CAMPUS TOUR IS FOR THE BIRDS.Byline: Don Holland Staff Writer A red-capped woodpecker woodpecker, common name for members of the Picidae, a large family of climbing birds found in most parts of the world. Woodpeckers typically have sharp, chisellike bills for pecking holes in tree trunks, and long, barbed, extensible tongues with which they impale looks for breakfast as a titmouse titmouse, common name for members of the Paridae, a family of passerine birds, which includes the tits, titmice, and chickadees. They are small, active birds with short, pointed bills and strong legs. sounds his alarm through the gently rolling oak woodlands of Soka University Soka University (創価大学, Sōka Daigaku) is a private university located in Hachiōji, Tokyo, Japan. The school was founded in 1969 and opened to undergraduate students in 1971 and opened a graduate school in 1975. . Bzzzzzzzt. Bzzzzzzzt, calls the titmouse as human intruders approach. But the bird's concern is misplaced mis·place tr.v. mis·placed, mis·plac·ing, mis·plac·es 1. a. To put into a wrong place: misplace punctuation in a sentence. b. . This band of two dozen bird-watchers, armed with binoculars and field guides, is hunting only for the simple pleasures found in nature. ``I like it because I can enjoy the scenery and the plants and birds,'' said Patricia Burnett, an occasional bird-watcher from Oak Park who turned out Sunday for Soka University's Beginners' Bird Walk. ``Bird-watching gets you outside where it's pretty.'' Orioles, mallards and the California towhee The California Towhee, Pipilo crissalis, is a bird of the family Emberizidae, native to the coastal regions of western Oregon and California in the United States and Baja California Sur in Mexico. The taxonomy of this species has been debated. put in appearances, while turkey vultures soared in a blue sky. During a typical year, more than 70 species of birds can be seen at the campus. But perhaps the most frequently sighted bird is the Western bluebird, a decimated species that is making a comeback, in part because of attempts by Soka University and others to build bluebird bluebird, common name for a North American migratory bird of the family Turdidae (thrush family). The eastern bluebird, Sialia sialis, is among the first spring arrivals in the North. It is about 7 in. (17.8 cm) long. sanctuaries. Located on Mulholland Highway near Las Virgenes Road, the Soka University campus is home to some 20 man-made nest boxes, which are ideal for bluebirds, yet are inaccessible to predators and more aggressive birds that have invaded bluebird habitat. ``When the breeding season comes, bluebirds have to compete,'' said Bob Flippin, a volunteer docent who leads bird walks around the campus. ``But the other species will knock them out.'' One of the bluebirds' prime adversaries are European starlings, which were introduced to North America by a man who thought Americans should be able to see all of the birds mentioned in the works of Shakespeare. ``You're looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. trouble when you introduce a new species into an area,'' said Flippin, who also serves as membership chairman of the Conejo Valley Audubon Society. For the Sunday morning bird-watchers, the highlight wasn't of a rare, winged creature, but of a large bobcat bobcat: see lynx. bobcat Bobtailed, long-legged North American cat (Lynx rufus) found in forests and deserts from southern Canada to southern Mexico. It is a close relative of the lynx and caracal. that sauntered back and forth in the distance for more than 10 minutes. It's fairly common for creatures to wander onto the campus and show little or no fear of humans, said Earlyn Mosher A mosher is a person who is crossed between goth/punk/skater they have long hair and listen to music like slipknot and metal music. Some people call them headbangers. At certain music shows they have something called a mosh pit, basically its a fight pit with loads of people bashing each other. , assistant director of the university's Botanical Research Center and Nursery. Deer regularly feed on fallen acorns right outside student dormitories, she said. ``You and your environment are separate entities that are closely related,'' Mosher said. ``So basically, if you destroy your environment, you destroy yourself. And if you don't experience it, you don't understand it.'' In addition to a series of nature walks throughout the year, Soka University has launched a program to promote the use of California native plants California native plants are plants that existed in California prior to the arrival of Europeans. Some of them have extraordinary horticultural appeal, and have been grown in European gardens for over a century. in home gardens. From 1 to 3 p.m. Wednesday, the Botanical Research Center and Nursery will hold a native plant sale, followed by a tour of the center at 3 p.m. Soka University is located at 26800 Mulholland Highway in Calabasas. For information on the next Bird Walk, scheduled for 8 a.m. Oct. 2, call (818) 878-3741. CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1) Dozens of bird-watchers scan the skies around the Soka University campus for orioles, mallards, California towhees and vultures. (2) Soka University docent Robert Flippin puts up a nesting box for Western bluebirds. Lilly Barrett/Special to the Daily News |
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