The mix of oak woodland, Torrey pines, meadows, riparian, freshwater,and coastal sage scrub habitats make Shipley one of the best places in Orange County for birding. Tall trees attract raptors like red-tailed and Cooper’s hawks, and small birds like bushtits and gnatcatchers flock to sagebrush and coyote bush to feed on bugs among the leaves. Hummingbirds perch on willow branches and fly down to our gardens, and cedar waxwings appear in the late winter to enjoy toyon berries. In the summer, bluebirds, tree swallows, and house wrens compete for birdhouses hung throughout the trails. Sometimes in early spring we’re even visited by a bald eagle, who likes to sit in the redwoods.
Every year the great egrets have come to nest in a “rookery” in our sycamore trees. These magnificent white birds can be seen around Shipley collecting sticks for nesting materials. Learn more: The Great Egret Project by Madeline Austin
The last Friday of the month, Shipley is lucky to host our own bird surveying group. Checklists and photos are recorded online. A Field Form is available for visitors to record their own bird sightings. For information on volunteering for the bird surveys, visit our Volunteer page.
For new bird watchers and surveyors, we have binoculars as loaners to use while exploring Shipley Nature Center. This has been made possible by a grant from the Los Angeles Breakfast Club in the amount of $1,500 for environmental education.
