The Egret Corner
September 2021 | Issue 15
A barn owl soaring over the Ballona Wetlands.
Location: Ballona Wetlands Reserve
Photo: Anay Tarnekar
Dear Ballona Wetlands Advocates,

Thank you for joining the Egret Corner, fall is here and so is the fall bird migration, so keep an eye out for those migrating birds. In this month's newsletter, we share ways you can participate in the fall migration, a series of local news stories, and lastly the bird of the month, which has a snake-like tongue and a tail that can squeak.

We are working on resuming in-person field trips and education programs. For now, we continue to offer 2 different lessons about Ballona which are available to 1st - 5th graders, 1 hr per lesson. If you know of a group or class that may be interested in our virtual class, please feel free to contact sofia@ballona.org or fill out this form.

Enjoy the rest of the newsletter, for previous issues visit our newsletter archive. If you have any questions or concerns email lisa@ballona.org. Lastly, give us feedback by completing our newsletter survey.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Sincerely,

The Ballona Wetlands Team
The Fall Migration Celebration and Ways You Can Help
Fall migration has begun and billions of birds will be migrating.

The people at The Cornell Lab of Ornithology have put together a virtual celebration all can enjoy and learn from, most events were and are recorded and can be accessed on their page.

Local News
Ballona the Cat
This playful and cute cat is called Ballona. Ballona was rescued from the Ballona Wetlands, hence her name.

Since her rescue, we are happy to see she has been adopted! Click below to read more about Ballona or look for a pet to adopt.

Return of the Wetland Tours!
Open Wetlands at Ballona's salt-marsh has resumed. Sign-up on the 1st Saturday of each month to join the public wetland tours established by the Los Angeles Audubon Society. The next open wetlands tour is on October 2.

A Memorial to Eleanor Osgood
It saddens us to learn of the death of Eleanor Osgood, she was a friend to many, a birdwatcher, an avid volunteer at Ballona Wetlands, amongst many other titles. Click below to read her memorial.

Bird of the Month: Allen's Hummingbird
Birds featured here have been seen at the Ballona Reserve or in the surrounding area.
Interesting Facts
Hummingbirds have a forked tongue kinda similar to snakes. Their tongue flicks in and out of the nectar and the nectar rushes up two grooves in the tongue. Click here to see how that looks.
Habitat: open forests, shrubs and chaparral along the North American pacific coast

Diet: nectar and small insects

Nesting: in tree or shrubs from 2-50 ft above the ground
Your Contributions Further Our Efforts!
Contributions collected are used to advance our efforts to advocate for the greater Ballona Wetlands ecosystem. Any contributions are greatly appreciated.
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The Ballona Wetlands Land Trust is a non-profit community organization
dedicated to advocating for the greater Ballona Wetlands ecosystem and to facilitating access to this ecosystem for education, stewardship, and public outreach.