EAGLE EYES; BIRD-WATCHERS TAKE LOOK AROUND STATE PARK.Byline: Jesse Hiestand Daily News Staff Writer Clouds shrouded the mountains of Malibu Creek State Park Coordinates: Malibu Creek State Park is a California state park near Malibu, in Calabasas. It opened to the public in 1980, using property purchased from 20th Century Fox that the studio had owned since 1946 along with adjoining properties. early Sunday as 20 people stared intently through binoculars at something lying just outside the parking lot. Passing mountain bikers did double-takes, suspecting perhaps a mysterious object had crash-landed amid the picnic tables. And while this object was certainly capable of flight, it was not long unidentified. ``A red-shouldered hawk,'' one of the bird watchers called out to the general agreement of the others at the three-hour bird walk sponsored by the 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. Audubon Society. ``There's a certain pleasure in identifying a bird,'' said Art Gropper, a Glendale resident who has been doing just that for the past five years. ``They're pretty things The Pretty Things were a 1960s and 1970s rock and roll band from London. They pioneered a raw approach to rhythm and blues that influenced a number of key bands of the 1960s British invasion, particularly The Rolling Stones. to look at, and if you know their names and habitats . . . it brings out a warm feeling.'' Bird-watchers describe their hobby as deeply satisfying, though challenging. Weather, knee-high weeds and long hikes are the least of it. Birds move so fast that getting a glimpse of a particularly rare species can depend on how quickly someone raises their binoculars, experienced bird-watchers say. Even then, the difference between a correct and mistaken identification can hinge on Verb 1. hinge on - be contingent on; "The outcomes rides on the results of the election"; "Your grade will depends on your homework" depend on, depend upon, devolve on, hinge upon, turn on, ride something as picky pick·y adj. pick·i·er, pick·i·est Informal Excessively meticulous; fussy. picky Adjective [pickier, pickiest] Brit, Austral & NZ as the number of white stripes or eye color. Size, color, unique markings, patterns and sounds were other factors to consider as the group went in search of 170 types of birds known to inhabit the park, from pied-billed grebe grebe (grēb), common name for swimming birds found on or near quiet waters in most parts of the world. Grebes resemble the loon and the duck; they have short wings, vestigial tails, and long, individually webbed toes on feet that are set far back to sage thrashers. The park is also home to several species of hawks, falcons, owls and golden eagles. With this in mind, bird walk leader Muriel Kotin made no pretenses of being an absolute expert. ``I'm often wrong,'' she said a few minutes into the hike. ``Fortunately people aren't shy about correcting me.'' This is not to say these bird-watchers were highly critical, just highly discerning. If fact, the hike was more of a casual social outing than a dry study of warm-blooded, two-legged, egg-laying vertebrates with feathers and wings. Newcomers were eagerly welcomed. There were moments of humor too, as when a chirp came from a large oak tree and Kotin asked, ``Does anybody know what we're hearing?'' ``Sounds like a bird to me,'' Gropper injected, prompting another person to quip quip n. 1. A clever, witty remark often prompted by the occasion. 2. A clever, often sarcastic remark; a gibe. See Synonyms at joke. 3. A petty distinction or objection; a quibble. 4. , ``This is a rough group.'' But like the others, Gropper took his bird spotting seriously. He had the right equipment - binoculars, a well-worn guidebook to North American birds <onlyinclude> This list of North American birds is a comprehensive listing of all the bird species known from the North American continent north of Mexico. </onlyinclude> , a day pack, hat and boots. A few people carried telescopes, which are two to four times more powerful than typical binoculars. But the monetary investment required for bird watching Bird Watching is a British magazine for birders. The current editor is Kevin Wilmot. External Links
The price, bird-watchers say, is worth the admission. ``It's a lovely way to see nature and stay focused,'' said Kotin's husband, Allan. ``I find it a perfect hobby for a Type-A person, which I am.'' By the end of Sunday's bird walk, participants had recorded sightings of white-breasted nuthatches, northern flicker woodpeckers and what appeared to be a family of four white-tailed kites. Doug Garber, a 52-year-old from Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. , arrived early Sunday for what was his second bird walk. The first was in Topanga Canyon State Park two weeks ago. ``I loved it. I actually went out and bought myself a new pair of binoculars,'' he said. ``We saw 20 species of birds, and I wrote them all down.'' The new binoculars were not necessary when a hawk ventured to within 10 feet of Garber before the bird walk got under way. A few moments later, he spotted a great blue heron blue heron n. Any of several varieties of heron with blue or blue-gray plumage. about 30 feet from the edge of the parking lot. Bird watching is ``enjoyable because it is so different from our urban life here in Los Angeles - the stress, the traffic, the population density in general,'' he said. ``I plan on going on all these hikes.'' CAPTION(S): 3 Photos Photo: (1--ran in SIMI SIMI Sea Ice Mechanics Initiative SIMI Search for Intelligent Monkeys on the Internet SIMI Students Islamic Movement in India SIMI Society of Irish Motor Industry SIMI Smallholder Irrigation Markets Initiative and CONEJO editions only--color) Participants in Sunday's walk at Malibu Creek State Park gaze through binoculars trying to identify a species of bird (2--ran in SIMI and CONEJO only) A white-tailed kite, one of about 170 species of birds in the park, circles above rocky cliffs. (3--ran in CONEJO only) Bird watchers, left, keep their eyes on the sky. Above, Muriel Kotin calls out a sighting, though she freely admits ``I'm often wrong.'' Phil McCarten/Daily News |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion