Los Angeles Audubon Society

VOLUME 38-1971-72 N* 5 JANUARY

Alaska Tundra Birdsby Alan Baldridge

Tussock-heath tundraon slightly elevated rises, sometimes old beach lines, provide a b^drained, short vegetation biotope, preferred by a distinct group of bijspecies. It was in such areas that one was likely to flush a white- '-,,cifronted Goose from her nest, or disturb a brood of Willow Ptarmigan, 'accompanied by both adults as they emerged from cover for an eveningfeed. The "Little Brown" race of the Sandhill Crane was a commonbreeder about these drier hummocks. Nesting shorebirds identifiedwith such areas were Black-bellied Plovers, Whimbrel, the super-abundant Western Sandpiper and the scarce Bar-tailed Godwit. Thelast species, like all breeding godwits, is a wary bird but at the sametime bold in territorial defense. They were frequently seen driving off marauding gulls and jaegers.

GROUSE (from top):Blue, Sooty, Franklin's, Ruffed, and Sharp-tailed Grouse; Rock and Willow Ptarmi-

^ A A s\ -rv» s^d c c o v e r e d lower slopesl J 0 U. ft C — -ID. 0 S S of the Askinuk Moun-

tains rise from the flat coastal tundra, to the 300-foot level. These well-drained hillsides often haveextensive patches of chest-high alder or willowthicket. This was especially true where snow-fedstreams debouched onto the plain. These hill-sides provided the nesting sites for Parasitic andLong-tailed Jaegers. While the latter was a littleless numerous, both were common, and nests werefound, although there were far more non-breedersof both species, apparently due to the low point inthe Lemming cycle at the time of our visit. TheParasitic Jaegers concentrated their hunting onthe coastal flats and in intercepting gulls and ternsusing the river as a flyway, the Long-tails rangedto the highest mountain tops, perhaps living a lesspiratical existence.

The willow patches •were the only refugeavailable to boreal species such as the Gray-cheeked Thrush. Warblers were represented bysmall numbers of Yellows and Wilson's. Mostcharacteristic of the scrub areas was one of theasiatic intruders into Western Alaska, the YellowWagtail. Hoary and Common Redpolls were alsoat their most abundant, although they ranged highinto the mountains, where the alder scrub becamea stunted, ground-hugging growth. Their loud andchattering calls carried far. The lighter coloredHoary race clearly outnumbered the darker CommonRedpoll. These thickets of willow and alder pro-vided the home for the finest passerine bird songin the area, that produced by three gj^jrrows, theTree, the Golden-crowned and especolored Fox Sparrow.

4,

t h e

and lichen covered the pla-t e a u 1 0 0 0 f e e t above the

lower slopes and the willow thickets of theAskinuks. Here talus slopes littered the hill-sides and the north-facing slopes held their snowfields well into the summer. Breeding birdswere few. The musical whistle of the GoldenPlover betrayed their otherwise unseen presence.Herbert Brandt in 1924 had suspected that theRock Sandpiper would be found breeding in thesemountains, although he had failed in his search,but had noted them as common migrants on thecoast at Hooper Bay. One of the highlight dis-coveries of our expedition was a nest with newlyhatched young at the 1000-foot level and close toa very rocky area. The highest rocky screeswere home for a few pairs of dazzling SnowBuntings, the males in fluttering display.

5 * ^ i'' * (isolated rocky outcrops)

o JL U X u5 sprouted in places from themounta.ins. These provided secure nesting sitesfor the few pairs of Rough-legged Hawks andRavens. Neither species was observed awayfrom the mountains. The latter species remainabout the village during winter and, together withthe Willow Ptarmigan, is the only bird found thereat that season. One small Cliff Swallow colonyhad established itself on a 'tor' on the warmersouth side of the range. The eskimo children hadbeen taught that insectivorous birds around thevillage might help abate the mosquito problemthere. We were astonished to find two pairs ofTree Swallows attempting to breed in boxes set

russet- u p f o r t h e m #

Very few species occur ubiquitously in theregion, breeding successfully in all of the majorhabitats described here. Two which appeared todo so were the Lapland Longspur and the Savannah

Continued overleaf

Alaska Tundra BirdsSparrow. Both are found from the flat coastalplain to the highest summits of the mountains.In the case of the longspur the favorite song perchof one male was the roof of our school>house home.

While most of our time was spent ex-ploring the north slope of the mountains andthe network of river and slough stretching northtowards the mouth of the Yukon, we did makeone major side trip. The forbidding cliffs ofCape Romanzof stretched westward into theBering Sea. The eskimos described seabirdcolonies at the tip of the Cape. Knowing thisarea to be rarely visited by ornithologists wedecided to take a boat and circumnavigate theCape, camping overnight on the Kolomak Riverto the south. Common Eiders and HarlequinDucks were abundant about the rocky shores ofthe Cape, the latter made up almost entirely offlocks of males. At the outermost point theguano-covered rocks were frequented for themost part by non-breeding flocks of PelagicCormorants, Black-legged Kittiwakes andGlaucous Gulls. Small numbers of both Hornedand Tufted Puffins flew to and fro from cliffsto the ocean, possibly breeding birds.

