The

CALIFORNIA CONDOR
CONDO R
Ventura Audubon Society FEBRUARY 2010 Volume 30 Number 6
A Chapter of the National Audubon www.VenturaAudubonSociety.org

CALL NOTES On another note, an effort is underway to qualify a ballot

initiative for the November 2010 statewide ballot that
...Bruce Schoppe, President would provide a stable, reliable and adequate source of
funding for state parks. The ballot measure would estab-
The Great Backyard Bird Count is another citizen lish the State Parks and Conservation Trust Fund by
science effort sponsored jointly by Audubon and The adding an annual $18 surcharge to the vehicle license
Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Each year, it is an opportu- fees we pay.
nity for tens of thousands of people to spend time in
nature, learn about birds in the area and help create a California’s state parks are falling apart because of
snapshot of bird populations in the U.S. and Canada. It chronic underfunding. Budget cuts are causing them to
is open to birdwatchers of all ages and skill levels. Last fall even farther behind in needed maintenance and re-
year, 93,600 checklists were turned in online and the pairs – a backlog of more than $1 billion already exists.
most frequently spotted species was the snow goose! In return for the $18 per vehicle fee, we would have free
access to all state parks.
For our part, Ventura Audubon will combine the GBBC
with a beginners bird walk at Lake Casitas on February Audubon California has joined with other conservation
13th, 2010. Lead by Allen Bertke, it should provide an organizations to support the effort. More than 700,000
opportunity to see a great number of local species. valid signatures are required to qualify the proposal for
The folks in that sector found 91 species during the the ballot. Audubon California has committed to securing
Christmas Bird Count. 200,000 of those signatures. Petitions will be available at
Ventura Audubon meetings. Find out more about the
Birders may also participate individually in their own proposal and, if you are a registered voter, sign the peti-
backyard or at a park submitting the checklists directly tion. If you would like to be more involved, you may help
at www.birdcount.org. Just be sure you do so between circulate petitions to gather the needed signatures. Con-
the 12th and 15th of February 2010. tact me or any Board member.

FEBRUARY PROGRAM ...Janice Susha, Program Chair

Tuesday February 9th, 7:30 p.m., Poinsettia Pavilion, 3451 Foothill Rd, Ventura
Kim Stroud, Ojai Raptor Center
Kim Stroud, Director of the Ojai Raptor Center (ORC) has been working with raptors in rehabilitation since 1992.
She is employed full-time at Patagonia in Ventura, and volunteers much of the remainder of her hours taking care of
and teaching about raptors. This is always a very popular program, and we encourage you to bring children and
grandchildren to see these wonderful creatures up close and personal.

Through ORC’s Wildlife Education Program, Kim and her volunteer staff travel to schools and other organizations to
show how birds of prey are an important element in the chain of life. As all things are interconnected, teaching about
raptors and other wildlife in our community means teaching about environmental and ecological concerns and ex-
plaining what individuals can do to help.

This past year, ORC has taken in 1,350 birds. Kim will give a short presentation on the new Rehabilitation Facility
following the introduction of her live, non-releasable ambassador raptors (hawks, falcons, owls, and maybe a sur-
prise bird!).
 BIRD OF THE MONTH – FEBRUARY 2010
Article and Photo by DAVID PEREKSTA
California Thrasher (Toxostoma redivivum)

February is still a good month to seek out wintering birds in Ventura County, but some of our resident species are al-
ready singing and establishing territories. One of the species that starts breeding early is the California Thrasher.

The California Thrasher is a medium-sized, long-tailed songbird. It has dark brown upperparts, buff-brown underparts, a
whitish throat, vague eyebrow, dark mustache, and long, decurved black bill. It is similar looking to Crissal and Le-
Conte’s Thrashers, but neither of those species inhabits Ventura County. The only species that it can be confused with
locally is the California Towhee, which is similarly colored and patterned, but has a shorter, stubby bill. Its song is a se-
ries of deep, rich, slow phrases, like the songs of other mimids. Calls are a chuck and quip.

