San Mateo County, CA: 10/7/07
Every year the Point Reyes Bid Observatory holds a bird-a-thon to raise money for its important work on bird research and conservation. Teams of people try to see as many species of birds as possible in a 24 hour period soliciting donors for each species seen. Our group, Jennifer Rycenga, Garth Harwood, and I, would attempt to see as many species as possible in San Mateo County on October 7, 2007. We met at Jennifer’s house in Half Moon Bay at 3:30 AM. It was extremely cold just 36 degrees as we headed out into the cold dark night looking for owls. We were very successful with the owls immediately finding a Barn Owl near Jennifer’s house. We pulled off of Highway 1 onto Verde Road and pulled up to an invisible pond where a Virginia Rail responded immediately to my Sora imitation. It never fails! That set off a Coot and Mallard as well. We drove down Higgins-Purissima Road but couldn’t coax out a Great Horned Owl. So we went over to Butano State Park to try for Western Screech-owl. Someone was again camping in the no camping area so I didn’t feel bad about making noise at that ungodly hour until Garth pointed out that the ranger probably told them to camp there as overflow since the campground was full. If I had been that camper I would have been furious. Even though we tried to be quiet I’m sure it was distressing the poor camper who had to hear us play screech owl tapes and chat in low tones about mysterious noises in the night. Finally the screech owl answered our tapes; just as we were departing the camper was unzipping his tent to see what all the commotion was about. Outside of the park we pulled off and listened to more strange noises. I pointed out the spectacular formation in the sky of the beautiful crescent moon with Venus and Regulus above and Saturn below. Jennifer got her spotting scope on it and we all checked out the rings on Saturn.
Next we drove Gazos Creek Road where we shivered terribly in the cold night air. Our sacrifices paid off though for not only did we hear a Northern Saw-whet Owl but amazingly Garth detected the faint hoots of a Long-eared Owl and then a Northern Pygmy Owl. We congratulated ourselves on our owl success and talked about how great it would be if we could also get the Short-eared Owl for a clean sweep of San Mateo County owls but it wasn’t to be. It was so cold we were all relieved to get back in the heated car for the drive over to Pigeon Point. Our timing was flawless as we got out to the viewing deck just as the sun was coming up in the east. The sea was calm but we had no luck with alcids at all. However, we were so lucky to get on a Parasitic Jaeger and then a Pomarine Jaeger. We were upset at having missed the alcids but decided to go directly to Pescadero for land birds. Garth showed us a field good for sparrows. Some dead beats in an AT&T truck watched us warily. An interesting sparrow popped up briefly that I am convinced was a Brewer’s Sparrow but it would not turn adequately to confirm the facial pattern and we never could see it again. Pine Siskins were in a willow tree nearby and Lincoln’s Sparrows were plentiful. Back on Pescadero Road we stopped at the intersection with Highway 1 as Jennifer believed we could get a gnatcatcher there. No gnatcatcher graced us with its presence but Garth honed in on the biggest surprise of the day, a Grasshopper Sparrow. I didn’t get the greatest look but it was the closest match. We scoped the beach and marsh at Pescadero State Beach but came up empty. So we parked illegally on Highway 1 scanning the marsh next to the makeshift gravemarker while Jennifer avoided a collision. I spotted a Blue-winged Teal in between two Green-winged Teals. Next we debated whether we should make another try for alcids at Bean Hollow State Beach where I had seen them regularly in September or continue on for land birds. We decided to continue on and went next to Memorial Park on Pescadero Road. We couldn’t find the target bird from the bridge but after a short walk in we found two resident American Dippers. I brought a big bag of snacks for everyone in order to discourage Jennifer from her nasty habit of stopping at MacDonalds on Big Days. It worked! She stopped and bought some tasty smelling artichoke bread from the Pescadero Market instead and snacked on my healthy snacks in between.
