Wing and a Prayer

My continuing endeavor to add to my yearlist brought me to places I have never been before. One of those places was Veteran's Park in Sylmar. This is not one of those areas where birders congregate on a regular basis. And when I got there I understood why. Despite having a lot of trees - and a great variety at that - it was quite un-birdy (if there is such a word). I can't believe that even after an hour I have not seen a single bird...not even the ubiquitous Black Phoebe or those ever-present winter birds, the Yellow-rumps. Only a couple of Ravens did a fly-over, croaking as they went.

The reason I was at this place was because a Williamson's Sapsucker was seen here. The directions given in the Yahoo groups posting was so precise it was impossible not to locate the tree where the Sapsucker supposedly feeds. I did find that particular pine tree but the fabled bird was nowhere to be seen. An hour and a half slowly went by and I was at the point of giving up. I sat at a nearby picnic table and I prayed. I prayed that my trip to this place would not have been futile and that I will see the Williamson's Sapsucker which would not only add to my year list but would be a lifer even. With a sigh I stood up and picked up my backpack (which contains my camera gear) when I heard a flap of wings. That in itself is a miracle because I am a bit hearing impaired. But I did hear a flap of wings and when I turned around to follow the sound I saw a flash of black and white alight at the aforementioned pine tree. With bated breath I withdrew my camera gear from my backpack (which seemed to take forever) and ran to the tree. There tap-tapping on the bark was my Williamson's! I took a hundred shots and even a short video of my lifer as it just remained in that particular tree engrossed in seeking its sustenance from the oozing sap.

Thankful for finding my life bird and having had my fill of photographing, videographing and simply watching, I walked slowly to the parking lot. Only to be surprised by the presence of birds! Whereas this place was as quiet as a library a couple of hours earlier, now it was jumping with American Robins, Western Bluebirds, Dark-eyed Juncos (including one which I believed to be of a Pink-sided variety) and of course, Black Phoebes and Yellow-rumps.

Still having some time to spare I decided to visit Placerita Canyon which was not that far from Veterans Park. At the canyon I had close encounters with two White-throated Sparrows! Although I have seen these early this year (and no longer needed for my year list) I was quite happy to watch this uncommon species once again. Although both were mingling with the Golden-crowned Sparrows, the two individuals I saw were from different locations and both afforded me some good looks and photographic opportunities.

Oh, Jay Season

The day started out fraught with mystery. Nine in the morning and we could hear the loud ululations and barking of unseen coyotes that sent shivers up our spines. We were at the Walker Ranch trail at Placerita Canyon last Friday, July 3rd. After a few minutes the howling stopped abruptly followed by an eerie silence that pervaded the whole forest. Eventually everything returned to normal – hikers were passing by conversing loudly as they did so – and the canyon was now filled with the twittering of various birds.

Cynthia and I were taking a breather by the picnic tables watching audacious Oak Titmice probing the leaf litter for food just a few feet away from us when we heard a loud “scheeeck” above us. Steller’s Jay! It seemed a bit strange to find these birds at this low elevation – they normally inhabit the pine forests 5,000 feet and beyond. It must be the season for Steller’s Jays. Speaking of audacity, these jays can be quite bold when they are in the mood for it. This particular one was peering down at us with rapt curiosity perhaps hoping for some tasty handouts. Evoking no response from us other than getting its picture taken, the Steller’s Jay eventually flew off albeit quite disappointed.






We also decided to move on. We witnessed an aggressive male Hooded Oriole chase off an Acorn Woodpecker that made the mistake of landing on the tree where the oriole’s fully fledged brood were being fed by their mom. Then we followed the incessant shrieking of a raptor trying to determine its location and identity. We would catch a glimpse of a hawk-like bird flying in between the tall pine trees but then it would completely vanish from sight yet still vocalizing continuously. Finally we saw the bird long enough to know that it was a young Red-shouldered Hawk. Our curiosity satisfied, my wife and I both agreed that it was time to have lunch



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Phantom of Shoelace

SCENE: Placerita Canyon - 8:30 am

Bob & Cynthia are getting off their Jeep and proceeding to the nearby butterfly garden. Both are carrying their camera equipment and looking for birds to photograph.

BOB: It's a beautiful day although it seemed a little quiet, bird-wise.