California Thrashers are common, but difficult to see as they spend most of their time on the ground in dense growth
including chaparral, streamside thickets, coastal sage scrub, and shrubby areas in parks and suburbs. They are often
seen walking or running on the ground with their tail held high. They rake their long, curved bills sideways through leaf
litter and probe in the soil for beetles, ants, wasps, and spiders. Their diet is also composed of seeds and berries taken
from bushes or the ground. Males and females are most easily seen when they are singing from the tops of shrubs or
low trees. Residents of lowlands and foothills, they rarely wander into higher mountains.

The species is nearly endemic to California. Its range is limited to the west slope of the Sierra Nevada, and the Coast
Ranges from just south of the Oregon border to northern Baja California, Mexico. It is a strictly permanent resident and
rarely wanders even a short distance from breeding areas.

In Ventura County, California Thrashers occur nearly everywhere the habitats mentioned above are present. They are
common in the extensive chaparral and coastal sage scrub in the Santa Monica Mountains (e.g., La Jolla and Sycamore
Canyons, Circle X Ranch, and Satwiwa) and Transverse Ranges (e.g., Rose Valley, Cuyama Valley, and Highway 33
above Ojai). They are easiest found in late winter and early spring when they sing from exposed perches and can often
be coaxed into view at other times by “pishing.” The easiest place to find them locally is in the streamside thickets and
chaparral around the campground at Big Sycamore Canyon, but they are also readily found in the hills surrounding Ven-
tura, Ojai, Camarillo, and Thousand Oaks.
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 F E B R U A R Y F I E L D T R I P S ...Ju dy D ug an

Beginners are welcome on all field trips. Light drizzle graph Road toward Ventura College. Across from VC
does not necessarily cancel trips, but heavier rain turn onto Estates, take a right on Aurora, go to the grass
will. If in doubt, please call the trip leader. beltway across from the mobile home park. Park closest
to the last house in the residential tract. We will start
Saturday, Feb. 6, 9:00-12 a.m. Restoration Work Day, birding along the barranca and go into the park. A variety
Santa Paula. Hedrick Ranch Nature Area Restoration of birds can be found here including warblers, juncos &
Program. Come at 8:00 for birding! Leader: Sandy raptors.
Hedrick (370-0478). Long pants and boots or closed
shoes are required. Directions: Take Hwy 126 to Santa Mark Your Calendar:
Paula, 10th St. Exit. Go left under freeway, right on Har-
vard, right on 12th, cross S.C. River Bridge. Go 3.7 miles March 4-7 San Diego Birding Festival
to 20395 S. Mountain Rd. Turn left onto the dirt road & March 7 – Hedrick Ranch
follow it to the end (approx. ½ mile). March 20 – Meher Mount – Ojai
March 27 – Beginners’ Walk – Fillmore Fish Hatchery/
Saturday, Feb. 13, 8:30–10:30 a.m. Beginners’ Walk/ Lake Piru
Backyard Bird Count, Lake Casitas. Leader: Allen April 24/25 – Kern River Preserve Weekend –
Bertke (640-9037). The Beginners’ Walk will be com- For information on lodging, e-mail or call
bined with the 13th annual Great Backyard Bird Count Judy 642-0842/catmai03@yahoo.com
sponsored by the National Audubon Society & Cornell
Laboratory. Directions: Take Hwy 33 to Hwy 50, turn
left and follow signs to the lake or take Hwy 33, exit Ca-
sitas Vista Rd. Turn right and go under freeway past
Foster Park to 1st right, Santa Anna Rd. Follow to the
gate. Meet outside the gate. Parking is limited. We
hope to see many birds including Clark’s & Western
Grebes, Osprey & sapsuckers. Remember to bring bin-
oculars.

