Shipley Nature Center Huntington Beach, CA

Shipley Nature Center provides some of the best year-round birding in Southern California. The mix of Oak Woodland, Torrey Pines, meadows, Riparian, Sycamore-Alder Grove and Coastal Sage Scrub habitats make Shipley one of the best places in Orange County to spot a variety of songbirds. There are abundant numbers of California native plants which supply nectar to hummingbirds and wrens. Old groves of Redwood Forest and Coast Live Oak attract foraging raptors. Mature willows around the natural, freshwater pond draw grebes, herons, coots and ducks. The Great Egret Project by Madeline Austin

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Huntington Central Park–Shipley Nature Center.

November 25, 2022

Surveyors: Lena Hayashi, Betty Kanne, Jim Kendall, and Jan Wilson

New: Braxton Landsman and sister, Blakely, and mom, Alysa

Black Friday didn’t stop us from surveying Shipley.  It was wonderful meeting and welcoming Braxton, 13 years old, and his sister and mother.  Braxton began birding during Covid and in a short time, has become an accomplished birder and photographer. We hope he can join us whenever his school and baseball schedules permit.

It was a beautiful, calm, and sunny day, warming up to the mid 70’s.  As Shipley was closed today, we were able to leisurely survey the area though starting earlier at 8:00 AM would probably have resulted in additional species and/or numbers.

A good number of Hermit Thrushes and Ruby-crowned Kinglets were seen and heard throughout Shipley and Fox Sparrows were sighted scratching in the leaf litter by the nursery, back gate and along the channel.  We did suspect a possible Northern Waterthrush in the northeast corner by sound but were not able to confirm with a sighting.

Enjoy the checklist below and click onto the website for photos by Jim Kendall and Braxton Landsman

Canada Goose  32
Gadwall  2
Mallard  4
Pied-billed Grebe  1
Anna’s Hummingbird  1
Allen’s Hummingbird  8
American Coot  5
California Gull  1
Osprey  1
Cooper’s Hawk  1
Red-tailed Hawk  2
Belted Kingfisher  1
Nuttall’s Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker  5
Black Phoebe  1
Cassin’s Kingbird  1
Hutton’s Vireo  1
American Crow  6
Bushtit  12
Swinhoe’s White-eye  8
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  9
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  3
House Wren  2
Western Bluebird  1
Hermit Thrush  11
House Finch  16
Lesser Goldfinch  3
Fox Sparrow (Sooty)  3
White-crowned Sparrow  2
Song Sparrow  8
California Towhee  2
Spotted Towhee  1
Red-winged Blackbird  1
Orange-crowned Warbler  4
Common Yellowthroat  4
Yellow-rumped Warbler  9

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S123113205

Volunteers do a bird count on the last Friday of the month which is recorded on the bird board. There is also a Field Form for visitors to record sightings of birds. For information on volunteering for the bird surveys, visit our Volunteer page.