by Jon Fisher

All too quickly, spring migration has ended. But there’s satisfaction in the knowledge that it brought with it plenty of birds. The consensus from observers I talked to is that spring arrivals were later than usual, but numbers overall seemed good.

Though Los Angeles County didn’t fare especially well was far as vagrants, the eastern and southern deserts helped make up for our shortfall. An Alder Flycatcher, two Cape May Warblers and a White Wagtail were among many good finds there.

Close to home, Bear Divide continued to impress. An official census as well as a banding operation there this spring proved to be great sources of information about migrating birds in the county. Even at the end of May, there were surprisingly good counts of northbound passerines here. That’s a time when we typically think numbers of birds are rapidly dwindling. It would seem the concentrating effects of this location indicates that more is going on than we might suspect. Similar intensive counts of visible migration along the I-5 corridor near Gorman also produced high numbers.

The traditional ABC (America’s Birdiest County) event was held in late April with the goal of finding as many species in the county as possible over a three day period. Originally created as a friendly competition between counties across the country, it’s now largely confined to a census of what birds are present in our own county. The competition aspect- to the degree it still exists- is to equal or beat Los Angeles County’s previous high count.  

This count has been held since 2003, except for 2020 when it was preempted by Covid. This year we matched our highest ever total of 277 species. The seemingly ever-growing number of birders makes it likely that this high mark will be surpassed on future ABCs.

One of four Brant first found in late April remained at the Piute Ponds on Edwards AFB through June 9 (Kimball Garrett). A “Eurasian” Green-winged Teal was there from May 3-9 (Dessi Sieburth, Chris Dean).

Lingering late was a single Greater Scaup along the lower Los Angeles River from April 25-27 (Richard Barth) and two at Bonelli Regional Park in San Dimas on May 2 (Keith Condon).

The lower Los Angeles River continued to host a Long-tailed Duck, one of several that wintered at this locale, through April 20.

A late Hooded Merganser was in Franklin Canyon in Los Angeles from May 12-18 (Scott Logan). Common Mergansers now regularly summer in San Gabriel Canyon and the Morris Reservoir area, with breeding having been confirmed in past years. Up to fifteen were observed there from May 4-June 12.

At least two Inca Doves continued in Lake Los Angeles in the east Antelope Valley through June 3, while a Common Ground Dove continued along the San Gabriel River in Cerritos through May 8. Both are scarce and very local in the county.

White-winged Doves were at Sea View on the Palos Verdes Peninsula on May 8 (Mike Miller), at the Dominguez Gap Wetlands in Long Beach on May 17 (Joyce Brady) and along the San Gabriel River in South El Monte from June 6-10 (Jon Fisher).

A rare find was a Yellow-billed Cuckoo in Playa del Rey on June 16 (Walter Lamb). Historically a common breeder on the coastal slope, this species is now a very rare migrant. That said, evidence of local breeding should be watched for as there are suitable pockets of habitat in some of our flood control basins and river channels.

Black Swifts were recorded in well above average numbers, with over two dozen recorded from May 11-23. Others were seen above Claremont where a few are regular in spring and summer and one was over Glendora on June 14 (Michael Peralez). These likely represent local breeding birds, but the location of any possible nests remains a mystery.

Two Chimney Swifts were at the Piute Ponds from May 21-22 and one flew by Bear Divide near Santa Clarita on May 27 (Ryan Terrill, Matt Brady). Another Chaetura swift along the Los Angles River in Glendale on June 8 was likely this species given the date (Jon Fisher).

A late Horned Grebe was at Bonelli Regional Park in San Dimas from June 2-5 (Keith Condon).

An American Oystercatcher along the Lower Los Angeles River from May 14-30 was the only one confirmed during the period (Richard Barth). Somewhat more prevalent are American x Black Oystercatcher hybrids that are quite similar in appearance to American.

Quite rare inland was a Black Turnstone at the Piute Ponds on Edwards AFB from April 30-May 1 (John Birsner). Another nice find at this location was a Stilt Sandpiper present from May 24-25 (Dessi Sieburth).

Unusual inland was a Heermann’s Gull at Bonelli Regional Park in San Dimas on May 27 and again on June 7 (Rod Higbie, Keith Condon, Chuck Burt). Two Lesser Black-backed Gulls were at MacArthur Park in Los Angeles on April 24, with one continuing through April 27 (Andrew Birch), and along the lower Los Angeles River on April 30 (Jeff Boyd, Richard Barth).

Late Glaucous-winged Gulls were on the Los Angeles River in South Gate from May 4-6 (Richard Barth), at Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park in Harbor City on May 22 (Dessi Sieburth) and at MacArthur Park in Los Angeles through May 29 (Andrew Birch).

A Pomarine Jaeger, quite rare at this time of year, was between Santa Catalina Island and the mainland on June 13 (Chezy Yusuf).

A Short-tailed Albatross, last recorded in the county in 1977, was seen off San Pedro from June 5-7. This species was much more common historically, yet it went unrecorded in California between 1900 and 1977. Hunting and volcanic activity on a main breeding island in Japan were factors in its decline. Though now increasing, it is still extraordinarily rare in the state, with an average of one per year recorded since 1977.

Sulids included a Masked Booby in the Catalina Channel- between the mainland and Santa Catalina Island- on June 13 (Andrew Birch). There are now over twenty records of this species in the county, with all but three of those since 2003. Equally rare was Nazca Booby spotted in the Los Angeles Harbor on June 6 and seen by a number of observers.

