phil jeffrey:: California, Dec 2014 trip report

Los Angeles area - December 6-8 2014

Sunrise 6:45am, sunset 4:45

This Los Angeles mini-trip came about because of a desire to break the long 12-16 hour trans-Pacific Australian (LAX-MEL; SYD-LAX) flights at either end, and also to look for the newly-minted Ridgway's Rail and catch up with a few target species (California Gnatcatcher is a species I've not seen in many years). There were 3 days on the front end of the Australian trip and a single day after returning to the USA.

Day 1: Saturday Dec 6th - EWR to STL to LAX to Newport Bay/estuary

I flew Southwest from EWR into STL (mostly empty flight) and STL to LAX (100% full flight, so less amusing) and despite full flights being unpleasant in general the Southwest staff continue to be a notch the average from the check-in at EWR to the senior flight attendant on the LAX leg who was quite the comedian. I don't believe I've ever seen United staff betray any sense of humor.

Arrived at LAX a little earlier than scheduled at 12:35pm but baggage claim took an eternity and eliminated all of that gain. Enterprise car rental at LAX were good, although the Passat I ended up with seemed a little low spec and a low torque for something that was nominally a 2.5 liter engine. I should have opted for the Altima - I was given that choice. With another positive experience at LAX I cannot foresee wanting to rent cars anywhere else at this destination. After 40 miles of driving and a couple of U-turns I ended up at Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve where me I joined many southern Californians on the trails on the Saturday afternoon. The upland habitat is somewhat degraded but is being irrigated and protected so might bounce back. The saltmarsh had rather too much trash in it for my liking but held a decent number of ducks (Mallard, Blue-winged/Green-winged/Cinnamon Teals, Northern Shoveler), egrets (Great, Snowy), and a decent number of shorebirds (Long-billed Dowitchers, Black-bellied Plover, Western Willet, American Avocet, Marbled Godwit, Greater Yellowlegs, small peep sp. at a distance). Pied-billed Grebe, American Coot, Brown Pelican, Belted Kingfisher rounded out the water birds. The terrestrial birds were White-crowned and Song Sparrows, two California Towhees, a drab Yellow-rumped Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, and at least two California Gnatcatchers that gave decent looks but did not pose for good photos. Part of the marsh-side trail was fenced off and many of the trails showed pretty serious erosion problems. Further down the muddy marsh-side trail I came across two RIDGWAY'S RAILS - USA #708 - that were a little out of the saltmarsh and while shy did stay out in the open for at least a couple of photographs. The impending group of boistrous children scared them back into the marsh but I heard them clappering later. Other birds of interest were Common Raven (from interstate), American Crow (at the preserve), one or two stunning male Allen's Hummingbirds. The main parking lot at Upper Newport Bay is open 7am-sunset. No fee.

So in a scant couple of hours before sunset I found two target birds and the main target life bird. I checked into the Days Inn at Costa Mesa (unexceptional but perfectly fine) at a very early hour since although it was only 4:30pm PST I'd left my house at 4:30am EST and was feeling not at all energetic.

Day 2: Sunday Dec 7th 2014 - Upper Newport Bay and Bolsa Chica

I started on the east shore of Upper Newport Bay at dawn, and the shore was still largely in shade. There are pull-outs short of the canyon intersection but very few north of it so this route would favor a park-and-walk strategy. Very little car traffic early on Sunday but some hiking and bicycles even at dawn. Marsh Wren, Common Yellowthroat, Great Blue Heron, Snowy/Great Egrets, Osprey, Forster's Tern, California and Western Gulls, Brown Pelican, American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, Cinnamon Teal, Bufflehead, Greater Scaup, Common Loon, Black Skimmer roosting on far side of bay in with shorebirds, Willet, Marbled Godwit, peeps and a single Northern Harrier.

Upper Newport Bay Preserve held much the same species as the previous day: Say's and Black Phoebe, White-crowned and Song Sparrows, California Towhee, Anna's and Allen's Hummingbirds, Northern Mockingbird, Marbled Godwits and Willets in extensively flooded marsh and all the same ducks. I saw five Ridgway's Rail unhappily waiting out the high tide in little patches of marsh vegetation while Northern Harriers hunted the marsh and scared the ducks. Cassin's Kingbird and California Gnatcatchers were on the bluffs and upland areas and Northern Rough-winged and Barn Swallows flew by.

The nearby San Joaquin Marsh (Irvine, CA) had a reputation of being one of the best birding sites in the area. Certainly it attracted several photographers staking out the Cedar Waxwing flock at the visitor center and a number of water birds were fairly tame. I saw Pied-billed Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, American White and Brown Pelicans, Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet, all three Teals, Gadwall, Ruddy Duck, American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Shoveler, Long-billed Dowitcher, Spotted Sandpiper, White-throated Swift, Cedar Waxwing, Audubon's Yellow-rumped Warbler, Anna's Hummingbird, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Black Phebe, both Egrets and Great Blue Heron, one White-faced Ibis, Turkey Vulture, Red-tailed Hawk, Northern Harrier and Forster's Tern.

