On Tuesday, December 19, 2006, Susan Barnes and I had a private tour of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology in Berkeley, CA. Susan's boss knows the curator and she led us around the bird section. The museum is not open to the public except for one day in April each year. It is actually not a museum but a research facility. So this was a very special treat. I provided the curator, Carla, with a list of birds I wanted to see and she had some ideas of her own of what might be interesting. I guess she is used to leading a lot of children and non-birders who mostly want to see colorful birds with long tails because that is what she wanted to show me. When we first entered the museum we saw a Wandering Albatross on top of the file cabinets. It was enormous and we could examine the bill in intricate detail. The rest of the birds are in huge file cabinets in wooden drawers that Carla had to reach up and take out. I know her shoulders must have been sore after all that pulling and reaching. She first showed us a drawer of tanagers from all over the world; they were very colorful and impressive. Next she pulled out a drawer full of Ivory-billed Woodpeckers. She let me touch one of them and she brought out a Pileated Woodpecker to put beside the Ivory-billed to show the size difference. It stopped my heart to see a whole tray of an extinct bird. In addition to stuffed birds the museum also houses bird eggs, nests, and skins. She showed us some huge bird eggs-- one from an Elephant Bird that was about three feet in diameter and some emerald green eggs that looked polished. I asked to see a Nutting's Flycatcher and Carla begrudgingly pulled the drawer out and then said it was not very interesting. She would barely even let me look at it. Then she reluctantly pulled out a drawer of Hammond's Flycatchers that she also thought was boring. I said it was interesting to me. I wanted to look at one up close. The bills on all the Hammond's appeared very dark and I was intersted in that because earlier this year I found a juvenile Hammond's Flycatcher in San Francisco that had an all pale lower mandible. Although they are common in the mountains, Hammond's Flycatchers are rare in San Francisco County.
Next Carla pulled out a drawer full of multi-colored hummingbirds. I could not get over how tiny they were. Then Carla pulled out a drawer that could only hold two birds because they were two more Albatrosses, one a Short-tailed Albatross probably as close as I'll ever get to this nearly extinct bird. In addition to birds the museum houses other vertebrates including thousands of mammals. Before we left Carla took us down to the little shop of horrors where the bettles pick the bones clean. There were gruesome carcasses in various states of decomposition lying about and inside a tank bettles were working away on some poor critter.
What a privilege to be allowed a glimpse of this facility. Now I know how Sibley and Audubon were able to paint some of the rarer birds with such exquisite detail.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Monday, December 18, 2006
THE MAGNIFICENT MENDOCINO COAST: 12/16-17, 2006
I have lived in California 18 years but never visited the famed Mendocino Coast. I picked a good weekend; it was sunny but being winter few visitors. It takes about three hours to drive from my home in San Francisco to Fort Bragg. I took Highway 101 north to highway 128 which winds along through oak woodlands before entering a redwood grove and then opening up to the coast where the Navarro River pours into the Pacific Ocean and up Highway 1. I stopped at the beach side of Van Damme State Park and checked a small gull flock but only saw GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, MEW GULL, CALIFORNIA GULL, and WESTERN GULL. There was one CANADA GOOSE, PELAGIC CORMORANT, and RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS in the ocean. Behind me in the trees I heard a NUTTALL'S WOODPECKER calling. I continued up the coast to Russian Gulch State Park, a part of Mendocino Headlands State Park. I walked a trail along the coast to the "Blow Hole" which was not blowing because the tide wasn't high enough. But I was the only person to behold this wondrous and magnificent coastline. I saw another RED-BREASTED MERGANSER in the ocean and one lone PIGEON GUILLEMOT flew by. Along the trail I saw TOWNSEND'S WARBLER, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, FOX SPARROW, SONG SPARROW, STELLER'S JAY, AMERICAN ROBIN, CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, and one HERMIT THRUSH. I started up the trail to the waterfall but turned back when I realized there was insufficient time. I continued up Highway 1 and stopped at Caspar Pond the the small town of Caspar. There were some domestic geese, MALLARD, BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, TRI-COLORED BLACKBIRD, BREWER'S BLACKBIRD, GREAT BLUE HERON, KILLDEER, and WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS.
Next I came to the small town of Fort Bragg where I stopped at Glass Beach. It was getting late in the afternoon and the wind was picking up significant speed. I walked to the point and scoped the ocean and found three HARLEQUIN DUCKS. There were also some BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS and RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS in the ocean but the wind was too intense. Along the trail to the overlook were WESTERN MEADOWLARKS, GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS, and one NORTHERN HARRIER.
For my last stop I turned down Ward Avenue driving to a coastal access. I parked the car and walked down to the beach with my scope. The wind was blowing easily 35-40 MPH by this point. It was very difficult to stand up in the fierce wind. I inspected every single nook and cranny, every little flock of BLACK TURNSTONES and SURFBIRDS and SANDERLINGS but nothing rare revealed itself to me. Finally when the sun got low and the wind became too much I left the beach to find a hotel for the evening. I found some flea bag place on the beach with an ocean view. The room smelled bad so I opened the sliding glass window and watched the ocean darken.
Sunday, December 17. I got up and left so early that it was still dark out when I got back to Ward Avenue. High tide was at 8:00 AM and I wanted to be there for it. I walked the beach north until it was light enough to see and then took my scope and walked as far south as the rocks would allow, again inspecting every single BLACK-BELLLIED PLOVER, Black Turnstone and Surfbird but still nothing unusual. The tide was crashing all around the rocks and the sky was orange and black as the sun came up in the east. The only additional bird I could see in the huge crashing waves was a SURF SCOTER. I returned to my car and drove to the entrance to MacKerricher State Park. I checked Cleone Pond but it was mostly American Coots and a few RING-NECKED DUCKS. Then I took the boardwalk out to Laguna Point with my scope in hand. There were some BROWN PELICANS, WHIMBRELS, more SURFBIRDS, and BLACK TURNSTONES. But nothing rare and I was just about to give up when there it was one lone ROCK SANDPIPER clinging to the rocks with its little beak tucked under its arm pit-- my first official ROCK SANDPIPER! I walked out on the rocks as far as I dared and got some photos (posted to my web site www.mdbrodie.com) and some video. Laguna Point is inspiring and it was hard to tear myself away but after I had had my fill of the huge crashing waves, the gorgeous rocky coast, and the many shorebirds regaling its rocks I headed back to the car. I took the trail around Lake Cleone and saw three ACORN WOODPECKERS, one SPOTTED TOWHEE, and a HORNED GREBE and WESTERN GREBE in the lake.
I pulled out of MacKerricher State Park and drove south on Highway 1, Shoreline Highway, stopping again at Van Damme to check the gull flock. I found a Glaucous-winged x Western Gull hybrid and a first year THAYER'S GULL, and one RING-BILLED GULL. Then I continued south on 101 stopping at Navarro River State Beach where I expected to see more gulls; there were only a few flying out over the ocean. Again the waves were gigantic and I was unable to scope the ocean for seafaring birds. The only additional birds I saw here were COMMON GOLDENEYE and BUFFLEHEAD in the river mouth. I continued down 101 stopping at Greenwood State Beach to take some pictures of this picturesque coastline. I continued down Highway 1 all the way to Point Arena stopping to check Miner Hole Road. I took it to the end and parked where a chain was pulled across the dirt road. As soon as I got out of my car I noticed a warbler and was thrilled to find a PALM WARBLER. It was out in the open and I was able to get some pictures and video of it. I looked up to see a PEREGRINE FALCON flying overhead as well as a NORTHERN HARRIER. There was also a HUTTON'S VIREO in the willow trees. I walked down the road to where it connects to the road to the Lighthouse but only saw one SAVANNAH SPARROW. I continued down 101 to the Point Arena Pier where I hoped to see Al the Laysan Albatross that has returned to this spot for 17 straight years. I stood out on the pier for an hour but she never made an appearance. I wasn't too disappointed as I have seen one once before at Monterery Bay but I felt bad for the poor guy who had driven down from Montana. I walked back to the car sad to leave this special place that left my heart full of pride and the joy of knowing how lucky I am to live here. I turned out of the Point Arena Pier parking lot heading south thinking there must be an outlet back to Highway 101 from Highway 1. If there is one I never saw it and ended up driving all the way south on winding narrow Highway 1 south from Point Arena to Bodega Bay before turning inland to Petaluma and back to Highway 101 to San Francisco. I watched the sun set over the Pacific Ocean as I drove the magnificent Pacific Coast home to my city by the bay.
Next I came to the small town of Fort Bragg where I stopped at Glass Beach. It was getting late in the afternoon and the wind was picking up significant speed. I walked to the point and scoped the ocean and found three HARLEQUIN DUCKS. There were also some BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS and RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS in the ocean but the wind was too intense. Along the trail to the overlook were WESTERN MEADOWLARKS, GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS, and one NORTHERN HARRIER.
For my last stop I turned down Ward Avenue driving to a coastal access. I parked the car and walked down to the beach with my scope. The wind was blowing easily 35-40 MPH by this point. It was very difficult to stand up in the fierce wind. I inspected every single nook and cranny, every little flock of BLACK TURNSTONES and SURFBIRDS and SANDERLINGS but nothing rare revealed itself to me. Finally when the sun got low and the wind became too much I left the beach to find a hotel for the evening. I found some flea bag place on the beach with an ocean view. The room smelled bad so I opened the sliding glass window and watched the ocean darken.
Sunday, December 17. I got up and left so early that it was still dark out when I got back to Ward Avenue. High tide was at 8:00 AM and I wanted to be there for it. I walked the beach north until it was light enough to see and then took my scope and walked as far south as the rocks would allow, again inspecting every single BLACK-BELLLIED PLOVER, Black Turnstone and Surfbird but still nothing unusual. The tide was crashing all around the rocks and the sky was orange and black as the sun came up in the east. The only additional bird I could see in the huge crashing waves was a SURF SCOTER. I returned to my car and drove to the entrance to MacKerricher State Park. I checked Cleone Pond but it was mostly American Coots and a few RING-NECKED DUCKS. Then I took the boardwalk out to Laguna Point with my scope in hand. There were some BROWN PELICANS, WHIMBRELS, more SURFBIRDS, and BLACK TURNSTONES. But nothing rare and I was just about to give up when there it was one lone ROCK SANDPIPER clinging to the rocks with its little beak tucked under its arm pit-- my first official ROCK SANDPIPER! I walked out on the rocks as far as I dared and got some photos (posted to my web site www.mdbrodie.com) and some video. Laguna Point is inspiring and it was hard to tear myself away but after I had had my fill of the huge crashing waves, the gorgeous rocky coast, and the many shorebirds regaling its rocks I headed back to the car. I took the trail around Lake Cleone and saw three ACORN WOODPECKERS, one SPOTTED TOWHEE, and a HORNED GREBE and WESTERN GREBE in the lake.
I pulled out of MacKerricher State Park and drove south on Highway 1, Shoreline Highway, stopping again at Van Damme to check the gull flock. I found a Glaucous-winged x Western Gull hybrid and a first year THAYER'S GULL, and one RING-BILLED GULL. Then I continued south on 101 stopping at Navarro River State Beach where I expected to see more gulls; there were only a few flying out over the ocean. Again the waves were gigantic and I was unable to scope the ocean for seafaring birds. The only additional birds I saw here were COMMON GOLDENEYE and BUFFLEHEAD in the river mouth. I continued down 101 stopping at Greenwood State Beach to take some pictures of this picturesque coastline. I continued down Highway 1 all the way to Point Arena stopping to check Miner Hole Road. I took it to the end and parked where a chain was pulled across the dirt road. As soon as I got out of my car I noticed a warbler and was thrilled to find a PALM WARBLER. It was out in the open and I was able to get some pictures and video of it. I looked up to see a PEREGRINE FALCON flying overhead as well as a NORTHERN HARRIER. There was also a HUTTON'S VIREO in the willow trees. I walked down the road to where it connects to the road to the Lighthouse but only saw one SAVANNAH SPARROW. I continued down 101 to the Point Arena Pier where I hoped to see Al the Laysan Albatross that has returned to this spot for 17 straight years. I stood out on the pier for an hour but she never made an appearance. I wasn't too disappointed as I have seen one once before at Monterery Bay but I felt bad for the poor guy who had driven down from Montana. I walked back to the car sad to leave this special place that left my heart full of pride and the joy of knowing how lucky I am to live here. I turned out of the Point Arena Pier parking lot heading south thinking there must be an outlet back to Highway 101 from Highway 1. If there is one I never saw it and ended up driving all the way south on winding narrow Highway 1 south from Point Arena to Bodega Bay before turning inland to Petaluma and back to Highway 101 to San Francisco. I watched the sun set over the Pacific Ocean as I drove the magnificent Pacific Coast home to my city by the bay.
Shorebirds and Gulls: December 9,10, 15, 2006
Saturday, December 9, 2006, I had no real plans as it was supposed to rain all weekend and our plans for Fort Bragg had been scrapped. So I headed down Highway 101 to the Sam Trans Station, it being close to my house. I had not even checked a tide chart and just stumbled onto low tide for the first time. The channel was full of shorebirds. I scanned the flock with my scope and saw AMERICAN AVOCET, BLACK-NECKED STILT, WESTERN SANDPIPER, LEAST SANDPIPER, WILLET, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, SANDERLING, DUNLIN, and something else odd and unidentifiable. I studied it in my scope; it had a relatively short black bill, an obvious white supercilium, yellow legs, and streaking on the breast that ended ubruptly at the chest in a point. It was a late PECTORAL SANDPIPER. I ran back to my car to retrieve my National Geographic but could not relocate the bird when I returned. The tide was starting to come in and the shorebirds began to fly in huge flocks out into the Bay. There were many ducks in the bay: GREEN-WINGED TEAL, RUDDY DUCK, GREATER SCAUP, LESSER SCAUP, BUFFLEHEAD, NORTHERN SHOVELER, CANVASBACK, and three BLUE-WINGED TEAL. As I walked along the trail I also found LONG-BILLED CURLEW, GREAT BLUE HERON, WHIMBREL, and MARBLED GODWIT. I saw MEW GULL, RING-BILLED GULL, and WESTERN GULL, and a few FORSTER'S TERN. Back near the parking lot was the usual flock of CANADA GEESE and all along the trail were many YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS, GOLDEN CROWNED SPARROWS, at least one LINCOLN'S SPARROW, one CLARK'S GREBE in the Bay, a few BROWN PELICANS, and one COMMON YELLOWTHROAT.
Next I went down to the Ravenswood section of San Francisco Bay NWR where there was a large flock of DUNLIN and WESTERN SANDPIPER. I also saw two AMERICAN PIPITS, a few SAVANNAH SPARROWS, one COMMON GOLDENEYE, one NORTHERN HARRIER, TURKEY VULTURE, COMMON RAVEN, FORSTER'S TERN, GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, and a few SEMI-PALMATED PLOVERS. I also stopped by the La Riviera Marsh and Visitor Center but there was little activity except a flock of CEDAR WAXWINGS, one CALIFORNIA TOWHEE, WESTERN SCRUB JAY, NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD, two WHITE-TAILED KITES, RED-TAILED HAWK, GREAT EGRET,and one LINCOLN'S SPARROW.
I proceeded down to Redwood City stopping by the pond behind the Nob Hill Supermarket where the EURASIAN WIGEON was still about along with the usual assortment of GREEN-WINGED TEAL, CANVASBACK, NORTHERN SHOVELER, AMERICAN WIGEON, and WILLETS, and DOWITCHERS.
On the way back home I stopped at Candlestick Point but the tide had come up and not much was there besides GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, WESTERN GULL, WILLET, SPOTTED SANDPIPER, SANDERLING, GREAT EGRET, SNOWY EGRET, and SURF SCOTER.
On Sunday, we got up early and headed down to Half Moon Bay to Redondo Beach. It was raining steadily and the wind was blowing making scoping the rocks below extremely difficult. There were many SURFBIRDS, BLACK TURNSTONES, and one WANDERING TATTLER. The wind was too intense so I scrambled down a slope to the beach. The tide was coming up fast so I couldn't stay long as there was no outlet save the cliff. But I stayed long enough to just make out one ROCK SANDPIPER in the rocks with the Surfbirds,Turnstones BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, and SANDERLINGS. I only saw it for a few seconds and so did not add it to my life list. The rain stopped and the wind died down but the tide was getting uncomfortably close to me so I scrambled back up the steep hill to the car. In the field above the sea cliff were AMERICAN KESTREL, RED-TAILED HAWK, and RED-SHOULDERED HAWK.
We made a last stop at Sam Trans Station but it was high tide again and not many shorebirds. We only saw one NORTHERN HARRIER, EARED GREBE, CLARK'S GREBE, DUNLIN, and a few peeps.
On December 15, 2006 after getting off work early I drove down to Redwood City to follow up on a report of a Tufted Duck. I parked in the area where the bird had been reported, a big lagoon behind The Shores Private Community. I did not know it was private property until I arrived. I felt very uncomfortable as it was posted "no trespassing" everywhere. The lagoon was full of ducks which I scanned with my scope but did not see the sought after duck, only CANVASBACK, MALLARD, COMMON GOLDENEYE, BUFFLEHEAD, RUDDY DUCK, SCAUP, SURF SCOTER, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, FORSTER'S TERN, AMERICAN CROW, RING-BILLED GULL, SPOTTED SANDPIPER, AMERICAN COOT, and one GREATER YELLOWLEGS. In the trees were ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD and YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER. I drove to the end of Redwood Shores to Radio Road and scoped the pond where I found five BLUE-WINGED TEAL, CINNAMON TEAL, AMERICAN AVOCET, BLACK-NECKED STILT, NORTHERN SHOVELER, NORTHERN PINTAIL, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, AMERICAN WIGEON, and one HOODED MERGANSER. I also saw RING-BILLED GULL, FORSTER'S TERN, LEAST SANDPIPER, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, DOWITCHERS, LONG-BILLED CURLEW, GREAT BLUE HERON, and SNOWY EGRET.
I checked Nob Hill Pond and was surprised to see four GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, the same EURASIAN WIGEON from previous visits, EARED GREBE, BUSHTITS, BLACK PHOEBE, GREAT EGRET, AMERICAN WIGEON, CANVASBACK, NORTHERN PINTAIL, and DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT.
For my last stop I tried the Sam Trans Station again. It was 3;30 PM when I arrived and getting cooler. I should have brought gloves as my hands became quite cold as I walked around the paved trail around the Bay. It was low tide but the birds were getting ready to roost for the evening. I heard SORA calling from the marsh as well as CLAPPER RAIL and saw one COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, DUNLIN, CALFORNIA GULL, RING-BILLED GULL, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, CANADA GOOSE, WHIMBREL, MARBLED GODWIT, WESTERN GULL, GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, DOWITCHERS, and WESTERN SANDPIPER. Then I retreated to my car to warm my hands.
Next I went down to the Ravenswood section of San Francisco Bay NWR where there was a large flock of DUNLIN and WESTERN SANDPIPER. I also saw two AMERICAN PIPITS, a few SAVANNAH SPARROWS, one COMMON GOLDENEYE, one NORTHERN HARRIER, TURKEY VULTURE, COMMON RAVEN, FORSTER'S TERN, GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, and a few SEMI-PALMATED PLOVERS. I also stopped by the La Riviera Marsh and Visitor Center but there was little activity except a flock of CEDAR WAXWINGS, one CALIFORNIA TOWHEE, WESTERN SCRUB JAY, NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD, two WHITE-TAILED KITES, RED-TAILED HAWK, GREAT EGRET,and one LINCOLN'S SPARROW.
I proceeded down to Redwood City stopping by the pond behind the Nob Hill Supermarket where the EURASIAN WIGEON was still about along with the usual assortment of GREEN-WINGED TEAL, CANVASBACK, NORTHERN SHOVELER, AMERICAN WIGEON, and WILLETS, and DOWITCHERS.
On the way back home I stopped at Candlestick Point but the tide had come up and not much was there besides GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, WESTERN GULL, WILLET, SPOTTED SANDPIPER, SANDERLING, GREAT EGRET, SNOWY EGRET, and SURF SCOTER.
