by Jon Fisher

Birds of the Season- May 2024

It surely can’t be said that the spring of 2024 was an uneventful one.  This season is generally thought of as a comparatively slow time for vagrants, but this year seemed determined to turn that idea on its head.  There were a few of our more expected rarities, but some red-letter birds as well, including two first Los Angeles County records.  In addition, lingering wintering rarities continued to be reported, though by early May most of these had moved on. 

Temperatures in April and May were generally at or below normal, making for a pleasantly cool spring.  A persistent marine layer was present for much of May.  Habitat was lush and green and in good condition following another wet winter.  The downside is that the precipitation created a large amount of new vegetation that has the potential to become excellent fuel for wildfires as we head into summer. 

Both Bear Divide near Santa Clarita and the Interstate 5 corridor between Pyramid Lake and Lebec again offered good insight into what birds were passing through the area and when.  Large numbers of spring migrants pass through both locations.  Relatively recent intensive coverage has provided much useful data on numbers, diversity and timing.

Our annual three-day ABC (America’s Birdiest County) event was conducted on the last weekend of April and produced a total of 276 species in the county.  This was the second highest species count ever, just off the highest ever count of 277, with 2011 and 2021 tying for first place.  Initially a country-wide event, only a few counties have continued the tradition.  For Los Angeles County, this is a competition with our own previous counts.  The ABC continues to create a worthwhile snapshot of birdlife in the county at the height of spring migration, and to illustrate the diversity of birdlife in the county.

Here's a look at birds of note found in April and May…

A Long-tailed Duck continued at the Ballona Creek mouth through April 27 and a late Common Goldeneye was at the Piute Ponds on Edwards AFB from April 25-May 6 (Chris Dean).

The only Red-necked Grebe reported was one continuing at the Ballona Creek mouth through April 22.

A very few Inca Doves persist in Lake Los Angeles in the east Antelope Valley, with two birds being observed on April 28 (Mark & Janet Scheel).  White-winged Doves were in Beverly Glen on March 31 (Ken Youngleib), in Duarte on April 5 (Luke Tiller, Petteri Eralahti) and in the east Antelope Valley on April 16 (Joseph Dunn).

Rarely recorded, migrant Black Swifts were well-represented at Bear Divide near Santa Clarita, with one on April 27 (Kelsey Reckling, Ryan Terrill), with three there on May 7 (Kelsey Reckling, Russell Campbell), one on May 8 (Becky Turley) and twelve on May 9 (Lauren Hill, Matt Brady).  A very few presumably continue to breed in the mountains above Claremont.

Quite rare in the county was a Red Knot at the Ballona Creek mouth from May 1-6 (Michael Pazzani), while less than annual as a spring migrant was a Pectoral Sandpiper at Malibu Lagoon from May 4-5 (Jon Fisher).  Also rare in spring was a Semipalmated Sandpiper at the Piute Ponds on May 14 (Jon Feenstra, Samuel Bressler).

Rare except well offshore was a Sabine’s Gull was at the Piute Ponds on Edwards AFB from April 1-4 (Grigory Heaton).  Franklin’s Gulls were observed in Montebello on April 9 (Luke Tiller) and at Bonelli Regional Park in San Dimas on April 22 (Christine Jacobs).  A few others were in the Antelope Valley, mainly at the Piute Ponds.

A nice surprise was a Yellow-footed Gull- establishing only the third county record- at Bonelli Regional Park in San Dimas from April 21-May 5 (Keith Condon).  This species is regular in southern California only at the Salton Sea.  The only Lesser Black-backed Gull reported was one along the Los Angeles River in Vernon from April 10-May 18 (Mark Wilson, Naresh Satyan).

Unusual inland was a Pacific Loon from April 22-26 (Tom Miko) and a Red-throated Loon on May 1 (Keith Condon), both at Bonelli Regional Park in San Dimas.

A Brown Booby off the Palos Verdes Peninsula on April 18 was the only Sulid reported during the period (Tobin Brown, Kegan Brown).

Of note were sixteen Neotropic Cormorants on multiple nests at Legg Lake in South El Monte on May 1 (Robert Hamilton).  This species continues to increase in the region and additional evidence of breeding should be watched for.

Brown Pelicans began turning up in larger than normal numbers coastally in late April and early May, with a handful of birds recorded inland where they are typically quite rare.  Significantly above average numbers of emaciated birds also ended up at rehabilitation facilities.  Though multiple factors may be responsible, a lack of food resources tends to drive events such as this, often disproportionately affecting young birds that lack experience finding food.

Eleven Western Cattle Egrets over the period was an above average number and at least ten Yellow-crowned Night-Herons were recorded, with most reports coming from Alamitos Bay and Ballona Lagoon.  The latter species now seems well-established, albeit still in small numbers, in the county.

A Swallow-tailed Kite, photographed by a non-birder in Encino on April 22, established the first ever record for Los Angeles County and only the third for California.  What was likely the same bird was observed in Ventura County on April 27.

Swainson’s Hawks are scarce but regular breeders in the Antelope Valley, but a pair nesting in Long Beach this spring was notable (fide Becky Turley).

A Yellow-headed Caracara was in Lomita on May 14, but had apparently been present for over a month- and possibly for up to two years, subsisting largely on scraps from restaurants and nearby dumpsters.  It was reported there through May 20. 

