The Los Angeles Chapter ofThe National Audubon Society

STERNTANAGER

Volume 59 Number 8 May 1993

Iby Dexter Kelly

t's easy for Southern Californians to forget that they live only halfway down the land called California. The

Mexican states of Baja California Norte and Sur extend south under the Tropic of Cancer, a distance longer

than the stretch between San Diego and the Oregon border. Moreover, the Baja peninsula is ornithologically

an extension of North America. With the exception of three endemic species, all its birds occur regularly in the United States,

although in some cases as different races. Baja California Norte in particular is just a continuation of its northern neighbor;

only one endemic, the Gray Thrasher, can be found there. The lack of exotic Mexican species has limited the allure of this

northern third of Baja for most North

American birders. But many birds that

have become rare or threatened in Alta

California are still easy to find within a

day's drive of the border. These include

Black Rail, Gray and Bell's Vireo, and

California Gnatcatcher. Birders keep-

ing Mexican lists should scour north-

ern Baja for North American species

that occur in no other accessible area in

Boojum forest south of El Rosario, on road to Catavina Mexico.

Western Tanager May 1993

But for me, Baja birding is an end initself. Few areas of the peninsula can becalled pure wilderness, since almost allthe land is open to cattle grazing at thevery least. Much of the coast has beenmarred by development and off-roadvehicles (ORVs). Water diversion, agri-cultural development and ORV activ-ity have all but wiped out good habitatin the Colorado delta southeast ofMexicali. But there are still extensiveareas that are empty and relatively un-trammeled, with bird habitat that hasbeen cut back or eliminated in South-ern California. A trip to Baja is still inmany ways like a visit to the SouthernCalifornia of 40 years ago.

During the past 15 years I have ven-tured into Baja about as many times,*either alone or in the company of GeneAnderson and Peter Willman, bothdedicated and knowledgeable birdersof Mexico. Here are descriptions ofsome of the areas we have explored orhope to explore.

The Coast

After crossing the border, it is bestto get through Tijuana as quickly aspossible by taking the toll road that runsalong the coast. Follow the signs thatsay "Ensenada Cuota," ignoring"Ensenada Libre." There are three toll-booths charging a total of $7 for thewhole distance to Ensenada. At manypoints along the route it is possible topull off the road for a cliffside view ofthe ocean. You may spot storm petrelsand shearwaters along with the usualcoastal birds, since the continental shelfstands so close to shore along here. Allwould be valuable additions to a Mexi-can list. At Rosarito, the "Libre" toll-free road from Tijuana hits the coast andruns between the coast and the"Cuota." You pass sand dunes that har-bored many endemic plants before theywere mauled by dune buggies. South

of the lobster mecca of Puerto Nuevo,get off at the exit marked Cantamar andhead south on the "Libre." At the sec-ond and larger of two wooded canyons,you drive across a stream; just on thesouth side of the bridge, a dirt roadleads off to the left under the "Cuota."This spot is El Descanso, one of the bestmigrant traps in Baja and certainly themost accessible. On the lagoon betweenthe "Libre" and the beach, we havefound such Baja rarities as Blue-wingedTeal, Greater Scaup and Hooded Mer-ganser. On the land side, a sizeablemarsh can be scanned from the bridge;Least Bitterns have been found here,along with more common marsh birds.Further up the dirt road, a small butdense riparian willow forest can bereached by walking from the road tothe creek across a small pasture. This isa settled area, but the locals don't mindyou walking through their property aslong as you don't bother the livestock.Breeding birds within the willowthicket have included Bell's Vireos andYellow-breasted Chats. Red-shoul-dered Hawk and Golden-crownedSparrow, both rare in Mexico, appearregularly in winter. Choice eastern va-grants spotted here have included"Blue-headed" Solitary Vireo andBlack-throated Green Warbler. The sur-rounding farmland is one of the bestareas in all Mexico for finding theAmerican Crow.

South of El Descanso, the "Libre"turns away from the coast, ascends theside of a canyon, and continues towardEnsenada over a tableland with exten-sive meadows. Here GrasshopperSparrows and Lawrence's Goldfinchused to be easy to find but have disap-peared during the drought years. Nowthat the rains have returned, theyshould be looked for again. If you wishto head down the coast, you must re-turn to the "Cuota" at La Fonda, aboutthree miles to the south of El Descanso.

Just to the south, the road crosses themouth of the Rio San Miguel over a highbridge at La Salina. On the landwardside is a large estuary full of ducks inseason; seaward is a smaller pond,which is good for shorebirds, and alarge beach. We have seen Snowy Plo-vers here; they might breed at moresheltered beaches down the coast.

Most roads in Baja

do not require

^-wheel-drive vehicles;

they should be driven

gingerly, with restraint,

and not in a hurry!

A few miles north of Ensenada is ElMirador, a developed view site whichoffers a spectacular panorama ofEnsenada Bay. It is too high for oceanbird spotting, but the surroundingcoastal sage-and-dudleya scrub offersgood habitat for the californica race ofthe California Gnatcatcher. You mayhave to walk far from the mirador andacross the road to find the bird.

