with
the exception of a few popular
locations they remain largely
untouched by birders. The north
slope and western portions of the
range in particular offer a chance for
solitude in addition to some unique
birding opportunities.
Of course it’s often a case of
going where we expect to find birds
and the effort we expend looking for
them. The San Gabriels are a rugged
range and generally don’t offer the
numbers and diversity found at many
other birding hotspots.
Both good and bad news is the
fact that the Angeles Crest Highway
is scheduled to reopen on May 20.
This will inevitably result in a
weekend motorized assault from the
LA basin, but at least this lone route
through the mountains will once
again provide birders easy access to
the higher portions of the range.
And if you’re able to get away
during the week, you’ll practically
have the mountains to yourself.
In July and August, areas along
the coast will be more comfortable
places to bird and the lower LA
River, Malibu Lagoon and Playa
del Rey area will be hosting
southbound shorebirds. Even with
the intense summer heat in the
deserts, birds will concentrate at
the Piute Ponds, Lancaster Sewer
Ponds and at any temporary wet
spots that might exist. These oases
in the harsh dry deserts are critical
for many migrant birds. The Piute
Ponds are even extensive enough
to provide breeding habitat for
many species that would not
otherwise occur there.
By the time the next column is
out, we’ll be well into summer.
Spring migration will be but a
memory and the first passerine
migrants will already be heading
south. Incredibly we’re already
half way through the year… I don’t
know how time passes so quickly.
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and its recreational and wildlife
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participate in discussions with fellow
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concerns and activities, as well as get
the latest news on upcoming Los
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 I n t e r p r e t i n g N at u r e
Fonda Williams is a 2008-2009 Baldwin Hills Greenhouse Intern who plans to attend UCLA in the fall.
n previous Interpreting
I
Nature columns we heard
from Rosemary Virula, a
Dorsey graduate now attending
CSU Northridge, and Chris
Simmons, a Baldwin Hills
Greenhouse Intern. In this column
we’ll hear from Fonda Williams,
another student who participated in
the Baldwin Hills Greenhouse
Internship Program. During the
2008-2009 school year five
students from Dorsey High School
participated in this internship
program, a joint project between
Los Angeles Audubon and
Earthworks Restoration, and
funded by the Baldwin Hills
Conservancy. Students have spent
the past school year working on
intensive individual research
projects that focused on native
species within the Coastal Sage
Scrub plant community.
Fonda is looking forward to
attending UCLA in the fall. Besides
wrapping up an excellent
greenhouse research project this
past school year, Fonda was also a
key player on Dorsey High
School’s Academic Decathlon
Team, and participated in student
leadership on campus. What
follows is Fonda’s perspective on
the environmental education she
received as a student growing up in
Los Angeles. Again, we hope this
essay helps you to understand the
inner-city student experience and
that it inspires you to get involved
in our programs in the Baldwin
Hills…
—STacey Vigallon,
Director of Interpretation
[What follows is Fonda’s essay]
Recycling used to be foreign to
me. If you had asked me if I cared
about the environment, I would have
lied and said yes. It’s hard to care
about something you don’t really know
about. I didn’t have much exposure to
recycling or any other environmental
awareness tactics, so I didn’t think
about it much. The closest I got (as
well as other kids at school who grew
up around me) to the environment was
a four-by-four foot concrete flower
box at school where we weren’t
allowed to touch the flowers, and the
occasional pleasure to sit at the
entrance of the rose garden at the
museum of natural history.
I cannot recall one field trip to any
place of nature (outdoors). I was
usually being sent to museums or other
peculiar places surrounded by four
walls with the sound of air
conditioners in unison with the
honking of vehicles outside. The only
reason most kids in my community
considered recycling was because you
could win a cool prize in class. I knew
that glass, paper, and plastic were
recyclable and that I shouldn’t litter
because it could reach the ocean and
harm marine life. Despite this limited
information about the cause and
effects of my actions, I wasn’t truly
able to grasp the idea of environmental
awareness. In my community we are
not fostered to care, we are exposed to
thinking that our effort won’t make a
big difference, so we figured why even
attempt.
