You have probably seen them. Shirley Turner at Madrona Marsh. Jeannie Bellemen at the Alondra Park Island. Allen Franz at…well, at lots of places! The Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy (PVPLC) has Steve Heyn and others working at the Chandler site and their other Preserves. They can be spotted at the El Segundo Dunes, at the Navy Fuel Depot, maybe even over your backyard fence. Debbie Baker is heading up a regular work party which includes, among others, a whole slew of us who at one time or another had a vision of what Ken Malloy/Harbor Regional Park might (once again) be. They include folks like those who comprise Tree People and Rhapsody in Green. These are the Habitat Reconstructors, the people who personify the "think globally, act locally" ethic, even if they have never quite heard it phrased that way.

For me, re-creating a home for our local birds and other animals to occupy has become as rewarding as spotting those increasingly rare creatures. In some ways, even more so, for I can tell myself that perhaps, even after I am gone, those species will continue to thrive!

I have been teaching seventh grade science at Chadwick School for 16 years, and during that time, I have seen birds diminish in numbers on that lovely, shrub and tree-rich campus setting. The Golden-crowned and even White-throated Sparrows, Hermit and even Varied thrushes, Spotted Towhees, kinglets and warblers, orioles and sapsuckers that I once saw regularly are gone or vastly diminished in numbers, replaced by crows, ravens, starlings, eastern fox squirrels, and omnipresent tree-butchering crews. There are still some interesting visitors and even breeders on campus—two years ago, 30 Red Crossbills drank at my classroom fountain, and this year I documented a family of Red-breasted Nuthatches successfully fledging young on campus!

Years ago, I got into the habit of taking daily healing and restorative walks during my breaks, down the canyon adjacent to my school. Over the years, I accumulated a rather eclectic (at least for this area) list of bird sightings, including Long-eared Owl, Steller's Jay, Mountain Chickadee and White-headed Woodpecker. But it was the Coastal Sage Scrub species that had become my regular "friends" and whose company provided a pleasant, quieter and less demanding counterpoint to my daily dose of seventh graders. And yet, I was watching their numbers decline as invasive species, horse manure, yard waste and trimmings from neighbors, storm drain trash and all the other consequences of unbridled development took their toll.

Initially, I started bringing my Ecology Club student volunteers down to the canyon to remove castor beans plants. Organizing these working parties was easier than getting vans for field trips or scheduling guest speakers. And the boys, at least, loved the opportunity for physical activity that involved little cerebral effort and was constructively destructive!

After several years of this, we actually started to get on top of that evil weed and I started to develop a vision of what our degraded canyon could become. My students and I began planting seeds, cuttings, or plants that we gathered here and there (the girls, generally, could relate more to these less destructive activities!). We rediscovered and cleared trails that some of my colleagues and I at various times had cleared, intending to create a natural trail network through the 12 acres of undeveloped habitat owned by the school. I decided that I needed the school's help and cooperation if this were going to be a meaningful project. With funds raised through candy and note card sales, we were able to hire local plant expert Angelika Busi to prepare a vegetation map and habitat plan for the canyon. After years of effort, the Chadwick Canyon Habitat Restoration Project is well underway!

Chadwick Canyon is already used in a wide variety of ways by the school faculty. The cross country team trains there. The kindergartners and first graders hike there regularly, watch plants grow and even plant their own native plants, monitor and study and even "adopt" the plants and animals and ecosystems in a way that will allow them to maintain continuity and connection with the canyon's treasures through their senior high school year at the school. Some of the art teachers bring students into the canyon, and I envision English teachers using the canyon for poetry and creative writing inspiration. My seventh graders study ecology, botany, and of course a bit of ornithology in the canyon, and this year they did the bulk of the groundwork for an illustrated dichotomous key to 53 of the most commonly observed plants in the canyon. An exceptionally rewarding part of the project is the component that involves creation of a Coast Live Oak woodland habitat along a portion of the canyon slopes adjacent to the perimeter drive, which also serves as a memorial to two beloved outdoor instructors who were lost in a tragic accident several years ago.

