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.
Birds of the Season- December 2023
Mild temperatures and limited precipitation were features of fall this year, and so were many rare birds. Though the traditional vagrant season for passerines ends with October, that doesn’t mean the end of good birds. Increasingly, neotropical migrants are found well into November and later. Neither were these limited to songbirds; as always, the variety was ample. Additionally, Christmas Birds Counts, run from December 14-January 5, have already turned up more notable birds.
2024 Call For Applications, Ralph W. Schreiber Ornithology Research Award
Los Angeles Audubon Society presents an annual research grant, the Ralph W. Schreiber Ornithology Research Award, to support research relevant to the biology of birds.
One or more awards will be given out in 2024, with the maximum of $2,000 per award. The application deadline for the 2024 Research Award is April 30, 2024, and it is anticipated that grants will be awarded in June 2024.
Western Tanager, Nov-Dec 2023, Vol. 90 No. 2
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Observing the Coastal California Gnatcatcher, by Daniel Horowitz
LAAS Expresses Concerns with Ballona Wetlands Project – With Letter to the Wildlife Conservation Board, by Margot Griswold
The 124th Christmas Bird Count
Arctic-Breeding Greater Yellowlegs Tracked to Los Angeles River, by Rozy Bathrick
Birds of the Season - December 2023, by Jon Fisher
2024 Call For Applications, Ralph W. Schreiber Ornithology Research Award
Observing the Coastal California Gnatcatcher
Spotting a coastal California Gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica californica) takes patience. They can be shy and elusive, never sitting still. They might appear in front of you when you’re least expecting it, only to dart away before you get a good look. And it’s necessary to get a good look because they can be easily confused with the more commonly seen Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. In fact, it wasn’t until recently that it became its own species separate from the blue-gray. Though elusive, the birds’ call can more easily be heard- a squealing “meeew” that sounds like a squeaking dog toy pleading for help.
124th Audubon Christmas Bird Count
Western Tanager, September-October 2023, Vol. 90 No.1
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
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?
Arctic-Breeding Greater Yellowlegs Tracked to Los Angeles River
How do you know when a Greater Yellowlegs is near? It'll tell you. These gregarious shorebirds (Tringa melanoleuca) breed in boggy forest edges in the subarctic, along the coast of the Gulf of Alaska and in central Canada. Despite their conspicuous behavior both on the breeding grounds and during migration, Greater Yellowlegs are a particularly poorly understood species. While on-the-ground observations help us understand their range and habitat use at a species-level, until this year their migration had never been tracked from a bird's eye view. We didn't know the routes different populations use, what stopover sites are important, how they are connected and what an individual bird's migratory strategy looks like. Tracking data fills these gaps and informs our conservation priorities for populations.
Birds of the Season—August 2023
Following a relatively cool early July, summer finally arrived. Temperatures increased and some weak systems brought a modicum of subtropical moisture. Thankfully there were no significant wildfires locally thus far.
But the stunner from a weather and birding perspective was a very strong tropical storm- the remnants of hurricane Hilary— that hit the county on August 20. This event dumped five inches of rain or more in many locations and was accompanied by high winds in many places. The added precipitation from Hilary makes severe fires even less likely, but not out of the question.