Posted by ravens at March 3rd, 2010
The Billy Wilder Square ravens are still hard at work bringing twigs into the billboard above Mashti Malone’s. They’ve learned to fly into the bottom of it with a graceful arcing swoop. Impossible to see at all what exactly they are managing to contrive in there. The location doesn’t seem likely to be fledgling friendly.
Posted by ravens at March 27th, 2009
The nest on the side of the world’s largest billboard is definitely open for business. These would be the ravens in Hollywood par excellence. Finding a place to observe them from will not be terribly easy. Sure, I could hang out with the local teenagers at the corner mini-mall, but I would rather the ravens be the center of attention, not the bird geek watching them. I don’t think Kodak fancies me perched on their roof, even if I am a customer. It’s too bad The Corner is not on the right corner. I could sit with my coffee, newspaper and telephoto lens for hours.
The other problem of course is that the ravens often fly about and around Iron Mountain, in and out of view. And the nest itself is so high that I’d have to be a block east or more to have a decent view.
In other news, an upscale hotel for dogs has opened in the building at the base of Iron Mountain. A veritable animal kingdom here. It’s rare the resident of Hollywood who does not keep animals, especially dogs, since you can accessorize with dogs in a way that’s just not possible with cats.
Posted by ravens at March 25th, 2009
While hiking up on Verdugo near Mt. Tongva, passed pair of birds collecting fine stuff for nest presumed to be on west face of mountain.
Posted by ravens at March 12th, 2009
Just ran across this site, and I’m off to investigate. Prof. Hartmut Walter should read this blog, though. Urban ravens are probably pretty rare in most cities (hm… more for the Seattle to-do list) but I don’t think I ‘d call them rare in Los Angeles.
Posted by ravens at March 7th, 2009
Almost all the nesting sites that I observed last year are back in use. I am collecting photos, and during a mini-vacation this coming week I hope to make a lot more observations. So far:
Blessed Sacrament Church: there are two nests, and ambivalent birds. On Oscar Sunday, they were adding small twigs to the nest on St. Thomas Aquinas. Both birds were doing this – (I am pretty sure that I’ve read in Heinrich that the building activity was divided by sex, but this didn’t seem to be the case with these birds. But the nests were mostly constructed, being left over from last season.) The following Sunday, two birds were adding soft material to the nest on top of St. Catherine of Siena. I’m not going to go so far as to assume these are the same birds, because I’ve also seen a lot of competition this year. This is one of the nests that produced at least one fledgling.
Iron Mountain: this Hollywood icon is now a site of contest. Last Friday I observed two birds visiting the nest (the highest above ground that I know of). Yesterday (also Friday) I observed one bird alighting on the nest, to be followed and chased away by another. Just before that incident, not far away (Fountain and Orange) I had seen two ravens in hot pursuit of a third, in the direction away from Iron Mountain. (I’m sure this building must have a proper name, I’ll have to find out what it is).
The Apple Street Ravens: at Fairfax and Apple, in a power line pylon. On my first visit I did not see a nest, but did find the pair of ravens foraging in the remains of a sub sandwich. Happily I had the camera with me. Driving past yesterday, I saw a nest in the pylon, on the opposite side from its location last year. This is near a drainage channel, the freeway, a large DWP sub station, and a small public park, but not many restaurants. Still, I suspect there is plenty of food. This is one of the nests that produced at least one fledgling.
The Del Ravens: I have seen a pair of ravens frequenting the billboard that was the site of last year’s nest. There is also a pair of ravens frequenting a nest on the side of a bank building halfway between Lincoln and Pershing. A pair of ravens also likes to sit on a billboard off the 90 freeway, overlooking some of the Ballona Wetlands, very close to Ballona Creek itself. Are they all the same ravens?
Billy Wilder Square: this week I observed a raven beneath a billboard here with a large twig in its beak, so once again there may be an effort on the part of yet another pair to do something with that location. This may be out of desperation due to the proximity to Blessed Sacrament, Runyon, and Iron Mountain. It may simply be that the Blessed Sacrament ravens are keeping all comers out of the Iron Mountain site.
Runyon Canyon: need to visit. The tree is very dense, and the nest is never actually visible.
