It's been an exciting last couple of days weather wise. Rain in southern California is almost always a treat, but rain that comes in the midst of a drought is the sweetest.
Libby and I have been enjoying the colder than normal weather, too. On Sunday, we stopped on top of a hill with a large view in the Coyote Hills and, before it had even rained, we could see all the way to the Santa Monica mountains - and beyond! You can often see downtown L.A. from there when it's clear, but it was pretty neat to have the skyscrapers in the foreground, so to speak. Such wide vistas on an invigoratingly cool winter morning help you feel the immensity of the world we live in.
This morning I walked to work in the rain, and it was neat to see Creek Park transformed into a soggy mess. The water got as high as its been in years, and the water was right at the base of the bridges. Near our apartment, the water filled all the dams and spilled over the tops and edges, forming a series of swirling terraced lakes. Where it passed under Imperial and La Mirada Blvd, the water was a muddy torrent - with four foot high waves in perpetual crests. Awesome!
Monday, December 15, 2008
Friday, December 05, 2008
The Bridge to Nowhere, and How We Arrived There
No, not that one in Alaska.
Libby's Dad has been wanting to do a hike with the Moothart guys for a long time, and when the opportunity to do one the day after Thanksgiving arose, they were gracious enough to include me in their plans.
The idea was to go to the Bridge to Nowhere, an abandoned Depression era road project in the San Gabriel Mountains. Once upon a time, the idea was to build a road connecting Azusa with Wrightwood. To do so meant making a crossing in the San Gabriels, and they chose the canyon containing the East Fork of the San Gabriel River to do it in. But, before they were done, a large flood came down and washed away large parts of the road. The project was abandoned, stranding their recently completed concrete span in the middle of nowhere. It's now in the middle of the Sheep Mountain Wilderness. The bridge itself is located on private property - apparently owned by a bungee jumping company!
Anyway, Dad Moothart had done all his research, and we were anticipating a wet hike with many stream crossings, rugged terrain and a bit of a slog to reach the bridge. One source said it would take as many as four hours! That's just to go 4.5 miles. I was a little nervous.
We got an early start, meeting up in Azusa at 7:00 am to carpool the rest of the way into the mountains to get to the trailhead. The parking lot was already crowded by the time we arrived, but there were only a few hikers on the trail ahead of us. The rest of the cars belonged to a couple of anglers and a lot of recreational gold panners. Beards and beers were well represented along the lower stretches of the river. I wonder how much you can find in a day?
The hike itself didn't live up to my anxiety. It was a moderately difficult hike, but we never got our feet wet. We only had to cross the full river twice, and had to cross a narrower arm of it two times later on. Much of the hike is over cobblestones and gravel, though, resulting in a very uneven surface and sore feet by the end of the day.
A friendly prospector gave us a good steer for getting to the river. After beginning on the east side of the river, you cross over fairly early where there's a sheer cliff on the east side of the river. Then you follow it along the west side for a stretch until you reach the second washed out bridge's remains. From there you want to find a crossing to reach the east side. Once you arrive on the east side, you just stay there and look for a somewhat inconsistent trail.
The only hiccup we faced was that the prospector said there would be a peninsula that we would have to cross and go down the other side of (so to look for ways to stay above the river on the right). Well, there are two places that fit this description, and the first one requires some hand-over-hand crawling to get down a 20' face of bedrock from the road to the river. If you skipped it, you'd probably have to cross the river a couple of times. In general, I think you can stay dry but you have to make decisions about how much exposure and scrambling you're comfortable with.
The worst exposure was actually relatively close to the bridge. You've got to go across a slide's chute with a hundred feet of exposure and only a narrow trail crossing it in soft sand that just looks like a temporary solution (the trail arches up high to stay in crossable material, and I'm guessing that it doesn't have much higher to go before it runs out of the sand). In all, this is a trail that probably changes a lot between rain storms, so I guess any description I write here will probably be out of date rather quickly.
We arrived in a little more than two hours at the bridge. From above, coming down the road, it looks pretty unimpressive and at first I didn't believe it could be the bridge. But, after you cross it and look back, it becomes a lot more impressive. Which is relieving, considering the time and effort one invests reaching it!
The bridge! To Nowhere!
Flickr
Libby's Dad has been wanting to do a hike with the Moothart guys for a long time, and when the opportunity to do one the day after Thanksgiving arose, they were gracious enough to include me in their plans.
The idea was to go to the Bridge to Nowhere, an abandoned Depression era road project in the San Gabriel Mountains. Once upon a time, the idea was to build a road connecting Azusa with Wrightwood. To do so meant making a crossing in the San Gabriels, and they chose the canyon containing the East Fork of the San Gabriel River to do it in. But, before they were done, a large flood came down and washed away large parts of the road. The project was abandoned, stranding their recently completed concrete span in the middle of nowhere. It's now in the middle of the Sheep Mountain Wilderness. The bridge itself is located on private property - apparently owned by a bungee jumping company!
Anyway, Dad Moothart had done all his research, and we were anticipating a wet hike with many stream crossings, rugged terrain and a bit of a slog to reach the bridge. One source said it would take as many as four hours! That's just to go 4.5 miles. I was a little nervous.
We got an early start, meeting up in Azusa at 7:00 am to carpool the rest of the way into the mountains to get to the trailhead. The parking lot was already crowded by the time we arrived, but there were only a few hikers on the trail ahead of us. The rest of the cars belonged to a couple of anglers and a lot of recreational gold panners. Beards and beers were well represented along the lower stretches of the river. I wonder how much you can find in a day?
The hike itself didn't live up to my anxiety. It was a moderately difficult hike, but we never got our feet wet. We only had to cross the full river twice, and had to cross a narrower arm of it two times later on. Much of the hike is over cobblestones and gravel, though, resulting in a very uneven surface and sore feet by the end of the day.
A friendly prospector gave us a good steer for getting to the river. After beginning on the east side of the river, you cross over fairly early where there's a sheer cliff on the east side of the river. Then you follow it along the west side for a stretch until you reach the second washed out bridge's remains. From there you want to find a crossing to reach the east side. Once you arrive on the east side, you just stay there and look for a somewhat inconsistent trail.