Although this part of Alaska remainspristine at the present time nevertheless, likethe rest of the Arctic it is vulnerable to exploi-tation. In the early 1960's the threat of theRampart Dam project on the Yukon, if realized,would have seriously compromised the deltalands. More recently oil exploration has re-vealed extensive deposits under the shallowcoastal tundra and adjoining waters presentinga future threat of exploitation and possibledespoliation.

White-tailed Ptarmigan.

BAR-TAILED GODWIT

ABOUT THE AUTOOR

Alan Baldridge is known to the Los AngelesAudubon Society as a leader of birding trips inthe Monterey Bay. His knowledge of marine lifeis professional—he is now at Stanford University'sHopkins Marine Station in Pacific Grove. He hasedited the Audubon Held Notes of the NorthPacific Coastal Region, and of the Middle PacificCoastal Region. He will be remembered for hisclassic "Pelagic Birds Off California" appearingin the November issue (No. 3) of Volume 37 ofIhe Western Tanager.

A N A N N O T A T E D S P E C I E S|§ C A T A L O G U E O F T H E M A J O Rf| T A P E R E C O R D E D H O L D I N G S§| I N T H E H O O R E L A B O R A T O R Y§1 O F Z O O L O G Y

' I ' I I | ^ catalogue summarizes in highlyI I I r> abbreviated fashion the most im-

-^ -*- -*" -"—^portant recorded vocalizations ofbirds in the Moore Laboratory of Zoology, SoundLibrary, at Occidental College, Los Angeles,California. Master recordings in this libraryare retained and catalogued in unedited conditionto preserve the maximum natural quality of theoriginal field or laboratory situation. We areanxious to increase our holdings of sound record-ings and encourage amateurs and professionalsalike to deposit copies of their own recordings inthis library, which can serve in the WesternUnited States as a central depository and clearinghouse much as the Cornell Library of NaturalSound does in the east. Not all institutions areequipped to house and curate sound collections.Yet it is important when a tape recording is citedin support of a scientific interpretation or factthat the recordings be easily available for otherworkers to hear and reexamine upon request,just as is the case with study skins in a museum.Especially if a recordist has no permanent wellcurated collection of sounds important to his workor no convenient way to provide copies to otherworkers for investigation, he should ensure theavailability of his materials to the scientific com-munity by arranging for their deposition in aformally maintained library such as that of theMoore Laboratory.

Any qualified student of birds may userecordings in the Moore Laboratory Library inperson or may have copies of recordings thereinfor the cost of tape and the technician's time.Any person may also obtain sonagraphic analysisof his own tapes or of tapes housed in this libraryat the cost of their production. Those who submitcopies, with annotation, of their own recordingsfor depo'sit in the library or who send us theirrecordings so that copies may be made for housingtherein, may obtain a commensurate amount offree service and materials from the library.

Merely because a species is already repre-sented in the catalogue does not mean that furtherrecordings are not desirable. We desire goodquality recordings of any and all wild bird speciesor of captives under certain conditions. Record-ings do not have to be of perfect fidelity and with-out extraneous noises to be valuable for manypurposes. We especially encourage recordiststo include taped commentary on their subjects —including description of habitat, weather, be-havior of the recorded bird and other informationthat increases the biological pertinence of thespecimen materials. We are equipped to handle

Continued on page nine

Reminder.

************** COME ALL YE FAT THFUL **************

to the PROUD BIRD RESTAURANT Grand Ballroom East11022 Aviation Boulevard (West of the San DiegoFreeway, between Century and Imperial)

6:30 PM Social Hour 7:30 PM Dinner

tttttt {fit !!*.!! PEERLESS PROGRAM t •• J».!!!!«••• !'.

DR. GEORGE A. BARTHOLOMEW,JR. Professor of Zoologyat U.C.L.A. will show and discuss two of hissuperb films on the Galapagos:

DARWIN'S FINCHES andTHE GALAPAGOS ALBATROSS

((((((((((((((( DELECTABLE DINNER ))))))))))))))Mixed Green Salad GarnieBrochette of Beef BordelaisePi laf of Ri ce - Buttered CarrotsChocolate MousseBeverage

$$$$ POPULAR PRICE — - $S PER PERSON $$$$$$$$$$

Parking! Ample, convenient, and free.BAGS OF ROOM BRTNG YOUR GUESTS

Send your check (Payable to L.A. Audubon Society)to JOANN GABBARD Phone: 395-1911

823 D 19th StreetSanta Monica, Calif. 90403

Please enclose stamped addressed envelope.Reservations must be received no later than Jan. 6.(No refunds after January 6th)

DONTMT SSITDONTMISSITDONTMISSITDONTMISSITDONTMISSIT

I HELP! Volunteers are badly needed to helpI fold the Tanager for mailing. If you can pos-lsibly give a few hours on "folding day" once a|month call Audubon House at 876-0202.

sign up now

LOS ANGELES AUDUBON SOCIETY BIRDINGTOURS* # * * * * :

fcfj - t^ *J* »l^ *Js *J^ * '> *J* * ^ v'> »*'̂ <'> * ! * * ' ^ *J* *&<* ^ ' ' ^ ' ' ^'-^ ^** ̂ ' ' * ' ' *"^* ̂ ' ^ ^ ' * ^ ' ' ^ ' ^ ^ ** * * *^* '

?jC 5)C *£ ^rt ?!i ?J* * (i ̂ ^* ̂ |* ?|N *|> 5j* i p <p rf* ̂ > "i^ *p "i** rp /'p 'J"* ̂ '•j** ' p rf •*!* ''t'* ""P *f* ''l^ "V1 *̂*N *̂ 1̂ * l̂s ' 1 ^ *C

Plan to take an LAAS conducted Birding Touron your Summer Vacation.