It was time to get over to the bay side of the county for land birds and shore birds. Unfortunately this is not so easy from Half Moon Bay because October is pumpkin picking time in HMB and hordes of people clog the only thorough fare from Highway 1 which skirts the ocean to the Bayside, Highway 92. There was a tense moment in the car as Garth became impatient with a hideous traffic snag and insisted we turn around and try Sharp Park in Pacifica. Jennifer held her ground and was insistent; we waited for the pumpkin pickers to clear out and eventually made it half way up Highway 92 to our destination, the cemetary, where we saw lots of Yellow-rumped Warblers and another big surprise, a Chipping Sparrow, a tough bird in San Mateo County. The traffic wasn't so bad on the other side of the hill as we headed down to Highway 101 for our next stop at Coyote Point on the San Francisco Bay. Few passerines were in the trees but we picked up lots of shorebirds and added an early Lesser Scaup to our list. From Coyote Point we drove to Redwood City for the famous Radio Road extravaganza. There were hundreds of ducks on the pond at the end of the road and our only rarity of the day, a Pectoral Sandpiper. On the way back out of Redwood City we stopped at another strange pond behind the Nob Hill Supermarket where Garth found a Green Heron. We could not locate the Redhead that had been seen earlier in the week and time was running out so we left. Jennifer promised that our next stop would yield four species. We went to the richest area in the county, swanky Atherton, where I joked we were not dressed well enough, to some local park that was full of landscaped areas of non-native plants with intermittent oaks and the curious planted redwood. I was dubious but Jennifer delivered pulling out a flock of promised Cedar Waxwings, two California Thrashers, and two Oak Titmouses. Best of all the bathroom was extremely clean. We left wealthy Atherton for my least favorite place, the impoverished and dangerous, East Palo Alto, where I was once nearly run over by a deranged idiot on a go-cart in the middle of a national wildlife refuge, to the Ravenswood section of the San Francisco Bay NWR. I hate that place. No sooner were we out of the car than I was standing in a pile of trash looking at a torn out fence around the Bay and watching yet another moron on a motorcycle riding back from the refuge. Not only was it dangerous and horrible but we weren't seeing much either. Garth spotted a Sora and next a Barn Swallow. We were recluctant to leave nevertheless because we had not scored on our only chance in the county for a Ring-necked Pheasant. I stopped to point out to Jennifer the no motorized vehicles or bicycles sign when boom two Pheasants shot out of the canal and flew right in front of all of us. Then it was over to my rail haunt the Ravenswood Open Space Preserve. Jennifer and Garth thought it was more dangerous than Ravenswood NWR because there were no residences around and thus less witnesses. The wind had picked up considerably and it was once again cold. Not only that but it was low tide and not a rail in sight. We tried mightily but could not get a Clapper Rail to make so much as a peep. Every other time I have been there four, five, six Clapper Rails are not uncommon but no cigar this time. No rails at all revealed themselves. Garth thought that we should await sundown there because he felt sure a Short-eared Owl would show up. As the temperature dropped, the sun sank, and no owls appeared we threw in the towel and ended the day with a disappointing 136 species.
By: Michelle Brodie
10/8/07
Monday, October 08, 2007
California Sky to Sea: September 22-29, 2007
September 22, 2007: Before picking my family up from the airport I stopped by Fort Funston, an old WWII bunker that is now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. This area is a bluff high above the ocean. Bank Swallows use the cliffs facing the ocean to nest in. The trees topping the bluffs used to provide a safe haven for migrating birds in the fall and rarities showed up there every fall until about five years ago when the National Park Service decided to allow off-leash dogs to roam the area at will. Ever since then the understory has been demolished, the place is overrun with dogs, and few rarities are encountered there these days. But for anyone brave enough to fend off maurading dogs and their crazed owners some surprises await. This particular morning a light rain was falling so I thought maybe some migrants would be resting there looking for a meal before continuing their long migrations further south to Mexico and South America. I immediately came across a medium sized mixed warbler flock that included Townsend’s Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, one juvenile MacGillivray’s Warbler, and one vagrant, my first of the fall, a Tennessee Warbler. It was at eye level just feet away but my camera was snuggled safely in the car. After a while an off-leash dog came and began barking and charging me scaring both me and the birds away. I left there and stopped at the old abandoned boat house at Lake Merced to use the facilities. It continued to rain so I parked at the entrance to Harding Park Golf Course and walked the entrance road all the way to the wooden bridge over North Lake Merced through to Lake Merced Boulevard and back to the Harding Park Road not seeing much in the increasing rain. Then I went to the Sam Trans Station next to the airport to look at shorebirds while waiting for their plane to arrive. There were two Blue-winged Teals, which are uncommon in the Bay Area. Then it was time to pick them up.
After picking up Daddy, my sister, Ree, and my niece, Rachel we headed over to the Conservatory of Flowers where they had a display of carnivorous plants. Then we walked around the San Francisco Botanical Garden where we saw Western Tanagers and numerous Anna’s Hummingbirds.