The only hiccup we faced was that the prospector said there would be a peninsula that we would have to cross and go down the other side of (so to look for ways to stay above the river on the right). Well, there are two places that fit this description, and the first one requires some hand-over-hand crawling to get down a 20' face of bedrock from the road to the river. If you skipped it, you'd probably have to cross the river a couple of times. In general, I think you can stay dry but you have to make decisions about how much exposure and scrambling you're comfortable with.
The worst exposure was actually relatively close to the bridge. You've got to go across a slide's chute with a hundred feet of exposure and only a narrow trail crossing it in soft sand that just looks like a temporary solution (the trail arches up high to stay in crossable material, and I'm guessing that it doesn't have much higher to go before it runs out of the sand). In all, this is a trail that probably changes a lot between rain storms, so I guess any description I write here will probably be out of date rather quickly.
We arrived in a little more than two hours at the bridge. From above, coming down the road, it looks pretty unimpressive and at first I didn't believe it could be the bridge. But, after you cross it and look back, it becomes a lot more impressive. Which is relieving, considering the time and effort one invests reaching it!
The bridge! To Nowhere!Flickr
Since we got there earlier than we anticipated, we continued ahead to see if we could find the other end of the tunnel they bored through the mountain at the end of the bridge (its completely collapsed). We found something that may have been the tunnel, but it was so choked up with rocks we couldn't tell whether or not it was man made or artificial. Then we found a sunny rock by the river (it was chilly in the canyons all day) and had lunch before heading back. It seemed to take longer going back, and we finally arrived at the parking lot at 3 something, I think.
Overall, a great hike, and a fun time.
Oh! I almost forgot. Birds. I didn't see a whole lot of birds, but I saw some that I don't see very often, and one that was new. I finally saw my first Rufous-crowned Sparrow, a truly handsome bird which has been a bit of a nemesis for me. They live in the Whittier Hills, even, and I just haven't been able to find one (though I think we've heard them before). I saw a pair calling and flying from one bush to another before they disappeared, again. No pictures, though.
Other highlights were a Golden Eagle right above the bridge, a Townsend's Solitaire near the bridge, several groups of Canyon Wrens (easily our most beautifully colored North American wren), lots of Rock Wrens in the wide rocky river beds (first time I've seen them since the Sierras in July), a single Kingfisher, and lots of Black Phoebes.
Overall, a great hike, and a fun time.
Oh! I almost forgot. Birds. I didn't see a whole lot of birds, but I saw some that I don't see very often, and one that was new. I finally saw my first Rufous-crowned Sparrow, a truly handsome bird which has been a bit of a nemesis for me. They live in the Whittier Hills, even, and I just haven't been able to find one (though I think we've heard them before). I saw a pair calling and flying from one bush to another before they disappeared, again. No pictures, though.
Other highlights were a Golden Eagle right above the bridge, a Townsend's Solitaire near the bridge, several groups of Canyon Wrens (easily our most beautifully colored North American wren), lots of Rock Wrens in the wide rocky river beds (first time I've seen them since the Sierras in July), a single Kingfisher, and lots of Black Phoebes.
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Thanksgiving!
Further updates were promised, and I'm one to deliver.
Thanksgiving this year was at the Mootharts, and we had a grand old time. The morning began with preparing green bean casserole, followed by church, and then we drove out to Highland for the day.
When we arrived, the turkey was already in the deep fryer. We were pretty excited about deep-fried Turkey. The bird was submerged in an extremely hot cauldron of bubbling oil for about an hour. We had a great meal when everyone else finally arrived. Turkey, ham, stuffing, yams, green-bean casserole, home made rolls, gray, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and salad. Followed by pumpkin cheese cake for desert (with a sweet lemon bread/cake for those of us who are not pumpkin fans). Boy howdy it was great!
After eating we all went down to the nearby middle school and flew Phillip's remote controlled airplane. Little Jonathan was very excited about this. Unfortunately, it took like an hour to build after we got down there, and then it only really flew four or five times before the tail broke and fell off. Still, fun was had by all who participated.
We left fairly early because the next morning I had to get up early to go hiking! A post regarding said adventure will be forthcoming. In the meantime, enjoy these pictures from Thanksgiving on Flickrr: Thanksgiving Set of pictures.
Thanksgiving this year was at the Mootharts, and we had a grand old time. The morning began with preparing green bean casserole, followed by church, and then we drove out to Highland for the day.
When we arrived, the turkey was already in the deep fryer. We were pretty excited about deep-fried Turkey. The bird was submerged in an extremely hot cauldron of bubbling oil for about an hour. We had a great meal when everyone else finally arrived. Turkey, ham, stuffing, yams, green-bean casserole, home made rolls, gray, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and salad. Followed by pumpkin cheese cake for desert (with a sweet lemon bread/cake for those of us who are not pumpkin fans). Boy howdy it was great!
After eating we all went down to the nearby middle school and flew Phillip's remote controlled airplane. Little Jonathan was very excited about this. Unfortunately, it took like an hour to build after we got down there, and then it only really flew four or five times before the tail broke and fell off. Still, fun was had by all who participated.
We left fairly early because the next morning I had to get up early to go hiking! A post regarding said adventure will be forthcoming. In the meantime, enjoy these pictures from Thanksgiving on Flickrr: Thanksgiving Set of pictures.
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Dusky-capped Returns
There are a lot of things I'd normally consider blog-worthy going on around here, lately, but we've been so busy getting into the Christmas spirit that we haven't talked about them here, yet.
I'm sure you're very disappointed.
Nevertheless, I won't be cowed by your apparent indifference, and intend to make a stab at catching up. Let's go chronologically, shall we? Let's see...
Last week on Tuesday I went birding in Creek Park like I occasionally will do on a Tuesday, and was wandering about the eucalyptus grove there in search of birds of all sorts, when what to my wondering ears should I hear? The mournful weeping call of a Flycatcher! Here! I listened intently and heard it call several more times, but I couldn't really believe my ears. Was I really hearing what I thought I was hearing? So I started scrambling around, trying to trace the calls to their source, but they seemed to move all around me, and pretty soon I had to go to work.
You might remember how a Dusky-capped Flycatcher spent last winter in La Mirada near our apartment - I posted about it early last March. It was a pretty rare bird, then, but it's an even rarer bird, now. While many rare Arizona/Mexican birds will winter in California in subsequent years (Thick-billed Kingbirds and Painted Redstarts, especially), there is only one previous record of a Dusky-capped Flycatcher returning for a consecutive winter in California, ever. I was pretty sure it was very unlikely, before I knew that (I asked someone I thought would know) so I just had to check again. Libby and I visited the grove during lunch that day without luck, and a rain storm was coming in, so I was afraid I'd be unable to document it for awhile.