CYNTHIA: Look, there are some Lesser Goldfinches drinking from the dripping faucet.

They both take pictures of the goldfinches.

BOB: Let's go explore the canyon. Do you want to try the picnic area or hit the trails?

CYNTHIA: We've always had luck with the trails, so let's do that first.

BOB: OK, but don't forget to tie your left shoelace before we go.

Cynthia ties her left shoelace. They walk the trails, Cynthia listening for any song or twittering from the birds, but not hearing much.

BOB: Do you hear anything?

CYNTHIA: Not much, except for the Acorn Woodpeckers and the Crows flying overhead.

BOB: Gee, I wonder where the birds are. This year certainly wasn't very birdy.

They reach a bench to rest a little. A California Thrasher pops out of the brush and Bob was able to squeeze off a few shots at it before it flies off. Cynthia gets up and follows a sound she hears further up the trail. Bob prepares to follow her, but stops suddenly as a couple of Spotted Towhees alight not too far from him. He takes a shot at those. Bob then follows Cynthia who is now busy trying to get a picture of an Oak Titmouse. She was so concentrated on the titmouse, that she is unaware of a Ruby-crowned Kinglet foraging in the branches above her. Bob takes advantage of the situation and photographs the kinglet.

CYNTHIA: (discouraged) Those titmice are so active, I can't get a decent shot of them.

BOB: Don't worry, hopefully we'll encounter more of them later.

They are now on the return trail. Cynthia suddenly stops near the rear of the Nature Center.

CYNTHIA: Do you hear that?

Bob strains to listen for something. Soon they both hear a "Twoo-Hooo!"

BOB: (excitedly) Sounds like an Owl

Both try to follow the source of the sound. The hooting continues and Bob & Cynthia move back and forth trying to locate the owl, but couldn't find it.

BOB: It seems like it's coming from inside the Nature Center.

CYNTHIA: But the center is closed. They are renovating the building and there are fences all around it.

BOB: (resignedly) Oh well, let's just continue to the picnic area.

CYNTHIA: Wait, your shoelaces are untied. We don't want you tripping all over the place now, do we?

Bob sighs and ties his shoelaces. They walk to the picnic area. Just as they leave the Nature Center, the hooting stops. At the picnic area, they look around and were amazed at the lack of birds.

BOB: I can't believe how few the birds are!

CYNTHIA: Yeah, where are the Bluebirds and the Nuttalls's Woodpeckers?

BOB: And the Golden-crowned Sparrows? They used to be all over the place!

Suddenly, a large bird flies in and lands somewhere. Bob and Cynthia cannot see where it landed. They walk towards the grove of trees peering at the branches. As they were searching for the large bird, Bob notices Cynthia's shoelace.

BOB: You might want to tie your right shoelace this time. (He winks) We don't want you tripping all over the place, do we?

CYNTHIA: What? I can't believe this. First the left, now the right!

She ties her shoelace. They continue looking for the large bird.

CYNTHIA: There it is! There it is!

Bob looks through his binoculars at the object Cynthia is pointing at.

BOB: It's a Red-shouldered Hawk!

He takes a few shots at it but it flies off. They both follow the bird and refinds it perched even farther away. They still try to get pictures of the hawk despite the distance and the shaded light. Eventually the hawk flies off again. Bob & Cynthia sit at one of the picnic tables. A few minutes later, some Oak Titmice and several Dark-eyed Juncos were feeding on the ground not too far from them. Cynthia finally manages to get some good Oak Timouse photographs.

CYNTHIA: Let's go. It's almost 11 o'clock and we still have some errands to do.

Bob nods in agreement. They walk back to the Jeep. Near the parking area, a young Anna's Hummingbird was perched on a dry branch. They both take pictures of the hummingbird. Then they pack their gears as they prepare to leave.

BOB: Before we go, maybe you should tie your left shoelace again.

CYNTHIA: This is so weird! Never did this happen in our previous outings..and we have hiked longer distances than this!

BOB: (laughing) It could be the phantom owl of Placerita!

SCENE: Bob & Cynthia's house. 5 pm

Bob is in front of his PC processing the photographs they have taken.

CYNTHIA: So how many good shots did we make?

BOB: (distracted) Huh? What?