September 23, 2007: We got up early and drove to Yosemite National Park. It was pretty chilly when we stopped in the valley to have a picnic lunch but we warmed up quickly as we walked up the Mist Trail to Vernal Falls. Even my 78 year old father made it to the bridge at the base of the falls. Many White-throated Swifts were circling overhead. The only other birds though were Steller’s Jays, Dark-eyed Juncos, Northern Flickers, and Common Ravens. Ree, Rachel, and I continued to the top of Vernal Falls where we saw a Canyon Wren. Then it was time to head back to the Sunset Cabins at the entrance for dinner.
September 24, 2007:
We got up early and drove Tioga Road. It was very cold, about 28 degrees when we got out at Olmstead Point to see the view into the Valley. Ree, Rachel, and I walked out to the point for a better look. Not much was stirring in that chill. It warmed up as we dropped down into Mono Basin and was actually pleasant when we got out at South Tufa Reserve. We walked down to the water’s edge where I saw a Sage Sparrow, one Vesper Sparrow, many Brewer’s Sparrows, and Sage Thrashers. There were the usual assortment of Red-winged Blackbirds, Brewer’s Blackbirds, and California Gulls, and Eared Grebes. Next we drove to Bodie State Historic Park in Bridgeport, CA. It was still chilly but much warmer than Tioga Road. Nevertheless, there were a lot less birds than last year. I only saw Mountain Bluebird, Say’s Phoebe, Brewer’s Sparrow, and Savannah Sparrow. After enjoying this restored ghost town from the gold rush days we had lunch at the picnic area and then headed over to Mono County Park. There were still some lingering warblers, Townsend’s, Yellow, and Wilson’s. Many Eared Grebes and American Avocets were in the lake in addition to two Blue-winged Teals along with a few Green-winged Teals. Back in the park Rachel had tracked down a Red-breasted Sapsucker in the cottonwoods and I also saw a Western Wood Pewee. Then it was time for the long drive back. We stopped about half way at Yosemite Creek picnic area and had a bar-b-que which resulted in us all smelling like a fire the rest of the trip.
September 25, 2007: We checked out of our lovely accommodations at Sunset Cabins and drove a short distance to Hetch Hetchy. Hetch Hetchy used to be a gorgeous valley that rivaled that of Yosemite Valley until the City of San Francisco convinced Congress to allow it to flood the valley, build a hideous dam, and create an ugly reservoir inside the national park on the Tuolumne River. This reservoir provides drinking water for the City of San Francisco and parts of some adjoining counties. The dam and reservoir are ugly eye sores that must be removed. We must return this national treasure to its natural state. Hetch Hetchy is a much lower elevation than the rest of the park and was quite warm during our short visit. We all walked across the ugly dam reading the City’s lies and propaganda that they have written on exhibits along the dam. Then Ree, Rachel, and I continued on the trail to the completely dry Wampama Falls. There were many Western Scrub-Jays, Spotted Towhees, California Towhees, and Yellow-rumped Warblers. At the falls we saw a Peregrine Falcon. After our walk we stopped at Diamond-O Campground and had a picnic lunch before driving back to San Francisco. When we stopped for gas at the Mobil Station at Highway 395 and Tioga Road, Ree spotted a Least Chipmunk foraging in the grass.
September 27, 2007: We got up super early and drove like mad down Highway 101. We stopped in Soledad at the rest area and while there we saw several Yellow-billed Magpies, a California endemic. We stopped at Moonstone Beach and had lunch. After lunch I scoped the beach and saw a few Parasitic Jaegers and Elegant Terns. Then it was time to drop everyone off for a tour of Hearst Castle while I walked San Simeon State Beach. At the beach there were more Parasitic Jaegers and some Common Murres and along the rocks were Surfbirds, Whimbrel, Black-bellied Plover, Long-billed Curlew, and Black Turnstones. I picked everyone up after the tour and we proceeded north on Highway 1. We stopped not far from San Simeon to admire a pack of Tule Elk. Then we pulled over to look at a big pile of Elephant Seals right on the beach. Proceeding north we next stopped in Big Sur at Pfieffer Big Sur State Park. We walked the nature trail where we saw Acorn Woodpecker, Band-tailed Pigeon, Steller’s Jay, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Turkey Vulture, and Red-shouldered Hawk. The fog started to roll in ruining the fantastic views we were hoping for in Big Sur but we did stop at Julia Pfieffer Burns State Park to see the waterfall before driving to Monterey where we stayed for the night.
September 28, 2007: We checked out of the Holiday Inn Cannery Row and drove to the Monterey Pier. We had up close looks at a Sea Otter and many California Sea Lions resting at the end of the pier. There were lots of Brandt’s Cormorants and Surf Scoters in the water. As we stood looking into the ocean a Debbie Shearwater Pelagic trip was departing from the harbor. I could hear Debbie on the loud speaker and I watched wistfully as they headed out to sea. Daddy, Ree, and Rachel all suffer from motion sickness so a boat trip was out of the question.