Naturally, a bird such as this sparks debate over provenance.  The proximity of this location to a major seaport and a massive population center, as well as its generally sedentary nature support the case for either a ship-assisted passage or more likely an escapee.  Far less likely is that the bird made its way here on its own. 

The only other record of this species in California was a bird in Humboldt County from 2007 and 2008 which was deemed not of natural occurrence.  Though this species has been expanding its range northward recently, it has only just been recorded in southern Mexico.

The wintering Dusky-capped Flycatcher at Vincent Lugo Park in San Gabriel continued through May 3.  The also wintering and intermittently reported Brown-crested Flycatcher at the South Coast Botanic Garden in Palos Verdes Estates was last seen on April 14. Tropical Kingbirds continued along the lower Los Angeles River in Long Beach through April 9, at Colorado Lagoon in Long Beach through April 20 and at the San Gabriel Coastal Basin Spreading Grounds in Pico Rivera through May 11.  The returning wintering Thick-billed Kingbird in Griffith Park was seen through April 21.  Also of note was a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher on San Clemente Island on April 2 (Ben Stalheim, Kandace Glanville).

A Red-eyed Vireo was at Biola University in La Mirada on May 5 (Jonathan Rowley).

A very rare wanderer to the county was a Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay on Edwards AFB property on April 26, establishing just the third record (Jon Feenstra).

Purple Martins included one at the Piute Ponds from April 12-13 (Naresh Satyan) and two at La Mirada Park from May 7-8 (Jonathan Rowley).

The Brown Thrasher that spent the winter at the West San Gabriel River Parkway Nature Trail in Lakewood was reported through May 6.

American Dippers have been scarce in the county of late, with a long-term drought not helping their situation.  Thus one continuing near Mt. Baldy Village through April 11, another near Buckhorn Campground in the San Gabriel Mountains on April 28 (Lance Benner, Naresh Satyan) and two along the San Gabriel River’s East Fork on May 13 (Connor Poylio) were worthy of mention.

A White Wagtail, only the fifth ever found in the county, continued along the Los Angeles River in Glendale through April 14.

Another nice find was a Cassin’s Sparrow in Lancaster from April 23-25 (Peter Gaede).  While very rare in the county- there are just three previous records- this species is more likely to occur following wetter winters. 

The continuing Lark Bunting at Sheldon Arleta Park in Sun Valley was seen through April 3 and a half dozen Clay-colored Sparrows were present during the period.

Unexpected was a Field Sparrow in Griffith Park on March 29 (Michael Perry), establishing just the fourth county record.  A Harris’s Sparrow at Quail Lake on May 4 was a nice spring find (Brad Rumble).  Continuing through April 5 was a Swamp Sparrow at the Piute Ponds on Edwards AFB.

An Orchard Oriole was at La Mirada Park in La Mirada on April 19 (Jonathan Rowley).

Turning to parulids, a Northern Waterthrush was at the Piute Ponds on April 28 (Mark Dettling).  Though ten were present earlier this winter, the only Black-and-white Warblers reported in April and May was one continuing in Lakewood through April 13, one in Signal Hill on May 15 (Joyce Brady) and one at the Piute Ponds on Edwards AFB on May 17 (William Tyrer). 

A Tennessee Warbler was on San Clemente Island on May 17 (Ben Stalheim) and a Virginia’s Warbler was at Kenneth Hahn SRA from May 11-12 (Mitchel Bailey).

An American Redstart continued through April 14 at Oakdale Memorial Park in Glendora, with others at North Atwater Park on April 19 (Dan Cooper) and at the West San Gabriel River Parkway Nature Trail in Lakewood on May 9 (Ashley Hopkins).

Most remarkable was a Tropical Parula in Big Dalton Canyon north of Glendora from May 12-13 (Jake Xia).  This establishes only the second record for the state and the first for Los Angeles County.  The previous bird was in Orange County in early 2018.  In the U.S., this species occurs regularly in Texas, with a handful reported from Arizona, though a 2005 record from Colorado in illustrates its potential for vagrancy.

A nice spring find was a Blackburnian Warbler at DeForest Park in Long Beach present from April 27-30 (Becky Turley, Merryl Edelstein, Christine Jacobs, Kim Moore). 

The wintering Cape May Warbler in Alhambra was present through March 29 and a Chestnut-sided Warbler at Victory Park in Pasadena was seen through April 19.  Five Palm Warblers were reported over the period and a Pine Warbler continued at Satellite Park in Cerritos through April 25.

The Hepatic Tanager wintering at Banning Park in Wilmington was present through April 9.  Five of the more expected Summer Tanagers were also reported.

Rose-breasted Grosbeaks were in Altadena on April 18 (Polly McConnell) and at Sand Dune Park in Manhattan Beach on May 2 (Bruce Campbell) and a Painted Bunting was at a residence in Altadena on April 27 (Jane Glicksman).

Even with the impressive number of vagrants recorded each season, we know that many more pass through unseen.  In a county as large and varied as Los Angeles, it’s clear that there is much out there waiting to be discovered.  This is especially true of our offshore waters, where pelagic birding trips are comparatively rare.

As we head into June, spring migration will subside, but a few late vagrants will likely be recorded.  Aside from these, the brief period between spring and fall migration can be well spent by documenting evidence of breeding for both common and scarce species.  This can be easily done in eBird and adds great value to checklists. 

 June will bring the first southbound fall shorebirds in the form of Wilson’s Phalaropes.  By early July we will see the arrival of others.  From that point through October autumn migration is seriously underway, though the mix of species will change through the months.