THE OBSERVER Volume 72, Issue 5 January 2017

Visit our website www.whittieraudubon.org  Editor’s note  Big Year News Editor’s note: KEEP THE DATE! Our annual Conservation Dinner will be March 16, 2017. Join us as we honor  Annual Conservation Bob Henderson and his many years of dedication to Whittier and its Award environmental causes. Check our website for ticket info. Kids Space: Audubon Proceeds are used to place Audubon Adventures into classrooms. See our Kids  Adventures Partnership Space section for exciting news. Jennifer Schmahl  General meeting info BIRDERS MAKE “BIG YEAR”

HISTORY. Four break 2013 mark  Field trip schedule of 749. From ABA Blog by Nate Swick We are a chapter of National Audubon  Past trip write-up (blog.aba.org) KIDS SPACE Congratulations to John Wiegel (780) Olaf General Meeting for Danielson (776) Laura Keene (759) and We are very happy to Christian Hagenlocher (750) who all broke announce we are providing December the seemingly unbreakable one year bird Audubon Adventures to five A fascinating illustrated count of 749 species. Traveling all over the afterschool programs in the program on insects, "Six Legs North American continent to spy and Norwalk/La Mirada Unified Good", will be given by Robb document hundreds of bird species in one School District. Hamilton at the January 19, calendar year, a birder must have time, 2017 meeting of the Whittier money, dedication and a vast knowledge of We have been emphasizing bird species to succeed in this personal our commitment to educational Audubon Society at 7:30 p.m. challenge. The official ABA checklist outreach for the past several includes 993 species. Who will be the first years. So this year our go Ever wonder what cool bugs to get them all? Here’s the link to the getting Education Chair, Letty are hanging out with the birds? checklist: http://listing.aba.org/aba- Brooks, has succeeded in Learn about the birds that are checklist/ See how many you have. Maybe interesting Michelle Centeno, in our own Whittier Hills and in one of the students enjoying Audubon the Coordinator for other places that we go birding. Adventures will grow up to be the next Supplemental Education champion. See Kids Space for exciting Robb is a sought-after speaker news about potential new birders. Services for NLMUSD. by Audubon Chapters. In another successful education outreach, we have Robb Hamilton is the President WAAS Honors Councilman provided 10 beginning of Hamilton Biological, Inc. Mr. Bob Henderson with binoculars for board member Hamilton is a recognized Conservation Award Cathy Fricker’s afterschool authority on the status, March 16, 2017 is our next annual class to use in their afterschool distribution, and identification Conservation Dinner, at which we will birding club. Cathy has been of birds in California. He is the present the WAAS Conservation Award to using Audubon Adventures for lead author of two standard Whittier City Councilman Bob Henderson. two years and relates many references describing aspects Mr. Henderson has been a major force anecdotes describing her kids’ of the state's avifauna: "The behind the formation of the Habitat excitement in learning about Birds of Orange County: Status Authority and the preservation of the birds they can see right in their & Distribution" and "Rare Birds Whittier Hills as a wilderness and wildlife neighborhoods. of California." corridor. Serving on our city council for two stints over the course of five decades, This is an exciting chance for working with the Santa Monica Mountains our chapter to get a whole new Hamilton has been providing Conservancy and area politicians to secure generation interested in birding biological consulting services funds to purchase sensitive lands, and and bird conservation. Your in southern California since heading negotiations with oil corporations support of our Conservation 1988. His consultancy and developers to get the best value for Award Dinner is what makes specializes in the practical taxpayer dollars, Bob Henderson is a this possible application of environmental Whittier treasure. policies and regulations to land Please help us honor his work March 16. A GREAT BIG THANK YOU management and land use TO EVERYONE INVOLVED! decisions in southern California. THE OBSERVER | Volume 74, Issue 5 January 2017 2

