California - Day 1 - 12/1/16

With very little preparation (arranging birding sites and booking flights last week!!), myself and Richard Fairbank set off from LHR - LAX with Virgin Atlantic (with me being upgraded thanks to a friend who works for the company) arriving into Los Angeles around 1pm local time. Our car hire was simple to pick up and we were soon on our way heading north through the LA traffic.

There was just enough time for birding around the Ventura Harbour area before dark seeing the following (having never been to the US, most species will be new, and these will be highlighted):

Western Meadowlark - 4

Brewer's Blackbird - 1 

Red-tailed Hawk - 1

White-tailed Kite - 1

Slavonian Grebe - 2

American Coot - 150

California Gull - 5

Brown Pelican - 30

Willet - 7

Hudsonian Whimbrel - 5

Western Grebe - 2

Pied-billed Grebe - 10

Ring-necked Duck - 10

Ruddy Duck - 2

Snowy Egret - 5

Great Blue Heron - 3

Black-crowned Night Heron - 20