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Burrowing Owl Population Decreasing at Disturbing Rate
The Burrowing Owl Population has been decreasing at rapid rate in Imperial Valley, which is the home of most breeding pairs. The population has dropped from about 5,600 pairs in the early 1990’s to 3,557 pairs in 2008. The population has suffered from habitat loss, loss of food sources, pesticide use, colliding with wind turbines, shooting, and being hit by cars. The population could be in danger of disappearing altogether. To read more: Number of burrowing owls in Imperial Valley falls sharply
Unusual Sighting of Purple Gallinules
Birders report a rare sighting of Purple Gallinules along the San Gabriel River a few hundred feet south of Peck Road in South El Monte. Purple Gallinules had only been seen five times before in Southern California. To read more go to: Purple gallinules: Birders converge for rare sightings at San Gabriel River
Thousands of Turkey Vultures are migrating through Walker Pass and Tehachapi Pass in the Tehachapi Mountains
Local birders count over 30,000 vultures migrating annually through this area. Vultures migrate not for food, as many other species do, but to follow the sunny weather. Turkey Vultures depend on warm air to reach high elevations where they glide on the air currents and look for dead animals, which make up their diet. To read more go to the Tehachai News article: Turkey Vultures: a migrating stream of giant birds
Natural History Wanderings 
Seeing the vultures migrate would pretty interesting. I usually see them up in trees or flying, very seldom on the ground.
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By: Steve Sieren on September 30, 2010
at 7:51 AM