by Jon Fisher
Birds of the Season- January 2024
Winter in southern California. As far as the weather goes, we’re the envy of much of the country. Thus far, the winter of 2023-2024 has been drier than the previous one, but last winter was an aberration. At present, most areas are at least near normal for this time of year. In these unpredictable times, that’s a welcome scenario.
Birders from elsewhere may also envy the number and variety of birds that are present. The environment also enables birding practically every day of the year, inevitably leading to more even birds being found.
Many continuing rare birds were regularly reported through January and new ones were discovered, including several great county birds. As is so often the case, the discovery of one vagrant leads to an onslaught of birders hoping to see it, and the subsequent detection of additional rare birds in the same area. We can only imagine what might be found with that many eyes focused on every acre of the county.
A survey of the Los Angeles Aqueduct in Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties on January 15 produced good numbers of diving ducks and other waterbirds. This is a unique and underbirded part of the county that offers plenty of potential.
Overwintering Neotropical migrants are always present in winter, though this year they were found in above average numbers. A warming climate and a vast array of non-native plantings creates an inviting environment for these birds.
Leading off with a great find, a female Barrow’s Goldeneye was at Bonelli Regional Park in San Dimas on January 17 (Keith Condon). This is one of very few records for the county and the first for the coastal slope. Deepwater lakes and reservoirs in the interior are where this species is most expected, but even there it is a significant rarity.
Red-necked Grebes were at the Ballona Creek mouth from December 24-January 11 (Arch Robinson) and at Castaic Lagoon from December 27-January 3 (Judy Matsuoka).
White-winged Doves were at Woodlawn Cemetery in Santa Monica from January 1-18 (Graham Montgomery) and at Mountain View Cemetery in Altadena on January 20 (Mickey & Jann Long).
Four Lesser Nighthawks at Santa Fe Dam on January 17 were an unexpected find, and likely wintering (Steven Kurniawidjaja). Up to ten were present there through January 23. Early evening coverage- when these birds are most likely to be detected- is decidedly lacking over most of the county.
The returning Pacific Golden-Plover along lower Ballona Creek was reported through January 13, while a Mountain Plover on San Clemente Island from January 12-23 constituted the first modern record for the island (Kandace Glanville).
A Laughing Gull continued at Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro through December 24. Ten Lesser Black-backed Gulls were found, with a few of these likely representing the same birds. Nevertheless, this species continues to increase in the county.
Loons, unusual away from the coast, included a Red-throated Loon at Bouquet Reservoir on December 27 (Bobby Walsh) and a Pacific Loon at Quail Lake from January 15-20 (Brad Rumble). Remarkable was a Yellow-billed Loon at Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro on January 19 (Graham Montgomery). Entangled in fishing line, it was swiftly captured for rehab; better for the bird, but no doubt disappointing to a few birders. This establishes only the third county record and the first since 2010.
A Cattle Egret was at Hansen Dam in Lake View Terrace on December 23 (Kimball Garrett). Up to twelve Yellow-crowned Night-Herons were at Ballona Lagoon in Playa Del Rey through January 10.
Rare in winter were two Swainson’s Hawks in Monrovia on January 7 (Tracy Drake). At least one Zone-tailed Hawk continued in Monrovia through January 17 and one was at Hahamongna Watershed Park in Pasadena from December 22-23 (Luke Tiller, Benjamin Hicks).
Short-eared Owls were in the central Antelope Valley on December 16 (Joesph Dunn) and several miles east of there on January 15 (Sarah Ngo).
Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers included one continuing on Santa Catalina Island through January 7, another at Orange Grove Park in Hacienda Heights on December 21 (Ashley Hopkins), one at Tournament Park in Pasadena on December 22 (Jon Fisher), one at Castaic Lagoon- possibly a hybrid- from December 29-31 and finally a bird at Descanso Gardens in La Canada from January 2-21 (Jeffrey & Mary Fenwick).
A Crested Caracara, only the sixth to be recorded in the county, was seen briefly at Hahamongna Watershed Park in Pasadena on December 27 (Luke Tiller).
Ash-throated Flycatchers were at Valhalla Memorial Park in North Hollywood on January 6 (Rebecca Marschall) and at Hansen Dam in Lake View Terrace on January 14 (Jon Fisher). Less expected was the Brown-crested Flycatcher continuing at the South Coast Botanic Garden in Palos Verdes Estates through January 5.
Five Tropical Kingbirds were on the coastal slope of the county, while a far rarer Thick-billed Kingbird was in Griffith Park through January 21.
Hammond’s Flycatchers included one continuing at Tournament Park in Pasadena through January 12, one at Ernest E. Debs Regional Park in Los Angeles from December 18-January 1 (Otto Mayer) and one at Bonelli Regional Park in San Dimas on January 12 (Keith Condon). Less expected was a bird along the West Fork of the San Gabriel River on January 7 (Naresh Satyan).