This year, a former student completed his Eagle Scout project in the heart of the canyon, which includes a shaded display/bench/shelter. There, we are now planting a demonstration garden of the plants that we are using in the restoration effort. Besides purchasing plants from Tony Baker, the Master Gardener of Coastal Sage Scrub species, We have also been obtaining surplus plants which were raised at the Navy Depot for projects such as the Ocean Trails restoration effort and donated to us by the PVPLC. A "hard corps" volunteer group consisting of 7th through 12th graders is working with me this summer to expand irrigation systems, pull and cut weeds, and plant new plants. Looking at our lovely recovering slopes, it is hard to imagine that they were once weedy wastelands of castor bean, wild radish, fennel and European grasses. One now sees expanding colonies of coast sagebrush, purple sage, coyote bush and bush sunflower, interspersed with colorful flowering species of annuals, biennials, and perennial shrubs….with willows, mule fat, and oak trees, some of which were sprouted from acorns by first graders, reaching toward the sky along the trail bottom.

We hope to hire the LA Conservation Corps to construct a professional-grade, safe and secure trail system through much of the 12 acres of habitat. Plants, tools, irrigation lines, trail markers and booklets— all of these are costly, considering the scope of the project. Candy sales are helpful, but insufficient to allow us to move ahead at a rate which will allow optimal success. The school has assisted me in seeking grant money for the project, but to date none of our efforts have been successful. Thus I feel extreme gratitude to PV/South Bay Audubon and my sponsors, many of whom are reading this, for supporting me in devoting my team's entire proceeds from our Birdathon 2001 to my Chadwick Canyon Restoration Project.

By the time the oak seedlings lovingly raised and planted by the kindergartners at Chadwick are thriving trees, I will no longer exist in human form. But that is besides the point. Perhaps the nitrogen in my ashes will be providing the building blocks to be converted into chorophyll, nucleic acids and proteins in an oak tree. The tree's leaves might be grazed by a caterpillar, which in turn will provide sustenance for our endemic sordida race Orange-crowned Warbler, whose populations will still be thriving. That alone would make it all worthwhile!

*NOTE-Chadwick Canyon is directly accessible to students and campus residents from campus, but always accessible to the public via the bridle trail off PV (Palos Verdes) Drive North, just west of Academy Drive. Park in the lot at the Rolling Hills Estates City Hall at Crenshaw Blvd. and PV Drive N. and cross the latter by foot to get to the trailhead. Bear left up the canyon, after a mile you will reach the restoration area. If you would like to help Martin Byhower with the restoration efforts, during the summer or school year, contact him at mbinrbc@aol.com, or 310-541-6763 x 4143.

The long-neglected former coastal defense site above White Point in San Pedro is beginning a new life, as a nature preserve! The 102-acre parcel, which overlooks the coast near the intersection of Western Avenue and Paseo Del Mar, was last officially used as a gun emplacement and Nike missile base. The site has been abandoned for the last 25 years. Now, hundreds of newly-planted encelia, sage, buckwheat, sagebrush, dudleya, needlegrass, and over a dozen other species of native plants are growing and flowering on the site!

The story behind this development is convoluted, but illustrates the process through which a local community can organize to achieve its goals_in this case, creation of a public park/nature preserve. The White Point parcel was deeded to the city when its military use ended in the 1970s. The site stagnated for twenty-five years as the city waited for competing interests to agree on land use plans; different factions advocated a golf course, athletic fields, residential or commercial development, a dog park, a state park with camping facilities, and other options. In 1999, thanks to the efforts of community activists like Leah Marinkovich, an organization called the Friends of White Point was formed. The group succeeded in persuading Los Angeles City Councilman Rudy Svornich to finally resolve city plans for the site. Svornich appointed a citizens' committee, headed by south San Pedro residents Vern Hall and Noel Park. The committee held public meetings and hammered out a plan reflecting the priorities of the majority of participants in the process, particularly those from the surrounding neighborhoods: creation of a natural open space preserve.

To coordinate development of the new preserve, the citizens' committee recommended involving the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy as a management partner. This proposal was particularly appealing to the city, because it would reduce the city's costs in the project. The land conservancy owns and manages several other sites around the peninsula, including the Chandler and Lunada Canyon Preserves. As a result of its experience with these properties, the land conservancy has been able to promote and coordinate volunteer participation in restoration projects, and has achieved some success in securing grants and other sources of funding.

The City's Department of Parks and Recreation and the City Council endorsed the committee's plan. The city and the land conservancy then formed the White Point Steering Committee. Under the guidance of Loren Deroy, who had previously guided the development of the George F Canyon Nature Center and Preserve in Rolling Hills Estates, the Steering Committee has been meeting since May 2000 to work out details of a master plan that will coordinate everything from fencing and parking to trails, site interpretation and educational programs.

