Trip report for Placerita Canyon -
Walker Ranch Waterfall Trail
Sunday, April 17, 2016
Number of participants: 15 + 1 leader
Start time 7:30am
Finish time 10:20am
Distance covered: 1.25 mile
Weather: cool and calm at the start, warming to the mid 70s with strong wind gusts.
It's hard to find a more charming space than Placerita Canyon during springtime. With its rolling grassland, oak woodland and streamside habitats, it's California at its finest! We started off the morning being serenaded by Ash-throated Flycatchers and Mountain Quail. Once into the canyon, we were hoping for some pulses of warblers and came across two good ones. One flock contained at least 18 Black-throated Gray Warblers and 2 Hermit Warblers - too awesome! We ended-up with 8 warbler species for the day. Water was running through most of the upper canyon, so our usual sit-spot by the pool was quite slow. Interestingly, the bird of the day may have been an unusually colored male House Finch. With its mix of oranges and reds, it was a striking bird. Who knew a House Finch could bring such bling!
45 species
Mountain Quail -
heard only
Turkey Vulture
Red-shouldered Hawk -
heard only
Red-tailed Hawk
Band-tailed Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Anna's Hummingbird
Acorn Woodpecker
Nuttall's Woodpecker
American Kestrel
Hammond's Flycatcher
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Hutton's Vireo
Steller's Jay
Western Scrub-Jay
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Male House Finch
Photo: Scott Logan
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American Crow
Common Raven
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Oak Titmouse
Bushtit
White-breasted Nuthatch
House Wren
Bewick's Wren
Wrentit
Western Bluebird
California Thrasher -
heard only
European Starling
Orange-crowned Warbler
Nashville Warbler
MacGillivray's Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Gray Warbler
Townsend's Warbler
Hermit Warbler
Dark-eyed Junco
California Towhee
Spotted Towhee
Western Tanager
Lazuli Bunting
House Finch
Lesser Goldfinch
Lawrence's Goldfinch
Mammals:
Coyote
California Ground Squirrel
California Gray Squirrel
Reptials:
Western Fence Lizard
Butterflies:
Western Tiger Swallowtail
Lorquin's Admiral
California Sister
Funereal Duskywing
Mormon Metalmark
Umber Skipper
Checkered White
Sara Orangetip
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