Saturday, Feb. 20, 8:00 a.m. Ventura County Game

Preserve. Leader: Reed Smith (652-0706). Always a
very special trip! We will see ducks, peeps, ibis, raptors,
and more. We cannot drive the grounds so there will be
considerable walking. Directions: Take Casper Rd.
south from Hueneme Rd. (between Saviers Rd. and
Hwy.1). Follow the left curve to the barn/house buildings
and park on the road outside the buildings. Another
group will also be there so car pool with friends and arrive
early. Please bring scopes. February 12-15, 2010
Sunday, Feb. 28, 8:30 a.m. Camino Real Park.
Leader: Raeann Koerner (701-1919). NOTE DIREC-
TIONS – Meet outside the park. In Ventura take Tele-

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 (seen on 2 or fewer counts in the last ten years): White-
2009 VENTURA AUDUBON fronted Goose, Cackling Goose, Bald Eagle, Zone-tailed
Hawk (count week), Vermilion Flycatcher, Northern
CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT Rough-winged Swallow, Mountain Chickadee, Black-
…Karl Krause, Compiler throated Gray Warbler, Hermit Warbler, Black-and-white
Warbler and Rufous-crowned Sparrow.
On January 2, 2010, the Ventura Audubon Society con-
ducted its 30th Christmas Count. It was a beautiful day – We had record high counts for seven species: Horned
perhaps too beautiful. A total of 118 counters recorded Grebe (24), Black-vented Shearwater (380), Willet (162),
176 species of bird and 20,751 individual birds. During Greater Roadrunner (7), Costa’s Hummingbird (5), Al-
the count week (3 days on either side of the count day), len’s Hummingbird (16) and Acorn Woodpecker (343).
5 additional species were seen. From my perspective,
here are the highlights, and some disappointments, of On the negative side, we missed three species we com-
the count. monly find: Ring-necked Duck, Wilson’s Warbler and
Tree Swallow. And we nearly missed two species that
We recorded our first count observations of two species are normally abundant on our count: Least Sandpiper
– both at Lake Casitas. One was the Mute Swan that (5) and American Pipit (2).
has been seen throughout December. The other was
the Black Vulture that has been hanging around Santa A detailed summary of the count can be found on the
Barbara County and Ventura County since fall. The Ventura Audubon webpage at VenturaAudubon.org.
Black Vulture was found on Monday of count week. In
addition, we recorded our first count observation of a Thanks to everyone who helped make the day such a
Pink-sided Junco – a subspecies of Dark-eyed Junco. success.
We saw 11 other species that are rare for our count

SAVE OUR SHORE ...Reed Smith

Ventura Audubon has been awarded a grant through Audubon California for a project to involve local children. The
children in our local schools will be given information on protecting valueable shore habitat and be asked to create a
picture depicting beach birds and habitat. We hope to have an art show with all the children's art work in it at a local
venue with a judging panel. Some of the pictures will be chosen to be made into signs. These will then be posted at
local beaches to educate the public and give added protection to shorebirds.

We can use volunteers with this project. If you are interested in working with the kids and us please call Jane Spiller at
(805)646-0815 or Reed Smith at (805)652-0706

NOTES FROM THE FIELD Ocontinued from P5

Continuing birds from earlier this winter included the Red-necked Grebe (13 Dec) and 4 Black Oystercatchers (26
Dec) at Marina Park, the Zone-tailed Hawk in Santa Paula through 14 Dec, the male Vermilion Flycatcher at the
Olivas Park Golf Course which was joined by a female on 25 Dec (MT), the Sage Thrasher at the end of Casper Road
through 12 Jan, the Clapper Rail at the end of Arnold Road through 20 Jan, the Vermilion Flycatcher at the Santa
Paula Cemetery through 4 Jan, and 5 Lewis’s Woodpeckers and 6-10 Mountain Bluebirds at Canada Larga through
25 Dec.

