ANTELOPE VALLEY, CALIFORNIA BIRD REPORTS – Callyn Yorke 2019-2020; 2023
Munz Ranch Road and Lancaster Road 9 April (Easter Sunday) 2023
Weather: Fair; 52F; wind WNW 1-2 mph.
Time: 0745- 0837 hrs.
Area Covered: Intersection of Munz Ranch Road and Lancaster Rd., western Antelope Valley (MRLR). This location has produced flocks of migrant passerines during April, suggesting that it is the northern terminus of an important migratory corridor through the Lake Elizabeth-Lake Hughes-Portal Ridge area (scroll down for the 13 April, 2020 report).
I parked at the intersection of Munz Ranch Road and Lancaster Road, and walked across LR, northward about 150m along a fence line, then westward 150m from the corner of the fence line, toward a farmyard. An assortment of sparrow species, mostly northbound migrants, was flushed to the barbed-wire fence from fallow alfalfa fields densely grown to Fiddleneck (Amsinckia tessellata), brome grasses (Bromus spp.), goldfields (Lasthenia californica) and scattered clusters of California poppy (Eschscholzia californica). White-crowned sparrow dominated the southern section of the fence line; savannah sparrow, the northern and western sections. I used a 10×42 Zeiss binocular and Nikon D3X camera fitted with a Nikon pf 5.6 500mm lens.
Increasing numbers of wildflower enthusiasts began arriving as I was leaving the area. Most of them were in distant poppy fields which were in full bloom following unusually heavy precipitation in Southern California this year (January-March, 2023).
Afterwards, I drove eastward to Apollo Park, via Avenue I, 110th St. West and Avenue G, finding a few more bird species along that route (see Birds Noted ‘in transit’).
BIRDS NOTED
Western Kingbird 4 (alt. plmg.) sallying from fence and utility lines to adjacent fields MRLR, IT; Black Phoebe 1 vocal (unseen) MRLR; Northern Raven 10 greg., vocal, individuals and pairs flying over fields, MRLR, IT; European Starling 5 greg., on utility lines, flying to adjacent fields, IT; White-crowned Sparrow (Gambel’s) 12, mostly adults in alt. plmg. with a few in trans. alt. plmg. greg., vocal (calls and song) flushed to fence from adjacent brushy fields, MRLR, IT (photo).
Savannah Sparrow 35 (ad. in alt. plmg; imm.) greg. vocal (calls), numerically the dominant sparrow in the area at this time; flushed from fields to westward running fence line, often in small mixed species flocks with VESP, MRLR (photo).
Lincoln’s Sparrow 1 flushed to lowest wire on fence, msf of SASP and VESP, MRLR; Vesper Sparrow 5 (alt. and trans. alt. plmg.) individuals and pairs in msf with SASP, flushed from fields to northwestern section of fence line, MRLR (photo).
Western Meadowlark 3 vocal, on utility lines and flying to adjacent brushy fields, IT;
Munz Ranch Road and Lancaster Road 13 April 2020
Weather: mostly sunny with scattered low clouds; 50F, wind WSW 10 -15 mph, gusting to 20 mph.
Time: 0800- 0840 hrs.
Areas Covered: 1) Munz Ranch Road, about 0.1 mi. north of San Francisquito Rd (MR). I walked the road shoulder, surveying adjacent fields for birds, in particular Cassin’s Sparrow (CASP), which occurred at this location in May, 2014. No sign of CASP was found there today. Abundant exotic grasses (Bromus spp.) and native annuals (e.g. Amsinckia tessellata) due to consistent spring rains. 2) Intersection of Munz Ranch Road and Lancaster Road (MRLR). This spot is a tree-less patchwork of pastureland, fallow and newly planted alfalfa fields. A rainwater-filled ditch was on the southwest corner, surrounded by tall, exotic grasses, herbs and wind-accumulated Russian thistle (Salsola sp). Similar, ruderal vegetation occurred on adjacent corners; barbed wire wooden fences provided perches for a surprising diversity of migrant land birds, apparently pinned down by strong winds (photo).
3) Lancaster Road about 2 miles west of the above location – almost no bird life, though a good vantage point for landscape photography (LR-see above photo).
