Audubon California

NBC Palm Springs says “Momentum Continues to Build” with 225+ businessowners and chambers of commerce calling on President Joe Biden to ! Congressman Raul Ruiz, MD also highlighted how Chuckwalla National Monument could promote tourism for the local economy and support public health with opportunities for outdoor recreation.

Watch his interview here: https://bit.ly/Chuckwalla-NBCPalmSprings

Vermilion Flycatcher 📸: Mike Henry/Audubon Photography Awards

Our Salton Sea and Desert Program team is seeking college students and recent grads for an 8-month part-time internship. 🔭 This role offers the chance to dive into hands-on work with bird surveys, water sampling, social media, and community engagement while raising awareness about the Salton Sea and proposed Chuckwalla National Monument.

💙Location? Coachella Valley, California.
💙Hours per week? 15.
💙Pay range? $17-20/hour.
💙Age? 18+.
💙Transportation? Must have a valid driver's license/ID + reliable transportation.
🗓️Application deadline? August 13, 2024.
🔗APPLY TODAY: https://ow.ly/qSj850SQuKg

📷: Semipalmated Plover at the Salton Sea (Alecia Smith/Audubon California)

We’re proud to announce that 3 Calhoun Sisters Ranch has earned designation as an Audubon Certified bird-friendly habitat through Audubon’s Conservation Ranching program. This certification highlights their dedication to managing their land with a focus on birds and biodiversity.

The ranch, managed by sisters Nancy Calhoun Mueller, Susie Calhoun, and Merry Carter, uses rotational grazing to create diverse habitats that support species like Western Meadowlarks and Lark Sparrow. This approach mirrors ancient grazing patterns, promoting plant diversity and thriving bird populations.

To celebrate their certification, the Calhoun sisters hosted a gathering of conservationists, ranchers, foodies, and local representatives to spread the word about the positive impact of grazing for bird habitat. The Audubon Certified bird-friendly seal on their Circle H Beef products signifies the bird-friendly land origin of those products.

Learn more about this amazing achievement and its positive impact on birds and people: https://www.audubon.org/news/3-calhoun-sisters-ranch-earns-audubon-certification-bird-friendly-habitat

Certification celebration 📸 courtesy of 3 Calhoun Sisters Ranch

3 Calhoun Sisters Ranch Earns Audubon Certification for Bird-Friendly Habitat Herds create habitat for birds in Audubon Conservation Ranching program

Have you noticed any fresh-looking shorebirds? By this time of year, the first few juvenile shorebirds start to arrive, distinguished from the adults by their new plumage. By August, shorebird migration will be in full swing all across the US, providing a beautiful, dizzying array of identification challenges for birders.

Our Salton Sea team will be counting shorebirds for the Intermountain West Shorebird Survey at the Salton Sea, helping researchers understand ecosystem changes at the sea and across the Pacific Flyway. ✨ The next survey is on Wednesday, August 14th and you can email Camila Bautista at [email protected] to sign up.

📷 Semipalmated Plover by Nick Vance/Audubon Photography Awards

Join the Richardson Bay Audubon Center & Sanctuary for Monthly Q***r Birding First Fridays on Friday 8/2 @ 11. 🌈💖
⁣
Audubon’s Let’s Go Birding Together series is designed to give q***r people a safe space to experience and enjoy nature unencumbered by the traditionally straight, cisgender expectation of the outdoor community. It is also designed to be a way to introduce q***r naturalists to each other to strengthen the community and make relationships they can rely on for company in outdoor spaces beyond our event. Allies are welcome! ✨

1️⃣ Audubon Let’s Go Birding Together design. ⁠⁠🎨: Liz Clayton Fuller Art
2️⃣ Let’s Go Birding Together event participants at Richardson Bay Audubon Center & Sanctuary 📷: Emily Ohman/Audubon California

🐦 Over 225 business supporters have joined the call for Secretary Deb Haaland to help ! Designating a national monument in the California desert would benefit the economies of local communities and protect places that are beloved for outdoor recreation like Painted Canyon and the Mecca Hills. Add your voice today! https://ow.ly/UWus50SKB6j

Are you a fan of adventure and shorebirds? Do you know your Dunlins from your dowitchers, and your Western Sandpipers from your Least Sandpipers (in breeding and non-breeding plumage)? Yes? 💖 We could use your help counting shorebirds for the Intermountain West Shorebird Survey at the Salton Sea, aiding researchers in understanding ecosystem changes at the Salton Sea and across the Pacific Flyway! 🔭 Our next survey is on Wednesday, August 14th.

