"Here they come," said Tania Romero, a biology student at Cal State Los Angeles, as a small yellow-and-black bird suddenly stopped in midair, entangled in a mist net. Pasadena Audubon recently partnered with the U.S. Forest Service to fund and install a $10,000 tracking station at Bear Divide. But scientists know of only one other location in California where migrating birds fly in daylight hours: Butterbredt Spring in eastern Kern County. At Bear Divide, scientists say, they appear to stop somewhere and wait for sunrise before whooshing through the passage at about 30 mph. Because Bear Divide has few trees, counting and identifying these birds can be challenging for even seasoned birders.

Source: Los Angeles Times April 24, 2023 18:34 UTC