CYNTHIA: How many species of birds did we get good shots of?

BOB: Oh! Oh! Seven!

CYNTHIA: That's all? Are you disappointed that we didn't get a good harvest this time?

BOB: Oh no, not at all! I already had low expectations when we went to Placerita this morning. Besides, there's always something positive that happens everytime we go on our birding trips.

CYNTHIA: Oh yeah? And what is that?

BOB: Well, we....

Bob stands up and assumes a double-oh-seven pose.

BOB: ...Bond. Just bond.

Owl be there

Fellow birder/photographer and good friend, Tom Starcic wanted to see and photograph the Spotted Owls at Placerita so we arranged to meet there at 9 am Wednesday, June 4th. Looking out my window, I noticed the overcast skies. Then after I drove my wife to her office, there was even a slight drizzle. Quickly, I signed on to my email account to check if Tom changed his mind because of the inclement weather. Nothing. We're good to go, I told myself.

Driving up to Placerita, I prepared myself to just seeing the owls since photography would definitely be out of the question in this condition. As I approached the Freeway 14 junction, lo and behold, the sun was out!

Tom arrived just a whisker after 9 am. On our trek to the waterfalls, which I described to Tom as going to be "arduous", we encountered only a few birds. The scads of Black-headed Grosbeaks that used to make the hillside come alive were now conspicuously absent. As we hit the waterfall trail an American Robin "led" us part of the way, every so often looking back at us as if to say, "Hurry up, you oldtimers!"

And then we were there. Papa owl was as usual sleeping on a branch not that high up. Occasionally it would wake up and give us a look that I can only describe as exasperated. High above him, Mama owl was herself off to slumberland and was totally unaffected by all the commotion below.

Suddenly I heard a "hey". "Did you hear that?", I asked Tom. "Is that a bird?" Before Tom could answer, a couple of guys sitting on the path ahead (and not in our direct line of vision) gave us a wave. We waved back and I asked them if they saw the baby owl. "Right there in front of us", Fred, one the guys replied. When we asked them if they saw the papa owl, they said no. So we eagerly pointed to them the branch where owl senior was perched. We quickly changed places, (not easy - the trail being narrow, steep and peppered with poison oaks) so Tom and I can photograph the baby.

After an hour, we proceeded to the main park where the lack of birds was quite unexpected and disappointing.

"Where are the flycatchers?" I asked. "A week ago, they were everywhere!"

"It's ok", Tom said as we were saying our goodbyes, "we saw what we came here for."

Indeed we did.

Post-cogito (Afterthought)

It has been said that the things you do in the afterthought are always better. That has been the case with us this past Memorial Day. Originally we planned on going to Morongo Valley on Sunday afternoon, stay at a hotel in 29 palms and bird the whole day Monday (and maybe meet up with my son, Kurt who is camping at nearby Joshua Tree National Park). But then the cost of the hotel and gasoline (the place is 150 miles away) was a bit daunting. We also considered going to Galileo Hills on Monday - Galileo always an interesting place to visit in Spring - but then it is 120 miles away. Again taking the cost of gasoline into consideration, that plan was unceremoniously scrapped.

Without any particular destination agreed upon, we woke up a little late on Monday. But then the birding itch continuosly pestered our subconscious. "How about we go the mountains (referring to the San Gabriels towering some 7000 feet above us)?" I suggested. My wife agreed. Driving on the freeway I realized I didn't have the $5 needed for the Forest Pass - this is required if one is to park at any of the camp/nature sites there. "Why don't we go to Placerita Canyon instead?" Cynthia asked. I thought it was a good idea, so we did.
Soon after parking we immediately saw an American Kestrel perched on a leafless tree.

Suddenly, my wife asked me to be quiet as she tried to locate the source of a bird call nearby. It wasn't long before she was pointing to something yellow among the green leaves of a sycamore tree. It was a Hooded Oriole - the first one we've seen this year. Unfortunately, it was spooked by something and flew off before we could even get some decent shots of it. Not far from where the oriole was, a Black-chinned Hummingbird was preening in the morning sun.

We hit the trails at the back of the nature center where Cynthia played hide and seek with a Spotted Towhee.