On Sunday, we got up early and headed down to Half Moon Bay to Redondo Beach. It was raining steadily and the wind was blowing making scoping the rocks below extremely difficult. There were many SURFBIRDS, BLACK TURNSTONES, and one WANDERING TATTLER. The wind was too intense so I scrambled down a slope to the beach. The tide was coming up fast so I couldn't stay long as there was no outlet save the cliff. But I stayed long enough to just make out one ROCK SANDPIPER in the rocks with the Surfbirds,Turnstones BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, and SANDERLINGS. I only saw it for a few seconds and so did not add it to my life list. The rain stopped and the wind died down but the tide was getting uncomfortably close to me so I scrambled back up the steep hill to the car. In the field above the sea cliff were AMERICAN KESTREL, RED-TAILED HAWK, and RED-SHOULDERED HAWK.
We made a last stop at Sam Trans Station but it was high tide again and not many shorebirds. We only saw one NORTHERN HARRIER, EARED GREBE, CLARK'S GREBE, DUNLIN, and a few peeps.
On December 15, 2006 after getting off work early I drove down to Redwood City to follow up on a report of a Tufted Duck. I parked in the area where the bird had been reported, a big lagoon behind The Shores Private Community. I did not know it was private property until I arrived. I felt very uncomfortable as it was posted "no trespassing" everywhere. The lagoon was full of ducks which I scanned with my scope but did not see the sought after duck, only CANVASBACK, MALLARD, COMMON GOLDENEYE, BUFFLEHEAD, RUDDY DUCK, SCAUP, SURF SCOTER, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, FORSTER'S TERN, AMERICAN CROW, RING-BILLED GULL, SPOTTED SANDPIPER, AMERICAN COOT, and one GREATER YELLOWLEGS. In the trees were ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD and YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER. I drove to the end of Redwood Shores to Radio Road and scoped the pond where I found five BLUE-WINGED TEAL, CINNAMON TEAL, AMERICAN AVOCET, BLACK-NECKED STILT, NORTHERN SHOVELER, NORTHERN PINTAIL, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, AMERICAN WIGEON, and one HOODED MERGANSER. I also saw RING-BILLED GULL, FORSTER'S TERN, LEAST SANDPIPER, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, DOWITCHERS, LONG-BILLED CURLEW, GREAT BLUE HERON, and SNOWY EGRET.
I checked Nob Hill Pond and was surprised to see four GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, the same EURASIAN WIGEON from previous visits, EARED GREBE, BUSHTITS, BLACK PHOEBE, GREAT EGRET, AMERICAN WIGEON, CANVASBACK, NORTHERN PINTAIL, and DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT.
For my last stop I tried the Sam Trans Station again. It was 3;30 PM when I arrived and getting cooler. I should have brought gloves as my hands became quite cold as I walked around the paved trail around the Bay. It was low tide but the birds were getting ready to roost for the evening. I heard SORA calling from the marsh as well as CLAPPER RAIL and saw one COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, DUNLIN, CALFORNIA GULL, RING-BILLED GULL, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, CANADA GOOSE, WHIMBREL, MARBLED GODWIT, WESTERN GULL, GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, DOWITCHERS, and WESTERN SANDPIPER. Then I retreated to my car to warm my hands.
Friday, December 08, 2006
San Mateo Coast: December 8, 2006
I thought I could get some birding in before the storm descended but even as I arrived at Pigeon Point at 8:00 AM the wind was easily 35 MPH. I stood out on the viewing platform with my scope but was uanble to even look south due to the intense wind coming from the southeast. Even when I tried to scope looking north I could barely keep my scope steady. I was only able to tolerate these conditions about 30 minutes. The sea was very turbulent and the waves were crashing up near to the platform when I finally gave in and fled for my car. My hands were stiff with cold. I managed to see on ANCIENT MURRELET flying past. I would have never seen it sitting on the water with the huge waves and turbulence. The birds were struggling to fly in the intense wind and were mostly flying north. I saw one BLACK OYSTERCATCHER, one COMMON MURRE, and many BROWN PELICANS and BRANDT'S CORMORANTS. Before leaving I checked the cove and saw six RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS.
I decided to head back north toward San Francisco and stopped at Pescadero Marsh. It was impossible to see anything in the sea so I walked down underneath the bridge to the marsh. This is the bridge where I saw my first Yellow-billed Loon last month. While looking through some photos to post on my web site, I found one I had taken on November 10, 2006, some nine days before Francis Toldi reported the Yellow-billed Loon. I am chagrinned to admit that it was the same bird, the Yellow-billed Loon and I had passed it off as some strange looking Red-throated Loon (it was the only one in the book with a yellow bill: I had not even contemplated Yellow-billed Loon). I vow to study all birds more thoroughly from now on. There wasn't much in the marsh, BUFFLEHEAD, SURF SCOTER, NORTHERN SHOVLER,GREEN-WINGED TEAL, CINNAMON TEAL, GREAT BLUE HERON, SNOWY EGRET, AMERICAN WIGEON, RUDDY DUCK, and NORTHERN PINTAIL. There was one TURKEY VULTURE circling.
I continued heading north along the coast next stopping at Pomponio State Beach where there was a lone HERRING GULL on the beach with a BROWN PELICAN. Hawking over the grass were NORTHERN HARRIER, WHITE-TAILED KITE, and AMERICAN KESTREL.
Next stop was Venice State Beach. There were thousands of gulls on the beach, mostly GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, WESTERN GULL, and CALIFORNIA GULL. I saw two adult THAYER'S GULLS and a few GLAUCOUS-WINGED X WESTERN GULL hybrids. There were two adult HEERMAN'S GULLS and one or two HERRING GULLS but no unusual gulls that I could find before I had to leave. Some enormously obese guy on a bicycle introduced himself and told me that there was an expert birder at the other end of the beach. I walked down there and it was Al Jaramillo pushing a baby carriage. He showed me a picture of a possible Slaty-backed but it didn't have the string of pearls. He didn't know what it was. If Al Jaramillo didn't know what it was then I don't know who could identify it. The fat man rode up on his bike and started saying the most ridiculous things such as the best optics are 16x50 binoculars. Al just said "oh really." Then fat man said to Al (I clearly was not important enough to question) do you like image stabilization binoculars? Al was very polite but it was obvious that nothing would be accomplished as long as this moron was present. So I left poor Al with fatso. As I was walking back to the car a RED-TAILED HAWK let me get within five feet of it. I think it was having a hard time flying in the strong wind. I got some good photos of it.
I decided to head back north toward San Francisco and stopped at Pescadero Marsh. It was impossible to see anything in the sea so I walked down underneath the bridge to the marsh. This is the bridge where I saw my first Yellow-billed Loon last month. While looking through some photos to post on my web site, I found one I had taken on November 10, 2006, some nine days before Francis Toldi reported the Yellow-billed Loon. I am chagrinned to admit that it was the same bird, the Yellow-billed Loon and I had passed it off as some strange looking Red-throated Loon (it was the only one in the book with a yellow bill: I had not even contemplated Yellow-billed Loon). I vow to study all birds more thoroughly from now on. There wasn't much in the marsh, BUFFLEHEAD, SURF SCOTER, NORTHERN SHOVLER,GREEN-WINGED TEAL, CINNAMON TEAL, GREAT BLUE HERON, SNOWY EGRET, AMERICAN WIGEON, RUDDY DUCK, and NORTHERN PINTAIL. There was one TURKEY VULTURE circling.
I continued heading north along the coast next stopping at Pomponio State Beach where there was a lone HERRING GULL on the beach with a BROWN PELICAN. Hawking over the grass were NORTHERN HARRIER, WHITE-TAILED KITE, and AMERICAN KESTREL.
Next stop was Venice State Beach. There were thousands of gulls on the beach, mostly GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, WESTERN GULL, and CALIFORNIA GULL. I saw two adult THAYER'S GULLS and a few GLAUCOUS-WINGED X WESTERN GULL hybrids. There were two adult HEERMAN'S GULLS and one or two HERRING GULLS but no unusual gulls that I could find before I had to leave. Some enormously obese guy on a bicycle introduced himself and told me that there was an expert birder at the other end of the beach. I walked down there and it was Al Jaramillo pushing a baby carriage. He showed me a picture of a possible Slaty-backed but it didn't have the string of pearls. He didn't know what it was. If Al Jaramillo didn't know what it was then I don't know who could identify it. The fat man rode up on his bike and started saying the most ridiculous things such as the best optics are 16x50 binoculars. Al just said "oh really." Then fat man said to Al (I clearly was not important enough to question) do you like image stabilization binoculars? Al was very polite but it was obvious that nothing would be accomplished as long as this moron was present. So I left poor Al with fatso. As I was walking back to the car a RED-TAILED HAWK let me get within five feet of it. I think it was having a hard time flying in the strong wind. I got some good photos of it.
Monday, December 04, 2006
Ravenswood Rails: December 4, 2006
My original plan for Monday, the last day of my four day high tide quest for rails, was to drive up to Waldo's Dyke in Pt. Reyes National Seashore, a reliable place for Black Rails during extreme high tides. The tide forcast for Pt. Reyes Monday was the same as Sunday, 6.3 feet, not very high. Also other birders had reported seeing no Black Rails on Sunday at Waldo. So I decided against it and chose to return to Ravenswood again hoping and praying the whole time that the PG&E workers would not be there. Hallelujah! I arrived around 9:15 AM and I was the only person present-- my favorite kind of birding. High tide was 10:47 AM and was to be a huge 10.4 feet same as Sunday. While waiting for the tide to roll in I took a bike path on the south side of Ravenswood. I had not noticed this path the two previous days, probably due to the workers' truck blocking it from my view. I walked it south until it came to a trail intersection with a trail into Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. I looked further south with my binoculars and could see that it went all the way to the bridge we had crossed as the sun was setting on our San Mateo County Big Day. I did not realize that the two were connected.
There were not many birds of interest on this section, just WESTERN MEADOWLARK, WHITE-CROWNED and GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS and MOURNING DOVES. I heard a LINCOLN'S SPARROW give its buzz. I walked back to the marsh and looked into the tule reeds and there was that same CLAPPER RAIL and SORA I had seen on that same clump yesterday right out in the open. The SORA was pumping its tail again. It has white undertail coverts which were very visible when it pumped. They stayed out in the open all the way until absolute high tide. As I was standing looking into the marsh a VIRGINIA RAIL flew into another clump of reeds, a new rail for my total count. There were pretty much the same ducks as the previous days, PINTAILS, SHOVELERS, MALLARDS, WIGEONS, CANVASBACKS and one or two CINNAMON TEALS. The same large row of WILLETS sat on one of the PG&E boardwalks way out in the marsh. A WHITE-TAILED KITE sat perched on a pylon in the Bay and a RED-TAILED HAWK circled overhead. A lonely BLACK-NECKED STILT flew overhead. As the tide came in I decided to try the PG&E boardwalk into the Baylands Nature Preserve. I was nervous because I always think of the story my friend, Ken Archimbault, told me about falling into Tomales Bay after everyone left from looking for rails. It is a rickety boardwalk just barely above the high tide mark. I started out into the pickleweed and almost immediately I could see a CLAPPER RAIL on the boardwalk about 20 yards ahead. I pulled out my camera to get some video and continued to walk toward it to get a better view. As I walked further down the boardwalk, I flushed another CLAPPER RAIL. This one had been right under the boardwalk and it was furious. I have never heard the vocalizations this bird was making. It scared me. I walked on and then a distinctly black small rail with a slightly charcoal gray trailing edge to the wing flew up and away. I just barely had time to get my bins on it and identify it clearly as my first ever, BLACK RAIL! I saw two more CLAPPER RAILS but never could refind the Black Rail. I walked up and down the boardwalk three more times and saw many COMMON YELLOWTHROATS and MARSH WRENS but no Black Rail. I filmed the CLAPPER RAILS and searched and searched the pickleweed but could only find SONG SPARROWS and MARSH WRENS. When the tide started to turn and lunch time approached I decided to return to the Ravenswood Marsh. RING-BILLED GULLS had begun to circle the PG&E Marsh (Baylands). A flock of CANADA GEESE flew overhead as I returned to the Ravenswood Marsh. I had my lunch on a bench facing Ravenswood and the Dumbarton Bridge in the distance. It was a bright sunny day, about 67 degrees, perfect weather and not a sole in sight, just tons of ducks, and rails crawling around unseen in the mysterious marsh. I can't wait to come back again.
There were not many birds of interest on this section, just WESTERN MEADOWLARK, WHITE-CROWNED and GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS and MOURNING DOVES. I heard a LINCOLN'S SPARROW give its buzz. I walked back to the marsh and looked into the tule reeds and there was that same CLAPPER RAIL and SORA I had seen on that same clump yesterday right out in the open. The SORA was pumping its tail again. It has white undertail coverts which were very visible when it pumped. They stayed out in the open all the way until absolute high tide. As I was standing looking into the marsh a VIRGINIA RAIL flew into another clump of reeds, a new rail for my total count. There were pretty much the same ducks as the previous days, PINTAILS, SHOVELERS, MALLARDS, WIGEONS, CANVASBACKS and one or two CINNAMON TEALS. The same large row of WILLETS sat on one of the PG&E boardwalks way out in the marsh. A WHITE-TAILED KITE sat perched on a pylon in the Bay and a RED-TAILED HAWK circled overhead. A lonely BLACK-NECKED STILT flew overhead. As the tide came in I decided to try the PG&E boardwalk into the Baylands Nature Preserve. I was nervous because I always think of the story my friend, Ken Archimbault, told me about falling into Tomales Bay after everyone left from looking for rails. It is a rickety boardwalk just barely above the high tide mark. I started out into the pickleweed and almost immediately I could see a CLAPPER RAIL on the boardwalk about 20 yards ahead. I pulled out my camera to get some video and continued to walk toward it to get a better view. As I walked further down the boardwalk, I flushed another CLAPPER RAIL. This one had been right under the boardwalk and it was furious. I have never heard the vocalizations this bird was making. It scared me. I walked on and then a distinctly black small rail with a slightly charcoal gray trailing edge to the wing flew up and away. I just barely had time to get my bins on it and identify it clearly as my first ever, BLACK RAIL! I saw two more CLAPPER RAILS but never could refind the Black Rail. I walked up and down the boardwalk three more times and saw many COMMON YELLOWTHROATS and MARSH WRENS but no Black Rail. I filmed the CLAPPER RAILS and searched and searched the pickleweed but could only find SONG SPARROWS and MARSH WRENS. When the tide started to turn and lunch time approached I decided to return to the Ravenswood Marsh. RING-BILLED GULLS had begun to circle the PG&E Marsh (Baylands). A flock of CANADA GEESE flew overhead as I returned to the Ravenswood Marsh. I had my lunch on a bench facing Ravenswood and the Dumbarton Bridge in the distance. It was a bright sunny day, about 67 degrees, perfect weather and not a sole in sight, just tons of ducks, and rails crawling around unseen in the mysterious marsh. I can't wait to come back again.
In Search of the Holy Rail: December 3, 2006
Sunday morning I didn't feel like getting up but I dragged myself up early and drove down to Ravenswood Open Space Preserve again to look for Black Rails. As Bay Road ended in dirt I could see that the burly PG&E workers were back again on a Sunday! Oh no. After they moved their big trucks so I could get to the parking area I parked my car and got out cursing to myself. They were so loud and they were working exactly where I had planned to use their boardwalk under the power towers to get out into the marsh opposite Ravenswood (Baylands Natural Preserve) at high tide. Well, there was no chance of that as long as they stayed working on the towers. I walked around the Ravenswood Marsh hoping and hoping they would leave. The tide began to rise but it was obvious they were there to stay and I had no chance. I left and went to the other section of Ravenswood Open Space Preserve that is just south of the Dumbarton Bridge. I did not realize that this Ravenswood is part of the regional park, Ravenswood OSP, and not the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay NWR, which is also called Ravenswood and is on the north side of the Dumbarton Bridge and currently closed for hunting season.
I walked this section of Ravenswood OSP on a dyke along the edge of they Bay on one side and a salt evaporation pond on the other. Lots of BLACK-NECKED STILTS were in the evaporation side. But not much else. As the tide rose it flooded the pickleweed and came close the dyke but it was obvious there were no rails here. The trail goes as far as the Hetch Hetchy aquaduct which carries our drinking water from high in the Sierra Nevada in Yosemite National Park and nearly reaches the other end of the section of Ravenswood where the PG&E workers were but not quite. There is no trail between the two sections. The tide drove lots of LEAST and WESTERN SANDPIPERS, SAVANNAH SPARROWS and DUNLINS up on the dyke and there were some HORNED GREBES in the Bay but that was about it. There were two NORTHERN HARRIERS hawking for food. I went as far as allowed, looked shockingly at the decrepit pipes that carry my pristine drinking water, and walked back to my car parked beneath the Dumbarton Bridge.
I decided I might as well spend the rest of the time at Ravenswood OSP that is across from Baylands sine I at lesat knew it had Clapper Rails. Indeed when I got back after waiting patiently for the tide to rise I saw a CLAPPER RAIL out in the open along with a SORA. Some more Clapper Rails called from the Baylands side but there was no chance to look for those. As I sat on a viewing platform looking into the marsh the workers took a break and one of them thought he was so funny to yell out where's my gun. Why is that all red necks in all states have a southern accent?
An OSPREY flew over and a MERLIN dive bombed some ducks. There were some DOWITCHERS too far out to identify to species and the only other addition to yesterday's birds was one COMMON GOLDENEYE. When the tide began to recede and the PG&E workers were still there I decided to concede. As I was leaving the marsh a dark brown bird that appeared to be some kind of rail flew out of the grindelia and into the tule reeds and disappeared from sight. It may have been the long sought after Black Rail but was too ambiguous to say for certain.
Later in the day I stopped by Candelstick Point SRA in San Francisco County but the sun was too low and there wasn't much to look at (Black Rails were extirpated from SF long ago). About the only thing intersting here was COMMON GOLDENEYE, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, BUFFLEHEAD, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, MEW GULL, and GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL. I would have to continue the rail quest on Monday.
I walked this section of Ravenswood OSP on a dyke along the edge of they Bay on one side and a salt evaporation pond on the other. Lots of BLACK-NECKED STILTS were in the evaporation side. But not much else. As the tide rose it flooded the pickleweed and came close the dyke but it was obvious there were no rails here. The trail goes as far as the Hetch Hetchy aquaduct which carries our drinking water from high in the Sierra Nevada in Yosemite National Park and nearly reaches the other end of the section of Ravenswood where the PG&E workers were but not quite. There is no trail between the two sections. The tide drove lots of LEAST and WESTERN SANDPIPERS, SAVANNAH SPARROWS and DUNLINS up on the dyke and there were some HORNED GREBES in the Bay but that was about it. There were two NORTHERN HARRIERS hawking for food. I went as far as allowed, looked shockingly at the decrepit pipes that carry my pristine drinking water, and walked back to my car parked beneath the Dumbarton Bridge.
I decided I might as well spend the rest of the time at Ravenswood OSP that is across from Baylands sine I at lesat knew it had Clapper Rails. Indeed when I got back after waiting patiently for the tide to rise I saw a CLAPPER RAIL out in the open along with a SORA. Some more Clapper Rails called from the Baylands side but there was no chance to look for those. As I sat on a viewing platform looking into the marsh the workers took a break and one of them thought he was so funny to yell out where's my gun. Why is that all red necks in all states have a southern accent?
An OSPREY flew over and a MERLIN dive bombed some ducks. There were some DOWITCHERS too far out to identify to species and the only other addition to yesterday's birds was one COMMON GOLDENEYE. When the tide began to recede and the PG&E workers were still there I decided to concede. As I was leaving the marsh a dark brown bird that appeared to be some kind of rail flew out of the grindelia and into the tule reeds and disappeared from sight. It may have been the long sought after Black Rail but was too ambiguous to say for certain.
Later in the day I stopped by Candelstick Point SRA in San Francisco County but the sun was too low and there wasn't much to look at (Black Rails were extirpated from SF long ago). About the only thing intersting here was COMMON GOLDENEYE, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, BUFFLEHEAD, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, MEW GULL, and GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL. I would have to continue the rail quest on Monday.
