One of the 1st surprises of the trip, were Ravens hanging around literally in residential LA.

Our 1st birding spot was Sand Dune Park, where we got the hoped for Spotted Dove. There were crows all over the place, and then I heard what had to be a Raven. I thought I was going crazy, in the middle of suburbia, when one of them finally came in and landed right above us (unfortunately extremely backlit though).