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.
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