Guyton Durnin, winner of the Audubon Student Conservation Award, is congratulated by Assemblyman Alan Lowenthal. ==> More Awards Dinner Photos

On the evening of May 4, 130 Audubon supporters honored the recipients of the Chapter's awards for 2001 at the Ports `O Call restaurant in San Pedro. The awards prompted honors from many local political leaders including Assemblyman Alan Lowenthal; Marilyn Lyon, Mayor, Rancho Palos Verdes; Steve Zuckerman, Mayor, Rolling Hills Estates; Congresswoman Jane Harman, Assemblyman George Nakano, Senators Debra Bowen and Betty Karnette, and County Supervisor Don Knabe.

The award ceremony began with Jess Morton's presentation of Audubon YES! Awards to 27 students from Cal Academy of Math and Science, Chadwick School, Mira Costa, Peninsula, Redondo, and San Pedro High Schools. This year's winners, who devoted at least 50 hours to various conservation activities in the South Bay, included: Netta Ascoli, Emily Chen, Jenny Chen, Jon Dang, Jasmeet Dhaliwal, Anjuli Deo, Andrew Easton, Tiffany Fine, Sara Holzman, Daniel Inadomi, Dorothy Le, Stephanie Lee, Dominic Lin, Edward Lin, Danny Lo, Dan Morberg, Urchna Morar, Thuy Nguyen, Paunie Samreth, Karen Shang, Emily Spreiser, Vikram Tamboli, Hsin-Ting Tsai, Janet Wei, Marcia Weist, Ellin Yan, Linda Yang.

The audience then turned its attention to Martin Byhower, Chapter Board Member and teacher at Chadwick School. In awarding the 2001 Student Conservation Award to Guyton Durnin, a junior at Chadwich School, Martin praised Guyton's dedication to the restoration of Chadwick canyon and his remarkable determination in removing exotic plants.

Guyton used the occasion to announce that the YES! Council of students had created a new award for students who devoted an additional 50 hours to conservation action. Chapter President Jess Morton committed the Chapter to acting on the proposal from the students.

Continuing the evening's emphasis on students, Board Member Bart Tendick presented the Conservation Education Award to Dennis Weyrauch, longtime biology teacher and dedicated participant in the Audubon YES! Program.

As a fellow teacher at San Pedro High School, Bart had been able to observe Dennis' dedication. "I could see that he was making a difference with a lot of students—inspiring them, leading them, giving them that little push that many young people need before they take off on their own."

Dennis commented: "For my 36 years as a biology teacher, I've wanted to bring young people out in field biology. But I have also wanted to get them to know the adults that are associated with local conservation organizations, because they need to get together. That's a hard nut to crack, I've found. But after they've done it few times, the students come to find out they kind of like the adults."

Chapter President Jess Morton then presented the Audubon Conservationist of the Year Award to Doug Stern in recogition of his work with the Palos Verdes Penninsula Land Conservancy and the Rancho Palos Verdes City Council. Among other accomplishments, Doug contributed to the acquisition of the Chandler Trust property in Rolling Hills Estates and the Forrestal Property in Rancho Palos Verdes.

Stern himself applauded the dedication of the students in the room. "The activity you have done, your dedication and interest in the environment, your willingness to go out and work for the environment—you know how rewarding it is," said Stern. "Let me tell you something: It just gets better."

The success of the banquet depended upon the contributions of many people. Organizing the many details was the work of Shirley Borks, Annette Currence, Jess Morton, Bob Shanman, Bart Tendick, and Frances Spivy-Weber. Financial support was provided by John and Shyun Chen, John and Barbara Dye, Scott and Chris Easton, Mr. And Mrs. Inadomi, Bob Shanman and Wild Birds Unlimited, Bart and Kathy Tendick, Frances Spivy-Weber and Michael Weber, Dennis Weyrauch. Ellen Brubaker, Lillian Light and Ollie Coker, Jess and Donna Morton, and an anonymous donor sponsored students. Wild Birds Unlimited donated the table decorations, while Martin Byhower, Donna Morton, Jess Morton, Frances Spivy-Weber, Bart Tendick, Michael Weber, Bob Shanman and Wild Birds Unlimited donated silent-auction items.

