Trips
We sponsor a number of birding field trips each month. On the second Sunday of the month we offer a walk at El Dorado Nature Center which is geared to teaching birding basics (though all skill levels are welcome). We also have regular walks at the Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge. In addition, each month we have at least one major weekday and one major weekend trip.
Current & Upcoming Field Trips
Los Cerritos Wetlands/Gum Grove Park
August 9 8:00 AM
Check out the Los Cerritos Wetlands from Gum Grove Park which overlooks
the wetlands from the Orange County side. Enjoy color songbirds during
spring migration, hummingbirds, raptors, and more!
Meet at Gum Grove Parking lot (Avalon St. entrance) in Seal Beach.
From Long Beach, take PCH to Mar Vista, turn left on Mar Vista, left on
Coastline, right on Catalina, left on Avalon, Avalon deadends into the
parking lot.
Saturday Seal Beach NWR Tour
August 30 8:00 AM
Seal Beach
National Wildlife Refuge. Reservations
required no less than 48 hours in advance by
calling 562-598-1024 and leaving your name
and the number in your party. Identification
(adults only) will be required for admittance.
A $5 donation to Friends of the SBNWR is
asked.
Recent Field Trip Reports
Field Trip Report: Rock Creek Canyon July 4th Weekend
Four members (blame gas prices and work schedules) enjoyed nice hikes up McGee Creek and Rock Creek Canyons. A check of Mono Lake revealed a Bonaparte’s Gull among the thousands of California Gulls. Not only was the scenery impressive, but we saw some great birds too. In McGee Creek Canyon we sighted two Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, along with great looks at a MacGillivaray's Warbler. In another location at McGee there was a Hammonds Flycatcher. In Rock Creek Canyon, in a Little Lakes Valley meadow we were pleased to see three Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch moving by. Another lifer, or year bird, depending on the person, was an American Dipper, feeding in the stream at our campground.
Donna Bray, President
Field Trip Report: Insect Walk at De Forest Park June 22
Record breaking heat didn't stop us from heading out on June 22 to De Forest Park for an Insect Field Trip. John Hlavac (our Chapter's Newsletter Editor), led the walk. John began the walk with a brief discussion on insects, and provided a handout on various insect orders. Then, at De Forest Park, he showed us a variety of insect field-collecting equipment, including different nets and aspirating kits to capture them, and chemical jars (to contain and disable them). As we walked John gathered specimens, demonstrating efficient insect collecting techniques (from how to swing your net to how best to collect wasps without getting stung to choosing ideal insect-gathering locations). Also really helpful was that by identifying them, John took out a lot of the frustration any beginning amateur entomologist would have in trying to identify the species. (Although there are only about 700 bird-species in North America, our continent has over 90,000 insect species, making identification in the field a frustrating task for any beginning amateur collector.) After gathering our collection, John demonstrated mounting techniques, then took out his microscope for a quick study of their anatomy.
It was amazing to see them up close; these photos don't come close to the beautiful views John's microscope provided.
Finally, John reminded us of the importance that insects play in our life, and these should be concerns not just to entomologists, but to conservationists, and even the general public itself. From pollinators to basic sources of food for birds and countless species, insects deserve more appreciation and study, rather than the disgust and fear that they are often ascribed to in our culture. All in all, it was a GREAT way to spend 3 hours on a Sunday. For more photos of our trip, be sure to visit our online photo album.
Elias Zuniga, Webmaster
Bird Lists
Bird List for El Dorado Nature Center:
Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge Bird List
