Flocking Together

Five-year-old Andrew Kelley couldn’t sleep. All night long, he tossed and turned, worried that his grandmother, Fran Kelley, would not get up in time.

“He was so excited when I told him we were going on a bird walk today. He didn’t get any sleep last night. Look at him,” said Kelley, pointing toward her wide-eyed grandson on a sunny Saturday morning. “He’s having the time of his life and he is not bored one bit.”

Near the side of a little pond at the Sepulveda Basin Recreational Area in Van Nuys, Andrew intently looked through his binoculars for a flash of feathers, scanning the shoreline to see if those big rocks maybe were birds. His mouth hung open.

“This is his first birding adventure, and it’s been a great success,” Kelley said. “It’s lovely to be out here spending time with him and the birds.”

Andrew and his grandmother are among the many families, children and beginning birders participating in a monthly bird walk sponsored by the San Fernando Valley Audubon Society. The walk is one of the few in the Southland sponsored by local Audubon societies to which kids and families are welcomed to witness the ever-present, ever-changing free show of birds on the wing.

Most walkers are surprised to discover that the Los Angeles area is a haven for birds. In fact, Los Angeles County ranks high in both number and variety of birds. From oceans to forests, grasslands to deserts and marshes to mountains, Los Angeles--known for its human cultural diversity--is also a gathering and nesting place for birds from all wings of life.

At the San Fernando Valley’s Sepulveda Basin, where more than 200 species of birds have been sighted, participants realize how closely intertwined bird life and human life are in the big city. Observing long-legged snowy egrets and frantic Anna’s hummingbirds, walkers hear the distant roar of cars, trains and airplanes. “I’ve lived in the Valley all my life and have driven by here so many times, but I never knew what really was in here,” said Curtis Page, who took his 9-year-old son, Alex, on the bird walk to “take a closer look at the wildlife in the city.”

Page and his son sat quietly by the lake observing a great blue heron on the opposite shoreline, waiting for the elegant bird to turn around. “You just have to be patient,” he quietly told Alex. “We’ll see its head soon.”

Most kids who attend the walks quickly learn that patience and perseverance are keys in bird-watching, said Carolyn Oppenheimer, a bird guide who regularly leads the family walks.

“Children renew my own excitement about seeing birds for the first time,” she said. “I hope they come away from the walk with an appreciation for nature, so that they will want to preserve and cherish it forever.”

Before beginning the walk, Oppenheimer handed out plastic cards showing pictures of different birds--such as a Canada goose, double-crested cormorant, brown pelican--to her participants. Everyone had a bird to find, and children were eagerly in on the hunt. Oppenheimer said the Sepulveda Basin is a great place for beginners because it’s home to many big birds, which are easy to spot and can give bird-watching kids a sense of satisfaction.

Nine-year-old Drew Edelberg agreed: “Half the fun of bird watching is ‘catching’ the birds.” But, as he tried to locate a black phoebe, he complained, “every time I put my binoculars up, it moves! But I’ll find it again.”

Edelberg said he started watching birds in his backyard when he discovered that scrub jays liked the peanuts he put out for them. On his second “official” bird walk, Edelberg announced that it’s “pretty neat to be out here looking for birds. They are everywhere. You just have to know where to look.”

BE THERE

Bird walks: The next bird walk for beginners and families at the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Area is Saturday from 8:30 to 11 a.m. The Sepulveda Basin is at 6100 Woodley Ave. in Van Nuys. The entrance to the Wildlife Area is on Woodley, half a mile north of Burbank Boulevard. Meet in the parking lot at the Wildlife Area. Binoculars will be provided, but you can bring your own. For more information, call (818) 783-4293 or (818) 831-6061.

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Guided Walks for Fledgling Birders Chapters of Audubon societies in the Southland lead a variety of bird-watching walks for families and beginning birders. Check with your local chapter for additional outings.

* The newly opened National Audubon Center in Los Angeles at 60542 Monte Vista St., Highland Park, will hold a variety of nature programs for families and children, including wildlife walks at Ernest Debs Park in Highland Park on various weekend dates. For reservations, call (323) 254-0252.

* Wilderness Park in Redondo Beach has a “Sharing Nature With Children” walk for kids age 6 to 12 on the fourth Saturday of every month. Reservations are required. Call (310) 545-1384.

* South Coast Botanical Gardens, 26300 Crenshaw Blvd., Palos Verdes Peninsula, hosts a bird walk for families and kids on the first Sunday of the month. Call (310) 545-1384.

* Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Gardens, 1500 N. College Ave., Claremont, invites newcomers and families to a bird walk the first Sunday of the month from September to June. Call (909) 625-8767.

* Madrona Marsh Preserve in Torrance, 3201 Plaza del Amo, has a “Tyke Hike” the first Thursday of the month. There is a $5 fee per family. Also, on the fourth Saturday and Sunday of the month, guides lead nature bird walks. Call (310) 326-2774.

* Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park in Wilmington-Harbor City is the site for a regular bird walk, held the second Sunday of the month. Call (310) 374-7473.

* Malibu Lagoon State Park sponsors a beginners’ walk the fourth Sunday of the month. Call (310) 457-2240.

* Placerita Canyon County Park, 19152 Placerita Canyon Road, Newhall, hosts a bird walk the second Saturday of the month, from September to June. There is a $3 parking fee. Call to confirm walk at (661) 250-4149.