A late report, but notable was a Yellow-billed Cuckoo that flew into a window at the Ojai Water Treatment Plant on 5
Oct (DH). The bird was stunned, but later released on 6 Oct.

Thank you to those who reported sightings during the last month. If you have any questions about local birds or have a
good one to report, call or e-mail David Pereksta at pereksta@pacbell.net or 659-5740.

Observers: Denny and Lynn Allen, Sue Alvarez, Jeff Cartier, Becky Donahue, Jeff Gilligan, Jesse Grantham, Rick and
Pat Farris, Linda Frazier, Linnea Hall, Mary Hansen, David Harter, Lauren Harter, Jean Van Hulzen, Penny Johnson,
Karl Krause, Bill and Carol Langford, Matthew Page, David Pereksta, Kay Regester, Elizabeth Rinnander, David Roine,
Adam Searcy, Roger Swanson, Bob Tallyn, Michael Tiffany, Stephanie Tiffany, David Vander Pluym.

4
 NOTES FROM THE FIELD

...David Pereksta

The Ventura CBC tallied 177 species on 2 Jan. The Jan (KK), a Zone-tailed Hawk on 10 Jan (DR & BD),
count recorded many continuing birds and a number of and continuing Lewis’s Woodpeckers through 8 Jan.
newly discovered ones. Other than birds mentioned else-
where in this column, a Cackling Goose was at the Ojai Waterfowl were widely reported over the last month. The
Water Treatment Plant (M & ST, & KR), a Bald Eagle Saticoy Spreading Ponds had 13 Ross’s Geese on 20
was at Lake Casitas (DR, BD, & LF), and a Dark-eyed Dec (JC) with 11 continuing through 26 Dec. Other spe-
(Pink-sided) Junco was in Ojai (JG). A Vermilion Fly- cies of note there included 21 Cackling Geese and 77
catcher continued at Olivas Park Golf Course and a Common Mergansers on 26 Dec (DP & PJ), and a
Northern Rough-winged Swallow there provided a first Snow Goose 8-9 Jan and four Greater White-fronted
count record (SA et al). Single Mountain Chickadees Geese on 9 Jan (BL & CL). The gravel pits east of River-
were recorded at Arroyo Verde Park and in Ojai. Camino Park in Oxnard had 7 Greater White-fronted Geese and
Real Park had two Black-throated Gray Warblers and a 13 Common Mergansers on 26 Dec (DP). A Greater
Western Tanager (EW & MP), and the continuing Brown White-fronted Goose, Cackling Goose, and Hooded
Creeper, Hermit Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Merganser were at Rancho Simi Park on 18 Dec (LH, AS
and Bullock’s Oriole. Sightings offshore included over & DVP). Geese at the Olivas Park Golf Course included
300 Black-vented Shearwaters, 1 Pomarine Jaeger, a Brant 24-25 Dec (DP) and seven Greater White-
and 2 Parasitic Jaegers (DP). fronted Geese, a Snow Goose, and five Cackling
Geese 24 Dec – 8 Jan (DP). Wood Ducks were re-
The Thousand Oaks CBC was held on 3 Jan. The pre- ported from the Ojai Meadows Preserve 7-8 Jan (BT) and
liminary total is 183 species including many highlights. Lake Sherwood on 7 Jan (MH).
Over 130 species were found at Point Mugu including 63
Brant, 23 Blue-winged Teal, 2 Black Scoters, a White- Camino Real Park produced a number of interesting pas-
winged Scoter, 2 Common Goldeneyes, 2 Yellow- serines including a Nashville Warbler on 13 Dec (EW &
crowned Night-Herons, a Ferruginous Hawk, 5 Clap- KW) and a Wilson’s Warbler, probable hybrid
per Rails, 13 Red Knots, a Burrowing Owl, 2 Vermil- (Baltimore x Bullock’s) oriole, two Bullock’s Orioles,
ion Flycatchers, 3 (minimum) Tricolored Blackbirds, and a Dark-eyed (Slate-colored) Junco on 24 Dec
and 9 Yellow-headed Blackbirds (TM, DP & (DVP & LH). Other passerines of note in the county in-
MSM). However, the best bird there was a first county cluded two Yellow Warblers at Pleasant Valley Park in
record Lesser Black-backed Gull (TM). A Swainson's Camarillo on 30 Dec (AS & OJ) and one at Point Mugu
Hawk was there 2 days before the count, but it did not on 1 Jan (TM & DP), three Slate-colored Dark-eyed
show on count day (TM & DP). A Red-necked Grebe Juncos at Ivy Lawn Cemetery on 26 Dec (LH & DVP),
was found south of Deer Creek Road; Pomarine and and four Lawrence’s Goldfinches at the Santa Paula
Parasitic Jaegers, Common Murre, and Rhinoceros Cemetery on 4 Jan (JC).
Auklet were seen offshore; and nearly 9,000 Black-
vented Shearwaters were attracted to the squid boat Other notable sightings over the last month included 40
fleet off of Leo Carrillo (AS & OJ). Notable birds in the Short-tailed Shearwaters feeding offshore in a large
Thousand Oaks area included a Burrowing Owl (D and mixed flock south of Ventura in early January (JGi), a
LA) and California Gnatcatcher (RS) at Cal Lutheran, Ferruginous Hawk in Ojai on 20 Dec (BT) and another
Red-naped Sapsucker at Las Robles Golf Course (R & along Highway 33 near the Avenue Water Treatment
PF), and several Lewis's Woodpeckers near the en- Plant on 27 Dec (KR et al), a Prairie Falcon near the
trance to Lake Sherwood (MH). A Prairie Falcon (ER) Olivas Park Golf Course on 8 Jan (DP), a Black Skim-
and three Common Moorhens (LH) were found on the mer at Marina Park on 13 Dec (KR), and a Yellow-
Oxnard Plain. bellied Sapsucker at Oak Park in Simi Valley on 29 Dec
(MP).
After disappearing for several weeks, the Black Vulture
was seen at Lake Casitas 4-9 Jan (JVH) and in Ojai on
12 Jan (JG). Other notable birds at Lake Casitas in- ...continued on Page 4
cluded a White-throated Sparrow 4-7 Jan (JVH), A
white goose that was possibly a Ross’s/Snow hybrid on 5

