...will be the subject of a staged conversation tonight -- ALOUD curator Louise Steinman will ask the questions (I presume) and Jonathan Rosen will talk about his book and birds. The book title (The Life of the Skies: Birding at the End of Nature) sounds a bit End of History. But if Rosen means to talk about present-day urban birding, I am with him. Especially since Echo Park provides such an incredibly rich birding platform.
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Loosely related, but speaking of urban birds, a friend of mine recently posted on the Echo Park Animal Alliance's list serve her concerns for the welfare of wild birds in Vons:

I was shopping in the Vons on Montana in Echo Park and there was a bird flying around inside the store...I mentioned it to the checker and she said she had repeatedly tried to coax it outside with a trail of breadcrumbs. She then went on to tell me that the store brings someone in with a BB gun to kill it and that they have done it before.

These were the replies: One prominent bird person wrote:

I have also seen a bird flying around. It tries to leave but crashes into the windows. Store staff have tried to use bread to lure it towards the door, but are not always successful. As for shooting at the bird, are you sure she wasn't just pulling your leg? I can't see anyone taking shots in a crowded market, no matter the size of the pellet.

And a second responded:

I know how you must feel, but you would understand the reaction if you knew what a store could be liable for if you were to come down with a case of coccidiosis or something because of bird poo you didn't quite clean out of your lettuce. If you've ever tried to catch a bird in a high building in a short amount of time, a pellet gun is the best answer. They don't do the shooting while the store is crowded.

A bird stumbles into Vons and finds itself in hell, with no way out. ... Clearly, we are talking about a flaw in the design of this supermarket. There should be escape hatches near the ceiling, maybe a few transoms. A bit less primitive than a BB gun shootout. And it could improve air flow in a natural, non-electric way. Am I joking? I don't think so.