The place was also alive with various kinds of flycatchers. A particular group of flycatchers known to scientists as the Genus Empidonax has always been a bane to birdwatchers including the more seasoned ones, because these birds all look very similar to each other. "Those darn empids" has been a common expression of exasperation among birders. And those darn empids were giving us a hard time here at Placerita Canyon. But I think I got one ID correct - the Hammond's Flycatcher - a lifer for us. Maybe. Hopefully.
Update: 5/28/08 - The photo below turned out NOT to be a Hammond's after all. It was a Western Wood-Pewee which was not a lifer. Oh, darn!

Black-headed Grosbeaks were quite plentiful and at the picnic grounds, Oak Titmice, White-breasted Nuthatches, Nuttall's Woodpeckers and Western Bluebirds were all hunting for food in their own unique way. It was almost noon so we headed back to the Jeep. It was then that another Hooded Oriole decided to pose for us. Cynthia and I probably took about 50 shots each as the cooperative bird just stayed in the tree in front of us.

We were both so happy with our luck that Cynthia decided to push it and suggested we go to the place where the Spotted Owl hangs out. I looked at her half amused and half in disbelief as it was now past noon and we only had some chocolate candies for a snack. But it 's not always that I get this encouragement from her, so off we went, all the while explaining to her that the hike is a bit strenuous.

She went through the long walk gamely and when we arrived at the spot, there were already people in there. The male owl was easy to find as it was snoozing directly above the trail.

Despite the noise made by the hikers (only a couple were birders) he just slept like there's no care in the world. Soon it became apparent that this place is a popular destination on weekends and holidays. Wave upon wave of hikers, most of them with dogs (!!!) and toddlers, dropped by totally unaware of the avian celebrity above them. It was only when they notice us craning our necks and pointing our cameras upwards that they noticed the bird.

Sidenote: Cynthia and I looked at each other sheepishly as we watched toddlers, some probably as young as 1 year old negotiate the (for us - seemingly long and arduous) hike with such ease.

Several feet away on a different tree and on a higher branch, a baby owl was snoozing as well. Suddenly I saw the mama owl fly in bringing something in her talons. Cynthia and I scooted over to where they are and positioned ourselves to get better views (and photos) of mama spotted owl feeding her baby with a freshly caught rat. I filled out 1G of my flash card trying to get a decent photograph.

More people were coming in and it was already past 1 pm so we reluctantly left the scene. On the way back, Cynthia got a great shot of an American Robin

while I got a Steller's Jay.

It was a long, exhausting birding day for us and we slept like the papa owl that night.

Owl Be Seeing You

The morning was bright and sunny at last. Time to go on an owl-chase. The LA County listserv provided excellent, precise directions on how to locate the Spotted Owl in Placerita Canyon. Using that as my guide, I proceeded to the Waterfalls Trail. A couple of minutes in and I knew it was going to be a yikes! hike. Narrow and sometimes steep paths challenged my unaccustomed 61-and-a-half years old legs. Sheer determination and frequent stops to catch my breath finally brought me to the spot. I craned my neck searching each and every branch of the adler trees that towered over the tiny stream. My heart was beginning to sink and was on the brink of total disappointment (oh no, not again!) when I noticed a brown fluff partly hidden among the leaves. Of course it was facing away from me! But when I did a really bad imitation of an owl call, it begrudgingly looked my way. The photograph I took won't win any award but at least it documented my latest lifer.

The return trip was much easier being mostly downhill. As I trodded on the dirt road towards the parking lot (another uphill battle), I saw scads of Black-headed Grosbeaks in various stages of plumage. A young Lazuli Bunting also made a brief appearance. Unfortunately, the birds there were so skittish that they would fly away at the slightest movement. Earlier, on my way in, I saw a pair of Lawrence Goldfinces which promptly flew away as soon as I laid my eyes upon them.

It was still early so I decided to stop by Placerita Canyon Nature Park. As soon as I got off the Jeep, a Bullock's Oriole flew in and landed on a bare branch in front of me.

Along the trail behind the nature center I got some fleeting views of a Wilson's Warbler and a Western Tanager. At the picnic area, the grounds were jumping with Spotted Towhees and Oak Titmice. A House Wren was guarding it's home.
A pair of Western Bluebirds were busy hawking insects by the bridge. A little after 11 am, I decided to call it a day. As I was about to get in the Jeep, an Ash-throated Flycatcher alit on the same tree where I saw the oriole earlier. What a welcome and farewell!