Ensenada is a departure point formany sport fishing boats; the largerones venture out at least to the edge ofthe continental shelf, not far beyond theBahia de Todos Santos. If you haven'tyet spotted them from shore, shearwa-ters, alcids and other pelagics for yourMexican list may be easily seen fromthese boats. South of Ensenada, muchof the farmlands and dairy farms havebeen built up, but the golf course in thenew country club on the east side ofMexico 1 may be a promising site formigrants and vagrants. Across the road,a signed road leads off to the EsteroBeach Resort from which extensivesalicornia marshland and mudflats atthe north end of the Todos Santos Estu-

Western Tanager May 1993

ary may be reached. The southern endof this estuary may be reached from theroad to Punta Banda, which leads rightoff the main highway at Maneadero toLa Bufadora. Beyond the estuary, theroad ascends to the top of the ridgeleading out to the point. The view northfrom here is one of the most spectacularanywhere on the west coast. Atrail here leads out to the point;I've never followed it all theway, but if you can get closeenough to the point, you maysee almost all the pelagics youcould get on a fishing boat.

Increasing developmentand industrialization are threat-ening viable natural habitat inthe Ensenada area. There maybe little if anything left of theestuarial marshes left in anotherfew years. The situation is muchbetter farther south.

Twelve miles south ofManeadero, the main highwaydescends into the wide valley ofSanto Tomas. Just before thebottom, a graded dirt road leadsoff to the right to La Bocana and PuertoSanto Tomas. It follows the north sideof the Santo Tomas River Valleythrough 13 miles of virtually unspoiledriparian habitat. For the first five miles,the river bottom is forested with oaksand taller trees; side loop roads lead offinto this area, which contains severalusable campsites but no litter or otherdevastation. If aDowny Woodpecker isever found in Mexico, I expect it will behere. Further on, the valley widens andthe oaks give way to scattered clumpsof willows which eventually combineinto one large willow forest of severalhundred acres extending down the val-ley almost to its mouth. We exploredthis area early last spring and found tensinging male Bell's Vireos, one singingmale Indigo Bunting, and one WillowFlycatcher, among other more expected

birds — which, alas, included a cow-bird. This area is still relatively cow-bird-free and may harbor the largestpopulation of Least Bell's Vireos any-where. At the mouth of the river is asmall settlement with a small store anda primitive campground. Someday, inlate summer or early fall, we hope to

California Gnatcatcher Photo by Ned Harris

camp here or further up the river andsearch for migrants and rare vagrants.This valley is probably the best acces-sible migrant trap along the whole BajaNorte coast.

If you turn right after returning tothe main highway, you will passthrough the pleasant village of SantoTomas, with a small store and cafe anda grove of willows around some adoberuins — another good place to look formigrants. From here, Mexico 1 climbsback up into rolling chaparral-coveredhighlands, much of which is regularlyburned over for use as rangeland. Thereis a large fruit orchard and vineyard inthe valley south of San Vincente. Mostof this area is relatively unproductivefor birds, although side roads leadingright toward the coast may reach pro-ductive habitat in areas near San Anto-

nio del Mar and Cabo Colonet; we havenot explored this area yet. At Colonet,the coastal sage scrub becomes moredesert-like, dominated by dudleya suc-culents. This marks the northern limitof the Gray Thrasher's range. Fivemiles south of Colonet, the junction ofthe road to San Telmo and the San Pedro

Martir is a good place to lookfor this endemic Baja bird,which is relatively tame andeasy to find in its habitat.

Highway One heads southalmost straight from Camaluover a flat coastal plain that hasbeen increasingly turned intofarmland to satisfy AltaCalifornia's need for wintervegetables. Just north of SanQuintin, you may begin to no-tice the shapes of several volca-nic cones emerge from thecoastal haze in the distance offto the right. The town of SanQuintin is strung out along thehighway; just south of the inevi-table military installation, a dirtroad leads straight off to the

right to a point just north of the cindercones. This road is the main route to theBahia San Quintin and its surroundingsalicornia marsh and the only way toget to the west side of the Bahia. Aftercrossing a creek at the head of the estu-ary, the road bears left and winds itsway between the cinder cones and thebay. Tracks lead off into the salicorniato the edge of open water. After passingan oyster farm on the western arm ofthe upper bay, the road passes a lowdivide between two cones and ends atthe edge of the sea on a rocky, basalticcoast. Frequently foggy, this area has anethereal beauty reminiscent of Scottishmoors. It is possible to camp in turn-outs along the coast, but the terrain isrough with sharply fragmented basal-tic rock. Somewhere near the oysterfarm, a vaguely defined track leads off

Western Tanager May 1993

down a peninsula that stretches aboutfive miles south, past two more cones,to Cabo San Quintin. Access to the east-ern shore of the bay can be gained fromthe southern half of San Quintin downa road signed for Ernesto's and the OldMill, two hunting camp cum restau-

ers in season. A large portion of theworld's population of Long-billed Cur-lew winters here and, in smaller por-tions, in the Ensenada estuary. But thebig ayian attraction of San Quintin is

for anywhere in the salicornia. In Feb-ruary 1991, one was heard calling justsouth of Ernesto's. It is possible that abreeding population of Black Rails stillsurvives here, one of the largestsalicornia marshes left anywhere on thePacific coast. Belding's Savannah Spar-rows are easy to find. The shorebird mi-gration must be spectacular here; cer-tainly the Bahia has long been famousfor enormous winter concentrations ofBlack Brant, which attract the hunters.These feed on the eelgrass in the outerbay and are best observed from thebeaches near the La Pinta Hotel andCielito Lindo RV Park. These may bereached via a signed road. Geese andducks may be observed from either thebay or ocean side of the sand barrier.The beach has plenty of space for camp-ing, and it is possible to walk miles ineither direction without passing anybuildings or even seeing anyone. Need-less to say, Snowy Plovers are easy to find.

South of San Quintin, the road runsalong the base of a large mesa about amile from the sandy beach. Eventually,it climbs to the top of the mesa and con-tinues about seven miles over flat, bar-ren terrain before descending steeplyinto the arroyo of El Rosario. One candrive to the coast from here, throughcretaceous fossil beds north of the river,or out to another limitless beach nearPunta Baja for camping and beach-

combing. The main highway turns in-land, crosses the arroyo over a longbridge (temporarily washed out by thewinter rains of 1993) and into the north-ern reaches of the Baja desert. Soon thecharacteristic plants associated with

tricate and extensive. This kind of for-mation is common along the centralspine of the Baja peninsula. There areplenty of campsites but no water untilthe oasis of Catavina, which boasts agas station and another La Pinta Hotel.

Santa Tomas River Valley—riparian woodland.

Baja begin to appear, most conspicu-ously Cardon Cactus and Cirio or"Boojum" trees, relatives of the Oco-tillo. The endemic plants are especiallyabundant and colorful in the washes or"bajadas." These low areas are excel-lent places to look for local specialtiessuch as the Gray Thrasher and thepontilis race of the California Gnat-catcher. Both are common if not abun-dant here, but when the road climbs upto higher plateaus, both plant and birdlife thin out. Side roads lead off left tothe sea, past ammonite-rich fossil beds(don't try to take any home!) and smalloases, many with petroglyphs. We havenot explored these areas, which mustbe swarming with migrants in season.

About two hours south of ElRosario, the road enters a garden of bi-zarre rock formations, somewhat re-sembling the standing rocks in JoshuaTree National Monument but more in-

If you haven't yet seen Gray Thrashers,here they hang out in the parking lot ofthe hotel for easy viewing and photo-graphing. Great-tailed Grackles are ex-panding into this area and frequent theroadside and settled areas. Hocks ofCalifornia Quail swarm over the play-ground outside the hotel restaurantwhere patrons dine on their relatives.(Editor's Note: The quails' not thepeople's!) A watered canyon crosses theroad just south of the hotel; it is goodfor migrants and resident desert birds.Petroglyphs can also be found here; al-though unprotected by grates or fences,they are left alone, respected by the lo-cals and enjoyed by travelers.

Catavina marks the southern limitof a day's travel from the border. To gosouth from here, you need more than aweekend. I K

"Exploring the Other California"will continue in the June issue.

Western Tanager May 1993

ay through most of Junetouches most birders witha little madness. This is the

spring vagrant season when, for somestill unknown though much-theorizedreason, birds that should not show upin our area do. We will have to go someto beat last spring's excitement whenKentucky and Hooded Warblers andNorthern Parulas seemed almost com-mon —but something always turns upto boil the blood of even the most jadedobserver.

Some birders drive long distancesto the favored migrant traps of easternKern and Inyo Counties. Others birddistant coastal canyons and promonto-ries. But the birders we have to admiremost are those who persistently coverlocal areas minutes from their homesand are still able to consistently turn upsightings every bit as unusual as theirfar-traveling brethren.

Please be sure to report your un-usual bird sightings as soon as possibleto Dave Koeppel or me. The morepeople who can verify your sighting thebetter. And remember to write a com-plete description as explained in lastmonth's Western Tanager.

The following scattering of reportsindicates the calm before spring migra-tion really takes hold:

Fifty White-faced Ibis were re-ported from Lake Serranos near Chinoon 11 March (Hank Childs). There weretwo Oldsquaw at Long Beach on4 March and four Hooded Mergansersat Lake Hollywood on 7 March (JohnFisher). A Ruff was still present at theVentura Sewage Ponds on 6 March(Don Des Jardin).

The first Pacific-slope Flycatcherreport comes from these ponds on7 March (DD). Single Eastern Plioebeswere at Lake Serranos on 25 February(HC) and near Lake Hollywood on7 March (JF). A Tropical Kingbird wasat Lake Serranos on 25 February (HC),and an immature Sclssor-tailed Fly-catcher was found at Prado Park, Riv-erside County, on 11 March (Jim Pike).

The first Bank Swallow report ison the very early date for this species of6 March at the north end of the SaltonSea (Howard King), and a WarblingVireo was first noted at O'MelvenyPark, Granada Hills, on 13 March(Doug Martin).

The wintering Northern Parulawas reported again from the north endof the Salton Sea on 6 March (HK), aBlack-and-white Warbler appeared atHansen Dam on 11 March (DustinAlcala), and a Wilson's Warbler wasfound at O'Melveny Park on 13 March(DM).

Two Grasshopper Sparrows wereat the Trabuco Plains in Orange Countyon 20 February (Brian Daniels), andfour were singing at Rancho SierraVista, Ventura County, on 12 March(DD).