Friday, December 01, 2006
AROUND THE BAY, December 1, 2006
This morning I drove down to the Ravenswood Section of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. This section is next to and under the Dumbarton Bridge which crosses the San Francisco Bay in Palo Alto. It was a fairly high tide today so my target was a Black Rail. It was quite noisy right next to the bridge but more importantly there was no marsh for a rail to hide in. There were some excellent mud flats where I saw hundreds of DUNLINS, a few SEMI-PALMATED PLOVERS, LEAST SANDPIPERS, a few WESTERN SANDPIPERS, one RUDDY TURNSTONE, DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, BLACK-NECK STILT, RING-BILLED GULL, WESTERN GULL, GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, and one THAYER'S GULL, first year. I walked along the edge of the Bay to a trail but was shocked to find it closed during hunting season, October 21 through January 28! I had no idea that hunting was allowed in this very urban setting. The trail would have taken me out on a levee to some marsh habitat with pickleweed where I would have had a better chance at seeing a rail. I desperately needed a restroom at that point so I didn't even chance walking the trail. I turned back to the car, saw some SONG SPARROWS and SAVANNAH SPARROWS and went immediately to Bayside Park on Marsh Road where I knew they would have a restroom. I didn't have a whole lot of time before work to look here and I wasn't even sure it was a good place for rails period. There were some GADWALLS, CANVASBACKS, NORTHERN PINTAILS, GREAT EGRET, SNOWY EGRET, ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, BUSHTITS, and BLACK PHOEBE. There was probably more to explore but I needed to start down Highway 101 toward downtown for work soon. I made one last stop at Bear Island in Redwood City but had insufficient time. There is a boardwalk over a marshy area there that looked promising but I didn't see or hear any rails there either. I added CANADA GOOSE, BELTED KINGFISHER, and GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW to my bird list for the day. Then it was time for work in downtown San Francisco. During lunch I stopped by Ferry Park without my binoculars. I was very surprised to see a VARIED THRUSH there. I also saw a HERMIT THRUSH, WINTER WREN, TOWNSEND'S WARBLER, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW, and WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW before it was time to get back to work. No rails but there is an even bigger tide tomorrow so I will try again then.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Thanksgiving in Utah November 23-26, 2006
Thanksgiving Day Susan and I drove straight from the Salt Lake City Airport to Antelope Island, Utah's premier birding location, only to find it closed. I was so disappointed. We turned around dejectedly and stopped briefly at the Bountiful Temple parking lot to follow up on a report of a Redpoll which we did not find. We only saw WESTERN SCRUB-JAY, DOWNY WOODPECKER, and NORTHERN FLICKER. We then drove to Farmington Bay Wildlife Management Area and took the auto tour. The first bird we encountered was an adult BALD EAGLE in a tree. We could not find our target bird, American Tree Sparrow at Egg Island, only two WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS, and one SONG SPARROW. In the ponds were hundreds of ducks: GREEN-WINGED TEAL, NORTHERN SHOVELER, MALLARD, NORTHERN PINTAIL, GADWALL, AMERICAN WIGEON, and GREATER SCAUP. We didn't know where to go next because we had intended to spend plenty of time exploring Antelope Island. So after consulting Birding Utah we decided on Utah Lake State Park (this book is bad, seriously out of date, with many wrong directions and I don't recommend it at all). We turned into a parking lot before the entrance to the state park for access to the Provo/Jordan River Parkway. This is a nice paved trail in a riparian habitat that is probably quite nice in spring. We came upon a covey of GAMBEL'S QUAIL, a couple of RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, AMERICAN COOTS, and an AMERICAN KESTREL and that was about it. We had our T-day lunch at a picnic table by the river, which was smoked salmon and avocado sandwiches and then headed down to Escalante where we planned to camp for the next three nights in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. It was dark when we arrived and there was only time to make our little Thanksgiving dinner of Annie's Pad Thai noodles with more smoked salmon and blueberry pie, make a fire, set up the tent, and then go off to bed under the starry, starry night.
Friday morning we drove Highway 12 through Boulder to the Burr Trail intending to hike Silver Falls Creek. Unfortunately things started to go terribly wrong at this point. First of all, I made the mistake of taking the first turn from the Burr Trail instead of the second one. The first one is 19 long miles on a poor dirt road with many deep dips before the turn off for Moody Road. We were so frustrated by the time we got to Moody Road that it was hard to see how we could even enjoy a hike here. Then to make matters worse the turn off for Silver Falls Creek was not marked. We thought it was the first intersection but after starting down it a bit we stopped when we realized our car (we had ordered an SUV from Avis but they gave us this incredibly inappropriate station wagon made by Ford with individual seats that wouldn't even fold down flat) was not high clearance and wouldn't make it. We parked and got out intending to just walk to the trailhead but we were not even sure it was the correct road. As we were debating whether to just start hiking a flock of about 100 PINYON JAYS flew by. We decided it wasn't the right road and turned back to Moody Road and took it as far as our little station wagon would go. Then we parked and just started walking not even knowing if we were on Silver Falls or what. It wasn't a particularly beautiful hike but we were glad just to be out of the car. The trail followed some creek which we later learned was Moody Creek. It had many piles of crumbly green rock in it that are probably indicators of the presence of uranium which is common in Utah. We hiked for about two hours and then decided to turn back in order not to be driving that horrible road after dark. On the way back we were surprised to see four RED-NAPED SAPSUCKERS in the tamarisks and cottonwoods. We drove back up Moody Road and took the turn that was only eight miles back to the Burr Trail. Still it is another 30 miles from there just to Boulder and obviously quite dark by the time we got back to our camp at Calf Creek Falls.
Saturday morning as we were leaving the campground we saw a WILD TURKEY. We drove to Hole-in-the-Rock Road, a good graded dirt road, to Harris Wash which is another well known hot birding spot in Utah. Our ridiculous station wagon couldn't make it all the way to the trail head so we parked and walked the rest of the way to the wash. Where we parked the car we found a huge flock of about 50 MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS and several CEDAR WAXWINGS. As we walked down to the wash we found more White-crowned Sparrows, quite a few DARK-EYED JUNCOS, AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES, AMERICAN ROBINS, and some BUSHTITS. Not long after we entered the wash we were so delighted to see an adult male NORTHERN GOSHAWK in the wash. When it saw us it flew up the wash and away before I could videotape it. However, it stayed slightly ahead of us all day during our entire hike and we saw it several more times after that. In the numerous cottonwoods and other trees growing along the wash there were many birds, including HAIRY WOODPECKER, DOWNY WOODPECKER, NORTHERN FLICKER, more WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS, SONG SPARROW, COMMON RAVEN, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER,and many SPOTTED TOWHEES. After a while we came to a fence that went all the way across the wash with a gate for hikers. The wash then narrowed up and the canyon walls became steeper. We were entering one of the gorgeous steep walled canyons of the Escalante that have made this area famous. Harris Wash goes all the way to the Escalante River and across the river there it goes up Silver Falls Creek but that was too far for a winter hike when there is so little day light. There was not too much water in the wash which was good because the walk required numerous stream crossings as it banked against the canyon walls in many places. As we walked along admiring the desert varnish streaked walls we flushed a WILSON'S SNIPE and again came upon the NORTHERN GOSHAWK. This time it perched in a tree just 20 yards away and I was able to film it. As we continued our hike the birds thinned out but the scenery intensified. Soon we came to a sort of gateway made out of two tall red rock walls just 20 feet apart. After our lunch we came upon the NORTHERN GOSHAWK again this time perched in a tree so close I was able to see its red eye. I got some excellent video of it. Then it was time to turn around and head back. Susan got a little ahead of me and I saw her looking at something in the wash with her binoculars. I looked and saw what looked like a Spotted Sandpiper but wait, no, it had a supercilium! Wow, a NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH! We were so surprised to find this bird in late November in Utah. Birding Utah shows no records of it after October. We watched it bobbing its tail and eating from the edge of the wash and filmed it for a while before it flew down the wash toward the fence area. On the way back to the car we found a HERMIT THRUSH and more MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS but nothing could compare to finding a Northern Waterthrush in Utah in November! We never saw a single person on this lovely hike. We returned to the car and then drove back to camp for another relaxing evening under the stars by our cozy camp fire.
Sunday morning we got up early; it was still dark out and were able to see Jupiter. After breakfast we broke camp and headed up Highway 12 to Highway 24. We took Highway 24, where we saw several BLACK-BILLED MAGPIES and some COMMON RAVENS feasting on a smashed raccoon, to Capitol Reef National Park. We parked at the Hickman Bridge Trailhead and then crossed the street and took the Cohab Canyon trail to the Frying Pan Trail to Cassidy Arch. This is a strenuous hike that goes up about 1200 feet in 4.5 miles to a pothole arch. At the arch we saw the first people we had encountered all weekend, two people who had taken the easy way from Grand Wash just 1.5 miles away. After snapping off a few pictures it was time to turn back. On the way back to the car we came across a couple of JUNIPER TITMOUSES and two CANYON WRENS. Those were about the only birds we saw on this trail but it's a fun trail with outstanding scenery. From Capitol Reef we drove straight through back to Utah State Park where I made one last desperate attempt at the Tree Sparrow which I did not find. The only new birds I found were one BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE and some RING-BILLED GULLS in the lake. After arranging our bags we had our dinner at the picnic area and then it was time to head home. It was so hard to leave this beautiful special place that captured my heart eleven years ago when I visited for the first time, so much that I have come back every year since at Thanksgiving to give thanks for this and all the special places we are so lucky to have to enjoy. It was time to go back home to the traffic, the noise, the pollution, the trash, the crime, the filth, and all the problems that go along with urban living. Even with all the problems of urban living it is worth it to live in a progressive city with like minded people but most of all it makes every trip back to the desert that I love so much all the more special to me.
Friday morning we drove Highway 12 through Boulder to the Burr Trail intending to hike Silver Falls Creek. Unfortunately things started to go terribly wrong at this point. First of all, I made the mistake of taking the first turn from the Burr Trail instead of the second one. The first one is 19 long miles on a poor dirt road with many deep dips before the turn off for Moody Road. We were so frustrated by the time we got to Moody Road that it was hard to see how we could even enjoy a hike here. Then to make matters worse the turn off for Silver Falls Creek was not marked. We thought it was the first intersection but after starting down it a bit we stopped when we realized our car (we had ordered an SUV from Avis but they gave us this incredibly inappropriate station wagon made by Ford with individual seats that wouldn't even fold down flat) was not high clearance and wouldn't make it. We parked and got out intending to just walk to the trailhead but we were not even sure it was the correct road. As we were debating whether to just start hiking a flock of about 100 PINYON JAYS flew by. We decided it wasn't the right road and turned back to Moody Road and took it as far as our little station wagon would go. Then we parked and just started walking not even knowing if we were on Silver Falls or what. It wasn't a particularly beautiful hike but we were glad just to be out of the car. The trail followed some creek which we later learned was Moody Creek. It had many piles of crumbly green rock in it that are probably indicators of the presence of uranium which is common in Utah. We hiked for about two hours and then decided to turn back in order not to be driving that horrible road after dark. On the way back we were surprised to see four RED-NAPED SAPSUCKERS in the tamarisks and cottonwoods. We drove back up Moody Road and took the turn that was only eight miles back to the Burr Trail. Still it is another 30 miles from there just to Boulder and obviously quite dark by the time we got back to our camp at Calf Creek Falls.
Saturday morning as we were leaving the campground we saw a WILD TURKEY. We drove to Hole-in-the-Rock Road, a good graded dirt road, to Harris Wash which is another well known hot birding spot in Utah. Our ridiculous station wagon couldn't make it all the way to the trail head so we parked and walked the rest of the way to the wash. Where we parked the car we found a huge flock of about 50 MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS and several CEDAR WAXWINGS. As we walked down to the wash we found more White-crowned Sparrows, quite a few DARK-EYED JUNCOS, AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES, AMERICAN ROBINS, and some BUSHTITS. Not long after we entered the wash we were so delighted to see an adult male NORTHERN GOSHAWK in the wash. When it saw us it flew up the wash and away before I could videotape it. However, it stayed slightly ahead of us all day during our entire hike and we saw it several more times after that. In the numerous cottonwoods and other trees growing along the wash there were many birds, including HAIRY WOODPECKER, DOWNY WOODPECKER, NORTHERN FLICKER, more WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS, SONG SPARROW, COMMON RAVEN, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER,and many SPOTTED TOWHEES. After a while we came to a fence that went all the way across the wash with a gate for hikers. The wash then narrowed up and the canyon walls became steeper. We were entering one of the gorgeous steep walled canyons of the Escalante that have made this area famous. Harris Wash goes all the way to the Escalante River and across the river there it goes up Silver Falls Creek but that was too far for a winter hike when there is so little day light. There was not too much water in the wash which was good because the walk required numerous stream crossings as it banked against the canyon walls in many places. As we walked along admiring the desert varnish streaked walls we flushed a WILSON'S SNIPE and again came upon the NORTHERN GOSHAWK. This time it perched in a tree just 20 yards away and I was able to film it. As we continued our hike the birds thinned out but the scenery intensified. Soon we came to a sort of gateway made out of two tall red rock walls just 20 feet apart. After our lunch we came upon the NORTHERN GOSHAWK again this time perched in a tree so close I was able to see its red eye. I got some excellent video of it. Then it was time to turn around and head back. Susan got a little ahead of me and I saw her looking at something in the wash with her binoculars. I looked and saw what looked like a Spotted Sandpiper but wait, no, it had a supercilium! Wow, a NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH! We were so surprised to find this bird in late November in Utah. Birding Utah shows no records of it after October. We watched it bobbing its tail and eating from the edge of the wash and filmed it for a while before it flew down the wash toward the fence area. On the way back to the car we found a HERMIT THRUSH and more MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS but nothing could compare to finding a Northern Waterthrush in Utah in November! We never saw a single person on this lovely hike. We returned to the car and then drove back to camp for another relaxing evening under the stars by our cozy camp fire.
Sunday morning we got up early; it was still dark out and were able to see Jupiter. After breakfast we broke camp and headed up Highway 12 to Highway 24. We took Highway 24, where we saw several BLACK-BILLED MAGPIES and some COMMON RAVENS feasting on a smashed raccoon, to Capitol Reef National Park. We parked at the Hickman Bridge Trailhead and then crossed the street and took the Cohab Canyon trail to the Frying Pan Trail to Cassidy Arch. This is a strenuous hike that goes up about 1200 feet in 4.5 miles to a pothole arch. At the arch we saw the first people we had encountered all weekend, two people who had taken the easy way from Grand Wash just 1.5 miles away. After snapping off a few pictures it was time to turn back. On the way back to the car we came across a couple of JUNIPER TITMOUSES and two CANYON WRENS. Those were about the only birds we saw on this trail but it's a fun trail with outstanding scenery. From Capitol Reef we drove straight through back to Utah State Park where I made one last desperate attempt at the Tree Sparrow which I did not find. The only new birds I found were one BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE and some RING-BILLED GULLS in the lake. After arranging our bags we had our dinner at the picnic area and then it was time to head home. It was so hard to leave this beautiful special place that captured my heart eleven years ago when I visited for the first time, so much that I have come back every year since at Thanksgiving to give thanks for this and all the special places we are so lucky to have to enjoy. It was time to go back home to the traffic, the noise, the pollution, the trash, the crime, the filth, and all the problems that go along with urban living. Even with all the problems of urban living it is worth it to live in a progressive city with like minded people but most of all it makes every trip back to the desert that I love so much all the more special to me.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
AROUND THE BAY AREA: November 18-19, 2006
Saturday, November 18, I started out birding S. Lake Merced in San Francisco. There was little of interest there aside from two MEW GULLS and one first year RING-BILLED GULL. I moved on to Middle Lake in Golden Gate Park and it was equally uneventful with the most interesting sighting being a BELTED KINGFISHER eating an entire crab. There was also one SHARP-SHINNED HAWK.
I left the city and drove down Highway 101 into San Mateo County where I decided to check out the Public Access Trail around the SF Bay from the Sam Trans Station (San Mateo Country Transit). It's a nice paved trail that goes along the Bay but Saturday was just not the day. Most of the shorebirds I saw were well out into the Bay and I did not have my scope in hand and thus was unable to identify most of them. The only things I was able to identify were two CANVASBACKS, a big flock of RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS, a few GREATER YELLOWLEGS, WILLETS, SAVANNAH SPARROWS, and some GREATER SCAUP. It was unusually warm and I had on too many clothes. I proceeded down 101 to the San Mateo Bridge where I cut over to the East Bay and parked at Hayward Regional Shoreline which is a local park with access to the east side of the San Francisco Bay. This park has hosted many rarities over the years. There were many shorebirds and I did have my scope but it was low tide and most of the birds were well out into the Bay too far for comfortable viewing with a scope even. I saw some AMERICAN PIPITS near the parking lot and in the bay were BROWN PELICAN, DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, SNOWY EGRET, GREAT EGRET, BLACK-NECKED STILT, WILLET, LONG-BILLED CURLEW, MARBLED GODWIT, LEAST SANDPIPER, WESTERN SANDPIPER, DUNLIN, and scattered in were a few RED KNOTS. On the raised pile behind the Bay that everyone calls Mt. Trashmore because it used to be a dump, were a few CANADA GEESE. Near the parking lot were some ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRDS, CALIFORNIA TOWHEE, and WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS. A TURKEY VULTURE soared overhead as I left.
Sunday, November 19, Susan and I drove 60 miles down the long winding Skyline Boulevard, Highway 35, to Big Basin Redwood State Park. The drive is stunning with views of the Pacific Ocean on the west side and the Crystal Springs Reservoir on the other and then through groves of redwoods and oaks. Today the fog was thick all morning until we reached Highway 35 and then it cleared up. Big Basin doesn't have any extremely tall trees as you would find at Redwoods National Park up north but it is a large grove of Redwoods mixed with Douglas Fir, Coast Live Oak, and Pacific Madrone. In the understory are Sword Fern, Huckleberry, a few Hazelnut Trees, and lots of Redwood Sorrel, among other things. There was not a huge diversity of birds but we had made the long drive specifically to look for Varied Thrushes which I had been having a hard time filming. When we first arrived at 8:30 AM before the crowds had had time to wake up, there was a VARIED THRUSH on nearly every limb and walking on the ground. We saw about 40 VARIED THRUSHES throughout the day and I was able to get some nice video of this skittish species. When we first entered the park I heard some drumming and Susan located the source-- a PILEATED WOODPECKER right over our heads. Other interesting birds were ACORN WOODPECKER, WINTER WREN, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, FOX SPARROW, and HERMIT THRUSH. After satisfying ourselves with the VARIED THRUSHES we took the 8 mile round trip hike to Berry Creek Falls. As we descended the steep trail down to the falls the number of birds we saw fell with the terrain. But it is a lovely walk among the towering Redwoods and along beautiful Berry Creek. At the falls we stopped for lunch and then hiked back out.
As the crow flies it is not that far from Big Basin to Pescadero Marsh but the only way to get there is to back out onto the winding Highway 35 and then down the equally winding Highway 84 to tiny La Honda and then on the impossibly winding Pescadero Road. It took over an hour to get to Highway 1 from Big Basin and Susan was nearly sick from all the curves and turns in the road.
It was already past four as we pulled into the parking lot for Pescadero Marsh. We
walked down to the bridge that crosses Pescadero Creek where it flows into the Pacific Ocean. Almost immediately on commencing across the bridge I spotted a large Loon in the water on the ocean side. I didn't even bother to identify it. I pulled out my camera and started taping. When it dove and was apparently underneath the bridge we decided to cross Highway 1 and walk down to the marsh. We ran into some birders on the other side of the bridge who excitedly told us that the YELLOW-BILLED LOON was still in the marsh! I had just seen my first ever YELLOW-BILLED LOON! We walked down to the marsh and saw it some more as it dove and surfaced periodically but the sun was sinking fast and the lighting was becoming difficult. So we decided to head back to the car. Other interesting birds in the marsh were WESTERN GULL, GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, SURF SCOTER, BUFFLEHEAD, AMERICAN WIGEON, NORTHERN SHOVELER, GADWALL, NORTHERN PINTAIL, MALLARD, and GREATER SCAUP. The sun was going down as we proceeded down Highway 1 back home. It was quite a birding weekend after all.
