The Willowbrook Walking Path
Compton Creek is a major tributary of the Los Angeles River. The stream drains a watershed of 42.1 square miles and is the last major tributary to enter the Los Angeles River before it enters the Pacific Ocean. The stream begins just east of South Main Street between 107th and 108th Streets in Los Angeles. Compton Creek passes through Willowbrook and runs 8.5 miles in total. This is a home to most common species of birds found in urbanized LosAngeles which include: crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos), pigeons (Columba livia), mourning doves (Zenaida macroura), house finch (Carpodacus mexicanus), northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos), California towhee (Piplio crissalis),and scrub jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens). A number of wintering birds also utilize the area during migration including Townsend’s warbler (Dendroica townsendi), yellow-rumped warbler (Dendroica coronata), lesser goldfinch (Carduelis psaltria), white-throated swifts (Aeronautes saxatalis), and cliff swallows (Hirundo pyrrhonota). Along with the raptors, lizards have adapted quite well to this urban environment. Species that could be present within this urban setting include: side-blotched lizard (Uta stansburiana), western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis), and Southern alligator lizard (Gerrhonotus multicarinatus).