I felt good about my birding sortie that I decided to reward myself with an Angus Burger combo at McDonalds.

That's owl, folks!

The Ides of March

"Beware the Ides of March", the soothsayer warned Julius Caesar. That was the day he was assasinated by his friends. So it went down in history that March 15 was some kind of a "bad luck" day.

Ides or not, we decided to go to Placerita Canyon, albeit a tad later than usual. Again, we were fooled by the weatherman. There's a storm front arriving Saturday morning, he predicted. So we thought we'd just stay in bed a little longer since it would be pointless to go birding on a rainy day, wouldn't it? But when I rose to pick up the newspaper at around 8 am, the sun was joyfully shining!

We did a quickie breakfast, then sped to Placerita. We got there just a little after nine. There were birds all right, we just couldn't see them. Cynthia kept reassuring me because she heard all the twitters and tweets all over the place (I can't - I'm a little hearing impaired). Then we would see movements in the bushes or trees. Or a bird would suddenly fly and then promptly get lost in the underbrush once again. Ten am and we still have not taken a single shot, even after we have completed the trail loop.

At the picnic area, we got a little bit luckier. The Western Bluebirds, the males of which had taken on the deep blue breeding plumage, were a bit more cooperative, except that they stayed mostly in the shades of the oak trees. 

So did the Oak Titmice. Then a Red-shouldered Hawk came crashing in, scared all the little birds, and then took off after a few minutes.

Finally at noon, I decided to call it a day. The Ides of March certainly applied to our photography. So I just declared our trip a birding sortie instead - we did see quite a number of species - and be happy with that.

Battle of the Buteos

The trails behind the Nature Center at Placerita Canyon was completely devoid of birds at 8:30 am last Friday. Getting bitter with disappointment and murmuring to myself "I drove over 30 miles for nothing!" I decided to try the picnic area. Imagine my amazement when I discovered that that was where the birds are! The grounds were literally hopping with sparrows (mostly Golden-crowned!) and Juncos. Some even a few feet from me totally oblivious of my presence. The creekbed alongside the picnic area still holds a few puddles of water from last week's rain. There Lesser and American Goldfinches, Golden-crowned, White-crowned and Fox Sparrows and Towhees were enjoying an early morning bath despite the low 60's temperature.

As I wandered around drinking in the apparent tameness of the feathered creatures of this place, I flushed a flock of Fox Sparrows. They all flew into a tall bush about ten feet from where I was standing. One individual clambered up the branches and gave me a long, hard look. I guess it was as curious about me as I was about him.


Then there was this couple of Nuttall's Woodpeckers. The male was working on a tree several feet away from the female. Both (unintentionally, I'm sure) played chase with me. As soon I came within photographic distance, the bird would fly off to another tree. First I would chase the male and when it would fly off, I will go after the female which would do the exact same thing. Persistence paid off eventually. I got shots of both.




At around 10:30 am, avian activity ceased completely. Where about an hour earlier, the ground was covered by birds, suddenly not a creature was stirring, not even an Oak Titmouse.

I was walking back to the parking lot when I heard a screeching noise from atop a tree. Looking up I saw first a Red-shouldered Hawk screaming its lungs off. Several branches below I saw the object of its fury; a Red-tailed Hawk was trying its best to ignore the invectives being hurled against its presence.



Occasionally, the Red-shouldered, unable to control its contempt for (what I assumed to be) the intruder, would take a swipe at the bigger hawk. Despite these brazen attacks, the Red-tailed managed to maintain its cool. Realizing that it was not making any progress in its attempts to dislodge the interloper from its perch, the smaller buteo shrugged its red-shoulders and flew off.

I almost applauded at the end of this drama I just witnessed. Too bad I didn't bring my videocamera along..and I wasn't able to take a shot of the attacks..I was just too absorbed at watching the whole scenario unfold before my amused eyes.

My 30 mile trip was worth it in the end.