I left the city and drove down Highway 101 into San Mateo County where I decided to check out the Public Access Trail around the SF Bay from the Sam Trans Station (San Mateo Country Transit). It's a nice paved trail that goes along the Bay but Saturday was just not the day. Most of the shorebirds I saw were well out into the Bay and I did not have my scope in hand and thus was unable to identify most of them. The only things I was able to identify were two CANVASBACKS, a big flock of RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS, a few GREATER YELLOWLEGS, WILLETS, SAVANNAH SPARROWS, and some GREATER SCAUP. It was unusually warm and I had on too many clothes. I proceeded down 101 to the San Mateo Bridge where I cut over to the East Bay and parked at Hayward Regional Shoreline which is a local park with access to the east side of the San Francisco Bay. This park has hosted many rarities over the years. There were many shorebirds and I did have my scope but it was low tide and most of the birds were well out into the Bay too far for comfortable viewing with a scope even. I saw some AMERICAN PIPITS near the parking lot and in the bay were BROWN PELICAN, DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, SNOWY EGRET, GREAT EGRET, BLACK-NECKED STILT, WILLET, LONG-BILLED CURLEW, MARBLED GODWIT, LEAST SANDPIPER, WESTERN SANDPIPER, DUNLIN, and scattered in were a few RED KNOTS. On the raised pile behind the Bay that everyone calls Mt. Trashmore because it used to be a dump, were a few CANADA GEESE. Near the parking lot were some ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRDS, CALIFORNIA TOWHEE, and WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS. A TURKEY VULTURE soared overhead as I left.
Sunday, November 19, Susan and I drove 60 miles down the long winding Skyline Boulevard, Highway 35, to Big Basin Redwood State Park. The drive is stunning with views of the Pacific Ocean on the west side and the Crystal Springs Reservoir on the other and then through groves of redwoods and oaks. Today the fog was thick all morning until we reached Highway 35 and then it cleared up. Big Basin doesn't have any extremely tall trees as you would find at Redwoods National Park up north but it is a large grove of Redwoods mixed with Douglas Fir, Coast Live Oak, and Pacific Madrone. In the understory are Sword Fern, Huckleberry, a few Hazelnut Trees, and lots of Redwood Sorrel, among other things. There was not a huge diversity of birds but we had made the long drive specifically to look for Varied Thrushes which I had been having a hard time filming. When we first arrived at 8:30 AM before the crowds had had time to wake up, there was a VARIED THRUSH on nearly every limb and walking on the ground. We saw about 40 VARIED THRUSHES throughout the day and I was able to get some nice video of this skittish species. When we first entered the park I heard some drumming and Susan located the source-- a PILEATED WOODPECKER right over our heads. Other interesting birds were ACORN WOODPECKER, WINTER WREN, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, FOX SPARROW, and HERMIT THRUSH. After satisfying ourselves with the VARIED THRUSHES we took the 8 mile round trip hike to Berry Creek Falls. As we descended the steep trail down to the falls the number of birds we saw fell with the terrain. But it is a lovely walk among the towering Redwoods and along beautiful Berry Creek. At the falls we stopped for lunch and then hiked back out.
As the crow flies it is not that far from Big Basin to Pescadero Marsh but the only way to get there is to back out onto the winding Highway 35 and then down the equally winding Highway 84 to tiny La Honda and then on the impossibly winding Pescadero Road. It took over an hour to get to Highway 1 from Big Basin and Susan was nearly sick from all the curves and turns in the road.
It was already past four as we pulled into the parking lot for Pescadero Marsh. We
walked down to the bridge that crosses Pescadero Creek where it flows into the Pacific Ocean. Almost immediately on commencing across the bridge I spotted a large Loon in the water on the ocean side. I didn't even bother to identify it. I pulled out my camera and started taping. When it dove and was apparently underneath the bridge we decided to cross Highway 1 and walk down to the marsh. We ran into some birders on the other side of the bridge who excitedly told us that the YELLOW-BILLED LOON was still in the marsh! I had just seen my first ever YELLOW-BILLED LOON! We walked down to the marsh and saw it some more as it dove and surfaced periodically but the sun was sinking fast and the lighting was becoming difficult. So we decided to head back to the car. Other interesting birds in the marsh were WESTERN GULL, GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, SURF SCOTER, BUFFLEHEAD, AMERICAN WIGEON, NORTHERN SHOVELER, GADWALL, NORTHERN PINTAIL, MALLARD, and GREATER SCAUP. The sun was going down as we proceeded down Highway 1 back home. It was quite a birding weekend after all.
Friday, November 17, 2006
Birding Downtown November 16, 2006
On Thursday I went back to Ferry Park at Davis and Clay Streets to see if I could get a photo of the Black-and-white Warbler I had seen the day before. It was overcast and started to drizzle as I walked outside at lunch time. I could not find it but I did find a NASHVILLE WARBLER. As I was trying to film the NASHVILLE WARBLER flitting about in a tree a large noisy flock of our resident RED-MASKED PARAKEETS flew in causing a great stir and a lot of noise. In addition to the birds seen the day before there was also a flock of WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS, AMERICAN ROBINS, and BUSHTITS, a few AMERICAN CROWS and WESTERN GULLS. Across from Washington Street I saw a juvenile RED-TAILED HAWK nab a Rock Pigeon and land on the ground. I was going to film it enjoying its meal but an oblivious walker spooked it and it flew into a nearby tree. Then a gardener closely approached the tree and scared it even further causing it to drop the pigeon which unfortunatley was still alive and managed to fly away. Back in the office I continued to see the adult and juvenile RED-TAILED HAWKS soaring over the INS Building.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Birding Downtown San Francisco
I have worked in downtown San Francisco for nearly 18 years but I have not birded there for probably ten years. After all it is mostly tall buildings and concrete. Today, November 15, 2006, I took my binoculars with me to work and at lunch headed to the little park in between Clay and Washington Streets and Davis and Drumm Streets. I soon found Denise Wight who had told me in a previous encounter that she had been finding rarities there. The park which has no name, is only three blocks from my office. Today, Denise showed me a BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER that was at eye level foraging on the trees and shrubs in this little micro-habitat. The poor little eastern vagrant has been there for about a week now according to Denise. Other birds we saw in the little park were many YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, two TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS, some RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, one HERMIT THRUSH, lots of ROCK PIGEONS, a WESTERN GULL, two RED-TAILED HAWKS overhead, ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRDS and several HOUSE SPARROWS. I didn't have my camera with me but if it doesn't rain I plan to go back at lunch time tomorrow and see if the little lost bird is still there for some photos.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Birding the East Bay: November 12, 2006
Normally I don't like to bird in the East Bay because it means crossing the Bay Bridge and that means traffic most times. But today we woke up late and decided to try Berkeley's Aquatic Park which has hosted many vagrants over the years including a Northern Waterthrush that overwintered there this past winter. There is a nice paved path around the largest body of water with oak trees and eucalyptus trees one side for land birds and the water on the other side. The only drawback to birding here is that for some reason it has become a major pick-up location for gay men. I have no idea why. We didn't see anything rare but many ducks have arrived and there was a diversity of avifauna present. We saw DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, GREAT EGRET, SNOWY EGRET, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, DOWITCHER, FORSTER'S TERN, RING-BILLED GULL, WESTERN GULL, GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, BUFFLEHEAD, AMERICAN COOT, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, COMMON GOLDENEYE, RUDDY DUCK, BLACK-NECKED STILT, MARBLED GODWIT, BELTED KINGFISHER, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, TOWNSEND'S WARBLER, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, CALIFORNIA TOWHEE, SONG SPARROW, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW, AMERICAN GOLDFINCH, PIED-BILLED GREBE, EARED GREBE, AND ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD.
Next we drove down to Pt. Pinole Regional Park, part of the East Bay Regional Park District. This park runs along San Pablo Bay and hosts many shorebirds, gulls, terns, and ducks, and has many lands birds as well. It was once the home of the Atlas Dynamite Company who planted all the eucalyptus trees. Before the arrival of Europeans it had no trees. Unfortunately the lack of diversity in the trees they planted has limited the diversity of wildlife on one hand but provided some kind of haven that didn't exist before on the other hand. You can usually see a Great Horned Owl here. We didn't see it this trip but have on numerous other visits in the past. Today we found a new sign installed indicating that the park is rejuvenating the salt marsh to make suitable habitat for the state endangered Black Rail. We walked partially down to the restored area just to see how it's coming along. A small rail flew across the channel and into the pickleweed. I wonder if it was a Black Rail. That would be a life bird for me. It never peeked back out; the tide was too low. However, the trail was very muddy so we proceeded back down along the edge of the Bay. There were hundreds of LEAST SANDPIPERS but no Western sandpipers which I thought was odd. There were also many AMERICAN WIGEONS, SCAUP, and DUNLINS. There were also a couple of MEW GULLS on the shore along with some WESTERN GULLS and RING-BILLED GULLS. We found a RED-SHOULDERED HAWK feasting on something in the woods but it flew off when we went to investigate. Near the end of our loop trail we ran into about ten LINCOLN'S SPARROWS. Then near the trail head we found a NUTTALL'S WOODPECKER up in a eucyluptus tree and there were two NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRDS and a large flock of WESTERN MEADOWLARKS in the parking lot. We saw nothing rare or unusual: it was just the end of a very fun birding weekend in the Bay Area.
Next we drove down to Pt. Pinole Regional Park, part of the East Bay Regional Park District. This park runs along San Pablo Bay and hosts many shorebirds, gulls, terns, and ducks, and has many lands birds as well. It was once the home of the Atlas Dynamite Company who planted all the eucalyptus trees. Before the arrival of Europeans it had no trees. Unfortunately the lack of diversity in the trees they planted has limited the diversity of wildlife on one hand but provided some kind of haven that didn't exist before on the other hand. You can usually see a Great Horned Owl here. We didn't see it this trip but have on numerous other visits in the past. Today we found a new sign installed indicating that the park is rejuvenating the salt marsh to make suitable habitat for the state endangered Black Rail. We walked partially down to the restored area just to see how it's coming along. A small rail flew across the channel and into the pickleweed. I wonder if it was a Black Rail. That would be a life bird for me. It never peeked back out; the tide was too low. However, the trail was very muddy so we proceeded back down along the edge of the Bay. There were hundreds of LEAST SANDPIPERS but no Western sandpipers which I thought was odd. There were also many AMERICAN WIGEONS, SCAUP, and DUNLINS. There were also a couple of MEW GULLS on the shore along with some WESTERN GULLS and RING-BILLED GULLS. We found a RED-SHOULDERED HAWK feasting on something in the woods but it flew off when we went to investigate. Near the end of our loop trail we ran into about ten LINCOLN'S SPARROWS. Then near the trail head we found a NUTTALL'S WOODPECKER up in a eucyluptus tree and there were two NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRDS and a large flock of WESTERN MEADOWLARKS in the parking lot. We saw nothing rare or unusual: it was just the end of a very fun birding weekend in the Bay Area.
San Francisco and Redwood City: 11/11/06
My pelagic trip to the Farallon Islands was cancelled today. I was so disappointed because I was hoping to see the Brown Booby that's been there for months. The Farallon Islands are about 27 miles off the coast of San Francisco and are the largest sea bird breeding grounds in the lower 48 states. It was sunny all week until Saturday morning when it rained steadily. However, around 7:30 AM the rain stopped so I made a late start out to Point Lobos in San Francisco. I was hoping to at least study some lingering jaegers but there was none. To my surprise instead I was treated to a life bird. The ocean was very turbulent and I only saw one COMMON MURRE, a few RED-THROATED LOONS, COMMON LOONS, and one PACIFIC LOON. Then I saw a strange gray bird flying like a bat over the waves low over the water beyond the Mile Rock Lighthouse. It was too big to be an Ashy Storm-Petrel and it was gray all over, but it had that distinct bat-like storm petrel flight. It had rapid shallow wingbeats and I could just make out the dark wing linings. It was my first ever FORK-TAILED STORM-PETREL! I was able to follow it for about 10 minutes before I lost track of it in the waves. Heading back up the hill there were a few BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS and BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS.
My next stop was East Fort Miley. I wasn't expecting to see much; it just is the logical next stop because it is close by. I found a GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET in a pine tree. I have rarely seen this bird in San Francisco so that was fun. Also in the same pine tree was a BROWN CREEPER, TOWNSEND'S WARBLER, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, CALIFORNIA TOWHEE, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, and GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW.
After not finding much else I moved on to Middle Lake in Golden Gate Park. I was checking out the myoporum bushes on the west side of the lake when I saw a woman with a camera set up on a tripod near the spot where a Swamp Sparrow had been reported. I never chase birds and I certainly wouldn't chase this one even though they are rare here because they are so elusive and secretive. But I thought well if she has her camera set up it must be uncharacteristically perched I guess. I stood behind her and tried to put my binoculars where her camera was pointed but I saw no birds at all. Finally she turned around and it was this woman, Anne, who was in my Field Ornithology Class I took 2 1/2 years ago. I said to her do you actually see the bird and she said no I haven't seen it at all. I told her how difficult it would be to photograph a Swamp Sparrow and that I only have about two seconds of videotape of one. She seemed undeterred. She was trying to film it with a 62mm Leica spotting scope and a digital camera with no adapter. After a few minutes I heard its call note, much like a Black Phoebe and a sparrow flew out from the Lilac bush and into the bramble. Unmistakably the Swamp Sparrow. I said to her, wasn't that it. She put her expensive Leica bins on a different location from where the SWAMP SPARROW had flown and said no that's a SONG SPARROW and it was. Some people just cannot be helped. I left and stopped by North Lake Merced. I only saw the usual CLARK'S GREBE and WESTERN GREBE. But I looked up in the sky and low and behold there was a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK overhead.
This woman told me that she ran around Bair Island every day and never saw a single bird. I was shocked. This island was recently bought by the Peninsula Open Space Trust and given to the California Department of Fish and Game to reclaim it as the salt marsh it once was before salt companies owned it. It will give a much needed cleansing to our polluted San Francisco Bay when it is complete. So I went down there on Saturday afternoon to check it out. I walked the three mile trail from 1:15 PM to 2:30 PM and saw 34 species, nothing rare but certainly better than the zero birds she had reported. Here is the list: 1. Pied-billed Grebe
2. Horned Grebe
3. Brown Pelican
4. Double-crested Cormorant
5. Great Blue Heron
6. Snowy Egret
7. Great Egret
8. Mallard
9. Common Goldeneye
10. Bufflehead
11. Turkey Vulture
12. White-tailed Kite
13. Northern Harrier
14. American Kestrel
15. American Coot
16. Greater Yellowlegs
17. Lesser Yellowlegs
18. Willet
19. Western Sandpiper
20. Least Sandpiper
21. Short-billed Dowitcher
22. Ring-billed Gull
23. California Gull
24. Western Gull
25. Rock Pigeon
26. Black Phoebe
27. American Crow
28. Common Raven
29. Yellow-rumped Warbler
30. Savannah Sparrow
31. Song Sparrow
32. Golden-crowned Sparrow
33. White-crowned Sparrow
34. House Finch
Next I left there and stopped by the Nob Hill Supermarket Pond and saw Green-winged Teal, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, Ruddy Duck, Canvasback, Ring-billed Gull, Willet, Marbled Godwits by the hundreds, Dunlins, American Avocets, Dowitchers, American Coots, Killdeer, and Bushtits.
Then it was time to head home.
My next stop was East Fort Miley. I wasn't expecting to see much; it just is the logical next stop because it is close by. I found a GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET in a pine tree. I have rarely seen this bird in San Francisco so that was fun. Also in the same pine tree was a BROWN CREEPER, TOWNSEND'S WARBLER, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, CALIFORNIA TOWHEE, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, and GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW.
After not finding much else I moved on to Middle Lake in Golden Gate Park. I was checking out the myoporum bushes on the west side of the lake when I saw a woman with a camera set up on a tripod near the spot where a Swamp Sparrow had been reported. I never chase birds and I certainly wouldn't chase this one even though they are rare here because they are so elusive and secretive. But I thought well if she has her camera set up it must be uncharacteristically perched I guess. I stood behind her and tried to put my binoculars where her camera was pointed but I saw no birds at all. Finally she turned around and it was this woman, Anne, who was in my Field Ornithology Class I took 2 1/2 years ago. I said to her do you actually see the bird and she said no I haven't seen it at all. I told her how difficult it would be to photograph a Swamp Sparrow and that I only have about two seconds of videotape of one. She seemed undeterred. She was trying to film it with a 62mm Leica spotting scope and a digital camera with no adapter. After a few minutes I heard its call note, much like a Black Phoebe and a sparrow flew out from the Lilac bush and into the bramble. Unmistakably the Swamp Sparrow. I said to her, wasn't that it. She put her expensive Leica bins on a different location from where the SWAMP SPARROW had flown and said no that's a SONG SPARROW and it was. Some people just cannot be helped. I left and stopped by North Lake Merced. I only saw the usual CLARK'S GREBE and WESTERN GREBE. But I looked up in the sky and low and behold there was a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK overhead.
This woman told me that she ran around Bair Island every day and never saw a single bird. I was shocked. This island was recently bought by the Peninsula Open Space Trust and given to the California Department of Fish and Game to reclaim it as the salt marsh it once was before salt companies owned it. It will give a much needed cleansing to our polluted San Francisco Bay when it is complete. So I went down there on Saturday afternoon to check it out. I walked the three mile trail from 1:15 PM to 2:30 PM and saw 34 species, nothing rare but certainly better than the zero birds she had reported. Here is the list: 1. Pied-billed Grebe
2. Horned Grebe
3. Brown Pelican
4. Double-crested Cormorant
5. Great Blue Heron
6. Snowy Egret
7. Great Egret
8. Mallard
9. Common Goldeneye
10. Bufflehead
11. Turkey Vulture
12. White-tailed Kite
13. Northern Harrier
14. American Kestrel
15. American Coot
16. Greater Yellowlegs
17. Lesser Yellowlegs
18. Willet
19. Western Sandpiper
20. Least Sandpiper
21. Short-billed Dowitcher
22. Ring-billed Gull
23. California Gull
24. Western Gull
25. Rock Pigeon
26. Black Phoebe
27. American Crow
28. Common Raven
29. Yellow-rumped Warbler
30. Savannah Sparrow
31. Song Sparrow
32. Golden-crowned Sparrow
33. White-crowned Sparrow
34. House Finch
Next I left there and stopped by the Nob Hill Supermarket Pond and saw Green-winged Teal, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, Ruddy Duck, Canvasback, Ring-billed Gull, Willet, Marbled Godwits by the hundreds, Dunlins, American Avocets, Dowitchers, American Coots, Killdeer, and Bushtits.
Then it was time to head home.
Saturday, November 11, 2006
San Mateo Coast: November 10, 2006
Today was a holiday so I drove the 50 miles from my home to Pigeon Point Lighthouse to see if there were any jaegers left that I could study. There was none. However, I saw six MARBLED MURRELETS which is exciting because I see them so rarely in San Francisco. The only other interesting birds were three or four WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS that flew by. I also saw EARED GREBE, BRANDT'S CORMORANT, GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, HEERMAN'S GULL, a few lingering ELEGANT TERNS, two BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS, CALIFORNIA GULLS, and WESTERN GULLS, a few BLACK TURNSTONES, and several SURFBIRDS. On my way out I ran into Jennifer Rycenga who told me about some Varied Thrushes at Gazos Creek Road. Before I left I saw an AMERICAN KESTREL on its usual spot on the wires and there were one or two TRICOLORED BLACKBIRDS in the blackbird flock in the field on the way out.
At Gazos Creek Road there were STELLER'S JAYS, WESTERN SCRUB-JAYS, BAND-TAILED PIGEONS, HERMIT THRUSHES, TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS, AND YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS you would expect this time of year. I walked the road past the junction with Cloverdale and then started up an unnamed trail to Butano State Park. About 1/4 way up the trail I encountered four VARIED THRUSHES. On the way back down Gazos Creek Road I flushed a WILSON'S SNIPE. On Old Woman Creek Road there were WINTER WRENS, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, DARK-EYED JUNCOS, CALIFORNIA QUAILS, one HAIRY WOODPECKER, one SPOTTED TOWHEE, and some SONG SPARROWS.
Next I drove to Waterlane in Pescadero, a part of Pescadero State Park. At first all I saw was one COOPER'S HAWK and a TURKEY VULTURE but then I ran into a nice mixed flock and saw TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS, AMERICAN ROBIN, HERMIT THRUSH, WRENTIT practically at my feet, CALIFORNIA TOWHEE, GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS, LESSER GOLDFINCHES, one HUTTON'S VIREO, and best bird of they day, one NASHVILLE WARBLER.
