Birds of the Season- April 2022

By Jon Fisher

Western Tanager, March-April 2022, Volume 88 Number 5

Though southern California doesn’t undergo the major seasonal changes some parts of the country endure, there nevertheless significant transitions from winter to summer and in between.  And those changes are reflected in our avifauna.  

While a third of our regularly occurring species are resident, by far the majority- about 250 species- are migratory to some extent.  This fact alone reflects the degree of seasonal variations in the region, with different sets of birds taking advantage of warm summers and mild winters.  Obviously this is the time of year when birds are heading north to exploit warming temperatures and resulting food resources. 

By late March, spring passerine migration was well underway.  This appeared to be fairly robust early in the season.  As the weeks passed, no major waves of birds were observed, and migration seemed to proceed at a steady but leisurely pace. 

By the end of April good numbers of migrants were moving through the county.  It’s worth keeping in mind that the numbers of birds observed in spring are strongly influenced by local weather patterns.  When present, both coastal marine layers and windy conditions in the mountains and desert affect bird movements.    

Exploration of areas relatively new to significant birding coverage demonstrated how much we can still learn about bird movements in spring.  Even as early as April 10, a morning count at Bear Divide near Santa Clarita resulted in a list of seventy-five species and over 4,600 individual birds, the vast majority of which were passerine migrants.  Significant flights of passerines and others were also detected along the under-birded northern Interstate 5 corridor and adjacent western Antelope Valley. 

As is typical, a number of wintering rarities lingered into spring, some staying well into April.  By the end of April, the number of good birds discovered already exceeded the paltry total of vagrants from the entire spring of 2021.  We can hope that the remainder of May continues this trend.

Our America’s Birdiest County event- now primarily a contest against our own previous results rather than between counties- was held from April 22-24.  Conducted since 2003, this count is a contest to see how many species can be recorded in a three day period at the peak of spring migration.  Previous totals have ranged from 239 to 277.  This year we tallied 265 species, a very respectable number.

Given the continuing drought, it would be remiss not to mention it in terms of the effects on birds.  After an above average December, precipitation for the next three months was the lowest ever recorded for that period.  Late March finally brought some relief.  Though we’re still below average, we are in much better shape than last year.  Despite below average rainfall, the spring landscape was most assuredly green and producing plenty of seeds and insects for hungry migrant passerines to consume. 

Here’s a look at birds of interest in the county from late February through early May.

A Eurasian Wigeon was on Santa Catalina Island on March 6 (Dylan V.) and four others were on the county mainland during the period. 

Rare inland was a Surf Scoter at Bonelli Regional Park in San Dimas on March 29 (Keith Condon).  A Long-tailed Duck off Playa del Rey Beach on March 27 was the only one reported (Mark & Janet Scheel).

A Red-necked Grebe continued off the Malibu Coast through March 22 and two were present in this area from March 21-22 (Chris Dean).

In Westchester, a White-winged Dove was spotted on April 6 (Russell Stone).

The returning Pacific Golden-Plover, back for its fourth winter, continued along lower Ballona Creek through March 14.

Scarce in the county were two Red Knots at Dockweiler State Beach in El Segundo on February 24 (Kevin Lapp).  One of these remained through March 13.  A wintering Solitary Sandpiper along the Los Angeles River in the Sepulveda Basin lingered through April 3. 

Typically birds of offshore waters, Red Phalaropes were at Madrona Marsh in Torrance from April 13-14 (Jonathan Nakai), along Ballona Creek in Playa del Rey on April 14 (Ken Feng) and in Malibu on April 16 (Steven Kurniawidjaja).  

Fifteen Sabine’s Gulls at Quail Lake on March 28 was a notable spring record (Richard Crossley).  Two Black-legged Kittiwakes were reported during the period, one at San Clemente Island on March 14 (Greyson Poutas, Matt Gould) and one at Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro on March 27 (Naresh Satyan, Jonathan Nakai). 

A number of Franklin’s Gulls were detected on the coastal slope on April 22, with eight over Claremont and what was presumably the same group seen later that morning over Bonelli Regional Park in San Dimas (Tom Miko, Keith Condon).  Another ten were over Pomona the same day (Tom Miko).  Others were in Long Beach on April 22 (Paul Senner) and in Malibu on April 29 (Ed Corey).  Two more were at the Piute Ponds on May 1, with one present the following day (Julie Rush, Jack Wickel).