Thanks to all who helped and all who attended this wonderful Chapter event!

On May 4, 2001 I attended the annual Audubon awards banquet, which turned out to be a wonderful event. The most important thing I realized that night was the passion and energy each member of Audubon has behind his/her volunteer work. I relate to this very well as I dislike when people join organizations like Audubon for things like "College Credit." What's college when you compare it to helping your community, one of my most rewarding experiences throughout my life. Whether you see a homeless person say "Thank You" for a plate of food, or you think of the future impact of your work at Madrona Marsh, you feel a sense of fulfillment, of being a good person and fulfilling your duty. I am honored to be able to participate in Audubon, although often my other activities interfere, and to meet and get to know people who have such passion behind their life's work. To have passion is to truly live. Everyone I saw at the banquet that night had a youthful vitality surrounding their work and achievements. The people of Audubon and the passion that they have only inspires me to want to help my community and world more and more, to look forward to a brighter and healthier future!

Anti-environmental policies are being churned out of the White House like pollution from a creaky diesel bus. Meanwhile the Dems are so busy attacking Ralph Nader that effective legislative opposition has dropped to zero. That leaves Audubon and other environmental groups as the last opponents of the bottom liners. Thus it is no surprise that there has been a recent flurry of media scandalmongering about that dreaded hydra, Big Green, the catch-all term describing us, Sierra Club, Nature Conservancy and the others.

There is mention of bureaucratic inefficiencies, opulent surroundings, high-priced soirees and inflated executive salaries. Exactly what you might expect from people trying to sow dissension in the ranks of us environmentalists, who spend ours days, usually as volunteers or overworked, low-paid staff members, in the trenches where the battles are fought. But even if there are examples here and there of excesses and inequities in Big Green, the real question to me is how appropriate is this rather pejorative term for the environmental movement as a whole? How big is Big?

Last year, all of the environmental groups put together grossed about $4 billion. Sounds like a lot, doesn't it? But consider what that represents, about $50 per family nationally, less than $15 per capita. It would buy everyone a nice, but hardly opulent, dinner. $4 billion is about a week's worth of sales for General Motors. Big Green certainly wouldn't make anyone's top 100 US corporations listing. Maybe top 500. If Big Green were a single entity, it would top the list for only one out of forty-eight business categories listed in the World Almanac—furniture manufacture! And those were 1999 sales figures. Last year, Leggett & Platt might have pushed out Big Green as number one. I don't know. It's not important.

What does matter is that Big Green is not big because of money. It's big because it represents America. Big Green is the voice of all of us, rising tall to say the environment matters. It is what we live in. It is our future. The future of our children and grandchildren. Profits are irrelevant when there is no one left to spend them. Big Green is you and me, and it's time for each of us to stand up and tell the people in Washington that the special interests and the blind-alley ideologues who control the White House are not acting respectfully toward the American public or towards future generations; that we insist on clean air, clean water, the protection of healthy ecosystems and sound energy policies that conserve resources and substantially reduce pollution.

The County of Los Angeles is considering the removal of Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park from its list of Significant Ecological Areas or SEAs. Acting on a tip from Mitch Heindel, Chapter President Jess Morton recently wrote to the County's Department of Regional Planning asking that the park not be removed and that Baldwin Hills be added to the list.

"The wildlife values in Harbor Park are substantial, despite the relatively small area it contains," wrote Morton. "More than 300 species of birds have been found within its borders, and nowhere within the City of Los Angeles can an equal variety of habitats be found." Noting that the park will soon be recognized internationally as an Important Bird Area, Morton argued that the SEA program might have prevented damage to the park's wildlife habitat, if it had been fully implemented.

The SEA program is part of the County's General Plan, which guides land development, transportation, and open space. State law requires that the General Plan include a system for identifying and protecting land that is unique, representative, or home to rare animal or plant species.

For the last year, the County has been reviewing its list of SEAs—first developed 30 years ago. The County's consultant has proposed removing Harbor Park from the list, as well as El Segundo Dunes and the Ballona Wetlands.

