current count: 358 !! hi! my name is joey! i love birds, and fish, and animals of all shapes, sizes, and sorts! i'm indexing every species i encounter in the wild for my life list -- check out my photo gallery, zines, and resources page if you're interested in keeping up with my ever-growing archive of experiences.
my goal is to remember as much as possible, document everything that i can, and foster a dialogue around 'nature' in order to better situate myself within it.
recent lifers
#353 - hooded merganser - Lophodytes cucullatus - 01/25/2026
Sepulveda Basin
Sepulveda will always feel the most like home out of anything that I've experienced in the Valley. The drive down Burbank after you cross over the 5 feels exactly like the end of M-59 road in Pontiac, bumps and potholes and all.
I come here every week at this point, which only adds to the feeling of familiarity - similar to how I can still picture every turn to get out to my fishing spots around Ann Arbor, from when I was in school. Good times.
This Hooded Merganser was a real treat - I've never seen one in Michigan before, despite seeing generations of Common Mergansers in the shallows of Mullett Lake for my entire life.
#351 - bufflehead - Bucephala albeola - 01/05/2026
LA River - Bette Davis Picnic Area
Bette Davis is great. I love the black-necked stilts and the stickbirds that populate this stretch, which is at a confluence and marks the beginning of the Glendale Narrows, with respect to the unique vegetation and avian inhabitants.
A group of Bufflehead were puttering around in this stretch of water, along with some Wigeons and Mallards. Really neat to see these for the first time with a decent view.
Male and female, too - nice to see!
recent outings
Davy Brown Campground
Manzana Creek Trail
Coldwater Camp
Figueroa Mountain
Elsmere Canyon
East Canyon
Rice Canyon
upcoming outings
next stops:
Sherwin Creek, Memorial Weekend
have questions? suggestions? impressions?
get in touch!!
