Rare Bird Alert
Jon Fisher
Rare Bird Alert - December 19, 2024

Sandhill Crane | Pacific Golden-Plover | Mountain Plover | Solitary Sandpiper | Vega Gull | Lesser Black-backed Gull | Pacific Loon | Flesh-footed Shearwater | Zone-tailed Hawk | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | Dusky-capped Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD | Hammond’s Flycatcher | Dusky Flycatcher | Western Flycatcher | Eastern Phoebe | Bell’s Vireo | Verdin | Lapland Longspur | Chestnut-collared Longspur | Thick-billed Longspur | Dark-eyed “Pink-sided” Junco | Grasshopper Sparrow | Clay-colored Sparrow | Black-chinned Sparrow | Sagebrush Sparrow | Swamp Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Baltimore Oriole | Lucy’s Warbler | Palm Warbler | Pine Warbler | Painted Redstart | Hepatic Tanager | Indigo Bunting

Rare Bird Alert
Jon Fisher
Rare Bird Alert - December 6, 2024

Tundra Swan | Red-necked Grebe | Pacific Golden-Plover | Mountain Plover | Solitary Sandpiper | Lesser Black-backed Gull | Swainson’s Hawk | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | Dusky-capped Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD | Hammond’s Flycatcher | Western Flycatcher | Lapland Longspur | Chestnut-collared Longspur | Thick-billed Longspur | Clay-colored Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Junco | Dark-eyed “Pink-sided” Junco | Sagebrush Sparrow | Nelson’s Sparrow | Swamp Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Orchard Oriole | Black-and-white Warbler | Tennessee Warbler | Painted Redstart | Summer Tanager

Rare Bird Alert
Jon Fisher
Rare Bird Alert - November 29, 2024

Inca Dove | Common Ground Dove | Pacific Golden-Plover | Vega Gull | Lesser Black-backed Gull | Least Bittern | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | Dusky-capped Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD | Western Kingbird | Western Flycatcher | Eastern Phoebe | Cassin’s Vireo | Clay-colored Sparrow | Sagebrush Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Pink-sided” Junco | White-throated Sparrow | Swamp Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Hooded Oriole | Baltimore Oriole | Scott’s Oriole | Black-and-white Warbler | Cape May Warbler | Painted Redstart | Summer Tanager | Blue Grosbeak

Rare Bird Alert
Jon Fisher
Rare Bird Alert - November 22, 2024

Inca Dove | White-winged Dove | American Golden-Plover | Pacific Golden-Plover | Vega Gull | Lesser Black-backed Gull | Tricolored Heron | Western Cattle Egret | Dusky-capped Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD | Eastern Phoebe | Grasshopper Sparrow | Clay-colored Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Pink-sided” Junco | White-throated Sparrow | Sagebrush Sparrow | Swamp Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Sagebrush Sparrow | Black-and-white Warbler | Tennessee Warbler | Palm Warbler | Painted Redstart | Summer Tanager | Blue Grosbeak | Indigo Bunting

Rare Bird Alert
Jon Fisher
Rare Bird Alert - November 15, 2024

Inca Dove | White-winged Dove | American Golden-Plover | Pacific Golden-Plover | Lesser Black-backed Gull | Pacific Loon | Zone-tailed Hawk | Tropical Kingbird | THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD | Eastern Phoebe | Grasshopper Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Pink-sided” Junco | White-throated Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Black-and-white Warbler | Bay-breasted Warbler | Painted Redstart | Summer Tanager

Volume 90

,

Western Tanager, Nov-Dec 2023, Vol. 90 No. 2

,
Western Tanager, Nov-Dec 2023, Vol. 90 No. 2

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Observing the Coastal California Gnatcatcher, by Daniel Horowitz

LAAS Expresses Concerns with Ballona Wetlands Project – With Letter to the Wildlife Conservation Board, by Margot Griswold

The 124th Christmas Bird Count

Arctic-Breeding Greater Yellowlegs Tracked to Los Angeles River, by Rozy Bathrick

Birds of the Season - December 2023, by Jon Fisher

2024 Call For Applications, Ralph W. Schreiber Ornithology Research Award

, ,

A Splendidly Spooky Avian Encounter

, ,
A Splendidly Spooky Avian Encounter

Recently, at my home in Mar Vista, I began noticing some unusual sounds. As dusk fell and darkness drew its blanket across the sky, I’d hear intermittent hissing, cries, and croaking sounds. At times, the eerie sounds would increase with such intensity that I’d walk outside to listen. It seemed to be coming from the unlit alley behind our house. Was it some kind of Cicada? A rare type of tree frog? Frightful spirits rising up from the dead for Halloween? One night around 11 PM, I heard a bloodcurdling shriek and felt a chill go down my spine! What was going on in Mar Vista?

, ,

Birds of the Season—August 2023

, ,
Birds of the Season—August 2023

Following a relatively cool early July, summer finally arrived. Temperatures increased and some weak systems brought a modicum of subtropical moisture. Thankfully there were no significant wildfires locally thus far.

But the stunner from a weather and birding perspective was a very strong tropical storm- the remnants of hurricane Hilary— that hit the county on August 20. This event dumped five inches of rain or more in many locations and was accompanied by high winds in many places. The added precipitation from Hilary makes severe fires even less likely, but not out of the question.

Sign up to join our mailing list to receive our newsletter and updates on upcoming events.