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Bird Survey – March 2021

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Bird Survey – March 2021

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Urban Forest Monthly Survey
March 25, 2021

On a brisk morning, in the 50’s with mostly overcast skies, Lena Hayashi, Betty Kanne, Jim Kendall, Dave and Sharon Telford, Sandy Smith, Jim Currie, Mark Johnston and Barbara Wasbin, divided up into two groups to count the birds of the Urban Forest.  One group started in the grasslands along Edwards Street while the other counted in the grasslands along Goldenwest Street, both meeting up to survey the “top” together.  Whenever the sun decided to peek out of the clouds, the birds would respond by singing and perching up on branches.  We saw a number of hummingbirds doing their mating displays.  The Anna’s flies high, straight up into the sky and then dive bombs down and right at the last second, making a “pop” sound with its wings, it completes its “J” shaped display.  Allen’s fly up, but not as high as the Anna’s, and then down, and starts a shallow, back and forth, pendulum-like, rocking display.  A number of California Towhees sat high on branches but none seemed to be inclined to sing in the cold, overcast morning. 

Now that Spring has sprung, we will be looking for the birds that actually nest in the Urban Forest.  Today, the Lesser Goldfinch is the first nesting species found in the Urban Forest!   Jim Kendall happened to see a bird flying into a young pine tree and then heard another bird and saw wings flapping and the first bird feeding the second and then fly off.   After a considerable amount of time, we located the nest and watched from a distance.  At first, we thought it was a parent feeding young but with the use of a scope, we realized the bird was sitting on the nest, not in it, and could see its feathers were fully developed.  After a bit of research, it was found that Lesser Goldfinches usually nest from April to July on the west coast.  This one is a little early, maybe due to climate change.   The female usually sits quietly, with its tail cocked up at an angle, which this one did, and will lay 4-6 eggs.  We will be excited to check on them at the April survey and give an update.

Checklist S84087277

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Main details
Thu 25 Mar 2021 8:17 AM
Location Huntington Central Park–Urban Forest
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Additional details

People

Owner Lena Hayashi
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Effort

Protocol:  Traveling
Complete
Are you submitting a complete checklist of the birds you were able to identify?Yes Learn More
  • Observers:  9
  • Duration:  2 hr, 43 min
  • Distance:  3 mi

Totals

38
Species Observed
294 individuals
4
Species with Photos

Observations

  1. Canada Goose

    Number observed:  2

    Details

    flyovers

  2. Mallard

    Number observed:  16

    Details

    mostly flying over in twos

  3. Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)

    Number observed:  7
    Exotic: Naturalized

    Details

    heading to stables

  4. Eurasian Collared-Dove

    Number observed:  7
    Exotic: Naturalized

  5. Mourning Dove

    Number observed:  13

  6. Anna’s Hummingbird

    Number observed:  11

    Details

    some displaying for a mate

  7. Allen’s Hummingbird

    Number observed:  13

    Details

    some displaying for a mate

  8. Double-crested Cormorant

    Number observed:  2

    Details

    flyovers

  9. Snowy Egret

    Number observed:  1

    Details

    flyover

  10. Turkey Vulture

    Number observed:  1

    Details

    flyover

  11. Red-tailed Hawk

    Number observed:  1

    Details

    on a telephone pole just outside UF on Edwards

  12. Northern Flicker

    Number observed:  1

  13. Black Phoebe

    Number observed:  8

  14. Say’s Phoebe

    Number observed:  3

    Details

    singing

  15. Cassin’s Kingbird

    Number observed:  3

    Media

    Cassin's Kingbird - Lena Hayashi
    © Lena Hayashi Macaulay Library

  16. American Crow

    Number observed:  14

  17. Tree Swallow

    Number observed:  10

  18. Northern Rough-winged Swallow

    Number observed:  2

  19. Bushtit

    Number observed:  4

  20. Ruby-crowned Kinglet

    Number observed:  4

    Media

    Ruby-crowned Kinglet - Lena Hayashi
    © Lena Hayashi Macaulay Library

  21. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

    Number observed:  2

  22. House Wren

    Number observed:  6

    Details

    singing

  23. European Starling

    Number observed:  23
    Exotic: Naturalized

  24. Western Bluebird

    Number observed:  4

    Details

    two pairs

  25. Hermit Thrush

    Number observed:  4

    Details

    one within wooden fenced forest

    Media

    Hermit Thrush - Lena Hayashi
    © Lena Hayashi Macaulay Library

  26. House Finch

    Number observed:  16

  27. Lesser Goldfinch

    Number observed:  23

    Details

    nest found in young pine tree with female on nest and male feeding her

    Media

    Lesser Goldfinch - Lena Hayashi
    © Lena Hayashi Macaulay Library

  28. American Goldfinch

    Number observed:  2

  29. White-crowned Sparrow

    Number observed:  21

  30. Song Sparrow

    Number observed:  8

  31. California Towhee

    Number observed:  12

    Details

    many on higher branches but not singing

  32. Spotted Towhee

    Number observed:  1

  33. Western Meadowlark

    Number observed:  26

  34. Red-winged Blackbird

    Number observed:  1

  35. Great-tailed Grackle

    Number observed:  2

  36. Orange-crowned Warbler

    Number observed:  3

  37. Common Yellowthroat

    Number observed:  6

  38. Yellow-rumped Warbler

    Number observed:  11

Exotic species

Exotic species flags differentiate locally introduced species from native species.
Naturalized: Exotic population is self-sustaining, breeding in the wild, persisting for many years, and not maintained through ongoing releases (including vagrants from Naturalized populations). These count in official eBird totals and, where applicable, have been accepted by regional bird records committee(s).
Provisional: Either: 1) member of exotic population that is breeding in the wild, self-propagating, and has persisted for multiple years, but not yet Naturalized; 2) rarity of uncertain provenance, with natural vagrancy or captive provenance both considered plausible. When applicable, eBird generally defers to bird records committees for records formally considered to be of “uncertain provenance”. Provisional species count in official eBird totals.
Escapee: Exotic species known or suspected to be escaped or released, including those that have bred but don’t yet fulfill the criteria for Provisional. Escapee exotics do not count in official eBird totals.
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Sensitive

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Lena Hayashi

Lena Hayashi is a passionate birder and an integral part of the birding community in Huntington Beach, California. For years, she has dedicated herself to tallying bird counts at Shipley Nature Center. In the fall of 2020, Lena expanded her birding endeavors by spearheading monthly bird surveys in the Urban Forest.

Through these surveys, Lena and the other participating birders photograph and document the presence and abundance of bird species in the area. This data is then shared publically via eBird, for researching trends and patterns in bird populations and migration.

Her dedication to bird conservation has earned her respect among fellow birders and conservationists alike. By sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm with others, Lena inspires individuals of all ages to connect with nature and become stewards of their local ecosystems. Her efforts serve as a reminder of the importance of citizen science and community involvement in preserving the rich biodiversity of Huntington Beach and beyond.

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