Learn more about the experience, and email Camila Bautista at [email protected] to sign up: https://bit.ly/3VT9UGJ?r=lp

📷 A mix of Western Sandpipers, Dunlins, and Short-Billed Dowitchers by Mick Thompson ()

Starr Ranch staff welcomed partners from Orange County Public Works, South Orange County Watershed Management Area for a walk up Bell Canyon to look at native plants and animals. Longtime partner Environmental Scientist Suzie Given arranged the field trip and her group, including interns, were joined by other watershed agency scientists and staff. After a walk up Bell Canyon Road we headed north in Bell Creek to have a dry season view of one of the last pristine (no urban runoff) intermittent (streams that hold water during wet portions of the year) streams in Orange County. Suzie wrote: “We would appreciate the opportunity to honor one of the most pristine areas of Orange County.”

Are you heading to the beach this weekend? Don’t forget to with the wonderful Least Terns and our other beloved beach birds! 🌊 You can help protect them by keeping your distance from protected areas and respecting signs and boundaries.

Martin Culpepper captured this amazing courtship ritual shot of these Least Terns, earning him a spot in this year's Audubon Photography Awards top 100 list. 👏👏

Here's his story behind capturing this incredible moment: "Over the summer, I was out photographing shorebirds at Sandy Point State Reservation with a few of my friends. We had our cameras trained on some terns and other species that were roosting on the beach in front of us. However, when I heard calls from directly behind me, I turned to see two Least Terns had just landed. I slowly repositioned myself in the soft sand to point my camera at the pair. They started mating, which is when I got this photo. Given the precarious situation that many shorebird species are facing due to habitat loss, it feels very special to be able to spend time with these animals and view their behaviors."

View the full 2024 Audubon Photography Awards Top 100 list: https://ow.ly/iWiE50SGv47

📷Least Tern photo: Martin Culpepper/Audubon Photography Awards 2024 Top 100

Join the Audubon Center at Debs Park for a Community Habitat Restoration in LA on Monday, 7/22 from 8-11 AM PT. ✨ Volunteers get the chance to create sustainable habitats for local bird populations and other wildlife. Activities include: invasive species removal, watering, and more. 💦 This is a wonderful opportunity to learn about local wildlife and CA native plants! 🌳

¡Vengan y ensúciense las manos ayudándonos a construir un hábitat sostenible para las poblaciones locales de aves y otros animales salvajes! Los voluntarios colaborarán en el mantenimiento de sitios de restauración del hábitat mediante la eliminación de especies invasoras, riego y más. ¡Esta es una gran oportunidad para aprender sobre la vida silvestre local y las plantas nativas de California!

Participation reminders:

💙Wear close-toed shoes, layers, and clothes you don't mind getting dirty. | Use zapatos cerrados, capas y ropa que no le importe ensuciar.
💙Hats and sun protection are highly recommended. | Sombreros y protección solar.
💙Please bring a reusable water bottle. | Botella de agua reutilizable.
💙Volunteers are encouraged to bring their own gardening gloves. | Se anima a los voluntarios a traer sus propios guantes de jardinería.
💙Please leave your furry friends at home. | Dejen sus perros en casa.
💙Parking is available on-site. | Estacionamento está disponible en el sitio.
🔗RSVP: https://ow.ly/plyk50SFJk9
✉️Contact [email protected] with any questions! | ¡Comuníquese con [email protected] si tiene alguna pregunta!

Anna's Hummingbird 📷 Mike Anderson/Audubon Great Backyard Bird Count

Our Coastal Leadership Program cohort had a fantastic time with Friends of Ballona Wetlands experiencing and learning all Ballona Freshwater Marsh has to offer. They even had a chance to practice their bird ID and tracking skills! 💚

Ever been curious about birding, but find it to be intimidating or inaccessible? Join the Audubon Center at Debs Park for a free introductory bird sit in the courtyard at the Audubon Center at Debs Park!

A bird sit is a stationary birding event, where we stay in one spot while looking for birds. All you need to bring is your curiosity to learn about birding, talk with each other, and enjoy nature together!

Please keep in mind:

💙No previous birding experience required!
💙Binoculars and field guides are provided.
💙RSVPs are appreciated, but not required (https://ow.ly/aIXQ50SCTlU).
💙All ages are welcome.
💙Please leave your furry friends at home.
💙Parking is available on-site. If the parking lot is full, please park along Griffin Ave.
💙Contact [email protected] with any questions.