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V ENTURA AUDUBON SOCIETY Non-profit Organization
P.O. Box 24198 U.S. Postage Paid
Ventura, CA 93002 Oxnard, CA 93030
PERMIT NUMBER 382
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

VAS OFFICER S AND C HAIRS

President Bruce Schoppe 658-2396

Vice-President
Secretary Joyce Schoppe 658-2396
Treasurer Jan Lewison 643-3353
Conservation Sandy Hedrick 643-2408
Newsletter Dee Press 484-8415
Membership Art Marshall 642-1585
Field Trips Judy Dugan 642-0842
Publicity/Education Susan Bee 640-0779
Science/Webmaster Reed Smith 652-0706
Programs Janice Susha 983-3929
AUDUBON ADVENTURES
At Large Jim Susha 983-3929
...Susan Bee Jack Gillooly 646-3867
Jeff Goldberg 649-1132
The VAS Board sends heartfelt thanks Marianne Slaughter 484-8415
to Robert and Delores Cathcart for Nancy Schorsch 643-5825
their generous contribution to Audubon
Adventures. The Cathcarts have been
contributors for many years and the
Board, along with the school children who receive this F EB R U ARY B OAR D MEET IN G
environmental education program, are very grateful.
The Tuesday, February 2nd Board of Directors meeting will
I am happy to report that we have succeeded in fund- be held at the home of Jim & Janice Susha, 2207 Eas-
ing the entire program for this year. Many thanks to tridge Court, Oxnard. Any VAS member is welcome. Call
(805) 642-1585 for information.
everyone who helped us achieve this goal!