Next I walked all along North Pond at Pescadero Marsh where I was surprised to see one BRANDT in North Pond along with many NORTHERN SHOVELERS, BUFFLEHEADS, AMERICAN WIGEONS, GADWALLS, and two CINNAMON TEALS. It was high tide so shorebird numbers were low but I saw WILLET, GREAT EGRET, BLACK TURNSTONE, WHIMBREL, AMERICAN COOT, and MARBLED GODWIT. On the beach was one HERRING GULL, more SURFBIRDS, and one COMMON YELLOWTHROAT.
I stopped at Wavecrest on the way home. There were no owls but there were 12-15 WHITE-TAILED KITES, NORTHERN HARRIER, one MERLIN, SAVANNAH SPARROW, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, and one SAY'S PHOEBE.
Then it was time to head home. All in all a quite enjoyable Veteran's Day.
At Gazos Creek Road there were STELLER'S JAYS, WESTERN SCRUB-JAYS, BAND-TAILED PIGEONS, HERMIT THRUSHES, TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS, AND YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS you would expect this time of year. I walked the road past the junction with Cloverdale and then started up an unnamed trail to Butano State Park. About 1/4 way up the trail I encountered four VARIED THRUSHES. On the way back down Gazos Creek Road I flushed a WILSON'S SNIPE. On Old Woman Creek Road there were WINTER WRENS, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, DARK-EYED JUNCOS, CALIFORNIA QUAILS, one HAIRY WOODPECKER, one SPOTTED TOWHEE, and some SONG SPARROWS.
Next I drove to Waterlane in Pescadero, a part of Pescadero State Park. At first all I saw was one COOPER'S HAWK and a TURKEY VULTURE but then I ran into a nice mixed flock and saw TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS, AMERICAN ROBIN, HERMIT THRUSH, WRENTIT practically at my feet, CALIFORNIA TOWHEE, GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS, LESSER GOLDFINCHES, one HUTTON'S VIREO, and best bird of they day, one NASHVILLE WARBLER.
Next I walked all along North Pond at Pescadero Marsh where I was surprised to see one BRANDT in North Pond along with many NORTHERN SHOVELERS, BUFFLEHEADS, AMERICAN WIGEONS, GADWALLS, and two CINNAMON TEALS. It was high tide so shorebird numbers were low but I saw WILLET, GREAT EGRET, BLACK TURNSTONE, WHIMBREL, AMERICAN COOT, and MARBLED GODWIT. On the beach was one HERRING GULL, more SURFBIRDS, and one COMMON YELLOWTHROAT.
I stopped at Wavecrest on the way home. There were no owls but there were 12-15 WHITE-TAILED KITES, NORTHERN HARRIER, one MERLIN, SAVANNAH SPARROW, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, and one SAY'S PHOEBE.
Then it was time to head home. All in all a quite enjoyable Veteran's Day.
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Birding San Francisco: November 4, 2006
It finally stopped raining today but it was too foggy to study jaegers off of the Cliff House so I was relegated to skulking Lake Merced for any lingering vagrants. The most interesting bird at South Lake Merced was a first year RING-BILLED GULL. So I moved on to the Boathouse where I found about six BONAPARTE'S GULLS feeding over the lake. I got some nice photos of one that perched on one of the boat ramps and pictures of a second winter GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL. At North Lake Merced the best I could come up with was a SORA that was calling from the reeds. I stopped briefly at South Lake in Golden Gate Park and only saw one AMERICAN WIGEON. At Rhododendron Dell I could not relocate the WHITE-THROATED SPARROW I saw there yesterday in the drizzle, nor the two LINCOLN'S SPARROWS but there were about 100 AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES and one PURPLE FINCH. A TURKEY VULTURE (rare in San Francisco) circled overhead.
For my next stop I decided to try the San Francisco Botanical Garden formerly known as the Strybing Arboretum. The best birds of the day were right at the entrance. On the lawn was a CACKLING GOOSE and in the pond were two male HOODED MERGANSERS. There was also one MEW GULL and another GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL. I found the CALIFORNIA QUAIL family in the California Section cowering under some salvia. The only other interesting birds were a flock of BUSHTITS and two WINTER WRENS.
After lunch I tried for shorebirds at Candlestick Point State Recreation Area which is one of the very few access points to the San Francisco Bay in San Francisco County. Unfortunately it is in a run down neighborhood and worse it is right next to the stadium, now called Monster Park where the 49ers play football. On Sundays during football season there is no access to the park unless you want to pay $25 and hear loud noises and be around a lot of trash. On Mondays after a home game the amount of trash is truly astounding. Needless to say much of the trash blows right into Candlestick Point SRA. Today when I arrived it was high tide so I only saw two SPOTTED SANDPIPERS, one BLACK OYSTERCATCHER, a few BLACK TURNSTONES, some BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, WILLETS, BUFFLEHEADS, SURF SCOTERS, RUDDY DUCKS, two LONG-BILLED CURLEWS, and one MARBLED GODWIT. For my last stop I made a brief visit to Heron's Head Park, a salvaged levee that goes out into the Bay and borders a sensitive wildlife area with one of the very few accessible marshes in San Francisco. Unfortunately this park is also in a marginal neighborhood and has also become a magnet for off-leash dogs even though they are prohibited in the park. Today was no different and I encountered some seven off-leash dogs in this tiny park, one of which was wandering into the wildlife area and another of which attacked me for no reason. I only stayed 15 minutes--long enough to see GREATER YELLOWLEGS, ELEGANT TERN, and FORSTER'S TERN. The Elegant Terns will soon be gone from here. That concluded my day of birding.
For my next stop I decided to try the San Francisco Botanical Garden formerly known as the Strybing Arboretum. The best birds of the day were right at the entrance. On the lawn was a CACKLING GOOSE and in the pond were two male HOODED MERGANSERS. There was also one MEW GULL and another GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL. I found the CALIFORNIA QUAIL family in the California Section cowering under some salvia. The only other interesting birds were a flock of BUSHTITS and two WINTER WRENS.
After lunch I tried for shorebirds at Candlestick Point State Recreation Area which is one of the very few access points to the San Francisco Bay in San Francisco County. Unfortunately it is in a run down neighborhood and worse it is right next to the stadium, now called Monster Park where the 49ers play football. On Sundays during football season there is no access to the park unless you want to pay $25 and hear loud noises and be around a lot of trash. On Mondays after a home game the amount of trash is truly astounding. Needless to say much of the trash blows right into Candlestick Point SRA. Today when I arrived it was high tide so I only saw two SPOTTED SANDPIPERS, one BLACK OYSTERCATCHER, a few BLACK TURNSTONES, some BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, WILLETS, BUFFLEHEADS, SURF SCOTERS, RUDDY DUCKS, two LONG-BILLED CURLEWS, and one MARBLED GODWIT. For my last stop I made a brief visit to Heron's Head Park, a salvaged levee that goes out into the Bay and borders a sensitive wildlife area with one of the very few accessible marshes in San Francisco. Unfortunately this park is also in a marginal neighborhood and has also become a magnet for off-leash dogs even though they are prohibited in the park. Today was no different and I encountered some seven off-leash dogs in this tiny park, one of which was wandering into the wildlife area and another of which attacked me for no reason. I only stayed 15 minutes--long enough to see GREATER YELLOWLEGS, ELEGANT TERN, and FORSTER'S TERN. The Elegant Terns will soon be gone from here. That concluded my day of birding.
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Birding the San Mateo Coast Part II: October 29, 2006
BIRDING THE SAN MATEO COAST PART II: 10/29/06
For my second day of birding the San Mateo Coast I was joined by my companion, Susan Barnes. Due to the ending of Daylight Savings Time Saturday night, we had to get up at 4:00 AM in order to arrive at Wavecrest Avenue before the sun came up. The gate was still locked due to the time change and so we walked from the car to the end of the dirt road and still we saw no owls. There was only one WHITE-TAILED KITE and the only addition to yesterday’s list was a CALIFORNIA QUAIL calling. It was much cooler than the day before and overcast so I was concerned about how sea watching conditions might be. But we drove on to Pigeon Point anyway and hoped for the best.
The gate to the Pigeon Point Lighthouse was locked also because of the time change. So we started our sea watch from the other viewing platform nearest the parking lot. We saw two BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS on the rocks. While the sunrise was magnificently illuminating the ocean to the south, the lighthouse was blocking our view of any potential feeding frenzy to the west. So I suggested we simply climb the fence. Susan was reluctant to break any park rules even though no one was up at that ungodly hour but us. By the time we walked over someone had come and opened it anyway. So we walked out to the end past the lighthouse to the viewing platform and there was indeed a huge feeding frenzy. Within minutes I was picking out easily 50 or more BLACK-VENTED SHEARWATERS flying around with the BROWN PELICANS, WESTERN GULLS, HEERMAN”S GULLS, BRANDT’S CORMORANTS, and COMMON MURRES (which they closely resemble except for the longer pointed wings and distinct flight pattern). The flock was not too far off-shore allowing excellent study of the field marks and flight pattern of the Black-vented Shearwater. While not studying the flock I saw three WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS flying past. There were also a few flocks of SURF SCOTERS, one juvenile RHINOCEROS AUKLET, one EARED GREBE, and a few WESTERN GREBES, and CLARK’S GREBES. Then finally after an hour of study a PARASITIC JAEGER flew past. It was completely uninterested in the feeding flock and continued flying north. A few minutes later a POMARINE JAEGER flew past heading south. It too was uninterested in the feeding frenzy. A juvenile THAYER’S GULL with beautiful pale scalloping on its back flew within feet of the platform. We were joined for a while by another birder from Berkeley but had to leave shortly thereafter due to foot fatigue. On the way out of the park we saw two AMERICAN KESTRELS on the telephone wires, a few TRI-COLORED BLACKBIRDS, and one SAY’S PHOEBE.
We next drove across Highway 1 to Gazos Creek Road to its intersection with Cloverdale, where we parked and walked the road. We found the WHITE-THROATED SPARROW from yesterday but every time I had my camera set up to take a photo, cars would rattle past or noisy motorcycles and flush the bird. I got one very distant photo but soon gave up. We heard a distinct call from the alder trees overhanging the creek that both of us instantly thought was a vireo, perhaps a Red-eyed Vireo but we never could track it down. While looking for it though, we found a very late BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK and a PURPLE FINCH. We re-found the two WILSON’S SNIPES from yesterday and then took a walk down Old Woman Creek Road where we found a WINTER WREN, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, and BROWN CREEPER. California Quail were also calling from the hills here and a RED-SHOULDERED HAWK. On the way out of Gazos Creek we saw a flock of first of season, CEDAR WAXWINGS flying overhead.
We walked the trail to Pescadero Marsh from Water Lane but only saw one White-tailed Kite and one NORTHERN HARRIER so we continued on to the part of the marsh across from Pescadero State Beach. On the beach side of the lagoon there were five DOWITCHERS. I was excited to use my new dowitcher identifying tools learned from Birding Magazine but the birds never stopped feeding the entire hour or so we were there making it impossible to determine the curvature of the bill or the loral angle. Along with the dowitchers in the lagoon were GREATER YELLOWLEGS, DUNLIN, BLACK TURNSTONE, and WESTERN SANDPIPER. We crossed under the bridge and walked out to the north pond where we found the five BLUE-WINGED TEALS from yesterday, AMERICAN WIGEONS, BUFFLEHEADS, NORTHERN SHOVELERS, two NORTHERN PINTAILS, and one EURASIAN WIGEON. There was also one HORNED GREBE. MARSH WREN were calling from the pond edge and we saw one COMMON YELLOWTHROAT. From the parking lot at Pescadero Beach I saw some PELAGIC CORMORANTS fly past.
Heading back up Highway 1 to Half Moon Bay we decided not to get on Highway 92 as there was too much traffic. So we continued all the way to Pacifica where we made our last stop of the day at the marsh restoration area at Rockaway Beach. The cloud cover had increased dramatically and the wind had picked up making birding less than optimal. So the last birds our San Mateo Coast Birding Event were just two ordinary MALLARDS in the marsh but that was good enough for us and we headed home to savor a superb birding weekend.
Total species: 107
Red-throated Loon
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Eared Grebe
Western Grebe
Clark’s Grebe
Black-vented Shearwater
Brown Pelican
Double-crested Cormorant
Brandt’s Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Snowy Egret
Great Egret
Canada Goose
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler
Mallard
Northern Pintail
American Wigeon
Eurasian Wigeon
White-winged Scoter
Surf Scoter
Bufflehead
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Turkey Vulture
White-tailed Kite
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
California Quail
Virginia Rail
American Coot
Killdeer
Black Oystercatcher
Greater Yellowlegs
Willet
Whimbrel
Marbled Godwit
Black Turnstone
Sanderling
Western Sandpiper
Dunlin
Dowitcher sp.
Wilson’s Snipe
Pomarine Jaeger
Parasitic Jaeger
Bonaparte’s Gull
Heerman’s Gull
California Gull
Thayer’s Gull
Western Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Common Murre
Marbled Murrelet
Rhinoceros Auklet
Mourning Dove
Band-tailed Pigeon
Owl sp.
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Black Phoebe
Say’s Phoebe
Steller’s Jay
Western Scrub-Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Bushtit
Pygmy Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
House Wren
Winter Wren
Marsh Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Hermit Thrush
Wrentit
Northern Mockingbird
Hutton’s Vireo
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Townsend’s Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Black-headed Grosbeak
Spotted Towhee
California Towhee
Savannah Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln’s Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
Tri-colored Blackbird
Brewer’s Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
Purple Finch
House Finch
Lesser Goldfinch
Rock Pigeon
European Starling
For my second day of birding the San Mateo Coast I was joined by my companion, Susan Barnes. Due to the ending of Daylight Savings Time Saturday night, we had to get up at 4:00 AM in order to arrive at Wavecrest Avenue before the sun came up. The gate was still locked due to the time change and so we walked from the car to the end of the dirt road and still we saw no owls. There was only one WHITE-TAILED KITE and the only addition to yesterday’s list was a CALIFORNIA QUAIL calling. It was much cooler than the day before and overcast so I was concerned about how sea watching conditions might be. But we drove on to Pigeon Point anyway and hoped for the best.
The gate to the Pigeon Point Lighthouse was locked also because of the time change. So we started our sea watch from the other viewing platform nearest the parking lot. We saw two BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS on the rocks. While the sunrise was magnificently illuminating the ocean to the south, the lighthouse was blocking our view of any potential feeding frenzy to the west. So I suggested we simply climb the fence. Susan was reluctant to break any park rules even though no one was up at that ungodly hour but us. By the time we walked over someone had come and opened it anyway. So we walked out to the end past the lighthouse to the viewing platform and there was indeed a huge feeding frenzy. Within minutes I was picking out easily 50 or more BLACK-VENTED SHEARWATERS flying around with the BROWN PELICANS, WESTERN GULLS, HEERMAN”S GULLS, BRANDT’S CORMORANTS, and COMMON MURRES (which they closely resemble except for the longer pointed wings and distinct flight pattern). The flock was not too far off-shore allowing excellent study of the field marks and flight pattern of the Black-vented Shearwater. While not studying the flock I saw three WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS flying past. There were also a few flocks of SURF SCOTERS, one juvenile RHINOCEROS AUKLET, one EARED GREBE, and a few WESTERN GREBES, and CLARK’S GREBES. Then finally after an hour of study a PARASITIC JAEGER flew past. It was completely uninterested in the feeding flock and continued flying north. A few minutes later a POMARINE JAEGER flew past heading south. It too was uninterested in the feeding frenzy. A juvenile THAYER’S GULL with beautiful pale scalloping on its back flew within feet of the platform. We were joined for a while by another birder from Berkeley but had to leave shortly thereafter due to foot fatigue. On the way out of the park we saw two AMERICAN KESTRELS on the telephone wires, a few TRI-COLORED BLACKBIRDS, and one SAY’S PHOEBE.
We next drove across Highway 1 to Gazos Creek Road to its intersection with Cloverdale, where we parked and walked the road. We found the WHITE-THROATED SPARROW from yesterday but every time I had my camera set up to take a photo, cars would rattle past or noisy motorcycles and flush the bird. I got one very distant photo but soon gave up. We heard a distinct call from the alder trees overhanging the creek that both of us instantly thought was a vireo, perhaps a Red-eyed Vireo but we never could track it down. While looking for it though, we found a very late BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK and a PURPLE FINCH. We re-found the two WILSON’S SNIPES from yesterday and then took a walk down Old Woman Creek Road where we found a WINTER WREN, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, and BROWN CREEPER. California Quail were also calling from the hills here and a RED-SHOULDERED HAWK. On the way out of Gazos Creek we saw a flock of first of season, CEDAR WAXWINGS flying overhead.
We walked the trail to Pescadero Marsh from Water Lane but only saw one White-tailed Kite and one NORTHERN HARRIER so we continued on to the part of the marsh across from Pescadero State Beach. On the beach side of the lagoon there were five DOWITCHERS. I was excited to use my new dowitcher identifying tools learned from Birding Magazine but the birds never stopped feeding the entire hour or so we were there making it impossible to determine the curvature of the bill or the loral angle. Along with the dowitchers in the lagoon were GREATER YELLOWLEGS, DUNLIN, BLACK TURNSTONE, and WESTERN SANDPIPER. We crossed under the bridge and walked out to the north pond where we found the five BLUE-WINGED TEALS from yesterday, AMERICAN WIGEONS, BUFFLEHEADS, NORTHERN SHOVELERS, two NORTHERN PINTAILS, and one EURASIAN WIGEON. There was also one HORNED GREBE. MARSH WREN were calling from the pond edge and we saw one COMMON YELLOWTHROAT. From the parking lot at Pescadero Beach I saw some PELAGIC CORMORANTS fly past.
Heading back up Highway 1 to Half Moon Bay we decided not to get on Highway 92 as there was too much traffic. So we continued all the way to Pacifica where we made our last stop of the day at the marsh restoration area at Rockaway Beach. The cloud cover had increased dramatically and the wind had picked up making birding less than optimal. So the last birds our San Mateo Coast Birding Event were just two ordinary MALLARDS in the marsh but that was good enough for us and we headed home to savor a superb birding weekend.
Total species: 107
Red-throated Loon
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Eared Grebe
Western Grebe
Clark’s Grebe
Black-vented Shearwater
Brown Pelican
Double-crested Cormorant
Brandt’s Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Snowy Egret
Great Egret
Canada Goose
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler
Mallard
Northern Pintail
American Wigeon
Eurasian Wigeon
White-winged Scoter
Surf Scoter
Bufflehead
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Turkey Vulture
White-tailed Kite
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
California Quail
Virginia Rail
American Coot
Killdeer
Black Oystercatcher
Greater Yellowlegs
Willet
Whimbrel
Marbled Godwit
Black Turnstone
Sanderling
Western Sandpiper
Dunlin
Dowitcher sp.
Wilson’s Snipe
Pomarine Jaeger
Parasitic Jaeger
Bonaparte’s Gull
Heerman’s Gull
California Gull
Thayer’s Gull
Western Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Common Murre
Marbled Murrelet
Rhinoceros Auklet
Mourning Dove
Band-tailed Pigeon
Owl sp.
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Black Phoebe
Say’s Phoebe
Steller’s Jay
Western Scrub-Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Bushtit
Pygmy Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
House Wren
Winter Wren
Marsh Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Hermit Thrush
Wrentit
Northern Mockingbird
Hutton’s Vireo
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Townsend’s Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Black-headed Grosbeak
Spotted Towhee
California Towhee
Savannah Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln’s Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
Tri-colored Blackbird
Brewer’s Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
Purple Finch
House Finch
Lesser Goldfinch
Rock Pigeon
European Starling
Saturday, October 28, 2006
BIRDING THE SAN MATEO COAST: 10/28/06
BIRDING THE SAN MATEO COAST: October 28, 2006
San Mateo County lies just south of San Francisco County on the central coast of California. It is a much larger county than San Francisco, is much less urbanized, and contains a wide variety of habitats including coastal dunes, coastal scrub, Oak woodlands, Douglas Fir Forest, Redwood Forest, salt marsh, and mixed deciduous riparian, to name a few. The diversity of habitat provides abundant birding opportunities and makes possible an amazing county list of over 300 birds. Often the coast is foggy, windy, and extremely unpleasant but in October we usually have our best weather and today bore that out; it was sunny and warm with little or no wind with highs reaching 70 at the coast and much warmer inland. In a word it was spectacular.
