Here's a great combination of science and art. Spend a few moments experiencing the creation of the Wall of Birds at Cornell University's Dept. of Ornithology. It will bring a smile to your day.
This year my visiting ruby-crowned kinglet and hermit thrush left two weeks earlier than in the past. Do they know something about the weather that we don't? Cornell's Global Big Day, where people all over the world count birds, is coming up May 14th. Join in and help document bird population dynamics on a global scale.
This is an opportunity to go outside and reconnect with your avian neighbors. How many crows are flying by? Are those turkey vultures circling over the Freeway? Is that a Bewick's wren making a nest in the bird house? Not only will you have fun participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count you will be contributing to our scientific understanding of the status of bird populations and movement across the continent.
So grab your birding book, your binoculars and a piece of paper. GBBC is designed for kids to participate, anyone can do it. Note the time you start watching, distance traveled, number of people watching and GO!
A lot of people are interested in the bats that we have in the Los Angeles area. Bats in LA. That's a good thing, because bats need friends. Bats provide a great service by eating tons of insects. But not everything you see with pointy wings flying at dawn or dusk is a bat.
I recently had a comment from a reader asking about groups of 20-30 bats flying over the Los Angeles River in the Burbank area early in the morning. An observant eye can frequently see nature attracted to the Los Angeles River as you make your slow commute on the Ventura Freeway. I've seen these wheeling silhouettes as well, but probably what this traveler saw were birds and not bats.
Bats typically return to their roosts before dawn. Seldom do you see our local bat species in a group unless it is right as they are emerging from their roosting location in the evening.
At specific times of the year when there are insect blooms along the river, you can see swallows or swifts in groups flying quickly over the river catching insects. These small birds can look similar to bats. Both have narrow wings that help them maneuver quickly so they can catch insects on the wing. Both are dark in silhouette and some swallows and swifts have minimal tails that may make them appear batlike.
But if you look closely you will see a difference. Bats typically have a faster wing beat and seldom glide. Swallows and swifts on the other hand will glide in between wing beats. These birds frequently are seen in flocks ranging from 10 to 1,000s of individuals. One evening along the banks of Utah Lake just south of Provo, we watched hundreds of thousands of swallows feeding on swarming insects just before a storm. I've never seen so many birds in one place in my life.
These two animals bats and swallows (or swifts) are filling a similar niche in the ecosystem; they are flying predators feeding on small flying insects. And they share the workload, bats at night and the birds during the day. Occasionally, when the insects are plentiful and the weather is just right the two shifts will cross and you may see the furry and the feathered creatures sharing the sky. Both are doing their best to reduce the numbers of mosquitoes along our river and around our neighborhoods. All they ask in return is habitat to roost and nest in and insects that haven't been poisoned. Birds and bats need you to be their friends.
Swallows and swifts you are most likely to see in the Los Angeles area: white-throated swift, chimney swift,Vaux's swift, barn swallow, cliff swallow, northern rough-winged swallow, violet-green swallow and tree swallow
For over two decades Cornell University has sponsored the Great Backyard Bird Count. Everyday people, young and old, across North America take a minimum of 15 minutes to document the wild birds that they see.
For four days data comes in from across the continent to create a snapshot of bird populations. This information shows where population numbers have increased and where they are down. It documents migration paths and changing territories of species. Every bird is important, even pigeons and house sparrows.
Counting is easy and you can do it in your backyard. You then enter your data via the Internet. For more information click the GBBC button:
When you participate in GBBC you are playing an important role in the collection of data for science. It is a great family, class or school project.
If you would like to count with people who have done it before, here are three opportunities in the Los Angeles and San Fernando Valley area. Bring your own binoculars:
Friday, Feb. 12 at 4:00-5:30 PM - Serrania Avenue Park, Woodland Hills (FREE public park, group led by Keri Dearborn, meet in the parking lot at 3:45 PM. Please send e-mail to 4animalbytes@gmail.com so I will know to expect you. Some terrain moderately hilly.)
Saturday, Feb. 13 at 8:00-10:00 AM - Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Garden (Zoo Membership and reservations required, reservations can be made by calling (323) 644-4702 or by e-mailing docents@lazoo.org include “Bird Walk” in the subject line. Include your name, membership number, members in your party, age of children and your phone number.)
Sunday, Feb. 14 at 8:30-10:30 AM - Sepulveda Basin WildlifeRefuge (FREE public park, group led by Keri Dearborn, meet in the gravel parking lot across from the north entrance to the wildlife area at 8:15 AM. Please send e-mail to 4animalbytes@gmail.com so I will know to expect you.)
You may count only a few birds in an apartment courtyard, others may count 100s of individual birds in a wildlife area. Every one's information is important. The more people who count, the better our knowledge will be about bird species in North America. If you have questions, send me an e-mail at 4animalbytes@gmail.com
