Date: 5/11/26 10:06 am From: Kimball Garrett via groups.io <cyanolyca818...> Subject: Re: [LACoBirds] California Bird Atlas Detailed Results for LA County
Birders,
I fully recognize that birding/Atlasing in hotspots that span two or more
Atlas blocks can be a bit onerous. Fortunately, Piute Ponds has enough
birders using the four Atlas block "Sub-Hotspots" that good data are
emerging,
But for those of you who simply do not want to bother with making separate
eBird lists for each Atlas block, may I suggest that AT THE VERY LEAST you
provide notes in the species comments for each breeding code (certainly at
least "Probable" and "Possible" codes) that describe what you observed and
exactly WHERE you observed it. If the American Avocet chick was on Thoreau
Pond, indicate that -- and, in fact, indicate where on Thoreau it was
(since the north end of Thoreau is in a different block than the majority
of that pond). At least such detail leaves open the possibility of mining
non-Atlas checklists at some future point for breeding codes that can be
assigned to a particular Atlas block..
I recommend looking at the California Atlas website to familiarize yourself
with Atlas block boundaries before going into the field (or check the block
grid map in the field if you have cell service, which you should at Piute).
See: https://www.californiabirdatlas.org/map-blocks-hotspots
Of course this suggestion is just part of a harangue I've been shouting for
a long time -- please WRITE DETAILS in your eBird lists. In checklist
comments, describe your coverage and the birding/habitat conditions. In the
species comments, make notes on behaviors, habitat usage, age/sex/plumage
information, exact locations for scarce species (unless there are concerns
about the welfare of those individuals), etc. I know it's easier just to
punch in some bird codes and numbers on the mobile app and leave it at
that, but that's not natural history -- that's bird golf.
Kimball Garrett
Juniper Hills, CA
On Sat, May 9, 2026 at 8:49 PM Lance Benner via groups.io <lbenner=
<charter.net...> wrote:
> Before launching into long lists of species and atlas blocks, let's
> discuss eBird hotspots near block boundaries, which is already a source of
> confusion in some areas.
>
> The eBird hotspot at the Piute Ponds is perhaps the most pressing. The
> Piute Ponds area spans four atlas blocks so new eBird hotspots have been
> created for each one:
>
> Piute Ponds CA Atlas Rosamond CE
>
> Piute Ponds CA Atlas Rosamond SE
>
> Piute Ponds CA Atlas Rosamond Lake CW
>
> Piute Ponds CA Atlas Rosamond Lake SW
>
> If you're contributing to the atlas at the Piute Ponds, PLEASE USE THESE
> HOTSPOTS! The older, general eBird hotspot for the Piute Ponds ("Piute
> Ponds (permit required)") is very close to a block boundary, was fine until
> January 1, but is too imprecise for the atlas. Using the new blocks is a
> pain but it's worth it because doing this will put your birds in the
> correct location and make your observations more valuable.
>
> There are other eBird hotspots around the county that are close to block
> boundaries that we may discuss in in detail in future emails. For
> example, Huntington Gardens in San Marino spans two blocks: Most of the
> grounds are in Mount Wilson SW but thin section on the south edge is in El
> Monte NW. Bonelli Park in San Dimas is another location that spans four
> blocks.
>
> Another easy way to deal with this situation is to set up your own
> personal spots and then use them every time you visit a particular area. A
> number of people are already doing this.
>
>
>
>