Off to visit Bolsa Chica in Huntington Beach, pulling off the Pacific Coast Road at the low bridge. Double-crested Cormorants and Brown Pelicans were fishing here as were Common Loon, Forster's Tern and one Caspian Tern and a variety of lurking diving ducks (Redhead, Lesser Scaup, Surf Scoter, Red-breasted Merganser). Across the bridge and looking into the impoundments I added (Black) Brant, American Wigeon and American White Pelican. Great and Snowy Egrets were numerous in the surrounding marsh at high tide, while Eared, Horned and Pied-billed Grebe were in the channels. flyover Reddish Egret [year bird]. Several shorebird species including the anonymous fly-by peeps, but including (Western) Willet, Marbled Godwit, Long-billed Curlew, Black-bellied Plover and Sanderling. Belding's Savannah Sparrows were feeding in the saltmarsh.

I cut Huntington Beach Central Park as a destination but a slow chug up the coast road to Frank Molloy Park - under construction and no shore access - yielded only California and Western Gulls, Western-ish Grebe, American Coot, Great Blue Heron, Common Raven and so was a waste of time.

Madrona Marsh in Torrance had many White-crowned Sparrows in the flock near the entrance gate, posing Allen's Hummingbird, Northern Flicker, Red-tailed Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, American Kestrel, Common Ravens, Black Phoebe. But no Munia (formerly the Mannikin). The most noteworthy thing was the presence of quite a lot of water in the pools at south west corner - Mallard mostly but also American Wigeon, Gadwall, American Coot, two Canada Geese. On returning to the gate a mixed flock held House Finch, Lesser Goldfinch, American Goldfinch and a surprise Western Meadowlark. An Ash-throated Flycatcher - apparently late for the time of year - flew down the eastern fence line before headed into the local neighborhood.

Making a stop at Playa Del Rey breakwater - Brown-headed Cowbird, California/Ring-billed and Heerman's Gulls, American Wigeon and Snowy Egret at the park. At the breakwater approx. 60 Surf Scoter, Horned and Eared Grebes, Willet, Black Turnstone, Surfbird, two Black Oystercatchers, Western-ish Grebe, Heerman's and Western Gulls, Cormorant sp, Snowy Egret, House Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, House Finch, and two fly-over Royal/Elegant Grebes.

Making the trek up US-101 to cut into the travel time for the next morning I got bogged down in traffic until I got bored of the stop and go and dropped off the road for the night near Malibu Canyon Road

Day 3: Monday December 8th - Malibu and Port Hueneme

West along the coast road to Port Hueneme I parked at Moranda Park which had Black Phoebe and two Long-billed Curlew feeding on the grass, and along the Bubbling Springs Recreational Corridor - really a shaded stream running toward the ocean - there were mainly Mallards, Snowy Egret, Spotted Sandpiper, many Audubon's Warblers, Selasphorus hummingbird sp. The roosting mix of gulls was mainly Western's with one or two Glaucous-winged and one first winter THAYERS GULL #709 (was at the time - now lumped w/Iceland Gull). Down at the beach nothing much: Brewer's Blackbird, Heerman's Gull. Sharp-shinned Hawk over park, Eurasian Colalred-Dove in agricultural areas nearby. Nevertheless the Thayer's Gull was a particularly desired species for me, since I'd sought it out on several previous occasions in the East to no avail and didn't catch up with it in Alaska either.

North-west of Port Hueneme at Ventura Harbor nothing of interest - couple of Sanderling and a Willet. I skipped a further trek up the coast in search of the persistent but low-odds Gray Hawk at Carpinteria and returned down the coast road. In the fog/smog Palos Verde looked like an actual island, swimming above the coastal haze viewed from the coast road. Will Rogers State Beach extreme western end had nothing (shearwater location from Oct 2013).

Back in the LAX area by lunchtime I took advantage of the day use rate at the local Travelodge and then went to Playa del Rey. Bonaparte's Gull, Brandt's Cormorant, Pacific Loon and pretty much the same species as the previous night. More Royal/Elegant Terns, Surf Scoter, Horned and Eared Grebe etc.

Australian Trip intervenes

Final day: Sunday December 20th

Off to nearby Bolsa Chica for a quick check of the bridge area. Not as active as 2 weeks previously but Red-throated and Common Loons, Eared and Horned Grebe, Lesser Scaup, Surf Scoter, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Red-breasted Merganser, Great and Snowy Egrets, Reddish Egret, Brown and one American White Pelicans, Willet, Long-billed Curlew, Black-bellied Plover, Forster's Tern, Brant, Belding's Savannah Sparrow. Heard Ridgway's Rail clappering but did not see any. White-faced Ibis fly-by

Madrona Marsh: had plenty of White-crowned Sparrows, American Goldfinch, California Towhee, 2 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Black Phoebe, Bushtit flock, Common Raven, Northern Flicker fly-over. And even more water that earlier in December: American Wigeon, Northern Shoveler, Mallard, American Coot, Canada Goose, Great Egret. Little time spent here and still no Munia.

The final stop towards sunset and before packing it up for the trip was Playa del Rey with predictable species in dark conditions where cloud moved to mask the remaining sun. Red-throated Loon this time, no Surfbird but more Black Turnstone, Surf Scoter and one female Black Scoter, Western Grebe, Cormorant sp., Brown Pelican, Black and American Oystercatcher (seems unusual for this area), Western/Heerman's/Ring-billed Gulls and one Bonaparte's, Eared Grebe, Tern sp. Willet.

Trip list (California)

Los Angeles Targets in descending target rank