Thankfully, last Wednesday dawned partly cloudy and dry after a night of rain, so I took off early for work and slipped and waded around the grove in thick slimy muck for awhile before finally hearing the call, and subsequently, seeing the bird! It's definitely the same sort of bird as last year. Since it's much more likely it's the same bird exercising sight fidelity (like most migrants) than a totally new bird finding the exactly same 4 acres of marginal wintering habitat, it's gotta be the second record of a Dusky-capped Flycatcher wintering two years in a row. Cool!
I have to wonder what the bird's been through in between stays here. Where did it spend the summer? Did it make it back to its normal haunts? Its navigation system is obviously broken, so who knows?
It was too dark on Wednesday for photos, but I got two documentary videos that I've put up on Flickr. One is a really bad shaky one of the bird itself and one is just a video of the call (since I don't have a pure recording device). I believe the video of the call is a more helpful record for documentary purposes since the voice of this kind of flycatcher is very distinctive.
Tune in later this week for updates on Thanksgiving, and a neat hike! Adios!
I'm sure you're very disappointed.
Nevertheless, I won't be cowed by your apparent indifference, and intend to make a stab at catching up. Let's go chronologically, shall we? Let's see...
Last week on Tuesday I went birding in Creek Park like I occasionally will do on a Tuesday, and was wandering about the eucalyptus grove there in search of birds of all sorts, when what to my wondering ears should I hear? The mournful weeping call of a Flycatcher! Here! I listened intently and heard it call several more times, but I couldn't really believe my ears. Was I really hearing what I thought I was hearing? So I started scrambling around, trying to trace the calls to their source, but they seemed to move all around me, and pretty soon I had to go to work.
You might remember how a Dusky-capped Flycatcher spent last winter in La Mirada near our apartment - I posted about it early last March. It was a pretty rare bird, then, but it's an even rarer bird, now. While many rare Arizona/Mexican birds will winter in California in subsequent years (Thick-billed Kingbirds and Painted Redstarts, especially), there is only one previous record of a Dusky-capped Flycatcher returning for a consecutive winter in California, ever. I was pretty sure it was very unlikely, before I knew that (I asked someone I thought would know) so I just had to check again. Libby and I visited the grove during lunch that day without luck, and a rain storm was coming in, so I was afraid I'd be unable to document it for awhile.
Thankfully, last Wednesday dawned partly cloudy and dry after a night of rain, so I took off early for work and slipped and waded around the grove in thick slimy muck for awhile before finally hearing the call, and subsequently, seeing the bird! It's definitely the same sort of bird as last year. Since it's much more likely it's the same bird exercising sight fidelity (like most migrants) than a totally new bird finding the exactly same 4 acres of marginal wintering habitat, it's gotta be the second record of a Dusky-capped Flycatcher wintering two years in a row. Cool!
I have to wonder what the bird's been through in between stays here. Where did it spend the summer? Did it make it back to its normal haunts? Its navigation system is obviously broken, so who knows?
It was too dark on Wednesday for photos, but I got two documentary videos that I've put up on Flickr. One is a really bad shaky one of the bird itself and one is just a video of the call (since I don't have a pure recording device). I believe the video of the call is a more helpful record for documentary purposes since the voice of this kind of flycatcher is very distinctive.
Tune in later this week for updates on Thanksgiving, and a neat hike! Adios!
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Christmas Movies
Well, it's almost that time of year again. Come Thursday or Friday night, it's time for Christmas movies and specials. They are a great part of the American Christmas experience, and help us get into the Christmas spirit by focusing our attention on the season's intangibles.
So, I was thinking, which Christmas movies are indispensable to achieving that theme? After all, there must be dozens and dozens of them, many forgotten, others that ought to be forgotten, and perhaps some that we've just looked over. Since we've been married, Libby and I have been buying one film we think is a wonderful addition to the Christmas season. Here's what we have so far, is there anything else we should invest in?
1) A Charlie Brown Christmas - I think this is Charles Schultz's finest work. The simplest of art styles swells to incorporate an evocative gospel theme, as an unloved Christmas tree (and titular protagonist) is transformed via a society motivated by the Linus's beautiful reading of Luke's nativity story. It gives me goosebumps and good feelings every time I hear it.
2) It's a Wonderful Life - No season is more suited to the optimistic populism of Frank Capra than the one that begins this year on November 30th. And no actor was ever more suited to the role of George Bailey than James Stewart. Together they created a wonderful film that truly reveals the awesome value of a life well lived.
3) A Christmas Story - BB guns never seemed so enticing. The deepest charm of this movie, over and above its laughs, is the feeling of nostalgia it can evoke for the magical Christmases that we experienced as children.
This year we bought the Chuck Jones animated version of Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas, but we're waiting to see it after Thanksgiving roles around. The one that we've crossed off our list so far is White Christmas, which was ok, but didn't really seem to contribute anything to the holiday mood. We're especially looking for a good version of Dicken's Christmas Carol, which is our favorite Christmas fiction.
Feel free to let us know if you have any traditional favorites that you think we're missing out on! We'd love to hear from you.
So, I was thinking, which Christmas movies are indispensable to achieving that theme? After all, there must be dozens and dozens of them, many forgotten, others that ought to be forgotten, and perhaps some that we've just looked over. Since we've been married, Libby and I have been buying one film we think is a wonderful addition to the Christmas season. Here's what we have so far, is there anything else we should invest in?
1) A Charlie Brown Christmas - I think this is Charles Schultz's finest work. The simplest of art styles swells to incorporate an evocative gospel theme, as an unloved Christmas tree (and titular protagonist) is transformed via a society motivated by the Linus's beautiful reading of Luke's nativity story. It gives me goosebumps and good feelings every time I hear it.
2) It's a Wonderful Life - No season is more suited to the optimistic populism of Frank Capra than the one that begins this year on November 30th. And no actor was ever more suited to the role of George Bailey than James Stewart. Together they created a wonderful film that truly reveals the awesome value of a life well lived.
3) A Christmas Story - BB guns never seemed so enticing. The deepest charm of this movie, over and above its laughs, is the feeling of nostalgia it can evoke for the magical Christmases that we experienced as children.
