BIRD'S EYE VIEW WATCHERS FLOCK TO ANNUAL COUNT IN VALLEY PARKS.Byline: Kerry Cavanaugh Staff Writer If you saw a group of people slowly wandering around a San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. park Saturday and staring up the sky, chances are you caught a glimpse of the National Audubon Society's annual Christmas Bird Count The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is a census of birds in the Western Hemisphere, performed annually in the early Northern-hemisphere winter by volunteer birders. The purpose is to provide population data for use in science, especially conservation biology, though many people . The local bird watchers are on a mission to catalog all the winged creatures that make Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. their winter home or a stop on their migrations. Audubon members fanned out through the valley, with bird counts at Chatsworth Reservoir, Hansen Dam, O'Melveny Park in Granada Hills, Pierce College and Limekiln lime·kiln n. A furnace used to reduce naturally occurring forms of calcium carbonate to lime. limekiln Noun a kiln in which calcium carbonate is burned to produce quicklime Noun 1. Canyon. ``This gives a good overview, a spot check, you could say,'' explained Pat Heirs, a Beverly Hills public relations public relations, activities and policies used to create public interest in a person, idea, product, institution, or business establishment. By its nature, public relations is devoted to serving particular interests by presenting them to the public in the most specialist who was out counting birds at Sepulveda Basin. It was her third Christmas Bird Count of the year. The Lancaster and Malibu Audubon chapters held their counts earlier this month. The results from these counts are collected by the Audubon Society and the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a laboratory dedicated to research in the field of ornithology at Cornell University. The lab is focused on the understanding and conservation of birds, but also does research, more generally, on biological diversity; specific programs include in New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of and used to track bird populations. The data can tell researchers where birds are losing habitat and where there may be an environmental threat, such as water contamination. California Department of Fish and Game habitat conservation biologists often look to the Christmas Bird Count results to spot long-term trends that could prompt more in-depth investigation. Citizen-scientist role aside, most participants out Saturday morning were pleased to simply look for birds. ``It's addictive once you start learning a few birds,'' said Dave Eisenberg, a math coach and teacher living in Glendale. He's only been seriously eyeing birds for five months, but the thrill of the hunt has hooked him. There, across the pond tucked between the reeds, can it be? Yes. The elusive American bittern bittern, common name for migratory marsh birds of the family Ardeidae (heron family). The American bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus), often called "stake driver" because of a territorial male's booming call in the spring, is widely distributed in E North America. . The wading bird has streaked brown plumage plumage, of birds: see feathers. , and, when it feels threatened, it stands with its bill pointing up and sways side to side to blend into the surrounding reeds. It's a rare find. ``I've been waiting a long time to see a bittern,'' Eisenberg said happily. Eisenberg and Heirs were two of a handful of bird counters at Sepulveda Basin early Saturday morning. Mist still hovered over the ponds, few cars traveled the park roads and flocks of birds broke across the sky by the minute. ``The best way to do this is to get up early and see what gets up with the sun,'' explained Kris Ohlenkamp, a longtime birder and leader of the counting group. Armed with binoculars and one high-powered scope, the group set to counting. There were dozens of yellow-rumped warblers. A colony of Western meadow larks, prized for their beautiful spring song, hopped around the scrub. A majestic great egret held court on the pond bank. Bird watching is all about patience, the experienced birders said. It takes patience to learn where to look and listen for birds. It takes patience to train a pair of binoculars on a flitting flit intr.v. flit·ted, flit·ting, flits 1. To move about rapidly and nimbly. 2. To move quickly from one condition or location to another. n. 1. A fluttering or darting movement. creature the size of a golf ball. It's worth it, Heirs said. She's been bird watching for several years now, and it's a welcome contrast to the office working world. ``The nice thing about birding is it makes you so much more aware of nature. You hear a tweet, and it perks you up.'' CAPTION(S): 3 photos Photo: (1 -- 2) A bird, top right, sits exposed on a high pine bough, fair game for watchers counting his number for the Audubon Society. One of the watchers, above, glances through a pair of binoculars while silhouetted by the rising sun. (3) Bird watchers look to the skies at the Christmas bird count at Sepulveda Basin. Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News |
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