Along the Los Angeles River in Maywood, a Glaucous Gull was present through February 18.  A Lesser Black-backed Gull continued at the same location with two there through April 16.  Another Lesser Black-backed Gull was at Malibu Lagoon on March 3 (Laura Schare).

Rare was a Masked Booby at Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro on April 9 (Naresh Satyan, Jonathan Nakai).  Also of note was a Brown Booby above Redondo Canyon west of the Palos Verdes Peninsula on March 18 and a Red-footed Booby a few miles south of San Pedro on April 3 (Bernardo Alps).

In total sixteen Neotropic Cormorants were reported during the period, including a pair occupying a nest in the Sepulveda Basin.  Clearly their numbers are increasing.  Given their status today, it’s remarkable that this species was unrecorded in the county before 2017.

An American Bittern continued at Bonelli Regional Park in San Dimas through April 5 and a Reddish Egret was observed at Malibu Lagoon on April 13 (Richard Ward).  Cattle Egrets are rather scarce in the county, but an above average seven were recorded on the coastal slope during the period. 

Up to seven Yellow-crowned Night-Herons continued along Appian Way on Naples Island in Alamitos Bay through April 30, with breeding confirmed there.  Another two were in the Ballona Wetlands area through May 3 and two were also at Sims Bio Pond from April 23-24 (Susan Endres).

Two California Condors were near Quail Lake on April 10 (Kevin Brock).

An informal monitoring of migrating Swainson’s Hawks tallied over 1,800 birds traversing the county through early April.  Most of these were encountered moving along the southern slope of the San Gabriel Mountains, with significant numbers also in the west Antelope Valley.

The Zone-tailed Hawk in Monrovia continued through April 28, while others were in Duarte on March 19 (Naresh Satyan) and at Bear Divide near Santa Clarita on April 1 (Ted Keyel) and again on April 10.  The Rough-legged Hawk wintering at the Piute Ponds on Edwards AFB continued through March 26.

Small numbers of Lewis’s Woodpeckers continued, with about three dozen present during the period.  Of note was one was still present on Santa Catalina Island reported through April 9.

A Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was in Juniper Hills on February 20 (Kimball Garrett) and another continued at Veteran’s Park in Sylmar through March 17, with two reported there on occasion.

A rare “Black” Merlin was at Bear Divide near Santa Clarita from March 23-24 (Ted Keyel, Steve Kolbe).

The wintering Dusky-capped Flycatcher near Lake Balboa in the San Fernando Valley continued through April 7 and a returning wintering Brown-crested Flycatcher continued at the South Coast Botanic Garden in Palos Verdes Estates through April 1.

Tropical Kingbirds continued at El Dorado Park in Long Beach through March 22, at Golden Shore Marine Reserve in Long Beach through March 13 and at Colorado Lagoon in Long Beach through April 14.

The wintering Least Flycatcher at the West San Gabriel River Parkway Nature Trail in Lakewood was recorded through April 24 and a rare in winter Dusky Flycatcher was at the Sepulveda Basin in Van Nuys from February 26-March 6 (Jon Fisher, Mark Wilson).  This birds identity was not immediately confirmed, but better photos were eventually obtained.

The Eastern Phoebe back for its third winter at the Bette Davis Picnic Area was seen through March 24.

Very rare in winter was a Bell’s Vireo continuing at the Huntington Library and Gardens in San Marino through March 12.  Far more expected was a Cassin’s Vireo at the West San Gabriel River Parkway Nature Trail in Lakewood reported through February 20.

Scarce as a spring migrant were Purple Martins at Bear Divide near Santa Clarita on April 15 (Ryan Terrill, Marky Mutchler) and at Bonelli Regional Park in San Dimas on April 24, with two present there on May 4 (Keith Condon).

A rare find in the county these days was an American Dipper along the Burkhart Trail below Kratka Ridge in the San Gabriel Mountains on May 2 (Greg Nemes).  Formerly more widespread and common in appropriate habitat, a long-term drought, fires and resulting habitat alteration have clearly had a deleteriuous impact on this species locally.