BIRDS NOTED
Northern Harrier 1 (f) flying low over adjacent ridge, MR; American Kestrel 1 flying low against the wind, MRLR; Northern Raven 10 pairs and individuals soaring and maneuvering in strong winds, ubiquitous; Horned Lark 3 vocal, gregarious at edge of ploughed field, MRLR; House Wren 1 flushed to fence post from tall grass, MRLR; House Sparrow 2 (m) on fence, MRLR; House Finch 6 (m,f) vocal pairs, ubiquitous; Lesser Goldfinch 2 edge of field, MRLR; Orange-crowned Warbler 4 , brushy fields and borders, MR, MRLR; Common Yellowthroat 1 (f) flushed to fence wire from tall grass, MRLR; Yellow-rumped (A) Warbler 1 flushed to fence wire in mixed species flock (msf) of sparrows and finches, MRLR; Lark Sparrow 1 flushed to fence wire in msf, MRLR; Savannah Sparrow 10 gregarious (including a pair staying close together), vocal (song) brushy edges of fields and in msf, MR, MRLR (photo).
Lincoln’s Sparrow 1 flushed to fence wire in msf, MRLR; White-crowned Sparrow 20 (ad) gregarious, vocal, ubiquitous; Western Meadowlark 6 vocal (song), tall, brushy sections of fields, MR; Bullock’s Oriole 3 (m,f) flushed to fence wire, MRLR.
DESERT PINES WILDLIFE SANCTUARY AND VICINITY 28 March 2020 (12 Species)
Weather: Mostly fair with variable high clouds; 58F; wind ENE 2 – 5 mph.
Observers: Dan Byrne and I
Areas Covered: From the intersection of Lancaster Rd. and 190th Street West, we drove westward on alternately paved and unpaved roads, stopping to walk through adjacent fields in two designated wildlife preserves: Portal Ridge Wildlife Area (PRWA) and the southern half of the Desert Pines Wildlife Sanctuary (DPWS); the latter location included multiple stands of the endemic and endangered Short-jointed Beavertail Cactus (Opuntia basilaris brachyclada), in addition to a well developed Joshua Tree Woodland community. Both of the aforementioned areas, showing evidence of recent rains, contained patches of spring wildflowers representing several taxa; birds were generally scarce.
BIRDS NOTED
Mourning Dove 2 in joshua tree and flying, DPWS; Cooper’s Hawk 1 flying to a perch in a mature Joshua Tree, DPWS; Red-tailed Hawk 2 (ad) a pair circling high (200 ft. agl) above the valley floor (DPWS); Loggerhead Shrike 1 (ad) perched atop a mature Joshua Tree (DPWS – photo);
California Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica) 1 vocal, flying between perches in Joshua Trees (DPWS – photo);
Common Raven 2 one perched on limb of Joshua Tree, another circling above DPWS; Tree Swallow 5 gregarious, flying through notch in the adjacent Portal Ridge, DPWS; Cactus Wren 5 vocal, one flushed from ground beneath a brittlebrush shrub,at least two different individuals singing from an exposed perches (DPWS – photo);
Northern Mockingbird 2 a pair, vocal (partial song) in Joshua Trees and shrubs, DPWS; House Finch 6 (m,f) vocal, pairs in pines and in Joshua Trees, PRWA, DPWS; Lark Sparrow 2 vocal, one singing from top of shrubs and JT’s (DPWS – photo);
Western Meadowlark 3 vocal (calls and song) from exposed perches in shrubs and a utility line, (PRWA, DPWS – photo).
3 November 2019 Stephen Sorensen Park, Lake Los Angeles, LACO CA (8 Species)
Weather: Fair; 72F; wind 0-2 mph.
Time: 1250-1356 hrs.
Observers: Dan Byrne and I; Tom Benson (secretary for CBRC) and another birder arrived around the time we were leaving.
Area Covered: We walked from the parking area to the playing fields, making mostly stationary observations. A Red-throated Pipit (Anthus cervinus – a rare transient in this region) was reported here earlier today by Kimball Garrett (Ornithology collections manager, LACMNH), which I documented with several photos.
This relatively new suburban park of Lake Los Angeles encompasses about ten acres of developed land, including paved parking lots, watered lawns and playing fields, ornamental conifers, deciduous trees and shrubs. A significant desert scrub and riparian area (cottonwood, mulefat, etc.) occurs on the northern edge of the site and appeared to be attractive to birds. The desert riparian strip, combined with the well-watered lawns of the park could be very productive as an avian oasis during migration.
BIRDS NOTED
Northern Red-shafted Flicker 4 a pair in a puddle at the base of an ornamental pine; European Starling 2 in the same puddle with the RSFL; American Robin 4 (ad, imm) in and around the edge of the lawns; Northern Mockingbird 2 flying around the park; Buff-bellied (American) Pipit 8 loosely gregarious, foraging on playing fields (photo); Red-throated Pipit 1 foraging on playing fields, loosely associated with BBPI (photo).
White-crowned Sparrow 5 in and around the watered edges of playing fields; House Finch 1 (m).