A Rusty Blackbird was seen alongthe Dominguez Channel on 24 Febru-ary (Mitch Heindel), and six Great-tailed Crackles were at Lake Serranoson 25 February (HC). The first HoodedOriole of the spring returned to a feederin West Los Angeles on 4 March (JanTarble), and the first "Bullock's" Ori-ole report came from Manhattan Beachon 27 February (HB).

Unusual down in the Los Angeles

Basin was a flock of 70 Lawrence'sGoldfinches at Hansen Dam on11 March (DA).

Have you ever started gettingbored while in the field on a slowbirding day? Around 10:00 or 11:00 a.m.as the temperature rises and the birdsseek the shade, the butterflies start fly-ing, You already have all the equipmentyou need — your binoculars — to par-ticipate in America's newest naturalhistory pastime... butterflying. TheLAAS Bookstore carries an excellentguide: California Butterflies by John S.Garth and J. W. Tilden, published by theUniversity of California Press and illus-trated by our own David Moody. Awalk up Zuma Canyon this very morn-ing produced such delights as PaleSwallowtail, Sara's Orangetip, DuskyMetalmark, California Ringlet and acouple of Blues I couldn't identify. Atthe end of the trail by a deep pool in thecreek, I sat on a rock to drink in thebeauty of the place. Suddenly a strikingblack, white and orange butterflydrifted up the creek and landed on somepoison oak at my feet. I had seen aLorquin's Admiral. A perfect end to aspring equinox morning.

Good Birding (and Butterflying)! %~

Records of rare and unusual bird sightingsreported in this column should be consid-ered tentative pending review by the Amer-ican Birds regional editors or, if appropriate,by the California BirdRecords Committee. Sendyour bird observations with as many detailsas possible to:

Hank Brodkin OR David Koeppel27-1 /2 Mast Street (310) 454-2576Marina del Rey, CA 90292(310) 827-0407

Western Tanager May 1993

ey, folks, listen up. The En-dangered Species Act (ESA)

JL, is under fire. Congress mustreauthorize it this year, and there arenew opportunities to defeat the blackhats who are out to kill it. Gone are the12 years of environmental terror. Goneare Watt and Lujan, those stalwart stew-ards of the Interior Department. Goneis the not-so-funny Dan Quayle and hissinister Council on Competitivenessplotting in the shadows to knife envi-ronmental laws. In their place, we havethe enticing prospect of Bruce Babbittat Interior and Al Gore, the environ-mental Prince of Wales. These arestrong allies or, we hope, leaders whowill pick up the torch and run with it.

So what are we worrying about?We're worrying about power; thepower of business and industry con-vinced that any regulations by govern-ment are sure to stifle competitivenessand profits. Our opponents believe thatthe only route to prosperity is uninhib-ited growth that spreads housing tractsinto rural greenery. They would likenothing better than to plunderparkland and wildlife refuges for oiland minerals. And we're concernedabout the so-called "Wise Use" move-ment. These "grass-roots" fronts for thereal muscle are on the march, settingthemselves up as the true voice of thepeople, writing to Congress, getting ontalk shows, shouting, "Our goal is todestroy, to eradicate the environmentalmovements." The ESA is their bete-noire, and they're out to wipe it off thebooks. Their attitude is: Who gives adamn about some obscure plant no oneever heard of? Looks like a dandelion,for God's sake. Who needs it? These

crummy gnatcatchers are a dime adozen in Mexico, so why should we loseconstruction jobs here when they lockup all that juicy coastal property?

The Wise Users and their puppe-teers mean business. They're gettingtogether for a frontal attack on the ESAwith money and determined activism.Democrats control both houses and theWhite House, but that's no guaranteethe ESA will have clear sailing. Somepoliticians can recognize the color ofmoney a mile away—without a scope.

So what can we do about it? GerryStudds (D-Mass) has introduced a billinto the House (HR number not yetknown) to not only reauthorize the Actbut to give it more depth and broadenits vision. More money for U.S. Fish andWildlife Service means more staff tohandle the backlog of listed species thathave no recovery plan. (A species canbecome extinct before it can be res-cued.) The bill would change the spe-cies-to-species approach now in use toone that looks at multiple species in anecosystem. Saving the habitat saves notonly species in danger today but thosethat may be threatened tomorrow.

So let's go, gang. Write to yourcongressperson and ask him or her tobe a hero and cosponsor the Studds bill.A bill with a long list of cosponsors hasthe best chance of passing. Losing itwould be catastrophic. It needs yourletters and postcards. The time is now.We're running scared, and that's good.Get off the reclining chair and over tothe desk. Do it. ^»

NNHMMMW

MMM

nMM

nM,MM

Trips Aboard the Vantunaout of Los Angeles Harbor

Sunday, Mayl6. Santa Barbara Islandand Osborne Banks or leeward side ofisland and out to sea; 6:00 a.m. to6:00 p.m. Cost $32. Leaders: KImballGarrett and Jonathan Alderfer.

Saturday, June 5. Santa Barbaralslandand out to sea; 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.Cost $32. Leaders: Kimball Garrettand Arnold Small.

Saturday, July 10. Palos VerdesEscarpment to Redondo Canyon;7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Cost $20.Leaders: Sherman Suter and MitchHeindel.

Saturday, August 7. Santa BarbaraIsland and out to sea; 6:00 a.m. to6:00 p.m. Cost $32. Leaders: KimballGarrett and Herb Clarke.