Bewick's, Bothered and Bewildered

Maybe I had such high expectations or maybe I just wasn't thinking logically when I made a decision to visit Placerita Canyon yesterday. Fall migration was in full swing and I just thought that the canyon would host the usual number of warblers and vireos. I could not have been more wrong! The place was almost completely birdless! Normally, just at the parking lot, we would see Sparrows, Kinglets, Mourning Doves and Starlings. None of these birds were present that Saturday.

We moved on to the picnic area, another place that is usually swarming with birds, but other than a single Oak Titmouse, it was very quiet.

At the trails, a few Towhees played hide and seek with us. Near the bench, where we had Lazuli Buntings and several warblers in our earlier visits, a lone Wilson's Warbler foraged among the leaves high up an oak tree.

After more than two hours of birding, we still have not taken a single shot of any bird at all. My wife, seeing the bewildered look on my face, suggested we go to Eaton Canyon in Pasadena. I agreed, half-expecting to encounter tons of people walking their dogs as was the usual case there on a Saturday morning. To our surprise, there were only a handful of human beings and zero canines at all! But then our birding miseries continued as I only had acceptable photos of a forlorn California Towhee and a cooperative Bewick's Wren. Cynthia remained scoreless even up until the time we had to leave for lunch.

That night as I was reading the various birding listservs in Yahoo where some rare birds were seen, I can't find a really good reason why I chose going to Placerita Canyon instead of going to Malibu lagoon to "twitch" for the Yellow Wagtail or even to the Laguna Tams in Ventura where a Blackburnian Warbler was found. Perhaps I was bothered by the imminence of soon losing my job and made me consider not spending much on gasoline and therefore choosing a location much closer to home.

I don't feel bad a lot of times but this time "I'm wild again, beguiled again, a simpering, whimpering child again..."

Taking the 100-400 for a Walk

As you may recall in my last blog entry, I was complaining of being tired and having some back pains as a result of lugging my heavy camera gear whenever we are doing our sorties. After some introspections and consultations with my beloved wife, I made a decision to only bring my heavy artillery if our outings would not involve a lot of walking. Otherwise I will just carry a smaller camera/lens combo. Inasmuch as Cynthia was already hooked on bird photography and therefore adamantly refuses to let me use "her" 300mm lens, I presented her with this proposition: I would buy a smaller lens (the Canon 100-400 zoom would serve my purpose perfectly) only if it would be offered with "no sales tax" (which would add roughly $120 to the retail price) and "no interest for 1 year". Please bear in mind that those conditions very rarely go together. As a matter of fact, we've never seen that kind of offer being published ever.

So we prayed. It's for my poor, old, fragile body's sake, we told the Lord. Thursday, May 10th, while waiting for our laundry to get washed, we passed away the idle time reading the Los Angeles Times. As I was getting to the last page, there was a 2-page colored advertisement from Samy's Camera announcing that they will waive the sales tax for any item purchased in their store from May 10 to May 15th. Moreover, if the purchase price is greater than $299, they had a "no interest, no payment until May 2008" offer. I immediately showed the ad to Cynthia and right then and there we thanked God for His goodness and faithfulness. Nothing is impossible with the Lord!Hallelujah!!!

Cynthia then asked, "So, when are you going to buy the lens?"
"I''m thinking maybe Saturday, after your doctor's appointment", I replied.

"What?! ", she said incredulously, "Saturday, I want you using that lens already as we will go birding after my doctor's appointment"

Now how can I argue with that?

And so it came to pass that on Friday, during my lunch break, I hied over to Samys store in Pasadena, not far from where I work, and obtained for myself God's answer to our prayers.

As planned, Saturday morning we went birding to Placerita Canyon, where I "test drove" the Canon 100-400 zoom lens while Cynthia tried to familiarize herself with a 1.4 extender attached to her 300mm. Weather and birds not being that cooperative, we still managed to get some keepers. It would probably take a couple more weeks before taking pictures with our new gears would become second nature to us. All in all, my expectations were met and I think I will be happy with this new lens. At least my back and shoulders were overjoyed.

Hansen and Good-looking

Gas prices continued to soar, limiting our sorties into places closer to home. Hansen Dam was such a place - about 15 minutes away (driving at 80 mph ). Our target species was the Calliope Hummingbird - the smallest hummingbird to occur in the United States. Perhaps it was the dry spring season that we were having because the yellow flowers that these birds adore were not yet in bloom. No yellow flowers, ergo no Calliopes. Nevertheless, it was still quite birdy at the dam even if the avian population were the usual suspects. The Scrub Jays and California Towhees were darting back and forth right next to the parking area. There were hummingbirds,too - Anna's and Allen's were well represented as well as a few Black-chinneds.

