HUMMIN’ www.pvsb-audubon.org Palos Verdes/South Bay Audubon Society Vol. XLII #3 April/May 2020 WHO WERE THEY? Coming Events by Vincent Lloyd Take a trip with Audubon at our April 21 meeting at Madrona Marsh on the Ohio, John Cassin Ontario, Michigan and Minnesota Express! veryone knows who Audubon was, but who Sounds like the were Townsend, Bonaparte, Gambel, and name of an old E Railroad Line, but Baird? In this occasional series, we’ll look at it was a three- the pioneering ornithologists who gave their week birding tour names to familiar California birds. of the Great Lakes Not all birds named after people represent area that Ann scientists. The rules of nomenclature seem to and Eric Brooks be rather lax in shared with fi ve this regard; while intrepid explorers it’s frowned upon in May 2019. Birds to name a bird migrating north/ after yourself, south through the otherwise there Midwest have to are no restric- go around or over the Great Lakes, creating tions. As an concentration points that have become Meccas example, Anna for birders. Join Ann and Eric as they present never saw the their story of adventures braving north winds hummingbird and high water in search of migrating birds. named after her Eric is a founding member of PV/SB — indeed she never went to America — she was Audubon, and taught birdwatching classes the wife of the Count of Rivoli, who had a large at Harbor College and subsequently at South collection of bird specimens (another of which Coast Botanic Garden for almost 40 years. He is known today as Rivoli’s Hummingbird). has been studying birds and traveling to expe- Lucy’s Warbler was named after the 13-year- rience birds ever since he caught birding fever old daughter of ornithologist Spencer Baird. when he saw Painted Redstarts and Scissor- Lewis’s Woodpecker and Clark’s Nutcracker tailed Flycatchers while serving in the Army in were named after the great explorers. In many Texas. Ann joined the Bird Classes and rose to cases, however, ornithologists named new the rank of co-teacher. Fortunately, she shares species after colleagues and mentors. Eric’s passion for birds and for travel! Eric and Such is the case of the fi ve American birds Ann lead fi eld trips for PV/SB Audubon Society that bear the name Cassin: Cassin’s Kingbird and do birdwalks at Kenneth Hahn Park for (described by George Lawrence), Cassin’s the Los Angeles Audubon Society. Auklet (described by William Gambel), Cassin’s Finch (described by Baird), Cassin’s Vireo Check website for possible program and (Continued on Page 3) fi eld trip cancellations! 2 April/May 2020 From the President The restored habitat will response services, research be perfect for Burrowing Owls and innovation, and outreach and Grasshopper Sparrows, and education. both California Species of The Audubon Center at Debs Special Concern. California Park will use its grant to help has one of the largest resident fund activities for its Bird Day and migratory populations LA festival on May 9th. Bird of Burrowing Owls in the Day LA is a celebration of the United States. The distribu- avian diversity in Los Angeles tion of Burrowing Owls in and connects the community California has changed signifi- to birds by educating the cantly, however, because of residents about the birds they agriculture and urbaniza- see in their communities. The New Grants Awarded tion, factors that also affect Bird Day LA activities will the Grasshopper Sparrow. include performances and By David Quadhamer The owls have disappeared arts and crafts workshops or declined in many southern centered around local birds. Palos Verdes/South Bay coastal counties. Western A live bird show featuring Audubon awarded three Meadowlarks, regular visitors hawks, owls, and vultures $1,000 grants at our last to the Marsh, would also will be provided by Nature board meeting. The grants benefit from the habitat of Wildworks. The live bird will support habitat resto- restoration. show provides information ration, bird rehabilitation and International Bird Rescue about the birds, their habitat educational programs for Bird will use its grant to support and eating habits and allows Day Los Angeles. The grant the Wildlife Rescue and attendees to ask questions. proposals are described in Rehabilitation Program. The A family oriented scientific more detail below. grant will offset nutrition, illustration workshop will be Madrona Marsh will use its medicine, and veterinary provided as well. Synchromy, grant to restore coastal prairie medical supply costs for birds a local orchestra, will perform habitat in the northeastern admitted to the Los Angeles Ten Thousand Birds by John part of the preserve. Coastal Wildlife Center. Millions of Luther Adams. The Debs Park native wildflowers, bulbs and birds die every year from Bird Day LA festival is free grasses will be