This year we bought the Chuck Jones animated version of Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas, but we're waiting to see it after Thanksgiving roles around. The one that we've crossed off our list so far is White Christmas, which was ok, but didn't really seem to contribute anything to the holiday mood. We're especially looking for a good version of Dicken's Christmas Carol, which is our favorite Christmas fiction.
Feel free to let us know if you have any traditional favorites that you think we're missing out on! We'd love to hear from you.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Disneyland Hijinks
Libby's sister Abbey recently bought a pass to Disneyland! So, we all got to take a trip there together this last Sunday afternoon. It turned out to be a great idea. The crowds were really thin, and we got out of the smoke by heading south. We went on most of the big rides, with only a ten minutes wait for Space Mountain (the shortest wait Libby and I have seen in the last year!).
I brought the camera, and you can see pictures here: Disneyland with Abbey. I also threw in a couple of documentary shots of how the fire impacted us in La Mirada/Whittier. For us, that meant living with the worst air quality that I've ever experienced.
Libby and I are currently contemplating whether or not to renew our Disneyland passes for the coming year. On the one hand, it's been a lot of fun, and there's a little discount for renewals. But, on the other hand, it's still a handy sum of money we could save, use to pay off school loans, or use to do something else that's also awesome (like save it for trips to Texas or New York this coming year).
I brought the camera, and you can see pictures here: Disneyland with Abbey. I also threw in a couple of documentary shots of how the fire impacted us in La Mirada/Whittier. For us, that meant living with the worst air quality that I've ever experienced.
Libby and I are currently contemplating whether or not to renew our Disneyland passes for the coming year. On the one hand, it's been a lot of fun, and there's a little discount for renewals. But, on the other hand, it's still a handy sum of money we could save, use to pay off school loans, or use to do something else that's also awesome (like save it for trips to Texas or New York this coming year).
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Three Years
Yesterday marked three years of marriage for Jonathan and me. To celebrate this momentous occasion we took a little trip down to Sea World last weekend. We drove down to San Diego on Friday night, spent Saturday at Sea World, and then went back for a few hours on Sunday before driving back home. You see, they've got this deal going on where you buy a one-day ticket, and get a pass for a whole year. So, maybe we'll take another trip sometime in 2009. But maybe we won't. No pressure.We got to see the shows, pet some rays, walk through the aquariums, chuckle at the penguins and marvel at the Commerson's Dolphins. We also got to feed the Bottlenose Dolphins. We enjoyed our time very much. You can see some more of our pictures from the weekend here.
Oh, and then on our actual anniversary (yesterday) we had a nice dinner at the Cat & Custard Cup, our favorite restaurant.
Yay for us! :-)
Friday, October 31, 2008
AWANA
I love AWANA. It was very influential in my life as I was growing up, so it's got a special place in my heart. Our church, Blessed Sacrament, has just started an AWANA club of its own; I'm very excited about it. Jonathan and I are in charge of the 3rd-6th graders. Doesn't he look handsome in his uniform?
And because it's only fair, here's my picture as well:
Yay AWANA!
And because it's only fair, here's my picture as well:
Yay AWANA!
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Time flies?
Last Saturday Libby and I went to Bolsa Chica for a little early winter/ late Fall birding. We started at Harriet Weider Park and enjoyed a couple of Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers, White-crowned Sparrows and a flock of Red-winged Blackbirds before moving along. I was hoping to see some Pipits in the field there, but there weren't any Pipits or Meadowlarks anywhere to be found.
Right after that we headed over to the main reserve with two goals. One, to enjoy the common birds of Bolsa Chica, and two, to see if we could find a Tricolored Heron that was seen there. I'm happy to say we accomplished both goals!
Most of the ducks have arrived in small numbers, and it was especially nice to see our first Buffleheads of the season bobbing about as they disappeared from time to time to feed. The tide was really high, so most of the shorebirds we saw were either flying by or perched in the bushes and eelgrass still above water. The only terns we saw were perched on poles butting out of the water or zipping about in pursuit of prey. Not only that, but we only saw Forster's Terns in winter plumage. Brown Pelicans were feeding conspicuously both at the tide gates and at the boardwalk.
The neatest moment came on our way back to the car when we saw a Merlin swoop in, spook a shorebird flock, and come out carrying a limp-winged bird. It proceeded to perch in a distant (but viewable through our scope) snag where its early lunch sent feathers floating off in the wind.
As I said earlier, we did find the Tricolored Heron. We almost missed it, and later some other birders told us we walked right by it without seeing it (funny), but we got some ok looks at the bird through our scope for a short while before it flew off. We were able to find it again pretty easily, and had more extensive looks. The bird was backlit and further away at that point, but there really wasn't anything to complain about. Still, I didn't get any pictures.
We also saw two Reddish Egrets at Bolsa Chica on the same trip. These used to be about as rare as Tricolored Herons (which have actually bred in the past near the Salton Sea), but there have been a few of them at Bolsa Chica almost continually since we started birding. They definitely appear to be on the northward march. I got a single distant picture of one on Saturday:
After all the excitement we could do nothing better than go to Disneyland for lunch! Which we did. And then we could do nothing better than to beat the heat on Splash Mountain. We got the full experience there, sitting in the very front and getting totally soaked. We even stood in line for Peter Pan, which is one of our favorite rides, so we had a good time. Actually, I guess you could say we had a good day!
Right after that we headed over to the main reserve with two goals. One, to enjoy the common birds of Bolsa Chica, and two, to see if we could find a Tricolored Heron that was seen there. I'm happy to say we accomplished both goals!
Most of the ducks have arrived in small numbers, and it was especially nice to see our first Buffleheads of the season bobbing about as they disappeared from time to time to feed. The tide was really high, so most of the shorebirds we saw were either flying by or perched in the bushes and eelgrass still above water. The only terns we saw were perched on poles butting out of the water or zipping about in pursuit of prey. Not only that, but we only saw Forster's Terns in winter plumage. Brown Pelicans were feeding conspicuously both at the tide gates and at the boardwalk.
The neatest moment came on our way back to the car when we saw a Merlin swoop in, spook a shorebird flock, and come out carrying a limp-winged bird. It proceeded to perch in a distant (but viewable through our scope) snag where its early lunch sent feathers floating off in the wind.
