Date: 3/23/25 4:48 pm From: Michael Van Norman via groups.io <mvn...> Subject: Re: [LACoBirds] Swainson's Hawk picket line: Sunday, March 23
I was at Jarvi Memorial Picnic Ground from 8:30 to 11:00 and saw not a single hawk, let alone any Swainsons'.
Michael Van Norman Santa Clarita, CA
(sending to the list as mail to <lbenner...> bounces)
On 3/21/25 10:14 PM, Lance Benner via groups.io wrote: > > Greetings Everyone, > > The purpose of this email is to provide a quick update on Swainson's > Hawk migration through this area and to invite you to join us on > picket lines on Sunday, March 23, to try to understand their migration > routes better. > > I've been keeping track of all the Swainson's hawks reported in eBird > west and north of Borrego Springs and Palm Springs this month, and to > date, more than 1150 Swainson's hawks have moved through the area. > > However, there have been fewer large groups of hawks seen moving along > the foothills west of Glendora relative to previous years, perhaps due > to more clear days when they could be flying higher where they are > harder to see and/or flying over the San Gabriel Mountains where there > are very few observers.Reports dating back several years have > documented the birds flying into the mountains over Glendora Ridge > during sunny weather; more birds are seen west through Pasadena when > low clouds are present. > > On March 23 we'd like to invite you to help us check sites along the > foothills _and_ in the San Gabriel Mountains. > > In 2023 and 2024 when we tried this the roads in the mountains were > closed, so observers spread out east-west along the foothills, but > this year we want to augment this by setting up a line in the mountains > > in addition to checking sites east-west along the > foothills.Currently the Angeles Crest Highway is open on the west from > La Canada-Flintridge to Islip Saddle on the east. > > Route 39 is also open north of Azusa up to the Crystal Lake area but > not all the way up to Angeles Crest (the northernmost 4 miles of > highway 39 are closed to the public). > > Unfortunately, the Glendora Mountain and Glendora Ridge Roads are closed. > > We don't know in detail where the hawks go once they get into the > mountains, so we'd like to position observers along highway 39 north > of Azusa and along the Angeles Crest Highway east of Clear Creek > Junction (where the Crest and the Angeles Forest Highways intersect) > to watch for hawks from 9:00-11:00 on March 23. > > We suspect that sites east of Red Box Gap might be more likely to have > hawks, but we don't really know. > > We can't guarantee that hawks will migrate over any specific location, > but it we won't know if we don't try. > > If this might interest you, please feel free to contact me if you have > a site you'd like to check; if not, I can suggest locations, although > pretty much any spot along the road with clear views to the south and > east could work well.Locations along the Angeles Forest Highway might > also be worth checking (say, Mill Creek Summit). It's also fine if you > just head up there and report back later. > > Bear Divide could also be worth checking even though it's farther west. > > I'm planning to watch from Shortcut Saddle near mile 43 on the Angeles > Crest Highway. > > We also welcome reports from observers along the foothills from the > Palm Springs area on the east all the way to the Grapevine on the west. > > It would be particularly helpful if someone could cover Glen Helen > Park to see if the birds are moving through the Cajon Pass. > > Of course, observations from the Antelope Valley and anywhere else in > the greater Los Angeles area are also welcome. > > I'll provide an update early in the week to indicate what happened and > what we learned. > > Thank you! > > Lance > > Lance Benner > > Pasadena, CA > > On behalf of Los Angeles Birders > >