I left my house at 6:00 AM intending to start before sun up looking for Short-eared Owls in Half Moon Bay. I made a wrong turn onto Highway 1 after reaching the end of Highway 92 and by the time I realized my error, it was already dawn. I pulled into Wavecrest Drive in Half Moon Bay and drove to the end and parked. I didn’t even need my spotlight by that time. Earlier while it was still dark I had seen a small owl perched on a telephone wire but could not identify it to species. At Wavecrest I neither heard nor saw any owls. There were about six WHITE-TAILED HAWKS hawking even before the sun came up and one Northern Harrier. I heard some LINCOLN’S SPARROWS buzzing but never saw one. I did see one SAVANNAH SPARROW though. It was a very chilly 47 degrees before the sun had a chance to warm everything up and I had left my gloves in the car, so I didn’t linger too long there when it became obvious I had arrived too late for the Short-eared Owls. Oh well, maybe tomorrow.
I continued down Highway 1 which runs along the immediate coast, to Pigeon Point Lighthouse. Since the Pigeon Point sticks so far out into the ocean it makes a nice place to look for seabirds. Many people had been reporting Black-vented Shearwaters and I was anxious to find one as this would be a life bird for me. I was a bit behind schedule arriving only at 8:00 AM but I was lucky there was a feeding frenzy not far off shore from the viewing platform. Hundreds of BROWN PELICANS were diving into the water for whatever unfortunate school of fish was there for the feeding. HEERMAN’S GULLS were frantically diving after the pelicans trying to lap up any of their left overs. Also in the feeding frenzy were of course our resident Western Gulls and then finally I detected two much smaller birds diving with the pelicans and gulls into the fray with all black backs and all white underparts save for the undertail coverts—two BLACK-VENTED SHEARWATERS! Many COMMON MURRES were flying back and forth but no Marbled Murrelets that I could pick out. A few WESTERN GREBES were on the water and many BRANDT’S CORMORANTS were on the rocks. I saw all three species of Loons, PACIFIC LOON, COMMON LOON, and RED-THROATED LOON flying past and a few BONAPARTE’S GULLS. There was one RHINOCEROS AUKLET sitting on the water not too far out and many long lines of SURF SCOTERS paraded by. On the rocks below the platform there were two BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS, two WHIMBRELS, and one GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL. When I could no longer make out anything besides pelicans and gulls in the feeding frenzy I decided to try another look out spot. On the wires above the parking lot there were numerous TRI-COLORED BLACKBIRDS in with the Red-winged Blackbirds and one AMERICAN KESTREL. From the platform closer to the parking lot I saw one EARED GREBE, two fly-by RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS, and a few Harbor Porpoises, one of which completely came out of the water. On the way out of Pigeon Point I spotted a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK crossing Highway 1.
Across Highway 1 from Pigeon Point is Gazos Creek Road. This little used road follows Gazos Creek as it winds through Douglas Fir Forest and a mixed deciduous riparian habitat consisting of mainly Red Alder with some California Buckeye and a few Coast Live Oaks. On the other side of the road from the creek is a much drier south facing slope with mainly Coyote Bush. I parked in a pull out and walked a good portion of the road. WRENTITS were singing from the dry hillsides and the many WESTERN SCRUB-JAYS and STELLER’S JAYS were squawing. Early in the day there was a large flock of TOWNSEND’S WARBLERS, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, and CHESTNUT-BACKED CHECKADEES flitting about the Alder trees. I heard at least two HUTTON’S VIREOS singing. I also heard a high pitched song that I thought could be Brown Creeper or Kinglet. I finally tracked one down and it was a GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET. In the Coyote Bushes I found a small flock of sparrows including Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW, and one WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, a rare winter visitor in California. Two huge flocks of BAND-TAILED PIGEONS flew overhead. As I walked down the road I was surprised to flush two WILSON’S SNIPES from a water filled ditch. Other birds I saw on Gazos Creek Road were one House Wren, one CALIFORNIA TOWHEE, one Dark-eyed Junco, one Downy Woodpecker, a few Northern Flickers, many Yellow-rumped Warblers, one HERMIT THRUSH, and the ubiquitous BLACK PHOEBE. I was unable to identify most of the numerous butterflies flying around the area. The only ones I recognized were Monarch, Red Admiral, California Sister, Cabbage White, and Pale Swallowtail. After a band of noisy motorcycles repeatedly flushed the White-throated Sparrow I was trying to photograph I decided to try for a Marbled Murrelet at Ano Nuevo State Reserve. Ano Nuevo is just seven miles south of Gazos Creek and is the most popular state park in California. It was set aside for the sole purpose of protecting the Northern Elephant Seal which breeds there. I walked the two mile trail to Bight Beach but it was closed so I walked out to North Beach where I finally found a lone MARBLED MURRELET. Marbled Murrelets breed in the very tops of Redwood Trees in northern California and then fly off to sea after the chicks have fledged. They are year round residents here but because they are so tiny they are easily overlooked unless the sea is calm.
There were many of the same birds at Ano Nuevo as at Pigeon Point plus a large flock of BLACK TURNSTONES and SANDERLINGS, and one MARBLED GODWIT. I stopped by a pond on the way back to the parking area and saw a few RUDDY DUCKS, AMERICAN COOTS, EARED GREBES, and one SNOWY EGRET. A few TURKEY VULTURES circled overhead along with two NORTHERN HARRIERS.
After Ano Nuevo I headed north on Highway 1 and tried again to photograph the White-throated Sparrow without success. I found it easily enough but every time I was ready it either flew or a car drove by and flushed it. Due to the lateness of the hour, 3:30 PM, and the warmness of the day there was little bird activity so I left there and continued up Highway 1 to Pescadero Marsh. It was high tide so there were no shorebirds but VIRGINIA’S RAILS and MARSH WRENS were calling from the marsh and I was delighted to find five BLUE-WINGED TEALS (rare in California) along with some AMERICAN WIGEONS, BUFFLEHEADS, NORTHERN SHOVELERS, and one CANADA GOOSE. My last stop was really just to use the bathroom at San Gregorio State Beach but I did check the gull flock there. It was mostly composed of Heerman’s Gulls, Western Gulls, and CALIFORNIA GULLS. I was getting hungry and still had 45 miles to go to my house in San Francisco so it was time to end a glorious day of birding the San Mateo Coast.
San Mateo County lies just south of San Francisco County on the central coast of California. It is a much larger county than San Francisco, is much less urbanized, and contains a wide variety of habitats including coastal dunes, coastal scrub, Oak woodlands, Douglas Fir Forest, Redwood Forest, salt marsh, and mixed deciduous riparian, to name a few. The diversity of habitat provides abundant birding opportunities and makes possible an amazing county list of over 300 birds. Often the coast is foggy, windy, and extremely unpleasant but in October we usually have our best weather and today bore that out; it was sunny and warm with little or no wind with highs reaching 70 at the coast and much warmer inland. In a word it was spectacular.
I left my house at 6:00 AM intending to start before sun up looking for Short-eared Owls in Half Moon Bay. I made a wrong turn onto Highway 1 after reaching the end of Highway 92 and by the time I realized my error, it was already dawn. I pulled into Wavecrest Drive in Half Moon Bay and drove to the end and parked. I didn’t even need my spotlight by that time. Earlier while it was still dark I had seen a small owl perched on a telephone wire but could not identify it to species. At Wavecrest I neither heard nor saw any owls. There were about six WHITE-TAILED HAWKS hawking even before the sun came up and one Northern Harrier. I heard some LINCOLN’S SPARROWS buzzing but never saw one. I did see one SAVANNAH SPARROW though. It was a very chilly 47 degrees before the sun had a chance to warm everything up and I had left my gloves in the car, so I didn’t linger too long there when it became obvious I had arrived too late for the Short-eared Owls. Oh well, maybe tomorrow.
I continued down Highway 1 which runs along the immediate coast, to Pigeon Point Lighthouse. Since the Pigeon Point sticks so far out into the ocean it makes a nice place to look for seabirds. Many people had been reporting Black-vented Shearwaters and I was anxious to find one as this would be a life bird for me. I was a bit behind schedule arriving only at 8:00 AM but I was lucky there was a feeding frenzy not far off shore from the viewing platform. Hundreds of BROWN PELICANS were diving into the water for whatever unfortunate school of fish was there for the feeding. HEERMAN’S GULLS were frantically diving after the pelicans trying to lap up any of their left overs. Also in the feeding frenzy were of course our resident Western Gulls and then finally I detected two much smaller birds diving with the pelicans and gulls into the fray with all black backs and all white underparts save for the undertail coverts—two BLACK-VENTED SHEARWATERS! Many COMMON MURRES were flying back and forth but no Marbled Murrelets that I could pick out. A few WESTERN GREBES were on the water and many BRANDT’S CORMORANTS were on the rocks. I saw all three species of Loons, PACIFIC LOON, COMMON LOON, and RED-THROATED LOON flying past and a few BONAPARTE’S GULLS. There was one RHINOCEROS AUKLET sitting on the water not too far out and many long lines of SURF SCOTERS paraded by. On the rocks below the platform there were two BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS, two WHIMBRELS, and one GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL. When I could no longer make out anything besides pelicans and gulls in the feeding frenzy I decided to try another look out spot. On the wires above the parking lot there were numerous TRI-COLORED BLACKBIRDS in with the Red-winged Blackbirds and one AMERICAN KESTREL. From the platform closer to the parking lot I saw one EARED GREBE, two fly-by RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS, and a few Harbor Porpoises, one of which completely came out of the water. On the way out of Pigeon Point I spotted a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK crossing Highway 1.
Across Highway 1 from Pigeon Point is Gazos Creek Road. This little used road follows Gazos Creek as it winds through Douglas Fir Forest and a mixed deciduous riparian habitat consisting of mainly Red Alder with some California Buckeye and a few Coast Live Oaks. On the other side of the road from the creek is a much drier south facing slope with mainly Coyote Bush. I parked in a pull out and walked a good portion of the road. WRENTITS were singing from the dry hillsides and the many WESTERN SCRUB-JAYS and STELLER’S JAYS were squawing. Early in the day there was a large flock of TOWNSEND’S WARBLERS, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, and CHESTNUT-BACKED CHECKADEES flitting about the Alder trees. I heard at least two HUTTON’S VIREOS singing. I also heard a high pitched song that I thought could be Brown Creeper or Kinglet. I finally tracked one down and it was a GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET. In the Coyote Bushes I found a small flock of sparrows including Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW, and one WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, a rare winter visitor in California. Two huge flocks of BAND-TAILED PIGEONS flew overhead. As I walked down the road I was surprised to flush two WILSON’S SNIPES from a water filled ditch. Other birds I saw on Gazos Creek Road were one House Wren, one CALIFORNIA TOWHEE, one Dark-eyed Junco, one Downy Woodpecker, a few Northern Flickers, many Yellow-rumped Warblers, one HERMIT THRUSH, and the ubiquitous BLACK PHOEBE. I was unable to identify most of the numerous butterflies flying around the area. The only ones I recognized were Monarch, Red Admiral, California Sister, Cabbage White, and Pale Swallowtail. After a band of noisy motorcycles repeatedly flushed the White-throated Sparrow I was trying to photograph I decided to try for a Marbled Murrelet at Ano Nuevo State Reserve. Ano Nuevo is just seven miles south of Gazos Creek and is the most popular state park in California. It was set aside for the sole purpose of protecting the Northern Elephant Seal which breeds there. I walked the two mile trail to Bight Beach but it was closed so I walked out to North Beach where I finally found a lone MARBLED MURRELET. Marbled Murrelets breed in the very tops of Redwood Trees in northern California and then fly off to sea after the chicks have fledged. They are year round residents here but because they are so tiny they are easily overlooked unless the sea is calm.
There were many of the same birds at Ano Nuevo as at Pigeon Point plus a large flock of BLACK TURNSTONES and SANDERLINGS, and one MARBLED GODWIT. I stopped by a pond on the way back to the parking area and saw a few RUDDY DUCKS, AMERICAN COOTS, EARED GREBES, and one SNOWY EGRET. A few TURKEY VULTURES circled overhead along with two NORTHERN HARRIERS.
After Ano Nuevo I headed north on Highway 1 and tried again to photograph the White-throated Sparrow without success. I found it easily enough but every time I was ready it either flew or a car drove by and flushed it. Due to the lateness of the hour, 3:30 PM, and the warmness of the day there was little bird activity so I left there and continued up Highway 1 to Pescadero Marsh. It was high tide so there were no shorebirds but VIRGINIA’S RAILS and MARSH WRENS were calling from the marsh and I was delighted to find five BLUE-WINGED TEALS (rare in California) along with some AMERICAN WIGEONS, BUFFLEHEADS, NORTHERN SHOVELERS, and one CANADA GOOSE. My last stop was really just to use the bathroom at San Gregorio State Beach but I did check the gull flock there. It was mostly composed of Heerman’s Gulls, Western Gulls, and CALIFORNIA GULLS. I was getting hungry and still had 45 miles to go to my house in San Francisco so it was time to end a glorious day of birding the San Mateo Coast.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Birding San Francisco: October 18,19, 2006
October 18, 2006
I arrived at S. Lake Merced at dawn and went straight to the east shore of the lake. Immediately I saw one VIRGINIA RAIL and two GREEN HERONS. Another rail flushed and got away. I listened for the kek,kek, kek of the Least Bittern but still after three days none of the early morning bird songs match that I can detect. A SORA was calling and a Great Blue Heron flew by but that was it. In exploring further north of the east shore I discovered two cowering RING-NECKED PHEASANTS, released birds no doubt. On the lake there were several RING-NECKED DUCKS, Ruddy Ducks, and Mallards. The only warblers were Common Yellowthroat and Yellow-rumped Warbler. A HUTTON'S VIREO was scolding from the willows and there was the ever present Black Phoebe and Red-winged Blackbirds. I saw my first of season MEW GULL mixed in with the Western Gulls and California Gulls.
After work duties I stopped by El Polin Spring. I set up beside the spring and many birds flew in to bathe and drink, including many Yellow-rumped Warblers, Townsend's Warblers, and HERMIT THRUSHES. A first of season VARIED THRUSH flew into the overhanging trees but I was unable to photograph or videotape it. Two HUTTON'S VIREOS came to bathe and then I was surprised to see two CHIPPING SPARROWS in the springs (rare in San Francisco). There were also many Northern Flickers, an unidentified woodpecker that looked suspiciously like a Gila but I couldn't get a bead on it before it flew off, Downy Woodpecker, Red-tailed Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW, White-crowned Sparrow, House Finch, and LESSER GOLDFINCH.
The next day, October 19,2006 I decided to try a sea watch. There had been numerous reports of Black-vented Shearwaters seen from shore lately, a bird I have never seen, and I was hoping for that. I arrived at dawn at Pt. Lobos (Sutro Baths/Cliff House area) and started searching. Immediately there were numerous Elegant Terns fishing off shore, a good sign for Jaegers. Sure enough there were soon Jaegers chasing terns. I had 12 PARASITIC JAEGERS, one POMARINE JAEGER, and best of all one LONG-TAILED JAEGER. Long-tailed Jaeger is the most rare from shore and the first I have ever seen from shore. It was a light morph juvenile and had an obvious whitish head. It even landed on the water briefly. I saw no shearwaters at all but was thrilled to see all those jaegers. There were also a few Forster's Terns, three BLACk OYSTERCATCHERS, one Common Loon, two RED-THROATED LOONS, four COMMON MURRES, many Brandt's Cormorants, Brown Pelicans, Western Gulls, and HEERMAN'S GULLS. I also saw one Snowy Egret in Sutro Baths along with some Coots.
My next stop before starting my work day was a brief one at El Polin Spring. There were many Northern Flickers, one Downy Woodpecker, one Varied Thrush (heard only), some Hermit Thrushes, TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS, many Yellow-rumped Warblers, one Brown Creeper (HO), Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Red-tailed Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, and a flock of our resident RED-MASKED PARAKEETS. Then it was off to the work-a-day world.
I arrived at S. Lake Merced at dawn and went straight to the east shore of the lake. Immediately I saw one VIRGINIA RAIL and two GREEN HERONS. Another rail flushed and got away. I listened for the kek,kek, kek of the Least Bittern but still after three days none of the early morning bird songs match that I can detect. A SORA was calling and a Great Blue Heron flew by but that was it. In exploring further north of the east shore I discovered two cowering RING-NECKED PHEASANTS, released birds no doubt. On the lake there were several RING-NECKED DUCKS, Ruddy Ducks, and Mallards. The only warblers were Common Yellowthroat and Yellow-rumped Warbler. A HUTTON'S VIREO was scolding from the willows and there was the ever present Black Phoebe and Red-winged Blackbirds. I saw my first of season MEW GULL mixed in with the Western Gulls and California Gulls.
After work duties I stopped by El Polin Spring. I set up beside the spring and many birds flew in to bathe and drink, including many Yellow-rumped Warblers, Townsend's Warblers, and HERMIT THRUSHES. A first of season VARIED THRUSH flew into the overhanging trees but I was unable to photograph or videotape it. Two HUTTON'S VIREOS came to bathe and then I was surprised to see two CHIPPING SPARROWS in the springs (rare in San Francisco). There were also many Northern Flickers, an unidentified woodpecker that looked suspiciously like a Gila but I couldn't get a bead on it before it flew off, Downy Woodpecker, Red-tailed Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW, White-crowned Sparrow, House Finch, and LESSER GOLDFINCH.
The next day, October 19,2006 I decided to try a sea watch. There had been numerous reports of Black-vented Shearwaters seen from shore lately, a bird I have never seen, and I was hoping for that. I arrived at dawn at Pt. Lobos (Sutro Baths/Cliff House area) and started searching. Immediately there were numerous Elegant Terns fishing off shore, a good sign for Jaegers. Sure enough there were soon Jaegers chasing terns. I had 12 PARASITIC JAEGERS, one POMARINE JAEGER, and best of all one LONG-TAILED JAEGER. Long-tailed Jaeger is the most rare from shore and the first I have ever seen from shore. It was a light morph juvenile and had an obvious whitish head. It even landed on the water briefly. I saw no shearwaters at all but was thrilled to see all those jaegers. There were also a few Forster's Terns, three BLACk OYSTERCATCHERS, one Common Loon, two RED-THROATED LOONS, four COMMON MURRES, many Brandt's Cormorants, Brown Pelicans, Western Gulls, and HEERMAN'S GULLS. I also saw one Snowy Egret in Sutro Baths along with some Coots.
My next stop before starting my work day was a brief one at El Polin Spring. There were many Northern Flickers, one Downy Woodpecker, one Varied Thrush (heard only), some Hermit Thrushes, TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS, many Yellow-rumped Warblers, one Brown Creeper (HO), Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Red-tailed Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, and a flock of our resident RED-MASKED PARAKEETS. Then it was off to the work-a-day world.
Monday, October 16, 2006
The Challenges of Birding while Working: 10/16/06
For the past three months I have gotten out of bed at 5:15 AM in order to get some birding in before my work day begins. This requires me to either pull rain pants over my business suit or wear old clothes and bring my business suit to change into after birding for an hour or so. Today I just didn't have the energy to get up before my 8:30 AM hearing to look for birds. With the days getting shorter and shorter it is becoming increasingly difficult to bird at all before work. Last night it rained. I thought maybe the rains would push something interesting in so today I threw an extra set of clothes, jacket, and walking shoes and socks in the car and after disposing of my hearings fairly quickly headed over to what I call the MacArthur Street Ditch in the Presidio. The ditch has been full of water since I first discovered it last Monday when I saw a BALTIMORE ORIOLE in the weedy field beside the ditch. Our regular orioles are Bullock's and Hooded both of which breed in San Francisco, but they have all long since departed. Ocassionally we get a lost Orchard Oriole in the fall and last year one over wintered at Ft. Mason Community Garden. Baltimore Oriole is very rare in the City though. So it was a good find and had me returning to the ditch every day for a week to look for more goodies. It requires a great deal of energy to get up early, trudge off in the dark, look for birds, change clothes in the car, and then go to work and work hard all day.
