Author: Petra

It used to be that one could see the odd cormorant when walking along certain stretches of the L.A. River. By now they are hanging out there in whole flocks; and apparently they hunt for fish, too, because this splendid specimen is drying its feathers after diving.

Then one sees anglers. This again raises the question: “Fish? In the L.A. River? Big enough for people to catch? Has it really recovered that much?”

It has indeed, as can be seen from the catch of one of these gentlemen:

Six carp, each weighing in at about 3 – 4 pound.

So yes, the revitalization of the river is progressing. But can one eat the fish? Not a question which troubles the cormorants very much, but the anglers might be a bit concerned.

Here comes the next surprise: Yes, one can.

In September 2008 FoLAR published their second report, titled The Fish Study. According to this report the L.A. River is now populated (at least in the revitalized parts) by mosquitofish, tilapia, green sunfish, fathead minnow, carp, bullhead, Amazon sailfin cafish and largemouth bass. FoLAR also tested the fish for toxicity and found that all samples were below the OEHHA advisory levels for folks eating fish three times a week. So while some might decide to go for catch-and-release, the fish caught can be eaten. FoLAR advises however that it might be safer to just eat the fillets than cooking stew or soup, as chemical can concentrate in the head and guts. (By the way, that was what the gentleman with the six carp said – he was going to put the fillets on the barbecue the same evening.)

And there you are – the river running through L.A. is gaining back life in a big way. With cormorants and men going for fish, overall it does not look too bad for the water quality.

May I introduce: Melanerpes formicivorus, aka Acorn Woodpecker.

These pretty redheads can be found in Griffith Park – if one knows where oak trees grow. Acorn Woodpeckers lead a busy life drilling holes into dead trees and collecting acorns to stick into the holes for later consumption.

They also pick dried out acorns out of their holes and stick them into new ones with a tighter fit to prevent them from falling out; this ensures that the life of an Acorn Woodpecker is quite a busy one – tending to the stored acorns takes up a large part of their day.

So many acorns, so little time! Plus, these busy birds always have to keep an eye out for the jays. Those pesky lazybones just love to harvest the granaries created by the woodpeckers.

Yes, Woodpecker Central in Griffith Park is a paradise for bird watchers. By the way, that is not the real name of the valley where the pretty redheads live, so don’t try to look it up on a map.

Could this be the seal equivalent of a High Five?

If so, it is more than appropriate, because after nine years of the seals being an issue with the last five years spent on a lawsuit to evict them, they can stay. Hurray!

Yes, you too. Come on in!

On November 13th, Superior Court Judge Timothy B. Taylor issued a final order that the seals can stay. In his opinion the former rulings were fine at the time they were issued; but with legislation signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to allow the city of San Diego to turn the Cove into a seal sanctuary starting from January 1st 2010, Judge Taylor saw no need to chase the seals away for 1 1/2 months.

Nearly 10 years of struggle by many animal activists, lawyers, ordinary people and a sympathetic judge have paid off to keep this wonderful little window into marine wildlife open.

With the new pupping season starting at the end of November, all is well again at the Cove.