Bear Divide is maybe the newest “hot” birding location is southern California, and it is located just outside of Los Angeles proper. Along the Pacific Flyway, we knew very little about the (spring and fall)movement of birds. Very few “migration routes”, famous along the Eastern and Mississippi flyway, were known for the Pacific Flyway. We now know of one right in our backyard, in the Angeles National Forest, a short drive from downtown Los Angeles.
Bear Divide is known as a dawn migration site, where birds that have been flying all night, drop down to rest (and eat) for the day before moving again at dusk. So bird watchers go to Bear Divide to see an assortment of warblers flying at eye level, or maybe a swift flying between your legs.
Work started here several years ago, led by Ryan Terrill. Daily point counts were being made, with up to 10,000 birds moving through each morning. This led us to the idea of starting a complementary bird banding effort to help monitor the birds, led by Tania Romero, Jayde Blair, and Lauren Hill.
Bird banding effort consisted of banding six days a week (TU-SU) with 10 mist-nets from late March to mid-May. Banding occurs from sunrise for 4.5 hours. Although volunteers are needed and welcomed, this station is not for beginners/novices, as it is a high volume site. The station has processed close to 2000 birds each year representing 80 species. The expectation is that you are a reasonably experienced bander, who know his/her birds and can age/sex birds using Pyle.
Since teaching/training is difficult at a high volume site, a second low volume site will also operate at Oak Springs in the Angeles National Forest. See OAK SPRINGS
GENERAL COMMENTS
Note where the banding station is located. Realize banding typical begins at sunrise, or sometimes earlier (at dawn). If banding begins at 6:00a, and if it is a two hour drive from home to the station, this means getting up at 3:00a. If banding occurs on Wednesdays, and you work M-F, that will not work.
LIST OF BANDING STATIONS
BEAR – Bear Divide Banding Station
BURN – Burns Pinon Ridge Reserve
OKSP – Oak Springs Banding Station
Simi Hills Wildlife Observatory
ZUMA – Zuma Canyon Banding Station