The most obvious evidence of the site's new destiny is the restoration work that has been done over the last year and a half. The local community, the land conservancy, Audubon YES! students, and other groups and individuals have participated in a series of volunteer site cleanups and planting events. The first round of plantings was carried out in the winter of 1999-2000, near the intersection of Paseo del Mar and Weymouth at the southeast corner of the site. A larger area fronting on Paseo del Mar has been planted this past winter, and boulders and an irrigation system have been installed.

There is still much work to be done in transforming the site into a public-access nature preserve. Cleanup/restoration events are held from 8:00 to 12:00 on the final Saturday of most months. Anyone interested in joining the effort is invited to contact Loren Deroy at 541-7613 or Lorend@home.com. Most of the site is still dominated by invasive exotic plants, but if we all pitch in this can become an inspiring, as well as educational, resource for the South Bay!

Like a growing number of other open spaces in the South Bay and beyond, White Point Preserve is being restored to a reasonable approximation of its "natural state." No one intends to bring back grizzly bears and mountain lions in the South Bay, but there are still some areas large enough to establish or preserve modest ecosystems of plants, birds, small mammals, reptiles, and a long roster of invertebrates. Since all animals depend on plants for food, establishing the appropriate kinds of plant community is a prerequisite for the establishment of native animals and other organisms.

There are still a considerable number of native animals in the South Bay. While some of them are general purpose scavengers like raccoons and opossums, a great many more are more specialized_and as a consequence more vulnerable. For instance, many people are familiar with the Monarch Butterfly larvae's specialized predation on Milkweed (Asclepius) plants. Three local blue butterflies illustrate similar patterns of specialization. As many Audubon YES! participants know, the larvae of the El Segundo Blue Butterfly feed only on one particular species of buckwheat_Eriogonum parvifolium_that grows on dunes and bluffs from El Segundo to White Point. The larvae of the Palos Verdes Blue Butterfly feed only on two related legumes, rattle weed (Astragalus) and deerweed (Lotus). The Pygmy Blue Butterflies are partial to saltbush (Atriplex) and related chenopods.

In the same way, many bird species, such as the coastal Cactus Wren and California Gnatcatcher, prefer to nest in, and forage around, particular coastal sage scrub plants. Numerous other examples of specialized ecological niches have been documented in local habitats

Exotic or nonnative organisms are not evil and immoral, but they are a significant problem in many undeveloped areas where they often prey on, parasitize, or compete with the native species.

Surprisingly, nonnatives often thrive precisely because of the adaptive specialization of most native organisms in their ecological niches. Over the millennia, native species have developed adaptations specific to their ecological niches; for example, animals acquire the capacity to disarm or neutralize the defenses—from needles to chemical toxin—of food plants in their habitat. As a result, these animals are able to eat or parasitize plants, which has the effect of controlling the plants' populations.

Introduced exotic plants, on the other hand, are taken away from their natural predators and parasites, and delivered to a brave new world where potential enemies are less likely to be able to overcome their defenses. As a result, exotic plants often can grow and propagate aggressively. Many of our area's most successful exotics, like dandelions, mustard, fennel, tumble weed, or wild oats, are classic weeds —that is, they thrive in disturbed soils, grow rapidly, and produce vast numbers of seeds. Those characteristics enable them to spread rapidly here_in sharp contrast to their homelands, where their populations have been held in balance by predators and parasites.

As California approaches the limits of its water supply, native plants will be increasingly appreciated for their adaptations to local soil and water conditions. While most exotics require a steady regimen of water, fertilizers, and other amendments to maintain a cosmetically appealing appearance, natives typically thrive on neglect, since they have evolved over millennia to live in local conditions without extensive coddling. Natives are also better adapted to the range of extremes in climate; nonnatives may thrive in better years, but suffer population crashes in years of extreme rains or drought. Numerous studies have shown that natural, native ecosystems are more productive and efficient in utilizing available energy and nutrients and maintaining more stable populations. For those who appreciate native fauna, indigenous plants are generally also more likely to support a range of native birds, butterflies, and other creatures.

A related concern in much of California is fire hazard. Many of the most successful invasive nonnative plants are annuals_plants like mustard and wild oats (and other introduced grasses) that germinate, grow, reproduce, and die all within the space of a few months during and after our brief rainy season. Through the summer and fall_the fire season_these plants are dry fuel waiting for a spark. This is not to say that native plants are not flammable, only that more of them are perennials that live more than a year and retain moisture, making many of them at least somewhat more fire resistant. Since wildland fires can significantly increase soil erosion, stream sedimentation, and other problems, these are yet more reasons to prefer natives.