Missing out on learning about the
environment while you are young
creates issues when trying to transition
later in life. Once someone becomes a
young adult it becomes hard to change
and form new habits. Although the
transition is not impossible it is very
Continued on page 12
Western Tanager July/August 2009 E9

FIELD TRIPS
Field trips often require more time or
effort than do Bird Walks. They delve
more deeply into identification, natural
histories and interactions observed in
the field. No pets or small children,
please. Contact information will be
released for carpooling unless
requested otherwise. More details are
available online at www.laaudubon.org
Thur. through Sun., July 2-5 –
Quaking Aspen
Camping Trip for Owls.
Leaders: Mary and Nick Freeman.
Campground is above Springville,
near Ponderosa in the southwest
Sierras. A group campsite will be
reserved. Owling by night, bird walks
by day! Must be a night owl. We may
also look at some butterflies! Some
meals will be potluck, others provided
or eat out. Tentatively meet Thursday
3 p.m. at Quaking Aspen Campground
(look for poster). No small children
or pets, please. More details in flyer.
To reserve send $70, SASE with
phone number, email and carpool
information. (10 max., 4 min.)
Saturday, July 18 –
Big Bear Lake Vicinity
Field Trip.
Leaders: Nick and Mary Freeman. Meet
in the Aspen Glen Picnic Area parking lot
in Big Bear at 7:30 a.m. Take Hwy 18 or
38 to Big Bear Lake, then proceed about
half way along the south side of the lake
on Hwy 18 and turn south on Tulip Lane.
The lot will be on the SW side of this
short street. It should be warm and there
may be bugs, so come prepared. Bring
lunch for a full day, and a Forest Service
Adventure Pass. Those wishing to go
owling with Mary in the evening
(probably near Bluff Lake or Hart Bar
Campground), plan to eat with us, and
get a room for Saturday as well.
E10 Western Tanager Vol. 75, No. 6
Sunday, August 16 –
Sweltering Salton Sea.
Leaders: Nick & Mary Freeman.
Anticipate 95-115°F. This is the
gauntlet of SoCal birding. Too hot to
camp. Meet at Cattle Call Park at 5:30
a.m., and bird until 2 - 3 p.m. More
information in mailer.
Limit 8 paid cars with two or more in
each. Find a friend, as singles will be
bumped if we fill up the trip. To
reserve and for the information mailer,
send $15 per person with a SASE.
Sunday, August 23 –
Huntington Central Park and
Bolsa Chica Wetlands.
Leader: Irwin Woldman. Huntington
Central Park is excellent for migrating
songbirds. Flocks of shorebirds
should be heading south, with leftover
terns. Bring a lunch for a full day of
birds. Meet at 7:30 a.m. in the park
parking lot on the south side of Slater
Ave. just east of Golden West St. in
Huntington Beach.
No sign up, no fee.
Before setting out on any event, please
call the LAAS bird tape at (323) 874-
1318, Option #4, for special
instructions or possible cancellations
that may have occurred.
TO RESERVE FIELD TRIPS
MAIL SASE & FEE TO:
Los Angeles Audubon - Field Trips,
PO Box 931057
Los Angeles, CA 90093-1057
COMING IN SEPTEMBER
Fri., Sept. 11 —Point Mugu NWS
Sun., Sept. 13 —Ventura County
Game Preserve
Go to www.laaudubon.org for details
on the above September trips.
Bird Walks
Bird Walks are appropriate for young
bird watchers age 6 years and older.
Carpooling is encouraged.
Binoculars are provided on some
walks as noted below. NO sign-up,
NO fees, just show up! More detailed
descriptions are vailable online at
www.laaudubon.org
TOPANGA STATE PARK BIRDWALK
1ST SUNDAY OF EVERY MONTH
LEADERS: KEN WHEELAND AND
CHRIS TOSDEVIN
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Time: 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Ken and Chris will lead participants
through this beautiful and diverse
coastal mountain area. An ideal trip
for a beginning birder or someone
new to the area.