Congratulations to Robert Gloeckner for earning a spot in the 2024 Audubon Photography Awards Top 100! ✨ Robert's epic shot of a Western Gull was captured in the La Jolla region of California.

Here's his story behind capturing this incredible moment: "When hiking the steep and rough terrain of La Jolla in the early morning, I spotted a Western Gull flying in and out from the cliffs. I knew they prefer nesting on the ground, particularly where short plants or rocky terrain provide cover and isolation from predators like foxes and coyotes. I climbed to get a little closer, being careful not to slip off the rocks, and the gull was posing perfectly. The light illuminated the cliffs behind it, giving a nice contrast. This is a special photo to me because it captures the bird perfectly in its environment, not to mention the danger in climbing around to get into position."

View the full 2024 Audubon Photography Awards Top 100 list: https://ow.ly/pOy050SBZb8

📷 California Gull photo: Robert Gloeckner/Audubon Photography Awards 2024 Top 100

We're still celebrating! 🥳Thanks to the efforts of every individual who took action and raised their voices, the Climate Bond was passed by the California Legislature on July 3, 2024 and will be on the ballot in November as Proposition 4! 🙌 Now, Californians have the opportunity to take further action and vote for the resources birds and people need to adapt to the intensifying effects of climate change, paving the way for a brighter and climate-resilient future.

Tap the link to learn more. ✨ You can also sign up for our newsletter and be the first to hear about ways to be part of our efforts. https://bit.ly/4cDjaF6

Did you know Elegant Terns nest in the Mission Bay area of California and use Richardson Bay as a stopover during their incredible migrations? 🐟 Seabirds like Elegant Terns rely on small, schooling fish that are vulnerable to overfishing.

We now have an incredible opportunity to make a difference for seabirds and better protect coastal habitats like seagrass beds, which serve as nurseries and feeding grounds for both birds and fish. The Sustaining America's Fisheries for the Future Act will update our federal fisheries law to better protect seabirds. 🌊Urge your U.S. Representative to take action for our seabirds, coastal and marine habitats, and fishing economies: https://ow.ly/mj7M50SA5J9

📷Ben Jiang/Audubon Photography Awards

Come see A Fighting Chance next Tuesday at the Balboa Theatre. It's a short film 🎥 produced the Migratory Bird Conservation Partnership (Point Blue Conservation Science, The Nature Conservancy, and Audubon California) and follows researchers out into the field for sunrise bird surveys in the Klamath Basin. It includes interviews with farmers and other partners as well as gorgeous shots of wetlands and conservation science in action.

Did you know that both Greater Roadrunners and seabirds have the same unique adaptation to thrive in extreme environments? 💦 They both have salt-excreting glands in front of their eyes!

Currently, we have an incredible chance to protect one of the most important intact deserts left in the country for Greater Roadrunners and other wildlife, such as bighorn sheep, desert tortoises, Golden Eagles, and Phainopepla. The proposed National Monument encompasses around 627,000 acres of public land in the California desert.

That's not all—a designated Chuckwalla National Monument will help ensure more equitable access to nature for neighboring communities and honor Tribal heritage.

Join us in calling on the U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haalandl to help advance its designation. ✨ Act now: https://ow.ly/79yh50SziEB

Greater Roadrunner 📷 Shravan-Sundaram/Audubon Photography Awards

Join Audubon Center at Debs Park for a Community Habitat Restoration at Rio de Los Angeles State Park, and get your hands dirty this Thursday, 7/11 from 8-11 AM PT. 🐦 Help build sustainable habitats for local bird populations and other wildlife. Volunteers will be helping to maintain habitat restoration sites through invasive species removal, watering, and more. 💦 This is a great opportunity to learn about local wildlife and CA native plants! 🌳

¡Vengan y ensúciense las manos ayudándonos a construir un hábitat sostenible para las poblaciones locales de aves y otros animales salvajes! Los voluntarios colaborarán en el mantenimiento de sitios de restauración del hábitat mediante la eliminación de especies invasoras, riego y más. ¡Esta es una gran oportunidad para aprender sobre la vida silvestre local y las plantas nativas de California!