Another selfish, anthropocentric reason for preserving native species, especially plants, is to preserve biological and genetic diversity as a resource for potential human benefit. Food crops, fibers, pharmaceuticals, and other consumable goods depend largely on preservation of the specialized adaptations encoded in the genes of wild species. As Aldo Leopold observed, the first rule of intelligent tinkering is to save all the pieces; yet in our landscape management, we are haphazardly destroying biological resources without a thought to their potential value.

While some may view humankind's wants and needs as the ultimate measure of value for all else, and thus the most compelling justification for preserving biological resources, for others there is a more fundamental rationale, an inherent right of all life forms to simply live. What right do we have to wipe out whole species of living organisms? For secular thinkers, wild species are marvels of evolutionary adaptation to the myriad challenges of a complex planet. For religious-minded people, nature can be treasured as God's creation; if it was God's intent to create the world as it is, isn't it extraordinarily arrogant of us to wantonly destroy it?

Many of us had the good fortune of growing up in times or places in which it was easier to enjoy wild areas and wild creatures, members of a magical living community far different than our human societies. It will be a tragic loss if the only "wildlife" our children know are weeds, ants, and other exotic urban pests! And that is one more reason to pitch in and help restore our remaining open areas, and consider planting natives in and around our homes.

In the last decade especially, conservationists have increased their efforts to restore habitats that have been damaged by development. This issue of Hummin' features two articles about some of the restoration efforts in which the Palos Verdes/South Bay Audubon Society has been involved.

A year has passed since our Audubon chapter adopted its strategic plan. In that year, most short-term goals have been reached and significant progress has been made toward many longer-term goals. We have achieved much. However, while I sense we are working at the limits of our capacity, there is much more to do. Therefore, this year, we must concentrate on building the capacity we need to leap forward. We need a permanent operations staff to make the most of our many volunteers' efforts and to tackle the jobs no one else does. And we need to find permanent funding sources for these positions.

In looking back over the year, it is hard to pick out a single highlight. I won't try. Rather, let's review some accomplishments. Then you can decide for yourself.

Many of our achievements relate to our principal long-term goals for Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park. Outstanding was the graduation of our first class of Audubon Naturalists. Teachers Holly Gray and Debbie Baker did a superb job designing and running the program, which trains neighborhood youngsters to act as teaching assistants for our "Audubon in the Park" program. Most of the graduates are enthusiastic veterans of our last two summer education programs.

Important progress has been made in our other commitments to Harbor Park, as well. Work is on schedule to complete the Master Plan revision that will lay out park policy for the future. Funding for the Audubon Natural Heritage Center is actively being sought, thanks to Audubon~California and Heather Morton, who is doing fabulous work as our new Development Director.

The whole Baker family is to be thanked. Tony, for getting our coastal sage scrub revegetation project under way, and Debbie and Holly for marshalling the Audubon YES! volunteers who put in so many hours clearing and planting. Martin Byhower, who chairs our Harbor Park Committee, has played a major role in this activity, and leads our monthly walks there, as well. Ace birder Mitch Heindel's breeding bird survey work continues to be valuable for park management decisions.

Debbie Baker, our Education Director, must be singled out for high honors. Her Audubon in the Park program got rave reviews from teachers and kids alike, as they moved from station to station, learning about the birds, plants and animals at Harbor Park—and how to protect them. This year, with the help of her Audubon Naturalists, classrooms from nearby schools will get to spend an entire day at the park as part of an expanded Audubon in the Park program. If all goes well, around 2,000 local kids will discover Harbor Park, even though they may have been there before. Debbie has also played a key role with the new Audubon YES! Council, helping young environmental activists define their role in the community. The Audubon YES! Council Award, recently devised by the young people themselves, is a virtual call for action and achievement.

If the majority of our financial resources goes toward education, we do not lose sight of the fact that conservation is central to our mission. I think the Conservation Awards Banquet last May, where we honored thirty people for their efforts, underscores that commitment, especially in preparing the next generation of conservation activists. But the elder generation has been doing okay, too. In addition to taking stands on a score of regional and national issues, Lillian Light's Conservation Committee is having an increasing effect locally. For instance, it was chapter action that brought to light plans to build a coastal dike off Palos Verdes—now little more than a memory. Also, Committee members serve on several local decision-making and advisory boards.

Audubon has taken on a leading role in a region-wide effort to bring a watershed management plan to the South Bay. Its benefits to Harbor Park will be enormous, if we can keep the planning on track. To aid this process, we will cosponsor a watershed forum with the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium later this year.

