Trip report for the
Wild Wings Sepulveda Basin Bird Walk
Sunday, March 20, 2016
Number of participants: 63 + 1 leader
Start time 8:05am
Finish time 11:10am
Distance covered: 2.85 miles
Weather: 66° at the start, warming to 73° and foggy.
The fog was quite thick at the beginning of this walk, creating a beautiful, soft feel to the park. As always, the group was awesome! Everyone helped find birds, asked great questions and for such a large group maintained a small footprint. Highlights included displaying Red-winged Blackbirds, singing California Thrashers and a large group of American White Pelicans. With a wingspan of over 9', these pelicans are one of North America's largest birds. As for the breeding "horn" that we saw on their bills, both adult male and female birds acquire it. Oh, and I almost forgot - a Great Horned Owl nest with three chicks!! This is the 4th year the pair has nested in Woodley Park and they got a little over ambitious this year by attempting to raise a clutch of five chicks. Two have since perished (nature can be unkind), but it looks like the three remaining chicks will fledge.
Birds - 67 species + 2 other taxa*
Canada Goose
Egyptian Goose
Wood Duck
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Mallard
Mallard (Domestic type)*
Cinnamon Teal
Green-winged Teal
Ruddy Duck
Pied-billed Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
American White Pelican
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Turkey Vulture
Cooper's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Coot
Black-necked Stilt
Killdeer
Least Sandpiper
Western Gull
California Gull
Rock Pigeon*
Mourning Dove
Great Horned Owl
- nest
White-throated Swift
Anna's Hummingbird
Allen's Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Nuttall's Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
- heard only
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)
Yellow-chevroned Parakeet
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
- heard only
Black Phoebe
- nest
Cassin's Kingbird
American Crow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Bushtit
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
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Male Red-winged Blackbird
Photo: LouAnne Brickhouse
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Western Bluebird
American Robin
California Thrasher
Northern Mockingbird
- heard only
European Starling
Orange-crowned Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow Warbler
- heard only
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's)
Chipping Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
California Towhee
Spotted Towhee
Red-winged Blackbird
Great-tailed Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Bullock's Oriole
House Finch
Lesser Goldfinch
Mammals:
California Ground Squirrel
Eastern Fox Squirrel
Brush Rabbit
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