Please support keeping these areas on the SEA list by writing to:

• Department of Regional Planning
• General Plan Development Section
• 320 W. Temple Street, 13th Floor
• Los Angeles, CA 90012

After years of struggle, supporters of Madrona Marsh had something to celebrate on April 28 when the City of Torrance opened the doors on the Madrona Marsh Nature Center. Located opposite the preserve on Plaza del Amo between Maple and Madrona, the Nature Center includes an exhibit hall, classroom, project lab, courtyard, and gift shop operated by Friends of Madrona Marsh. The Los Angeles County Safe Neighborhood Parks Acts of 1992 and 1996 provided $1.8 million for construction. Metropolitan Water District (MWD) provided a grant to the Friends for the native plant garden installed by Tony Baker.

More good news arrived at the opening when a group of grant applicants recevied word of $780,000 in funding from Proposition 12, the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Grant Program. The funding will be used to bring recycled water to the marsh from the West Basin Water District's water recycling facility in El Segundo. Funding will also be used for education sites along the trails in the preserve.

For more information on activities at the preserve and the Center, call 310-782-3989 or go to <http://www.tprd.torrnet.com/marsh.htm>.

Community Conservancy International (CCI) is holding a reception on Wednesday, July 18, at 5-8 p.m., to present the final draft Baldwin Hills Park Master Plan. This event will be held at the University of Southern California's (USC) Verle Annis Architecture Gallery in Harris Hall. The planning and design team will give a presentation on the bold new vision for this two-square mile natural park, open space, and recreation area in one of the most park-poor regions in Los Angeles County.

At the reception, you will be able to join community members, state and local elected officials and the Baldwin Hills Park planning team in viewing the plan for one of the largest urban parks to be designed in the United States in more than 100 years. The

Draft Baldwin Hills Park Master Plan is the result of nearly three years of extensive technical and site analysis, community outreach, and biological studies.

Suggestions for the Baldwin Hills Park Plan were compiled from public workshops attended by more than 700 citizens, including members of the area's diverse communities, local conservationists, and public agencies from Los Angeles County, the cities of Los Angeles, Culver City and Inglewood. Everyone helped to create a plan that balances the recreational needs of the community with key habitat preservation and restoration objectives.

Harris Hall is located on Exposition Boulevard near Watt Way. Parking is

available in lot H at the Gate 1 entrance. For further information or to RSVP, please contact Silissa at CCI (310-475-0797 ext. 4).

It is with sadness that we report the death in early May of Virgil Hanson, a long-time friend, conservationist and, from 1987 to 1989, Chapter President. During his years as President, we experienced considerable growth and expansion of our chapter's conservation, education and outreach programs. After stepping down from the presidency, Virgil continued on as Conservation Chair.

A world-renowned specialist in children's medicine, Virgil brought great warmth, compassion and humor to all he did. He is survived by his wife Cathy, herself a long-time chapter activist, and daughters Holly and Heather.

It was a rainy wet winter with rainfall 25% or more above normal , without an El Nino. Expectedly, spring fever kicks in, and birders are dying to see the first of everything immediately upon their return. Especially by late March and early April when new migrants are showing up daily...old friends we haven't seen since Sept. or Oct…..

Something has to give though, and what usually gives is recording of late dates of wintering individuals. You're thinking, "Heck, I've already seen that species a bunch a times, and I've been to that spot a bunch of times. It's time for some spring fever medicine…. Migrants!" But these late dates of overwintering individuals tell us much about their migration timing…. They are the hardest dates of all to get. First of spring (FOS) and first of fall are easy to get….

Now, people are beginning to realize that late March can have some great "mini-fallouts" that will be better than some days in April. Any sort of frontal passage then will show just how many birds are moving overhead by late March. Ash-throated and Western (Pac slope) \ Flycatchers, Western Kingbirds, Black-headed Grosbeaks, Lazuli Buntings, Wilson's, Nashville, and Black-throated Gray Warblers, Bullock's Orioles— all are moving locally in good numbers by late March.