Next we pulled into what I think is one of the prettiest places in California, Pt. Lobos State Reserve. We walked down the water’s edge where we saw some Black Oystercatchers and more Sea otters but not much else. It was overcast and windy, very cold at the water’s edge. We left there and drove to Pacific Grove to look for the Monarch Butterfly tree where thousand congregate in the fall. We found the park but the butterflies had not yet arrived. We also checked a local park, Washington Park where we saw lots of Townsend’s Warblers, Hutton’s Vireo, Pygmy Nuthatch, and Bushtit.
We continued north on Highway 1 stopping at Pigeon Point Lighthouse. Not much was happening there just some Red-throated Loons and one Rhinoceros Auklet. We also stopped at Bean Hollow to look at the Harbor Seals and there were more Black Oystercatchers. Our last stop of the day was the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve in Moss Beach. Luckily it was low tide and so Ree and I were able to see some interesting things in the tide pool like Green Anemone, clams, mussels, nudibranches, dogwinkle, and pink and black limpets. Then it was time to return to San Francisco for my birthday dinner.
September 29, 2007: Before taking everyone back to the airport for their flights back home we went to the downtown farmer’s market. I looked around Ferry Park and saw only a few Yellow Warblers and Western Tanagers. Then we walked to the top of Bernal Hill for the view on this clear sunny day and saw American Kestrel and Turkey Vulture. I dropped everyone off and then Susan and I headed back to Tioga Road for a meeting the next day in Mono County.
Epilogue: September 30, 2007: Heard a Great Horned Owl when we got up. We walked up the Virginia Lakes Trail before our meeting and were pleased to find an accommodating bright male Pine Grosbeak and later a female as well. There were several Clark’s Nutcrackers and the ubiquitous Mountain Chickadees.
By: Michelle Brodie
10/8/07
After picking up Daddy, my sister, Ree, and my niece, Rachel we headed over to the Conservatory of Flowers where they had a display of carnivorous plants. Then we walked around the San Francisco Botanical Garden where we saw Western Tanagers and numerous Anna’s Hummingbirds.
September 23, 2007: We got up early and drove to Yosemite National Park. It was pretty chilly when we stopped in the valley to have a picnic lunch but we warmed up quickly as we walked up the Mist Trail to Vernal Falls. Even my 78 year old father made it to the bridge at the base of the falls. Many White-throated Swifts were circling overhead. The only other birds though were Steller’s Jays, Dark-eyed Juncos, Northern Flickers, and Common Ravens. Ree, Rachel, and I continued to the top of Vernal Falls where we saw a Canyon Wren. Then it was time to head back to the Sunset Cabins at the entrance for dinner.
September 24, 2007:
We got up early and drove Tioga Road. It was very cold, about 28 degrees when we got out at Olmstead Point to see the view into the Valley. Ree, Rachel, and I walked out to the point for a better look. Not much was stirring in that chill. It warmed up as we dropped down into Mono Basin and was actually pleasant when we got out at South Tufa Reserve. We walked down to the water’s edge where I saw a Sage Sparrow, one Vesper Sparrow, many Brewer’s Sparrows, and Sage Thrashers. There were the usual assortment of Red-winged Blackbirds, Brewer’s Blackbirds, and California Gulls, and Eared Grebes. Next we drove to Bodie State Historic Park in Bridgeport, CA. It was still chilly but much warmer than Tioga Road. Nevertheless, there were a lot less birds than last year. I only saw Mountain Bluebird, Say’s Phoebe, Brewer’s Sparrow, and Savannah Sparrow. After enjoying this restored ghost town from the gold rush days we had lunch at the picnic area and then headed over to Mono County Park. There were still some lingering warblers, Townsend’s, Yellow, and Wilson’s. Many Eared Grebes and American Avocets were in the lake in addition to two Blue-winged Teals along with a few Green-winged Teals. Back in the park Rachel had tracked down a Red-breasted Sapsucker in the cottonwoods and I also saw a Western Wood Pewee. Then it was time for the long drive back. We stopped about half way at Yosemite Creek picnic area and had a bar-b-que which resulted in us all smelling like a fire the rest of the trip.