Sunday, September 19. Santa BarbaraIsland and out to sea; 6:00 a.m. to6:00 p.m. Cost $32. Leaders: ArnoldSmall and Sherman Suter.

Saturday, October 16. Toward SantaBarbara Island; 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.Cost $32. Leaders: Kimball Garrettand Jonathan Alderfer.

Sunday, November 7. Palos VerdesEscarpment to Redondo Canyon;7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Cost $20.Leaders: Kimball Garrett and HerbClarke.

1993 Trips out ofVentura Marina

Saturday, July 24. Seaward side ofSanta Rosa and Santa Cruz Islands viaAnacapa Island. 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.Cost: $64. Leaders: Arnold Small andMitch Heindel.

Saturday, September 4. Seaward sideof Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz Islandsvia Anacapa Island. 7:00 a.m. to7:00 p.m. Cost: $64. Leaders: KimballGarrett and Mitch Heindel.

Western Tanager May 1993

LContinued from Page 8

Saturday, May 16 - Butterbredt SpringsLizards. L.A. Zoo herpetologist and LAASmember Harvey Fischer will lead oursearch for Desert Horned, California Whip-tail, Leopard, Collared, Zebra-tailed, DesertSpiny and other lizards in Jawbone Canyon.We will carpool from the Denny's near the5 Fwy and Roxford in Sylmar at 6:30 a.m.,briefly bird Butterbredt, then look for livelylizards. If you wish to meet us at 8:00 a.m. atthe Jawbone Canyon intersection, takeHwy 14 past Mojave and continue N onHwy 14 about 17 miles to Jawbone CanyonRd. on the west side. Anticipate heat, hun-ger and rock-hopping. Red Rock CanyonState Park 5 miles to the north is good forcamping. About 2 hours' driving time fromL.A. Sign-up by phone with LAAS. Note:Lizards can be hard to find and catch.

Sunday, May 23 - Morongo/Forest Falls.Leader Gene Cardiff, curator of the SanBernardino Museum on Natural Historyand Morongo Valley breeding bird survey-or. At Morongo, we will see how the burnedareas of the oasis are recovering from lastsummer's fire. Vermilion and Brown-crest-ed Flycatchers likely. Later, we will go toForest Falls to look for Black Swifts, Dip-pers and other high-elevation nesting birdsand migrants. Take Fwy 10 E past Banningto Hwy 62 N. Continue about 8 miles toMorongo, turning right on Park Ave. at theyellow flashing light and left into the park.

Meet in the parking lot at 8:00 a.m. Send $7and SASE to LAAS for limited sign-up (seepolicy). .

Saturday, June 5 - San Gabriel Mountains.Leader David Koeppel. Meet at 7:00 a.m. atthe entrance to Charlton Flats picnicgrounds. Likely spots along Angeles CrestHwy for our full day of mountain birdinginclude Chilao, Buckhorn, Dawson Saddle,Grassy Hollow and Arches. Hopeful Moun-tain Quail, Dusky and Olive-sided Flycatch-ers, Hermit Warbler and others. The drivealong Angeles Crest is about 1 hour fromLa Canada to Charlton Flats. (LA, p.G, C-2)

Sunday, June 6 - Topanga State Park. Lead-er Geny Haigh. Meet at 8:00 a.m. First Sun-day each month. See May 2 write-up fordetails.

Saturday and Sunday, June 12 and 13 -Yosemite. Leader Louis Tucker will concen-trate on Goshawk, Pileated and Black-backed Woodpeckers, Pine Grosbeak, GreatGrey Owl, Blue Grouse and other special-ties. Trip ends Sunday afternoon in OwensValley. Possible snow on the ground and/orin the air. Strict silence enforced with impu-nity during owl watch. Bring Saturdaynight sack dinner. Meet at 7:30 a.m. in Mari-posa. Limit 14. Reserve with SASE and $20to LAAS for information sheet with accom-modations and meeting site. ^ -

Birdathon *}

March 27 ~ May 17Call 213 876-0202 for information.

WESTERN TANAGERPublished 10 times a year by

Los Angeles Audubon Society7377 Santa Monica Boulevard

West Hollywood, CA 90046-6694

EDITOR: Jean BrandtCONSERVATION: Sandy Wohlgemuth

ORNITHOLOGY CONSULTANT:Kimball Garrett

FIELD TRIPS: Nick FreemanPROGRAMS: Dan Kahane

PELAGIC TRIPS: Phil SayreDESKTOP PUBLISHING: WP Plus

PRINTING: Marcotte Printing

Los Angeles Audubon Society is a chapter ofNational Audubon Society. Opinions expressedin articles or letters herein do not necessarilyexpress the position of this publication or ofLAAS.

PRESIDENT: E. H. Kendig, Jr.1st VICE PRESIDENT: Thomas Van Huss

2nd VICE PRESIDENT: Linda HarrisEXECUTIVE SECRETARY: Mildred NewtonRECORDING SECRETARY: Mary Thompson

TREASURER: Richard Epps

Annual membership in both societies is $35per year, $21 for seniors and presently $20 fornew members for their first year. Members re-ceive the Western Tanager newsletter and Audu-bon magazine, a national publication.

