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 So after consulting Birding Utah we decided on Utah Lake State Park (this book is bad, seriously out of date, with many wrong directions and I don't recommend it at all).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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.