Today I was surprised to find three Yellow Warblers and one Common Yellowthroat at MacArthur. I thought all the Yellow Warblers had left by now as I saw none all week long. So I was thinking there must be something really rare lurking in there too but I couldn't find it. I was also pressed for time as I had to change after birding and return for my afternoon hearings. About 100 yards from the ditch is a spring, called El Polin Spring, that attracts a lot of birds but is unforunately situated in the Presidio in an area where professional dog walkers like to let their dogs off leash so the can defecate and harass the wildlife. Last week I had an ugly encounter with a professional dog walker, Hot Diggity Dog Walking Service, after he parked in front of the spring and watered and fed his nine dogs for the third day in a row. This is a leash only area but the law is largely ignored in this dog rules the world town. Mr. Hot Diggity was unable to watch that many dogs and so of course when one defecated in the picnic area he didn't pick it up, also against park rules. I told him it was rude to park his truck in front of the spring preventing other people and animals from using it and he claimed the park police told him it was OK (the Presidio is a National Park). I pointed out that he was not allowed to have that many dogs and that he was supposed to pick up after his dogs. He ignored me so I called the Park Police and he ran off to tie three of the dogs up away from the spring so he wouldn't get a ticket for having more than the allowed number of dogs. I was so relieved he wasn't there today, although I did have my phone with me to call the park police again just in case. All I saw at the spring were a bunch of Yellow-rumped Warblers. On October 20, 2005 I found a Wood Thrush, only a second county record and very rare for California in general, at this spring and I keep hoping for some other similar rarity this year but it never happens.
I walked back to the ditch and saw some Fox Sparrows, Song Sparrows, Lincoln's Sparrows, House Finches, and Anna's Hummingbirds. I only heard one Hermit Thrush although normally there are many as they winter here.
I made a brief stop at Lobos Creek Trail also in the Presidio but all I saw there were Northern Mockingbird, White-crowned Sparrows, heard another Lincoln's Sparrow, one Scrub Jay, and a Red-tailed Hawk.
On my way back for my afternoon hearings I stopped at Crissy Field which borders the Bay with outstanding views of the Golden Gate Bridge. This area was recently restored by the park with native plants and is a haven for the endangered Snowy Plover. They really have no chance though due to the large number of off-leash dogs there and to my knowledge have never nested there. In Crissy Lagoon I saw Least Sandpiper, Great Egret, Long-billed Curlew, Double-crested Cormorant, Killdeer, Pied-billed Grebe, Ring-billed Gull, and Western Gull. An American Kestrel was hawking over the lawn (hard to find in the City). Then it was time to change my clothes back to my business suit and back for an afternoon of work. The sun had finally come out after the depressing and chilly weekend weather but it was all inside the rest of the day for me. Ah, the challenges of birding while working.
Today I was surprised to find three Yellow Warblers and one Common Yellowthroat at MacArthur. I thought all the Yellow Warblers had left by now as I saw none all week long. So I was thinking there must be something really rare lurking in there too but I couldn't find it. I was also pressed for time as I had to change after birding and return for my afternoon hearings. About 100 yards from the ditch is a spring, called El Polin Spring, that attracts a lot of birds but is unforunately situated in the Presidio in an area where professional dog walkers like to let their dogs off leash so the can defecate and harass the wildlife. Last week I had an ugly encounter with a professional dog walker, Hot Diggity Dog Walking Service, after he parked in front of the spring and watered and fed his nine dogs for the third day in a row. This is a leash only area but the law is largely ignored in this dog rules the world town. Mr. Hot Diggity was unable to watch that many dogs and so of course when one defecated in the picnic area he didn't pick it up, also against park rules. I told him it was rude to park his truck in front of the spring preventing other people and animals from using it and he claimed the park police told him it was OK (the Presidio is a National Park). I pointed out that he was not allowed to have that many dogs and that he was supposed to pick up after his dogs. He ignored me so I called the Park Police and he ran off to tie three of the dogs up away from the spring so he wouldn't get a ticket for having more than the allowed number of dogs. I was so relieved he wasn't there today, although I did have my phone with me to call the park police again just in case. All I saw at the spring were a bunch of Yellow-rumped Warblers. On October 20, 2005 I found a Wood Thrush, only a second county record and very rare for California in general, at this spring and I keep hoping for some other similar rarity this year but it never happens.
I walked back to the ditch and saw some Fox Sparrows, Song Sparrows, Lincoln's Sparrows, House Finches, and Anna's Hummingbirds. I only heard one Hermit Thrush although normally there are many as they winter here.
I made a brief stop at Lobos Creek Trail also in the Presidio but all I saw there were Northern Mockingbird, White-crowned Sparrows, heard another Lincoln's Sparrow, one Scrub Jay, and a Red-tailed Hawk.
On my way back for my afternoon hearings I stopped at Crissy Field which borders the Bay with outstanding views of the Golden Gate Bridge. This area was recently restored by the park with native plants and is a haven for the endangered Snowy Plover. They really have no chance though due to the large number of off-leash dogs there and to my knowledge have never nested there. In Crissy Lagoon I saw Least Sandpiper, Great Egret, Long-billed Curlew, Double-crested Cormorant, Killdeer, Pied-billed Grebe, Ring-billed Gull, and Western Gull. An American Kestrel was hawking over the lawn (hard to find in the City). Then it was time to change my clothes back to my business suit and back for an afternoon of work. The sun had finally come out after the depressing and chilly weekend weather but it was all inside the rest of the day for me. Ah, the challenges of birding while working.
Sunday, October 15, 2006
One of the Worst Days Birding Ever: 10/15/06
We started out in the dark headed toward the coast for a sea watch. On the way we stopped at the metal fishing pier at S. Lake Merced. I was leaning over the bridge to get a photo of a Virgnia Rail that was just four feet away when plop my lens cap fell into Lake Merced. I was unable to retrieve it. There were also two Soras. We continued on to Ft. Funston Viewing Platform where 25 MPH winds blew into our faces for an hour. The temperature was about 46 degrees with the wind chill factor and we saw nothing very interesting at all. The best birds were one Pacific Loon and a few Common Murres.
In the Ft. Funston Grove all we could come up with were Townsend’s Warbler and Fox Sparrow. We returned home to get a retriever and then back to S. Lake Merced where I dangled out over the fishing pier trying to move some debris to see if my lens cap was still there and couldn't refind it. Ten Chasers were on the Concrete Bridge chasing the non-existent Least Bittern reported by someone no one who birds here has ever heard of, Juan Carlos (I believe it was a hoax)looking at me dangling from the fishing pier like I was nuts. Next we tried the Lake Merced Boathouse and only saw Great Blue Heron and Snowy Egret.
At N. Lake Merced the best birds were Eared Grebe, Horned Grebe, Clark’s Grebe, Western Grebe, Common Yellowthroat, and Ruddy Duck.
Next we tried a new place in Golden Gate Park called Beach Chalet. But the only things there were Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Bushtit, and White-crowned Sparrow.
None of the great birds from yesterday were at East Fort Miley probably due to the lateness of the hour and that it was overcast and very cold. All we could come up with there was Say’s Phoebe, Black Phoebe, Hermit Thrush, Golden-crowned Sparrow, and White-crowned Sparrow.
We decided to give up and made our last stop the MacArthur Ditch. The only birds there were Hermit Thrush, Townsend’s Warbler, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, and White-crowned Sparrow. I didn't even bother to count the number of species because it was such a bad day of birding. What happened to our great fall weather we usually have here in San Francisco? It was like winter today in terms of weather and birds.
In the Ft. Funston Grove all we could come up with were Townsend’s Warbler and Fox Sparrow. We returned home to get a retriever and then back to S. Lake Merced where I dangled out over the fishing pier trying to move some debris to see if my lens cap was still there and couldn't refind it. Ten Chasers were on the Concrete Bridge chasing the non-existent Least Bittern reported by someone no one who birds here has ever heard of, Juan Carlos (I believe it was a hoax)looking at me dangling from the fishing pier like I was nuts. Next we tried the Lake Merced Boathouse and only saw Great Blue Heron and Snowy Egret.
At N. Lake Merced the best birds were Eared Grebe, Horned Grebe, Clark’s Grebe, Western Grebe, Common Yellowthroat, and Ruddy Duck.
Next we tried a new place in Golden Gate Park called Beach Chalet. But the only things there were Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Bushtit, and White-crowned Sparrow.
None of the great birds from yesterday were at East Fort Miley probably due to the lateness of the hour and that it was overcast and very cold. All we could come up with there was Say’s Phoebe, Black Phoebe, Hermit Thrush, Golden-crowned Sparrow, and White-crowned Sparrow.
We decided to give up and made our last stop the MacArthur Ditch. The only birds there were Hermit Thrush, Townsend’s Warbler, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, and White-crowned Sparrow. I didn't even bother to count the number of species because it was such a bad day of birding. What happened to our great fall weather we usually have here in San Francisco? It was like winter today in terms of weather and birds.
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Birding San Francisco: October 14, 2006
I started out at dawn at the Cliff House for a sea watch. Hundreds of Elegant Terns were flying south but I only found two Parasitic Jaegers harassing them. I saw all three loons, Common Loon, Pacific Loon, and Red-throated Loon. There were a few Common Murres flying back and forth and several Black Turnstones on the rocks.
Next I stopped at E. Fort Miley which is part of the GGNRA behind the VA Hospital. There were many birds flying about the open area including, California Towhee, a first of season White-throated Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Hermit Thrush, and Song Sparrow. I heard a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and a Downy Woodpecker and a Red-shouldered Hawk flew in as I was leaving. I walked behind the Palace of Legion of Honor the the East Wash which runs down the Coast Trail between tees on the Lincoln Park Golf Course. There were many volunteers pulling out non-native plants in the wash but despite the activity there were many birds in the wash as well. I saw Townsend’s Warbler, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Purple Finch, Anna’s Hummingbird, and Fox Sparrow.
From there I drove to MacArthur Street in the Presidio and parked. I walked along the drainage ditch where I had the Baltimore Oriole last Monday and saw Townsend’s Warbler, a late Yellow Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Hermit Thrush, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, and House Finch. I walked over to El Polin Spring to see if any interesting thrushes had arrived and not finding any I proceeded up the trail that goes up to Inspiration Point. On October 20, 2005 I found a second county record Wood Thrush on this trail but today there was little activity. It was an overcast cool day. On my way back down the trail I saw a birder peering into the spring and saw it was the dreaded, arrogant Paul Saraceni. I did not want to ruin this fine morning by having to talk to the Doubting Thomas who refused to acknowledge my second county record Lark Bunting last year. I will never forgive him for that. So I tried to turn around and make it to my car through the woods. Unfortunately I got enmeshed in a blackberry ramble on a steep slope. I was afraid the residents were going to call the park police on me or worse that I would be crawling out of the woods when those boys were on their way up the trail and would have to make something up like I saw an owl or something. I got back on the Inspiration Point Trail and then headed north on a perpendicular trail that got me back to drainage ditch and back to my car.
From there I drove to Lobos Creek where there was very little activity except for:
Red-tailed Hawk, Townsend’s Warbler, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Pygmy Nuthatch, Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Then I moved on to Kobbe & Upton where I saw two Red-tailed Hawks, Red-shouldered Hawk, Northern Mockingbird, Hermit Thrush, American Robin, Yellow-rumped Warbler, and Townsend’s Warbler. I was going to look for raptors from Ft. Scott but it was partly cloudy and after 40 minutes not a single raptor so I left.
Since I wasn't having much luck I decided to look for the American Bittern that had been report from North Lake in Golden Gate Park. I am not a chaser and I am not a lister. I have one list-- my North American Birds list and that is it. I think listers and chasers are completely neurotic. I figured it was safe to look for the bird due to the hour 2:00 PM and that most people had already seen it. I looked from the west side of the lake to the east side where it had been reported and saw a birder on a bike. After awhile he pedaled over to me and it was Matt Zlatunich, one of the nice Big Year Participants from last year. He told me about a Tropical Kingbird he had found and sure enough there it was flycatching right above us. We couldn't find the Bittern but saw a late Warbling Vireo in the willows and then Matt left. As I was heading back to my car I could have sworn I saw a Great-tailed Grackle and was looking when this man approached me and asked if I wanted to see the Bittern. I said sure and there it was right out in the open beside the lake on the west side. The Tropical Kingbird was in the trees above it making a very memorable for the small group of birders who had collected there. Other birds at North Lake were Townsend’s Warbler, American Wigeon, and Common Yellowthroat.
I tried Middle Lake but there was a huge party going on with very loud music and drinking and all I saw was a Great Egret.
Next stop was N. Lake Merced which has not had much this season due to the construction to install the statue of Juan Bautista de Anza and the removal of several vile eucalyptus trees. I did see Ruddy Duck, Eared Grebe, Marsh Wren, and American Goldfinch.
There had been a few juicy sightings at S. Lake Merced the day before and in the morning so I was hesitant to go there but I thought at this late hour who would be there (it was nearly 5;00 PM). Silly me. There were three chasers there chasing. I didn't see any of the sighted birds, Least Bittern, White-winged Dove, or Philadelphia Vireo but I did find 2 Soras, a Green Heron, and a Common Moorhen. I also saw one Yellow Warbler and a Common Yellowthroat and that was the end of a fabulous day of birding San Francisco County. Total species: 76
Next I stopped at E. Fort Miley which is part of the GGNRA behind the VA Hospital. There were many birds flying about the open area including, California Towhee, a first of season White-throated Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Hermit Thrush, and Song Sparrow. I heard a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and a Downy Woodpecker and a Red-shouldered Hawk flew in as I was leaving. I walked behind the Palace of Legion of Honor the the East Wash which runs down the Coast Trail between tees on the Lincoln Park Golf Course. There were many volunteers pulling out non-native plants in the wash but despite the activity there were many birds in the wash as well. I saw Townsend’s Warbler, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Purple Finch, Anna’s Hummingbird, and Fox Sparrow.
From there I drove to MacArthur Street in the Presidio and parked. I walked along the drainage ditch where I had the Baltimore Oriole last Monday and saw Townsend’s Warbler, a late Yellow Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Hermit Thrush, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, and House Finch. I walked over to El Polin Spring to see if any interesting thrushes had arrived and not finding any I proceeded up the trail that goes up to Inspiration Point. On October 20, 2005 I found a second county record Wood Thrush on this trail but today there was little activity. It was an overcast cool day. On my way back down the trail I saw a birder peering into the spring and saw it was the dreaded, arrogant Paul Saraceni. I did not want to ruin this fine morning by having to talk to the Doubting Thomas who refused to acknowledge my second county record Lark Bunting last year. I will never forgive him for that. So I tried to turn around and make it to my car through the woods. Unfortunately I got enmeshed in a blackberry ramble on a steep slope. I was afraid the residents were going to call the park police on me or worse that I would be crawling out of the woods when those boys were on their way up the trail and would have to make something up like I saw an owl or something. I got back on the Inspiration Point Trail and then headed north on a perpendicular trail that got me back to drainage ditch and back to my car.
From there I drove to Lobos Creek where there was very little activity except for:
Red-tailed Hawk, Townsend’s Warbler, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Pygmy Nuthatch, Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Then I moved on to Kobbe & Upton where I saw two Red-tailed Hawks, Red-shouldered Hawk, Northern Mockingbird, Hermit Thrush, American Robin, Yellow-rumped Warbler, and Townsend’s Warbler. I was going to look for raptors from Ft. Scott but it was partly cloudy and after 40 minutes not a single raptor so I left.
Since I wasn't having much luck I decided to look for the American Bittern that had been report from North Lake in Golden Gate Park. I am not a chaser and I am not a lister. I have one list-- my North American Birds list and that is it. I think listers and chasers are completely neurotic. I figured it was safe to look for the bird due to the hour 2:00 PM and that most people had already seen it. I looked from the west side of the lake to the east side where it had been reported and saw a birder on a bike. After awhile he pedaled over to me and it was Matt Zlatunich, one of the nice Big Year Participants from last year. He told me about a Tropical Kingbird he had found and sure enough there it was flycatching right above us. We couldn't find the Bittern but saw a late Warbling Vireo in the willows and then Matt left. As I was heading back to my car I could have sworn I saw a Great-tailed Grackle and was looking when this man approached me and asked if I wanted to see the Bittern. I said sure and there it was right out in the open beside the lake on the west side. The Tropical Kingbird was in the trees above it making a very memorable for the small group of birders who had collected there. Other birds at North Lake were Townsend’s Warbler, American Wigeon, and Common Yellowthroat.
I tried Middle Lake but there was a huge party going on with very loud music and drinking and all I saw was a Great Egret.
Next stop was N. Lake Merced which has not had much this season due to the construction to install the statue of Juan Bautista de Anza and the removal of several vile eucalyptus trees. I did see Ruddy Duck, Eared Grebe, Marsh Wren, and American Goldfinch.
There had been a few juicy sightings at S. Lake Merced the day before and in the morning so I was hesitant to go there but I thought at this late hour who would be there (it was nearly 5;00 PM). Silly me. There were three chasers there chasing. I didn't see any of the sighted birds, Least Bittern, White-winged Dove, or Philadelphia Vireo but I did find 2 Soras, a Green Heron, and a Common Moorhen. I also saw one Yellow Warbler and a Common Yellowthroat and that was the end of a fabulous day of birding San Francisco County. Total species: 76
Sunday, October 08, 2006
BIRDING SAN FRANCISCO, A FALL CLASSIC
Friday, October 6, 2006
I had to work and so I could only bird part of the day. I started out before work at dawn at South Lake Merced, a large lake just inland from the Pacific Ocean, and a magnet for migrants and vagrants alike. I started out walking to the end of a metal fishing pier where I was delighted to see 3 Soras and 2 Virginia Rails. Next I walked down the famous Concrete Bridge, a bridge that spans the lake and an impoundment pond to the east of the lake. This bridge has been the site of many rare birds over the years and is known throughout California as a rare bird hot spot. On this day I could not relocate the rarities I had seen the day before, Tropical Kingbird, American Redstart, or Palm Warbler and only saw a fly over American Wigeon and a Green Heron. So I left the bridge and headed across the street to the equally famous, Vista Grande Canal. This is basically a paved drainage ditch which directs our runoff to the ocean instead of the lake which is our emergency water source. The canal is lined with cypress trees, oaks, and eucalyptus trees making a sort of urban riparian corridor that attracts migrants in the spring and fall. All I could squeeze out of it today were some Townsend's Warblers and a Lincoln Sparrow.
Next I continued around the lake to the Boathouse. I mostly just wanted to use the always clean restroom there. But upon exiting the bathroom was struck by a low-perched Red-shouldered Hawk that let me get within 10 feet. So I decided that before leaving for work I would check the shrubs around the pier access road and was surprised to find an early SWAMP SPARROW in the myoporum bush. After work I drove to the VA Hospital and parked my car. From there I walked into the NPS area known locally as East Fort Miley. A short trail leads to a picnic area lined with cypress trees and a small open area with lupine and sage. There were many western migrants in the trees and the open area including Townsend's Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Hermit Thrush, Say's Phoebe, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Western Meadowlark, and one Purple Finch. After satisfying myself I had identified all the birds there I continued to Lobos Creek Trail and my secret spot. Lobos Creek runs through the Presidio National Park which is part of Golden Gate National Rrecreation Area. The area was abused by the military while it was a military base but since becoming a national park has undergone extensive rehabilitation including planting of extensive native plants. Unfortunately the creek itself is fenced off and inaccessible to the public. On September 24, 2005 I was walking this trail and saw a second county record, Lark Bunting. So forever after I call it the Lark Bunting Memorial Trail. This day I only saw Zonotrichia Sparrows. I crossed the street to my secret spot which is a series of informal trails used to access Baker Beach. It also overlooks the only accessible part of Lobos Creek and contains a flowering eucalyptus tree which attracts migrating birds. In there I saw three EURASIAN-COLLARED DOVES, Townsend's Warblers, one Hutton's Vireo, and a Western Tanager. Next I stopped at the intersection of Kobbe and Upton also in the Presidio. This area contains some non-native Fan Palms that have made Hooded Orioles a common breeder in the spring. The area has also become a magnet for vagrants in recent years due to the open abandoned Fort Scott parade grounds, proximity to flyway for migrating raptors, and flowering eucaplyptus trees and watered lawns of park residences there. Due to the lateness of the hour I could only scrounge up a lone Band-tailed Pigeon and a resident Red-shouldered Hawk. From there I drove the short distance to El Polin Spring. On October 20, 2005 I found a Wood Thrush here, only a second county record of this rare western vagrant. The spring flows year round and therefore attracts many birds. On this day I saw Hermit Thrush, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Ruby-crowned Kinglet.