Renewals of membership are computerizedby National Audubon and should not normallybe sent to LAAS. New memberships and re-newal of lapsed memberships may be sent toLos Angeles Audubon House at the above ad-dress. Make checks payable to the order ofNational Audubon Society.

Non-members may subscribe to the WesternTanager for $15 per year. The newsletter is sentby first class mail to subscribers and memberswho pay an additional $7. Make checks payableto Los Angeles Audubon Society.

National Headquarters, New York212 832-3200

Los Angeles Audubon Headquarters, Libraryand Bookstore are open

Tuesday - Saturday10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

213 876-0202-office213 876-7609-fax

213 874-1318 - bird tape(updated Thursdays)

RESERVATION AND FEE EVENTS(Limited Participation)

POLICY AND PROCEDURE

Reservations will be accepted ONLY if ALL thefollowing information is supplied:

(1) Trip desired(2) Names of people in your party(3) Phone numbers (a) usual and (b) evening beforeevent, in case of emergency cancellation(4) Separate check (no cash please) to LAAS for exactamount for each trip(5) Self-addressed stamped envelope forconfirmationand associated trip information

Send to Reservations Chairman Millie Newton,LAAS, 7377 SantaMonica Blvd., West Holly wood, CA90046-6694.

If there is insufficient response, the trip will becancelled two Wednesdays prior to the scheduled date(four weeks for pelagics) and you will be so notifiedand your feereturned. Your cancellation after that tim ewill bring a refund only if there is a paid replacement

Millie Newton is available at Audubon Houseon Tuesdays 10 - 3 to answer questions about fieldtrips. If you desire to carpool to an event, she can alsoprovide contacts for you. Our office staff is also avail-ableTuesday-Saturday for most reservation services.

Printed on Recycled Paper

Western Tanager

c A L E8

N D AMay 1993

R

E V E N I N G M E E T I N G SMeet at 8:00 p.m. in Plummer Park

ID Workshop precedes the meeting at 7:30 p.m.

May 11 - Dr. Charles Collins - 'The Elegant Arrival: Current Status of theElegant Tern and Black Skimmer in Southern California." In recent years, two"elegant" species have increased their abundance and established themselvesas breeding birds in the Southern California area. These birds are the ElegantTern and Black Skimmer. Dr. Collins will present a colorful look at these gullcousins and the results of recent studies which have revealed some interestingfacts about the current status of these birds and what the future might hold forthem.

No ID Workshop.

June 8 - Charles Bragg - "Birds and Other Wildlife of Malawi, Zimbabwe andBotswana." Mr. Bragg will highlight his Central African Safari following (inreverse) the trail of Dr. Livingston.

F I E L D T R I P SCALL THE TAPE!

Before setting out on any field trip, call the Audubon bird tape at (213) 874-1318 for specialinstructions or possible cancellations that may have occurred by the Thursday before the trip.Notations in parentheses after trip listings refer to pre-1992 Thomas Bros, map pageand grid coordinates (county, page number, grid coordinates).

Saturday, May 1 - A good day to do yourBirdathon.

Sunday,May2-Topanga StatePark. GerryHaigh will lead participants through thisdiverse coastal mountain area. This is anideal trip for a beginning birder or for some-one new in the area. A plant person is usu-

ally in attendance. From Topanga CanyonBlvd. heading SW from the Valley, turn E(uphill) on Entrada Dr. (7 miles S of VenturaBlvd., 1 mile N of Topanga Village). Followthe signs and make a left into the park. Meetin the parking lot of Trippet Ranch at8:00 a.m. $5 parking fee. (LA, p.109, D-4)

Los Angeles Audubon Society7377 Santa Monica BoulevardWest Hollywood, CA 90046-6694

DATED MATERIALPlease Expedite

Non-Profit OrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDPERMIT NO. 276

Glendale, CA

Friday through Sunday, May 7-9 - SierraOwl Workshop. Conducting this compre-hensive workshop on owls of California willbe Steve Laymon (he holds a Ph.D. in Spot-ted Owl research from Berkeley) along withthe KRRC staff. Meet in Kernville for din-ner at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. We will camp inthe mountains at group campsites reservedby KRRC on Friday and Saturday nights.Prepare for cold and possibly wet weather.We will be owling in the evenings as well asSaturday and Sunday mornings. Steve willgive a comprehensive talk assisted by tapes,handouts and slides. New itinerary shouldprovide increased chances of seeing thesmaller owls and Spotted Owls. Fee $75.Limit 10. Meals, accommodations andcamping fees extra.

Saturday, May 8 - North American MigrantCount. Everyone out birding on this dayshould join in the first spring "Xmas" count!Record your sightings carefully and reportdetails such as location, time, hours spent,miles driven or walked, species and num-bers of birds seen in Los Angeles Countyon this day only to Kimball Garrett, Natu-ral History Museum, 900 Exposition Blvd.,Los Angeles 90007.