Tours under consideration: Malaysia, Thailand,]Burma, South America

Watch for an early announcement in the Tanager

O3IGSAudubon House

DepartmentThe Sales Department is very pleased to be ableto announce the long awaited arrival of W. EarlGodfrey/s BIRDS OF CANADA. Also BIRD FIND-ING IN INTERIOR AND SOUTH CENTRAL ALASKAplus the ALASKA CHECKLIST came in recently.For those of you who are already planning anothertrip to Europe, WHERE TO WATCH BIRDS INBRITAIN AND EUROPE by John Gooders wouldbe an ideal companion.

For those interested in in-depth study we haveF. H. Kortright's DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS .AUDUBON WATER BIRD GUIDE by R. H. Poughis back in stock after a short absence. Either ofthese books would balance anyone's ornithologicallibrary. WILD FLOWERS OF CALIFORNIA byMary E. Parsons is a fascinating book both forthe birder and the naturalist. For those of youwho are teaching or working with young people,we have a large supply of teaching and children'sguides covering ecology, plants and flowers andbirds.

environmentby

Kathryn Brooks

Cannikin Result--More than 900 Sea Otters DeadNews reports estimated 900 to 1100 sea

otters killed by the AEC's Cannikin nuclear teston Amchitka. This is according to the prelimin-ary surveys made by the Alaska Department ofFish and Game and a biologist under contract tothe AEC to do sea otter studies. The numberwill be known more precisely in June when theDepartment makes its annual sea otter census.Scientists now state that the Bering Sea side ofAmchitka Island is 80 to 90% devoid of sea otters.Although only 20 carcasses have been found sofar, biologists have speculated that the otherswere either blown out to sea by the 100 mphwinds of the severe stprm during the test, orare trapped below the surface of the ocean bythe phenomenon of "underpressure, " whichdestroyed the natural buoyancy of the otter. TheBering Sea floor and beach were abruptly andpermanently uplifted about ten feet, much morethan AEC scientists had predicted, causing theunderpressure by ground acceleration or "cavit-ation. " It was reported that the agency's finalenvironmental impact statement had predictedthat up to 240 sea otters might suffer rupturedear drums and eventually die as a result of theblast.

UPPER NEWPORT BAY FENCED i i

MAJOR VICTORY for EVERGLADES COALITIONPresident Nixon asked Congress for federal

acquisition of the Big Cypress Swamp, the •waterresource for Everglades Park. Co-chairmen ofthe Everglades Coalition, Dr. Elvis J. Stahr andAnthony W. Smith, have been working for twoand a half years to preserve the park and itswater supply. It is probable that Congress willgrant the authority to purchase over a half-million acres of the Big Cypress Swamp as per-manent insurance against drainage, pollution,drilling, or development. The Big Cypressprovides more than half of the park's watersupply. Senators Jackson and Chiles both havebills pending to acquire the Big Cypress.

Portions of the perimeter of Upper NewportBay are being fenced by the Irvine Company.They are on Irvine Company property. However,the County Counsel collected several hundredaffidavits last year from people who had crossedthese lands for years to gain access to publictidelands of the bay. These affidavits would formthe basis for a lawsuit to establish permanentrights of access to the bay, if the Board of Super-visors directs the County Counsel to proceed.The item is up for discussion now.

P:•:•:•:;:•:•:•

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NATIONAL URBAN PARK COMMITTEEcan use your help to reach their objectivea national mountain and seashore park whichwill extend throughout the Santa Monica Mts,fall down to the seashore, and extend outwardto include certain of the channel islands. Legis-lation has been introduced and public and polit-ical support is needed. Their address is P. O.Box 48753, Los Angeles, Ca 90048 (272-4743)

LOWER GILA RIVER BIRD HABITAT UNITApproximately 1000 acres of land in the

Gila National Forest has been set aside by theU.S. Department of Agriculture as habitat for265 species of birds with at least five "rare"species, including the zone-tailed hawk, thegrey hawk and the Mexican black hawk. It is abreeding place for some of these species as well.National Audubon commended then Secretary ofthe Interior Hardin, expressing the hope thatthis precedent-setting action on the Gila wouldserve as an example to other public land-holdingagencies.ANNOUNCING---THE MINERAL KING FILM

Premiere showing of the Mineral King Filmwill be Saturday, January 22, at 8:30 p.m. inBovard Auditorium on the USC campus. Freeadmission! Donations to assist the use of thisfilm may be made at the door. Exhibits, refresh-ments, and special guests will be featured. Joinyour friends at the pre-premiere banquet at USC'sTown & Gown at 7:30 p.m. (Get-acquainted socialat 7:00 p. m.) Send $5 per person with your reser-vation to Mrs. Richard Koch, 6334 W. 80th St. ,Los Angeles, Ca 90045, with checks payable tothe Mineral King Film Fund, by Jan. 15, 1972.