So how `bout some bird word, eh??? I will uncharacteristically start with an out-of-area bird because it was soooo good. The first public boat (non-research vessel) sighting in SoCal ever, of the endangered Dark-rumped (Hawaiian) Petrel was 4/28, 35 mi. W. of Pt. Conception. It is about the 10th CA ( U.S.) sighting, all since 1992. It was initially spotted by Dr. Barney Schlinger (BS), and I (MH) was the identifier ("and vessel crier") of the bird. It's weird when you have to yell out at the top of your lungs, ABOUT a bird you've never seen before… But a dozen people saw it very well, just 60' from the boat.

Locally, of course, the seabird passage at "the points" (Vicente and Long) is always great. On April 8, Kevin Larson (KL), Carol Selvey(CS), and Kathy and I were there slightly over 3 hours. We saw 7-10 thousand Pacific Loons in that time, and once I counted 1000 in 5 minutes! It's a true spectacle of nature to watch this passage here!

Turkey Vultures are nearly annual here in mid-late April, and David Moody (DM) had one at Madrona Marsh (MM) on his 4/20 bird-a-thon. I saw one over my hovel 4/22. Another Osprey flew over the hovel here in Torr., on 3/14. The last Merlin was 3/27.

Kimball Garrett reported a probable record LA Co. count of 57 Black Oystercatchers on the LA Breakwaters on 3/10, and recorded an (the?) American X Black hybrid.

The mostly pelagic Black-legged Kittiwake invasion continued with hundreds reported way off shore all winter, and DM still had 4 each at King Harbor and Cabrillo Bch on his 4/20 Bird-aThon. Very rare was a first summer Common Tern at HP on 5/2 (MH).

On the Alcid front, on April 8, the calm morning after a big post-frontal passage blow, KL, CS, and I saw a Common Murre and 2 Ancient Murrelets at `the points'. Sea watch April Ancient records are few. Excelente.

On April 2, Vincent Neuman saw A pure rufous-backed male Rufous Hummingbird locally. This is exactly when we get them here, actually late-March to early May in spring is best for this "hard-to-positively-record" on the peninsula species.

Nearby, KL saw a very early Hammond's Flycatcher at DeForest Pk., Long Bch, 3/24. Migrant flocks of Cliff Swallows were impressive over HP with 800 on 4/20 (KL), and 500+ there 4/22 and 27, a Bank Swallow with them 4/22 (MH). The first male of my local breeder Barn Swallows returned 3/15 this year. The second male arrived 3/19.

Martin Byhower had a pair of Red-breasted Nuthatches at Chadwick since late Jan, continuing to 3/21, and then 4/21… I would follow them until I found the hole! KL got a couple good birds at the Botanic Gdns. on 3/11: 2 Golden-crowned Kinglets still present, and 5 Pine Siskins (surely migrants, as they were not present this winter).

A very rare find locally was a spring migrant (Least) Bell's Vireo singing in coastal sage scrub near Long Pt., on 4/19 (Brian Daniels). There are only a handful of records this decade around the peninsula. A former breeder at HP, and likely IN other local riparian AREAS.

The lutescent Orange crowned Warbler that wintered around my place left the night of April 27, after singing hundreds of times that day; saying goodbye, see ya in 6 months. BS had the FOS Yellow Warbler at BP 4/15. On 4/6, I recorded the last first-year male Summer Tanager that wintered at BP, as well as the wintering eastern race Nashville Warbler. Neither could be found 4/13.

On 3/29 Margaret Hoggan (MaHo) found 2 singing Grasshopper Sparrows in Friendship Pk. (Fr.P) in San Pedro. These birds were widely seen by many locals sworn to silence, on public tapes/net, as it appeared they were trying to stake out territories for breeding. The species formerly nested here, probably into the 1950's. Since the `60's it has been recorded only rarely as a migrant. Earlier this decade KL found one at Chandler Preserve in late Feb., which could have been either a wintering bird or a migrant. No known attempted breeding of this widely declining species, has taken place locally in decades. They were still on territory mid-April. Let's not disturb them unduly.