A Grasshopper Sparrow, rarely detected in migration, was at Magic Mountain in Valencia on March 30 (Luke Tiller).  Also of note were Clay-colored Sparrows at Rynerson Park in Lakewood on April 14 (John and Lindsay Fitch) and at Apollo Park near Lancaster on April 29 (Jon Fisher).  A Swamp Sparrow was at the Piute Ponds on Edwards AFB from February 19-March 11 (Kimball Garrett).

A Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Junco was at Blaisdell Ranch Preserve in Claremont on February 19 (Mitchell Bailey).  Another continued at Bonelli Regional Park in San Dimas through March 3.  A Dark-eyed “Pink-sided” Junco continued at Bonelli Regional Park in San Dimas through March 21.  Over a half dozen White-throated Sparrows were also present during the period.

The Green-tailed Towhee at the West San Gabriel River Parkway Nature Trail in Lakewood was seen through March 26.  Others were in Rancho Palos Verdes on February 19, in Culver City on March 3 (Randy Ehler) and in Topanga State Park on April 13 (Paul Oerhlein).

An Orchard Oriole continued on San Clemente Island through March 11.  A Hooded Oriole was at El Dorado Park in Long Beach on February 19 (Joyce Brady) and a wintering Scott’s Oriole continued in Llano through March 1.

Seven Black-and-white Warblers were present over the period, while Lucy’s Warblers included a continuing bird at Maywood Riverfront Park through February 25 and one at Madrona Marsh in Torrance on March 2. 

A good spring find was a Hooded Warbler on San Clemente Island on May 4 (Nicole Desnoyers).  The wintering American Redstart along Haskell Creek in the Sepulveda Basin was present through March 6.

A remarkable bird was a Cape May Warbler at Loyola Marymount University in Westchester on March 19 (Brennan Mulrooney).  It was reported there through April 4 and almost undoubtedly spent the entire winter at this location.  Access to the campus was problematic but surmountable, requiring the possession of a campus event ticket to enter the property.

San Clemente Island produced a Northern Parula on April 24 (Kandace Glanville, Ben Stalheim) and a Palm Warbler continued there through March 12.  Other Palm Warblers included one at Maywood Riverfront Park on April 11 (James Maley), one at the Ballona Freshwater Marsh on April 22 (Don Sterba), one at Alondra Park Reservoir on April 25 (Nancy Salem) and two at O’Melveny Park in Granada Hills on April 25 (Ruben Peña). 

Other nice finds this spring were a Prairie Warbler at Heritage Park in Santa Fe Springs on May 3 (John & Lindsay Fitch) and a Black-throated Green Warbler on San Clemente Island on May 4 (Ariel Gonzalez)

Returning for its third winter, the Painted Redstart at Inglewood Park Cemetery was reported through March 14.

Summer Tanagers continued at Legg Lake in South El Monte through March 3, at Wardlow Park in Long Beach through April 7 and at the Village Green Condominiums in Los Angeles through April 17.  Others were found in Westwood on February 18 (Sandy Bettleman) and at the South Coast Botanic Garden in Palos Verdes Estates on March 23 (Manual Duran).

Rose-breasted Grosbeaks included a likely wintering bird in La Crescenta on March 27 (Susan Colosimo) and a spring migrant at John Anson Ford Park in Bell Gardens on May 2 (Robb Hamilton).  A Black-headed Grosbeak toughed out the winter in the east Antelope Valley, being seen through February 23 (Joseph Dunn).

Breeding has been underway for a couple of months or more for many birds and will continue through June and even later for some species.  Evidence of breeding is very easy in eBird and that data significantly enhances the value of our field lists. 

As we head into May, plenty of migrants will still be passing through, though numbers will be slowly decreasing for most species.  On the deserts however, Willow Flycatchers, Swainson’s Thrushes and Wilson’s and Yellow Warblers will continue at peak numbers.

Late May and early June brings us the best chances for rare birds.  Although last spring was one of the worst in memory for vagrants, this new year brings new possibilities.  When the next Birds of the Season column debuts, we will already have seen the start of fall migration for some shorebirds.

If one thing can be said with certainty, it’s that birders always have something to look forward to.  Whether it’s spring or fall migration, wintering birds, summer visitors, or vagrants at any time of year, something is always ready to capture our attention.