Birding Los Angeles
I’m BAACK! Did you miss me? LOL!
My latest adventure was visiting the West Coast of the USA - particularly California.
Starting in Los Angeles for the graduation of a dear friend, I visited Hollywood and the Walk of Fame. I visited the stars of Greta Garbo and Gene Kelly. It seems Gene didn’t get the fancy treatment!
I spent time in the residential neighborhoods around my friend’s home. Here, the landscaping ranges from low-water use plants like succulents, to the most colorful roses. Lemon trees seem to be abundant and laden with fruit. I resisted the urge to help myself.
While the blooms are gorgeous, I am told their presence places undue strain on the Colorado River. I will admit they are easy on the eyes and I gathered some great ideas for succulent gardens here at home.
Allen’s and Anna’s Hummingbirds happily fed on the nectar along with finches, crows, and mockingbirds. I am told introduced parrots live in the neighborhood, but they didn’t show for me.
A favored location was Holmby Park where hummingbirds like the one above, were plentiful.
I was lucky to see a pair of Acorn Woodpeckers building a nest in a tree. In a few weeks, new life will blossom at this location. This species was a lifer for me!
Have you birded in Los Angeles? I would love to hear what you saw.
Stay tuned for my next adventure in the “wilds” of California!
Great report Jackie, so many interesting birds and plants in L.A.
"Red-crowned parrots, whose home range is restricted to the lowlands of northeast Mexico, were first recorded in the Los Angeles area in 1963. Since then, the population has swelled to more than 3,000 birds." Source L.A. Times
There are also appr. 800 Lilac-crowned parrots.