Saturday, October 7, 2006
I dragged myself out of bed at dawn and headed back down to South Lake Merced. I arrived in time to see the moon setting over the cypress trees that form the northern boundary of the rascist and reprehensible Olympic Club Golf Course. This also marks the San Francisco County line and the other side of the Canal. I started out on the metal fishing pier where I was treated to four Soras and two Virginia Rails. In the lake itself there were many Western Gulls and California Gulls as well as two Ring-necked Ducks, one Horned Grebe, and the Western Grebe and Clark's Grebe pairs that nested there this year. The only birds in the canal of interest were Townsend's Warblers and Yellow Warblers.
From there I drove around the lake and parked at Ft. Funston, site of an old WW II battery. This area is also part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area but has been overtaken by zealous dog walkers who are extremely hostile to birders. In past years it has hosted many rare birds but has been abandoned by most birders as too hostile to bother with. I occasionally will check it until too many off-leash dogs begin to bother me and I have to leave or worse I step in dog droppings. I was surprised to see two late migrating Western Wood-Pewees and the resident BEWICK'S WREN, which is scarce in SF. The only warbler was a Yellow-rumped.
I decided to skip my normal stops and proceed to the north end of SF due to an unpleasant encounter with my hated nemesis, David Armstrong, who has designated himself the San Francisco Bird Records Committee. He organized a San Francisco Big Year last year during which he became exremely competitive and overzealous to the point of accusing me of dreaming up birds. Things came to a boiling point on the day I found the Lark Bunting when he flat out accused me of making up the bird. When the San Francisco Bird Journal was published in April my Lark Bunting was absent and since then I have refused to contribute my many San Francisco sightings to their email list or any other forum besides the Rare Bird Alert. I kept scrupulous records and made numerous contributions last year including a first county record Blue-winged Warbler, which was accepted by the California Bird Records Committee, and the previously mentioned second county record, Wood Thrush, which was documented by video and numerous other observers. My relationship with the SF Bird Records Committee of one has subsequently been forever severed and I avoid any further contact with this odious individual. Unfortunately San Francisco is only 16 square miles and so contact with other birders is inevitable. So after seeing this idiot in his ugly mint green car at Lake Merced I decided to alter my path and move to the other side of town. So I ended up next at Ft. Mason, an old military installation on the bay that has a great community garden that has also become an attractant to migrating birds. I walked the garden and saw Townsend's Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, a Western Tanager that has been there two weeks now, and about 14 Anna's Hummingbirds. Next I returned to El Polin Spring and set up my video camera. The sun was up and many warblers were flycatching from the sycamore and pepper tree there catching the many insects that had by then become active. I got some great video footage of Townsend's Warblers bathing in the spring and then was surprised to find a Hermit Warbler actively catching insects. It was difficult but I was finally able to zero in on it and capture a short video and picture which you can see at www.mdbrodie.com under bird photos.
I left the spring to check out Kobbe & Upton. The resident Red-shouldered Hawk was patrolling the parade grounds. In the trees I found a cooperative dull Western Flycatcher plus Northern Mockingbird, Orange-crowned Warbler, Townsend's Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Hermit Thrush, and Fox Sparrow.
From there I returned to Lobos Creek where a Red-tailed Hawk was patrolling and there were more Townsend's Warblers, Yellow Warblers, 3 Eurasian-collared Doves, and one calling Pacific-slope Flycatcher. I went from Lobos Creek to Golden Gate Park where I stopped at the famous Chain-of-Lakes. Middle Lake has been the most productive over the years and I usually just confine my stops to it. On this visit there was little activity other than more Townsend's Warblers and Fox Sparrows so I left and stopped by North Lake Merced. This is usually a great spot for migrants but has been disappointing this year due to the City's ignorant decision to tear up the parking lot and install the stupid statue of Juan Bautista de Anza. They also removed about 12 eucalyptus trees which was a good decision but which for now has left the birds dazed and confused. Maybe next year it will be good again. On this visit I found 10 Green-winged Teal, a rare bird in SF, Ruddy Ducks, Clark's Grebe, Eared Grebe, Common Yellowthroat, and American Goldfinch. The wind was picking up and there were few birds so I decided to end the day at Candelstick Point State Recreation Area which is near my house. This nice park provides one of the few public access points to the San Francisco Bay in San Francisco and is home to the last stand of SF Oak Trees and Fremontadendron, Coyote Brush and other native plants. Around the bay there were Black-bellied Plovers, Willets, fly-by Least Sandpipers, Spotted Sandpipers, Whimbrel, Long-billed Curlew, Black Turnstone (atypical in this location) Forster's Tern, an American Kestrel, and one Sharp-shinned Hawk.
Sunday, October 8, 2006
I was able to convince Susan to get up at dawn and accompany me on my last day of my San Francisco Birding Extravaganza. We arrived at Lake Merced a little late and there were only two Soras at the fishing pier and little at the concrete bridge. We checked the canal and there were few warblers but a large sparrow flock. There we saw one Lincoln's Sparrow and a big surprise, a CLAY-COLORED SPARROW on the fence between the canal and the pretentious Olympic Club Golf Course. The bird flew between the fence and golf course where I last saw it. There was another Western Wood-Pewee, one Hutton's Vireo, Townsend's Warblers, Yellow Warblers, and Ruby-crowned Kinglets as well as Brown Creepers and the ever present Pygmy Nuthatches.
We drove from Lake Merced to the Ft. Funston viewing platform for a sea watch. We spent too much time in the canal and I wasn't expecting much at this late hour. And indeed we saw no Jaegers or Shearwaters. However, as I was scanning the ocean I locked my scope on an interesting gull with a striking black leading edge, black stripe across the neck, and black tail band-- my first ever BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE! I called out the field marks to Susan as I studied it through the scope. It was fairly close to shore and I was able to clearly make out the diagnostic field marks. A few minutes later a BLACK SCOTER flew by. The only other birds of note were Red-throated Loon and Common Murre. At the Ft. Funston groves we found another Western Wood-Pewee, a Red-tailed Hawk, and a few Townsend's Warblers.
We stopped at North Lake Merced next and briefly saw a Sora flying in the reeds, another Eared Grebe, and one Lesser Goldfinch. Next we drove over to Lobos Dunes. We walked the restoration area but found nothing much so we walked from there down to the Lark Bunting Memorial Trail. An immature GOLDEN EAGLE flew overhead and we saw a Downy Woodpecker, more Townsend's Warblers, Mourning Doves, and 5 RED CROSSBILLS fly by.
Our next destination was Kobbe & Upton and the Ft. Scott Parade Grounds. Immediately we saw 4 Northern Harriers (a tough bird in SF) one Cooper's Hawk, a Turkey Vulture (another uncommon bird here) a the resident Red-shouldered Hawk. In the trees were Hermit Thrush, the Western Flycatcher that refused to sing, and more Northern Flickers. On the parade grounds were many Meadowlarks and one Say's Phoebe
For our last stop we went by one of the few public access areas to the Bay, Heron's Head. I walked out the path into the marsh area and saw one BLACK OYSTERCATCHER, more Black-bellied Plovers, Willets, Spotted Sandpipers, Brown Pelicans, Double-crested Cormorants, one Killdeer, Marbled Godwit, Least Sandpiper, two Elegant Terns fishing, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Whimbrel, Long-billed Curlew, and a few American Avocets.
Total species: 104
Green-winged Teal
Mallard
Ring-necked Duck
Black Scoter
Ruddy Duck
Red-throated Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Eared Grebe
Horned Grebe
Eared Grebe
Western Grebe
Clark's Grebe
Brown Pelican
Double-crested Cormorant
Brandt's Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Green Heron
Turkey Vulture
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Golden Eagle
American Kestrel
Virginia Rail
Sora
American Coot
Black-bellied Plover
Killdeer
Black Oystercatcher
American Avocet
Willet
Spotted Sandpiper
Whimbrel
Long-billed Curlew
Marbled Godwit
Black Turnstone
Least Sandpiper
California Gull
Herring Gull
Western Gull
Black-legged Kittiwake
Elegant Tern
Forster's Tern
Common Murre
Rock Pigeon
Band-tailed Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Anna's Hummingbird
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Western Wood-Pewee
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Black Phoebe
Say's Phoebe
Hutton's Vireo
Stellar's Jay
Western Scrub-Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Bushtit
Pygmy Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Bewick's Wren
Winter Wren
Marsh Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Orange-crowned Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Townsend's Warbler
Hermit Warbler
Palm Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Wilson's Warbler
Western Tanager
California Towhee
Clay-colored Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
Brewer's Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Purple Finch
House Finch
Red Crossbill
Lesser Goldfinch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
I had to work and so I could only bird part of the day. I started out before work at dawn at South Lake Merced, a large lake just inland from the Pacific Ocean, and a magnet for migrants and vagrants alike. I started out walking to the end of a metal fishing pier where I was delighted to see 3 Soras and 2 Virginia Rails. Next I walked down the famous Concrete Bridge, a bridge that spans the lake and an impoundment pond to the east of the lake. This bridge has been the site of many rare birds over the years and is known throughout California as a rare bird hot spot. On this day I could not relocate the rarities I had seen the day before, Tropical Kingbird, American Redstart, or Palm Warbler and only saw a fly over American Wigeon and a Green Heron. So I left the bridge and headed across the street to the equally famous, Vista Grande Canal. This is basically a paved drainage ditch which directs our runoff to the ocean instead of the lake which is our emergency water source. The canal is lined with cypress trees, oaks, and eucalyptus trees making a sort of urban riparian corridor that attracts migrants in the spring and fall. All I could squeeze out of it today were some Townsend's Warblers and a Lincoln Sparrow.
Next I continued around the lake to the Boathouse. I mostly just wanted to use the always clean restroom there. But upon exiting the bathroom was struck by a low-perched Red-shouldered Hawk that let me get within 10 feet. So I decided that before leaving for work I would check the shrubs around the pier access road and was surprised to find an early SWAMP SPARROW in the myoporum bush. After work I drove to the VA Hospital and parked my car. From there I walked into the NPS area known locally as East Fort Miley. A short trail leads to a picnic area lined with cypress trees and a small open area with lupine and sage. There were many western migrants in the trees and the open area including Townsend's Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Hermit Thrush, Say's Phoebe, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Western Meadowlark, and one Purple Finch. After satisfying myself I had identified all the birds there I continued to Lobos Creek Trail and my secret spot. Lobos Creek runs through the Presidio National Park which is part of Golden Gate National Rrecreation Area. The area was abused by the military while it was a military base but since becoming a national park has undergone extensive rehabilitation including planting of extensive native plants. Unfortunately the creek itself is fenced off and inaccessible to the public. On September 24, 2005 I was walking this trail and saw a second county record, Lark Bunting. So forever after I call it the Lark Bunting Memorial Trail. This day I only saw Zonotrichia Sparrows. I crossed the street to my secret spot which is a series of informal trails used to access Baker Beach. It also overlooks the only accessible part of Lobos Creek and contains a flowering eucalyptus tree which attracts migrating birds. In there I saw three EURASIAN-COLLARED DOVES, Townsend's Warblers, one Hutton's Vireo, and a Western Tanager. Next I stopped at the intersection of Kobbe and Upton also in the Presidio. This area contains some non-native Fan Palms that have made Hooded Orioles a common breeder in the spring. The area has also become a magnet for vagrants in recent years due to the open abandoned Fort Scott parade grounds, proximity to flyway for migrating raptors, and flowering eucaplyptus trees and watered lawns of park residences there. Due to the lateness of the hour I could only scrounge up a lone Band-tailed Pigeon and a resident Red-shouldered Hawk. From there I drove the short distance to El Polin Spring. On October 20, 2005 I found a Wood Thrush here, only a second county record of this rare western vagrant. The spring flows year round and therefore attracts many birds. On this day I saw Hermit Thrush, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Ruby-crowned Kinglet.
Saturday, October 7, 2006
I dragged myself out of bed at dawn and headed back down to South Lake Merced. I arrived in time to see the moon setting over the cypress trees that form the northern boundary of the rascist and reprehensible Olympic Club Golf Course. This also marks the San Francisco County line and the other side of the Canal. I started out on the metal fishing pier where I was treated to four Soras and two Virginia Rails. In the lake itself there were many Western Gulls and California Gulls as well as two Ring-necked Ducks, one Horned Grebe, and the Western Grebe and Clark's Grebe pairs that nested there this year. The only birds in the canal of interest were Townsend's Warblers and Yellow Warblers.
From there I drove around the lake and parked at Ft. Funston, site of an old WW II battery. This area is also part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area but has been overtaken by zealous dog walkers who are extremely hostile to birders. In past years it has hosted many rare birds but has been abandoned by most birders as too hostile to bother with. I occasionally will check it until too many off-leash dogs begin to bother me and I have to leave or worse I step in dog droppings. I was surprised to see two late migrating Western Wood-Pewees and the resident BEWICK'S WREN, which is scarce in SF. The only warbler was a Yellow-rumped.
I decided to skip my normal stops and proceed to the north end of SF due to an unpleasant encounter with my hated nemesis, David Armstrong, who has designated himself the San Francisco Bird Records Committee. He organized a San Francisco Big Year last year during which he became exremely competitive and overzealous to the point of accusing me of dreaming up birds. Things came to a boiling point on the day I found the Lark Bunting when he flat out accused me of making up the bird. When the San Francisco Bird Journal was published in April my Lark Bunting was absent and since then I have refused to contribute my many San Francisco sightings to their email list or any other forum besides the Rare Bird Alert. I kept scrupulous records and made numerous contributions last year including a first county record Blue-winged Warbler, which was accepted by the California Bird Records Committee, and the previously mentioned second county record, Wood Thrush, which was documented by video and numerous other observers. My relationship with the SF Bird Records Committee of one has subsequently been forever severed and I avoid any further contact with this odious individual. Unfortunately San Francisco is only 16 square miles and so contact with other birders is inevitable. So after seeing this idiot in his ugly mint green car at Lake Merced I decided to alter my path and move to the other side of town. So I ended up next at Ft. Mason, an old military installation on the bay that has a great community garden that has also become an attractant to migrating birds. I walked the garden and saw Townsend's Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, a Western Tanager that has been there two weeks now, and about 14 Anna's Hummingbirds. Next I returned to El Polin Spring and set up my video camera. The sun was up and many warblers were flycatching from the sycamore and pepper tree there catching the many insects that had by then become active. I got some great video footage of Townsend's Warblers bathing in the spring and then was surprised to find a Hermit Warbler actively catching insects. It was difficult but I was finally able to zero in on it and capture a short video and picture which you can see at www.mdbrodie.com under bird photos.
I left the spring to check out Kobbe & Upton. The resident Red-shouldered Hawk was patrolling the parade grounds. In the trees I found a cooperative dull Western Flycatcher plus Northern Mockingbird, Orange-crowned Warbler, Townsend's Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Hermit Thrush, and Fox Sparrow.
From there I returned to Lobos Creek where a Red-tailed Hawk was patrolling and there were more Townsend's Warblers, Yellow Warblers, 3 Eurasian-collared Doves, and one calling Pacific-slope Flycatcher. I went from Lobos Creek to Golden Gate Park where I stopped at the famous Chain-of-Lakes. Middle Lake has been the most productive over the years and I usually just confine my stops to it. On this visit there was little activity other than more Townsend's Warblers and Fox Sparrows so I left and stopped by North Lake Merced. This is usually a great spot for migrants but has been disappointing this year due to the City's ignorant decision to tear up the parking lot and install the stupid statue of Juan Bautista de Anza. They also removed about 12 eucalyptus trees which was a good decision but which for now has left the birds dazed and confused. Maybe next year it will be good again. On this visit I found 10 Green-winged Teal, a rare bird in SF, Ruddy Ducks, Clark's Grebe, Eared Grebe, Common Yellowthroat, and American Goldfinch. The wind was picking up and there were few birds so I decided to end the day at Candelstick Point State Recreation Area which is near my house. This nice park provides one of the few public access points to the San Francisco Bay in San Francisco and is home to the last stand of SF Oak Trees and Fremontadendron, Coyote Brush and other native plants. Around the bay there were Black-bellied Plovers, Willets, fly-by Least Sandpipers, Spotted Sandpipers, Whimbrel, Long-billed Curlew, Black Turnstone (atypical in this location) Forster's Tern, an American Kestrel, and one Sharp-shinned Hawk.
Sunday, October 8, 2006
I was able to convince Susan to get up at dawn and accompany me on my last day of my San Francisco Birding Extravaganza. We arrived at Lake Merced a little late and there were only two Soras at the fishing pier and little at the concrete bridge. We checked the canal and there were few warblers but a large sparrow flock. There we saw one Lincoln's Sparrow and a big surprise, a CLAY-COLORED SPARROW on the fence between the canal and the pretentious Olympic Club Golf Course. The bird flew between the fence and golf course where I last saw it. There was another Western Wood-Pewee, one Hutton's Vireo, Townsend's Warblers, Yellow Warblers, and Ruby-crowned Kinglets as well as Brown Creepers and the ever present Pygmy Nuthatches.
We drove from Lake Merced to the Ft. Funston viewing platform for a sea watch. We spent too much time in the canal and I wasn't expecting much at this late hour. And indeed we saw no Jaegers or Shearwaters. However, as I was scanning the ocean I locked my scope on an interesting gull with a striking black leading edge, black stripe across the neck, and black tail band-- my first ever BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE! I called out the field marks to Susan as I studied it through the scope. It was fairly close to shore and I was able to clearly make out the diagnostic field marks. A few minutes later a BLACK SCOTER flew by. The only other birds of note were Red-throated Loon and Common Murre. At the Ft. Funston groves we found another Western Wood-Pewee, a Red-tailed Hawk, and a few Townsend's Warblers.
We stopped at North Lake Merced next and briefly saw a Sora flying in the reeds, another Eared Grebe, and one Lesser Goldfinch. Next we drove over to Lobos Dunes. We walked the restoration area but found nothing much so we walked from there down to the Lark Bunting Memorial Trail. An immature GOLDEN EAGLE flew overhead and we saw a Downy Woodpecker, more Townsend's Warblers, Mourning Doves, and 5 RED CROSSBILLS fly by.
Our next destination was Kobbe & Upton and the Ft. Scott Parade Grounds. Immediately we saw 4 Northern Harriers (a tough bird in SF) one Cooper's Hawk, a Turkey Vulture (another uncommon bird here) a the resident Red-shouldered Hawk. In the trees were Hermit Thrush, the Western Flycatcher that refused to sing, and more Northern Flickers. On the parade grounds were many Meadowlarks and one Say's Phoebe
For our last stop we went by one of the few public access areas to the Bay, Heron's Head. I walked out the path into the marsh area and saw one BLACK OYSTERCATCHER, more Black-bellied Plovers, Willets, Spotted Sandpipers, Brown Pelicans, Double-crested Cormorants, one Killdeer, Marbled Godwit, Least Sandpiper, two Elegant Terns fishing, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Whimbrel, Long-billed Curlew, and a few American Avocets.
Total species: 104
Green-winged Teal
Mallard
Ring-necked Duck
Black Scoter
Ruddy Duck
Red-throated Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Eared Grebe
Horned Grebe
Eared Grebe
Western Grebe
Clark's Grebe
Brown Pelican
Double-crested Cormorant
Brandt's Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Green Heron
Turkey Vulture
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Golden Eagle
American Kestrel
Virginia Rail
Sora
American Coot
Black-bellied Plover
Killdeer
Black Oystercatcher
American Avocet
Willet
Spotted Sandpiper
Whimbrel
Long-billed Curlew
Marbled Godwit
Black Turnstone
Least Sandpiper
California Gull
Herring Gull
Western Gull
Black-legged Kittiwake
Elegant Tern
Forster's Tern
Common Murre
Rock Pigeon
Band-tailed Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Anna's Hummingbird
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Western Wood-Pewee
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Black Phoebe
Say's Phoebe
Hutton's Vireo
Stellar's Jay
Western Scrub-Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Bushtit
Pygmy Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Bewick's Wren
Winter Wren
Marsh Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Orange-crowned Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Townsend's Warbler
Hermit Warbler
Palm Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Wilson's Warbler
Western Tanager
California Towhee
Clay-colored Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
Brewer's Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Purple Finch
House Finch
Red Crossbill
Lesser Goldfinch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
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