EARNING YOUR WINGS : You Might Have to Get Up Pretty Early in the Morning to Spy a Grebe or a Flycatcher, but Birdwatchers Say It’s Worth It

A couple of weekends back, a fork-tailed flycatcher was spotted in Northern California.

To most people, that bit of news might seem trivial, even meaningless. What’s a fork-tailed flycatcher?

People who know a little about birds might reach for their field guide. The bird pictured in the National Geographic Society’s “Field Guide to the Birds of North America” is fairly nondescript in color (black, white and gray) but distinguished by an extremely long, forked tail that flutters in flight, according to the description.

The book says it’s normally a Central American species, and a casual birder might say to oneself: I’ve never seen anything quite like that around here.

When Doug Willick and a couple of his birding friends heard about the sighting, they had this reaction: They got right in their car and drove more than 500 miles nonstop from Orange County to the Russian River, north of San Francisco, where the bird was seen. When morning broke, they joined about 150 other birders in training their binoculars and spotting scopes on California’s first-ever reported sighting of a fork-tailed flycatcher, a lonely fellow who lost his bearings in a big way.

Such “accidentals” are coups for serious birders looking to mark down another species on their “life lists”--a running tally of bird species spotted.

To such folks, an all-night drive to see a previously unseen bird is just part of the thrill of the chase.

More casual birders, luckily, can find plenty of variety without ever crossing the county line. In many ways, Orange County is one of the top birding locations in the country. Located along the Pacific Flyway, an overhead highway for migrating birds, the county has large areas of coastal salt marsh that serve as magnets for shore birds and waterfowl, along with inland pockets of green that attract migrating land birds.

Now, with the fall cycle of migration just getting into full swing, local birders are dusting off their binoculars after the relative doldrums of summer and flocking to where the birds are.

The shore birds--avocets, willets, godwits and sandpipers--have been arriving at the wetlands of Bolsa Chica and Upper Newport Bay since midsummer, and many of them will stay for the winter. The land birds--warblers, vireos, flycatchers--are beginning to show up in parks and thickets and even back yards. Ducks, grebes, teals, widgeons and other manner of waterfowl will be the last to arrive, but some of them will also be hanging around for the Southern California winter.

It doesn’t take much to appreciate Southern California’s premier wildlife spectacle: just a field guide, a decent pair of binoculars and a healthy curiosity. Folks put off by bird watching’s stereotype--khaki-clad retirees clucking over a yellow-bellied whatzit--need only walk through Huntington Central Park on a fall morning to see that birding attracts all kinds of people for all kinds of reasons.

For many, if not most, birding’s main attraction is that it gets you outside and into the wild places. Growing out of the basic human impulse to put a name to things, birding turns its practitioners into accomplished observers of nature. Ornithology may be the only science where significant advances are still made by amateurs--the only science where the very word amateur retains something of its once-noble aspect.

One of the best ways to get started is to go out with accomplished birders. Group field trips are offered by two local chapters of the National Audubon Society (Sea and Sage and South Coast), and often include sections geared to beginners. Monthly walking tours of Bolsa Chica and Upper Newport Bay are offered by, respectively, Amigos de Bolsa Chica and Friends of Newport Bay, two volunteer groups that are largely responsible for the protection of these crucial wetland areas.

The state Department of Fish and Game also offers naturalist-led activities at Upper Newport Bay.

For people who decide to get a little more deeply involved in birding, Sea and Sage Audubon offers an excellent resource to members: birding skills workshops led by Sylvia Gallagher, one of the most respected birders in the county. The workshops typically meet for five to eight weeks, and combine slide-illustrated discussions with field trips. An intermediate/advanced workshop on shorebird identification begins later this month; an introductory workshop on all kinds of birds will begin in January.

Gallagher’s workshops emphasize both sight and sound. Especially when it comes to land birds, which can be hard to spot in the foliage, learning a few basic bird calls and songs can be crucial to identification.

Conversely, wetlands make a good place for beginners to make a first birding foray, because many of the shore birds (and wading birds, such as egrets and herons) are relatively large and easy to spot on the mud flats. A birder typically has plenty of time to spot a bird and look it up in the field guide.