The White-throated Sparrow KL found wintering at Sand Dune Pk. was still present until 3/29 at least (Richard Barth). Most people see their last White-crowned Sparrow around the end of the third week of April here locally. They chorus intensively prior to departure.

MaHo had a PV record-sized flock of Lawrence's Goldfinches at her RPV feeders, with at least 23 (!) on March 11, and the flock slowly dwindling and the last one seen April 15! Mid March is when they migrate north along the SoCal coast. They apparently took an exceptional liking to her feeder battery… good job Margaret!

KL and MaHo both had FOS Hooded Orioles on 3/23, on different ends of the hill. KL found two Baltimore Orioles at BP on 3/24—hard to explain...maybe birds that wintered in Mexico (vagrants from last fall), and got caught up in the Bullock's migration? Or birds that wintered locally and finally stuck at Banning, late? Who knows? We can only speculate, but it is a very unusual late March occurrence.

Early in April, KL had up to 5 Great-tailed Grackles at Alondra Pk., and surely they will eventually colonize this site, unfortunately. A noteworthy non-avian migration occurred April 23-24—a tremendous flight of Painted Lady butterflies, using the "peninsula cutoff" (like many birds) and flying NW from Long Bch. to Sta.Monica.

Thank you everyone for your reports! I really appreciate it! You make the column! I received a probably correct, but third-hand report of a couple Golden Plovers near Malaga Bch. in April. Without some specifics, with something so rare (only a few circle area records in spring), I cannot blindly put a report in my column. Please send me details if you would like to see your birds at: birdfish@earthlink.net and thanks!!!

Remember, the first two+ weeks of June are as good as the last week of May for those soughtafter eastern vagrants. Singing male wood-warblers are hard to beat! Sea birding is good in the summer, as is a trip to the local mountains to cool off, or the desert if you can stand the heat. Hopefully the Bolsa Chica Elegant ternery will get going and you can spend a day there watching one of the most beautiful mating display flights in the world.

And of course, nesting activity will reach a mild roar in June and July. Please, record fledging dates of the nestlings in your yard or local patch. Or do so for a canyon on the hill. We couldn't map which canyons have or don't have breeding Rock and Bewick's Wrens, and several other locally breeding peninsula sage scrub (mainland island) breeders. I wish we could map which canyons had breeding Rock, Cactus, and Bewick's Wrens, Spotted Towhees, Quail, Rufouscrowned Sparrow, and others. Now if everyone picked a canyon……and reported back to me….

In the congratulation heroes department, the bird-a-thon team of David Moody and Bob Shanmann, with guest appearances by Jess Morton and Kevin Larson, found an outstanding 114 species in `the circle' on 4/20 !!! Great job guys !!! For a great cause! And just because it was there, KL and CS found 119 sps. in `the CBC circle' on 4/28. That's the way the feathers flew…… Some remarkable local daily totals!

See the update on my website for the "finding birding places on the PV Peninsula" feature page. It has a count circle map, with all the hotspots numbered, and a graph with cross-streets to get you close….. most of the sites mentioned in these columns are there G o to:

http:/www.angelfire.com/ca5/ pelagics/WHERETO.html

Remember the media's "June gloom", is a vagrant hunters best friend.

Think global, bird local

You can now search Mitch's columns on line for references to any species or group of birds seen during the last several years. By going to Audubon'sweb site <http://www.LMconsult.com/pvaudubon>, you can use Webmaster Lewis Morton's unique BirdSearch engine to hunt up every reference to the bird you select. Check out the rest of the web site while you're there—you'll be amazed at how much Audubon actually does. And how many ways you can help out.

From high atop the coastal bluffs of Palos Verdes, the view is breathtaking. Land falls abruptly toward the sea below. Over lacy currents, pelicans glide and dive. Freighters inch at the horizon and the white strand narrows northward, arcing toward Malibu.

The path down the cliff face is rugged. Hardy buckwheat, sagebrush and goldenbush cling to the rocky strata, perfuming summer days. It is then that the El Segundo blue butterflies emerge to feed among the clusters of tiny white and pink buckwheat flowers. For months, they have lain as pupae in the soil at the base of the plants, now bursting forth as winged adults to live out their final few minutes, hours, days. So quickly they mate, lay eggs and are gone, leaving behind the next generation in this one tiny cycle of renewal. Unlike the ladies, swallowtails, blues and whites that nectar in your garden, these butterflies are rare, so rare that they have been designated endangered species in an attempt to give them official protection from extinction. Their main population center is at the LA Airport and in El Segundo, but on Palos Verdes there is an outpost that may help them survive for our grandchildren to see and appreciate as we do. What makes this Palos Verdes population extra special is that here the larvae use two food plants, not just one as elsewhere.

The co-evolution of butterflies and plants is nowhere better exemplified than in the relationship of blues and buckwheats. Throughout southern California, the larva of the El Segundo blue's close relative, the Bernardino blue, feeds on California buckwheat. The larva of the El Segundo blue feeds on coastal dunes buckwheat exclusively, except on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Along its sea bluffs, the blue will also use ashy-leaved buckwheat. Away from the immediate coast, there is no coastal dunes buckwheat, and ashy-leaved buckwheat is the sole food plant.

Nowhere on Palos Verdes is the El Segundo blue abundant, but its flexibility and isolation from the Airport area populations, which disease could wipe out at a stroke, make its preservation crucial. Fortunately, the Natural Communities Conservation Plan (NCCP) now being developed has the capacity to afford the needed protection by creating a habitat preserve which encompasses the areas where buckwheat and butterfly persist. The NCCP's restriction to the City of Rancho Palos Verdes, and the threats within even that city to a functional plan, however, are not reassuring.

Still, a walk along a summer bluff is always a delight. Huge vistas draw mind and eye.. And, who knows, that sapphire flash which draws your attention to a path-bordering shrub, just might be one of those tiny jewels—an El Segundo blue.

In a letter to Interior Secretary Norton, Chapter Conservation Chair Lillian Light has urged that the Interior Department not reduce the size of the Carrizo Plain National Monument or open the area to oil and gas exploration. The Department of the Interior recently announced it was considering doing so. "We favor full protection of this Monument," wrote Light, "because it is a favorite destination of many of our members who go there to see the thousands of Sand Hill Cranes that gather there every winter."

Located 100 miles north of Los Angeles, the Carrizo Plain is an extraordinary and unique landscape. In January 2001, President Clinton designated the area as a National Monument, recognizing the area as the largest tract of the San Joaquin Valley with limited evidence of human alteration. The 250,000 acres in the Monument include a diverse complex of habitats that are home to many endangered, threatened, and rare species, including the California condor, the San Joaquin kit fox, and the California jewelflower.

Please show your support for this extraordinary area by writing to:

• Secretary Gale Norton
• Office of the Secretary
• U.S. Department of the Interior
• 1849 C Street NW
• Washington, D.C. 20240

Steve and I began our birdathon at 5:30 am, spent the first three hours crawling out of the Los Angeles Basin, and over the next 26 hours travelled 550 miles, drove down into one of the lowest places on Earth and rose to 9,500 above sea level, suffered through abysmal restaurant service and food, uncountable mosquito munches, missed wake-up calls, and a smotheringly hot night in Brawley with a dysfunctional air conditioner. It's remarkable that Steve and I are still pals!

So, before dawn, I rush about to get Steve going, watching for nighthawks, but am a bit slow to get out the door, regretting last night's "meal" at the Green Burrito in Norco. In the lot, we spot a grackle and mockingbird, then Steve yells "Nighthawk", but by the time I fumble with the car door and emerge into the morning twilight, the Nighthawk is gone. Dawn's rosy light warns me that the time for seeing Nighthawks is passing. Still, I'm a bit consoled by Cattle Egrets in great flocks, an unseasonably late flock of Canada Geese, a Meadowlark here, a Cassin's Kingbird there, as we drive toward the Salton Sea.

The first thing you notice about the Salton Sea is the smell: Fleur de Sewer. Decomposition has no equal to this inland sea of saline alkali, agricultural wastewater and raw sewage from Mexico…and the eutrophic stew it concocts. Here, the tally of birds truly begins. Bullock's Oriole, Common Ground-Dove. There's an Olive-sided Flycatcher! But where are the American Redstarts, or the Vermilion Flycatchers? There's a Vermey...and another! Maybe we can get a Clapper Rail in the reeds.