Participation reminders:

💙Wear close-toed shoes, layers, and clothes you don't mind getting dirty. | Use zapatos cerrados, capas y ropa que no le importe ensuciar.
💙Hats and sun protection are highly recommended. | Sombreros y protección solar.
💙Please bring a reusable water bottle. | Botella de agua reutilizable.
💙Volunteers are encouraged to bring their own gardening gloves. | Se anima a los voluntarios a traer sus propios guantes de jardinería.
💙Please leave your furry friends at home. | Dejen sus perros en casa.
💙Parking is available on-site. | Estacionamento está disponible en el sitio.
✨RSVP: https://ow.ly/A52y50Sypt3
✉️Contact [email protected] with any questions! | ¡Comuníquese con [email protected] si tiene alguna pregunta!

Another round of applause for the winners of the 2024 Audubon Photography Awards! Enjoy this glorious photo from California-based photographer Kevin Lohman, which was selected as the winner of the "Professional" category. 👏👏

Here's Kevin's story behind the shot: "It was close to sunset, and I was walking along an open area, looking for wildlife. I heard a California Quail and saw this male perched on top of a bush, acting as sentinel for his flock—ready to call out a warning if threats appeared. I moved to a spot where I could see layers in the landscape and snapped this image with a long lens. Having wildlife in the scene, as opposed to a simple landscape, makes for more of a special moment: The bird is only there fleetingly relative to everything else."

Have you checked out all of this year’s Audubon Photography Award winners? 🔗 Explore more bird beauty: https://ow.ly/uY5q50SxwLX

📷 California Quail Photo: Kevin Lohman / Audubon Photography Awards 2024 Professional Award Winner

Richardson Bay Audubon's second annual Pride Picnic is a free event for LGBTQIA++ naturalists in the Bay Area. ✨A variety of food and drink, including alcoholic beverages, will be served before a guided nature experience in the lush oak woodlands on the property. The event begins at 6:00 PM and is all-inclusive and family friendly.

There will be a raffle for merchandise from the 2024 Audubon Let's Go Birding Together Pride Collection featuring art by Liz Clayton Fuller ()!

The purpose of the event is to give q***r people a safe space to experience and enjoy nature unencumbered by the traditionally straight, cisgender expectation of the outdoor community. It is also designed to be a way to introduce q***r naturalists to each other to strengthen the community and make relationships they can rely on for company in outdoor spaces beyond our event.

Directions: Meet at Richardson Bay Audubon Center & Sanctuary (376 Greenwood Beach Road). Park in the parking lots facing the Bay or on the curb. Exit your vehicle and walk through the iron gate under the wooden pergola next to the Richardson Bay Audubon sign. Head down the gravel path towards the yellow Victorian house and look for check-in signs. 💜RSVP: https://ow.ly/8wpM50SnPHt

Adults must present a valid government-issued photo ID before consuming alcoholic beverages. Adverse weather may cancel — check for an email on the morning of the event to see if it is canceled.

What's it like counting thousands of shorebirds at the ? For Audubon California's Alecia Smith, it's a shorebird lover’s paradise. 😍

Alecia was there assisting with the Intermountain West Shorebird Survey, a community science project that requires tremendous coordination by Audubon California's Camila Bautista, in partnership with California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Point Blue Conservation Science, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Surveys like this one help track factors that influence shorebird distribution. They also show us how crucial the Salton Sea is to shorebirds—providing them with the space and resources they need to rest and refuel—and even can help us understand how to better protect this critical habitat.

Tap the link to read Alecia’s survey experience 💖and reach out to Camila Bautista for upcoming survey opportunities at [email protected].

A Shorebird Lover’s Paradise at the Salton Sea Conducting community science during a glorious spring migration for the Intermountain West Shorebird Survey

"Audubon applauds the Legislature on passing a historic, ambitious climate bond that will protect Californians, invest in climate solutions, and conserve birds and their habitats across the state," said Mike Lynes, Director of Public Policy for Audubon California.

The climate bond will now head to the November ballot! This bond is a significant step towards a sustainable future for both people and wildlife.

Planning a beach visit to celebrate the 4th of July? You can help keep coastal birds safe by giving them at least 100 feet space—that’s the equivalent of 16 beach towels. Remember, loud noises like fireworks frighten adult shorebirds and leave their flightless chicks without protection. Tap the link in our bio to learn more about how we can all .

https://www.audubon.org/news/how-become-bird-friendly-beachgoer

Heading out to the beach this week? For the love of our coastal birds, on the 4th of July (and always). 🏖️

Beach activities like setting off fireworks, flying kites and drones, throwing balls, building bonfires, or riding horses, bikes, and ATVs can be a great time—but they can cause birds to leave their nests or leave their young, flightless chicks unprotected. Consider putting yourself in the feathers of a tiny chick. How would you feel if you were the size of a tennis ball, weighed two ounces, and couldn’t fly away from danger? We can help nesting birds during this critical time by avoiding these activities.

