February 19, 2022
GBBC Stats

Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens (10:20am-12:20pm)

Total 2 hours, 1.8 miles covered
Habitat: Grass fields, introduced plants (palm trees, cacti, etc.)
eBird Checklist: Huntington Gardens

Brief Birding

My good friend Evelyn invited me to spend a few hours with her at the Huntington Gardens in Pasadena. Because it was the Great Backyard Bird Count and the Huntington is conveniently a birding hotspot, I started an eBird checklist. Only, Evelyn and I were so deep in conversation, birding was bumped down to the second priority.

As we walked around the gardens, talking and laughing, I pointed out the melodious songs of Red-whiskered Bulbuls. While introduced to Los Angeles in the 1960s, the Red-whiskered Bulbul has become a very common bird species in gardens and backyards. They often travel in pairs or small groups and can be found in trees at the Huntington.
Here’s their call:

While I brought my camera with me, the only bird photo I managed to get was of a noncooperative Audubon’s Warbler. Heh heh 😅…

Lower Arroyo Secco (1pm-2pm)

Total 1 hour, 0.93 miles covered
Habitat: Oak woodland, water source
eBird Checklist: Lower Arroyo Secco

Birding the Lower Arroyo

My mom and I picked up tacos from Yuccas and headed to the Lower Arroyo Secco in Pasadena. There, we enjoyed our delicious lunch under the shade of an oak tree while looking and listening for birds. By birding standards, we had gotten to Lower Arroyo quite late, the afternoon when the temperature is hot and shadows are not in the photographer’s favor. Nonetheless, we were curious to know what birds were out at this time of day. We finished our lunch and walked along side the dried up creek that goes through the park.

We made our way to a grassy area that had recently been mowed. There were a few trees that provided ample shade for the birds that forged underneath them. My mom and I spotted a pair of Black Phoebes meandering about the branches as they called to each other.

A California Scrub-jay foraged near some tall shrubs as well. A California Thrasher, one of our favorite birds, was using its curve bill to upturn dirt and grass under a tree.

We walked towards a giant oak tree that hosted hundreds of Live Oak Apple Gall Wasps. Galls usually don’t harm the tree, in fact, they are the tree’s natural defense against the wasp, who takes advantage of the fact. When the wasp injects its eggs into the midline vein of a leaf, a chemical reaction prompts the leaf to develop a shell for the wasp larvae to grow in. When the wasp is ready to leave the protection of the gall, they drill a small hole and exit. Most galls we spotted were brown and old, but others were fresh and green.

Also in the same oak tree was a Ruby-crowned Kinglet and an Anna’s Hummingbird. There were also a few small nests tucked within the branches of the oak. I have no idea whose nests they were, but they were certainly cool to see!

As we continued our walk through the oak grove, my mom and I heard Acorn Woodpeckers and Nuttall’s Woodpeckers. We spotted multiple Acorn Woodpecker granaries as well, tree trunks that the woodpeckers stuffed full of acorns. These granaries are multigenerational, and a given tree trunk could have hundreds of acorns drilled in.

Common Ravens, a Turkey Vulture, and a Cooper’s Hawk soared overhead, getting a wonderful view of the oaks below. I met a Lincoln’s Sparrow hanging out where the water flows in the waterway. California Towhees foraged in the brush. Audubon’s Warblers flew between trees. Anna’s Hummingbirds zoomed high up into the air in the blink of an eye, their small bodies mimicking drones as they defended territory. A Bewick’s Wren foraged under a tree. Bushtits darted from branch to branch, too fast to keep track of.

I spotted a Northern Mockingbird foraging in the grass, perhaps in search of nest material, as we exited the park. They moved their beak from side to side and picked up an occasional grass stem or leaf.

My Backyard (2:20pm-3:50pm)

Total 1.5 hours, <1 mile covered
Habitat: Canyon

Birding My Home

Not far from my house, I spotted a Red-shouldered Hawk fly into an oak. My mom pulled over and I got out of the car to get a picture of the beautiful raptor.

While enjoying some mid-afternoon ice cream on the steps leading up to my front door, we spotted a pair of Northern Mockingbirds investigating a used nest site. A pair of Northern Mockingbirds almost never reuse nests sites, but as their breeding season approaches, we’ll see what happens. A mockingbird also landed in our loquat tree, staring down at my mom and I as we finished off our sweet treats.

Red-whiskered Bulbuls were once fairly common at my house, but then they decided to leave one day. As of a few weeks ago, the bulbuls have returned to my yard and I’m so happy to see them! I like to watch them sit in trees as they call to their friends.

The Takeaway

That was Day 2 of the Great Backyard Bird Count! 10 bird species were added to the running total, bringing the number of species seen during the GBBC to 52! Let’s see what Day 3 has in store!