Birding can begin at home--around the back-yard feeder, in a local park or along a nearby stream. Common back-yard birds include mockingbirds, house sparrows and house finches, Anna’s hummingbirds, and such ubiquitous exotic (non-native) species as European starlings and brown-headed cowbirds.

When the local haunts are exhausted, it’s time to head to one of the county’s birding hot spots. While birds are visible at all times of day, many birds are most active in early morning, making that the best time of day to go birding. A good general rule to follow is to move slowly and stay as quiet as possible.

Orange County has a wide variety of habitats, and each yields a different collection of species; here are some of the best locations:

UPPER NEWPORT BAY STATE ECOLOGICAL RESERVE

The largest estuary in Southern California, Upper Newport Bay is easily accessible from Back Bay Drive, which wanders along the shore of the wetlands for about three miles. The importance of the reserve is underscored by the fact that it is home to more than half the remaining U.S. population of the light-footed clapper rail, an endangered species (these secretive birds, which reside in the cordgrass, can be hard to spot).

Beginning in midsummer, the estuary is home to vast numbers of migrating shore birds, some of which stop off to feed on the way to points further south, while many stay for the winter. Common wintering shore birds include the willet, the marbled godwit, Western and least sandpipers, long-billed curlews, American avocets and short-billed dowitchers. Individuals of the same species can be seen in various stages of plumage.

Wintering waterfowl should be arriving soon. Common “dabbling” ducks include mallards, Northern pintails, cinnamon teals and American widgeons. Diving ducks, seen atop the open stretches of deeper water in the bay, include ruddy ducks, buffleheads, surf scoters and red-breasted mergansers.

Several varieties of tern can be spotted here, along with a number of gull species (ring-billed and California are most common). The most imposing specimens on the marsh are the egrets (great and snowy) and herons (green-backed and great blue).

WHEREABOUTS: From Coast Highway in Newport Beach, turn north on Jamboree Road and then left on Backbay Drive. Follow the road to where it rings the edge of the marsh; from here on out, several dirt parking areas are provided. One suggestion is to park at the point where Backbay Drive becomes a one-way road, then walk along the edge of the marsh.

BOLSA CHICA STATE ECOLOGICAL RESERVE

A funny thing happened at Bolsa Chica, beginning in about 1985. Until that year, a few California least terns (an endangered species) nested on an island at the site. Then, the tiny birds were unexpectedly besieged by relatives--hundreds of terns of different species now nest there as well, in addition to the related black skimmer. The colonization still has biologists scratching their heads.

The black skimmer is an interesting sight: the large, black-and-white bird flies just above the surface of the estuary, its lower bill actually dragging in the water. It is trawling for fish; when it hits one, the bird stabs it with a quick motion.

Other tern species that now inhabit the reserve include elegant, Forster’s, Caspian and royal. Another bird to watch for is the Belding’s savannah sparrow, a year-round resident of the pickleweed on the edge of the marsh (it’s on the state endangered species list).

Like Upper Newport Bay, Bolsa Chica includes mud flats, salt marsh and open water, and it attracts many of the same shore bird and waterfowl species. A wooden walkway crosses the estuary from the parking lot, providing an ideal viewing platform; it marks the start of a 1.5-mile trail through the reserve.

WHEREABOUTS: The main parking lot for the reserve is located on the inland side of Pacific Coast Highway, between Golden West Street and Warner Avenue. It’s best to approach it from the south, from the direction of downtown Huntington Beach, to avoid having to turn left across traffic on busy Pacific Coast Highway.

HUNTINGTON CENTRAL PARK

This park’s reputation has spread far outside the county as a top “vagrant trap”--a place where birds not typically seen in this part of the world show up, blown off course by storms or otherwise lost. But vagrants aren’t the only birds spotted here; seen from the air, the park’s dense swath of green is an irresistible lure to all variety of migrating land bird.

In fact, more than 200 species of bird have been spotted here, and in fall and spring the park attracts hordes of birders hoping to add to that list. Different types of terrain and vegetation throughout the park attract different types of birds, so a bit of exploring is in order.

Don’t forget to visit the Shipley Nature Center, one of the most popular areas for birders. While the entire park is pretty lush, this area is kept closest to a “wild” state. Tricolored blackbirds can be spotted here, and an abundance of insects attracts many migrating birds.