As I said earlier, we did find the Tricolored Heron. We almost missed it, and later some other birders told us we walked right by it without seeing it (funny), but we got some ok looks at the bird through our scope for a short while before it flew off. We were able to find it again pretty easily, and had more extensive looks. The bird was backlit and further away at that point, but there really wasn't anything to complain about. Still, I didn't get any pictures.
We also saw two Reddish Egrets at Bolsa Chica on the same trip. These used to be about as rare as Tricolored Herons (which have actually bred in the past near the Salton Sea), but there have been a few of them at Bolsa Chica almost continually since we started birding. They definitely appear to be on the northward march. I got a single distant picture of one on Saturday:
After all the excitement we could do nothing better than go to Disneyland for lunch! Which we did. And then we could do nothing better than to beat the heat on Splash Mountain. We got the full experience there, sitting in the very front and getting totally soaked. We even stood in line for Peter Pan, which is one of our favorite rides, so we had a good time. Actually, I guess you could say we had a good day!
Monday, October 27, 2008
Pumpkin Carving
Every year around this time Libby and I really cut loose and take a knife to a pumpkin. What other season is so well suited towards savoring the unique pleasure of doing violence to a vegetable?
Anyway, we've been carving pumpkins and taking pictures of ourselves doing it since before we were married. You might say it's at the heart of what makes our relationship tick (though you'd be wrong), and you might say that there isn't a better set of pumpkin cutters on God's green earth. You'd be right on that one.
You should know, though, that when I say we're the best at cutting pumpkins, I'm not saying that we possess the greatest skill. I'm saying that we possess the biggest hearts. After all, isn't that what really counts?
Pictures
Anyway, we've been carving pumpkins and taking pictures of ourselves doing it since before we were married. You might say it's at the heart of what makes our relationship tick (though you'd be wrong), and you might say that there isn't a better set of pumpkin cutters on God's green earth. You'd be right on that one.
You should know, though, that when I say we're the best at cutting pumpkins, I'm not saying that we possess the greatest skill. I'm saying that we possess the biggest hearts. After all, isn't that what really counts?
Pictures
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Abortion and the Election
This is a disturbing article about Senator Obama's record and beliefs on abortion issues. Suffice to say, he favors no legal protection at all for unborn persons.
Public Discourse - Roger George on "Obama's Abortion Extremism."
Although I'm not a big fan of McCain, I could never in good conscience vote for someone with this record to be president. It's pretty depressing considering it looks like he's going to win the election.
Public Discourse - Roger George on "Obama's Abortion Extremism."
Although I'm not a big fan of McCain, I could never in good conscience vote for someone with this record to be president. It's pretty depressing considering it looks like he's going to win the election.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Apple Time!
Fresh pressed apple cider is the best part of Fall. I love it! Every year, we go to Oak Glen to pick some up, and I never regret the visit. This last Saturday was our first trip to Oak Glen this year, and boy did we get some awesome cider! You just can't get cider that good away from a cider mill, so that alone is really worth the trip. We also picked up some tasty apples that you can't find in stores (Mutsu and Staymen Winesap).
It was really crowded, though. It makes it hard to find anywhere to park and can be a little overwhelming. We just take it slow and try not to be in a hurry. Another disappointment was that the little park/ one room school house we like to visit was closed. That's usually a little quieter, and let's you walk around in some oak woodland that's otherwise completely off limits in Oak Glen.
I've put up some pictures from the trip on Flickr: Oak Glen Oct 8.
It was really crowded, though. It makes it hard to find anywhere to park and can be a little overwhelming. We just take it slow and try not to be in a hurry. Another disappointment was that the little park/ one room school house we like to visit was closed. That's usually a little quieter, and let's you walk around in some oak woodland that's otherwise completely off limits in Oak Glen.
I've put up some pictures from the trip on Flickr: Oak Glen Oct 8.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Posting!
Here's a post, so the blog doesn't die. I guess nobody's felt inspired to write here for awhile.
Libby's busy in school. She's been doing a great job in her professional writing class. This is the last class she has to take at Biola. Cool, huh? On a less positive note, she fell down on our Monday run, and is now nursing a really painful scrape on her hand. So, that's a bummer. She's still teaching the children, of course. That's what she does.
Work's calmed down a bit for me. I go birding a couple of mornings a week and on weekends, if all goes well, but because of Libby's class load, she hasn't had any time to go with me. That's a bummer. I added a couple more birds to my Creek Park list last Friday when I saw an Osprey fly overhead, and found a Merlin predating a Black Phoebe in the eucalyptus grove. That brings it to 90. It's fun getting to know the birds of Creek Park so intimately. Plus, as a microcosm of the greater Los Angeles area it helps me learn a bit about the distribution of California birds as a whole (when are which migrants passing through, etc). Birdwatching one area regularly (birders call this patch birding) is fulfilling and fun!
Hopefully, we're hoping to make it up to Oak Glen for this first time this year on Saturday. It'll be a zoo, but I sure would like some fresh apple cider.
There's a new Awanas club at Blessed Sacrament that we'll be helping out with; it starts tomorrow. That should be good. We got trained by Libby's Mom!
We've seen some cool movies lately. Yesterday we watched Grumpy Old Men, which was funny. Not as good as the Odd Couple, the other Lemmon/Matthau pairing we've seen, but it made us laugh. Before that, we saw Diary of a Country Priest - a movie (in French) about the struggles of an young and ailing Catholic curate in rural France. It's by Robert Bresson, and is quite good. It's refreshing to watch a very well made movie that tackles profound issues about faith and grace in the human condition. Of course, it's a bit slow. I also saw Appaloosa with Lem and Luke last Saturday evening while Libby was doing homework. Not the best western ever, for sure. The plot just wasn't engaging - the best part was definitely the relationship between the male leads. Both Ed Harris and Viggo Mortenson do a great job, and the roles are well written and directed. Still, not enough of a reason to pay through the nose to see it in a theater.
Oh... a week ago Friday I had to serve Jury Duty in Downtown L.A. That was exciting - I took public transportation to and fro. And, Libby had her annual Pilgrim Ship field trip the same weekend. I guess a lot happened back then!
Libby's busy in school. She's been doing a great job in her professional writing class. This is the last class she has to take at Biola. Cool, huh? On a less positive note, she fell down on our Monday run, and is now nursing a really painful scrape on her hand. So, that's a bummer. She's still teaching the children, of course. That's what she does.