Griffith Park: have not seen any nests or activity yet. The massive roost there may be a factor?
Baldwin Hills: stopped for cheap gas at Slauson and Labrea, and while I was filling the tank, a raven appeared overhead with a twig in its beak. Took photos. No idea where it went or where it may be living. Frequently see a pair of ravens there while on the way to work or back. Area is south of the zone in which the Apple Street ravens are nesting, and probably they share a border.
Posted by ravens at February 15th, 2009
When I saw ravens this January, I often saw one in hot pursuit of another, and not in a friendly way. I’m supposing that this is the time when the owners and would-be owners of breeding territories begin to assert themselves. And I notice from the dates on last year’s posts that we are on the threshold of nesting season. Even ravens celebrate Valentine’s Day.
Last year’s nesting observations went mostly unrecorded, so the first thing to do is review what happened and where. It was the first year that I happened to observe several active nests, and even fledglings. I also learned how quickly ravens can spot an animal that is watching them, and how quickly and energetically they will target that animal in an effort to chase it off.
Two sites were in large power pylons. Two were inside billboards – the double-faced ones that are common in LA, and probably used a lot for caching, too. One was on the facade of a church, where nests had been constructed on the shoulders of the statues of Saints Thomas Aquinas and Catherine of Siena. Only one of these nests was used. I am assuming the nest in the pine tree at the Wright house in Runyon Canyon is used every year, but it is impossible to actually see that one. The sites ranged from the LA River on the Valley side of the Santa Monica Mountains to a billboard on Lincoln Blvd. two miles or less north of LAX. The two pylon sites were also located very near freeways.
Former nesting sites in some of the areas were not used. The nest that is high on the side of Iron Mountain is still in place, but seems abandoned. There had been a nest on the upper floors of the Furama Hotel, but this was dislodged when it was renovated into its new incarnation as the Custom.
All sites, including trees, are anthropogenic. Native oaks do grow high on steep slopes of the Santa Monicas, and one would expect nesting in these. Vast tracts of LA probably harbor other nesting territories, if the known density is constant. Given the abundance of food here
Seemingly the ideal - at least 30m above the street (and the fast food joints) in the heart of Hollywood'd Media District.
Posted by ravens at February 15th, 2009
This year, a pair of ravens on Sunset Boulevard have entered the competition for Most Interesting Site – they have constructed not one but two nests on the facade of the landmark Blessed Sacrament church in the heart of Hollywood’s entertainment district. Not only did they choose the facade, but they also have invoked the patronage of two medieval Catholic saints.
Now that it’s Nesting Season 2009, we’ll be keeping an eye on this and other sites around Los Angeles, to see if former sites are used again. It was indeed a miracle that even one fledgling survived, given the very dangerous conditions they have to contend with while growing up on one of LA’s busiest boulevards.
Posted by ravens at February 23rd, 2008
High above the LA River and the Ventura Freeway, with a fine view of Griffith Park’s TravelTown and Equestrian Center, a pair of ravens have built a seemingly precarious home on a high voltage power line pylon.
Posted by ravens at March 20th, 2007
Well, not only were a pair of ravens roosting locally, but they were trying to build a nest in the billboard in the photo below.
They were at it for about a week – and then their twig-bearing flights seemed to change direction. This morning I found out why. They are building a nest on a fire escape high above the main entrance to Hollywood’s famous Roosevelt Hotel. I’m not surprised. The billboard didn’t seem too viable. Pigeons, seagulls, and difficult spaces to fit into. The new location will have the opposite problem. It is too visible, and the local primates will probably not be ecstatic about having breeding ravens on their real estate.
Posted by ravens at March 19th, 2007
Drove a different route to work and got to see other than Labrea ravens. There was a pair descending spiritedly over Crescent Heights and Sunset Blvd, and another soaring over the Skybar. In the afternoon, a pair over Culver City at Jefferson and Sepulveda, and simply lots of ravens to welcome me back home to Hollywood in the evening.
On Sunday morning I noticed a nest in a power pylon above the LA River adjacent to Forest Lawn Hollywood. I’ll have to go back for photos. So that’s four active breeding pairs in a fairly small area of the eastern Santa Monicas. Google Earth will help with more accurate measurements.