Conservation
Oceanside Christmas Bird Count 2020
Summary – Oceanside (CAOV) Christmas Bird Count – 2020 by Kirsten Winter The 75th Oceanside Christmas Bird Count was held on December 26, 2020. It was a clear and pleasant day, with light breezes. Temperatures ranged from approximately 35-40 degrees F in the morning to about 65 degrees F in the afternoon. A dedicated group…
Read MoreThe Cuckoo in the Coal Mine
Yellow-billed Cuckoos (Coccyzus americanus) are fairly common in the eastern U.S. But in the last half-century, they have become rare in the West. Over the past 10 years in San Diego County, eBird shows unique sightings only 15 times—almost always a single bird in June or July, at Lake Henshaw, Lake Hodges, the Anza Borrego…
Read MoreYES ON PROP “A” & NO ON PROP “B”
In March, there are two important ballot measures regarding land use in San Diego County. One is Measure B, the Newland Sierra development in North County (Vote NO), and the other is Measure A, Safeguard Our San Diego Countryside (SOS), a countywide measure (Vote YES). MEASURE B-NEWLAND SIERRA The proposed Newland Sierra project, located north…
Read MoreWinter Spectacle — Cedar Waxwings
Christmas Bird Count 2018, Anstine Audubon Preserve in Vista. Our small group climbs a hill and checks for birds. Craning my neck, I mutter, “I hear Cedar Waxwings.” We all start scanning the tops of trees, the sky, in all directions. Nowhere to be seen. As the enumerator, I could just mark down “1” and…
Read MoreEndangered Species Day – Design a Bookmark Contest
BVAS is excited to announce our Design-a-Bookmark Contest for this year’s Endangered Species Day. Please see this flyer for complete information. Age groups: 12 and under, 12-17 years, and over 18. Sizes should be between 2”x 7” and 2.75”x 8.5”. Bookmark should feature one or more of California’s endangered and/or threatened plant or animals (see…
Read MoreYes on Y/SOAR (Save Open Space and Agricultural Resources)
Measure Y (SOAR), a proposition on the November City of Oceanside ballot, simply requires that before agricultural, open space, or parkland can be rezoned to other uses such as dense housing or commercial, the people of Oceanside have a right to vote on the change. We all pay the costs of sprawl development – traffic…
Read MoreA Message from National Audubon Society: Audubon vs Dept of the Interior
Below is a message from National Audubon Society David Yarnold: Today we filed Audubon v. Dept of the Interior, a landmark lawsuit in federal court to defend our country’s most important bird protection law—the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.Congress passed the Migratory Bird Treaty Act 100 years ago in response to public outcry over the mass slaughter of…
Read MoreLearning from the Past, Fighting for the Future
In the early 1800s, the Passenger Pigeon held the distinction of the most abundant land bird in North America—perhaps in the world—with an estimated population of 3-5 billion individuals. (That’s billion. With a “b.”) Compare this figure to the present-day North American abundance champion, the Mourning Dove, with estimates ranging from 100-450 million. (With an…
Read MoreCity Nature Challenge: San Diego
From the San Diego Natural History Museum: Help San Diego Win City Nature Challenge, which takes place from April 27-30, 2018, is a worldwide competition to see which city can make the most observations of their local plants and animals over a 4-day period. And San Diego composes part of one of only 35 biodiversity…
Read MoreA Win for the Home Team!
In the birding world, the look-alike Empidonax flycatchers—affectionately or dejectedly referred to as “empids”—create two non-overlapping groups: those who eagerly rise to the ID challenge (not me) and those who despairingly mutter “empid” and move on (me). But one empid occupies a rarefied spot in San Diego County: the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher. The Willow…
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