Rarer in winter was a Dusky Flycatcher at Hahamongna Watershed Park in Pasadena from December 16-January 20 (Darren Dowell) and another continuing at the Piute Ponds on Edwards AFB through January 2. A half dozen Western Flycatchers were also noted during the period. If the name is confusing, it’s because Pacific-slope and Cordilleran Flycatchers were recently merged into a single species.
Eastern Phoebes included one continuing through January 12 at Lake Lindero on Agoura Hills and another at Sam Dimas Canyon Park from January 12-19.
Very rare in winter was a Bell’s Vireo at the Huntington Gardens in San Marino from December 23- January 21 (Jeffrey Fenwick); almost certainly the same bird present there last winter.
Warbling Vireos, also very unusual in winter, were at Peck Road Water Conservation Park in Arcadia on January 8 (Mickey & Jann Long) and in Claremont from January 11-14 (Michael San Miguel).
Red-breasted Nuthatches remained the only irruptive species of note in the region and they continued to be encountered just about everywhere in the lowlands.
Pacific Wrens continued at Hahamongna Watershed Park in Pasadena through January 24 and at Buckhorn Campground in the San Gabriel Mountains through December 28. Two more were along the West Fork of the San Gabriel River on January 7 (Naresh Satyan).
A rarity of a magnitude or ten greater was a Winter Wren at Castaic Lagoon from December 31-January 23 (Caleb Peterson). This establishes the second record for the county, the first being at Pt. Dume in Malibu in December 2005.
The continuing Brown Thrasher at the West San Gabriel River Parkway Nature Trail in Lakewood was reported through January 23.
A Lapland Longspur was at the Toyon Landfill in Griffith Park from January 13-15 (Andy Birch). Birders should be aware that the landfill, which is often productive for seedeaters, does have restricted access. If you stick to the main bridle trail, you’re good, though limited in the habitat you can cover.
Five Clay-colored Sparrows were found during the period and a “Large-billed” Savannah Sparrow was at the Los Cerritos Wetlands on December 16 (Robert Hamilton).
Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Juncos were at Bennett Park in Westlake Village on December 17 (Mark & Janet Scheel), at Ernest Debs Park in Los Angeles on December 18 (Otto Mayer), continuing at Hahamongna Watershed Park in Pasadena through January 21 and at the Griffith Observatory on January 17 (Joshua Mitchell). A Dark-eyed “Pink-sided” Junco continued at Bonelli Regional Park in San Dimas through January 15.
On the lower end of the vagrant scale this winter were eighteen White-throated Sparrows, eight Swamp Sparrows and eight Green-tailed Towhees.
Orchard Orioles were on San Clemente Island on December 19 (Ben Stalheim) and at Elysian Park on January 6 (Andy Birch). Hooded Orioles continued in Rolling Hills through January 12 and at the Huntington Gardens in San Marino through January 21. Another was at Elysian Park on December 26 (Otto Mayer). A Baltimore Oriole was at Elysian Park on December 24 (Otto Mayer).
Ten Black-and-white Warblers were detected, this species being one of the more common “eastern” warblers found in California. A Tennessee Warbler was at Hahamongna Watershed Park in Pasadena from December 16-January 7 (Darren Dowell) and another continued at the West San Gabriel River Parkway Nature Trial in Lakewood through January 16. A dozen Nashville Warblers in December and January was an above average number.
An American Redstart continued at Oakdale Memorial Park in Glendora through January 20 and another was at Bee Canyon in Granada Hills on January 6 (Judy Matsuoka).
A returning wintering Cape May Warbler was at Loyola Marymount University in Westchester through January 21 and a Northern Parula was at King Gillette Ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains on January 1 (Femi Faminu). A Chestnut-sided Warbler continued at Hahamongna Watershed Park through January 21. Additionally, nine Palm Warblers were found over the period.
Wintering Painted Redstarts continued in Brentwood through January 14, at San Dimas Canyon Park through January 17 and at a residence in Arcadia through January 21.
A good county bird was a Hepatic Tanager continuing at Griffith Park through January 23. An above average twenty Summer Tanagers were present in the county this winter.
A Black-headed Grosbeak at the William Andrews Clark Memorial Library in Los Angeles on January 19 was the only one reported (Rebecca Marschall), while a remarkably rare in winter Lazuli Bunting was in Griffith Park on January 13 (Andy Birch).
From the foregoing litany of sightings, it’s obvious that winter is hardly a dull or slow time for birding in Los Angeles County. Many active local birders are continually turning up new rare birds, as well as confirming the continuing presence of others.
February and March will see increasing signs of spring migration. Waterfowl will be heading north and swallows will arrive and increase in number. These will be followed by other early spring passerine migrants; Western Kingbirds, Western Flycatchers, Warbling Vireos, Bullock’s and Hooded Orioles, Wilson’s Warblers and others.
The onset of spring migration is one of the most enjoyable parts of the birding year. Though the chances of finding vagrants are lower, the occasional oddity can still turn up. However, it’s the sheer number and variety of birds that make spring a most rewarding time.