More on Page 7

Los Angeles Audubon Society CalendarHEADQUARTERS, LIBRARY AND NATURE MUSEUM LOCATED AT AUDUBON HOUSEPLUMMER PARK, 7377 SANTA MONICA BLVD., LOS ANGELES 90046 876-0202

Mrs. Abigail King, Executive Secretary A i i H u k n n700 Halliday Avenue f l i - JB *Los Ahgeles, California 90049 | B l fU KepOTtS

874-1318

Jan. 6.Jan. 8

Jan. 11

Jan. 17

Jan. 22&

Jan. 29

Jan. 22&

Jan. 29

Feb. 3Feb. 5

FebFeb

Feb

FebFeb

. 8

. 12-13&. 19-20

. 12. 26

THURSDAY - EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING - 8 p.m., Audubon House.SATURDAY - BUENA VISTA LAGOON. Take San Diego Freeway south to Oceanside. Leave freeway justnorth of Oceanside, taking the right-hand road that leads through town. Meet at 8 a.m. at thenorth end of the road that crosses the lagoon. Leader: Les Wood, phone 256-3908.TUESDAY - ANNUAL DINNER - The Proud Bird Restaurant, 11022 Asriation Blvd. Reservations must bemade by January 6. Phone Joanne Gabbard, 395-1911, for information. Social hour 6:30 Dinner 7:30.MONDAY - LEGG LAKE and WHITTIER NARROWS RECREATION AREA. Meet at 9 a.m. at the north side of theparking lot. Take San Bernardino Fwy.(Interstate 10) or Pomona Fwy.(State 60) to Rosemead Blvd.then south to Durfee Ave. Joan Mills, leader. CR 5-4821.

SATURDAY - SALTON SEA. Meet at 8:30 a.m. at Wister turnoff on Highway 111 (about 36 miles southof Mecca) north of Niland. Those wishing to camp Friday or Saturday night may do so at FinneyLake or at Wister Campground. Please be sure to register at Wister. Bring firewood and water.For others there are good motels in Brawley. Excellent trip for wintering waterfowl and shore-birds. Leader Jan. 22 - Jon Dunn, phone 981-1841. Leader Jan. 29 - Frances Kohn, phone 665-0171.SATURDAY - LAKE NORCO. Meet in Norco at 8:30 a.m. Take the San Bernardino Freeway to the River-side-Corona (Norco) exit, then south on Milliken and Hamner to the intersection of Hamner and Nor-co Drive. An alternate route is via the Santa Ana and Riverside Freeways to Corona, then north toNorco via Hamner Ave. Wintering ducks and other water birds. Leader Jan. 22 - Hal Baxter, phone355-6300. Leader Jan. 29 - Min Gerhardt, phone 358-7623.THURSDAY - EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING - 8 p.m., Audubon House.

SATURDAY - BUTTERBREAD SPRING - Proceed out Antelope Valley Freeway through Mojave. Meet about20 miles north on U.S. 14 at the Jawbone Canyon turnoff at 8 a.m. Chance to see Chukar and LeConte's Thrasher, motorcycles and other racy desert birds. Not a trip for the uninitiated to thedesert wilds, but might be fun. Remember, NO water, picnic tables or toilets—just birds, bushes,Joshua trees and friends. Leaders: Keith Axelson, 394-2255; Don SCaroline Adams, 372-5536.TUESDAY - EVENING MEETING, 8 p.m., Plummer Park. Program to be announced.

Meet at 8:30 a.m. at the foot of Morro Rock. This is one of our bestit also provides excellent birding in wooded areas and canyons

in the vicinity. Many people go up Friday night in order to have a full day Saturday and a halfday Sunday. There is camping at Morro Bay State Park; many good motels are to be found in the vic-inity of Morro Bay and nearby San Luis Obispo. Morro Bay is approximately 210 miles north of LosAngeles via the Coast Highway (US 101). Leader Feb.. 12-13, Bob Blackstone, 277-0521; Feb. 19-20,Herb Clarke, 249-5537.SATURDAY - NEWPORT BACK BAY. Meet on Back Bay Road at 8:30 a.m. Freeman Tatum, Leader. 454-8839.SATURDAY - PELAGIC TRIP - VANTUNA.

SATURDAY-SUNDAY - MORRO BAY.areas for wintering coastal birds;

Field Trip Information: The Los Angeles Audubon Society cannot be responsible for providing transporta-tion on field trips. Bring binoculars and lunch on all trips. Please, no pets and no collecting 1 Onweekend trips, leader is responsible only for the first day. Participants are expected to arrange theirown schedules on the second day.

LOS ANGELES AUDUBON SOCIETY

Official Publication of theLOS ANGELES AUDUBON SOCIETY7377 Santa Monica BoulevardLos Angeles, Calif. 90046

EDITORAssistant EditorField NotesConservationTypingMailing Supervision

GILBERT W. KINGDonald AdamsShumway SuffelKathryn BrooksHanna StadlerHans Hjorth

Subscription to The Western Tanager $3.50 perannum. The Western Tanager is mailed two orthree days before the first of the month, fourthclass. First-class mailing, $1.00 extra.

aiidubon activitiesFIELD TRIP - Santa Barbara, Nov. 13. The

group gathered at the Andre Clark Bird Refuge andbirded there about an hour, seeing a surprisingnumber of CANVASBACKS - more than 100. Going nextto the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden they saw fewbirds, although a MAC GILLIVRAY'S WARBLER was ob-served. Because the f irs t rain of the season hadcome on the previous Thursday, the rare birds wehad hoped to show the party moved out, includingthe GREAT-CRESTED FLYCATCHER which had been heresince Nov. 9 and several TROPICAL KINGBIRDS whichhad remained in the area since Sept. 31. After alunch stop at Tucker's Grove County Park the groupproceeded to Goleta Slough. This was where we sawthe female OLDSQUAW and the female HOODED MERGAN-SER which have been in the same location sinceOct.21. The OLDSQUAW was not at a l l spooky andeveryone got fine looks at i t . The MERGANSER wasmore spooky, but even so most of the party hadsatisfactory views. Nelson Metcalf, leader.