planted, and injuries from fishing, human and open to the public. invasive non-native plants cruelty, illegal shootings, We are planning on offering will be removed. Foothill need- habitat disruption, starvation, our grant program again next legrass, California poppies, oil, plastic, chemical pollution, year. The guidelines are posted and California aster are some and climate change-induced on our website and applica- of the plants that will be hazards. International Bird tions will be due on January included in the restoration. Rescue rehabilitates birds 15, 2021. Our past grants The coastal prairie resto- affected by these issues. have helped to fund habitat ration will provide habitat for The Los Angeles Wildlife restoration for the California grassland birds, small native Center treats approximately Gnatcatcher, the Palos Verdes animals and insects. Less than 1,500 birds annually. In Blue Butterfly and the El 10% of coastal prairie habitat addition to wildlife rescue and Segundo Blue Butterfly. One remains in California, making rehabilitation, International grant also supported a Coastal this restoration a priority. Bird Rescue provides wildlife California Cactus Wren emergency preparedness and survey program, and another www.pvsb-audubon.org 3 funded a mural at an elemen- contributions will also support Measures to control the tary school. our other work around the spread of coronavirus may Contributions from our South Bay. If you would like cause presentations and bird members help support our to support one or both of our walks to be canceled. We grant program that funds Birdathons, please contact will do our best to work with worthwhile programs like Jess at [email protected] or me the speakers to reschedule the ones above. One way to at [email protected]. programs that are canceled. contribute is by supporting one Your support is greatly appre- For up to date information, of our upcoming Birdathons. ciated and vital to our work. please refer to our website Jess Morton and I will each be Our work restoring habitat (www.pvsb-audubon.org). We leading a group to go out and for the Palos Verdes Blue hope that all our members try and find as many species Butterfly out at Rolling Hills and their families are safe. of birds that we can in one Preparatory School continues. When our schedule returns day, usually in late April or If you would like to help us to normal, I look forward to early May. We generally try with the habitat restoration, seeing you at one of our presen- to stay within our Christmas please send me an email and tations or on a bird walk. Bird Count circle. Donations I’ll let you know when the can be made at a flat rate or next workday will be. There is Check website calendar for on a per species basis, perhaps always a lot of work to do in activity cancellations! one dollar per species. Your the reserve. (Cassin, continued from Page 1) an experience that left him with Cassin left a large legacy. He (described by John Xantus), and broken health. He died just four described no fewer than 193 new Cassin’s Sparrow (described by years after the end of the war, but bird species, many of them African. Samuel Washington Woodhouse). the cause is most likely an accumu- Today, four African species are John Cassin was an American lation of arsenic, a poison used in named after him, including the ornithologist. He was born in preserving skins. secretive Cassin’s Hawk-Eagle Pennsylvania in 1813. An early (Aquila africana) of West Africa. interest in natural history led him Cassin went beyond his predeces- to join the famous Academy of sors, who were content to describe Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, new species one by one, to systemat- where he worked for the following ically categorize all North American 26 years. In those days, nobody birds. His publications included the was paid to do ornithology, so he first volume of Illustrations of the supported himself by operating Birds of California, Texas, Oregon, a lithograph shop. The Academy British and Russian America and was the place to be for an aspiring was a co-author (with Baird and ornithologist: it had a collection of Lawrence) of the classic study Birds thousands of bird skins from all of North America (1860). over the world (Rivoli’s collection The birds that Cassin himself ended up there). Today, known as described include such familiar the Academy of Natural Sciences of birds as Lawrence’s Goldfinch, Drexel University, it remains the Hutton’s Vireo, Heermann’s Gull, oldest natural history museum in and the White-headed Woodpecker, the U.S. among many others. Only one new When the Civil War broke species did he collect himself: the out, Cassin — although he was Philadelphia Vireo, which is only a approaching 50 — volunteered Cassin’s Kingbird, from a report migrant in Philadelphia.