KEN CROSS IN TEXAS 2017: First [real] Day in LA

If you read the itinerary it says, to the effect, that Ken will meet you when you arrive at the airport. I wrecked my reputation in the first 1/2 hour [or more] as the folks had been waiting at the
airport for nearly an hour by the time we navigated the traffic and found the right place.

Causing the error in large part was our experience only 24 hours before when, on the same flight, we took an eternity to get through customs etc; walking mile after mile through crowd controlling tape, back and forth and back and forth etc etc. Anyway we assumed, wrongly as it turned out, everyone would be in for the same experience.

So I was a little late....

Hopefully will be forgiven or, at least, forgotten by jet lagged travelers.

Our local guide today - Phil - at Madrona Marshes

So next part of the cunning plan was to drop off the bags at the hotel before birding at Madrona Marsh. Only the marsh is closed on a monday.

So far, so good.

The solution is to contact Bob Shanman; who will now be referred to as 'our Man in LA'. Now Bob is a birder and a very generous soul to boot and an owner of a Wild Bird Franchise at nearby Torrance [ https://torrance.wbu.com/ ]. So he organises a polite, quietly spoken young birder named Phil to accompany us for birding and he has a key to the Marsh. So a couple of phone calls later and we're in Madrona Marsh proper.

What is The Madrona Marsh Preserve?

The Madrona Marsh Preserve is thought to be one of the last remaining vernal freshwater marshes in Los Angeles County. In the years since California’s discovery by the Europeans, development has removed virtually all of our wetlands. Migratory water fowl populations are less than 50% of what they were in 1900. Many species are now designated as threatened or endangered. The Preserve is a mix of several micro-habitats including back dune, coastal prairie, alkali margin, vernal pool and vernal marsh area and is situated within the greater El Segundo Sand Dune System. The fine sand particles of this ancient dune system have been carried from the coastal dunes by winds for thousands of years. Each of the Preserve's habitats houses its own specifically adapted native plant species.

What is a vernal marsh? - A vernal marsh is a temporary pool of water that provides habitat for distinctive plants and animals. With no built-in water source, but located at the lowest point of the area, a vernal marsh is created by water collection from the runoff of the surrounding upland slopes. Vernal means spring, and typically the marsh is fed by winter and spring storms.
The depression which contains the Madrona Marsh is apparently a swale in the ancient dune sand caused by aeolian processes. The marsh is fed by drainage waters and by rainfall. It has no outlet. Before the development of the City of Torrance, water for the marsh was supplied through natural channels; now, there are several storm drains that flow into the marsh from the west side. Runoff from irrigation in the neighboring housing tracts flows into the marsh through these drains. During a rainstorm, there is heavy runoff into the marsh by these routes. Additionally, on the southeast corner of the Preserve, there is a sump that collects rainwater and runoff. Water from the sump is filtered and pumped up to the marsh in the wet season only. After the rainy season passes, evaporation, percolation, and transpiration reduce the water depth by about a quarter inch per day. In most years, by the end of August or early September, the Preserve is dry and remains dry until the next rainy season. The soils of the Preserve consist of fine sand silt and clay.

"SEA" Designation - The Madrona Marsh Preserve is classified as an "SEA." A Significant Ecological Area (SEA) designation is given to land that contains irreplaceable biological resources. Individual SEAs include undisturbed or lightly disturbed habitat supporting valuable and threatened species, linkages and corridors to promote species movement, and are sized to support sustainable populations of its component species.

Yesterday the Marsh was very good. Today it was excellent as we saw most of the species from yesterday and a few more as well. The temperature today was not hot like the day before but overcast and I would say cool. Sandra, rather predictably claimed it was cold. Ceri, from North Queensland also agreed it was cold.

Pied billed Grebe

So birds....Most of the favourites from the day before; Cassin's Kingbird, Western Bluebird, Allen's Hummingbird, White-crowned Sparrow, House Finch, American and Lesser Goldfinch [and European as an escapee], Yellow-rumped and Orange crowned Warblers.

On the water we saw Mallard, American Wigeon, Ring-necked Ducks, Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, Pied-billed Grebe, American Coot and Canada Geese.

Rough winged Swallow of the northern variety

In the air Northern Rough Winged Swallows and Red-tailed Hawk.

Great tailed Grackle - male

Great tailed Grackle - female

And we saw new birds. On the water' s edge we saw Egrets - Great and Snowy, Long-tailed Grackle and, perhaps best of all, White-faced Ibis. The latter birds were as beautiful as they were unexpected.

White faced Ibis in flight

White-faced Ibis

and again

Black Phoebe

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Lesser Goldfinch - male

Northern flicker - our first woodpecker for the trip

Lincoln's Sparrow

In the afternoon after a spot of subway we went to Point Vicente.

Habitat: Coastal sage scrub, grasslands, rocky coastline, open water

This property includes 55 acres of land on the slopes below and around the Rancho Palos Verdes City Hall with impressive coastal views north over Oceanfront Estates. It is the current location of a 15-acre habitat coastal sage scrub restoration project, initiated in 2008.

The trail takes you past Battery Barnes, which was constructed in 1942 to protect the northern approach to the Catalina channel. Two 6-inch diameter coastal artillery guns were placed there, and underground bunkers were built to house soldiers, ammunition, and supplies.

Here there was tremendous sea watching. For mammals in the form of Californian Sea-lions, Pacific White-sided dolphins and Grey Whales.

Birds, on the sea, included all three Cormorants; Pelagic, Bairds and Double- crested, Loons; probably Red-throated judging by size with a couple larger with different flight - Common. Flights of Surf Scoter also flew by heading northwards. There were great numbers of Black-vented Shearwaters flying by as well - a lifer for me!