Birds are an important part of what Audubon does, too. Between them, Martin Byhower, Ollie Coker, Georgene Foster, Margaret Hoggan and Bob Shanman, our informative and entertaining bird walk leaders, conduct up to six walks a month. Add in the incomparable classes and walks of Ann and Eric Brooks, and you could easily average a couple of bird sessions a week under expert Audubon leadership.

I could continue, but won't, other than to list a few of our other chapter activities so I can thank the volunteers who make them a reality. For reading, there is our informative newsletter, Hummin', so ably produced by Mike Weber, and for pure entertainment, our monthly programs, Bob Carr's great contribution to the cause. Sharing Nature With Children, the forerunner of Audubon in the Park, is Lillian Light's innovative children's education program. My own program, Audubon YES! puts the environment in the hands of hundreds of students each year.

Clearly, Audubon's role in the community is already large. Yet, it is growing. Audubon in the Park is about to boil over. Audubon YES! action may double this year. The forum will challenge us. Our commitments and responsibilities at Harbor Park are growing: we will do much more restoration work; partnerships with Harbor College are maturing, and our Natural Heritage Center work will require staffing. Our conservation work, in the harsh light of today's politics, will have to be more diligent than ever just to avoid moving backwards.

This year, our Audubon chapter will change. The all-volunteer status of the past is inadequate to our needs. We will become an organization that capitalizes on the benefits of both paid and unpaid workers. The change may not be easy, and funding the new Audubon certainly will not be. What is certain is that we will need your help, moral, physical and financial.

Overall I'd characterize the spring migration as a bit slow, with no mega fallouts. While we did have excellent marine layers, there was too much westerly component to the airflow, which keeps migrants east of us. Notable numbers of migrants were recorded locally at all the "green-spots" on May 1-2, again May 16, and the last sizeable push was May 21-22. Total vagrant or rarities recorded was however right on or about the normal few in spring.

Statewide influxes this spring of Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Northern Parula (Warbler), and Indigo Bunting were all reflected here locally. Interestingly San Diego and Santa Barbara had very good springs: It seems to me that when they're hot, we're not, and vice versa...spring or fall.

And of course our spring migration overlaps with increased intensity of local breeding. Many birds are fledging young as the last of the migrants pass through. So there is always something to look for, even if there is no major fallout occurring. How `bout some bird word, eh?

Stunningly spectacular was an alternate (breeding) plumaged Eared Grebe at Harbor Park (HP) on June 3 (Mitch Heindel- MH). I know of no June records in recent times locally. For the first time we know of, Great Blue Heron nested at HP! A Heronry would sure be neat thing to get goin' there! A White-faced Ibis flew over Torr. 6/24 (MH). Turkey Vultures trickle through in small numbers each spring, a few lone birds are seen. Late April to late May sometimes early June. Three or four were seen this year.

Again several pairs of Gadwall are summering at HP, but I've found no Teal doing such so far...quite the opposite of past years. Holly Gray saw an Oldsquaw (Long-tailed Duck) at Cabrillo Bch (CB) 5/24, a very late date for the species locally.

Cooper's and Red-shouldered Hawks are seemingly nesting everywhere there's a good patch of trees. Remember: Sharpies are essentially absent from May to October locally. Coops are common year-round. A Sharpy at Geo.F.Cyn. 4/15 was the last this spring (MH & Barney Schlinger). Unbelieveable was a Merlin over HP on 7/1, the same date I had one in Torrance last year!!!

Common Moorhen (Gallinule) never cease to amaze.... Whilst I couldn't locate one all spring at HP, an adult showed up June 29, which I must presume to be an early fall migrant. They have nested at the park this decade, and are so incredibly secretive when doing so, they are nearly impossible to detect, save by voice at night, when mosquito surveys are best conducted.

As usual we had several alternate plumaged (spotted) Spotted Sandpipers at HP in late May. I can't help but wonder whether they would breed, if we had some sand or gravel islets. April 22, 14 Long-billed Dowitchers and a Greater Yellowlegs were refueling at Wilmington Drain in the muddy creek-edge. Martin Byhower (MB) had 3 Snowy Plovers in Manhattan Bch. on 7/2, an early date for fall returnees.

