Just returned from the Nemesis birds class 2/3 field trip to LA, Ventura, and Death Valley. Thought you might like to hear about the results. First I must thank all of you who helped with the planning and execution of this outing, especially: Arnold Small, Steve Sosensky, Luke Cole, Bernardo Alps, Gary George, Jack Holloway, Andrew Culshaw, and Tom and Jo Heindel. The outcome of the trip was good though not in the way expected. Life birds for me are in all caps.

Departed from Ohio on 10/17 and arrived at LAX late afternoon. By the time the rental car people got me in the right vehicle, it was too late to do any birding so I went straight to Ventura and checked in to my hotel. Early to bed in anticipation of an early get-up to join the Island Packers boat ride to Scorpion Beach on Santa Cruz. Smooth sailing and a beautiful day on the 18th. No interesting seabirds on the trip either way. On the island, though, the birding was outstanding. Migrating hawks were in good numbers; Sharp-shinned, Red-tailed, and Kestrels.

I saw numerous Allen's Hummingbirds in the flowering trees just past the old ranch house. Nothern Flicker, Black and Say's Phoebes were also obvious. After a long walk up Scorpion Canyon, probably only a mile and a half mile or so and a false start up the left fork, I clambered up the right fork - it seemed like miles on the rough terrain but really was less than half a mile I suppose - until an ISLAND SCRUB JAY finally deigned to show itself for a good but brief view. Common Ravens were plentiful as well as singular Cactus, Rock and Bewick's Wrens. Surprising to me on the way back were Northern Shrike and Black-headed Grosbeak. Also seen on the return trip were Northern Mockingbird, Song Sparrow, Western Meadowlark, Brewer's Blackbird, House Finch, and House Sparrow.

The 19th was the Los Angeles Audubon Society's pelagic trip from the same dock and on the same boat as the day before. Again it was a great day on the water with lots of sun and smooth water.

We saw Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Eared Grebe, Pink-footed, Flesh-footed, Buller's, Sooty, and Black-vented Shearwaters, Ashy Storm-Petrel, RED-FOOTED BOOBY (excellent views as this immature tagged along behind the boat for over 10 minutes and generated a lot of comment), Brandt's Cormorant, Surf Scoter, Black Oystercatcher, Willet, Surfbird, Red and Red-necked Phalaropes, South Polar Skua, Heerman's, Ring-billed, California, Herring, Western, Glaucous-winged, Great Black-backed, and Sabine's Gulls, Elegant Tern, CRAVERI'S MURRELET (much discussion about these two birds but I did not see any white in the under-wings. The Xantus's Murrelet would also have been a life sighting for me so I rely on the field marks I saw - or more precisely, didn't see), and Cassin's Auklet. Three days gone from home and three life birds, only one of them on my target list (the jay).

Monday, Oct 20 I drove to Furnace Creek Ranch in Death Valley and, much to my amazement, all of the

rarities that have been seen there recently were still present. I ran into Dr. Donald Sorby and his wife while exploring the compound and we found Common Raven, Yellow-rumped Warbler, White-crowned Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Brewer's Blackbird, House Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Smith's Longspur (behind motel unit 500), Coot, Sora, Pied-billed Grebe, Blue-winged Teal, Purple Gallinule (in the reeds at the south-east end of the pond), Savannah (beldingi) Sparrow, Inca Dove (only 2), Northern Waterthrush, Sprague's Pipit (on the golf fairway west of the horse corral), Killdeer, Mourning Dove, Mallard, and Horned Grebe (on the sewage pond). I stayed in a cabin that night and the morning of the 21st added Brewer's Sparrow, Starling, Great-tailed Grackle, Red-winged Blackbird, and Peregrine Falcon, a much larger flock of Inca Dove (at least a dozen) and in their midst one lone RUDDY GROUND-DOVE (these birds were all in a little grassy area on Zabriskie Ave opposite unit 8-A). Ah-h-h-h-h. Two target birds checked off the list.

I left Death Valley and drove to Anaheim's Oak Canyon Nature Center in search of the Oak Titmouse. No luck, but saw a number of nice birds including a Cooper's Hawk trying to take a Green Heron. There was much excitement and "kyonking" as the heron made its escape (I hope). From there it was on to Angeles National Forest but it was nearly dark by the time I got there so I spent the night in a hotel in Glendale.

Wednesday, the 22nd was spent touring the Angeles National Forest in search of the OAK TITMOUSE and NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL. I saw Scrub Jay, Northern Junco, Western Bluebird, Acorn Woodpecker, Mountain Chickadee, Wrentit, and Northern Flicker. By 9:30 am I had just about run out of gas when I came across the Chilao Visitor Center and introduced myself to the volunteer in charge. It turned out that Gerry had recently worn a Pygmy-owl as a hood ornament on his "pick-em-up" truck

and told me he had seen them in the past on the Silver Moccasin Trail northeast of Shortcut Saddle.I followed his directions and in about half an hour walking downhill had both of these target birds on my list. I was so happy I hardly noticed the steep climb back up from the point where the trail crosses a metal culvert to the highway. I drove to LAX, turned in the Cadillac, and sat down in the hotel to update my life list.

The flight home on Thursday was uneventful and the trip concluded with six life birds in seven days, two of which were travel only. Not bad - not bad at all.

Thanks again to all of you who assisted me in the adventure. The Short-tailed Shearwater, Xantus's Murrelet, and Least Storm-Petrel will have to wait for another time.