As Los Angeles County birders know well, every month offers excellent birding opportunities. February and March held up their end this year. Continuing wintering rarities were well represented, and notable new birds turned up at an impressive pace.
Rare Bird Alert - March 22, 2024
Red-necked Grebe | Franklin’s Gull | Lesser Black-Backed Gull | Pacific Loon | GLOSSY IBIS | Zone-tailed Hawk | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | Dusky-capped Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD | American Dipper | Pacific Wren | Brown Thrasher | White Wagtail | Clay-colored Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Junco | Dark-eyed “Pink-sided” Junco | Green-tailed Towhee | Orchard Oriole | Rusty Blackbird | Black-and-white Warbler | Tennessee Warbler | Cape May Warbler | Northern Parula | Chestnut-sided Warbler | Black-throated Green Warbler | Hepatic Tanager | Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Rare Bird Alert - March 15, 2024
Lesser Nighthawk | Broad-billed Hummingbird | Lesser Black-backed Gull | Brown Booby | Western Cattle Egret | Yellow-crowned Night-Heron | Zone-tailed Hawk | Dusky-capped Flycatcher | THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD | Dusky Flycatcher | Cassin’s Vireo | American Dipper | White Wagtail | Lark Bunting | Clay-colored Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Junco | Dark-eyed “Pink-sided” Junco | Swamp Sparrow | Orchard Oriole | Rusty Blackbird | Black-and-white Warbler | Tennessee Warbler | American Redstart | Cape May Warbler | Northern Parula | Chestnut-sided Warbler | Palm Warbler | Black-throated Green Warbler | Painted Redstart | Hepatic Tanager
Rare Bird Alert - March 8, 2024
Broad-billed Hummingbird | Lesser Nighthawk | Laughing Gull | Lesser Black-backed Gull | Zone-tailed Hawk | Dusky-capped Flycatcher | Brown-crested Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD | Hammond’s Flycatcher | Western Flycatcher |American Dipper | White Wagtail | Lark Bunting | Clay-colored Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Pink-sided” Junco | Swamp Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Orchard Oriole | Baltimore Oriole | Rusty Blackbird | Black-and-white Warbler | American Redstart | Cape May Warbler | Palm Warbler | Black-throated Green Warbler | Painted Redstart | Hepatic Tanager | Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Rare Bird Alert - March 1, 2024
Broad-billed Hummingbird | Black-legged Kittiwake | Laughing Gull | Lesser Black-backed Gull | Yellow-crowned Night-Heron | Short-eared Owl | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | Dusky-capped Flycatcher | Ash-throated Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD | Dusky Flycatcher | Western Flycatcher | Bell’s Vireo | Brown Thrasher | Lark Bunting | Clay-colored Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Junco | Dark-eyed “Pink-sided” Junco | Swamp Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Orchard Oriole | Hooded Oriole | Scott’s Oriole | Rusty Blackbird | Black-and-white Warbler | Tennessee Warbler | Cape May Warbler | Chestnut-sided Warbler | Palm Warbler | Pine Warbler | Black-throated Green Warbler | Painted Redstart
Rare Bird Alert - February 23, 2024
Broad-billed Hummingbird | Laughing Gull | Lesser Black-backed Gull | Pacific Loon | Yellow-crowned Night-Heron | Zone-tailed Hawk | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | “Prairie” Merlin | Dusky-capped Flycatcher | Brown-crested Flycatcher | Tropical Kingbird | THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD | Western Flycatcher | Eastern Phoebe | Brown Thrasher | White Wagtail | Lark Bunting | Clay-colored Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Junco | Swamp Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Rusty Blackbird | Black-and-white Warbler | Cape May Warbler | Black-throated Green Warbler | Painted Redstart
Rare Bird Alert - February 16, 2024
Red-necked Grebe | Vaux’s Swift | Broad-billed Hummingbird | Lesser Black-backed Gull | Pacific Loon | Yellow-crowned Night-Heron | California Condor | Swainson’s Hawk | Zone-tailed Hawk | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | Tropical Kingbird | THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD | Dusky Flycatcher | Western Flycatcher | Eastern Phoebe | Bell’s Vireo | WINTER WREN | Clay-colored Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Gray-headed” Junco | Dark-eyed “Pink-sided” Junco | Sagebrush Sparrow | Swamp Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Hooded Oriole | Rusty Blackbird | Black-and-white Warbler | American Redstart | Chestnut-sided Warbler | Palm Warbler | Painted Redstart
Lancaster CBC Analysis Over the Last 45 Years and Beyond
For 2023, we tallied a total of 16,177 (16.2K) birds. Sounds like a lot! It isn’t especially in light of Count history. After excluding one anomalous** year, the adjusted Overall Count Avg is (33.0K/yr); that’s right, we’ve lost more than half (50.9%) of our birds in the Antelope Valley over the last 45 years, compared to our adjusted Count Average!
Rare Bird Alert - February 9, 2024
Black Scoter | Red-necked Grebe | Pacific Golden-Plover | Mountain Plover | Lesser Black-backed Gull | Yellow-crowned Night-Heron | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | CRESTED CARACARA | Tropical Kingbird | THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD | Dusky Flycatcher | Western Flycatcher | Bell’s Vireo | Brown Thrasher | Lapland Longspur | Clay-colored Sparrow | Dark-eyed “Pink-sided” Junco | Swamp Sparrow | Green-tailed Towhee | Rusty Blackbird | Black-and-white Warbler | American Redstart | Chestnut-sided Warbler | Palm Warbler | Painted Redstart
REGISTRATION BEGINS: Dancing Chicken Weekend Field Trip—April 2024
Dancing Chicken Weekend Field Trip
31st Annual Trip to view the Greater Sage Grouse in the Eastern Sierra Nevada, Owens Valley and Round Valley
April 26–28, 2024, Friday through Sunday
$60 per person for the entire weekend
Limit of 12 participants, 8 cars allowed (NOTE: As of Wed. Feb. 14, 5 slots are listed as interested with their checks in the mail.)
For information on how to register, call Susan at (323) 876-0202 (Voice) or e-Mail susancastor@laaudubon.org