After a trip back to the car, with clouds of mosquitoes in pursuit , we apply a slathering of bug and sun repellent, then get back at it. Verdin, Abert's Towhee, a pair of Redheads out on the water…hate to leave without a Redstart, but gotta shove off.

God, I love the Salton Sea! So many birds that you see virtually NOWHERE ELSE in this state. A favorite whizzes by—Gull-billed Tern. At a precarious point, we spot a huge flock of White Pelicans—that curious bump on their orange bills indicates they are breeding. When I watch their elegant armadas in flight, each bird with a 108-inch wingspan, soaring silently, in fluid, constantly shifting yet remarkably symmetrical group V-patterns, I am witnessing the ultimate expression of all that is wild, free, beautiful, and remarkably, still surviving.

But, there isn't really time to ENJOY birds today. Back to the count. I am obsessed with finding Stilt Sandpipers, which look and act a lot like

Dowitchers. The Dowitchers themselves can be a challenge to distinguish. But the two species of Dowitchers are easily told apart right now because they are in full breeding plumage. The west coast Short-billed race, Caurinus, has an unmistakable white area on the rump and more extensive barring on the flanks, while the Long-bills show a rich rufous along their entire underside.

Steve spots a Black Tern! An Eared Grebe, with golden ears, reminds me of the sad irony that so many of our drab, and often seemingly mis-named birds, migrate away just when they are about to metamorphose into winged gems. Here, the Black-bellied Plovers have black bellies. We see lovely Red-necked Phalaropes with red necks! We see a Red Knot who is actually red, the first I have ever seen!

As soon as I think about White-faced Ibis, a flock flies over. Yes, we're doing well and it's still early. Maybe we CAN see 150 species today. Following a hunch, we drive toward a tamarisk, and Steve yells "STOP! NIGHTHAWK!" Again, I struggle with the door, but this time, I get out, and there, in full light is the Lesser Nighthawk. But wait, we haven't seen a Burrowing Owl yet. I remind Steve that they like berms here, but I have seen them in flat areas like this one on the right. Almost instantly, Steve spots a Burrowing Owl, a mere lump on a rusty pipe of the same color as the bird. The culvert along the road is supposed to be good for Least Bitterns and such, so we cross it and flush one up, on command!

Wait! What is that BIG thing walking across the road ahead? Ring-necked Pheasant?! Hunters must have stocked them here—today, every bird counts! Well, we don't count the chickens or ostriches in the cages by the fish-farm lake. (Where we stop because I say we still need American Wigeon. And, there in the water, are a pair of them, the only birds in the lake!)

We drive to the north end of the Sea, the Whitewater River delta, and pick up the strangest mixed flock—hundreds of Brant, dozens of Black Skimmers, some varied gulls and terns, Red-necked and Wilson's Phalaropes spinning nearby.

Next, we zoom to Morongo with high hopes, but immediately run into some friends, who tell us that the birding has been pretty lousy. Still, I feel invincible and somehow charmed. I figure that somehow I will pull out the Warblers everyone is missing. After just a few minutes at Morongo, we ticked off an eclectic list, including FLOCKS of Lawrence's Goldfinches, a Mountain Chickadee, Black-headed and Blue Grosbeaks, Brown-crested flycatcher, Phainopepla, and a fleeting Summer Tanager.

So...how does one verify the identity of the birds claimed by the birdathoner? We take the customary course: We both have to see each bird. Heard-only birds don't count. Of course, our luck can't hold, and the wind came up, driving all the birds for cover. We heard House and Cactus Wrens, a California Thrasher, and heartbreakingly, a Yellow-breasted Chat, all of which we couldn't count because of "the rules." Birders are a compulsively honest bunch, usually.

Hanging out at the manager's trailer, we see an amazingly late Cassin's Finch, who should be back up in the mountains by now. Feeling lucky, we take off on the trail. Hoping for a Chat, I trek off the boardwalk, only to slam my shin into it in my search. Bloody and limping, I get some help at the manager's trailer, but decide to take my chances on completing the trip without more medical attention.