Saturday, May 8 - Chatsworth Reservoir.Leader Dustin Alcala. Open grassland withoak woodland and savannah, severalponds, riparian areas and scrub. Raptors,Tricolored Blackbirds and migrating song-birds. Finish up early afternoon. Take the405 Fwy N to Roscoe Blvd., head W to Fall-brook Ave., take this N to the DWP entrancegate at the end. Meet at 7:30 a.m. Bring asnack and water. No restrooms.(LA, p.6, A-6)

Saturday, May 15 - Whittier Narrows Re-gional Park. Not second Saturday. Join BobPann at 8:00 a.m. to see migrating and res-ident birds. Meet at the Nature Center at1000 Durfee Ave. Take the 60 Fwy to SouthEl Monte, just west of the 605 Fwy, takingthe Peck Drive exit S. Take the offramp ontoDurfee Ave. heading W (right), and make aleft into the Nature Center. (LA, p.47, D-5)

Continued on Page 7

Fall/Winter

1 9 92UPDATE

Now you can order by PAX2 4 Hours A Day

213 876*7609

ORDER FORM - Fax or Mail

Ordered By; Ship To:Name Name

Address Address

City State Zip City State Zip

Telephone Number

Payment: Due Upon Receipt

FAX Number

Purchase Order #

Oty Title Price Total

Appropriate taxes and shipping charges will be added. Subtotal

Check here for:D Next Day orD 2'* Day Air

via UPSIf no box is checked, order will be shipped

via UPS Ground Service.

Signature Date

Payment is due upon receipt'1 would like to receive future catalogs D Yes • NoPlease remove my name from your mailing list • Yes D NoWho else would benefit from having this catalog?

First price listed is paper cover; second price is cloth.* Special order, price subject to change.

TBA Prices to be announced, not yet available.

ORDERING INFORMATION AND TERMSMerchandise is shipped FOB Los Angeles. No goods accepted for return without prior authorization. We use UPS as

shipping agent {unless otherwise requested), which requires a street address for delivery; fourth class book rate will beused for P.O. Box numbers. Shipping and handling charges are $4.50 minimum, and you will be billed for additionalcharges. California residents will be assessed state and any applicable county sales tax. BECAUSE TAXES AND SHIPPINGCOSTS VARY, WE PREFER THAT YOU LET US BILL YOU. Payment due upon receipt.

FOREIGN ORDERS must be prepaid in USD. Please specify air or surface delivery. Shipping and handling charges are$8.00 minimum or 10% of orders over $50. Billing will be included with shipment.

INSTITUTIONS AND DEALERS must prepay on a pro forma invoice.Prices are subject to change without notice. We make every effort to keep all titles in stock; in the event that we are outof stock on your item, we will automatically place your order on our back-list and ship upon arrival, unless you adviseotherwise.

Make checks payable toLOS ANGELES AUDUBON SOCIETY

7377 Santa Monica BoulevardTEL 213 876-0202 West Hollywood, CA 90046-6694 FAX 213 876-7609 i

Olga Clarke, Sales Chairperson

Dear Customer,

Welcome to the Fall/Winter 1992 Catalog

Supplement. New titles are continually being added

to our inventory. We also maintain a service for

locating rare and out-of-print books. If you do not

see the item that you are looking for listed in our

catalog or supplement, please call or fax us.

Your confidence in us is appreciated, and we will

do everything possible to fulfill your needs. Thank

you for your patronage, and remember that all income

is used to support the operation and conservation

programs of the Los Angeles Audubon Society.

Happy birding!

Olga L. ClarkeSales Chairperson

O

WOJUD

CANADA

Untied States -Eastern

Handbook of the Birds of the World I, ICBP, 1992 184.95Illustrated Encyclopedia of Birds, Perrins, 1991 49.95

The Naturalists Guide to the Victoria Region,Weston & Stirling, 1986 12.95

•V7A Guide to the Birds of Amelia Island, Colborn, 1992 4..95Finding Birds in South Carolina, Carter, 1993 14.95

Grand Canyon Birds, Brown, Carothers & Johnson, 1987 19.95Pacific Coast Bird Finder, Lederer, 1977 .3.95Familiar Birds of Pacific Southwest, Dickey 6.95Birder's Guide to the Texas Coast (Lane), Holt 14.95Birds of the Texas Coastal Bend, Rappole & Blacklock 19.95A Birder's Guide to Wyoming, Scott, 1993 14.95

Birds of East Africa, Turner TBA

Kruger National Park: A Visitor's Guide, Camerapix TBAField Guide to the Birds of Kruger National Park, Sinclair TBABirds of Malawi: A Supplement to Newman's Birds of Southern Africa,

Newman, Johnston-Stewart & Medland, 1992................................ 19.95Birding South Africa & Namibia, Green, 14.95The Birds of Zimbabwe, Irwin, 1987 ...............44.95

A Photographic Guide to the Birds of Peninsular Malaysia andSingapore, Strange & Jeyarajasingam, 1993 .TBA

A Birder's Guide to Thailand, Taylor, 1993 .19.95

Where to Find Birds in Australia, Bransbury, 1993 .....39.95Where to Find Birds in No. East Queensland, Wieneke, 1992 12.95Birds of Mount Kinabalu; Borneo, Davison &Gale, 1992 34.95

ASIA

e TEL 213 876-0202 FAX 213 876-7609 Telephone Hours: 9:00-4:00 Visitors Welcome: 10:00-3:00

Oiseau de Petite Antilles, Espinal, 1990 TBABirds of the Eastern Caribbean, Evans, 1993 11.95

Handbook of the Birds of Europe, Middle East and No. Africa;the Birds of the Western Palearctic Vol. 6, Cramp, et al, 1992 149.95