Work's calmed down a bit for me. I go birding a couple of mornings a week and on weekends, if all goes well, but because of Libby's class load, she hasn't had any time to go with me. That's a bummer. I added a couple more birds to my Creek Park list last Friday when I saw an Osprey fly overhead, and found a Merlin predating a Black Phoebe in the eucalyptus grove. That brings it to 90. It's fun getting to know the birds of Creek Park so intimately. Plus, as a microcosm of the greater Los Angeles area it helps me learn a bit about the distribution of California birds as a whole (when are which migrants passing through, etc). Birdwatching one area regularly (birders call this patch birding) is fulfilling and fun!
Hopefully, we're hoping to make it up to Oak Glen for this first time this year on Saturday. It'll be a zoo, but I sure would like some fresh apple cider.
There's a new Awanas club at Blessed Sacrament that we'll be helping out with; it starts tomorrow. That should be good. We got trained by Libby's Mom!
We've seen some cool movies lately. Yesterday we watched Grumpy Old Men, which was funny. Not as good as the Odd Couple, the other Lemmon/Matthau pairing we've seen, but it made us laugh. Before that, we saw Diary of a Country Priest - a movie (in French) about the struggles of an young and ailing Catholic curate in rural France. It's by Robert Bresson, and is quite good. It's refreshing to watch a very well made movie that tackles profound issues about faith and grace in the human condition. Of course, it's a bit slow. I also saw Appaloosa with Lem and Luke last Saturday evening while Libby was doing homework. Not the best western ever, for sure. The plot just wasn't engaging - the best part was definitely the relationship between the male leads. Both Ed Harris and Viggo Mortenson do a great job, and the roles are well written and directed. Still, not enough of a reason to pay through the nose to see it in a theater.
Oh... a week ago Friday I had to serve Jury Duty in Downtown L.A. That was exciting - I took public transportation to and fro. And, Libby had her annual Pilgrim Ship field trip the same weekend. I guess a lot happened back then!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Attention!
It is very hot (101) in La Mirada right now.
Pheww!
There's also a bee swarm outside my office. I don't know what those bees are thinking being outside on a day like today.
Pheww!
There's also a bee swarm outside my office. I don't know what those bees are thinking being outside on a day like today.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Satuday Birding
The last weekend of September only comes once a year, ushering in Autumn and the opportunity to truly enjoy it. Unfortunately, it's also during school, so Libby was stuck in the house doing homework, leaving me to my own devices for entertainment last Saturday morning. Naturally, I went birdwatching. I decided to go to the local Whittier-Puente Hills (there's a little trail off of Colima), and I pulled in as the morning rays played on the tops of the low scrub.
The birds I found made it feel more like Winter than Fall, though. In Fall, I expect a diversity of migrant warblers and vireos, birds on their way to tropical climes for the season. Instead I found sparrows, Yellow-rumped Warblers, and Ruby-crowned Kinglets; birds that will stay the entire winter. Of course, it's always fun to enjoy these birds for the first time, and it's fun to see some of the local residents. Wrentits are especially common in this little patch of hills, and those bizarre one-of-a-kind birds are always a treat to see. Mockingbirds were outnumbered by California Thrashers, but I still managed a picture of one:
Northern Mockingbird near the parking lot at the Puente Hills habitat restoration project.
http://flickr.com/photos/rowleypics/2892735185/
I finished the short hiking loop there by 9:30, and, not wanting to get home too early and distract Libby, I headed off to Creek Park. I bird Creek Park at least once a week already on my way to and from work, but I always have to be out of the park before eight to get to work on time. Here was an opportunity to be there a little later and see what was going on. It was a little more like Fall there. A group of colorful Nashville Warblers feeding in a Eucalyptus Tree were joined by a single Western Tanager. I also found a single Wilson's Warbler, but otherwise the trees were filled with Orange-crowned Warblers. For some reason, this species was super-abundant in Creek Park on Saturday, and in the week leading up to it. It was a good time to stop and enjoy a common species.
A confiding Orange-crowned Warbler forages for insects in a tree's bark.
http://flickr.com/photos/rowleypics/2893576294/
Orange-crowned Warblers are a warbler found throughout North America, though its appearance is rather variable across this wide range. The Pacific-slope subspecies, of which the bird above is most likely a representative, is among the brightest in coloring. The eastern-most (boreal) subspecies is much grayer, with yellow sometimes confined only to the area under the tail. However, they share the same eye-pattern - a weak eye ring broken by a dark trans-ocular line. The orange crown itself isn't a very good field mark because you can rarely ever see it. I think I've seen an Orange-crowned Warblers orange crown once, ever. And I've seen a lot of Orange-crowned Warblers. Usually they keep it well covered.
See? Can't see the Orange!
http://flickr.com/photos/rowleypics/2892736369/in/photostream/
These Pacific Orange-crowned Warblers often spend all year in California. They generally winter in coastal lowlands, and move up into the local hills to breed. After breeding, they return to the lowlands to spend the winter (some migrate south to Mexico). But in Creek Park, I had a couple of birds singing on territories well into June, suggesting that some at least attempted to breed here.
Like many warblers, the Orange-crowned Warbler forages for insects in trees and shrubs, climbing, jumping and flying from branch to branch looking for its next meal. Warblers are Libby's favorite group of birds, and many other birders' as well, not only because they are often very beautiful, but because they are fun to watch. They're full of life and energy concentrated in a tiny little feathery package. Sometimes this can also be frustrating, though, as it can be difficult to get a clear look at the whole bird as it zips from one leaf to another in dense foliage. Hence I was so happy to get his many close-up pictures of one!
After taking pictures of the warblers, I wandered back to the creek to sit and watch a flock of Bushtits and Nutmeg Mannikins pick lerps off of an infested Eucalyptus tree while a mixed trio of Downey and Nuttall's woodpeckers pounded away on some trees above my head. All very much resident birds, and all very fun and refreshing. By then it was getting quite hot, and I was getting hungry, so I jumped in the car and headed home to see Libby and have some lunch -- she'd made great progress on her homework while I was gone. Fall or Winter, there are always good birds to be seen in Southern California.