Though I saw no details, the Western Tanager (LAAS) reported a Franklin's Gull over San Pedro May 2 (Ed Stonick). Bernardo Alps reported 2 Sabine's Gulls about a mile outside Queens Gate, on May 11. Probably could have gotten them from Pt.Fermin a few minutes later.... David Moody (DM) still had two Black-legged Kittiwatkes at CB on 6/5. A Royal Tern flew over my hovel in Torrance on May 13! A first-summer Common Tern was at HP on 5/2. SIX endangered Least Terns were at HP 5/26. Almost seems like they want to make sure it's still there when they return, before they go set up housekeeping to breed. Flying around displaying, with fish in their beaks, calling, etc.. A Xantus's Murrelet was near Redondo Canyon on the LAAS pelagic boat trip 5/6(Kevin Larson).

I saw 4 Black Swifts from Averill Pk., over San Pedro on 5/12, and DM saw one each over Madrona Marsh (MM), and Wilderness Pk. (WP) on 5/21. We almost expect them now! Downy Woodpecker is another species whose recolonization seems fairly thorough and complete, though the pair that had been at Banning Pk. (BP) a couple years seems to have departed, or became Cooper's Hawk food....

Willow Flycatchers are very late migrants, usually not showing up until after mid-May. This year Jerry Johnson had one in his San Pedro yard 5/20, DM had one at MM 5/21, and I saw one at BP 5/22. This well illustrates the typical arrival period of this species. MB had one in his Redondo yard 5/29. They often occur through the first third of June. At WP on 5/16 DM had an Empidonax giving a hard emphatic....May 13-17 a tardy female Hammond's Flycatcher was at WP (MH, DM, et.al.). A pair of Ash-throated Flycatchers spent 10 days at BP in early June, apparently nest-site prospecting.

Many Plumbeous Vireos were reported this spring. Too many! Few realize how grayish a dull worn Cassin's Vireo can be in spring. Like many Empidonaces, they are quite green and yellow in fall and or winter, but wear dull and gray, quite colorless by spring. Plumbeous Vireo is rare here in spring. DM had a late Cassin's Vireo at MM on 5/17. Real exciting was a Red-eyed Vireo singing all day June 12 here at my Torrance hovel.

I saw what had to be the same melanistic Northern Rough-winged Swallow that I saw at HP last year in mid-late June. Hoardes of nearby nesting Barn, Cliff, and Rough-wings use the park all summer. It is critical to them fledging their young. Phenomenal was MB finally finding freshly fledged Red-breasted Nuthatches at Chadwick on 6/2! Apparently three young were raised, the first known peninsula nesting since the 1970's! Fantastic job, Martin!

Ah, and now for those oh-so-lovely wood-warblers. I count 13 species seen this spring, with Tennessee and N.Parula the only vagrants found. A couple of our normal "top producers" though were not around this spring (or not reporting), so surely a few more went by undetected. A couple of Tennessee Warblers were reported. I must again caution y'all about juvenile sordida Orange-crowneds. They can very closely approach TN in appearance, and are not depicted in any guide. The dispersing juveniles from "the hill" appear at local parks (BP, WP, HP, etc.) in May. DM reported a TN at MM 5/28 and MB reported one at BP 5/19. A male Northern Parula was singing at Leland Pk., San Pedro on 5/22 (MH). NO Black & Whites were reported! Yellow-breasted Chat was at SCBG 5/16 (Margaret Hoggan), and at HP in late May again.

Vincent Neuman reported a Black-chinned Sparrow at Friendship Pk. (S.Pedro) 5/27. Robert Barry videoed a singing male Rose-breasted Grosbeak in Walteria (Torr.) on 5/16 (fide Bob Shanman), and I saw a female in BP on 5/22. Indigo Buntings made a good showing with first DM finding one singing at MM 5/15-19. May 16 I found another imm. male (as DM'S was) at BP. One flew over my hovel calling 5/21, and amazingly another did so, going SW on 6/26! At least four were seen then...WOW !!!

6/29 I found about 20 freshly fledged juvenile Tricolored Blackbirds at HP, about half or less of the crop we've been used to lately. Two lone single Western Meadowlarks were reported "in the circle" this May. One by DM at MM, and another in the last field left on Western, N. of Torrance Blvd., by John Small. They used to nest in this field, and perhaps did again this year. The pair which nested at Ascot last year inherited an auto auction parking lot.... It's a sad day when we have to go drive somewhere to hear the song of the meadowlark. The Great-tailed Grackle explosion at HP continues, and I suspect nearly a hundred young will fledge from the site this year.....YECH!!! Which species will the grackles push out first? Monitoring is critical to assess what occurrs to local natives as a result of such invasions....