Red-winged Blackbirds were competing with Great-tailed Grackles for prime real estate to serenade the opposite sex. We even saw a silky black Phainopepla.

After doing our rounds of the place, and it being close to 10 am, we decided to pack up and get ready for our next destination, Placerita Canyon. On the way to the Jeep, Cynthia suddenly exclaimed, "Oh my, God!" Concerned that something happened to my wife, I turned and found her shooting eargerly at the Red-tailed Hawk elegantly perched at the top the tree in front of her. Needless to say I joined in the fray, ocassionally shifting my camera at the Kingbirds frolicking on the grass below. Eventually the hawk flew off and before we reached our vehicle, we were granted good views by an uncommon Ash-throated Flycatcher.

Placerita Canyon was quieter than when we last visited the place. No Rock Wrens this time, but we did get a glimpse (but not a photo) of our first Black-headed Grosbeak of the season. One of the highlights of the day was that we got some good shots of the furtive Pacific Slope Flycatcher.

It was, once again, on the way back and passing through the picnic area that we were treated to a bird buffet, as it were. Feeding on the ground were Juncos, Towhees, Oak Titmice and Sparrows. As Cynthia was crouched trying to get an up close and personal view of a Golden-crown, I gently called her attention and directed her to her left at the base of the tree a few feet away, There, a Nuttall's Woodpecker was patiently trying to crack an acorn, oblivious of the people around. (There were picnickers with young children not too far from it.)

Who says you have to drive far to get good-looking birds?

Placerita Canyon

With gas prices ballooning lately to over $3 a gallon, we thought it wise to go birding to a place closer to home. Placerita canyon is such a place. Less than 30 miles away, it is a place we have not visited for quite sometime now. Placerita is a wooded canyon in the north side of the San Gabriel mountains in southern California.

After our Saturday morning ritual at MacDonalds (where else but in our own hometown of South Pasadena), we pessimistically drove north. Pessimistically because there was fog all over. Our fears thankfully went for naught because after a few miles the sun was already brightly shining.

There were already some volunteers sprucing up the area when we arrived. Just as soon as we parked, Cynthia was already calling out birds that were right in front us: “Juncos and House Sparrows!”

“You’re half right”, I said, “the sparrows are actually Golden-crowned”. Of course, she was already shooting away before I could even get my camera out of the Jeep. Then again the sparrows were used to people so I was able to squeeze in some shots of my own.

We moved on to the trails where we got some good looks at Acorn Woodpeckers and singing House Wrens. Further up the trail, Cynthia hushed me and said that she heard a different bird call, something she has not heard before. We stood still while Cynthia tried to locate the source of the strange new song. Soon she was yelling, “There it is! There it is!” all the while pointing to a small brown bird high up on the hillside. At first I thought it was some kind of a flycatcher a it hawked after some insect. But then…..

It has a long bill - so very unlike a flycatcher. Looking at it intently through my binoculars, going over images in my brain that will match the identity of the bird in my sights. Then it came to me. “Rock Wren!” I shouted triumphantly.

“Are you sure?, Cynthia asked trying to curb her enthusiasm since this is a rather uncommon bird. I have seen this species only once before, in Patagonia, Arizona a couple of years ago (she missed it).

“Without a doubt.” I assured her.

We both agreed that that was the highlight of the day. On our way back, we added Spotted Towhee, California Towhee and Nuttall’s Woodpecker (!) to our photo list.

As we were leaving something deep within me, call it gut feeling, prompted me to turn right from the park exit instead of turning left which would be the way back home. When I moved to the side of the road to let the truck behind me pass, I noticed a bird perched on top of the telephone pole. I quickly grabbed Cynthia’s camera (mine was already packed and stowed at the trunk) and started shooting the juvenile Red-tailed Hawk. Perhaps it was the clicking sound of the camera but the raptor took one look at me, sized up my personality and consequently gave me the “finger”. One of them juvenile delinquents, what can I say?