Bird is definitely the word, especially in Los Angeles County that’s home to the largest diversity of birdlife in the United States. Yes. Here. Los Angeles. Bird Capital. HERE.
That’s the undercurrent to the first-ever Bird LA Day on May 2 which encourages Angelenos to embrace their feathered citizens that fly over oceans and mountains, wetlands to chaparral and everywhere in between.
Spearheaded by Audubon California but with numerous organizations joining in, this day features a slew of bird walks, talks, workshops and programming on Saturday in various Southland locations. Almost all of them are free. Not all of them require binoculars.
There are bird walks in Griffith Park, MacArthur Park, Sepulveda Basin, Santa Monica Mountains, Playa Vista, Mother’s Beach, Franklin Canyon, UCLA campus…well, the list goes on. Most are morning affairs, but there are some afternoon and early evening hikes/walks. Nothing is too strenuous for newbies and all events will interest those veteran watchers who would enjoy a chance to spread the gospel of Orinthological Appreciation.
But not all are hikes/walks which should entice families, kids and hipsters.
Audubon Center at Debs Park is hosting bird workshops for kids; Birds and Beers is a more adult activity at a selection of downtown Los Angeles bars. The G2 Gallery in Venice is hosting a bird photography workshop, South Pasadena offers bird-themed art and activities as well as a contest to make one-of-a-kind birdhouses and Occidental College in Eagle Rock is opening up their Moore Lab of Zoology where they house a whopping 65,000 bird specimens, many almost 100-years-old.
So even if you don’t join in one of these events, but we think you should, we hope that SoCal residents spend some outside quality time this weekend with one of the best neighbors they will ever meet – be it a hummingbird, scrub jay, red-tailed hawk, song sparrow, egret or seagull. Remember. We are Number One when it comes to birds, Los Angeles. That’s worth a whoop whoop. Or maybe a chirp chirp.
Full list of activities are found here.
– Brenda Rees, all photos by MARTHA BENEDICT