In the out of the area but out of this world department.... The first positive record ever in the U.S. of a Nazca Booby (recently split from Masked) occurred in San Diego in June. And the first lower 48 record ever of an Eyebrowed Thrush occurred in the Kern Co. desert on May 28. Guess we all missed it last fall as it passed by! Incidentally, experts have identified the bird reported in Hummin' about 6 years ago at Banning Park, as an aberrant Robin. Have a look at it yourself at: http://www.angelfire.com/ca5/pelagics/mysteries2.html.

So, you should be gathering all the breeding dates, and evidence you can. Dates of fledging, dates of renest attempts, all help fill in the blanks. Anything you can send me would be greatly appreciated! By July, of course, southbound fall-migrant shorebirds are returning and the LA River is a great place to see them. The access at Willow St. Is now on the North side of willow, not the south. Go north at Golden just east of the river, and take the first left down to the embankment and access. The native grass revegetation looks awesome along the river. Rare sparrows, here we come! The shorebirds are great through August and September, and even into October.

Seabird watching can be great on hot summer days from the points where there is still a cooler breeze. And remember, many of the regular western migrants are moving in August, and peak in September (before your next Hummin'), so if you wait to October, you've missed them. Whatever you do, go have some fun afield!! Send sightings to: birdfish@earthlink.net.

And remember to think global, bird local!

Many actions of the present administration have amounted to an all-out war on environmental progress. President Bush has reneged on a campaign pledge to restrict carbon emissions from power plants, abandoned the Kyoto climate change treaty, reinstated limitations on international family planning funding, called for more than 2 billion dollars in budget cuts for environmental and natural resource spending, and is circumventing existing protections as he pursues oil and gas production in our wildlife refuges and national monuments. It is imperative that we work on moving this administration toward a more politically viable conservation ethic. To do this, let us join together in an Environmental Protection Computer Network by sending your E mail address (or phone number) to Lillian Light at lklight@aol.com. We will contact each other when conservation issues demand action. With your participation we can reverse some of the more egregious edicts and work to restore safe standards for arsenic in our drinking water, protect the 21 new National Monuments that President Clinton created, and save the Roadless Area Conservation Rule that is now under attack.

On January 12, 2001, the U S Forest Service (USFS) issued the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, protecting the last 58.5 million acres of wild roadless areas in our national forests from most logging and road building. These pristine areas are important because they are among the last of our large undisturbed landscapes. They provide clean, clear drinking water, the highest quality fish and wildlife habitat, and highly desirable backcountry recreation sites. Whether or not to build roads into roadless areas has been a contentious forest-planning question for many years, and this rule puts these conflicts to rest in a balanced, fiscally responsible, and very popular resolution of the issue.

Nevertheless, the future of roadless areas is still in doubt. After initially postponing the rule on May 4th, the Bush administration finally indicated that it would let the rule stand with some amendments. Agriculture Secretary, Ann Veneman, has said that she would like more local input, and may allow for decisions on a forest-by-forest basis. Dale Bosworth, the USFS Chief, has made public statements indicating that he is open to rewriting the rule so that authority over roadbuilding and logging in wild areas would revert to individual forest supervisors.

Because road building was fragmenting habitat, increasing erosion, and costing taxpayers too much money, there was a lot of support for the rule. A national response was needed because commercial logging was decimating our national forests. Deciding on a case-by-case basis undermines the rule, giving lumber companies much more clout and more logging access.

The Roadless Area Conservation Rule was the culmination of more than two decades of public debate and three years of focused discussion about the fate of our remaining wild public forests. The U S Forest Service held over 600 public meetings and hearings in all of the Forest Service regions. 1.6 million Americans submitted comments during the official public comment period. More than 95% of them supported strong protection for roadless areas. According to the US Department of Agriculture,"Never before have the American people so actively participated in helping to decide how their public lands should be managed."

You and I, as well as the majority of Americans who sent comments, do not want the rule and the debate reopened. The rule has absolutely no effect on the more than 50% of national forest lands already open to commercial use and other development. The current rule allows removal of trees from roadless areas to reduce fire risks, and allows new roads for development and expansion of operations in wild areas under existing or reissued mineral leases. It also allows access for hunting, fishing, motorized recreation, inholders, and anyone with preexisting access rights. This rule balances numerous competing interests, and should not be subjected to a whole new round of public comment.

Please write to Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth and urge him to protect wild forests by immediately and fully implementing the Roadless Area Conservation Rule as finalized in January, 2001.Ask him to oppose all efforts to weaken or undermine forest protection.