September 25, 2007: We checked out of our lovely accommodations at Sunset Cabins and drove a short distance to Hetch Hetchy. Hetch Hetchy used to be a gorgeous valley that rivaled that of Yosemite Valley until the City of San Francisco convinced Congress to allow it to flood the valley, build a hideous dam, and create an ugly reservoir inside the national park on the Tuolumne River. This reservoir provides drinking water for the City of San Francisco and parts of some adjoining counties. The dam and reservoir are ugly eye sores that must be removed. We must return this national treasure to its natural state. Hetch Hetchy is a much lower elevation than the rest of the park and was quite warm during our short visit. We all walked across the ugly dam reading the City’s lies and propaganda that they have written on exhibits along the dam. Then Ree, Rachel, and I continued on the trail to the completely dry Wampama Falls. There were many Western Scrub-Jays, Spotted Towhees, California Towhees, and Yellow-rumped Warblers. At the falls we saw a Peregrine Falcon. After our walk we stopped at Diamond-O Campground and had a picnic lunch before driving back to San Francisco. When we stopped for gas at the Mobil Station at Highway 395 and Tioga Road, Ree spotted a Least Chipmunk foraging in the grass.
September 27, 2007: We got up super early and drove like mad down Highway 101. We stopped in Soledad at the rest area and while there we saw several Yellow-billed Magpies, a California endemic. We stopped at Moonstone Beach and had lunch. After lunch I scoped the beach and saw a few Parasitic Jaegers and Elegant Terns. Then it was time to drop everyone off for a tour of Hearst Castle while I walked San Simeon State Beach. At the beach there were more Parasitic Jaegers and some Common Murres and along the rocks were Surfbirds, Whimbrel, Black-bellied Plover, Long-billed Curlew, and Black Turnstones. I picked everyone up after the tour and we proceeded north on Highway 1. We stopped not far from San Simeon to admire a pack of Tule Elk. Then we pulled over to look at a big pile of Elephant Seals right on the beach. Proceeding north we next stopped in Big Sur at Pfieffer Big Sur State Park. We walked the nature trail where we saw Acorn Woodpecker, Band-tailed Pigeon, Steller’s Jay, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Turkey Vulture, and Red-shouldered Hawk. The fog started to roll in ruining the fantastic views we were hoping for in Big Sur but we did stop at Julia Pfieffer Burns State Park to see the waterfall before driving to Monterey where we stayed for the night.
September 28, 2007: We checked out of the Holiday Inn Cannery Row and drove to the Monterey Pier. We had up close looks at a Sea Otter and many California Sea Lions resting at the end of the pier. There were lots of Brandt’s Cormorants and Surf Scoters in the water. As we stood looking into the ocean a Debbie Shearwater Pelagic trip was departing from the harbor. I could hear Debbie on the loud speaker and I watched wistfully as they headed out to sea. Daddy, Ree, and Rachel all suffer from motion sickness so a boat trip was out of the question.
Next we pulled into what I think is one of the prettiest places in California, Pt. Lobos State Reserve. We walked down the water’s edge where we saw some Black Oystercatchers and more Sea otters but not much else. It was overcast and windy, very cold at the water’s edge. We left there and drove to Pacific Grove to look for the Monarch Butterfly tree where thousand congregate in the fall. We found the park but the butterflies had not yet arrived. We also checked a local park, Washington Park where we saw lots of Townsend’s Warblers, Hutton’s Vireo, Pygmy Nuthatch, and Bushtit.
We continued north on Highway 1 stopping at Pigeon Point Lighthouse. Not much was happening there just some Red-throated Loons and one Rhinoceros Auklet. We also stopped at Bean Hollow to look at the Harbor Seals and there were more Black Oystercatchers. Our last stop of the day was the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve in Moss Beach. Luckily it was low tide and so Ree and I were able to see some interesting things in the tide pool like Green Anemone, clams, mussels, nudibranches, dogwinkle, and pink and black limpets. Then it was time to return to San Francisco for my birthday dinner.
September 29, 2007: Before taking everyone back to the airport for their flights back home we went to the downtown farmer’s market. I looked around Ferry Park and saw only a few Yellow Warblers and Western Tanagers. Then we walked to the top of Bernal Hill for the view on this clear sunny day and saw American Kestrel and Turkey Vulture. I dropped everyone off and then Susan and I headed back to Tioga Road for a meeting the next day in Mono County.
Epilogue: September 30, 2007: Heard a Great Horned Owl when we got up. We walked up the Virginia Lakes Trail before our meeting and were pleased to find an accommodating bright male Pine Grosbeak and later a female as well. There were several Clark’s Nutcrackers and the ubiquitous Mountain Chickadees.
By: Michelle Brodie
10/8/07
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