EVENING MEETING - Nov. 9. As a complementto the interesting article"Five Years in a Box"Russ Wilson presented his program "Happiness Is600 Birds." His informative narration accompan-ied the excellent slides, most of which were birdshe and Marien have seen on their wide travels a-cross the United States and Canada. Russ not on-ly gave many pointers on how, when and where tosee birds, but had suggestions of many personswhom he and Marion had met and who were helpful tothem in birding, and who are willing to help otherserious birders. The Wilsons have been most gen-erous in presenting this outstanding program toAudubon societies throughout the country.

FIELD TRIP - Malibu Lagoon, Nov. 28A large number of BROWN PELICANS wereseen by the group as well as a MEW GULLand a GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL. Up thestream a fine view was had of SNIPE, BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHERS and many other in-teresting birds. The leaders, Bob and BonnyKennedy invited everyone present to lunch intheir patio, where the bird of the day was seen:a WESTERN TANAGER having a drink in thebird bath. Later nine enthusiasts continued upthe coast to Hueneme where many hawks wereseen. The last bird to be seen was a HOODEDMERGANSER seen at Mugu on the way home bythe leaders.

FIELD TRIP - Malibu Lagoon, Dec. 7Nine hardy enthusiasts braved the wind and thecold to join Jean Brandt on Tuesday morning.Although the wind had both birds and birdersseeking cover a total of 53 species were seen.Excellent views were had of BLUE-GRAYGNATCATCHERS, SNIPE and a GREATERYELLOWLEGS. An obliging HERMIT THRUSHjoined the group for a time, giving everyone anopportunity to study him in detail.

FIELD TRIP — Carrizo Plains, December 11-12.

Jim Huffman led the second LAAS trip fromMaricopa to the Carrizo Plains on a day which wascool but with no wind. LeConte's Thrashers andSage Sparrows were seen west of Maricopa in theusual place. Twelve Ferruginous Hawks, fourPrairie Falcons, three adult Golden Eagles andone immature (with the white in the tail and wings).Red-tailed Hawks were all of the melanistic vari-ety. A Short-eared Owl was again seen where theroad enters the plains. A Barn Owl was seen atthe south of Soda Lake. Two dead owls (probablyBarn) were in one of the tanks at the southeast endof the lake. A Burrowing Owl was also seen there.

There was no water in the lake, which prob-ably accounted for the scarcity of Sand-hill Cranes,of which less than a hundred were counted. Thetotal species count was forty-three.

EVENING MEETING—December 14Professor Thomas R. Howell of the Depart-

ment of Zoology at the University of Californiain Los Angeles presented slides and motion pic-tures taken of the bird life on Midway. Theincredible nesting of the Fairy Terns and flightdisplays of the Red-tailed Tropicbird will neverbe forgotten. An unexpected pleasure was thereport that man's presence on Midway has aftersome bad starts actually increased the numberof nesting successes on the island. Indeed thesmall island, Eastern, may be given up by theNavy in the fairly near future.

HEARINGS on RAPTOR PROTECTIONThe December 1971 publication of the Society

for the Preservation of Birds of Prey, Vol. 6,No. 5, reported a synopsis of the commentsmade concerning raptor protection bills H. R.5821 and H. R. 10482. The following is frompage 4.

NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY spokesman wasCharles H. Callison, executive vice president,who gave the subcommittee a brief history of theBald Eagle Act and a rundown of the causes ofraptor declines. On the subject of falconry,Callison said:

"Falconry is a difficult problem. The ardent,ethical falconers develop a highly emotionalattachment to the live birds they fly. This makesthem subjective and highly emotional about theirsport, and also protective to the species theyuse. This is true, I think, of the leaders ofthe North American Falconers Association, al-though one of their past directors was convictedlast year of taking and possessing 12 gyrfalconsillegally. The biggest problem caused by falcon-ers is, in my opinion, due to thoir inability toroslat tho now.'ipapor interview, the radio mikeor TV camera. They bask in publicity and love topromote the glory of their sport. This encouragesyouths who are totally untrained or emotionallyunfit to care for a wild raptor to strive topossess a bird. These youngsters go climbingtrees to remove the eyas, or they become thecustomers of the pet shops and the mail orderprofiteers. Most hawks so possessed by the un-trained and the inept are soon dead.

"The National Audubon Society feels stronglythat falconry should be strictly regulated ifit is permitted, and very few states have suchregulations or try to enforce them. Some statessimply have no provision for falconry, in effect'prohibiting it, but at the same time making noeffort to enforce the prohibition.

"We believe that under no circumstancesshould falconers be permitted to take or posses?birds of endangered species. We do not believethe Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife hasthe manpower to enforce suitable regulations for p

falconry, including the necessary periodic in-

spection of falconers and the facilities'they maintain for keeping the birds, unlessthe State wildlife agencies participate insuch enforcement and inspection.