The birds I found made it feel more like Winter than Fall, though. In Fall, I expect a diversity of migrant warblers and vireos, birds on their way to tropical climes for the season. Instead I found sparrows, Yellow-rumped Warblers, and Ruby-crowned Kinglets; birds that will stay the entire winter. Of course, it's always fun to enjoy these birds for the first time, and it's fun to see some of the local residents. Wrentits are especially common in this little patch of hills, and those bizarre one-of-a-kind birds are always a treat to see. Mockingbirds were outnumbered by California Thrashers, but I still managed a picture of one:
Northern Mockingbird near the parking lot at the Puente Hills habitat restoration project.http://flickr.com/photos/rowleypics/2892735185/
I finished the short hiking loop there by 9:30, and, not wanting to get home too early and distract Libby, I headed off to Creek Park. I bird Creek Park at least once a week already on my way to and from work, but I always have to be out of the park before eight to get to work on time. Here was an opportunity to be there a little later and see what was going on. It was a little more like Fall there. A group of colorful Nashville Warblers feeding in a Eucalyptus Tree were joined by a single Western Tanager. I also found a single Wilson's Warbler, but otherwise the trees were filled with Orange-crowned Warblers. For some reason, this species was super-abundant in Creek Park on Saturday, and in the week leading up to it. It was a good time to stop and enjoy a common species.
A confiding Orange-crowned Warbler forages for insects in a tree's bark.http://flickr.com/photos/rowleypics/2893576294/
Orange-crowned Warblers are a warbler found throughout North America, though its appearance is rather variable across this wide range. The Pacific-slope subspecies, of which the bird above is most likely a representative, is among the brightest in coloring. The eastern-most (boreal) subspecies is much grayer, with yellow sometimes confined only to the area under the tail. However, they share the same eye-pattern - a weak eye ring broken by a dark trans-ocular line. The orange crown itself isn't a very good field mark because you can rarely ever see it. I think I've seen an Orange-crowned Warblers orange crown once, ever. And I've seen a lot of Orange-crowned Warblers. Usually they keep it well covered.
See? Can't see the Orange!http://flickr.com/photos/rowleypics/2892736369/in/photostream/
These Pacific Orange-crowned Warblers often spend all year in California. They generally winter in coastal lowlands, and move up into the local hills to breed. After breeding, they return to the lowlands to spend the winter (some migrate south to Mexico). But in Creek Park, I had a couple of birds singing on territories well into June, suggesting that some at least attempted to breed here.
Like many warblers, the Orange-crowned Warbler forages for insects in trees and shrubs, climbing, jumping and flying from branch to branch looking for its next meal. Warblers are Libby's favorite group of birds, and many other birders' as well, not only because they are often very beautiful, but because they are fun to watch. They're full of life and energy concentrated in a tiny little feathery package. Sometimes this can also be frustrating, though, as it can be difficult to get a clear look at the whole bird as it zips from one leaf to another in dense foliage. Hence I was so happy to get his many close-up pictures of one!
After taking pictures of the warblers, I wandered back to the creek to sit and watch a flock of Bushtits and Nutmeg Mannikins pick lerps off of an infested Eucalyptus tree while a mixed trio of Downey and Nuttall's woodpeckers pounded away on some trees above my head. All very much resident birds, and all very fun and refreshing. By then it was getting quite hot, and I was getting hungry, so I jumped in the car and headed home to see Libby and have some lunch -- she'd made great progress on her homework while I was gone. Fall or Winter, there are always good birds to be seen in Southern California.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Great Basin Birds
This last weekend Libby and I went birding in Laguna Niguel Regional Park because we had to take a trip to Dana Point to pick up a box of supplies her class needs for their annual field trip to the Pilgrim with the Ocean Institute. Anyway, Laguna Niguel Regional Park is along the way, and it has one of the few local Tricolored Blackbird flocks in Southern California. I was hoping to get some pictures of the Tricolored Blackbirds, but that didn't work out because the birds were uncooperative and the camera was running out of batteries. Still, we had a pretty good time. There were some migrants moving through - Common Yellowthroats, a Warbling Vireo, Yellow Warblers, Orange-crowned Warblers and Western Tanagers made up the bulk of the flocks. But, we also had a rare bird - a Plumbeous Vireo.
Plumbeous Vireos are the Great Basin counterpart to the Pacific slope's Cassin's Vireos and to the East's Blue-headed Vireos -- a group of birds formerly considered one species. They've begun extending their range into California's mountains fairly recently, and as such, are being found more commonly in migration and winter in coastal Southern California. Still, they're still less common than Cassin's Vireos, and it was exciting to see one. Plus, we had good looks at the bird, and it was very handsome - slate gray with strong wing bars, eye-rings and a spectacles.
This morning on my way to work, I found a Virginia's Warbler. This is a Vermivora warbler that's restricted to the Great Basin like the Plumbeous Vireo, and is very similar to the Nashville Warbler of the East and Pacific Slope. It also has extended its range into California's mountains recently, and is found in small numbers along the southern California coastal plain in Fall. Unlike the Plumbeous Vireo, this was a lifer. Also unlike our recent Plumbeous Vireo, it was not very obliging. It was foraging among leaves about 50' up in a Eucalyptus and I only saw it for a little while before it flew off. So, still a bird I'd like to see more clearly, again (with Libby, hopefully!).
Plumbeous Vireos are the Great Basin counterpart to the Pacific slope's Cassin's Vireos and to the East's Blue-headed Vireos -- a group of birds formerly considered one species. They've begun extending their range into California's mountains fairly recently, and as such, are being found more commonly in migration and winter in coastal Southern California. Still, they're still less common than Cassin's Vireos, and it was exciting to see one. Plus, we had good looks at the bird, and it was very handsome - slate gray with strong wing bars, eye-rings and a spectacles.
This morning on my way to work, I found a Virginia's Warbler. This is a Vermivora warbler that's restricted to the Great Basin like the Plumbeous Vireo, and is very similar to the Nashville Warbler of the East and Pacific Slope. It also has extended its range into California's mountains recently, and is found in small numbers along the southern California coastal plain in Fall. Unlike the Plumbeous Vireo, this was a lifer. Also unlike our recent Plumbeous Vireo, it was not very obliging. It was foraging among leaves about 50' up in a Eucalyptus and I only saw it for a little while before it flew off. So, still a bird I'd like to see more clearly, again (with Libby, hopefully!).
Friday, September 19, 2008
Fall Morning
It's still a couple of days until Fall begins, but it looked and smelled like it this morning. I'm not sure what was in the air - I can't find any notice of wildfires - but the morning light had a strong yellow cast.
