Birds in the Eaton Canyon
A Photo Essay of Our Feather Friends
Eaton Canyon Park is closed from March 24 due to Coronavirus, but we can still appreciate our beautiful birds there through some photos. 😃
When we moved to LA, we just started birding and knew very little about West Coast birds. We did look at some California bird photos on Facebook, but it was not until we settled down in Pasadena did we finally have time to feel the environmental difference — Cardinals and Bluejays are gone. Instead, we got a whole new State of birds, and parrots, lots of parrots.
For birding beginners in LA, Eaton Canyon is an ideal starting point. For one, it is very accessible — less than 15 minute drive from where we live. The Canyon is absolutely beautiful— with many scenic trails and a popular waterfall that attracts thousands of outdoor lovers every year. Perhaps more importantly, the place is blessed with an active birding community. Pasadena Audubon Society (PAS), the bird conservation organization in this area, holds regular bird walks there.
I still remember our first PAS bird walk at the Eaton Canyon quite well. It was a lovely Saturday morning. The walk is scheduled at 8 am, but the Canyon was already full of people around 7:30, so we were redirected to park at the overflow parking area.
If you bird a lot, you know that birds don’t wait for you to grab your binoculars, set up your cameras, or give you time to get ready! So birding begins right at the parking lot. This was also the case on that day. After meeting and greeting fellow birders, we soon identified a Mourning Dove perching not too far away.
Mourning Doves are beautiful doves with unique blue eye-rings. Back in the Midwest, we used to have a Mourning Dove family nesting in our apartment building, and they are regular visitors to our feeders. Sometimes one would come to our balcony in the afternoon and sit there for hours until the sun goes down. While we are now in a place that’s 2,000 miles away, seeing these doves living happily brings back memories of the good old days.
Another bird that left a strong impression from the same bird walk was a Wrentit that was jumping around the branches. Because Wrentits usually hide in the shrubs, it is more likely to hear from them than actually see them. Maybe this one knew that we are new here and wanted to say hello!
After the PAS bird walk, we visit the Eaton Canyon regularly. One bird we see every time are the Acorn Woodpeckers. They are beautiful Woodpeckers with red head and black face, but they also look very funny! One of their distinct features is their “family granary” —the storage tree they pick and store all the acorns to survive winter. We were fortunate to capture one right by its granary when we were hiking. Look at the photo below and you will see all the acorns in the tree holes!
Birds cannot survive without their food source. For birds like Rufous-crowned sparrows that cannot fly far and do not migrate, Eaton Canyon’s California sagebrush provides both food and shelter all year long. We have never seen them at the trailhead or near the park entrance. However, once you hike into the Canyon for an additional mile or two, they might appear in the shadowed area beneath the shrubs!
At the Eaton Canyon, you don’t always know what is waiting for you. While all the photos above were taken with a Nikon 200–500mm lens, some of my favorites bird photos at this location were taken when I was not there for birding!
A few months ago, I was preparing to shoot for a friend’s wedding and decide to test out a 70–200 zoom lens by shooting closer subjects. There are usually people coming in and out of the Nature Center, so I did not expect to find birds near its entrance. Somehow, this Raven was perching on a branch in a tree right above us when we were waling pass it, so I captured the moment. The camera was able to nicely capture the details on its face.
Soon after the Raven, we then encountered a Red-shouldered Hawk that appeared out of nowhere. We have seen other hawks in this area, but never a Red-shouldered Hawk! Besides, unlike most hawks that perch on faraway treetops or soar high into the sky, this one decided to hover close to us and stayed for minutes. Due to the shorter focal length of my lens, this is not a close-up shot that you see on Instagram, but I really like the patterns of the sky and the light on the hawk’s feather.
That’s it for our second birding article on Medium! We hope the Canyon’s closure will end soon and we will be able to visit our feather friends again. For now, take a look at our other Birders on Trail articles or take a look at our Youtube video on window-birding in Pasadena! 🙌
