Birdwatching In O'Melveny Park: Who Knew?
"No, that's a crow," corrects another. "Ravens have the diamond-shaped tail."
Already, I've learned something: the difference between a crow and a raven. Nevermore will I mistake the two.
As the monthly Audubon Society bird walk moves deeper into O'Melveny Park, the number of species sightings mounts, as do the number of arguments, but these are quickly settled by the group's leader, Carolyn Oppenheimer.
"No, that's a Lesser Goldfinch," Oppenheimer corrects, staring into her scope. "You have to be careful with the Lesser."
Everyone carries binoculars and a small notepad, jotting down species they've seen. A birding newbie, I'd always assumed all one could see in Granada Hills were brown sparrows, black crows, grey doves, and the occasional hummingbird. Boy, was I wrong. Today, my eyes have been opened. By the end of our trek, we'll have spied 30 different species of birds.
I've been to this park countless times, but it's never occurred to me to count birds. Of course several look the same to my untrained eyes —to me, a hummingbird is a hummingbird, and I can't tell an Anna's from an Allen's, but this groups knowledge and devotion are, to me, even more fun to watch than the winged creatures we're ostensibly here to observe.
Also, on May 21, the Audubon Society hosts a special event for children: The 2011 Children’s Bird-a-thon at Sepulveda Wildlife Reserve. Children can walk with an experienced birder, learn to identify birds, and help raise funds for Audubon Youth Activities such as educational field trips and school visits. For complete information click here or email rleibowi@sfvaudubon.org.
Nice post.
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