After my stumble, and the missed birds, I'm a bit demoralized. We take off toward the higher desert. We cruise through Yucca Valley looking for Road Runners and Scott's Orioles but only get a Brewer's Sparrow. We go up the back way to Big Bear, stop at one of my favorite pinyon-juniper transition zones, pick up a Hutton's Vireo, Gray Flycatcher, Rock Wren, Chipping Sparrow, White-breasted Nuthatch…then to Baldwin Lake. But the lake's been starved of rain. There's no lake and no birds to be seen, until I hear the "zing of a Western Bluebird out the window, get out and tick him off. In a tree by the lake, a Townsend's Solitaire greets us at eye level. We can't get a Robin or a Flicker, but here is a Solitaire! Well, it figures, we get quality when we need quantity. We know now we aren't going to make 150.

We head up to the highest driveable point in the San Bernardino's, Onyx Summit, and hear a Robin singing, but can't find it. Too weary to hike, we drive on to Heart Bar Campground and walk in. We find a noisy Steller Jay, and then a Dusky Flycatcher. I think these were our last birds. I am so tired that I don't have any illusions about seeing that Mountain Quail I hear in the distance. It's time to go home.

Back in Corona, we have a surreal meal at the Denny's restaurant, waiting nearly an hour for our meal, fumbling with orders, and conversations with other customers who think we are attending a NASCAR car racing event.

We get back on the freeway, find ourselves going the wrong way, but we are so "in the zone" that it doesn't matter…and hey, 130 birds ain't so bad…

At the May 4 awards dinner, Chapter Treasurer Bob Shanman announced preliminary results from the 2001 Birdathon. In 24 hours of searching high and low for birds in southern California, the BUSH Whackers observed 130 species, the Wild Bunch 118, and the Wirdbotchers 115. If all pledges are fulfilled, these three teams will have raised $7,000-8,000 for the Chapter. Good work!

On July 7, the American Oceans Campaign will conduct two workshops in Southern California to train activists interested in implementing a network of Marine Protected Areas on the West Coast. Marine Protected Areas are special areas where human disturbance of the ecosystem is limited or prohibited. This important conservation tool has been proven to conserve precious ocean resources and allow threatened fish populations to flourish and replenish the adjacent open areas. The workshops will take place in the Los Angeles/Orange County area on July 7, 2001. For more information about dates and locations, contact AOC's Los Angeles office at (323) 936-8242, or e-mail Leslie Paoletti at lpaoletti@americanoceans.org.

Restoration of South Bay Habitats: We can use your energy and some more equipment! If you are prepared to dig and pull and plant, join PV/SB Audubon's restoration of PV Blue Habitat (every first or second Sunday, 9-noon, at the Defense fuel Support Point, 3171 N. Gaffey, San Pedro). See Calendar for details. We also need shovels, rakes, hand trowels, and clippers. For more information, call Debbie, 722-7777.

Sharing Nature with Children: Spend one Saturday a month, 8:30-12:30, as a docent at Wilderness Park, 1102 Camino Real (near Prospect) in Redondo Beach. Docents help an expert on nature introduce youngsters, ages 6-12, to the park's meadow, woodland, streamside, and marsh habitats and to wildlife and habitats throughout the region Docents help lead the children in games, walks, and crafts designed around each month's special theme. For more information, call Lillian Light at 545-1384.

Audubon YES!: If you are already active with a school or youth group in the area, consider becoming a chapter liaison with Audubon Yes! Audubon Yes! students are the backbone of local restoration projects, and assist with Sharing Nature with Children. They attend Audubon field trips and walks. Students with 50 hours of service receive an Audubon Yes! award. Volunteers encourage participation in Audubon's youth-oriented programs.

Chapter Board: Chapter Board members and officers are needed. The time commitment is a few days a month, and it is a lot of fun! If you would like to become more active in the chapter, please let Jess Morton know at 832-5601.

This page is part of the Palos Verdes/South Bay Audubon Society website.