Date: 4/10/25 5:13 pm From: msperalez via groups.io <msperalez...> Subject: Re: [LACoBirds] Antelope Valley spring -- late and slow, but good shorebird habitat at Piute
Thanks, Kimball.
I too was getting concerned. The hooded and Bullock's orioles finally made
their spring debut here in Glendora/San Dimas area ~ 3 days ago. They were
quite late.
We have not seen one black-headed grosbeak, which is highly unusual. My
part of Glendora is usually grosbeak central by this time.
My house has also been "Swainson's-less" for two years in row. :(
Mike Peralez
Glendora, CA
On Thu, Apr 10, 2025, 4:49 PM Kimball Garrett via groups.io <cyanolyca818=
<gmail.com...> wrote:
> Birders,
>
> A discussion on the San Diego BIrding listserv the past few days on how
> slow and poor the spring has been, up to this point, in San Diego region
> (e.g., many people reporting that Hooded Orioles were very late) has
> prompted me to post something similar for my neck of the woods. It has
> been an excruciatingly slow spring so far in the Antelope Valley for
> passerine migrants and summer visitors (apart from swallows). Scott's
> Orioles arrived in Juniper Hills 21 March, much later than the mean arrival
> date in seven springs here, and are still few and far between. A couple of
> Hooded Orioles arrived at Pearblossom Park and in Juniper Hills (but not
> until this week), but fewer than expected. And Bullock's didn't arrive at
> the Valyermo Post Office area until 7 April. Still no Lazuli Buntings,
> Ash-throated Flycatchers, Black-headed Grosbeaks, Gray Flycatchers,
> Warbling Vireos, Black-throated Gray Warblers, etc., in our neighborhood
> (all expected by the first week of April). Well-birded Piute Ponds has had
> very few passerine migrants (apart from swallows) so far this spring, save
> for hordes of Yellow-rumped Warblers passing through.
>
> Speaking of Piute Ponds, there is very good shorebird habitat on the
> southern and western parts of Duckbill pond, and also plenty of shorebirds
> on Thoreau and Friends, with scattered birds elsewhere.On 9 April I
> estimated over 1000 shorebirds of 13 species (greatly dominated by
> Long-billed Dowitchers and Western Sandpipers). At the rate Duckbill is
> drying, the good habitat will probably be greatly diminished by early to
> mid-May. My eBird list for 9 April is here:
> https://ebird.org/checklist/S224178046 >
> I have no idea what accounts for the late spring with low numbers, and of
> course things will likely pick up dramatically any time now. But one factor
> is probably the continued decline of most migratory bird populations, a
> trend that doesn't seem likely to be reversed any time soon.
>
> Kimball Garrett
> Juniper Hills
>
>
