Jakalof Bay Jakalof was a small beach surrounded by Sitka Spruce and snow-capped mountains. Dune grass and cow parsnip grew from the ground while lichens hung from the branches of trees. Small islands surrounded the beach, some of which became accessible by foot when the tide was low enough. We unloaded the kayaks and then …
Read more “Part 2: My Experience on an Inspiring Girls* Expedition”
Homer → Kasitsna Bay Laboratory Inspiring Girls* Expeditions is a free summer expedition for girls and gender nonconforming youth ages 16-18 to explore STEM and art topics while learning outdoor skills in the backcountry. Expeditions are 12 days and take place all over the world, including multiple U.S. states, Canada, New Zealand, Kyrgyzstan, Austria, and …
Read more “Part 1: My Experience on an Inspiring Girls* Expedition”
Start at 6:44am, closing at 12:44 pmTotal 12 nets upTotal 63 birds, 17 species 1 Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus) 1 Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypte anna) 15 House Finches (Haemorhous mexicanus) 8 Lesser Goldfinches (Spinus psaltria) 1 Gambel’s White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii) 1 Brewer’s Sparrow (Spizella breweri) 12 Song Sparrows (Melospiza melodia) 8 Lincoln’s Sparrows (Melospiza …
When I went to visit Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge with my young birders group a few weeks ago, I knew that we would have the wonderful opportunity of talking with biologists and park rangers who work with California Condors (Gymnogyps californianus) on a daily basis. It was there that I once again crossed paths …
Read more “An Interview with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Park Ranger Daniel Cook”
Today, my birding group and I went to visit Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge in Kern County, California. The refuge, a former ranch, is a grassland habitat located at the foothills of the southwestern San Joaquin Valley. The land has historically been inhabited my the Chumash peoples who have used the area as a major …
Read more “Meeting California Condors at Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge”
For me, having the fortune of living in a neighborhood with wildlife is an incredible experience! In fact, moving to the neighborhood I’m in now was probably a catalyst for my wildlife interests. My neighbors and I get the pleasure of sharing our area with Bobcats, Coyotes, California Mule Deer, Striped Racers (Masticophis lateralis), a …
Today, I went to go explore Hahamong’na Watershed Park in Pasadena. The park, named after the Indigenous Peoples who have called the area home since before the Spanish colonization of Los Angeles, is a wonderful spot to explore nature. Oak Titmice and Bushtits can be seen bouncing from branch to branch in oaks and willows. …
Read more “Hanging Out with Toads at Hahamong’na Watershed Park”
Welcome to Arlington Garden! Located at the corner of South Pasadena Avenue and Arlington Drive lays a quaint little nature hotspot containing a multitude of colors! The area used to be the location of a fifty room mansion, but then termites destroyed the house and it had to be torn down. Now, the landscape is …
Read more “An Adventure in Photos: Arlington Garden, Pasadena”
We were so close to the 200 mark for total birds. Considering the numbers we caught last morning and the fact that the winds had died down made everyone certain that we could probably catch 12 birds in just the first net round alone to make the mark. After a quick breakfast at 6am, the …
Read more “Bird Banding at Burns Piñon Ridge Reserve Day 3: Closing out Strong”
At the sweet hour of 5:30am, my dad and I awoke to the calls of my alarm. The desert outside was just waking up, with the curves of the piled rocks highlighted under the light of the full moon. Birds began singing as a soft breeze moved the leaves of juniper and oak. We got …
Read more “Bird Banding at Burns Piñon Ridge Reserve Day 2: Diversity Arises”
Welcome to Burns Piñon Ridge Reserve, or as we call it: Burns! This reserve used to be the retirement home of engineer Bruce Burns, who’s family dedicated the 306 acre area of land to UC Irvine some time ago. Since then, various groups have come here to conduct research projects ranging from those tackling the …
Read more “Bird Banding at Burns Piñon Ridge Reserve Day 1: So many White-crowns!!”
On April 6, my family and I drove out to Joshua Tree National Park in Twenty Nine Palms, about 98 miles from Los Angeles and 2.5 hours from my house. Along the way, we stopped by a recently opened skatepark in La Quinta. My dad and I, who both skateboard, were so excited for the …
Read more “Taking the Road Less Traveled: Exploring Joshua Tree National Park With Friends”
People from Los Angeles Birders-Students met up at Bear Divide in the San Gabriel Mountains to witness spring migration in action. It was very foggy and birds were scarce. We did manage to spot a few birds migrating through the passage, but the weather made it rather hard for me to really distinguish anything. We …
Read more “Witnessing Early Spring Migration with Los Angeles Birders-Students”
Day 4 of the GBBC I will admit, I did not document any bird sightings on February 21. The weather was extremely cloudy and cold by my California standards (around 55ºF). Not many birds were out as they were probably staying warm. I wasn’t sure how many layers I’d have to put on and I …
Read more “Great Backyard Bird Count 2022: Day 4 and Reflections”
February 20, 2022GBBC Stats Sepulveda Basin (8:30am-11:10am) Total 2.6 hours, 2.19 miles coveredHabitat: Grass field, marsh, lakeeBird Checklist: Sepulveda Basin Birds Spotted Canada Goose Cinnamon Teal Mallard Domestic Mallard Ruddy Duck Pied-billed Grebe Eared Grebe Mourning Dove White-throated Swift Anna’s Hummingbird Allen’s Hummingbird Western Gull Larus sp. (genus of Large White-headed Gulls) Double-crested Cormorant Great …
February 19, 2022GBBC Stats Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens (10:20am-12:20pm) Total 2 hours, 1.8 miles coveredHabitat: Grass fields, introduced plants (palm trees, cacti, etc.) eBird Checklist: Huntington Gardens Birds Spotted Canada Goose Mourning Dove Anna’s Hummingbird Red-shouldered Hawk Acorn Woodpecker Black Phoebe American Crow Red-whiskered Bulbul Bushtit Northern Mockingbird House Finch White-crowned Sparrow Audubon’s Warbler …
February 18, 2022GBBC Stats Total Bird Species42 Total Lifers2 Santa Fe Dam (7:30am-10:00am) Total 2.5 hours, 2.28 miles coveredHabitat: Grass field, lake, chaparraleBird Checklists: Just Grass Field and Lake Just Chaparral Habitat Birds Spotted Canada Goose Mallard Lesser Scaup Ruddy Duck California Quail Pied-billed Grebe Clark’s Grebe Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove White-throated Swift Anna’s Hummingbird …
Organized by The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, National Audubon Society, and Birds Canada, the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is a global four day event in which people all over can enjoy the beauty of nature and birds. GBBC is an excellent way to contribute to community science while getting to know your local bird …
Read more “February 18-21 is the Great Backyard Bird Count!”