Ever increasing Neotropic Cormorants may soon be unremarkable in the county; over a dozen were reported during the period.

Always rare inland was a Brown Pelican at Bonelli Regional Park in San Dimas from May 2-4 (Avo Stilt, Aaron Gomperts, Lily Yllescas).

An American Bittern continued at the Piute Ponds through June 2 and a Reddish Egret was at Malibu Lagoon on May 15 (Peter Bedrossian), with the same rid seen later in the day in Playa del Rey (Femi Faminu). A half dozen Yellow-crowned Night-Herons were also present during the period.  

One to two California Condors continued along the 5 Freeway corridor near Quail Lake through May 17.

A late Northern Harrier was at the Ballona Freshwater Marsh from May 1-15 (Don Sterba). Reports of Zone-tailed Hawks have been increasing of late. Single birds were at Arroyo Park in Azusa on April 17 (Rick Fisher), continuing in Monrovia through April 25 and along Gorman Post Road on May 24 (Holly Merker).

A Merlin flying over Bear Divide on May 8 established the latest ever spring record for mainland Los Angeles County (Luke Tiller).

Two Tropical Kingbirds were at the Golden Shore Marine Reserve in Long Beach on April 23 (Jeff Boyd) and one was along Ballona Creek near Playa Vista from April 24-May 3 (Ciaran Brewster). All of these presumably wintered in the area. Less expected was a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher at Marshall Canyon Golf Course in La Verne on June 4 (Rick Fisher).

A great find was a Gray Vireo mist netted at the banding station at Bear Divide near Santa Clarita on April 29. There have been very, very few records of migrants in the county. Also of note was a Red-eyed Vireo at the Piute Ponds on June 13 (Kimball Garrett).

A remarkable forty-seven Purple Martins were recorded in April and May. In most years this species is found in single digit numbers.

A rather early Swainson’s Thrush was in Pasadena on April 16 (Corey Husic), while a late Hermit Thrush was at the Piute Ponds on June 2 (Chris Dean, John Birsner).

Black-throated Sparrows at Three Sisters Reserve in Rancho Palos Verdes on April 29 (John Sterling, Nate Crane) and in Manhattan Beach on May 14 (Bob Shanman) were unusual on the coast in spring.

Wintering Clay-colored Sparrows continued at Victory Park in Pasadena through May 8 and at Cheviot Hills Park through April 30 and at the Piute Ponds from May 3-9 (Dessi Sieburth, Chris Dean). Another at Peck Road Park in Arcadia on May 18 was probably a spring migrant (Steven Kurniawidjaja).

Rather interesting was a singing Brewer’s Sparrow along Blue Ridge Road near Big Pines from May 30-June 13 (Joshua Joun, Pema Zonglo). The mixed sagebrush habitat here appears suitable for breeding, though the chances of this bird finding a mate here seem remote.

White-throated Sparrows were in Porter Ranch through April 20 and in Rolling Hills through April 23 and wintering Green-tailed Towhees continued at Sims Bio Pond in Long Beach through April 24 and in Rolling Hills through May 4.

A Baltimore Oriole was at Bonelli Regional Park in San Dimas on June 2 (Keith Condon). A singing male Scott’s Oriole was at an unusual elevation and habitat- over 7,500 feet- along Blue Ridge Road near Big Pines on June 13 (Jon Fisher, Sarah Ngo).

An Ovenbird was on San Clemente Island on June 5 (Susan Meiman) and four Black-and-white Warblers continued in the county. A Tennessee Warbler was at Victory Park in Pasadena on May 2 (Yonghee Lee).

An extraordinary spring record was a possible Mourning Warbler at DeForest Park in Long Beach on May 18 (Lindsay & John Fitch, Donna Bray). While descriptions of the bird were intriguing, photos proved inconclusive, so the identity of this bird must remain tentative.

An American Redstart was at Lower Arroyo Park in Pasadena on April 17 (Jane Yocom, Jane Stavert) and Northern Parulas were at the Long Beach Civic Center on April 22 (Robert Hamilton) and in Benedict Canyon on April 25 (Dan Cooper, Nurit Katz).

A Palm Warbler continued at the West San Gabriel River Parkway Nature Trail in Lakewood through April 24. Quite late was a Townsend’s Warbler at Stephen Sorenson Park in Lake Los Angeles on June 10 (Becky Kitto, Mickey Dyke).

Nine Summer Tanagers were recorded in May and June.

Rose-breasted Grosbeaks were found at Grand Ave. Park in Monrovia on April 20 (Steven Kurniawidjaja), in La Crescenta from May 15-16 (Dave Weshoff), on Santa Catalina Island on May 26 (Laura Vandezande), at Bear Divide on May 28 (Matt Brady, Naresh Satyan) and on San Clemente Island on June 4 (Christian Cortez).

The the deserts will be blistering this summer, which makes July and August good months to bird the slightly cooler San Gabriel Mountains for residents, summer visitors, early fall migrants and possible vagrants. Flammulated and Northern Saw-Whet Owls may be found, and Mexican Whip-Poor-Wills are possible in the eastern portion of the range; but it takes some effort to detect them.

With spring migration barely behind us, fall shorebirds will start arriving in early July. In fact Wilson’s Phalaropes are already passing through in June. As always, the Piute Ponds and lower Los Angeles River will be great shorebird watching spots. August will see passerines on the move. Beyond that, it’s hard to guess what fall will bring. What is certain is that it will be a great time to be in the field.