| Bird-Watching Destination -- Coastal Birds of La Jolla, CA |
From "DIY Bird Watching"
episode DBW-101 |
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The most basic form of bird watching can be as simple as placing a single feeder in your backyard and observing the native bird species that are found in your neighborhood -- as well as migratory species that may be passing through. But for avid bird enthusiasts, traveling to destinations around the country provides an opportunity to observe less familiar birds in their native habitat. Bird species, like most animal life, tend to be located geographically within specific ecosystems for which they are specially adapted. Differing terrain and climates -- e.g., desert, coastline, wetlands, temperate forest, grassland -- give rise to groupings of species according to their special adaptive traits and characteristics. One set of ecosystems particularly identifiable with certain types of birds can be found along shorelines and coastal regions. The steep, rocky coast around La Jolla, California, is an excellent place to observe a wide variety of birds, in large numbers, perfectly adapted -- in both physical characteristics and behaviors -- to shoreline living. La Jolla is located just north of San Diego, along the southern coast of California. The town is located close enough to the ocean to offer a dramatic overlook view of the narrow, rocky coastline.
- Brown pelicans live along both the western and southeast coasts of the U.S. The ones that live in the West develop a colorful pouch during breeding season. They can frequently be observed sitting on land or rock ledges, using their long beaks to preen their feathers (figure A). Pelicans take two years to reach maturity. The immature individuals are brown overall and lack the colorful pouch characteristic of the breeding-age adults.
- Cormorants can be observed in large numbers perched on the rocky cliffs and ledges. The Brandt's cormorant (figure B), native exclusively to the West Coast, can be identified by a tan patch at the base of its bill. The patch grows brighter in color during the breeding season.
- Heerman's gulls are plentiful in the area of La Jolla. The bright-red base of the bill is one of their most striking features (figure C).
- In their first year, immature Heerman's gulls are sooty-brown in color and lack the bright-red beak (figure D).
- Western gulls are larger than Heerman's gulls, and their contrasting gray back is darker than that of most other gulls in the West. They have a bright-yellow bill with a reddish-orange spot near the end (figure E).
- Shorebirds like the black turnstone can be observed feeding along the sandy beach at the edge of the ocean (figure F). They find food by flipping through seaweed and other debris.
- Marbled godwits use their long, slightly upcurved bill to probe under the sand for crustaceans and other forms of food (figure G).
- Willets are large shorebirds that are mostly gray in color and, like many shorebirds, have long legs adapted for wading. They frequently feed in shallow tide-pools in rocks or at the water's edge (figure H).
- Wandering tattlers are another shorebird that look somewhat similar to the willet, but are smaller and have shorter, yellow legs. They are identifiable by their characteristic back-and-forth bobbing motion.
- Moving slightly away from the shore, into the grassy border areas and cliff tops, some other common species can be found. The black phoebe is a small flycatcher species that's all black except for its white belly (figure I).
- The Brewer's blackbird may be seen hunting for insects on the ground in grassy areas (figure J) and stopping occasionally to make its squeaky song.
- A particularly striking coastal species that can be found in Southern California, as well as other coastal regions, is the snowy egret. This impressive-looking bird can be seen hunting for fish and other aquatic prey on beaches, along shallows and in marshy areas (figure K).
- In addition to the plentiful species of birds, the coast around La Jolla is a great place to observe seals sunning themselves on sandy beaches and rocks.
RESOURCES :
Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs: Western Region
Model: 157042588
Author: Kevin Colver, Donald Stokes, Lillian Q. Stokes
Little Brown and Company (Time Warner, Inc.)
New York, NY 10020
Phone: 212-522-8700
Stokes Beginner's Guide to Shorebirds
Model: 0316816965
Author: Donald Stokes, Thomas Young, Lillian Q. Stokes
Little Brown and Company (Time Warner, Inc.)
New York, NY 10020
Phone: 212-522-8700
A Field Guide to Western Birds - Reissue Edition (Peterson Field Guides)
Model: 0395911737
Author: Roger Tory Peterson
Full title: A Field Guide to Western Birds : A Completely New Guide to Field Marks of All Species Found in North America West of the 100th Meridian and North of Mexico
Houghton Mifflin Co.
Boston, MA 02116
Phone: 617-351-5000
Email: tradecustomerservice@hmco.com
Don and Lillian Stokes' website
Stokes Birds at Home
Website: www.stokesbirdsathome.com
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