Looking for more ways to help coastal birds? We've got you covered:

English: https://www.audubon.org/news/how-become-bird-friendly-beachgoer
Spanish: https://www.audubon.org/es/news/como-convertirse-en-un-playero-amigo-de-las-aves

🐟 Least Tern parent feeding their young 📷: Tina McManus/Audubon Photography Awards

Looking for some kid-friendly activities in the Bay Area this July? 💚Come see Denise Fleming’s picture book In the Tall, Tall Grass while strolling through flower gardens at Richardson Bay Audubon Center & Sanctuary!

This ultra-colorful, enchanting picture book will teach you about plants and animals that you can see in real time as you walk through the pollinator gardens at the Richardson Bay Audubon Center. Learn about all the magic you can find for yourself in the tall, tall grass, then play on the beach or have a picnic! The storybook is geared towards children ages 2-6. Path is not paved, but strollers are welcome.

The StoryWalk will be open Monday - Friday from July 9 - 19 from 9 am to 5 pm (no RSVP required).

We joined over 160 organizations throughout California and across the country urging the California Legislature to secure a climate bond for conservation, climate resilience, and safe drinking water. The Legislature has until THIS WEDNESDAY, July 3, 2024, to put a climate bond on the November 2024 ballot, crucial for habitat conservation and climate resilience for vulnerable communities.

We need your help! Act now and tell lawmakers to support a and invest in essential programs birds and people need. https://bit.ly/3WdD8kx

📷 Killdeer photo by Evan Barrientos/Audubon Rockies

Recently, our Working Lands, Conservation Ranching, and Richardson Bay Audubon teams, with the help of California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) staff, successfully installed a new Motus station in the Central Valley.

The Motus Wildlife Tracking System, a program of Birds Canada, collaborates with researchers and organizations worldwide to track animal movements using advanced telemetry technology.

Each solar-powered Motus (Latin for "movement") tower captures radio signals transmitted by tagged animals wearing small "backpacks" within a 5-kilometer radius, recording the time and location of each passage.

A huge thanks to Ian Souza-Cole, Matt Allhouse, Ashley Seufzer, Jodi Pinder, Paige Fernandez, and the dedicated CDFW staff for their hard work and collaboration. We’re excited to share activity reports from the new station—stay tuned for our upcoming posts, where we'll feature the journeys of tagged birds and other animals wearing Motus "backpacks."

Special thanks to CDFW for funding this project. Photos of the installation process were captured by Xerónimo Castañeda, Audubon California’s Working Lands Program Director.

Does the warm summer weather have you longing for a cool, fall desert camping trip? 🐢Get to know Corn Springs Campground and consider your future desert adventure in the proposed Chuckwalla National Monument! Corn Springs is a popular remote camping site located in the Chuckwalla Mountains. It is an important oasis for local and migratory birds and other wildlife. Originally inhabited by the Chemehuevi, and other Tribes, for thousands of years, Corn Springs has one of the finest examples of petroglyph rock art in the Colorado Desert dating as far back as 10,000 years. 🐦From Corn Springs, visitors can enjoy hiking trails, sightseeing, bird watching, and more. If you visit the area, remember to explore safely, responsibly, and respectfully.

Read more about the proposed national monument and explore Corn Spring Campground: https://protectchuckwalla.org/chuckwallanews/

Take action to protect today: http://bit.ly/4aSARij?r=lp

📷:
Cactus Wren
Linda Scher/Audubon Photography Awards

You may have heard of the historic count of 250,000 shorebirds during last year's Intermountain West Shorebird Survey. But why are they flocking to the Salton Sea? 🤔 To help answer this question, we hired Marlene Walters, a UCLA graduate student, to investigate the sediment where these birds are found feeding. Learn about the slimy substance that may be providing the biofuels these amazing migratory shorebirds need.

How changes at the Salton Sea might be fueling the smallest migrants Our latest study shows how biofilm may be providing the biofuel that migratory shorebirds need

The Habitat Conservation Fund was saved! Thank you to everyone who took action and stood up for California’s amazing habitats.

Our birds, wildlife, and incredible biodiversity need and deserve protection. This critical resource has helped fund the protection of almost a million acres of habitat that support beloved wildlife like Western Burrowing Owls and mountain lions. Thanks to your advocacy, the fund will continue for vital conservation and restoration projects.