October 19: San Gabriel River Spreading Grounds

Saturday, October 19, 2024
7:30 AM to 11:00 AM
Leaders: Darren Dowell & Judi Hwa

(We’re going to try this again, after going with our backup plan to visit Legg Lake in September.) Join us for a morning of birding at the San Gabriel Coastal Basin Spreading Grounds in Pico Rivera. Especially during migration, this is a location promising surprises – including what kind of habitat we’ll find. Typical conditions include water and annual vegetation in the basins and river channel, surrounded by a more permanent ring of trees and bushes, and we’ll be seeking southbound and wintering shorebirds, warblers, sparrows, and more. We’re almost certain to see blackbirds and raptors as well. Views can be distant at this site, so scopes are helpful. We’ll be doing a stroll along the level, paved or compacted bike trail around the basins, up to 3 miles if we do the full loop. If conditions are still poor at the spreading grounds, we’ll once again give Legg Lake in South El Monte a try instead.

Participant number: No Limit

Trip details such as meeting location will be emailed to signed-up participants 3-5 days before the trip.

Photo: Snowy Egret (Egretta thula). Photo by Chris Spurgeon

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