Welcome to El Dorado Audubon!
A California Chapter of the National Audubon Society serving the communities of Artesia, Avalon, Bellflower, Carson, Cypress, Hawaiian Gardens, La Palma, Lakewood, Long Beach, Los Alamitos, Paramount, Rossmoor, San Pedro, Seal Beach, Signal Hill, Sunset Beach, and Wilmington.
Mission
The mission of the El Dorado Audubon Society is the
conservation of native birds and their habitats. The society provides leadership
in conservation and educates its members and the community, so that they may
appreciate birds and participate in the society's conservation efforts.
December - January Events
- December 4 7:30 PM: Board Meeting
- December 13 8:00 AM: Field Trip: Gum Grove Park
- December 14 8:00 AM: Bird Walk at El Dorado Nature Center
- December 18 7:30 PM: (Hospitality Table at 7:15 PM): Monthly Program/Chapter Meeting: Bird Identification Quick Tips
- December 21 8:00 AM: Field Trip: Gum Grove Park
- January 3 7:30 AM: 108th Christmas Bird Count
- January 5 (Time To Be Announced): Field Trip: Seal Beach NWR (Pre-registration required)
- January 15 7:30 PM: (Hospitality Table at 7:15 PM): Monthly Program/Chapter Meeting: Birds of the Dominican Republic
- February 13-16: The Great Backyard Bird Count
Clarann Levakis, Wells Fund Chair
Heard Birds Count Too
Do you ever find yourself wondering what bird you hear singing in your
neighborhood or at a local park? I am trying to determine if there is sufficient
interest in taking an introductory course in birding by ear. I am thinking of
approximately a four week course with a weekly classroom session and practice in
the field. We would confine ourselves to birds commonly found in El Dorado
Nature Center. If you would be interested in taking such a course, please send
me an email at tanager2@earthlink.net.
Please note the emphasis would be on learning the vocalizations of local birds
and having a good time in the process. This is not intended to be a rigorous
course such as those offered by other chapters. I am looking forward to hearing
from you.
Our New On-Line Forums Are Open
Click Here to go to our new
forums page.
Val & Elias
Please take a moment to stop and visit our forums, where members and
non-members can join together to talk about Field Trips, photos, birding gear
and more. Feel free to join, post your birding list, and or photos if you wish,
all are welcome. Joining the forum is free.
CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT
108th Christmas Bird Count
by Rich Sonnenberg, CBC Compiler
Here we go again. This year's CBC will actually take place on January
3,2009. Mark your calendars. We start at7:30 am from the El Dorado
branch library parking lot (on Studebaker Rd., just south of Spring
St.). There is a $5 participation fee which helps pay for publishing the
nationwide results of the CBC. Each participant will receive a copy when it is
published. Please bring binoculars, pencil, and paper, and plan to enjoy a day
of birding. Backyard birders are encouraged to tally results of their
observations and call (562) 597-3476, or email them to me at rsonnenberg@charter.net.
Also if you would like to be placed on a team prior to meeting at the library
call me and I'll try to accommodate you.
As I write this article in early December, I am thinking about the words of
John Muir, "go to the woods and get their glad tidings, nature's peace will flow
into you like sunshine into trees...." Yosemite remains one of the most peaceful
and inspiring places for me since the first time I saw it.
Yet my "trees" are not always trees but plants like pickleweed and cordgrass and
views of sunsets over the ocean. I have spent many a peaceful vacation in Morro
Bay, around Santa Barbara and San Diego and often, as part of a hectic life,
I've stopped by Bolsa Chica for awhile to "re-create" my sense of peace.
In recent years, I have spent many a happy hour in Gum Grove Park overlooking
Los Cerritos enjoying nature, enjoying the richness of one of Southern
California's most treasured gems. Raptors soar, Canada Geese fly over and land,
Song Sparrows and Common Yellowthroat sing, hummers buzz by at lighting speed
and butterflies flutter by.
I think of the subtle beauty of the nearby Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge
and remember that it wasn't always a National Refuge, that it's protection came
about as a result of hard work of people who cared. I think of the fact that
LCWA is negotiating for 100 acres of the property I am looking out on. The
funding is coming from the Wildlife Conservation Board. I remember that LCWA
already owns 66 acres on either side of the San Gabriel River, known as Phase I.
Since 166 acres would be a large enough area to restore initially, feasibility
studies would proceed once the Hellman purchase is completed. This in and of
itself is good.
In addition, last month I heard some more promising news, that the City of Long
Beach is working on a land swap where the City would swap several city owned
parcels for 175 acres of Los Cerritos Wetlands. Long Beach would then sell the
175 to the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority and use some of the proceeds of the
sale to acquire open space along the Los Angeles River.
On December 9, a transaction that was expected to be part of the complicated
deal did not take place --the Press Telegram reported that though the Americas
deal did not take place the city is still negotiating a land swap with Tom Dean
to allow the preservation of the former Bixby property. Our
chapter has concerns about the hilltop property (Willow/Spring Gulch), listed
separately.*
The new is promising, indeed! We will continue to post links to articles
on www.eldoradoaudubon.org.
In the New Year, I hope that each of you have a chance to enjoy nature, that
nature's peace will flow into you, whether it be in your backyard, or in some
other place near or far from home.
(For more information about the land-swap status, read December 9th Long
Beach Press Telegram article, linked
here.)
**********
*Notes on the Hilltop Property/Willow Spring Gulch
The currently owned City properties to be swapped include the city-owned site of
the proposed sports park/Willow Spring Gulch with the exception of 18 acres
which would be kept by the City for open space. The 18 acres is located directly
behind the cemetery on Willow between Orange and California. It is the highest
spot in Long Beach and natural resource in and of itself, currently used by
raptors, grassland birds like Meadowlarks indicators of the web of life that
exists there. A spring, the source of the first water supply in Long Beach and
wetlands are in the portion of the parcel that the city would trade away in a
swap.