Birds of Britain and Europe, Peterson & Montfort, 1993 TBABirds of Europe, Jonssen, 1992 TBA

Birds of Brazil, Sick... „.. .....TBAA Field Guide to the Birds of Chile, Araya & Chester, 1993 TBAPocket Guide to Ecuador, Nelson, 1992 ......TBASite Guide Venezuela, Rogers, 1993 14.95

Florida Bird Species: An Annotated List, Robertson, 1992 TBABirds of Jackson Hole, Raynes, 1991 95

Field Checklist to the Birds of Argentina, Straneck & Carrizo TBAThe Birds of Tikal, Beavers, 1992. 12.95ABAReldListoftheBirdsofBaja, Radamaker, 1992 ..3.95Field Checklist of the Birds of Mexico, Howell, 1986....... 3.95English Name Index and Supplement No. 1 Birds of the World:

A Checklist4th Edition, Clements, 1993 ......9.95Checklist of Birds of Yucatan Peninsula, MacKinnon de Montes, 1992 6.95

i f f

Audubon to Xantus, Mearns & Gardner, 1992 ...........64.95Birds of the Great Basin; A Natural History, Ryser, 1985 29.95Belize; A Natural Destination, Mahler & Wotkyns, 1991 16.95A Natural History of California, Schornherr, 1992... 37.95Naturalist Big Bend, Wauer. 11.95A Naturalist in Costa Rica, Skutch, 1992 16.95Life Ascending, Skutch, 1985 39.95Flattened Fauna, Knutson, 1992 5.95

Los Angeles Audubon Society Bookstore Open: Tuesday - Saturday o

NATURE TRAVELThe Anza-Borrego Desert Region, Lindsay, 1991 13.95The Birder's Guide to Bed and Breakfasts, Hulsteyn TBAAdventuring in the California Desert, Foster, 1987 14.95Afoot and Afield in Los Angeles County, Schad, 1992 15.95Hawaii Trails, Morey, 1992 12.95The New Key to Costa Rica, Blake & Beecher 13.95Hiking Trails of Malibu Creek State Park, McAuley 5.95Hiking Trails of Point Mugu State Park, McAuley 5.95Hiking Trails of Santa Monica Mountains, McAuley 9.95Hiking in Topanga State Park, McAuley 7.95

Bird Bonding, McClure,1984. 15.00The Ecology of Neotropical Savannas, Sarmiento, 1984.... 27.50Disease and Threatened Birds, Cooper, 1986 37.50Greater Los Angeles Green Pages: the Local Handbook for

Planet Maintenance, 1993 TBA

The Butterfly, Mudd, 1991 12.95Eastern Butterflies, Opler & Malikul, 1992 ................................ 16.95, 24.95

Field Guide to Snakes and Other Reptiles of Southern Africa, Braach ......TBAA Guide to the Identification of the Amphibians and Reptiles of the

West Indies, Henderson, 1985 22.95

Desert Wildlife, Jaaeger.. 9.95Land Mammals of Southern Africa, Smithers ...TBAStruik Pocket Guide for Southern Africa Mammals,

Skinner &Meakin, 1988 17.95Animals of South America, Burton, 1978 24.95

Alaska Wild Flowers, Sharpies 6.95Wildflowers of Yosemite, Wilson,Wilson & Nichols, 1987 .9.95Golden Guide; Flowers, Zim & Martin, 1987 .4.95Flowers of the Pacific Island Seashore, Whistler, 1992 18.95

O TEL 213 876-0202 FAX 213 876-7609 Telephone Hours: 9:00 -4:00 Visitors Welcome: 10:00-3:00

TREES & SHRUBSNative Cacti of California, Benson 14.95Native Conifers of the San Gabriel Mtns., Hood 1.00Oaks of California, Pavlik, et al 21.95Golden Guide; Trees, Zim & Martin, 1987 4.95

The Naturalist's Guide to the Victoria Region, Weston & Stirling, 1986 .12.95Field Guide to the Cascades and Olympics, Whitney, 1983 16.95The Great Southwest Nature Factbook, Tweit, 1992 12.95

Crane Music, Johnsgard, 1991 19.95Hummingbirds of the Caribbean, Tyrrell, 1990 ...........40.00Hummingbirds; Jewels in the Sky, Tyrrell, 1992 ,...13.95The Pinyon Jay, Marzluff & Balda, 1992 „.., ..44.95Kingfishers; Bee-eaters & Rollers, Fry,1992.. ...............59.95The Ancient Murrelet; Natural History in Queen Charlotte Island,

Canada, Gaston, 1992 34.95Storks, Ibises and Spoonbills of the World, Hancock, 1992 138.95

Life History of No. American Woodpeckers, Bent, 1992 29.95

Moon Dome; Seed Catching Bird Feeder ....34.95

Urban Roosts; Where Birds Nest in the City, Bash ....5.95

ABA Field Note Book 10.95J ;4

Los Angeles Audubon Society Bookstore Open: Tuesday - Saturday e

Plummer Park

Audubon Houseand Bookstore

AudubonBird Sanctuary

MeetingRoom

Santa Monica Blvd.

Los Angeles Audubon Society and BookstorePlummer Park

7377 Santa Monica Blvd.West Hollywood, CA 90046-6694