"Therefore, instead of the two-wordauthorization in line 23, page 2, of H.R.10^2, we recommend the following explicitamendment for the authorization and regula-tion of falconry:

"The Secretary may by regulation per-mit the taking and possession of fal-coniformes other than bald eagles forthe practice of falconry: providedthat falconry permits shall not beinsnod for tho taking or possessionof any npoclo;! found by tho lioorotaryto be rare or ondangorod under thoauthority of the Endangered SpeciesConservation Act of 1969 or to the res-ident of any state which prohibitsfalconry or which', in the Secretary'sjudgment, does not have an adequatelaw for the licensing and regulationof falconry or that does not providefor efficient enforcement of such law."

"Such a provision would encourage thestates to adopt suitable licensing require-ments and regulations for falconry, and toenforce them. At the same time it wouldprevent an unnecessary and possibly fataldrain on the population of rare and en-dangered species. With this amendment, wearge a favorable report on H.R.5821."

NATIONAL URBAN PARK COMMITTEEO. Box 48753, Los Angeles, California 90048/Telephone 272-4743

Griffith Park

CONDORTo All Los Angeles Audubon Members:

Last April we sent out a summary of 1969California condor observations, hoping to getmore people interested in reporting condors tous. Knowing where condors are at varioustimes of the year is extremely important in ourcurrent program of research and preservationof this very rare bird.

Many people sent us reports in 1970, andthese records are summarized on the map in-cluded with this letter. This is perhaps our bestyear ever for having a good idea of condor distri-bution, and we sincerely appreciate the help yougave. Please continue to send your reports tous during the 1971 year.

The 1970 information yields the followingfacts and suggests several questions for whichwe need answers.

1. Ten or more condors were reportedtogether on several occasions in Kern County:Ellsworth Ranch southeast of Arvin, 12 on June8; Farnsworth Ranch near Glennville, 10-22 inAugust and early September; and Tejon Ranch,10-17 in November. Are there other large con-gregations we are missing, or are the oondorsmore widely distributed in smaller groups atother times?

2. We receive very few reports of condorsactually seen feeding. Those we did get were:January - Moorpark area, Ventura County, deadcow; February-March - none; April - Moorpark,sheep, and Frazier Valley (Tulare Co), cow;May - Granite Station (Kern), calf; June -Ellsworth Ranch (Kern), steer; July - Glenn-ville (Kern), deer; August - Glennville, calves,and Santa Paula (Ventura), deer; September -Glennville and Granite Station, calves, andwestern Kern County, deer; October - none;November - Monache Meadows (Tulare), deer;and December - none.

Where, and on what, are condors feedingat other times?

3. We received two (ppssibly three) re-ports of condors in Santa Clara County in Sep-tember. The closest other records were insouthern Monterey and northern San Luis Obis-po counties. Are there condors in the countrybetween, and are there condors in Santa ClaraCounty at other times of the year.

4. Reports of possible condors came tous from far north on both the west and east sidesof the Sierra Nevada. Rumors of condors inOwens Valley reach us periodically. Are therecondor8 in the Sierra north of Fresno County?Are there condors in Owens Valley?

5. We did not make an intensive condornest check this year, so can't estimate totalproduction. We do know that one young birdwas reared in the Sespe Condor Sanctuary inVentura County.

6. The annual condor survey in Octoberfailed to account for more than 28 condors.However, this was because of bad weather andpoor visibility rather than any decrease in thecondor population. We still estimate total gnumbers at around 60.

LIBRARY TALKEveryone who has read one of Edwin

Way Teale ' s books wi l l be pleased to knowhe has wri t ten a new one . This one i s"Springtime in B r i t a i n . " I t i s a naturetravelogue and i t i s ce r ta in ly not one ofthose "If t h i s i s Tuesday we must be inBelgium" types- that kind of t rave l i s notfor the Teales . No, i t i s an account ofa l i e su re ly four months t r ave l to explorea foreign spr ing . On country roads, hedge-bordered l anes , v i l l age s t r e e t s , from Land'sEnd to John 0'Groats they drove 11,000miles keeping to the r u r a l by-ways andavoiding a l l the large c i t i e s . An endpaper map shows the i r route and that routelooks l ike s n a i l s ' t r a c k s . Naturally theyconsulted with Peterson and Fisher andother orn i tho logis t s beforehand and had thebirds pinpointed. On t h e i r very f i r s t daythey saw the skylark and l i s tened to i t asif i t were the only bird of i t s kind, onlyto find that skylarks sing somewhere inEngland every month of the year . Paren-t h e t i c a l l y , he mentions that la rks are oneof the chief sources of food for the spar-row hawk.

Before leaving for Br i t a in , Roger ToryPeterson told them tha t of the bi rds seen,roughly one-third would be the same as ours ,one th i rd s imi lar to the bi rds we know, andone-third entirely different.

Mrs. Teale botanized and found much tointerest her. Besides the fields of blue-bells and daffodils there were wildflowerswith strange names such as archangels,woodruffs, ransoms and jacks-by-the-hedge.Always there were historical and literaryassociations; Roman coins and roads, ThomasHardy's birthplace and tic place where hisheart is buried: Gilbert White*s Selbournef?0 miles from London, the third greatestcity of the world, yet a part of a simpletranquil past; W .H. Hudson, who., when hedied left his entire estate to the RcyalSociety for the protection of Birds .

All'together this book has a great fundof information for the person who intendsto follw in the Trales1 footsteps or toread and enjoy at home.

Bess Hoffmam, £.St>t*®rian

If you see condors, please send your re-ports to us at: 1190 East Ojai Avenue, Ojai,California 93023. Include your name andaddress, and all information you have on dateseen, time of day, numbers, ages of birds, andwhat they were doing.

Thank you for any help you can offer.

Sanford R. Wilbur, Wildlife Biologist,U. S. Department of the Interior.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WS

the Yellow Rail did not show. An intrepid, waist-deep wading feat by Jay Sheppard to an isolateddike in mid-bay flushed six CLAPPER RAILS,eight SORAS and one VIRGINIA RAIL. TheBLACK RAIL was not seen that morning, but itwas studied by 'scope near its usual haunts onDecember 11. GOLDEN PLOVERS were re-ported by several observers at Bolsa Chica,and two Goldens of the "fulva" race were seenat Marina del Rey (Hank Brodkin). This Siberianrace stays golden on the back even in winter, andis usually a cause for confusion by birders whoare not familar with this race.

Another FRANKLIN'S GULL was found byRuss and Marion Wilson at Huntington Beach onNovember 16. It will be interesting to seewhether these rare gulls are wintering birds orjust late migrants. Eight small terns were seenabout twenty miles west of San Diego on Novem-ber 21, and all aboard agreed that most of themshowed the field marks of ARCTIC TERNS as setout in "California Birds" Vol. 1, #1. GuyMcCaskie cautions, however, that, since this isa difficult identification, and since the sightingwas more than a month later than any previousrecord, he would want further confirmation tobe 100% sure. Jay Sheppard thinks that theLONG-EARED OWL he found in the tree-tobaccoclump at the old sewer plant in Solano Beach inearly December may winter there. This is oneof the more difficult owls to find in our area.

Although migration was virtually completedby October, a few late migrants lingered intoearly December. Late WARBLING VIREOSwere found in Balboa Park, San Diego, and atDoheny Beach Park near Capistrano Beach onDecember 5. With the one at Doheny Beach,there were three TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS,which sometimes winter along our coast in verysmall numbers. Richard Webster reports a rareBAY-BREASTED WARBLER, a BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER and a PALM WARBLER nearMorro Bay on November 12 and a fine adult maleREDSTART north of Saota Barbara on December 3.

A sharp lookout should be kept for winteringorioles. Jewel Kriger who had three BULLOCK'sand one BALTIMORE ORIOLE at her Santa Bar-bara feeder on December 3 advises using thesugar-water feeder to tempt them. David Bradleyfound a rare female ORCHARD ORIOLE near hisPalos Verdes home on December 5.

Most records of RUSTY BLACKBIRDScome in late November from the area east ofour mountains ("California Birds, " Vol. 2, #2)as did the one previously mentioned in Death.Valley, but Jon Dunn and John Mencke studiedone along the reedy margins of Hans en Damlake near San Fernando on December 10. Thisis the first local record in several years.

Although at least four CLAY-COLOREDSPARROWS were seen below San Diego earlierin the fall, they are seldom identified locally

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and the one Shirley Wells banded on November18 and then retrapped several times in her SanPedro yard may be only the second record forLos Angeles County. A WHITE-THROATEDSPARROW appeared to be wintering in Shirley'sgarden as well. A SWAMP SPARROW, in theMalibu Creek channel above the bridge, wasfound on November 28 by Richard Webster, andthen found independently on December 5 by DavidBradley. This secretive water-oriented sparrowis usually found after hearing its call—verysimilar to that of a Black Phoebe.

LATE REPORTS OF INTEREST—ArnoldSmall found, what must have been an immaturefemale HARLEQUIN DUCK at Malibu Lagoon onDecember 12. Even though it was a very dulllittle duck, it was a Harlequin nevertheless andthe first local record in many years. TheVIRGINIA'S WARBLER first seen in the Kings'West Los Angeles garden on October 17 has notbeen seen since the high winds of early December,but the male RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, which hasbeen coming to their feeder since mid-fall, sur-vived the storms.

It seems strange that the storms of earlyDecember, lots of cold wind but no rain, did notbring down more northern and mountain birds —Robins and Waxwings were noticeable by theirabsence, while Nuthatches, Chickadees, Cross-bills, etc. , were almost unreported in the low-lands. Only Swans and Lewis' Woodpeckers(Hank Brodkin) found more than thirty at the footof Mt. Pinos were found here in above averagenumbers. Careful notes should be kept on theseerratic winter species.

P. S. When I mentioned to friend wife thatRusty Blackbirds were very water oriented, shereplied, "Oh, is that the reason they're rusty? "

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any standard speed tape, any track type (full,1/4, 1/2, stereo) and most transport systems(reel to reel, 3-inch to 10-inch reels, cassette).So do not be hesitant to contribute because ofthese variations in quality or equipment.

If you have further questions, write Dr. JohnWilliam Hardy, Curator, Moore Laboratory ofZoology, Occidental College, Los Angeles, Cali-fornia 90041, or call (213) 255-5151 ext. 430,week days. By appointment you are welcome tovisit the laboratory during normal business hours,9 to 5, Monday through Friday.

