Notes about your surroundings

Watch the Birdies--The Bolsa Chica Conservancy will host public tours of the Bolsa Chica wetlands Saturday morning. Tours will depart from the wetlands’ ecological reserve every half hour beginning at 8 a.m. The last tour will depart at 4 p.m.

The tours are part of the conservancy’s fifth annual bird-a-thon, which pits birder against birder as teams cross Huntington Beach counting birds. The teams compete for prizes awarded on the basis of most birds counted and most unusual species sighted.

Beginning birders are invited to the wetlands tours as an introduction to birding and to become familiar with this natural resource of Orange County. Bolsa Chica is Spanish for “little pocket.” The land was formed in 1890 when the marshland was drained for farming.

Birds spotted at the wetlands include great blue herons, egrets, skimmers and whimbrels. White pelicans have also been spotted at the wetlands. Several endangered species make the wetlands home, including Belding’s savannah sparrow, which feeds on the pickleweed growing in the salt marsh.

Everyone is encouraged to bring binoculars and children may want to begin a journal of sightings. Bird reference books are suggested although guides will identify similar species and explain the wildlife in the area.

For those bringing a camera, tripods are recommended but not necessary. Also make sure the camera has a strap and that extra rolls of film are confined to a bag. Littering, accidental or otherwise, threatens this natural habitat.

Those interested in taking this free tour are asked to meet at the ecological reserve on Pacific Coast Highway about half a mile south of Warner Avenue, across from Bolsa Chica State Beach.

For more information, call (714) 846-1114.

Grasses0Minor vl,3.5ru,.3 Mold 2,389-- Spores vl,-2l Cladosporium, aspergillus, penicillium, unidentified, ascospores, alternaria, basidiospores, algae and smuts vl,3.5ru,.3 vl,2 xvaReturning line spacing to 1.000 points. cf,fg,7 bandset

Date of count: Dec. 20-21

Level contrasts current count with standard for this time of year.

Trend indicates change from last pollen count (n/c indicates no change). vl,2 Source: Los Angeles Chapter, Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.

howdeep -------------------------------------------------- Current depth, including heads, is 11.914 inches or 71p9 --------------------------------------------------