By Jon Fisher

In some respects, July represents the summer doldrums for birds and birding.  Breeding activity is largely over and fall migration has yet to get into full swing.  But nothing is static in the bird world.  Shorebird migration was already well underway, and the first southbound passerines were not far behind.  Though much of what migration has served up thus far has been standard fare, a handful of vagrants have already been recorded. 

Productive locations this summer included the Piute Ponds on Edwards Air Force Base, Malibu Lagoon, and the lower Los Angeles River.  Pelagic birding trips and coastal spots also provided some interesting records.

Here’s a look at birds of note in the county in July and August…

Common Mergansers are scarce in summer, but reports have been increasing of late and breeding has been confirmed.  One was at Quail Lake near Gorman from June 25-August 12, with two there on July 23 (Brad Rumble, Naresh Satyan).  Nine were at Castaic Lagoon on July 1, with three still present on July 22 (Hans Spiecker).

The Greater Roadrunner seen off and on along the Los Angeles River in Long Beach was reported through August 10.  Individuals occasionally wander far from expected areas.

Yellow-billed Cuckoos were at the Piute Ponds on June 28-July 14 (Chris Dean) and on San Clemente Island on July 13 (Kandace Glanville, Ben Stalheim).  This species is presumably extirpated as a breeder in the county, but a handful of recent summer records leave open the possibility that a few pairs persist.

A few Black Swifts continued to be seen regularly in the late afternoon above Claremont through July 25, presumably returning to local but still unknown nesting sites.

Among a few obvious hybrids recorded so far this year, a fairly pure American Oystercatcher was in the Los Angeles Harbor on July 30 (Andy Birch).

Red Knots were at Malibu Lagoon from July 17-18 (David Hurst) and again on August 15 (Naresh Satyan), while Stilt Sandpipers were along the Los Angeles River in Long Beach on July 30 (Merryl Edelstein) and at the Piute Ponds on August 14 (Mark & Janet Scheel).  Semipalmated Sandpipers were on the Los Angeles River in Maywood from August 11-15 (Mark Wilson) and at Malibu Lagoon from August 14-21 (Chris Tosdevin).

Unusual away from offshore waters was a Sabine’s Gull at Bonelli Regional Park in San Dimas from August 9-16 (Keith Condon).  A Lesser Black-backed Gull was along the lower Los Angeles River in Long Beach from July 3-August 16, establishing the county’s first summer record (David Bell, Luke Tiller).  Also of note was a Glaucous-winged Gull in the Maywood area from July 4-August 2, with two birds present there from August 1-2 (Richard Barth, Brad Rumble).

Rare inland was a Least Tern at the Piute Ponds on July 4 (William Tyrer).  A Common Tern was at Dockweiler State Beach in El Segundo on July 30 (Kevin Lapp).  An Elegant Tern breeding colony was again active on a barge in Long Beach Harbor with up to 400 birds present on July 14 (Kim Moore).

Very rare in LA County waters was a Wilson’s Storm-Petrel in the Catalina Channel south of San Pedro on July 10 (multiple observers).  Also unusual was a Townsend’s Storm-Petrel southeast of Santa Catalina Island on July 31 (multiple observers).  The latter species was until recently considered a subspecies of Leach’s Storm-Petrel.

Rarely recorded in the county was a Manx Shearwater above Redondo Canyon off Redondo Beach on July 17 (multiple observers).  The past decade has produced fewer than ten records.

A Brown Booby was in the Catalina Channel off of San Pedro on July 30 (Mark & Janet Scheel, Andy Birch, Naresh Satyan) and boobies of indeterminate species were at the Ballona Creek mouth on August 3 (Russell Stone) and off Leo Carrillo State Beach on August 5 (Jon Fisher).

Over a dozen Neotropic Cormorants were reported during the period, with a high count of eight in the Sepulveda Basin, including a nest with young.

A wayward inland Brown Pelican continued at the Sepulveda Basin through July 3.  Emaciated pelicans continued to turn up in above average numbers along the coast; a handful of these were captured, rehabilitated, and released.

Most Reddish Egret appearances in the county to date have been ephemeral, but one and then two at Malibu Lagoon from July 3-August 1 helped reverse that trend and gave many observes the chance to add this species to their lists (Peter Bedrossian, Chris Dean).  Additionally, at least ten Yellow-crowned Night-Herons were recorded, all at coastal or near coastal locations.

An early Western Wood-Pewee was at the Piute Ponds on July 22 (Chris Dean).  Several Gray Flycatchers, on territory and likely breeding locally, were along Ball Flat Road on the north slope of the San Gabriel Mountains from June 12-24 (Kimball Garrett). 

An American Dipper, ever more difficult to find in the county, was along the Burkhart Trail in the San Gabriel Mountains on June 30 (Jack Wickel).  Another persisted in San Antonio Canyon below Mt. Baldy Village through July 4.

A handful of Red Crossbills were recorded in the high east San Gabriel Mountains where they are nomadic and scarce, or at least scarcely detected.

Away from the deserts where they are regular in spring and summer, a Scott’s Oriole was at Wheeler Park in Claremont on June 25 (Tom Miko).

The Piute Ponds on Edwards AFB produced a Lucy’s Warbler on August 14 (Femi Faminu), and another was along the Los Angeles River in Long Beach on August 18 (Jeff Boyd).  A Virginia’s Warbler was at Stephen Sorensen Park in Lake Los Angeles from August 20-25 (Kimball Garrett).  Quite early was a Wilson’s Warbler at Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park in Harbor City on July 10 (Manuel Duran).

Summer Tanagers were found on San Clemente Island on June 29 (Ben Stalheim, Kandace Glanville), in San Antonio Canyon below Mt. Baldy Village on July 4 (Tom Miko) and at Farnsworth Park in Altadena on August 9 (Jeffrey Fenwick).

Rose-breasted Grosbeaks were in Zuma Canyon on June 27 (William Tyrer) and again on August 13, on San Clemente Island on June 29 (Ben Stalheim) and at Rancho Sierra Golf Course in the east Antelope Valley on August 21 (David Bell).  An Indigo Bunting was along the Los Angeles River in Glendale from July 29-August 19 (Jon Fisher).

Though summer shorebirding is rewarding, the best may be yet to come.  September and October offer an impressive mix of birds of many genera, including both regular and unexpected vagrants.  To my mind, this is the most exciting time of year for birding in southern California.  Another plus is that while spring vagrants often move on quickly, fall birds tend to linger, offering a better chance for birders to see them. 

Water has always been a scarce resource in the west, and that is true now more than ever due to a prolonged drought and the effects of climate change.  But parks, towns and ranches in the deserts and well-watered suburban areas throughout the region provide water and food that attract and nourish birds, especially those migrants not well adapted to arid landscapes.  This is particularly true in the hot dry months from August through October.  These will be good places to check in the coming months.

As we know well, each year can be markedly different from the previous one; we never know exactly what is going turn up.  Last fall offered up a bonanza of vagrants, but what 2022 will reward us with remains unknown, though not for long.