The Whittier Area Audubon Society Saturday and Sunday, definitely have our traditional meets on the third Thursday of January 21st and 22nd wine and cheese party, so bring each month from September Salton Sea Overnight something for that. We will try through June at the Whittier for a spot where we can watch Community Center, 7630 Fearless Leader Jay the Sandhill Cranes come in to Washington Avenue, Whittier, roost. Sunday, we will leave at California. (Not to be confused Oberholtzer leads us in an the same time and bird our way with Washington Blvd.), on the excursion to the admitted in the general direction of home. corner of Mar Vista St. and Washington Ave., in the City of armpit of California. This area in winter is great for Whittier. Meetings start at 7:30 pm We are going to the Salton Sea! This is a great wintering spot raptors, shore birds and all kinds Admission is free and light for just about every bird there of migrants. It is just south refreshments will be served is. Between flooded fields, a enough that all kinds of rarities huge, foul-smelling body of show up. Because the ecology is Field Trip Schedule: water, acres of disgusting mud, all so varied, we can expect to see a 8:00am Sycamore Canyon surrounded by a desert hell-hole, lot of species. Some of the roads Beginning Bird Walks, meet at the anyone can see that it is a great will be unpaved, but should be fine Sycamore Canyon Trailhead. Every for passenger cars with average second Saturday of the month place for birds. We will meet, and clearance. It is probably best to (except July and August, rain or leave promptly from the recent cancels). The trail is located Townhouse Inn & Suites 135 Main leave the Ferrari at home. adjacent to Rose Hills Cemetery gate Street, Brawley , CA 92227 17, but note that the trail is not in the (formerly known as the Brawley Mailing address: cemetery! The entrance to Sycamore Motel) at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday Whittier Area Audubon Canyon is a driveway just southwest morning, January 21. We will PO Box 548 of the entrance to the cemetery. caravan through a bunch of Whittier, CA 90608-0548 Larry Schmahl leads. Rain cancels places, stopping for lunch when the time is right. We will

January Halk Walk recap (Jan 7) FIELD TRIP NOTES: As this newsletter is going out late (as usual), we have already had our trip to the Antelope Valley to chase December’s field trip was our Winter residents and raptor vagrants, led by Field Trip Chair Larry Schmahl. The atmospheric river had its annual Bulmer Memorial Bird Walk way with us, but stopped dropping that wet stuff by the time we made our way to the fields of at Whittier Narrows Nature Center. Palmdale/Lancaster. Our first stop after human refueling at the Carl’s Jr at Ave. K out to Ave L and 50th St. This event was first conceived by E where we saw Red-Tailed Hawks and our first Ferruginous Hawk. Going west on Ave L to 40th St, we found Mountain Bluebirds, a Prairie Falcon, and lots of Killdeer and American Pippets moving through the Aggie Owens and Tim (Thelma) agricultural fields. Reversing course back to 50th we found a field with 80+ Mountain Plovers. Then Bulmer to show Whittier Daily News proceeding past the end of pavement to a dry wash crossing the road, we called out a few Bell’s Sparrows readers what kinds of birds can be th (formerly Sage) and a distant look at a Great Horned Owl. On 10 St E between J and I were more found right here in Whittier, even in Ferruginous and Red-tailed Hawks. We stopped for hot coffee and lunch at the Rancho Sierra Golf Club. Winter. This year the walk was led After getting permission to bird the outskirts, we found a Cedar Waxwing keeping company with some American Robins, Slate colored Juncos mixed with Oregon Juncos, Ladderback Woodpeckers, Red-shafted by our President, Chris Huber. The Flickers, Hermit Thrush, and Common Mergansers and a Great Egret hanging out on a water hazard. A weather was beautiful and most of juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk was trying to hide in a deciduous tree so we left him believing he was our usual avian friends showed up. hidden. Off to Nebeker Ranch where we caught glimpses of Snow Geese in a distant field. While traversing We saw lots of White crowned around the ranch we found a serious patch of mud that almost derailed our outing, but with some slipping Sparrows, several Red-tailed and sliding and human powered pushing we continued along to a spot that had the motherload of Hawks, Turkey Vultures and had Blackbirds, Red-winged and Tri-colored. A Vesper Sparrow popped up on the barbed wire fence just long a white pelican fly-by. enough to ID him, then continuing on the varying dirt/mud road until we found pavement again we headed to our last stop at Apollo Regional Park. Along with the assorted park ducks and geese we found a Snow Goose, a Ross’ Goose and a Greater White Fronted Goose. The temperature ranged from 36o to 47o and mud was the substance of the day, but a good day birding all around