But the most exciting part of my morning was the abundance of fall migrants in Creek Park. My first of season migrant Yellow, Black-throated Gray and Townsend's Warblers joined the flocks of Orange-crowned and Wilson's that have already been present since September began. On Tuesday morning I had two Nashville Warblers, also, but those appear to have moved on. It's amazing how, all three of these species showed up on the same day (as far as I could tell). With Hermits migrating early and more easterly in the Fall and MacGillivrays seeming to skip Creek Park, the only warbler species I still can expect to see this Fall in the park is the omni-present Yellow-rumped. The first of those are due any day now, though I'm not really looking forward to them. They'll be here all winter, after all.
Also, it's apparently Talk Like a Pirate Day! Thanks for the heads up, Mom.
So, Arrgh.
But the most exciting part of my morning was the abundance of fall migrants in Creek Park. My first of season migrant Yellow, Black-throated Gray and Townsend's Warblers joined the flocks of Orange-crowned and Wilson's that have already been present since September began. On Tuesday morning I had two Nashville Warblers, also, but those appear to have moved on. It's amazing how, all three of these species showed up on the same day (as far as I could tell). With Hermits migrating early and more easterly in the Fall and MacGillivrays seeming to skip Creek Park, the only warbler species I still can expect to see this Fall in the park is the omni-present Yellow-rumped. The first of those are due any day now, though I'm not really looking forward to them. They'll be here all winter, after all.
Also, it's apparently Talk Like a Pirate Day! Thanks for the heads up, Mom.
So, Arrgh.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Les Miserables
This summer Libby and I saw a local community college version of the Les Miserables musical. It was quite good, and the story is compelling and Chrisitan. Intrigued, we biked over to Barnes and Nobles (a quick five mile jaunt) and picked up an unabridged English translation of the novel one day. We got the new Julie Rose translation because, of the two available unabridged translations, its presentation was the most readable (the other version available was a cramped little paper back with no margins).
Anyway, I finally finished Victor Hugo's mammoth book last weekend. It was not as enjoyable as the musical. The musical highlights the best plot points of the book and therefore that compelling and Christian narrative. The book's narrative is also quite gripping and fun to read, but it's interspersed with long-winded digressions that break up and diminish the narrative's power. Since the digressions are generally French Romantic Enlightenment screeds against anything impeding Mankind's Progress - a thing I doubt exists at all in the first place - they especially dim the Christian element to the plot. Hugo ended his life a deist, anyway.
Still, the novel serves as a reminder of the importance of loving and caring for the poor. This is always valuable (though I'd prefer Dickens). Also, his digression on Waterloo is very interesting and well written. It's good to read books by people with whom you disagree, and I've rarely encountered someone as enamored of the French Revolution and Napoleon Bonaparte as Hugo sometimes appears to be. After reading Tolstoy (of whom Hugo reminds me quite strongly - especially, ironically, of War and Peace) this summer and hearing how bad, bad, and hubristic the mighty Napoleon's invasion of Russia was, it was quite a shock.
Anyway, I won't read it again, I don't think, but I am glad that I read it this one time. I can understand the abridgement, too, though I'm glad the one time I read the book I did it unabridged.
Anyway, I finally finished Victor Hugo's mammoth book last weekend. It was not as enjoyable as the musical. The musical highlights the best plot points of the book and therefore that compelling and Christian narrative. The book's narrative is also quite gripping and fun to read, but it's interspersed with long-winded digressions that break up and diminish the narrative's power. Since the digressions are generally French Romantic Enlightenment screeds against anything impeding Mankind's Progress - a thing I doubt exists at all in the first place - they especially dim the Christian element to the plot. Hugo ended his life a deist, anyway.
Still, the novel serves as a reminder of the importance of loving and caring for the poor. This is always valuable (though I'd prefer Dickens). Also, his digression on Waterloo is very interesting and well written. It's good to read books by people with whom you disagree, and I've rarely encountered someone as enamored of the French Revolution and Napoleon Bonaparte as Hugo sometimes appears to be. After reading Tolstoy (of whom Hugo reminds me quite strongly - especially, ironically, of War and Peace) this summer and hearing how bad, bad, and hubristic the mighty Napoleon's invasion of Russia was, it was quite a shock.
Anyway, I won't read it again, I don't think, but I am glad that I read it this one time. I can understand the abridgement, too, though I'm glad the one time I read the book I did it unabridged.
Friday, September 05, 2008
Fannnntastic!
Fantastic Contraption is the most entertaining in-browser (Flash) game that I've ever played. Now that I've beaten it, I'm sharing it with you.
Have fun!
Have fun!
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Farewell to Summer
Today's Libby's first day of school at Calvary. Yesterday was her first day of school at Biola. So, summer is over.
I guess it was a pretty good summer. We spent a lot of time hiking. Oregon was a blast. So was Libby's first pack trip. Speaking of which, Dad's pictures are now on-line. You can access those here: http://picasaweb.google.com/Davendebr/BackpackTrip.
I know the weather won't change all of a sudden, and the equinox isn't for a couple of more weeks, but I will miss the longer days. It was so pleasantly temperate here this summer, too, so I'll miss the perfect weather. Most days it was 85 or lower in La Mirada. We had a couple of really hot spells last Spring, but I only remember one big heat wave this summer, and that was around the beginning of July. We'll see what happens this September, though. It was 90 yesterday, and it's supposed to be around there today, too, so it's a little warmer than it has generally been.
Still, Fall brings migrants. I took my first post-summer walk to school yesterday morning, and the trees were full of Orange-crowned Warblers. There were also a few Wilson's Warblers mixed in here and there. Black Phoebes were incredibly vocal, perhaps sorting out winter territory boundaries after fledging their young. A few House Wrens were still singing, too, as well as a very loud Bewick's Wren - the first time I've ever had one in Creek Park. I'm not sure what he's doing there, as I've always thought of our local Bewick's Wrens as essentially sedentary birds. Maybe he lost his territory in the nearby Whittier Hills and wandered until he found a dense patch of shrubs in Creek Park?
Birds were mostly quiet, though. Besides the wrens, the only bird I heard sing was a single Lesser Goldfinch. It's a stark contrast from the Spring. Then, Warblers, Orioles, Towhees, and Finches all fill the air with their music.
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