California 2004 TRIP


My parents live in El Segundo, CA, and we started birding California during our visits to them after we began birding. We always bird the local spots, which include Marina Del Rey and the beaches around El Segundo.

In December of 2001 we birded the Salton Sea, San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary, Bolsa Chica State Ecological Reserve, San Diego, including a new years day pelagic trip followed by some Mission Bay birding and a visit to J Street, San Pedro, Huntington Park, Newport Bay, and Madrona Marsh. We saw a total of 141 species, 62 of which were new.

In February of 2003 we birded the Riverside Area and Big Bear Lake Areas. My records of the trip were lost due to computer comlications.

In December of 2003 we birded Kern County and also the coastline from El Segundo to Malibu. We saw 113 species, 11 of which were new.

In October of 2004 we birded for one day on the San Gabriel Mountains. We also stopped at Buena Vista Lagoon in Carlsbad and at Point Magu while taking non-birding trips. We also birded from Palos Verdes to San Pedro. We saw a total of 81 species, 3 of which were new.


Dates: We were in California from October 15 to October 24. We spent a full day birding, two half days birding and otherwise birded sporadically while spending time at the beach or visiting family/friends.

Where we birded: As mentioned above In October of 2004 we birded for one day on the San Gabriel Mountains. We also birded from Palos Verdes to San Pedro and the jetty and lagoons in Marina Del Rey and the beach in El Segundo. In addition, we stopped at Buena Vista Lagoon in Carlsbad and at Point Magu while taking non-birding trips. We saw a total of 81 species, 3 of which were new.

Hoped Fors & Highlights: We hoped to see Clark's Nutcracker and Mountain Quail in the mountains, but didn't succeed with the nutcracker. We thought to keep an eye out for the Spotted Dove and got lucky with one on the neighbors roof! We had given up on the Elegant Terns, understanding that they should have dispersed from their breeding sites: luckily, it seems that Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro is one of the places that some of them disperse to!

Books/References: I have relied on the wonderful book A Birder's Guid to Southern California by Brad Schram which is part of the ABA/Lane Birdfinding Guide series. While I sometimes consult other bird books, I always have a copy of the Sibley Guide to Birds. I also check out some of the web-based list serve lists.

Lodging: Aside from staying at my parents in El Segundo, we spent one night at the reasonable Eagle Rock Inn, a Best Western Hotel, in Eagle Rock at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains.

Transportation: Borrowed folks car.


El Segundo Area Seen either within a few blocks of my parents home or during aA few visits to the nearby beaches

Near parents home: mockingbirds, crows, black-throated gray warbler in backyard, scrub jay, anna's hummingbird, allan's hummingbird, white-crowned sparrow, yellow-rumped warblers, orange-crowned warbler and a spotted dove on neighbor's roof.

At the beach: sanderlings, willets, marbled godwits, whimbrel, black-bellied plovers, pacific golden-plover, western grebes, few hundred in water off Dockweiler beach, western gulls, ring-billed gulls, California gulls, Heerman's gulls, brown pelicans, pelagic cormorants, double-crested cormorants, savannah sparrow (belding's), barn swallows, royal terns, pigeons. California sea lions basking on buoys.

Marina del Rey breakwater and Ballona Lagoon (one hour - in afternoon)

On the north side of the breakwater, in the venice canal was a pied billed grebe and snowy egret. At Ballona Lagoon, south of the breakwater: pigeons, mallards, coot, great egret, wigeons and a kingfisher. Southern rock jetty which abuts the beach: willets, sanderlings, black turnstones and surfbirds. In Ballona Creek: pied billed grebe.

Palos Verdes - San Pedro Loop (an afternoon trip, raining/drizzling whole time)

San Vicente Lighthouse: brown pelicans, gulls and a mockingbird. Ocean Shores Golf Course: rufous-crowned sparrows, savannah sparrow. Royal Palms: black turnstones, willet, whimbrels. Cabrillo Beach: western grebe, royal tern, foster's tern and elegant tern. The terns were just offshore the little beach at cabrillo, sitting on top of the floats. Ports of Call: snowy egret, great blue heron, kingfisher, brown pelicans and gulls.

San Gabriel Mountains - Highway 2 (9am to 4:30pm)

Stayed at the Best Western in Eagle Rock even though it is only about 30 miles from my folks to Eagle Rock. Highway 2 enters the forest just north of here. Went to Buckhorn Flat and back, about an 80 mile trip from the hotel and back to the hotel area. Up to Switzer's campground: mourning doves. Switzer's campground: hutton's vireo, flicker, scrub jay, townsend's warbler, orange-crowned warbler, spotted towhee, black phoebe. Up to and at Red Box Station: wrentits, bluebirds, ruby-crowned kinglet, mountain chickadee, white-headed woodpecker. Up to and including Charlton Flats, which was closed, saw: steller's jay, acorn woodpeckers, pygmy nuthatch, raven, oak titmouse, robin, red-breasted sapsucker, hairy woodpecker. Chilao Station: junco, yellow-rumped warbler, white-breasted nuthatch. At Buckhorn Flats: white-headed woodpecker, mountain chickadees, pygmy nuthatches. On the way back down: red-tailed hawk, mountain quail (covey of four).

Carlsbad - Buena Vista Lagoon (15 minutes in the afternoon - stopped by on way to visit friends)

Coot, ruddy duck, red-headed duck, northern shoveler, black-necked stilt, white pelicans.

Point Magu and Drive to Santa Barbara (we stopped at Point Magu for about 20 minutes while going to visit friends in Santa Barbara, and otherwise did not stop)

At Point Magu: osprey, snowy egret, great egret, about a half dozen whimbrels and one, possibly more, long billed curlews. Driving through ventura, an agricultural district and a strip mall: killdeer, least sandpiper, great-tailed grackle, brewer's blackbird, house sparrow and starling. Santa Barbara foothills and friend's home: turkey vultures, crow, anna's hummingbird, black phoebe, scrub jay. Roadside on coastal highway: kestrel, white-tailed kite, red-shouldered hawks. Solvang: yellow-rumped warblers.



Species List: We saw 81 species, and three were lifers.

western grebe
pied-billed grebe
brown pelican
american white pelican
double-crested cormorant
pelagic cormorant
great egret
great blue heron
snowy egret
mallard
american wigeon
northern shoveler
ruddy duck
red head
turkey vulture
white-tailed kite
red-tailed hawk
red-shouldered hawk
osprey
kestrel
mountain quail
american coot
black-bellied plover
pacific golden-plover
killdeer
black-necked stilt
marbled godwit
sanderling
least sandpiper
willet
whimbrel
long-billed curlew
black turnstone
surfbird
ring-billed gull
california gull
western gull
heerman's gull
forster's tern
royal tern
elegant tern
rock dove
mourning dove
spotted dove
anna's hummingbird
allen's hummingbird
belted kingfisher
common flicker
red-breasted sapsucker
acorn woodpecker
hairy woodpecker
white-headed woodpecker
black phoebe
barn swallows
steller's jay
wester scrub jay
common raven
american crow
wrentit
mountain chickadee
oak titmouse
white-breasted nuthatch
pygmy nuthatch
ruby-crowned kinglet
american robin
western bluebird
northern mockingbird
european starling
hutton's vireo
orange-crowned warbler
black-throated gray warbler
yellow-rumped warbler
townsend's warbler
rufous-crowned sparrow
spotted towhee
white-crowned sparrow
savannah sparrow (belding's)
dark-eyed junco (oregon)
brewer's blackbird
great-tailed grackle
house sparrow