Directions: are available on our
website www.laaudubon.org.
Parking fee.
Contacts: Ken: (310) 455-1401,
ksafarri@aol.com;
Chris: (310) 455-1270
UPPER FRANKLIN CANYON
(SOOKY GOLDMAN NATURE
CENTER)
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Time: 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Leader: Eleanor Osgood
Join us as we take a casual walk
around the ponds and trails of this
urban oak woodland nature preserve.
Our resident birds will have begun
nesting; migrants will be arriving,
some to stop and nest; others will
continue to more northern nesting
grounds. This canyon is a hidden
treasure where the surrounding urban
residences of Sherman Oaks and
Beverly Hills disappear from view.
Meet in the parking lot of the Sooky
Goldman Nature Center and bird for
a few hours in the cool of native trees
and a pond. Binoculars provided.
Directions: are available on our
website www.laaudubon.org
If you wish to carpool, or for more
information, contact Eleanor Osgood
at volunteer@laaudubon.org or call
(310) 839-5420.
BALLONA WETLANDS BIRD WALK
3RD SUNDAY OF THE MONTH
(EXCEPT FOR DECEMBER)
Sunday, July 9, 2009
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Leaders: Bob Shanman and
Friends
Time: 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 P.M.
Join us for a walk through L.A.’s only
remaining saltwater marsh and the
adjacent rocky jetty. Meet at the Del
Rey Lagoon parking lot. Directions:
are available on our website
www.laaudubon.org. Three hour
walk. ‘scopes helpful.
Contact: Bob (310) 326-2473;
wildbirdbob@cs.com
ECHO PARK LAKE
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Time: 8:00 a.m.
Meet at 8:00 a.m. at the Boathouse,
Echo Park Ave. near Laguna Ave.
Plenty of street parking. Take a
leisurely walk around Echo Park
Lake, one of the oldest in Los
Angeles. More than 60 species call
Echo Park their home for all or part of
the year. This is an excellent walk for
beginners. Parents are encouraged to
take their children. Binoculars
recommended, and a bird guide, if you
have one.
Directions: are available on our
website www.laaudubon.org.
For more information call
(323) 663-6767
or write judycalifornia@yahoo.com.
Pelagic Trips
Pelagic Trip reservations are made by
mailing in your check and SASE, or by
calling and paying with your credit
card. Detailed information about each
pelagic trip can be found online at
www.laaudubon.org. Call (323) 874-
1318, Option 4, for special instructions
or last minute cancellations that may
have occurred.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
A deep water trip to the San Juan
Seamount and Santa Rosa Ridge
Departs 7 a.m.
Santa Barbara Harbor
This trip departs from Santa Barbara
Harbor on the catamaran Condor Express
at 7:00 a.m. and will return approximately
by 8:00 p.m. We will cruise along the deep
water shelf by the San Juan Seamount.
This time of year Cook’s Petrel and Red-
billed Tropicbirds have been seen in the
area. Mega-rarities to be looked for are
Dark-rumped, Stejneger’s petrels and
Wedge-rumped Storm-petrels. There is a
complete galley on board that serves
breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Leaders: Jon Feenstra, Kimball Garrett,
Terry Hunefeld, Todd McGrath and David
Pereksta assisted by Wes Fritz. $195
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Around the Northern Channel Islands
for rare Shearwaters
Departs 7:30 a.m.
Santa Barbara Harbor
This 8 hour trip departs from the Santa
Barbara Harbor at 7:30 a.m. on the
catamaran Condor Express.. There is a
complete galley that serves breakfast and
lunch.
Leaders: Terry Hunefeld, Todd McGrath
and David Pereksta. $115
TO RESERVE PELAGIC TRIPS
MAIL SASE & FEE TO:
Los Angeles Audubon - Pelagic Trips,
PO Box 931057
Los Angeles, CA 90093-1057
International
Birding Tours
SOUTH AFRICA
BIRDING EXPEDITION
September 5 - 20, 2009
Upon your arrival in Johannesburg, you
will be whisked away to a haven of
peace and tranquility to a country lodge
facing a lake, and find yourself in an
unmatched environment, surrounded by
countless species of birds.