The coming weeks should be the best time of the season to spot visiting warblers, vireos and flycatchers at the park. Warblers to watch for include black-throated gray and Townsend’s; Western tanagers and black-headed grosbeaks are also possible. A quick note on binocular technique: bring the binoculars to your eyes while you are looking at the bird. Trying to scan with the binoculars for that bird you just spotted in the trees can be just about impossible.

WHEREABOUTS: From the northbound San Diego (405) Freeway, exit at Brookhurst Street, turn right at the end of the off-ramp and then immediately left onto Slater Street. Follow Slater for about three miles and turn left into the parking lot just before the light at Golden West Street. To get to Shipley Nature Center from here, head west on Slater to Edwards Street and turn left. Watch for a small Huntington Central Park sign on the right, turn left and park at the end of the street.

SANTIAGO OAKS

While Huntington Central Park is a prime spot for seeing migrants, Santiago Oaks Regional Park, in the hills above Orange, is a great place to view the county’s regular land birds. The park includes a stretch of coastal sage scrub, a fast-disappearing local habitat, along with some stream-side areas and a plot planted with exotic trees.

Permanent residents in the park include California quail, woodpeckers (acorn and Nutall’s), greater roadrunner, black-shouldered kite, Western bluebird, California thrasher, California towhee and rufous-crowned sparrow. Winter visitors include blue-gray gnatcatchers, cedar waxwings and red-breasted sapsuckers.

WHEREABOUTS: Take Katella Avenue east from the Costa Mesa (55) Freeway and follow it several miles as it becomes Santiago Canyon Road. Turn left on Windes Drive and follow the signs into the park.

Other favorite spots in the county include Oak Canyon Nature Center in Anaheim Hills, Irvine Regional Park in Orange, O’Neill Regional Park near Rancho Santa Margarita, the Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary in Modjeska Canyon and the Environmental Nature Center in Newport Beach.

Some shore bird species that prefer the surf can be spotted at several beach areas, particularly when the human crowds are down: spotted sandpipers, surfbirds, sanderlings, wandering tattlers and others.

Birding Resources

A good field guide is the most essential piece of equipment, along with a set of decent binoculars. The most widely accepted guide is the “Field Guide to the Birds of North America” (National Geographic Society, $21.95), although the most recent edition of “Western Birds” from the Peterson field guide series (Houghton Mifflin, $22.95) is gaining adherents.

A couple of fairly recent publications offer handy guides to local birding areas. “Where Birders Go in Southern California,” by Henry E. Childs Jr. ($12.95), is published by the Los Angeles Audubon Society and is formatted for easy and quick access to basic information.

“A Birder’s Guide to Southern California” ($12.95), published by the American Birding Assn., is more in-depth and includes two excellent chapters on local birding. One, by Sylvia Gallagher of the Sea and Sage Audubon Society, focuses on coastal Orange County; another, by the book’s primary author, Harold Holt, outlines a Santa Ana Mountains loop.

Finally, there is “A Guide to Southern California Birds” by Herbert Clarke (Mountain Press, $11.95), with color photos of some of the most common back-yard birds of the region.

The Peterson guide is easy to find in bookstores; the others might be harder to come by. Some may be available through the local Sea and Sage Audubon Society (see below), but the most complete stock of birding guides is maintained by the Los Angeles Audubon Society bookstore; call (213) 876-0202 for information.

A note on binoculars: The most common type for beginning birders would be 7 x 35, with coated lenses and central focus. (The first number indicates the power of magnification; the second is the lens size in millimeters.)

Following is a list of organizations that offer field trips and other bird-related activities.

* Sea and Sage Audubon, (714) 543-7393.

* South Coast Audubon, (714) 830-7806.

* Amigos de Bolsa Chica, (714) 897-7003.

* Friends of Newport Bay, (714) 646-8009.

* Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve, (714) 640-6746.

All are nonprofit organizations. Amigos de Bolsa Chica offers free guided walks to the public monthly throughout the year; Friends of Newport Bay offers its monthly walks October through March. The Audubon groups are membership organizations, although they welcome the public to some activities. Call for information.

Weekly naturalist-led walks and other activities are offered through the state Fish and Game department at Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve. Call (714) 640-6746 for information.