• Forest Service Chief, Dale Bosworth
• USDA-Forest Service
• PO Box 96090
• Washington, DC 20090
• Dbosworth@fs.fed.us
• Fax: 202-205 1610

At its annual meeting this year, Wild Birds Unlimited awarded its Friend to the Environment Award to Bob Shanman, owner of the Torrance Wild Birds Limited and member of the Chapter's Board of Directors. The award recognized Bob's tireless efforts in support of the Chapter and other environmental restoration and education activities in the South Bay. Congratulations, Bob!

Bob isn't stopping to catch his breath either! Once again, Bob is coordinating donations to supply the South Bay Wildlife Rehab with food for the raptors that it is rehabilitating. If you get a chance, drop by Wild Birds Unlimited in the Rolling Hills Plaza and drop off a check to support this worthy cause.

Nominations are now open for the Chapter-selected candidate from the Western Region to the National Audubon Society Board of Directors. Any Chapter in the Western Region may nominate one candidate for the Board this fall and winter. The election to choose the candidate will be held in the spring of 2002.

Nominees must be willing and able to:

• --help set overall national policies;
• --articulate the issues and concerns of the Western Region;
• --participate in fundraising, and maintain the fiscal integrity of National Audubon Society;
• --attend four Board meetings per year, each three days in length; and
• --fill the position for the next three years, beginning in December 2002.

Contact a Chapter officer with your suggestions. The nomination from our Chapter must be sent to the Chapter Services Office by January 31, 2002.

The June/July issue of Hummin' failed to acknowledge Mitch Heindel as author of the "Birds of the Peninsula" column. My apologies, again, Mitch!

Try as we might, it's sometimes difficult to get Hummin'to our readers before the first of the month. Sometimes, the editor overschedules the rest of his life and is late in editing and producing the final artwork. Sometimes, the Postal Service is slower in delivering the newsletter than we would like. Whatever the reason—we thank you for your patience.

As humans, we enjoy being social. That's proper because we should make this a happy world in which to live, and not a world of hatred and combat. There are also insects that live a social life. Among them are ants, bees, and wasps. Despite their social lives, some of those insects do indeed conflict. Unfortunately, some humans do, also.

Argentine ants, for example, live no only in their native Argentina, but also in areas near the Mediterranean, California, and elsewhere of acceptable climate. Argentine ants often migrate to new sites, where their population grows rapidly. In some cases, they migrate away from groups of their own species that frequently battle. While colonies of cooperative ants don't fight with each other, they do fight with, and overcome, native California ants, for example. Yes, such Argentine ants do not tolerate other ants. Among colonies of Argentine ants in various places, including California, colonies of genetically-related ones have often been peaceful with each other. It has been found that peaceful ants have undergone genetic changes that foster more cooperative attitudes. Yes, as with humans, they agreed on a peace settlement.

Within an ant colony, workers coordinate in creating their home, in seeking and bringing food for their colony, and other essential tasks. One of the most remarkable abilities of ants, as of bees and birds, for instance, is finding and remembering the best route to a source of food. Some ants emit a pheromone along the trail to the food, thus making it easy for the pheromoneplacers and for their colony-mates to find the trail again. Often, these trails are the shortest route to and from the ants' nest. Occasionally, a trail is longer if it was the first one found and marked with pheromones. (People often seek the shortest route somewhere, too!)

Bees, as we know, repeatedly go to their food sources, and they dance at their hives to notify their friends and relatives where the foods are. The big honeybees of the species Apis dorsata migrate seasonally. However, they continually are able to locate their food sites and their home sites. The purpose of their seasonal migration is to be close to nectar-producing flowers blooms. When the season changes, they return to their previous home site (proving that they have good memories despite their small brain sizes). All the time, they loyally kept their queen bee with them during their migrations. Queen bees are often able to be alive for more than three years. It seems that the honeybees desire to return to their previous home, rather than create a new home in a new location, often on or near what is known as a bee tree. As with the aforementioned ants, bees are dependent on their genes to be able to travel successfully.

In seeking food, many honeybees travel up to six miles from their hive. Initially, such bees fly over many areas, in order to identify and remember which areas contain desirable food sources.

A lady named Dee lives not far from my home. So, if I happen to meet her when I'm near her home, and if I see an insect removing nectar from a flower when I'm with her, I could use the first four letters of the alphabet to ask her if she's noticed that insect, "A b, c D?".

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.

The Palos Verdes/South Bay Audubon

Society and the National Audubon Society, of which PV/SB Audubon is the local chapter, are dedicated to the understanding and preservation of our natural heritage.

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