PATAGONIA ARGENTINA
Oct. 23 - Nov. 7, 2009
Pre & Post Extensions to Northwest
Argentina & Iguazu Falls
This southern-most tip of the South
American continent, has such diverse
habitats as arid steppes, southern beech
forests and sea shores of the Atlantic
and Pacific Oceans. A unique
opportunity to bird in superb
destinations, framed by incredible
landscapes, such as the Perito Moreno
Glacier, the Beagle Channel and the
steppes of Patagonia.
ECUADOR:
BEST OF THE ANDES
Dec. 26, 2009 - Jan. 9, 2010
Galapagos Extension
Jan. 8 - 13, 2010
Ecuador may be one of South America's
smallest countries, but for phenomenal
birding and spectacular scenery, its
extreme biodiversity cannot be
imagined. Visit seven zones of different
regions on this serious but friendly
excursion, accompanied by a local
expert guide.
For information and itinerary on
International Birding Tours, contact:
Olga Clarke
oclarketravel@earthlink.net
Los Angeles Audubon, Travel Director
2027 El Arbolita Dr.
Glendale, CA 91208-1805
Ph/Fax: (818) 249-9511
Western Tanager July/August 2009 E11

If you would like to discontinue
receiving a paper Western
Tanager, please call or email
Susan Castor, Member Services.
(323) 876-0202 or
membership@laaudubon.org.
AUDUBON HOUSE HOURS
Regular Hours: Mon. - Thurs. 9:30a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Closed: Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
Exceptions:
Closed: Sat., July 4th
Open: One Saturday of the month,
July 11 and Aug., 1st 10 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
There are no Evening Meetings in July and August. Good Birding!
Continued from page 9
difficult. It’s about as hard as someone
trying to get into the habit of daily
exercise after a life of being a coach
potato. The habits become unconscious
acts, so even when you begin to try to
change you see yourself doing the
same thing sometimes. This challenge
can discourage people from beginning
or continuing to become
environmentally aware.
Some may wonder how come I
became environmentally aware while
others have not. That is because I have
taken my own initiative to learn. I am
naturally curious, always signing up
for things just to see what the
experience would be like. Many
people refuse to do that because they
don’t like the idea of doing something
so new and strange to them. Their
inexperience and fear overtake their
curiosity. As Greenhouse Intern, I
E12 Western Tanager Vol. 75, No. 6
Los Angeles Audubon Society
PO Box 931057 DATED MATERIAL
Los Angeles, CA 90093-1057 Please Expedite
www.laaudubon.org
would have never thought that I would
be handling 180 cactus plants, like
they were my own adopted children.
The thought of working with cactus
made me uneasy. Having to endure the
cactus spines that seemed to find their
way into my gloves and then into my
skin, sometimes with spines so little I
only knew they were there because I
could feel the sting. As painful as the
spines were— the experience was
worth the pokes and pulling of the
spines out of my skin by the tweezers.
This internship was a new
experience, and it has benefited me
greatly. Partly because of my
internship, I was awarded acceptance
into some of the most prestigious
universities and colleges in the
country, such as UCLA, UC Berkeley,
and Smith College. Schools found it
impressive that someone of my
background would be involved in
something like this internship. I
honestly didn’t believe that I could
achieve acceptance to these colleges
and universities. But, conducting
native plant research at my internship
helped give the confidence and skills I
will need next year at UCLA, where I
plan to major in English and minor in
science.
It is not hard to expose people to
the environment. Maybe in addition to
funding trips to the museum, send
children to a botanical garden. Let a
part of school curriculum be about
conservation. I was lucky enough to
have exposure late in high school but
others are not. Making a difference
environmentally means making a
difference educationally. And my
education started with the Baldwin
Hills Greenhouse program.
—Fonda Williams,
Baldwin Hills
Greenhouse Intern