Any interested bird enthusiast may obtaina copy of the catalogue, which also containsinformation on using the library, by sending ordelivering 25 cents in coin to: Dr. John WilliamHardy, Moore Laboratory of Zoology, OccidentalCollege, Los Angeles, California 90041.

V\

B i r d s C Shumway Suffelis a time for planning, Christmas Counts closed out 1971 with a flourish, now forthe future ! What will it be—one big trip, several shorter ones or many long week-ends? Whatever you plan, birding is sure to be a major factor in your decisions.

Those fortunate people who birded Australia with the L. A. A. S. group in November know how reward-ing a long trip can be, but our concern here is with Southern California and birding. The number-oneweekend trip in January, any year, has to be the south end of the Salton Sea after the end of huntingseason (mid-month). The sight of thousands of Snow Geese against a deep blue sky is guaranteed tothrill even hardened non-birders (they won't read this, but you might convert one if you take himalong). For the birder there are more challenging pursuits, finding that one Blue or Ross' Gooseamong the thousands of Snows, identifying a very few Stilt Sandpipers in the tens of thousands ofshorebirds, and for a real challenge, find a field with thousands of Horned Larks and see if you canseparate the Longspurs among them (Lapland, Chestnut-Collared, and McCown's Longspurs have allbeen seen there in the past few winters). Another worthwhile mid-winter trip is Death Valley. Theweather was perfect and the birding rewarding over the Thanksgiving weekend—a WHISTLING SWANand a WOOD DUCK on the golf course ponds; three HARRIS' SPARROWS in a brushy area, and a TREESPARROW, a RUSTY BLACKBIRD and a late TENNESSEE WARBLER in the flooded date groves wereoutstanding. Nearby in the Owen's Valley, Hal and Dotty Baxter found 14 SWANS at Tinnemaha Res-ervoir, and a SAGE GROUSE and a NORTHERN SHRIKE on the flats north of Crowley Lake.

Reports of FULMARS continued to comein from the piers and breakwaters, and evenfrom the harbors along the coast. Most observ-ers commented on the tameness of the Fulmarswhich could be approached within a few feet inmost cases. The pelagic trip off San Diego onNovember 21 failed to find the "hoped-for"Slender-billed Shearwaters, but did find FUL-MARS and MANX SHEARWATERS in large num-bers, and a single ANCIENT MURRELET, whichwas seen well by all aboard. The big surprises,however, were at the Coronado Islands, just southof the border in Mexican waters, where threeAMERICAN OYSTERCATCHERS were seen (onlyone had been seen there before) with the expectedBLACK OYSTERCATCHERS, and thirty-eightBLUE-FOOTED BOOBIES fishing and resting ona ledge with the Pelicans, The latter sighting is

Late reports would indicate that we arebeing invaded by WHISTLING SWANS. The firstlocally, was found on San Elijo Lagoon, SanDiego County, on November 18, then on Decem-ber 11 there were four at Upper Newport Bay(Marge Wilson), one at Seal Beach, and fifty-twoon a very small lake in the west end of theAntelope Valley (Jon Dunn). WOOD DUCKS, too,appeared in unusual numbers with about twentyat the Arcadia Arboretum, of which four areferal, four more seemed rather tame—possiblyhaving wintered there last year, and the balancewere very wild (Bob Copper). A HOODED MER-GANSER at Malibu Lagoon in late November wasreported by several people. No European Widgeonwere found, although an intensive search was madeof the thousands of widgeon at Upper Newport Bay,the San Diego River mouth and at Legg Lake.

doubly interesting because, prior to this fall, there Possibly they arrive late as most vagrants do.was only one record for our entire Pacific Coast,and it may answer the question of "Where haveall our boobies gone? " The fifty or so at theSalton Sea in September were down to two in No-vember, while the seven at Puddingstone Reser-voir were down to one. Not all the boobies inNovember were on the Coronados, however, withone seen from the San Pedro break-water and onefrom Rocky Point on the Palos Verdes peninsula(David and Richard Bradley).

Four reports of immature LITTLE BLUEHERONS were unprecedented, although it is prob-able that only two or three individuals were in-volved. In order, they were near Oceanside inlate October (Alice Fries), at Harbor Lake fromNovember 24 to early December (Arnold Smalland Shirley Wells), near Oceanside on December4 (Jean Brandt) and at Upper Newport Bay onDecember 5 (Hank Brodkin). LOUISIANA HERONS(rare but regular in winter) also showed up in lateNovember—one below San Diego and two at Bolsa.Chica Lagoon, 10

Birds of prey were widely reported, par-ticularly from the Antelope Valley where sevenFERRUGINOUS and one ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKwere found on December 11, but FERRUGINOUS^HAWKS were also found along the coast with twoor more below San Diego and one below Oceanside.A single BALD EAGLE was seen during Novemberat Upper Newport Bay (Trudy Siptroth, et al. ) andtwo sub-adults were there on December 1. PRAI-RIE FALCONS were often reported but there wereno late reports of Peregrines or Pigeon Hawks.

Local birders took advantage of the extremehigh tides in November to look for rails. Thisculminated in the sighting of a YELLOW RAILat Upper Newport Bay on December 1. Althoughthe rail was only seen for a few seconds after itflushed and then dropped only ten feet away, thewhite patches in the wings were obvious and char-acteristic. The next morning some thirty birdersgathered in hopes of a repeat performance, but

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