Trip report for Placerita Canyon - Walker Ranch Waterfall Trail
Sunday, April 19, 2015
Number of participants: 17 + 2 leaders
Start time 7:30am
Finish time 10:40am
Distance covered: 1.25 mile
Weather: cool at the start, warming to the low 70s and calm
The canyon was low in overall bird numbers making them a bit of a challenge to find, but that is what makes birding fun - you never know what to expect! With that said, we still found some great birds. Mountain Quail serenaded us the entire walk with their two-note whistle while Acorn Woodpeckers were busy everywhere entertaining with their parrot-like antics. The main push of migrating warblers and hummingbirds seemed to already have passed through the area, but we got some of the stragglers. We did do well in the flycatcher department - finding four species. And for those of us that enjoy colorful birds, were treated with grosbeaks, orioles, Lazuli Buntings and a glorious male Western Tanager.
50 species
Black-headed Grosbeak, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Orange-crowned Warbler and
Western Wood-Pewee.
Photos: Paula Maxwell
Mountain Quail California Quail Turkey Vulture Red-tailed Hawk Mourning Dove White-throated Swift Anna's Hummingbird Rufous/Allen's Hummingbird Acorn Woodpecker Nuttall's Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker Northern Flicker Western Wood-Pewee Hammond's Flycatcher Pacific-slope Flycatcher Ash-throated Flycatcher Hutton's Vireo Steller's Jay Western Scrub-Jay Common Raven Oak Titmouse Bushtit White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren Bewick's Wren Wrentit Western Bluebird California Thrasher European Starling Phainopepla Orange-crowned Warbler Nashville Warbler MacGillivray's Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Gray Warbler Wilson's Warbler Spotted Towhee Rufous-crowned Sparrow California Towhee Song Sparrow Golden-crowned Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Western Tanager Black-headed Grosbeak Blue Grosbeak Lazuli Bunting Brown-headed Cowbird Hooded Oriole Bullock's Oriole House Finch Lesser Goldfinch
Mammals:
California Ground Squirrel
California Gray Squirrel
Eastern Fox Squirrel
Reptials:
Western Fence Lizard
Butterflies: Western Tiger Swallowtail
Pale Swallowtail
Red Admiral
California Sister
Funereal Duskywing
Checkered White
Cabbage White
Western Lady
Mourning Cloak
California Tortoiseshell
Even on a slow day, this really is an amazing place!
4337 Woodman Ave. Sherman Oaks CA 91423 818-995-0022
