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LAGUNA BEACH MAGAZINE : How did you become an expert in identifying birds ? TOM EASTMAN : I ' ve taken every workshop taught by Sea & Sage Audubon [ Society ]’ s teacher , Sylvia Gallagher . I ' m also a certified naturalist docent and a certified interpretive guide . I ' m continuously reading , learning and practicing .
LBM : What is one of your birding hikes like ? TE : We always start with a brief introduction and some general information . Then we start to walk and I stop to address the birds that we see or hear . I will also point out bird songs and calls , and identify the birds that make them . I will share
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some interesting facts about natural history , bird behavior , biology , how birds and plants interact and depend on each other , etc .
LBM : What species of birds might be spotted ? TE : We see some of the Orange County resident birds on almost every outing , such as black phoebe , house finch , California towhee and red-tailed hawk . Others , we may hear but not see , such as California quail , California thrasher and wrentit .
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LBM : How long have you been leading these hikes ? TE : I led my first bird hike for Laguna Canyon Foundation back in October of 2009 . I ' ve been leading [ or ] co-leading field trips for Audubon and Sylvia Gallagher ’ s classes for about 15 years , and have also been leading a monthly bird walk at Crystal Cove State Park for about a dozen years .
LBM : What kind of workout will participants get from going on this hike ? TE : We go at a birding pace ;
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Above : Tom Eastman , a Laguna Canyon Foundation volunteer who leads the nonprofit ' s bird walks ; inset : a house finch , which can sometimes be seen on local birding hikes
if there are a lot of birds , we may not move much at all . If attendees are expecting a cardio workout hike , they came to the wrong place . The skill levels run the gamut from absolute beginners to expert birders . We generally would like children to be at least 12 years old .
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BOTTOM : COURTESY OF LAGUNA CANYON FOUNDATION ; INSET : JEFF CAVERLY / SHUTTERSTOCK . COM |
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