Assembly Bill 711 — sponsored by Audubon California, Defenders of Wildlife, and the Humane Society of the United States — passed out of the Assembly Appropriations Committee this morning. The bill would require nonlead ammunition for all hunting in California. Now it will move on to the full Assembly. More news to come.

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The Spotted Towhee is one of our favorite birds, all the more so because we see it here in California year-round. But that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t migrate in the spring. There’s actually a great deal of local movement with this species (moving from valley to valley, changing altitudes, etc.) Although some stay right where they are. Either way, we’re happy to have them. (photo by Gary Kramer/USFWS)

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Great piece about the California Condor and the threat of lead ammunition to both birds and people from Yale Environment 360, which is published by the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.

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So, a lot of people will tell you that the Hermit Thrush, one of North America’s leading forest-nesting songbirds, is not much to look at. But actually it’s quite something up close, with its spotted breast and reddish tail. Of course, once you hear one of these little guys sing, you’re sold. Described as flute-like and haunting, the song of the Hermit Thrush is one of the best things you’ll come across in a winter forest in California. Alas, May is the month when these birds head north to breed in the dense forests of the American Rockies, Canada, and Alaska.

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Right about this time of the year is when the Sooty Shearwaters begin to arrive off the coast of California — many off Santa Cruz and Monterey. They’re here to enjoy the abundant food resources of our California Current. Their arrival is really something of a miracle, representing the conclusion of another amazing round trip. When these birds leave California at the end of the summer, they head back down to New Zealand to breed. By the time they return, they’ve covered an astonishing 39,000 miles, the longest recorded distance of any migratory bird. Here is California, we’re doing our best to protect these vital food resources through our support of the Marine Life Protection Act process. Through this process, the state of California designated a series of marine reserves up and down the coast. Audubon chapters in California, working closely with Audubon California, were greatly involved in the process, speaking out for marine birds and securing a number of key foraging areas for birds such as the long-traveling Sooty Shearwater. (photo by Sooty Shearwaters off Monterey by USGS)

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A day ahead of a critical vote in the Assembly Appropriations Committee, the Sacramento Bee editorial board today pens a terrific piece in support of Assembly Bill 711, which seeks to protect people and birds from the dangers of lead left behind in spent ammunition. Co-sponsored by Audubon California, Humane Society of the United States and Defenders of Wildlife, AB 711 would require nonlead ammunition for all hunting in California. Learn more about it.

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Audubon Magazine writes eloquently about the plight of the endangered California population of the Marbled Murrelet, and of the hazards the bird faces at its Central Coast breeding habitat. Read the story, and take a moment to send an email in support of this terrific bird.

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With a name that sounds like something out of the original Batman TV series, the Wandering Tattler might be something of a disappointment for those that happen upon this unspectacular looking shorebird. But, alas, this bird has intrigued researchers for decades. Wintering along the west coasts of Northern America, Central America, and South America — as well as tropical islands in the Pacific — it arrives in spring to a fairly small breeding area within Canada and Alaska. Because it tends to winter individually or in small groups, its small size, and the fact that its coloring offers perfect camouflage, the Wandering Tattler is extremely hard to find outside of breeding. In California, the bird will occupy our beaches, but as the birds are moving northward we’ll see them both there and in our Central Valley. Keep an eye out for them — they’re on the move now.

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If you’ve been following this blog for the past few years, you’ll know that we’re completely fired up about Vaux’s Swifts. In particular, we’ve been completely enthusiastic about their fall roosting in downtown Los Angeles. While the northward migration of these bird in the spring tends to be a little more dissipated than the spectacular displays we see in the fall, it is still great to see the birds come through. For the last couple of weeks, Jeff Chapman, director of the Audubon Center at Debs Park in northeast Los Angeles, has been tracking the birds in downtown Los Angeles. He’s seeing fewer of the birds now, although he was able to snap the photo of the birds swarming over downtown below the fold. For the most part, the bulk of the birds seem to have moved north, as this great video from Eugene, Oregon, posted just a couple days ago, seems to show.

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Important legislation aimed at removing toxic lead from the environment advances to the Assembly Appropriations Committee this Wednesday, May 8. If you live in the district of someone on that Committee, please use the link below to send him or her an email asking for a YES vote on AB 711. Here’s a list of the Assembly members on the committee. If you’re representative is on the list, please send him or her an email in support of AB 711:

• Gatto (43rd District)
• Harkey (73rd District)
• Bigelow (5th District)
• Bocanegra (39th District)
• Bradford (62nd District)
• Calderon (57th District)
• Campos (27th District)
• Donnelly (33rd District)
• Eggman (13th District)
• Gomez (51st District)
• Hall (64th District)
• Holden (41st District)
• Linder (60th District)
• Pan (9th District)
• Quirk (20th District)
• Wagner (68th District)
• Weber (79th District)

You only use this link of your Assembly member is on the above list. If so, please send your email now.

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The Caspian Tern is the tern’s tern. Sure, in California we talk about the California Least Tern, a compelling story for sure – but if one tern stands above the others, it is probably the Caspian. The Caspian is bigger, more aggressive, and has that fire red bill that you can see from a mile away. But it’s only part of this story that the Caspian Tern is filling up the Pacific Flyway right now, heading to breeding sites from California up through Canada. There’s an aspect to this story that’s far less hemispheric, a testament to how one well-considered restoration project in a small bay can tap into a flyway full of birds (Caspian Tern photos by Kerry Wilcox).

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The White-throated Sparrow isn’t as well-known in California as the White-crowned Sparrow, the Golden-crowned, or the non-native-sparrow-that-will-not-be-named, but it is nonetheless very popular. It’s way more common in the East. This is yet another sparrow that winters in California — mostly in the western half — and migrates north to breed in Canada’s dense forests. Even though we’re still seeing reports of them on the listservs, this bird will be heading out of California pretty soon, so enjoy them while you can (photo by Doug Greenberg)

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One of the more fascinating birds of spring is the Lesser Nighthawk, coming out of Mexico and Central America in March to fly over our Southwest deserts in the low light of the evening and early morning. Anyway who has ever seen one of these will speak to its incredible speed in the air. Check out the maps below to see how this cool bird is coming up into North America.

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